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‘Hotel’ California?

Many Latter-day Saints adore the San Diego Temple. It frequently ranks among the most marveled, recognized and revered of the faith’s temples.

A Catholic author toured the recently renovated 10-spired edifice, however, and walked away unaffected, unimpressed and uninspired.

“I accept that devout Mormons feel uplifted when they visit their temple, the way I feel uplifted when visiting a finely designed Catholic cathedral,” Karl Keating wrote in The Catholic World Report. “I have been to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, the ‘religiosity’ of which I could sense immediately, even though the religions were so foreign to my own in terms of doctrine and history. I just didn’t get that sense at the Mormon temple. To me, it felt cold, not comforting.”

Keating likened the temple’s lobby to a hotel entrance, a not uncommon comparison for visitors, and said the same about the building’s much-touted two-level Celestial Room.

“There was nothing,” he said, “to inspire awe.”

The San Diego Temple is scheduled to be rededicated Aug. 23.

A taste of the Jell-O Belt

When The Cumorah Foundation’s latest newsletter included a comprehensive state-by-state database, we got to thinking: How does church growth over the past 30 years shake out in the five-state Jell-O Belt?

Here’s what we found:

• Arizona’s membership has mushroomed the most, up 63% since 1995, to 442,094.

• Idaho’s Latter-day Saint populace has expanded by 48% to 482,905.

• Nevada’s church membership has increased by 47% to 181,842.

• Utah’s tally, by far the largest in raw numbers, has risen by 49% to 2,206,370.

• Wyoming’s total, the smallest, has grown by 23% to 66,665.

Overall, the United States has seen Latter-day Saint membership jump by 47% between 1995 and 2025, to 6,929,770.

Again, these are members on the church rolls, not necessarily participants in the pews.

Latest ‘Mormon Land’ podcast: The search for ‘Brother Joseph’

A Latter-day Saint artist and an art historian discuss the much-debated daguerreotype and why the search for what church founder Joseph Smith really looked like matters.

“You have the Prophet Joseph, the icon. You have President Joseph, the leader,” artist Joseph Brickey says. “Brother Joseph is the one you walk side by side with.”

Listen to the podcast.

Around the world

• Latter-day Saints are believers in American exceptionalism — more so than other religious groups.

Mormon Metrics data expert Alex Bass points to a recent report that shows 80% of Latter-day Saints agree that “God has granted America a special role in human history.” That’s higher even than white evangelical Protestants (75%) and Hispanic Protestants (64%).

That ranking is hardly surprising. After all, Latter-day Saint leaders — and, indeed, scriptures — teach that the founding of the United States and the religious protections in the Constitution cleared the way for the birth of the church.

• Senior apostle Dieter Uchtdorf welcomed Swiss President Guy Parmelin last week in Salt Lake City.

During their visit, a news release noted, the two discussed religious freedom, self-reliance, families, education, volunteerism and civic engagement.

From The Tribune

• What women are saying as they take charge of Sunday schools.

• Exclusive: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s spiritual adviser longs for a day when Latter-day Saints can’t hold office or possibly even vote.

• The same weekend football star Travis Kelce was making headlines marrying pop music icon Taylor Swift in New York, his Latter-day Saint coach, Andy Reid, was making a patriotic speech in Salt Lake City.

• Latter-day Saints have long valued the Constitution’s promise of religious freedom, but the church has also tested its boundaries.

• How the church’s approach to abuse response and prevention compares to best practices.

• As church President Dallin Oaks pushes marriage, Brigham Young University is building new apartments for couples on its Provo campus.