2004 Interview- Page 2

MJS- Yes it would.

LK- And I’m just talking to you about that because if you get a website I’d like to have you mention it, along with over 1,400 kids that are emailing Washington.

MJS- Wow, how about that?

LK- Yep; and Barbara Boxer wrote in to the President Bush, I’m getting people on the website; you’re probably on that, you could put a picture of it and add to it.

MJS- Is there like a form letter or something you’re having people send in?

LK- Yeah, I’ve got a gold plaque from Barbara Boxer, and they’re taking pictures of it, and I’ve got over 1400 duplicates of it, and I’m giving them a duplicate, but they’re taking pictures of the gold plaque. Last week they were going to put it in the Sacramento paper, me holding that plaque. I’m sneaky on this, but I’ve been told… how can I really keep this up 80 years from now? It’s almost impossible. But they tell me if it would go through the next congress of the senate it would be protected beyond any…who’s going to fight congress? They say it’s impossible, but I’ve got different countries coming down on it hard. ‘Cause they like what I’m doing a lot.

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LK- That’s a General Sherman tree base. The largest tree base in the world. Its 171/2 feet through. Anyway, if you want to ask some questions right now, why don’t we do it.

MJS- One thing I was curious about is before you started working on this (Salvation Mountain), what kind of art work did you do?

LK- Hardly any. I was not interested in art at all. I tried to paint cars 30 years ago and never could paint a good one. That’s about the ability of it. The first time somebody called me an artist I scolded them for five minutes. I don’t like artwork, I have no interest in it whatsoever; don’t say such a silly thing. And all of a sudden it’s turning into a worldwide thing. Except I’m happy when they call me an artist now.

MJS- Ah. When you didn’t think of this as art, what did you think of it as?

LK- I made a hot air balloon in Nebraska that had God Is Love on it- that was my main theme for over 40 years. To put God Is Love to the world. And when it rotted out here, in 1984, and it never got up very good, I told God “I’m going to stay here one week and make a little 8 foot one”- twenty years ago. And twenty years later I’m still here. That was my only plan. I kept going. Just kept going.

MJS- What kind of life did you leave behind to do this?

LK- I was running away from my sister in 1967, and she wanted me to go to church and I didn’t want to get in touch with God or Jesus or anything. I was running away from her. And I remember the spot, by myself, I started saying “Jesus, I’m a sinner, please come in to my heart.” And I said that about six or seven times, and I noticed tears were coming down my eyes. And I said “What in the world…? I’m going to say it for maybe a half-hour.” And, God, I started crying like a baby. And, man, I got filled with the Holy Ghost instantly. And one scripture I’ll give you ‘till you ask for more: Acts 2:38- the Bible says: “Repent to Jesus Christ and get saved.” Period. Simple. I’m trying to tell the whole world that God loves them, I’ve got the sinner’s prayer on my truck and everything. And I’m telling everybody that God loves everybody. Isn’t that simple? God just loves you. And I keep it simple. And then people try to get me into complicated things, I’ll say “No, it’s too simple. Just God loves you.” And you know there was a lady Marine that came from a year’s service fighting in Baghdad or Kuwait, and I think it was 20/20 TV that put God Is Love over there. I’m getting God Is Love to the whole world, and that thrills me a lot.

MJS- So, you didn’t conceive of this as a work of art, but a Holy Ghost expression.

LK- Expression- I want to put “God Is Love” to the world. And I want to do it in a nice way. I’ll be honest with you, and this is the truth: everything really good God is doing, and everything that’s falling apart I’m doing. I’m being really honest with you. Like when I (came) down here it was in the summertime, probably about 116 outside, and I was kind of grumbling, telling God “I don’t even want to stay here one week”. But the adobe is here, the sunshine is here, this is the best place in the world to build this monument, and thank God for putting up with me for 20 years.