[dropcap]H[/dropcap]ow was your Easter? Tiffany and Arianne recap Easter traditions, FaceTiming with missionaries, and how to keep kids from fighting during an egg hunt.
Brigham Young University's Honor Code office has been under fire of late, less for the Honor Code itself and more for the draconian and arbitrary enforcement of those Honor Code standards. BYU students even took to campus to stage a protest against the office and its shady work. This is a serious issue and plenty of students have horror stories about their run-ins with the office, which we would like to remind you is staffed by paid professionals and not ecclesiastical leaders.
What's up with the cultural assumption that one cannot wear casual clothes or hold a non-sacrament meeting in the chapels of our buildings? Lately, many have expressed this alleged norm, but said norm does not exist! Nothing in Handbook 2 (or 1!).
We all stood aghast as the 800-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris took fire last week. The worldwide outpouring of emotion and support has been staggering, and Latter-day Saint leadership has not stood on the sidelines. President Nelson, fresh off having met Pope Francis in Rome during his Tour of Italy, penned a personal letter to the Catholic leader expressing his sympathy.
Notre Dame's fire also drew attention to previously mentioned renovations of Utah's pioneer-era temples, all of which are vulnerable to any number of natural disasters and have aging internal components. The Church stressed that it takes care of its temples, and last Friday revealed details about a major renovation of the Salt Lake Temple and its grounds. The temple will close for four years and half of Temple Square will effectively be rebuilt to allow for a more open, inviting, and even public space. LDS Living took advantage of the news to publish an interesting listicle with 10 things you might not have known about the Salt Lake Temple. Likewise, here are 10 things you didn't know about the Tabernacle!
Also, did you know the Salt Lake Tabernacle once had an arrow painted on its roof?
The missionary "surge" continues to ease, as key statistics released during General Conference show a decline in the number of full-time missionaries. As the Daily Herald points out, just over 65,000 missionaries currently serving is still above the approximately 58,