The Mormon Land newsletter is The Salt Lake Tribune’s weekly highlight reel of news in and about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Join us on Patreon and receive the full newsletter, podcast transcripts and access to all of our religion content.
Winning this steeple chase?
Amid the spire spats dogging proposed Latter-day Saint temples in California, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, this Alabama edifice — with its 120-foot tower — appears to be on track.
The planned single-story, 30,000-square-foot Huntsville Temple has won zoning approval from the nearby city of Madison (where the structure is to be built), reports Al.com, the state’s largest digital news site.
Although the central tower will exceed the area’s 50-foot zoning limit, zoning staffers noted, it “is not significantly massive or bulky” so the building “should not have an adverse effect on adjacent property or the character of the neighborhood.”
Next stop for the proposed temple: a public hearing, possibly next month, before the Madison City Council. We’ll see what happens then.
If approved and built, it will be the church’s second temple in Alabama. The first opened in Birmingham in 2000.
Happy talk
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Smiles abound at For the Strength of Youth conferences.
Does the Latter-day Saint “plan of happiness” for the hereafter make members happy in the here and now?
In a Times and Seasons blog post, numbers nerd Stephen Cranney dug into the Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape Study for clues. He discovered that among Latter-day Saint lifers, converts, ex-members and never members who reported being “very happy”:
• Male converts ranked the happiest, followed by lifelong Latter-day Saint women and men.
• Female converts followed at about the same level as those who have never been members.
• Former Latter-day Saints of both sexes finished at the lowest level on the happiness scale.
The latest ‘Mormon Land’ podcast: Evangelizing for ethics
With its goal of “building a more peaceful, just and ethical world,” Mormon Women for Ethical Government has criticized Donald Trump’s policies, Congress’ acquiescence, a Latter-day Saint senator’s online comments and the Utah Legislature’s “gerrymandering.”
To learn more about this grassroots group’s efforts, listen to the podcast.
Raising the stakes
The stakes are high and getting higher.
In fact, independent researcher Matt Martinich reports at ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com, the church has formed at least 51 new stakes (or regional clusters of congregations) so far this year, the highest half-year tally since 2016.
In recent weeks, he adds, leaders have created four new stakes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and one apiece in Colorado, Papua New Guinea, Peru and the Philippines.
Tears for Texas
(Jordan Vonderhaar | The New York Times) A submerged vehicle near the Blue Oak RV park after catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas. The church has expressed its sorrow after the disaster.
The church’s North America Southwest Area Presidency lamented the loss of life in the devastating floods to hit Texas, pointing to “hope amid the darkness as those of all faiths prepare to rebuild communities and continually encircle those who grieve with arms of love.”
The statement did not address what assistance the church is providing.
From The Tribune
(Andy Wong | AP) Chinese paramilitary police in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 2020. Local governmental authorities recently banned Latter-day Saint congregations in Beijing and elsewhere in China.
• The church suffers a setback in China as the government shuts down congregations in Beijing and other cities.
• A historian examines the times, triumphs and tribulations of a Latter-day Saint apostle who fought the Black priesthood/temple ban, snuffed out a polygamy scandal and became a liberal champion.
• Remember all the talk of food storage, 72-hour kits and emergency preparedness? Well, Tribune guest columnist Eli McCann sure does, and he’ll get around to stocking up his supplies — someday.
• In the wake of quarterback Jake Retzlaff’s case, Tribune columnist Gordon Monson argues it’s past time for BYU to change its Honor Code.
• Monson also urges church leaders to speak out against gun violence and for greater gun controls.
• The IRS says churches can endorse political candidates from the pulpit.
• A Latter-day Saint and former Bath & Body Works store manager in Utah is alleging she was unfairly fired for her religious beliefs.