In the Spotlight

Four Members Elected to French Polynesian Parliament

Four Church members were recently elected to the French Polynesian Parliament. Temauri Foster of the Makemo Tuamotu District, Tarita Sinjoux of the Faaa Tahiti Stake, Hinano Tetuanui of the Papeari Tahiti Stake, and Arsène Tuairau of the Papeete Tahiti Stake are now serving in the 49-member parliament.

Latter-day Saint Receives Adoption Award

Curt Dahl, creative director for Church-owned Bonneville Communications, was honored by a U.S. congressional group on 22 October for his efforts in promoting adoption.

Brother Dahl, an adoptive father himself, received the Angels in Adoption award for creating and producing a series of public service announcements promoting adoption as a positive choice for unwed birth mothers. The commercials are sponsored by LDS Family Services.

Angels in Adoption awards are given annually by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, a bipartisan organization whose 153 members seek to improve adoption policy and practice.

Brother Dahl is a member of the Crescent 17th Ward, Sandy Utah Crescent West Stake.

Returned Missionary Is Seattle Mariners Scout

Ted Heid, director of Pacific Rim scouting for the Seattle Mariners, says his career benefited from counsel he received during his mission to Japan from 1976 to 1978.

Brother Heid, a member of the Cactus Ward, Glendale Arizona North Stake, has kept up his Japanese language skills since his mission president, Shozo Suzuki, challenged him to continue to pray in Japanese every day.

“I followed that counsel and accepted that challenge,” Brother Heid says. “And I think it was very important in my ability to hang on to the language for so many years, even when I didn’t have an opportunity to use it on a daily basis. It turned out to be important in getting this position [with the Mariners].”

While scouting Japan for the Mariners, Brother Heid helped sign sensational hitting outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. Brother Heid has been director of Pacific Rim scouting since November 2000.—Gary Libman, Altadena, California