Reader comments
New meetinghouses planned in Arizona

Meanwhile... | 12:45 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

I'm stuck attending a 1940's era small cramped meetinghouse with 3 wards. only one ward can fit at a time. Since we are in a poor part of our town we get shunned for the higher tithing revenue areas that get remodels and new buildings every few years.

You gotta be kidding me! | 12:56 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

You are complaining about your 1940's building??!!
Go to another country where they have to attend church in a rented store with dirt floors and no air and then come back and complain.

Perspective man...have some perspective

Re: Meanwhile | 12:59 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

It doesn't have much to do with money. This is more an issue of membership activity. I served my mission up in Toronto; we also fit 3 wards into a rather small building from the late 1800's (I think...maybe early 1900's). The members were constantly complaining about getting a new building. The stake presidency told them they would get a new building and possibly a closer temple if they would pay a full tithe and attend church and the temple regularly.

I'm not saying YOU aren't a full tithe payer or active member. Aside from activity and membership faithfulness, there are also needs and location considerations. The church is growing very quickly in Arizona (particularly in Mesa and Queen Creek), so it's no surprise to hear the Church is building so many chapels down there. If you remember, they announced a few more temples down there a few months ago.

Count your blessings--you're fortunate to have a place to worship.

Comments continue below

WHY IS THIS STORY | 1:12 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

ON DESERTNEWS.COMS WEBSITE!

RE: Meanwhile | 1:12 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

You are joking right? I would LOVE to be in a building like that!!! The area that is getting the buildings are deffinately in need of them!! I know a few people who live there, and in the 3 years a friend of mine has been there they have gone from 6 wards to over 25!! Another has lived there about a year now and the ward he is in has split 4 times! Most of the wards have up to 3 Primarys as there are too mnay kids for 1 primary, they have more than one Elder's Quarums because there are so many Elders!! I can't believe you are complaining about an old building at least your ward doesn't start at 7:30am or end at 8:00pm----oh and if you want to sit in the chapel you don't have to be about 45 minutes early and hope there are still seats in the cultural hall!!! Appreciate what you have and be happy the church is growing so much :)

Ouch | 1:28 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Actually it depends on where you live as far as what happens in your ward, for example in my quarum we get half the budget that My Brother in Laws ward in Sandy gives him, Probably because I am from a small town in utah and our Tithing dollars arnt as high...............

RE: Meanwhile | 1:33 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Count your blessings, those 1940 buildings are far superior in quality to the cardboard cookie cutters the church is building today.

Huh? | 1:34 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

The LDS church builds multiple new meetinghouses every day of the week all over the world. Why is it news that they're building 5 in Arizona???

Expert | 1:40 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

I am an expert in these matters and know things most people don't know. The truth of the matter is this: You are both right. Yep. There ya go. The expert has spoken and has essentially said, it stinks meeting in an old cramped building while these new meeting houses go up all over the place. It really does. Everyone wants comfort. Everyone. So zip it, You gotta be kidding me. On the other hand, having any building to meet in at all is, at the end of the day, better than nothing. And there are indeed some interesting "meeting houses" around the world that make ANY building here seem like a luxury! See? both are right. Now go on...shooosh....go do something productive...go on, and remember: whereever you meet to worship, count it a blessing.

Meanwhile, just so's | 1:39 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

. . . you know, all the new chapels being built are in areas that have exploded in population in the last few years.

Many meetinghouses have 4, sometimes 5 units (some, but by no means all, are smaller, singles and language-specific units). Some wards meet in meetinghouses 15+ miles from their homes, driving past 2 or 3 other completely full meetinghouses to get there. Many wards combine Mutual organizations because they have no exclusive weeknight use of the building. Several Primary programs are larger than average Utah wards. Nearly all ward populations exceed 800.

And, demographics in these wards heavily favor younger, working families, not the idle rich.

So, before you complain about your stable, 300-member ward and its 40's-era building, give Church leadership a little credit.

You're not being shunned. You're living in a situation we all dream of.

Deseret Dawg | 1:55 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

To the 1:12 P.M. All Caps poster - there are two reasons why this story is on the Deseret News website. First, Utah remains at least 2/3rds Mormon. Second, the LDS Church headquarters is in Utah.

That makes this story newsworthy.

RE: Ouch | 2:00 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Shows what you know. Budget has NOTHING to do with local tithing. Budget is based solely on Sacrament Meeting attendance. Also, as a ward yours and your Brother in Law's may get the same budget and it may be your bishops who dole it out differently. If you're going to make a point how about making it by comparing apples and apples not apples and oranges!

johnhenry | 2:18 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Don't forget about zoning laws. There's a bit more involved to building a place of worship than just slappiong a building together.

Appreciative | 4:36 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

I am happy enough that I have scriptures. I have the truth. I have prayer and know that I will get answers. I have strong faith and this helps me through my other weaknesses. I have a place that I can meet.

If I could only meet in the middle of a windy field on a desolate island in the middle of nowhere. I would be happy enough that I could be ministered to. The Sacrament etc.

I am happy enough that I have the truth when others do not. I am happy enough with having the knowledge of this, the testimony of this. I know of plenty of others who appreciate this as much. I am not glorifying myself, but how can any of you question something like, my chapel isn't as nice as yours? MAYBE YOU need to get up and improve your chapel. I find that when I see garbage on the ground, rather than complain that people litter, why not do something about it. Pick up the beer can and throw it away and guess what? Every small bit counts, and now the ground is clean.

Less complaining and more appreciation goes a long way.

John Pack Lambert | 5:57 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

JohnHenry has a good point. A while ago they had an article here about a chapel the church is trying to build in North-west Washington DC. They church has already spent $4 million on it, and that was just to buy the land. The City has since rezoned to try to stop the church from building, so currently they are requesting a variance from the ZBA.
The factors that go into build chapels are long and complexed.

Luke | 7:09 p.m. Jan. 6, 2009

Comparable to a Catholic Dioceses? Try Parish, it would be more suitable.

Lame2 | 7:46 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

That you didn't post my UA - BYU comment.

Still | 7:43 a.m. Jan. 8, 2009

Totally LAME!

It remains | 1:54 p.m. Feb. 4, 2009

Very lame that you failed to post my UA-BYU comment. I'm not going away until you stop being lame.

Lame | 9:15 a.m. Feb. 9, 2009

for not posting my UA-BYU comment.

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