Mormon Life - News from Utah

BYU students erect, destroy world record cardboard castle

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:09:00 -0700

source: news.byu.edu

Mormon Life says: How fun! BYU students sure do love setting world records. About 50 students at Brigham Young University pitched in to help build a world record cardboard box castle designed by civil engineering majors on Monday and then happily destroyed it the same day.

Tragic end for family — Josh Powell's final act of control kills him, 2 sons

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:23:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: Absolutely heartbreaking. Although the story isn't necessarily LDS-themed, Powell and his family were members so we thought it was appropriate for this forum. Josh Powell sent an email to his attorney Sunday with a simple message: "I'm sorry, goodbye." Minutes later he accepted his sons into his home, kept the social worker who delivered them there at bay, and ignited a fire that killed himself and his two boys.

The Graham, Wash., home was ripped apart by a fire, described first as an explosion, shortly after noon just after the social worker had called her supervisors to report that she could smell gas in the home. The house was destroyed, and so too the family embroiled in loss, deceit, investigation and finally, death.

Dead are Charlie and Braden Powell, ages 7 and 5. Their mother, Susan Powell, remains missing. And 29-year-old Josh Powell, at the center of the investigation into his wife's December 2009 disappearance, is now accused of killing his sons and taking his own life.

BYU's Heritage Halls dorms demolished, to be replaced with updated buildings

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:01:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Four of the Heritage Halls, which have been home to thousands of students since 1956 — were turned into a pile of rubble Wednesday.

More of the residence halls will soon be coming down and replaced with new buildings that will give students more electrical capacity and space.

Salt Lake City in the hunt for 2022 Olympics?

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:46:00 -0700

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: This would be AMAZING! With the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Winter Games at hand, talk of another bid is circulating in the government and business circles that would have to come together to finance a multimillion-dollar campaign, most likely for the 2022 Olympics.

Gov. Gary Herbert told The Salt Lake Tribune last month that he had been involved in discussions about the idea. His spokeswoman, Ally Isom, said Friday “there are a lot of people who are interested in this, but there is nothing official to report.”

Mormon Heritage Area gets grant for horse center

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:10:00 -0700

source: sltrib.com

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area is getting help to finish an equestrian center in central Utah’s Mount Pleasant.

The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation has awarded $305,000 in grants to the Mount Pleasant equestrian center project.

Mormon filmmaker T.C. Christensen to speak at Church History Museum

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:44:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

"The Miracle behind the Miracles: A Lecture by T. C. Christensen " will be at the Church History Museum auditorium on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. as part of the museum's ongoing Evenings at the Museum program series.

T.C. Christensen is a well-known Latter-day Saint filmmaker and cinematographer. He will share insights and experiences from work on his most recent film, "17 Miracles," which he wrote and directed, about the Willie and Martin handcart companies.

New Year's Eve events at Temple Square

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:20:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Free entertainment and activities are available for adults, youth and children of all ages at Temple Square as part of New Year's Eve on Temple Square. Passes are required for other downtown New Year's Eve events.

Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011

9 a.m.- 9 p.m.

Three featured exhibits:

A Book of Mormon Celebration for Children

LeConte Stewart: The Soul of Rural Utah

Pieces of Me: Quilted Expressions of Human Ties

Location: Church History Museum

Holiday wishes from BYU's Music Department

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:07:00 -0700

source: news.byu.edu

Mormon Life says: Merry Christmas from BYU!

Utahn to compete in 'Survivor: South Pacific' finale

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:21:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Utahn Rick Nelson will be competing for a shot at the $1 million prize in the "Survivor: South Pacific" finale airing Sunday at 7 p.m. on CBS. Another Utahn, Dawn Meehan, is a member of the "Survivor" jury.

Brandon Hantz, 19, was voted out during tribal council on Day 35 of the 39-day game in the episode that aired Wednesday, Dec. 14. Hantz had won the immunity challenge but gave his immunity to Albert Destrade, 26, when it appeared Destrade may be the one targeted by the other three remaining players.

Gender gap widening among Utah Mormons, but why?

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:49:00 -0700

source: sltrib.com

A new survey shows Mormon women outnumber men in the LDS Church — and the gap appears to be widening, especially in Utah.

The question is why.

Sociologists Rick Phillips, of the University of North Florida, and Ryan Cragun, of the University of Tampa, suggest it could be because Mormon men in the Beehive State are abandoning their faith at a greater rate than women.

Salt Lake most popular faith-based tourist destination

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:21:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: I'm actually surprised about this. I would have thought Rome would be the most popular. Salt Lake City is tied with Israel as the most attractive spot for faith-based travel according to a survey of 1,600 tour operators.

The inaugural survey, conducted by the National Tour Association's monthly trade publication Courier, asked tour operators a series of questions ranging from best group restaurants to favorite cruise line to use while on the job. When asked what their favorite faith-based destination was, operators split between Salt Lake and Israel for the top spot.

Utahn in final five on 'Survivor: South Pacific'

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:42:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Utahn Rick Nelson is one of the final five left on the island in "Survivor: South Pacific" on CBS after Wednesday's episode.

Edna Ma, 35, an anesthesiologist, was voted out and sent to Redemption Island even though she tried to convince at least three others to vote 19-year-old Brandon Hantz off. At the previous tribal council, Hantz let it slip they were going to target Ma next.

Winter storms in Utah bring down literal, figurative fences

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:51:00 -0700

source: news.lds.org

Throughout Davis County, Utah, USA, on Sunday, December 4, 2011, many LDS Church meetinghouses stood quiet and empty—the thousands of members who usually filled these buildings were working feverishly to clear debris from roads and yards in preparation for a dangerous winter storm forecast to hit later that day.

Just four days earlier, on Wednesday, November 30, another storm had struck Davis County, with winds topping 100 miles (160 km) per hour in Centerville.

Forbes Magazine ranks Utah 'the best state for business'

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:46:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Utah is the best state for business, Forbes Magazine reported Tuesday, illustrating the positive economic outlook and job growth.

Utah's energy costs, which are 31 percent below the national average, and its 5 percent corporate tax rate helped it top neighboring states, Forbes said. Employment grew 0.6 percent on average over the past five years. Forbes measured states on six categories, including costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.

Former LDS land manager warns of Summit cronyism

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:42:00 -0700

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: Sen. Margaret Dayton said that it looked clear to her that the Church was being treated differently because of a religious prejudice. A former land portfolio manager for the LDS Church said Wednesday that a massive development near Park City was derailed by self-dealing and cronyism between Summit County officials and developers.

Elliott Christensen, who recently retired from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told a legislative committee that there is a lack of accountability in Summit County, with "cronies" and insiders in the process using their positions with the county to personally benefit on land transactions to the tune of millions of dollars.

"It’s an area that needs to be corrected," Christensen said. "As this concept is used more and more across the state, it needs to be more transparent — open accountability and open appraisal work."

Study: Top cities to raise kids

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:08:00 -0700

source: businessweek.com

Mormon Life says: Smithfield is the top city in Utah.

When families move for work or lifestyle changes, they try to pick the place with the best opportunities for their children as well as for overall living standards. Parents carefully consider many factors, including the quality of schools in the area, the cost of living, the available amenities, and safety, to name a few—and this is no easy task. In Businessweek.com’s 6th annual ranking of best places to raise kids, we teamed up with Bloomberg Rankings to evaluate 4,169 places with a crime index less than 10 percent above the national average, populations between 1,000 and 50,000 people, and median family income within 20 percent of the state median, using data from real estate data company Onboard Informatics.

Utah Compact one-year anniversary marked by Utah community leaders

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:59:00 -0700

source: Newsroom.lds.org

Mormon Life says: Immigration continues to be a hot topic. This comes right after Arizona's state Senate President Russell Pearce was ousted on account of his stance on immigration. Utah community, business, political and faith leaders gathered today to mark the one-year anniversary of the Utah Compact, a document that lays out a responsible approach to the urgent challenge of immigration reform.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), who was one of nine speakers at the event, read the following statement in behalf of the Church:

BYU announces construction of new Life Sciences Building

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:20:00 -0700

source: news.byu.edu

The Brigham Young University Board of Trustees has approved the construction of a new Life Sciences Building, to be built on the south end of campus.

The Life Sciences Building will include 265,000 square feet of teaching and research space for the College of Life Sciences and will be constructed on the hillside directly south of the John A. Widtsoe Building.

Utah prison inmates create hundreds of books on tape for the blind

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:59:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: Last week we read about inmates doing family history. Now they're recording LDS books on tape.

When Jeff Smith listens to the soft, tenor voice of Tom Black reading the biography of LDS President Thomas S. Monson, it’s easy for him to lose himself in the inspirational words and pictures the story paints in his mind.

It’s easy to forget he’s listening to the voice of one of the most dislikable men in the state.

"He reads with feeling and with the emphasis in all the right places," Smith said. "With a good reader, you forget about the reader and listen instead to the message of the book. That’s what it’s like listening to Tom Black."

But Black isn’t your typical reader of books on tape. He’s an inmate at the Utah State Prison, serving 10 years to life for sexually abusing a child.

Liquor suit seeks to muzzle LDS Church

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:17:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

If the Utah Hospitality Association has its way, the LDS Church won't be able to talk to state legislators about liquor laws in the future. The UHA, a trade group for bars and restaurants, asked the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City last week to enforce the request as part of its ongoing efforts to overturn parts of Senate Bill 314, which bans daily drink specials and ties the number of liquor licenses to population totals and to the number of state-employed police officers.

Frederick Gedicks, who teaches constitutional law at BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School, doesn't think a ban on the church will happen, "You can't single out a religion and say, 'Everyone else gets to lobby the legislature but you.'"

Although the LDS Church issued no statement on the UHA's lawsuit, it has spoken about the issues in the past. In 2008, for example, the church acknowledged that alcoholic beverages are available to the public, but issued a statement that the church "has always called for reasonable regulations to (1) limit consumption, (2) reduce impaired driving, and (3) work to eliminate underage drinking."