It is with a heavy heart that the City of Mesa announces the passing of Mayor Wayne Brown on Tuesday, May 14. Brown served as Mayor from 1996 to 2000. He also served as a Councilmember from 1968 to 1976.

Leave it to mom to deliver the best news.

SALT LAKE CITY — Jorgen Sumsion spent the fall semester studying biostatistics at Brigham Young University, but he's not enrolled this semester.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Mormon church is creating 58 new missions around the world to accommodate an influx of missionaries triggered by the lowering of the minimum age.

United Blood Services is experiencing a severe shortage of blood donations as many donors cancel appointments due to the flu.

PROVO, Utah — Mikaela Merrill was in the middle of her fall semester at Brigham Young University when she abruptly altered her college plans and signed up for a Mormon mission.

The Pinal County Genealogists will have their 10th annual workshop Jan. 26 at the LDS church, 1555 N. Colorado, Casa Grande.

SALT LAKE CITY — The perception of Mormons in the U.S. changed very little even though the religion received unprecedented attention this year with Republican Mitt Romney running for president.

Jodi Arias' MySpace page seems frozen in time. There are still pictures of her and one-time boyfriend, Travis Alexander, scattered throughout the page. The pictures are from happier times, documenting their travels together and their intense, even obsessive relationship lasting five months in 2006 and 2007.

Continuing the tradition that has lasted more than three decades, the Mesa Arizona Temple Gardens will again host the spectacular Christmas lights display that is recognized as one of the most beautiful in the state.

Stan Way, a Latter-day Saint from Jasper, Ala., had just finished dinner out with some Mormon missionaries when he noticed a car slowing as it approached.

All of her young life, Eliza Andreasin has wanted to become a missionary in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Millenials, Generation Y, or simply, teenagers and the 20- to 30-something population has seemed to slip through the “grasp” of the church’s hand.

To Edward F. Murphy regarding his comment about the Mormon church being populated with hypocrites: I just wanted to let you know that not one of the members of the LDS church is perfect. In fact, that is true of every religion. I hope you are not that naive to think so. Like yourself we are tempted and make wrong decisions and mistakes. We are each individuals, free to make our own decisions hopefully trying to be better each day. I hope you would be doing the same. To accuse an entire religion of being “the epitome of hypocrites who populate... the Mormon church” is exactly what’s wrong with our society. Although I do not condone drunk driving in any way, I’m not sure what’s worse, driving drunk or judging others? And it doesn’t matter because all I need to worry about is me and being the best person I can be without belittling others since I am far from perfect myself. I guess what I’m saying is lets all try to be a positive contributor to society, since I’m sure we’ve all done hypocritical things in our life too. Especially when a family is grieving over the loss of a loved one and want to remember them in a positive way. You would want others to be kind if it was your loved one.

All of her young life, Eliza Andreasin has wanted to become a missionary in the church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints.

It is interesting that you encourage people to consider not voting for Romney when he did not serve in the military, but went on a two half year LDS mission. I think you underestimate the desire for LDS young men to serve a mission. My son, graduated top of his class, worked hard in sports so he could attend the U.S. Air Force Academy. He received a $415,000 dollar scholarship to the AFA. He worked hard, he was on the dean’s list, was also in the 22 squad (Raptors) which finished first in the school and was able to stand behind President Obama at the graduation. He gave all this up to serve a mission in Chile. That is how important Mr. Romney also felt. He did this with the hope that there will be no major budget cuts to the AFA so that he may return there.

SALT LAKE CITY — Mormon church President Thomas S. Monson urged his faith's followers to embrace the power of prayer and to reach out to people in need.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Mormon church will lower its minimum age requirements for missionaries from 19 to 18 for men and from 21 to 19 for women, the faith's president announced Saturday.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid says he agrees with a fellow Mormon who wrote recently that Mitt Romney has "sullied" the LDS faith and that the GOP presidential candidate is "not the face of Mormonism."