Utah
Orem temple dedicatory prayer: Elder Christofferson notes the nobility, sacrifices of past generations
![Orem temple dedicatory prayer: Elder Christofferson notes the nobility, sacrifices of past generations Orem temple dedicatory prayer: Elder Christofferson notes the nobility, sacrifices of past generations](https://deseret.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/80906ad/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1575%200%20213/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oUKVhBr2NOeBfBltf0-OUjneZ5Q=/0x0:3000x2000/3000x2000/filters:focal(1516x1000:1517x1001)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25025988/merlin_3002642.jpg)
Following is the text of the prayer offered by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to dedicate the Orem Utah Temple on Sunday, Jan. 21.
O God, the Eternal Father, Thou great Elohim, Creator of heaven and earth, we present ourselves before Thee in humility to dedicate unto Thee and Thy Son this, the Orem Utah Temple. We are grateful for this privilege, and we pray that Thou wilt look upon us in Thy tender mercy and grant that Thy Holy Spirit may attend us.
We are grateful to live in the day of the hastening of Thy work. We thank Thee for the multiplying of temples across the earth in our time. We thank Thee, dear Father, for Thy perfect plan that provided our first estate as spirits in Thy presence, and now our second estate in this mortal sphere, and the promise of celestial glory with Thee and Thy Son for all who are “valiant in the testimony of Jesus.” We are grateful for Thy Beloved Son, whose Atonement and Resurrection enable and sustain Thy plan and redeem us. We feel impelled to exclaim in joy, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever” (Matthew 6:13).
We are grateful for our membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many of us have enjoyed this blessing throughout our lives thanks to the faith and example of our fathers and mothers, grandparents and other ancestors. Through their nobility and sacrifices they built families of faith that have endured and will yet endure through generations. Bless them, dear Father, and help us to be faithful in our time as they were in theirs.
The Orem Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.
Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
Others participating in these dedicatory services have come into the Church as the first in their family’s generations. Bless them and all members similarly situated as they begin a chain of eternal families including both their ancestors and their descendants.
We thank Thee for the Book of Mormon, the great instrument of gathering and conversion that Thou has prepared and preserved for this great and last dispensation. We thank Thee that Thou didst raise up the Prophet Joseph Smith and by Thy gift and power enable him to translate and publish this uniquely powerful testament of thy Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that our faith in the Savior may grow as we study the Book of Mormon such that we “shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in [Him]” (Moroni 7:33).
Father, we recognize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the kingdom of God upon the earth, tasked to gather Thy scattered covenant people both here and in the world of spirits. And so, we pray, “May the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 65:6).
Now, Father, on this day of joy and gladness, with hearts full of love and yearning to please Thee, acting at the direction of the First Presidency and in the authority of the Holy Priesthood, we humbly dedicate to Thee and Thy Son, this, the Orem Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We pray that Thou wilt accept this offering and put Thy name and the name of Thy Son upon this house that it may indeed become The House of the Lord. We pray that the presence of Thy Holy Spirit may be here continually.
We dedicate the foundation, the walls and windows, the roof, and all elements of the construction. We dedicate each of the rooms that they may serve their intended purpose. We dedicate the furnishings and fixtures, the mechanical equipment, the beautiful grounds, and all else pertaining to this holy building.
The Orem Temple is pictured in Orem, Utah, on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023.
Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
We also dedicate the stake center and service buildings located on this property to the purpose of worshipping Thee in the name of Christ and for accomplishing the work of the Church — the work of salvation and exaltation — in all its facets.
Holy Father, we ask Thee to bless and protect this temple and the other buildings we dedicate today. Grant that they may not be marred by earthquakes, storms or other natural forces. We pray that they may be protected from evil-disposed persons and any form of desecration. May Thy Saints be permitted to worship and serve Thee here without distraction or disturbance. May Thy servants “go forth from [the temple] armed with thy power, and … thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them” (Doctrine and Covenants 109:22).
We pray for Thy blessings upon the leaders, members and missionaries of the Church from the First Presidency to the newest convert. Minister to us through Thy Holy Spirit and the grace of Christ in our individual needs and together as the body of Christ. We ask to be filled with joy and light. We would be holy.
The Orem Utah Temple in Orem on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023.
Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
We also pray for the United States of America, the host nation for the headquarters of the Church and some 85 of its temples with more to come. For the sake of the righteous, we plead that this nation might be preserved in freedom and that its moral foundations be strengthened. Wilt Thou maintain it as a force for liberty and a beacon of hope in the world. May its citizens repent and turn unto Thee that Thou canst bless them.
Our gracious God, we thank Thee for this day and for this temple. Most of all, we thank Thee for Thy Beloved and Only Begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. We thank Thee for His birth, His sinless life, His death to atone for our sins, and for His Resurrection that we might have immortality and eternal life. We raise to Thee this dedicatory prayer of gratitude and supplication in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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Utah
First human case of West Nile Virus confirmed in Utah County
![First human case of West Nile Virus confirmed in Utah County First human case of West Nile Virus confirmed in Utah County](https://ksltv.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mosquitoes_Health_and_Climate_06056-scaled-e1724691813685.jpg)
PROVO — The first case of the West Nile Virus in humans was confirmed positive in Utah County Monday, according to the Utah County Health Department.
The virus was first tested for and found in mosquitoes in Utah County in July. Concern was raised as more mosquitoes in Davis County tested positive for the virus, but there were no confirmed cases of the virus in humans until Monday.
The department said the patient who tested positive is a Utah County woman, but it wouldn’t be releasing her identity to protect her privacy.
“People should take extra caution when enjoying outdoor activities,” the department said.
Further, it suggested following a few steps to prevent mosquitoes from biting:
- Drain or treat all standing water around homes or workplaces so mosquitoes do not lay eggs
- Limit time outdoors during dawn and dusk as it is the time of day mosquitoes are the most active
- Use insect repellent that contains diethyltoluamide or use other EPA-approved repellent
- Wear long, loose and light-colored clothing when outdoors
- Ensure door and window screens are sealed properly and in good working condition
The health department warned that severe cases can cause neurologic complications such as encephalitis. Milder symptoms include fever, headache and muscle aches. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus.
This is a breaking news story. It may be updated.
Utah
Three hurdles Utah governor’s Democratic challenger will need to overcome to pose a threat – Washington Examiner
![Three hurdles Utah governor’s Democratic challenger will need to overcome to pose a threat – Washington Examiner Three hurdles Utah governor’s Democratic challenger will need to overcome to pose a threat – Washington Examiner](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/King.-.webp)
Rep. Brian King (D-UT) is looking to overcome critical challenges in his battle to unseat Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) this November.
Utah is a red state where Republican voters outnumber Democrats by over a 3-to-1 margin. The last time a Democratic presidential candidate won the state was in 1964, when Lyndon Johnson secured a landslide victory over Barry Goldwater. Utah’s last Democratic governor was Scott Milne Matheson Jr., who served until 1985.
During a recent interview with the Deseret News, King, who has served as a Democratic lawmaker in the state since 2010, said he sees cracks in the Republican coalition that could galvanize a surprise victory over Cox this November.
“How do you win the election? Well, one of the ways is we appeal to folks who are disillusioned and disenchanted with today’s Republican Party,” King said.
Overcoming Republican majorities
King thinks he has a shot at drawing a large number of independent voters in the state into his camp. There are 482,145 registered unaffiliated voters in Utah, double the number of 232,466 registered Democrats.
However, the number of unaffiliated voters, though significant, has been trending down in the state in recent years. The voting bloc made up 509,374 registered voters in Utah in 2020, signaling that the move toward political independence, though solid, might not be as vibrant as King needs to make up for Utah’s solid Republican majority.
King is also working to win over disgruntled Republicans who supported former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley over former President Donald Trump during the state’s presidential primary. After she lost the primary election to Trump, King’s campaign told Haley voters, ”Consider this a formal invitation to join us in this movement. You will be welcomed with open arms.”
Intraparty turmoil among Republicans in the state has given King another golden opportunity to speak to voters tired of partisan bickering among their own.
The Utah GOP has been embroiled in multiple conflicts this year. Colby Jenkins mounted a challenge to Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) and shocked the establishment by coming within inches of toppling the incumbent Republican. A recount and lawsuit to the state’s highest court ended in a razor-thin loss for Jenkins. He was 176 votes short of winning his primary, and Jenkins’s concerns over state election laws that allowed over a thousand ballots to be disqualified from being counted led him to declare the Utah Supreme Court’s ruling “undermines fundamental voting rights and sets a troubling precedent for future elections.”
Meanwhile, a gubernatorial challenge against Cox from a Republican colleague has set off shock waves within the state’s GOP. Rep. Phil Lyman (R-UT) won over 60% of delegate support during the GOP’s state nominating convention earlier this year. While Cox became his party’s gubernatorial nominee by winning the state’s primary, Lyman alleged party rules garnered him the win and launched a lawsuit against Cox in the Utah Supreme Court. Since losing his battle in court, the representative has gone to make a bid against Cox that is unaffiliated with the GOP and has been condemned by party leaders.
King has been strategic in building bridges with the Lyman camp, taking help wherever he can get it to win in a Republican-dominated state.
“I’ve never talked less about political party than I have in this election,” King said after Lyman suggested Republicans would be better off voting for the Democrat than supporting another Cox term. “We are building a coalition of pragmatists in this campaign.”
The two even teamed up last week in a joint campaign ad to tell voters there is one thing they agree on: “Spencer Cox should not be our next governor,” the pair said in unison.
The partnership ruffled feathers in the state’s establishment GOP, which warned, “We condemn Phil Lyman’s endorsement and promotion of Brian King, which will only benefit Democrat candidates whose extreme policies are out of step with Utahns.”
“Not-so-clever clickbait videos attempting to divide Republicans against each other only serve to remind us what is at stake,” Utah GOP Chairman Rob Axson continued in a post to X. “Utahns must not fall for it.”
Although King has seized on the GOP bickering, it is unlikely to fuel the momentum he needs to blow over Cox, who enjoys high favorability ratings among Utahns. The incumbent governor won the election by nearly 33 percentage points in 2020. Cox now enjoys the trappings of power that he can use to his advantage. He has had four years to build rapport with voters and donor support, while his high-profile status as governor gives him automatic access to the press.
Even King admitted he faces a “David versus Goliath kind of a situation.”
Matching centrist rhetoric with centrist policies
Moreover, King has indicated he is not willing to compromise on leftist positions many Utah conservatives might find distasteful, even if they are dissatisfied with the status quo of Republican politics.
King’s rhetoric is centrist. “Political balance is incredibly important,” he said. “If you have one party controlling both the executive and the legislative branches for 40 years … you’re going to not have the best results in terms of policies and priorities and a vision that takes into account all the perspectives and all the diversity of the state of Utah.”
His talking points are important in a state that prides itself on centrist politics.
Although Utah is firmly within the GOP’s grasp, top Republicans in the state are centrist-leaning. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) has remained fiercely critical of former President Donald Trump, the most high-profile Republican in the nation. Meanwhile, Cox has maintained a bipartisan rhetoric and, as chairman of the National Governors Association, launched a “Disagree Better” campaign aimed at reducing polarization in politics. Cox also declined to endorse Trump’s bid for reelection until late July.
But though King’s words convey the bipartisan mood Utahns might support, his policy positions could push his chances of booting Cox out of office further out of reach. The Democrat supports a legal right to abortion up to the point of viability, or around 24 weeks, when the baby is able to survive outside the womb.
Recent surveys indicate a majority or near majority of Utahns hold a more centrist position on the matter.
Nearly half of Utahns said abortion should only be legal in cases of rape, incest, and threats to mothers’ health in 2022. Over 50% of Utah registered voters favored a ban on elective abortions and endorsed allowing them only under limited circumstances in another survey.
King’s unwillingness to shift to the center on issues such as abortion could cost him votes in a state that bleeds red.
Reaching the Mormon voting bloc
King has made his Mormon faith a pillar of his campaign for governor, a strategic move in a state that holds the highest concentration of Latter-day Saints in the country.
“I’m a Democrat because of my faith, not despite it,” a post pinned to the top of his X platform states.
However, the Mormon church appears to be on the decline in the state. In 2020, over 60% of Utahns subscribed to the Latter-day Saints community. Three years later, that number dropped to 42%.
Additionally, Mormons heavily lean Republican. Seventy-seven percent described themselves as part of the GOP, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center.
Nationwide, support in the Latter-day Saints community for top Democrats appears to be dropping. A recent poll showed that in 2023, 1 in 5 Mormons approved of President Joe Biden, down from nearly a third of support in 2021.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Democratic representative is headed to a debate with Cox on Sept. 11.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the King and Cox campaigns for comment.
Utah
Color of Hockey: ECHL team owned by NFL veteran Jack, mom now Utah affiliate | NHL.com
![Color of Hockey: ECHL team owned by NFL veteran Jack, mom now Utah affiliate | NHL.com Color of Hockey: ECHL team owned by NFL veteran Jack, mom now Utah affiliate | NHL.com](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size50/v1723741833/prd/ekptnwzmwha7msvzxoh9.jpg)
The Jacks are part of a small but growing number of Black current and retired athletes and entrepreneurs who hold ownership stakes in professional hockey teams.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is a part-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins; retired NFL running back Marshawn Lynch is part of the Seattle Kraken investment group; “NHL on TNT” analyst and retired NHL forward Anson Carter is minority owner of Atlanta of the ECHL; and Salamander Hotel & Resorts CEO and Black Entertainment Television cofounder Sheila Johnson has a stake in the Washington Capitals along with Earl Stafford, CEO of the Wentworth Group.
“When you let people know that you own a hockey team, it kind of puts a question mark on their face,” Jack said. “But all it takes is one game and they understand what’s going on.”
Allen had the ECHL’s second-best improvement in attendance last season, growing 23.7 percent (156,553 total, per game 4,349 average) to rank 15th in the 29-team league, up from 22nd (126,579 total, per game 3,516 average) in 2022-23, according to league statistics.
Allen (33-35-4) finished third in the ECHL Mountain Division last season and lost to Idaho in five games in the best-of-7 division semifinals of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
“It’s been phenomenal for me just learning about the game of hockey, just understanding the culture, the history and actually how global the sport is as well,” Jack said. “Year Two, we’re demanding excellence from the players side of things, the coaching side of things, management, everything upstairs and even ourselves.”
Jack said the biggest lesson he learned in his first season of ownership is running a team is about more than about wins and losses.
“You have other people’s livelihoods in your hands,” he said. “The player’s career, they want the best so they can continue on to whatever their goals are within the sport. Obviously, the coaches, giving them the tools to do what they need to do. And the employees as well because I’m sure a lot of people want to move on to the AHL and the NHL and do bigger things.
“But I feel, what better pipeline in the sport to be able to give people whatever tools they need than this?”
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