LDS Scene

All missionaries and members of the Church in Nigeria were unharmed during the recent coup which ousted the government in that country, the Africa West Mission president reported. Sylvester Cooper, Jr., contacted Church headquarters from Lagos, the capital city, as soon as possible to report on conditions there. The Church has nine missionary couples and more than two thousand members in Nigeria.

Two Idaho men have been called to serve as counselors in the presidency of the Idaho Falls Temple. Robert M. Kerr, Jr., of Blackfoot was called to serve as first counselor to President DeVere Harris. President Kerr succeeds Seth D. Redford, who has been named president of the new Boise Temple, now under construction. President Kerr previously served as second counselor in the temple presidency. Hal R. Johnson has been called to serve as second counselor in the temple presidency.

The National Safety Council, an organization which spotlights safety concerns throughout the United States, honored the Church recently for its “outstanding defensive driving training performance.” The council noted that while teen drivers are a high-risk group, LDS missionaries, primarily ages 19 to 21, have a driving record which compares favorably with that of less accident-prone middle-aged drivers.

A sixteen-year-old California Laurel, Becky Hollingsworth, recently was crowned Miss American Teenager. A member of the Grass Valley 2nd Ward, Auburn California Stake, she had earlier won the title of Miss California Teenager.