LDS Church Abandons Proposal To Construct High-Rise Missionary Training Center In Provo, Utah

In a rather unexpected development, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced on October 12th, 2012 that it will not proceed with the construction of a new nine-story, 161-ft. tall Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah. This decision is surprising considering that the announcement of the lowering of age limits for missionary service means that more missionaries will be called, and more MTC space needed to accommodate them. For the time being, the existing MTC structures will be used, and any excess missionaries may be housed in BYU dorms during the spring or summer semesters; there are an average of 2,700 missionaries at the Provo MTC at any given time. Media stories published by the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News and the Provo Daily Herald. KSL news video embedded below:



LDS Church spokesman Michael Purdy issued the following statement:

"There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the Church's proposal to construct a new building at the Provo Missionary Training Center. Church leaders have determined that, due to a number of complexities and concerns, we will not move forward with the nine-story building originally proposed.

"Expansion of the MTC is necessary but we are confident we can find a solution that builds upon the long-standing working relationship between the MTC, BYU, and the community at large. We look forward to further discussions as the process moves forward."

Although the LDS Church has not announced any replacement scheme, it has not pulled its application to build. According to Provo Community Development Director Gary McGinn, the Church could amend the application and still be vested to build. But any new application would be subjected to a moratorium on the construction of buildings taller than five stories in a public facilities zone that is within 1,000 feet of the Pleasant View neighborhood passed by the municipal council back in September.

Provo Mayor John Curtis expressed his appreciation for the Church working hard to find a solution to a difficult situation, and says he looks forward to working with them as this unfolds. Neighborhood activist Paul Evans expressed his relief, saying "I think we can all look at this and think we're heading in the right direction. We look forward to working with the MTC and helping them meet their needs as growth and expansion occur."

The proposed project, first announced in March 2012, drew mixed reaction from the mostly-LDS residents in the neighborhood. While many were pleased with the proposed expansion, others complained about the possible negative impact upon property values due to the possibility that the structure would block views of the mountains. In July 2012, the discourse took a more controversial turn when a local stake president relayed an invitation from a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Russell M. Nelson, to support the Church's decision to build the facility. It was presented as an "invitation to support the decision of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles" to build the facility, after which neighborhood chairman Paul Evans, who promoted the idea of constructing two separate five-story buildings instead, abruptly reversed his opposition to the Church's proposal, in part because he is a BYU employee. After complaints surfaced about turning the MTC proposal into a "worthiness" issue, Stake President Chris Randall said that that to suggest that this was an attempt by Church leaders to exercise undue influence was without merit.

Perhaps the LDS Church will now consider Paul Evans' alternative idea of constructing two five-story buildings instead.

North Star Offers Hope For Gay Latter-day Saints Who Want To Remain Faithful Mormons

Quite by accident, I discovered this resource from a link to the YouTube video of Elder Dallin H. Oaks' General Conference address. North Star is a resource to help members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints who are dealing with same-sex attraction to gain control over it without compromising their membership or standing in the Church.

Their mission statement:

The mission of North Star is to provide a place of community for Latter-day Saints who experience homosexual attraction, as well as their family, friends, and ecclesiastical leaders. North Star serves those who desire the spiritual and social support that strengthens faith, builds character, and empowers men and women to live in joy and harmony within their covenants, values, and beliefs as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As you can see, North Star fully supports the LDS Church's official position on same-sex attraction and holds that the power and grace of Christ enables each individual to renounce behavior and manage thoughts that will prevent him or her from returning into His presence. North Star takes no official position on the origin or mutability of homosexual feelings and attractions, but supports all efforts consistent with the gospel that help individuals live in more full harmony with their covenants and attain greater peace, fulfillment, and sense of individual worth, while affirming that the most essential and eternal growth and progress come through the power of the Savior and adherence to the teachings of His prophets. Thus North Star fulfills the same mission as Evergreen International.

Although North Star has no official connection with the LDS Church, LDS officials have participated in their seminars. On August 25th, 2012, there was a ten-stake training seminar held at the North Ogden Coldwater Stake Building on Same-Gender Attraction (SGA). In attendance were 400 invited Priesthood and auxiliary leaders, including stake presidencies, bishoprics, Relief Society presidencies, and young men and young women’s presidencies. This training evolved out of a proposal presented to the North Ogden Coldwater Stake President by a member of North Star. Conducting the two-hour seminar was Elder Lynn Summerhays, an Area Authority Seventy. Area Authorities are at the first level below General Authorities, but above stake presidents, so this implies some degree of official Church sanction. The purpose of the training was not to discuss how or why SGA develops, but to embrace and communicate the church’s position on relevant issues. Many attendees stated as they departed, that this was the most spiritual meeting they had ever attended.

North Star also offers help in dealing with pornography and sexual addiction recovery, sexual abuse healing, suicide prevention and education, and HIV/AIDS education and prevention. Of possible concern is how the recent law passed in California banning reparative therapy for gays under the age of 18 could affect North Star, but the law does not take effect until January 1st, 2013, and a Christian legal group has since filed a lawsuit challenging the law. Reparative therapy is only one of the strategies employed by North Star.

Elder David Bednar Relates Testimony And Conversion During The Sunday Afternoon Session Of The 182nd Semiannual General Conference

Special Note: All posts on the October 2012 Semiannual General Conference can be simultaneously displayed HERE, with the most recent post appearing first.

Audio and video archives of conference talks now being made available HERE; written transcripts to follow later this week.

The Sunday Afternoon Session of the 182nd Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints featured a continuing stream of General Authorities sharing their inspiration, wisdom, and experience with the public. Perhaps of greatest interest was Russell T. Osguthorpe's talk about the the new learning resources for youth, grouped under the heading "Come, Follow Me", to become available in 2013; it has been highly lauded in some corners. Elder David Bednar also delivered a useful address discussing the relationship between testimony and conversion.

Here are brief summaries of each talk:

-- Robert D. Hales, Quorum of the Twelve: "Being a More Christian Christian". Elder Hales called upon Latter-day Saints to effectively debunk accusations of not being Christian by acting more Christian. As Christians today, Church members have the opportunity to go straightway, and act immediately and decisively to follow Jesus Christ. The call to be a Christian can seem demanding, even overwhelming, but the Savior has promised to make us equal to His work. Elder Hales assured people that as Latter-day Saints follow the Savior, they will be blessed with gifts, talents and the strength to do His will. This may mean sharing the gospel with neighbors, rescuing those who are spiritually lost, serving a full-time mission, working in the temple, raising a child with special needs, loving the prodigal, serving an ailing companion, enduring misunderstandings or suffering affliction.

-- Richard G. Scott, Quorum of the Twelve: "The Joy of Redeeming the Dead" Elder Scott issued a renewed call for members to take an interest in performing ordinances for their dead ancestors in our temples. He noted that this work is a spiritual work, a monumental effort of cooperation on both sides of the veil where help is given in both directions. Elder Scott specifically suggested to young LDS members that if they want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in their life, to immerse themselves in searching for their ancestors, prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

-- Russell T. Osguthorpe, Sunday School General President: "One Step Closer to the Savior". The primary purpose of Brother Osguthorpe's appearance was to discuss the new learning resources for youth, grouped under the heading "Come, Follow Me", to become available in 2013. Those resources, he explained, have one central goal: to help youth become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Conversion in this context is not a one-time event, but a continual process of knowing, doing, and becoming. Likewise, teaching for conversion requires key doctrine, invitations to action and promised blessings. Brother Osguthorpe also touted the teaching resource manual "Teaching, No Greater Call" as a valuable resource for all who teach and want to utilize the correct pattern of gospel learning.

-- Marcus B. Nash, First Quorum of the Seventy: "By Faith All Things are Fulfilled". Elder Nash spoke about faith, the first principle of the Gospel. It is through faith that individuals are able to securely attach to the rock of the Redeemer and safely climb the gospel path, overcoming every challenge of mortality and returning to the majestic presence of Heavenly Father. Although Satan tries to use such things as doubt, fear or sin to tempt individuals to let go of faith and lose the protection it offers, it is through exercising faith and an examination of the challenges that individuals are able to recognize and heed not the adversary's temptations.

-- Daniel L. Johnson, First Quorum of the Seventy: "Becoming a True Disciple". Elder Johnson related a story which illustrated the difficulty in becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is all about doing and becoming; ultimately, it is by total submission to His will that helps us become as our Savior is. Becoming like Him and being one with Him is the ultimate goal and objective, and essentially the very definition of true discipleship.

-- Don L. Clarke, First Quorum of the Seventy: "Blessings of the Sacrament". A very useful talk to remind us of the importance and significance of the Sacramental emblems. When the Savior instituted the sacrament, He promised that the souls of those who partake of the sacrament shall never hunger or thirst, but shall be filled. The sacramental prayer also promises those who live up to their covenants will always have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Elder Clarke also suggested five principles for getting the most out of sacrament meeting.

-- David E. Bednar, Quorum of the Twelve: "Converted Unto the Lord". Elder Bednar discussed the relationship between receiving a testimony of Christ and becoming converted to His gospel. A testimony is personal knowledge of spiritual truth obtained by revelation; it is a gift from God and available to all of His children. However, conversion is an enlarging, a deepening, and a broadening of the undergirding base of testimony. It is the result of revelation from God, accompanied by individual repentance, obedience and diligence. Any honest seeker of truth can become converted by experiencing the mighty change of heart and being spiritually born of God. The key characteristics associated with conversion are experiencing a mighty change of heart, having a disposition to do good continually, going forward in the path of duty, walking circumspectly before God, keeping the commandments and serving with unwearied diligence.

-- President Thomas S. Monson: "God Be With You Til We Meet Again". The full text of his remarks is published. Most noteworthy: "The office of the President of the Church is a demanding one. How grateful I am for my two faithful counselors who serve by my side and who are always willing and exceptionally able to assist in the work which comes to the First Presidency. I express my gratitude as well for the noble men who comprise the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They work tirelessly in the cause of the Master, with the members of the Quorums of the Seventy providing inspired assistance to them".

LDS personal blogs discussing the Sunday Afternoon Session:

-- Feast Upon The Word: Another well-crafted summation by Kirk Caudle.
-- By Common Consent: Lots of chatty stuff, little of substance.
-- Feminist Mormon Housewives: Some good comments expanding on Osguthorpe's talk and effectively explaining the new online learning resource system for teachers to use with students. New Beginnings has a good post about the new curriculum.

LDS President Thomas S. Monson Shows His Vigor At The Sunday Morning Session Of The 182nd Semiannual General Conference

Special Note: All posts on the October 2012 Semiannual General Conference can be simultaneously displayed HERE, with the most recent post appearing first.

Audio and video archives of conference talks now being made available HERE; written transcripts to follow later this week.

After yesterday's "fireworks" of the missionary age eligibility announcement and some powerful motivational talks by Elders Dallin H. Oaks and D. Todd Christenson, the Sunday Morning Session of the 182nd Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may have seemed mundane by comparison. But what may be mundane to many of us may be the vital message needed by someone else. Perhaps the most significant aspect of this session was that President Thomas S. Monson gave his third address of the conference, and he usually ends up giving the closing address of the Sunday Afternoon session. This seems to be an effective rebuttal of rumors spread by anti-Mormons that President Monson was supposedly "in the early stages of Alzheimer's". President Monson appeared pretty hale and hearty to me.

Here are brief summaries of each talk:

-- President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor First Presidency: "Where Is The Pavilion?". President Eyring spoke about separation from God, and how we can draw closer to Him. The problem is that although God always see us and is willing to communicate with us, we may be unwilling to listen or submit to His will and timetable. This obstructs communication. President Eyring added that the Lord's delays often seem long, and can even last a lifetime, but they are always calculated to bless. They need never be times of loneliness or sorrow on impatience. Although His time is not always our time, we can be sure that the Lord keeps His promises.

-- President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve: "The Atonement". Primarily a reminder that in mortality we would fall short of being perfect, and that it was not expected that we would live without transgressing one law or another. Thus a Redeemer had to step forward to make a substitutionary Atonement, which actually began in Gethsemane. The purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Atonement is to wash clean the sins of those who will repent, and President Packer concluded by saying, "That is what Latter-day Saints do around the world. That is the Light we offer to those who are in darkness and have lost their way. Wherever our members and missionaries may go, our message is one of faith and hope in the Savior Jesus Christ."

-- Sister Linda K. Burton, Relief Society General President: "First Observe, Then Serve" Basically, the one point I took away from this talk was that we shouldn't just go charging in to a situation like a bull in a china shop, but take the time to observe the situation to ensure our service is in the most helpful way and for the right reason. Sister Burton pointed out that sometimes we are tempted to serve in a way that we want to serve and not necessarily in the way that is needed at the moment. The service of Latter-day Saints will more likely resemble the Savior's ministry as they ask, when serving, "Am I doing this for the Savior, or am I doing this for me?"

-- Elder Walter F. Gonzalez, Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy: "Learning with our hearts" Elder Gonzalez put forth the idea that when people know Jesus Christ with all their heart and mind, they will receive knowledge from God unobtainable by any other means. All have access to knowledge to heaven when they read the scriptures, pray, follow the prophet and take time to be still and feel celestial promptings. But Elder Gonzalez cautioned individuals against iniquity and forgetting the Lord, two actions that will impede the ability to receive revelation.

-- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Quorum of the Twelve: "The first great commandment". Of course, the first of the two great commandments spoken of by Jesus in the New Testament is to love the Lord with all our heart. Elder Holland reminded Church members of the Savior's powerful words, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." To illustrate this point, Elder Holland re-told the story of the resurrected Savior's encounter with Peter, when Jesus asked Peter three times, "Lovest thou me?", using more modern language and references. Elder Holland then wrapped it up by saying that it is that work of discipleship that Church members still need to commit to today. We have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share and good to do. We can't quit and we can't go back, because after an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before.

-- President Thomas S. Monson: "Taking an inventory of life" President Monson noted that as he reviewed the past 49 years since he gave his first conference address in 1963, he discovered that although he had countless experiences he would classify as unremarkable and even ordinary, in retrospect, they enriched and blessed lives — not the least of which was his own. President Monson recommends we do the same -- take an inventory of our lives and look specifically for the blessings, large and small, we have received. President Monson also added that the Lord's purposes are often accomplished as individuals pay heed to the guidance of the Spirit, and urged members to never postpone a prompting, relating a couple of personal anecdotes the illustrate his meaning.

LDS personal blogs discussing the Sunday Morning Session:

-- Feast Upon The Word: Summarized with bullet statements. It appears that Kirk Caudle was more impressed with this session than I was, although he shares my regard for Elder Holland. I'd also say that Elder Holland's talk was the most inspirational.
-- Feminist Mormon Housewives: Summaries with over 160 comments so far.
-- By Common Consent: Live-blogging, with over 270 comments so far.
-- Dave's Mormon Inquiry: Features an expanded discussion of Jeffrey Holland's talk.