In the News

First District in Western Kasai Province Organized

The first district in the province of Western Kasai in the Democratic Repulic of Congo was organized on 21 April 2003.

The Kananga district was organized by Brent Phil Peterson, then mission president of the Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa Mission, and includes the Kananga First, Kananga Second, Kataoka, and Ndesha Branches.

The first formal meeting in Kananga occurred in May 1988, when the late Gregory Kalala Bakadiabanya recieved permission from the mission president to meet with neighbors and family when he visited the area after his baptism in Kinshasa. Almost five years after Brother Bakadiabanya’s visit, the first branch was organized on 12 January 1993.

The Democratic Republic of Congo granted the Church formal recognition in February 1986. There are around 11,000 members in the West African country.

“As [our] prayers will be without ceasing, [we] believe that [we] will have the opportunity to greet full-time missionaries in this part of the vineyard of the Lord and [witness] the creation of a stake in Zion,” says Eric Belangenyi Kapanga, Kananga district president.

Cardston Temple Wins Beautification Award

The Canadian town of Cardston recently recognized the Cardston Alberta Temple with one of the city’s annual beautification awards—the first time the temple has been honored in such a way.

Stan Johnson, former Cardston mayor and a counselor in the temple presidency, said the award is one indication of the “tremendous contribution that is made to the overall beautification of our community by the temple.”

The Cardston Temple was dedicated in 1923 by President Heber J. Grant, seventh President of the Church, and was rededicated in 1991 by President Gordon B. Hinckley, then First Counselor in the First Presidency.

Adapted from Church News, 20 September 2003.

Conference Center Earns Award

The American Society of Landscape Architects has recognized the Conference Center in Salt Lake City with a Design Merit Award for excellence in landscape architecture. It was one of 33 award-winning projects selected from 436 entries. The awards are presented according to quality of design, functionality, context, environmental responsibility, and relevance to the profession, the public, and the environment.

Designed by Olin Partnership of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the landscaping of the Conference Center features trees, grasses, and wildflowers native to Utah.

Adapted from Church News, 13 September 2003.

Members Honored with National Volunteer Award

Thanks to a seven-year partnership between the Tucson Community Food Bank and Arizona Church members, a United States coalition of food banks called America’s Second Harvest has honored the Church with its national Group Volunteer of the Year award. This tribute recognizes the thousands of hours of service provided by Church members in Tucson.

The food bank provides 100-pound (37-kg) bags of rice and beans and, three nights a week, up to 100 Church volunteers gather at the Church’s cannery in Tucson to package the food into family-sized meals. Each month, about 50,000 pounds (19,000 kg) of food is repackaged and returned to the food bank for distribution.

Adapted from Church News, 20 September 2003.

Brethren of the newly created Kananga district gather for a priesthood leadership meeting. The district was organized in April 2003. (Photograph courtesy of Kananga district.)

The Cardston Alberta Temple was recently honored with a beautification award from the town of Cardston, Alberta, Canada.