Mormon and Catholic Families' Football Prayer Challenge Heard

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in the divisive case brought by a Mormon and a Catholic family challenging prayers before high school football games. The questions by the Supreme Court Justices seemed to indicate that the justices were split on the issue, but that the majority may strike down the school's policy facilitating the prayers.

LDS-initiated Prayer Case To Be Heard This Week Before U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week on the constitutionality of voluntary student-led prayers at school football games, in a case initiated by a Mormon family fighting discrimination in the evangelical-dominated school system of Santa Fe, Texas. The case will allow the justices to re-examine the emotion-laden subject of prayer at school that it last visited in 1992.

LDS Church Settles West Virginia Child Abuse Lawsuit

Lawyers for the LDS Church and for Raleigh General Hospital have agrreed to settle a $750 million child abuse lawsuit out of court. The lawsuit accused the Church and the hospital of failing to report a case of child sexual abuse by an LDS Church member. Trial in the case was to begin next week.

Conference Tickets For Sale On Ebay Attract Non-Member

When he ended up with extra tickets to attend the LDS Church's General Conference this weekend, one enterprising member put the pair of tickets up for sale on ebay, the well-known Internet auction site. The sale soon attracted a lot of attention from Salt Lake radio and television stations, echoing the attention following an attempt last summer to sell an LDS Temple recommend on ebay.

New Temple Marks Origin of Mormons

The LDS Church' new Palmyra Temple is unique for many reasons. The Buffalo News says that the building's location means that it is attracting attention that other Temples don't get. The Temple is located across the road from the log house where Joseph Smith lived, overlooks the sacred grove where Smith was visited by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and less than a mile from the Hill Cumorah, where Smith was given the plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated.

Conference agenda reflects changes within RLDS Church

While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met in annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah last week, the Church's step-sister, the RLDS church, was in conference in Independence. The Church, whose membership is now at a quarter million, is undergoing a few changes as it becomes more of a world-wide church.

LDS Senator Faces Dilemna Over Physician Assisted-Suicide

Senator Gordon Smith, an LDS Church member and conservative republican, is facing a difficult political situation. The U.S. Senate will soon vote on the Pain Relief Promotion Act, which would effectively keep doctors from using Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law. As a republican and a conservative, and as an LDS Church member, Smith would normally be expected to support the law, and end the Oregon practice. But with a majority of his constituents opposed to the measure, Smith could face a political backlash if he ends physician-assisted suicide.

LDS Senator Successfully Keeps Nuclear Waste From Nevada

LDS Senator Harry Reid, a powerful Democrat from Nevada, has been one of the most effective politicians behind the effort to keep the U.S.' planned nuclear waste dump out of Nevada. The dump, proposed for Yucca Mountain, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, for many years has continually been passed by both the U.S. House and Senate,only to be vetoed by President Clinton. On March 22nd, the bill was passed again by the House, following approval by the U.S. Senate, and Nevada politicians paradoxically cheered.

Is Conference An April Fools' Hoax?

While there is no doubt that some disgruntled people think the LDS Church's General Conference is like an April Fools joke, you wouldn't think that the Deseret News would be one of them. The LDS Church-owned publication seemed to classify Conference that way in an article on Friday, however.

New members of Seventy receive sustaining votes

As part of the LDS Church's semiannual General Conference, the First Presidency called four men to the First Quorum of the Seventy, an additional five to the Second Quorum of the Seventy, and called 39 as Area Authority Seventies, serving in the third, fourth and fifth Quorums of the Seventy.

Mormons Convert 300,000 in 1999

In coverage of the LDS Church's General Conference, which ended yesterday, the Associated Press focused on the growth of the LDS Church. According to statistics announced during the Saturday afternoon session of the Conference, The Church baptized 306,171 people around the world last year, bringing total membership to more than 10.7 million at the end of 1999. The increase was about 3.3%, and should mean that the Church will pass the 11 million mark before the next conference.

Mormon Trail included In National Trails Center, Construction Will Begin Next Month

The U.S. Government awarded the contract for building the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center on Tuesday, clearing the way for construction of the Casper, Wyoming building to begin next month, according to U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin. The center, built at the only place where the Oregon, Mormon, California and Pony Express trails intersect, will provide a study center and exhibition space for information on the trails, as well as provide support for efforts to preserve and protect the trails.

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