Summary: <br> <br> Plenty of Latter-day Saint temple news this week, including the closures of the <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/01/st-george-utah-temple-closing-for-major-renovation/">St. George Utah</a> and <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/01/hong-kong-temple-joins-the-ranks-of-temples-closing-for-extensive-renovations/">Hong Kong China</a> Temples, the groundbreakings for temples in <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/02/groundbreaking-date-announced-for-pocatello-idaho-temple/">Pocatello, Idaho</a>; <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/02/groundbreaking-date-announced-for-guam-temple/">Yigo, Guam</a>; and <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/02/its-a-hat-trick-groundbreaking-date-announced-for-praia-cape-verde-temple/">Praia, Cape Verde</a>. Also, those "mini" temples that were rebuilt from the ground up will quietly be rededicated with <a href="https://www.lds.org/church/events/oklahoma-city-oklahoma-temple-rededication?lang=eng" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minimal fanfare</a>.<br> <br> But the big story this week is that <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/02/latter-day-saint-missionaries-can-now-call-home-weekly/">missionaries can now call or text home once per week</a>, breaking with longstanding policy. Is this because modern missionaries are too coddled? Is this to help kids with anxiety finish out their missions? Is this to help families feel more involved in the mission process? Probably a bit of everything.<br> <br> The Church <a href="https://bycommonconsent.com/2019/01/28/the-church-is-going-to-pay-more-in-taxes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will now pay taxes</a>, thanks to the GOP-led 2017 tax law. That's right, the same folks who fight for religious liberty also managed to make churches pay some new fees.<br> <br> Whenever alcohol law comes up in Utah, the Church isn't far behind, and that continues to be the case as <a href="https://fox13now.com/2019/02/11/lds-church-says-it-opposes-bill-eliminating-3-2-beer-in-utah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Utah weighs raising its restricted ABV levels</a> to bring them on par with other states. Unsurprisingly, the Church isn't keen on it.<br> <br> An <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/02/argentina-missionary-training-center-to-close/">MTC in Argentina is closing</a>, thus bringing the total Missionary Training Center closures of the past year to four. What's up with that?<br> <br> The director of the most recent temple films is <a href="https://kutv.com/news/local/lds-temple-videos-director-sundance-co-founder-admits-to-child-molestation-says-website">apparently an admitted</a> (and repentant) child molester. Great.<br> <br> Mentions: a Utah lawmaker wants to <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2019/01/23/utah-lawmaker-wants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make birth gender unchangeable on birth certificates</a>, new garment styles for women, <a href="https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2019-01-14/learn-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-statues-in-the-rome-italy-temple-visitors-center-48751" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cool history behind statues at the Rome Italy Temple</a>, and the <a href="http://thisweekinmormons.com/2019/02/first-young-single-adult-ward-in-asia-organized-in-singapore/">first YSA ward in Asia</a>.<br> <br> Everyone do Kurt a solid and sign up for the <a href="http://leadingsaints.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leading Saints</a> Questioning Saints Summit nexdt month!<br> <br> Transcript<br> [0:25] Alright Party People hey what's up everybody Welcome once again to this week and more minutes my name is Geoff hoping she'll not g off. Greg not George.<br> But you can call me Al if you want because that's a the song not because of,<br> the erstwhile co-host on All the gossip let's let's get some rumors going,<br> the blood Feud Rivals that of the danites and the local Missouri is Jeff.<br>
