BYU Suspends Two 'Chaste' Homosexuals

Two men suspended for homosexuality by BYU criticized their suspensions in a Salt Lake Tribune article today. Richard "Ricky" Escoto and Matthew Grierson claim that they were suspended despite refraining from sexual encounters and say BYU chose to believe in alleged romantic encounters that they deny. BYU's suspension letters specify incidents in which both men allegedly had amorous contact with other men, or visited homosexual internet chat rooms.

"Very impressive!" "This is needed so much." "A joy to help others!" These are some of the words participants used to describe their feelings during the final Service 2001 work day, March 24, 2001, held at the Washington DC Stake Center in Kensington, Md.

New Stake President Loves Missionary Work

Clarence E. Johnson, age 61, credits missionary work as the preparation he needed to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help prepare him to lead as stake president of the Columbia, Maryland Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Spanish-speaking Congregations in Utah Growing

Local clergy are not surprised by the recent census data that shows an increase in Utah's Latino population. And the growth in LDS Spanish-speaking congregations in Utah shows that Mormons are not an exception.

Law professor at BYU devotional April 3

W. Cole Durham, Jr., a J. Reuben Clark Law School professor, will speak at a Brigham Young University devotional on Tuesday (April 3) at 11 a.m. in the Marriott Center.

Plans being made for final April graduation as Ricks College

Nearly 2,900 students will receive diplomas from Ricks College during the school's 112th graduation Saturday, April 28. This will be the last April commencement before the school becomes Brigham Young University-Idaho later in the year.

Other Local News

I-15 open for weekend; TRAX to start early for conference

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- With crowds approaching 100,000 expected for the LDS Church's annual conference at the Conference Center, on Temple Square and surrounding venue, construction on the main I-15 corridor will remain open this weekend and the Utah Transit Authority will start running TRAX trains at 7 am Sunday, three hours earlier than normal for Sunday. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service reports that Salt Lake City will see a high of 63 degrees Saturday under partly cloudy skies and even higher temperatures on Sunday, making for a pleasant day.

I-15 open for weekend; TRAX to start early for conference Deseret News 30Mar01 D1

Police Will Ticket Cars at Conference Center Also

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Police ticketed cars parked in the LDS Conference Center's loading zone during the Young Women's meeting last Saturday. They apparently don't play favorites, given that Catholics complained when they were ticketed during services at Salt Lake City's Cathedral of the Madeleine.

Rolly & Wells: Dog Provides Officer a Lesson In Role Reversal Salt Lake Tribune 30Mar01 D4 By Paul Rolly and Joann Jacobsen-Wells

Former Bishop Sentenced for Seducing Minor

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Gordon Bodily the former LDS bishop who was convicted of luring a minor to Utah and seducing her, was sentenced to 21 months in prison Thursday for the crime. Bodily, 51, taught physical education at South Cache Center and was a bishop in a Hyrum ward when he deceived a 17-year-old girl in an LDS-oriented chat room and convinced her to come to Utah in June 2000. Bodily plead guilty to the crime January 12th.

Hyrum man sentenced for sex with minor Logan UT Herald Journal 29Mar01 D2

Ex-teacher gets prison term in Net sex case Deseret News 30Mar01 D2 By Maria Titze: Deseret News staff writer

Ex-LDS Bishop Headed to Prison Salt Lake Tribune 30Mar01 D2 By Michael Vigh: Salt Lake Tribune

Former bishop gets 21 months in prison Provo UT Daily Herald (AP) 30Mar01 D2

Winter Quarters Temple Open House Gets More Press

OMAHA, NEBRASKA -- The open house of the LDS Church's new Winter Quarters Temple has been noticed in other Omaha-area newspapers. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil told its readers about the building and what it means to LDS Church members and the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Consider This... television program also looked at the Temple and at the Church's history in the area. The Temple is located on grounds adjacent to the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery and Mormon Trail Center in what used to be Winter Quarters before Omaha grew to subsume the town.

Latter-day temple opens in Omaha Council Bluffs IA Daily Nonpareil 23Mar01 D1

Thompson says changes at Ricks will not affect WSU

OGDEN, UTAH -- Weber State University President Paul Thompson doesn't believe the change in Ricks College to four-year degree-granting BYU-Idaho will affect his university's enrollment. Only 100 of Weber State's 16,000 students transfer from Ricks College. "They'll have a similar draw to Weber State, but they're drawing from a national market and we from a small Utah market," Thompson said. "I don't see significant competition between Ricks and Weber State. There are plenty of students."

Thompson says changes at Ricks will not affect WSU Ogden UT Standard-Examiner 23Mar01 D3 By Tanna Barry: Standard-Examiner staff

More Women Law Students at BYU

PROVO, UTAH -- A New York Times article reports on the increasing number of women law students. According to the article the number of women law students in the US may pass the number of men. The number at LDS Church-owned BYU is also increasing, so far this year women make up 42% of the students admitted to the J Reuben Clark Law School.

More women entering law school may spur changes Deseret News (New York Times) 27Mar01 D3

Article Says See Polynesian Cultural Center by Tour Bus, not Mass Transit

LAIE, HAWAII -- A tourism article in the San Francisco Chronicle recommends seeing the LDS Church's Polynesian Cultural Center, but suggests getting to the center by a tour bus instead of by mass transit. The Cultural Center's grand finale show occurs at night, and by the time it's over buses run infrequently. Since the tour bus alternative includes the Center's entrance fee, it costs less than renting a car for the day and buying tickets.

Seeing Oahu's Sights Without Watching Road / TheBus, tours are faster, friendlier for getting around San Francisco Chronicle 25Mar01 D6

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