Year in review: Looking back on 2011
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
TEMPLE NEWS
Beginning April 2, the Ogden Utah Temple was closed for extensive renovations including the changing of the temple's entire exterior. Following the renovation, the temple will be rededicated.
President Thomas S. Monson announced April 2 three new temples to be built in Meridian, Idaho; Fort Collins, Colo.; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The temple in Meridian will be the fifth in Idaho; the temple in Fort Collins will be the second in Colorado; and the temple in Winnipeg will be the ninth in Canada. The announcement brought the number of operating temples to 134, with 26 announced or under construction.
The Atlanta Georgia Temple was rededicated in two sessions on Sunday, May 1, by President Thomas S. Monson. The temple had been closed since July 2009 while extensive refurbishing was done. Serving members throughout Georgia and parts of Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina, the temple was originally dedicated in 1983 by President Gordon B. Hinckley, then second counselor in the First Presidency. In the dedicatory prayer, President Monson said: "May all who enter have clean hands and pure hearts. May they be built up in their faith and depart with a feeling of peace, praising Thy holy name."
Despite temperatures in the triple digits, hundreds gathered on June 4 for the groundbreaking of the Phoenix Arizona Temple by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy. The temple will be the fifth temple in Arizona and will be the first to serve primarily Phoenix, the nation's sixth largest city.
On June 18, Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the Presidency of the Seventy broke ground for the Ft. Lauderdale Florida Temple. The second temple in Florida, it will serve nearly 25,000 members throughout Southern Florida.
The Church's 135th temple in operation was dedicated Aug. 21 by President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency. The San Salvador El Salvador Temple will serve more than 100,000 members living in Central America's smallest country. In three dedicatory sessions, members were able to hear President Eyring offer the dedicatory prayer, in which he blessed the nation of El Salvador: "We pray for Thy blessings to rest upon this nation of El Salvador. Touch the hearts of those who govern, that the people may be blessed with freedom and opportunity. May peace reign in the land."
Elder Rafael Pino of the Seventy broke ground for a second temple in Peru, the Trujillo Peru Temple, on Sept. 14.
In the midst of downtown Philadelphia, members, Church leaders and local and religious dignitaries gathered Sept. 17 for the groundbreaking of the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple by President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency. The temple will rise in the heart of historic Philadelphia in Logan Square near Philadelphia's library and courthouse and will be the first temple in Pennsylvania.
During the Saturday morning session of the 181st Semiannual General Conference, President Thomas S. Monson announced six new temples to be built including the conversion of the Provo Tabernacle into the second temple in Provo, Utah. Temples will also be built in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; Durban, South Africa; Barranquilla, Colombia; Star Valley, Wyo., and Paris, France.
On Oct. 8, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve presided over the groundbreaking of the Payson Utah Temple, which will serve about 89,000 members in 26 stakes from Spanish Fork to Nephi.
More than 900 members gathered in the wind and rain for the groundbreaking of the Japan Sapporo Temple on Oct. 22 by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Seventy. The Sapporo temple will be the third constructed in Japan after the Tokyo and Fukuoka temples.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve presided at the groundbreaking of the Fortaleza Brazil Temple on Nov. 15.
On Dec. 11 the second temple in Guatemala and the 136th in operation across the globe — the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple — was dedicated by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency. In the dedicatory prayer, President Uchtdorf said: "May a mantle of holiness come upon this sacred edifice. May it stand as a beacon of everlasting truth and light in this great nation."
HUMANITARIAN AID
After severe flooding and landslides in areas around Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Church sent 52 tons of emergency provisions and members in the 39 stakes in Sao Paulo donated 50 boxes of food, per stake, to the relief effort. About 125 members lost their homes and an LDS meetinghouse in Nova Friburgo was seriously damaged.
The Church donated $25,000 to help victims of a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Feb. 22 that killed more than 100 people. No members or missionaries were seriously injured in the disaster but the homes of 17 LDS families were destroyed.
A 9.0 magnitude earthquake and powerful tsunami that followed devastated northern Japan on March 11, leaving more than 15,500 people dead, including two Latter-day Saints. Sixty member families were among the hundreds of thousands who lost their homes. Twenty-three meetinghouses sustained varying degrees of damage. The earthquake also damaged the cooling functions at key nuclear plants in northern Japan, triggering fire and radiation leaks. The earthquake and tsunami caused destruction over 300 miles.
President Thomas S. Monson referred to the Japan disaster in his opening address at general conference on April 2. "The Church continues to provide humanitarian aid in times of disaster. Most recently our hearts and our help have gone out to Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami and the resultant nuclear challenges. … Our help will be ongoing in Japan and in any other areas where there is a need."
In the days and weeks after the Japan disaster, the Church distributed more than 200 tons of goods — including food, water, blankets, bedding, clothing, fuel and hygiene kits — and cash donations. A total of 30,000 hygiene kits were assembled by 1,800 members in Tokyo and Nagoya. More than 150,000 hours of service were donated by 16,000 Church volunteers.
Three months after the disaster, Presiding Bishop H. David Burton traveled to Japan to survey the destruction and view some of the Church's relief efforts. Among the Church's efforts was the donation of ice and refrigeration equipment and supplies to a Japanese fisherman's union whose members were unable to work since the disaster.
On April 27 some 150 tornadoes touched down across six states in the southern United States killing more than 300 people. No missionaries or members were injured but several member families lost their homes. On May 7-8, close to 3,000 volunteers dressed in yellow "Mormon Helping Hands" T-shirts from 23 stakes participated in cleanup and relief projects in impacted areas.
About 120,000 Church members, dressed in yellow "Mormon Helping Hands" vests, participated in the "National Day of Voluntary Action — A Solidarity Saturday" in Brazil on July 30. They performed various service projects throughout the Federal District, 26 state capitals and 180 cities.
On Sept. 3, 300 LDS volunteers, wearing "Mormon Helping Hands" T-shirts, performed 1,800 hours of service to areas hardest hit by Hurricane Irene on Aug. 27. In addition to the service performed by volunteers, two tractor-trailers from the Church bishops' storehouse in Tucker, Ga., delivered food, water, tarps, generators, chain saws and hygiene kits to the affected areas.
The Church donated a 2.2-acre site in downtown Salt Lake City to the American Cancer Society, which will become the site of the society's newest Hope Lodge.
The Church worked with the Turkey Red Crescent to send relief supplies to Turkey after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Oct. 23.
The Church sent food, water and other supplies to northern Thailand in October after runoffs from a tropical depression caused the worst flooding in the country's history. Local Church members assembled 2,400 food kits and 4,000 sanitation kits for members and others in the community affected by the floods.
The Church is responding to flooding in the Philippines caused from Cyclone Washi on Dec. 17.
GROWTH OF THE CHURCH
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve became the first apostle to visit the Marshall Islands during a 13-day trip to the Pacific Area from Jan. 12-25.
Seven new members of the First Quorum of the Seventy, four members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy and 41 Area Seventies were sustained on April 2 — Elders Jose L. Alonso, Ian S. Ardern, Don R. Clarke, Carl B. Cook, LeGrand R. Curtis, W. Christopher Waddell and Kazuhiko Yamashita to the First Quorum and Elders Randall K. Bennett, J. Devn Cornish, O. Vincent Haleck and Larry Y. Wilson to the Second Quorum.
As part of a tour of several Asian countries by Elders Jeffrey R. Holland and David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Bednar organized the first stake in Indonesia, the Jakarta Indonesia Stake, on May 22.
Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve organized the Russia Moscow Stake, the first stake in Russia and the second in the Soviet Union, on June 5. The new stake includes six wards and three branches.
Five new missions of the Church were created in July in Africa, Latin America and the Philippines: the Zambia Lusaka Mission, the Benin Cotonou Mission, the Mexico Mexico City Southeast Mission, the Peru Chiclayo Mission and the Philippines Quezon City North Mission. Five missions in Europe and North America were also combined with neighboring missions resulting in 340 missions across the globe.
On Oct. 21-30, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve, traveled to several African countries and on Oct. 25 formally dedicated the country of Malawi to the preaching of the gospel.
MAJOR EVENTS
The Feb. 26 Church News reported that the Church's free website, FamilySearch.org, receives 10 million hits a day, and since it was launched in 1999, the site has had some 15 billion hits. It is the No. 1 non-paid search result on Google for the search term "genealogy research."
The Church broadcast a worldwide leadership training meeting Feb. 12 to reaffirm the content of the worldwide leadership training broadcast of Nov. 13, 2010. The purpose of the meeting was to assist local priesthood and auxiliary leaders in using the new administrative handbooks.
The March 24 Church News reported the publication of the second volume of the "Revelations and Translations" series of the Joseph Smith Papers.
President Thomas S. Monson cut ribbons March 11 to open two new exhibits at the Church History Museum. One new exhibit showcases the work of some of the Church's outstanding artists; the other displays quilts that symbolize the global reach and history of Latter-day Saints.
Speaking on March 26 at the General Young Women Meeting in the Conference Center, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, told more than 20,000 young women, their mothers and leaders that there is a need for young women to have a living testimony of the truth. "Now and for the rest of your lives, you will need that living and growing testimony to fortify you and lead your path to eternal life. And with it, you will become the transmitters of the light of Christ to your brothers and sisters across the world and across generations." Also speaking at the meeting were Sister Elaine S. Dalton, Young Women general president, and her counselors, Sisters Mary N. Cook and Ann M. Dibb.
Speaking in general conference on April 3, President Thomas S. Monson titled his address, "The Holy Temple — A Beacon to the World" and quoted Church President Joseph F. Smith who expressed the hope that one day the Church would have "temples built in the various parts of the [world] where they are needed for the convenience of the people." President Monson said, "The goal of President Joseph F. Smith hoped for in 1902 is becoming a reality. Our desire is to make the temple as accessible as possible to our members."
In a letter to Church leaders dated April 15, the First Presidency announced plans for a historic site in the township once known as Harmony in northeast Pennsylvania where the Prophet Joseph Smith translated much of the Book of Mormon and where the priesthood was restored in 1829.
On April 23 the Church News reported that the 150 millionth copy of The Book of Mormon was published. The book has been published in 82 languages and partially translated in 25 more.
In an effort to increase accountability and foster activity for young single adults ages 18-30 years old, student wards in Salt Lake and Davis counties in Utah were eliminated and replaced by young single adult wards and stakes on May 1. Changes in Utah County came later. The change from student units to YSA wards and stakes began in April 2010 in other parts of Utah.
The new Sugar House Utah Welfare Center was dedicated by Elder Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, on June 8. The 65,000-square-foot facility in southeast Salt Lake City includes a Deseret Industries thrift store and LDS Employment and LDS Family Services centers.
The Joseph Smith Memorial Building, formerly the Hotel Utah in downtown Salt Lake City, celebrated its 100th anniversary June 9 with a commemoration celebration opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by President Thomas S. Monson. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir serenaded the gathered crowd with "It's a Grand Night for Singing," "Happy Birthday" and the hymn "Praise to the Man" in honor of the Prophet Joseph Smith. An exhibit of memorabilia and artifacts from the hotel's glory days was on display through the first week of October.
President Henry B. Eyring on June 19 rededicated the rebuilt Longfellow Park meetinghouse in Cambridge, Mass., that was originally dedicated in 1956 by President David O. McKay but was destroyed by a fire in 2009 that was caused by an electrical malfunction. For six decades the meetinghouse had served thousands of Church members who went to Cambridge to pursue higher education.
While in eastern Canada, President Thomas S. Monson dedicated a camp bearing his name on June 25, which will serve members of the Ottawa, Oshawa, Brampton, Mississauga, Hamilton, Kitchener and London stakes and the Kingston District.
The state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot BYU Broadcasting Building and the Information Technology Building were dedicated by President Henry B. Eyring on Aug. 12 at BYU. "These buildings have been built to take advantage of the wonderful and miraculous technology that will enable the university and the Church to reach the hearts and minds of members and friends around the globe," President Eyring said.
On Aug. 24 the Church announced plans to build a new building at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.
For the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir pre-recorded a special memorial performance for its weekly "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast. The broadcast titled "9/11:Rising Above" included guest narrator Tom Brokaw, the former "NBC Nightly News" anchor.
Speaking at the General Relief Society Meeting in the Conference Center on Sept. 24, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, used the forget-me-not flower as a metaphor to illustrate five things he would like the women of the Church to remember: forget not to be patient with yourself, forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice, forget not to be happy now, forget not the "why" of the gospel, and forget not that the Lord loves you. Sister Julie B. Beck, general Relief Society president, and her counselors, Sister Silvia H. Allred and Sister Barbara Thompson, also spoke at the meeting.
In her address, Sister Beck introduced Daughters in My Kingdom: the History and Work of Relief Society. "It will unify and align a worldwide sisterhood with the purposes of Relief Society and the patterns and privileges of disciples," she said.
On Oct. 29 the Church News reported that a new resource, the Leadership Training Library, is available on lds.org. The new resource is a collection of videos — a total of 77 — that supplement Handbook 2.
New Church-produced Bible videos depicting scenes from the New Testament were announced during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional on Sunday, Dec. 4. The free videos are being made available on a new website, Biblevideos.lds.org. "They will be a free gift to all from the First Presidency," said President Henry B. Eyring.
