EP 426 – YSA Stakes Are Stupid. Change My Mind.




This Week in Mormons show

Summary: <br> <br> [dropcap]K[/dropcap]urt Francom is back with Geoff Openshaw to get deep into what is, quite frankly, a slower news week. Where's the Friday info bomb? We've become so accustomed.<br> <br> But that's OK, because there's still some great stuff to cover on this week's show.<br> <br> Notably, Geoff goes on an extended rant about Young Single Adult, or YSA, stakes and how they do a disservice to the YSA members as well as "regular" members in "regular" stakes.<br> <br> Provo's Missionary Training Center is about to look different, again. Not long after inaugurating <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2017/06/provos-missionary-training-center-expansion-nicer-house-can-tour/">two new, sleek buildings</a> on campus, the Church has announced that <a href="https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/faith/lds-church-to-demolish-five-buildings-at-provo-mtc-replace/article_0528ef9a-2e83-51ab-a1ea-6f76e274b5e9.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five of the older buildings will be demolished</a> to make way for some gardens and reflective space. This is the same area where the Church <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2012/03/episode-112-liahonaroo-quinceanera-romney/">originally wanted to place a nine-story tower</a> before nearby residents protested.<br> <br> Apparently Mormons are bad at political involvement because that annual letter from the pulpit encouraging political participation is clearly not doing its job. Why? Because <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2019/05/14/lds-church-is-assigning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Church has announced it will start assigning "specialists" to get people registered to vote</a> and more involved. Democrats in Utah fear this will lead to an inevitable Republican tilt in the process.<br> <br> In hot, sexy news, <a href="https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/president-nelson-pacific-ministry-2019-tonga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Nelson met the king and queen of Tonga</a>. Cool.<br> <br> Hey, so remember that temple announced in Saratoga Springs, Utah? Well <a href="https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/saratoga-springs-utah-temple-plans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">now we at least know where it will be located.</a> It's also going to be huge - approximately 87,000 square feet. Nutso!<br> <br> If you are into the process of the new hymnbook creation, a few weeks ago the Church <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/05/church-updates-guidelines-for-new-hymnbook-submissions">updated some guidelines and FAQs</a> about the process of submitting an original work or voting on existing ones. You have until July, and we have some tips on which hymns to nix and which to add.<br> <br> The St. George Utah Temple is closing for a few years for major renovations. <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/05/st-george-utah-temple-renovations-plans-call-for-a-very-imposing-annex">Its annex will also be wildly out of scale</a>. What does this mean for your weekend?!<br> <br> Are Latter-day Saints a little too prone to faith-promoting rumors or mild fabrications? Probably. Our own Jared Jones covers a classic of the genre with "The Windows of Heaven," which tells the story of Lorenzo Snow, grasshoppers, and seagulls, and <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/05/latter-day-saint-video-vault-windows-of-heaven-inspires-at-historical-expense">is full of made-up stuff</a>.<br> <br> In other awesome temple news, a Jewish reporter <a href="https://www.jweekly.com/2019/05/14/a-journey-into-the-holy-of-holies-in-a-latter-day-saints-temple" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was able to tour the Oakland California Temple</a> led by none other than Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The writer had some wonderful insights into the parallels between the old tabernacle and LDS temples, and the piece is certainly worth your time.<br> <br>