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Churchwide News
| Supreme Court Rules For Mormon Family In School Prayer Case |
| The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Monday for a Mormon and a Catholic family that challenged the Santa Fe Texas Independent School
District's policy of allowing student-led prayers before high school
football games. The court ruled that these prayers violate the US
Constitution's first amendment, which prohibits the "establishment of
religion." |
| How Could A Mormon Family Sue Over School Prayer? |
| This week's news that the Supreme Court had ruled against allowing the Santa Fe, Texas Independent School District to have
"student-led voluntary prayers" before high school football games was
disappointing to many conservative Mormons. It was also shocking for many
that a the lawsuit had been filed by a Mormon family. But an analysis of
the case history shows why a Mormon family might file such a lawsuit. |
| Fijian LDS temple is dedicated in small ceremony |
| Braving the political unrest that led the LDS Church to move its missionaries to the other side of the island, LDS Church
President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Suva Fiji Temple in a
small ceremony on Sunday. The ceremony was attended by 60 Church
members including four local stake presidents and their wives, the
temple presidency and their wives, and a 20-voice choir. The
dedication was held in the Temple's celestial room.
The LDS |
| LDS Senator Argues For Hate Crime Legislation |
| US Senator Gordon H. Smith, an LDS Church member
from Oregon, wrote in an editorial in the Washington Post today that
a Federal hate crimes law is needed because hate crimes are different
from other crimes. Smith says that hate crimes "while perpetrated
upon an individual, the violence is directed at a community." |
| LDS Senators Differ on Hate Crime Legislation |
| LDS Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) disagreed with fellow LDS Senator Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) and with his long-time friend Senator Edward
Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) over their hate crime legislation. Kennedy and
Smith together sponsored the legislation which would make hate attacks on
gays and other groups a federal crime. The legislation is the first time
that either house of the US Congress backed protecting gays in a roll-call
vote that could have political consequences. |
| LDS Church Confirms Mormon News Report - Magazines Online Next Month |
| The LDS Church confirmed Friday Mormon News'
report that the Ensign, New Era and Friend are going on line. Mormon
News reported Tuesday that the magazines will be put on line 90 days
after publication, according to a letter to local leaders from Elder
Boyd K. Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. |
| LDS Church Magazines To Go Online |
| According a letter to local leaders from
Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the LDS
Church's magazines will be available on-line on the Church's Internet
site www.lds.org starting in
September. Elder Packer's letter indicated that the content of the
magazines will be available online 90 days following publication. |
| Same-sex marriage ban clears hurdle in Nevada |
| The petition for the Coalition for the
Protection of Marriage was approved by the Nevada secretary of
state's office when ballot signatures reached 120,558. This is over
three times the required number of registered voters needed to put
the intiative on the November ballot. The ruling, by Deputy
Secretary for Elections Susan Morandi, advances the Mormon-church
endorsed ban to its final step of test sampling to verify registered
voters. |
| Loving Birthday Tribute: Gordon B. Hinckley thanks his flock, basks in affection |
| During the celebration held at the LDS Church's
Conference Center Friday night, LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley
sought modestly to deflect some of the attention from himself, saying, "This
celebration is not about me. This is my gift to the community." And the
evening was the kind of celebration that Hinckley might choose, music from
earlier in his life and appearances by friends and famous performers alike. |
| Hinckley Still An Energetic Leader at 90 |
| Attending yesterday's news conference where
LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the changes to
Ricks College, veteran Salt Lake Tribune reporter Bob Mims was very
impressed by President Hinckley's vigor. The news conference was held
just one day after Hinckley returned from an 11-day tour of the Far
East covering some 22,000 miles, yet he was at the press conference
early Wednesday morning "energetically pumping hands." Hinckley will
be 90-years-old on Friday. |
| Israeli Consul Presents Birthday Gift to Hinckley |
| As LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley's 90th
birthday approaches, civic and government leaders are extending their best
wishes. While Hinckley was in Thailand last week, Deputy Prime Minister
Bhichai Rattakul treated him to a "pre-birthday celebration." And yesterday,
the consul general of Israel stopped by LDS Church headquarters for a
courtesy call and to drop off a gift. |
| President Hinckley's Birthday Bash Tonight |
| The birthday celebration for LDS Church President
Gordon B. Hinckley is scheduled for 7:00 pm tonight (9:30 pm EDT) in the LDS
Church's Conference Center. It will be broadast live to LDS stake centers
throughout North America, and also be available in Europe tomorrow morning
at LDS stake centers. |
Other Churchwide News
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