PERRY, Utah — A meetinghouse for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Perry kept its doors closed on Sunday after vandals left extensive damage inside the previous day.
Chris Southwick, the first counselor in the Perry Stake Presidency, said they believe someone or a group of people got inside the church through a window sometime Saturday afternoon or evening. Southwick said they are unsure if the window was open or forced open by the vandals.
"They kind of just took over into the building and found, you know, glasses and plates and different things inside the building that they could break," said Southwick.
Southwick estimates that the vandals caused thousands of dollars' worth of damage once they were inside.
"Slashing some of the paintings or the pictures that were on the walls, they did damage one of the organs that was in the chapel and spread crackers throughout the chapel," said Southwick.
Some benches that were going to be used for a primary program on Sunday were thrown onto the pews. Southwick also said there was some fire extinguisher dust spread throughout the building.
The extensive damage caused the three wards that normally congregate in the building each Sunday to postpone their meetings.
Signs on the doors also urged people to not enter the building while a restoration crew worked throughout the day to clean up the mess left inside.
"We feel, you know, the love of the members that are here attending with us, and so these buildings are important to us," said Southwick.
Southwick told FOX 13 News that nothing damaged inside was irreplaceable.
Scott Nelson is a member of the Perry 7th Ward and has come to this meetinghouse since 1979.
"I have never heard of anything happening at this building or in any Perry building," he said.
Nelson said he woke up Sunday morning, preparing to come to church at noon before his bishop emailed the congregation to let them know the meetinghouse had been vandalized.
"How sad that someone would feel like they needed to vandalize a church," he said.
Now, he's hoping to get some answers on why this incident even took place.
"I hope that they catch the individual or individuals who did this and find out why they would want to do something like that," Nelson said.
Southwick said the incident is under investigation by the Perry Police Department.
Anyone with information about the incident can call the department at 435-723-6461.
