Mormon Times briefly

Phoenix temple gets tentative OK

PHOENIX — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a step closer to getting a temple built in northwest Phoenix, despite opposition from some neighbors.

The city Planning Commission recommended Nov. 10 the City Council approve the temple near 51st Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road. The Phoenix City Council is scheduled to hear the case Dec. 2.

Members of the Saddleback Homeowners Association say they will appeal the commission's decision. Homeowners oppose the planned 40-foot-tall temple and its 78-foot steeple and lit spire, saying it will bring more traffic and obstruct their mountain views. The church's zoning attorney Paul Gilbert said they were pleased with the unanimous vote from the planning commission

LDS teen 'performed well' in Bee

Tia Thomas, the 14-year-old Mormon girl who competed in the first National Bible Bee this past month, did not place but performed very well, said her dad, Chance Thomas.

(Mormon Times readers donated $700 toward her travel expenses.)

"She carried herself with poise and enthusiasm, shared and bolstered her faith in Jesus Christ and had a terrific time. The level of competition at the Bee was far beyond what we had envisioned, so she was not among the finalists," Chance Thomas said.

"The winner in her division was a young man who, among other accomplishments, had memorized the entire book of Acts at one point in his life. His sister, another top finisher, had memorized the entire book of Matthew at one point.… I spoke with most of the winners and they had studied for an average of 1,000 hours in their specific preparations for the Bee. Tia's specific Bee preparations totaled about 150-180 hours, still a significant amount. We just had no idea that the level of competition would be so fierce," he continued.

Tia Thomas now plans to read the Bible cover-to-cover three times between now and next November and keep her memorization skills honed for the 2010 Bee.

Do you know of RMs in the FBS?

The college football regular season has entered its final month, and it's once again time for our list of returned missionaries on the gridiron.

Do you know of any RMs who are competing this season for teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision? Let us know by sending an e-mail to mormontimes@desnews.com, or call 801-333-7402. Then read our story in Mormon Times or online at MormonTimes.com.