Jamaican LDS Missionary Jermaine Luther Walker Fatally Shot In Police Crossfire In Kingston, Jamaica

A missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was shot and killed in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday January 17th, 2010. Elder Jermaine Luther Walker, a native of Kingston, was part of a group of seven missionaries in a van when they got caught in the crossfire of a police shootout while police were pursuing another vehicle. The other six missionaries were unhurt. Most media sources are spelling his first name as "Jermaine"; that's the reference I'm using. Elder Walker's name will be added to my partial list of missionaries who have died while on their missions.

Media stories published by KSL Channel 5, the Deseret News, and the Salt Lake Tribune. Jamaican media outlets have not yet picked up the story.

Photo of Elder Walker available HERE.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

The LDS Church released the following statement:

Our hearts are heavy with the news that Elder Jermaine Luther Walker from Kingston, Jamaica -- serving in the Jamaica Kingston Mission -- was killed today. He was shot by a stray bullet while he and seven other missionaries were returning to their apartments after a preparation-day activity. It appears the van they were in was caught in the crossfire as local police were pursuing another vehicle. Elder Walker was immediately driven to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Although shaken, the other missionaries in the van were reported in good condition. Our thoughts and prayers are with Elder Walker’s family and all who knew this fine young man.

Official LDS statistics reveal that there are 5,096 LDS members in Jamaica, organized into 21 different congregations. The LDS Church Growth blog provides more information about past activity and organization in Jamaica.

Jamaica has a reputation for being crime-prone. In 2007, it was identified as having one of the highest murder rates in the world. Much of the crime is attributed to organized gangs. In 2009, the State Department issued an advisory to prospective travelers about the high crime rate in Jamaica. Since that time, the Jamaican government has increasingly targeted gangs; recently, Commissioner Owen Ellington said police will further intensify its assault on organized crime through an expanded Counter Gang Strategy, and has set a March 31st deadline for each of the constabulary's territorial divisions to significantly disrupt or completely demolish the three most active gangs in their areas. The strategy seems to be working; official sources report a drop in murders from 1,682 in 2009 to 1,428 in 2010.

The Proposed Phoenix LDS Temple: First, They Didn't Like The Spire, Then They Didn't Like The Lighting...Now They're Complaining About The Parking

Note: All posts on the Phoenix Temple available HERE, with the most recent post displaying first.

Although neighborhood residents who oppose the placement of the proposed Phoenix Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their neck of the woods repeatedly claim they have no axe to grind against the Church, one must begin to wonder if that's really true, since there seems to be no end to the objections they dream up.

First, they didn't like the height of the temple and its spire. So the Church lowered the base height of the building from 40 feet to 30 feet. Then, they objected to the lighting, so the Church said they would impose limits upon the length of time the temple would be illuminated each day.

Now, opponents of the temple are complaining about parking -- specifically, whether or not the number of parking spaces effectively matches expected usage of the temple. The Arizona Republic describes the critical attributes of this new dispute reasonably well:

-- A local city ordinance that regulates parking for places of worship and public assembly requires one parking space per three seats.
-- The Church proposes 394 parking spaces based on the size of the temple's largest room, which is projected to be used the most
-- Neighborhood organizer Scott Anderson says the numbers don't add up. Anderson claims he counted 133 rooms in the temple rendering, while the city calculated parking using only 25 rooms.

Anderson also claims that when the Church redesigned the temple to lower the overall height, they doubled the size of the temple. But Anderson provides no evidence to support this contention; the redesign may have just traded vertical space for horizontal space.

So the parking dispute effectively centers around the city's interpretation of the number of applicable rooms and whether or not the redesign actually increased the overall square footage of the temple.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Temple spokeswoman Jennifer Wheeler claims that parking exceeds that which is required by city code. She notes that architects and engineers are still finalizing the plans for the temple, and that the plans will be submitted for vetting as part of the permitting process. Read the LDS Church's information page about the Phoenix Temple HERE.

In the comments section, Scott Anderson continues to insist that he is not driven by any anti-Mormon bias. In response to someone identified as "Maximum", Scott writes (after the jump):

Did You Know That La Cañada Flintridge, A California City Of Only 20,563, Has 28 LDS Missionaries In The Field Right Now?

According to City-Data.com, the city of La Cañada Flintridge in California, nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, has a population of 20,563 as of July 2009. How many currently-serving missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do you suppose are from that city? Two? Four? Six?

Try 28. Yes, that sounds incredible for a city of just over 20,000 outside of Utah, but that's what the La Cañada Valley Sun reports. That's not merely a measurement of how the LDS Church has grown, but that's also an indication of exceptional faithfulness within one community. A few bishops, stake presidents, and, above all, the parents can step forward and take a bow.

Only three of the missionaries are mentioned by name:

-- Zachary Wetzel, serving in Paraguay. He walked 20 miles through the mountains and jungles of Paraguay to a hotel that could receive phone calls from the United States for his Christmas call from his family.
-- Christian Frandsen, bound for Paris, France. Just departed on his mission on January 11th. If he hustles, he might get to meet Elizabeth Smart before she leaves Paris.
-- Jay Johnson, serving in Houston. Has seven months left on his mission.

Not all the missionaries from La Cañada might necessarily be the stereotypical young 20-somethings. Some of them may be older people called to serve couples missions later in life after their children are raised and their financial resources permit more flexible service.

La Cañada Flintridge lies within the La Crescenta Stake, which has a total of 11 congregations (nine wards and two branches) assigned. Only two of the wards are in La Cañada, although the Glendale Seventh (Student Single) Ward accepts qualifying singles who live anywhere within stake boundaries. But the idea that as few as two wards may have supplied 28 missionaries simultaneously is astounding. Those are two wards where the Spirit is very much present.

Even more impressive is the fact that La Canada Flintridge has a median household income more than twice the California average. Oftentimes when people become prosperous they tend to get lifted up in the pride of their hearts, looking down upon those less financially-endowed, and forgetting about service to God. Not these people. Riches have merely increased their gratitude; their desire to serve the Lord continues to burn bright.

Another Casualty Of Susan Brock's Infidelity: Maricopa County Supervisor Fulton Brock Will Not Become Chairman Of The Board Of Supervisors

Buried in the avalanche of publicity over the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is another development in the story about Susan Brock, who was first arrested back in October 2010 and has been charged with 15 different counts relating to sexual offenses against a teenage boy. One of the casualties has been her husband Fulton Brock. His political ambitions have been temporarily blunted. All previous posts on this case are available HERE, with the most recent post appearing first.

Fulton Brock was slated to become the next chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. But on January 4th, 2011, Fulton Brock announced that he was withdrawing his name as a contender in order to focus on family matters. "Serving as chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is not more important than serving as a father for my daughters who need me and my attention right now," explained Brock. He has recommended his colleague, Andy Kunasek, for the position.

Fulton Brock will remain a member of the Board of Supervisors, however. He has initiated divorce proceedings against Susan.

The reference to his daughters not only reflects the fact that their mother, being in jail, is not available to care for them, but also the fact that his oldest daughter, 21-year-old Rachel Brock, also got caught up in the scandal. Rachel has been accused of molesting the same boy, but was released on her own recognizance without being charged because the Pinal County Attorney's Office, which is handling the case, requested more information. If the case is pursued against Rachel Brock, she will be rearrested.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson Counsels Students To Trust In The Lord And Take Life One Day At A Time During January 9th BYU Fireside

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was the main event at a Church Educational System (CES) fireside held at Brigham Young University in Provo on January 9th, 2010. Firesides are semi-formal gatherings where senior officials of the LDS Church deliver inspirational talks; members of the audience dress casual instead of Sunday best. A library of previous CES Firesides is available HERE. The LDS Church News and the Deseret News provide different perspectives on the event.

You can watch the entire address at the LDS website. A complete written transcript will be posted HERE in the near future.

LDS Church News focused on that part of the message where Elder Christofferson exhorted the audience to ask for and receive daily bread at God's hand. By doing so, our faith and trust in God and His Son grow. Of course, daily bread is a metaphor for daily wisdom, the point being that in order to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, we must develop an active relationship with the Father.

But another point stressed by Elder Christofferson was the need to be active in doing and providing that which is within our power. We cannot sit back and ask the Father to be a cosmic bellhop, waiting upon us hand and foot. The Lord will walk with us through tribulation, but will not airlift us out of tribulation.

The Deseret News focused more on the rest of Elder Christofferson's message, which was that although thoughtful planning and preparation are keys to a rewarding future, we do not live in the future, but in the present. Consequently, we must accept and overcome challenges one day at a time, and have faith that while we may only see disconnected parts at present, those parts will combine into a coherent portrait in the future. Elder Christofferson cited Navy SEAL training, one of the toughest military training regimens on earth, as an example. Specifically, he recounted the story of Marcus Luttrell, a U.S. Navy SEAL who wrote a book about his rigorous training and experiences.

"They endured weeks of near constant physical exertion, in and out of cold ocean water, swimming, paddling and carrying inflatable boats, running in sand, and doing hundreds of push-ups a day. They were in a near-perpetual state of exhaustion," Elder Christofferson shared from the book.

At one point, when the training group was ready to give in to the physical and demanding pressure, the senior officer told them to not give up. "Whenever you're hurting bad, just hang in there. Finish the day," Elder Christofferson quoted the officer. "Think about it long and hard before you decide to quit. Take it one day at a time. Don't start planning to bail out because you're worried about the future and how much you can take. Don't look ahead to the pain."

Finally, Elder Christofferson advised the audience to reflect on their personal lives in this season of New Year’s resolutions and quoted President N. Eldon Tanner, formerly a counselor in the First Presidency. "As we reflect on the value of resolving to do better, let us determine to discipline ourselves to carefully select the resolution we make to consider the purpose for making them, and finally to make commitments for keeping them and not letting any obstacle stop us," he said.

Elder Christofferson has also helped to make secular history. He clerked for U.S. District Judge John J. Sirica from 1972-74. You can read my previous post for the interesting details.