Two hours later the representative next to Wilkins was summarily dismissed and informed that a representative from the women's caucus would take her place. He became aware that the women's caucus was playing a game--they were planning to eliminate any who opposed their platform. That evening Richard continued working on his 10 minute talk. He worked under extremely adverse circumstances. Among other things, his roommate had a medical emergency for a kidney stone. He said as the night passed, the only text he had before him was, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." This is a statement that has been made by The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; the church with which Wilkins is affiliated. This proclamation states firmly and strongly in support of traditional family values. Wilkins felt it was to be used in his presentation, and he said, "My constant prayer was that the message of that proclamation would touch some hearts."

The next morning, at the session where Wilkins was to speak, the committee chair announced that a "few" additional presenters had been added to the roster..eight representatives from the women's caucus to be exact. The chair continued to announce that only SIX minutes per speaker would be allowed and that it was likely they would NOT be able to hear from everybody. Wilkins noted that he was scheduled to speak second-to last, right AFTER the eight additional presentations. Then he again saw their game plan...if they couldn't [eliminate] him, they would [squeeze] him out. Predictably, the eight speakers took much longer than their allotted six minutes. They repeatedly discussed their positions.

Here are some examples of what they advocate:

• The worlds' housing problems would disappear if...alternative forms of sexual partnerships were recognized (give legal protection to same sex marriages, allow homosexuals to marry).
• Give women ready access to pregnancy termination (world-wide abortion on demand).
• Religion is an obstacle to progress and must be eliminated.
• Increase funding for adolescent sexual reproductive services in the schools, including teaching technical sexual know-how and providingthem with prophylactics (parent permission is unnecessary as they have no say in the matter).
• Provide 18-20 hours a day of government-sponsored day care.
• Take all 'necessary steps' to ensure that every woman is "fully employed" outside the home.

Members of the Women's Caucus believe their platform is the solution to our modern problems. Then the floor was given to Bella Abzug, founder of the Women's Caucus, who spent 10 minutes extolling the virtues of the Women's Caucus (Note: Hillary Clinton is a member of this caucus).

Wilkins reported, "I sat back in my chair, astounded at the breadth of the Women's Caucus' total [domination]". The language used by these female presenters had become so vile that an Algerian delegate formally protested: "Mr. Chairman, we were to hear a variety of views from NGOs this morning, but this has been turned into a seminar on radical lesbian feminism. I want to know if other views are being foreclosed." Then the Holy See (from the Vatican) seconded the motion, which resulted in a flood of objections and charges of corruption. Trying to assure the delegates that he was not corrupt, the chairman invited Wilkins to deliver a severely abbreviated version of his speech-no more than FOUR minutes.

As Wilkins walked to the podium, he was loudly hissed. Having so little time, he fell back upon the Proclamation to the World on the family. Later, as he retold this experience, Wilkins admitted that at the time the Proclamation had first come out, he was serving as a Bishop. He read it and thought, "Yes, well, we all know that." Back then he thought little of it, but THAT day in Istanbul, standing before influential representatives from across the world, he knew without a doubt it was an inspired document...one prepared well in advance by Prophets of God, for just such a time as this.