Pres. Monson announces 5 new temples

The announcement of five new temples and a call to increase the Mormon Church's missionary force highlighted President Thomas S. Monson's opening remarks in this weekend's October general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


The five announced temples — two in the U.S. and three internationally — will be in Hartford, Conn.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Tijuana, Mexico; Urdaneta, Philippines; and Lisbon, Portugal.

"The ordinances performed in our temples are vital to our salvation and to the salvation of our deceased loved ones," said President Monson in Saturday morning's opening session at the Conference Center. "May we continue faithful in attending the temples, which are being built closer and closer to our members."

The new temples will be the first in Portugal and the states of Connecticut and Indiana. The Tijuana temple will be Mexico's 13th, and the Urdaneta temple the Philippines' third.

The LDS Church currently has 134 temples in operation, with another seven under construction. Including Saturday's five, a total of 16 announced temples are in various stages of planning.

Earlier this year, the LDS Church announced a new temple for Payson, Utah, and plans to renovate the existing Ogden Utah Temple.
It is the third straight October conference in which President Monson has announced five new temples.

Last year, new temples were announced for Brigham City, Utah; Concepción, Chile; Fort Lauderdale, Fla; Fortaleza, Brazil; and Sapporo, Japan.

And in 2008, the five sites announced were in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Cordoba, Argentina; Kansas City, Mo.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Rome, Italy.

In his opening remarks, President Monson spoke of dedicating temples already this year in Gila Valley, Ariz.; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Cebu City, Philippines; and Kyiv, Ukraine, with plans to rededicate a renovated Laie Hawaii Temple before year's end.

President Monson also called on the church's young men and male teens to prepare themselves physically, emotionally, spiritually and worthily to serve as missionaries.
"I repeat what prophets have long taught — that every worthy, able young man should prepare to serve a mission," he said. "Missionary service is a priesthood duty — an obligation the Lord expects of us who have been given so very much."

While young-adult women don't carry the same responsibility or obligation as their male counterparts, "you also make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome your service," President Monson said.

Expressing appreciation for the senior couples who serve missions and acknowledging the need for many more to join them, the 83-year-old man revered by Mormons as their prophet urged adult members to prepare for the time when retirement and health permits such service.

"There are few times in your lives when you will enjoy the sweet spirit and satisfaction that come from giving full-time service together in the work of the Master."

http://www.ksl.com/

By Scott Taylor

Visiting Teach Conference

We had a wonderful Visiting Teaching Conference on Tuesday night!  A big THANK YOU to all those who did so much to make it a really nice conference.  I am sure everyone who attended had a really great time.

Rachel F. did an amazing job singing a really pretty song called "Miracles" by Sally Deford.  For those who would like to download the song here is a link to it:  http://www.defordmusic.com/miracles.htm

Here are some pictures from that night:

     

Just a reminder!!!

Tomorrow, Tues. Sept. 21st, is our

Visiting Teaching Conference! 

Please as a companionship choose one Sister that you VT to Spotlight for our VT Conference on September 21. We will take time to share during our program. We hope to learn some new facts about our Sisters that night and grow closer as a RS family. These are suggestions of questions to ask. Please choose three questions and add an interesting fact that you know. We hope you will all be able to attend.
How long have you lived in Mesquite/Sunnyvale:
3 adjectives that describe you:
Favorite thing to do:
What would you like to be doing in 10 years:
Name:

Church in Talks to “Regularize” Activities in China

SALT LAKE CITY 30 August 2010 ----A series of high-level meetings between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and an official from the People’s Republic of China is expected to lead to “regularized” operations for the Church in China. A statement from the First Presidency of the Church disclosed today that a senior representative of the People’s Republic of China — the highest ranking representative from Beijing to meet with Church leaders — has visited with the First Presidency.

That meeting in the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, 24 August, followed meetings in February and May in Beijing, attended by Church apostle Elder Dallin H. Oaks and Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, who are responsible for overseeing the Church in Asia, on assignment from the First Presidency. These meetings were initiated by the Chinese representative.

Elders Oaks and Hallstrom represent two of the most senior councils of the Church — Elder Oaks of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy.
“It is important to understand what the term regularizing means, and what it does not mean,” Church spokesman Michael Otterson said. “It does not mean that we anticipate sending missionaries to China. That issue is not even under consideration.

“The Church deeply appreciates the courtesy of the Chinese leadership in opening up a way to better define how the Church and its members can proceed with daily activities, all in harmony with Chinese law.”
Otterson said that many details need to be worked out in further discussions with Chinese officials but that the pending developments were the result of 30 years of building mutual trust with the Chinese.
“They have become thoroughly familiar with us through numerous contacts, and they have seen how we and our members operate in China. They know that we are people of our word when it comes to respecting Chinese law and cultural expectations,” he said.

The formal, brief statement from the First Presidency said that they and other senior leaders at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City “have had discussions with a senior official of the People’s Republic of China from Beijing, and have established a relationship which we expect will lead to regularizing the activities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in China.”

Otterson said that given the importance of understanding and complying with various Chinese laws and the need for ongoing cooperative efforts, the Church does not plan to comment further on the discussions for the time being.

“At the conclusion of the meeting in Salt Lake City, it was agreed that it would be appropriate for this information to be announced publicly,” Otterson said.