The first Mormon temple in the Middle East is to be built in Dubai.
The new place of worship will be located on the legacy site of the World Expo.
But who are Mormons, what do they believe and what is the history of their church?
Here, The National explores a rapidly expanding religion that its adherents say is often misunderstood.
How was the church founded?
In 1830, the religion’s founder, Joseph Smith, published the Book of Mormon in the US.
According to Church teachings, Smith was confused about what religion he should follow. In 1820, he is said to have had a vision in a forest in which God and Jesus Christ came to him.
The practice of 'tithing' means members of the faith give 10 per cent of their income to the church, which has given the church huge resources
Smith was told Jesus would eventually establish his “original” Church through him.
Smith, who was born in Vermont and grew up a farm boy, said he translated The Book of Mormon from an ancient language written on gold plates, buried on a hill near his home, that an angel helped him to discover.
He quickly gained followers, but also provoked anger from opponents who accused him of fraud and blasphemy.
What do Mormons believe?
Mormons believe in and revere the Bible, but do not think it is without error.
Unlike other denominations, they believe there are other books of scripture besides the Bible, such as the Book of Mormon, and that God continues to speak through living prophets.
Mormons believe a tribe of ancient Israelites came to America 600 years before Jesus was born. After his resurrection, the Book of Mormon states that Jesus came to the Americas and gained followers there.
Some official teachings have changed over the years. In 1978, a policy that meant black people could not enter its priesthood was ditched.
Strong family values are seen as central to the lives of Mormons.
The practice of tithing means members of the faith give 10 per cent of their income to the Church.
Another important staple is missionary work. Many young Mormons will serve two years away from home where they preach and complete humanitarian projects.
Are the temples important?
Yes – that a temple is being built in the Middle East will be highly significant for Mormons. The next closest is in Kiev, Ukraine, about 3,500 kilometres away.
Although there is already an LDS church in Abu Dhabi, a temple is different and is where marriages, baptisms and other important events take place.
Shortly after a temple is built, there will usually be an “open house” where anyone can visit. Once it has benn “dedicated”, only members of the faith can enter.
During important temple ceremonies, everyone wears the same temple robes – white robes, caps, aprons and sashes. These are designed to be similar to those described in the Old Testament.
On most temples there is a golden statue of a man in flowing robes, with a long horn pressed to his lips. This is the angel Moroni, who is said to have shown Smith where to find the golden plates.
How many Mormons are there?
It took 117 years – until 1947 – for LDS to grow from its initial six members to one million. However, it now has more than 16 million adherents.
More than nine million Mormons are in North America. There are four million LDS Church members in South America, 1.2 million in Asia and almost 500,000 in Europe.
In the Emirates, the Church has 1,631 members, according to the most recently published statistics. There are another 346 church members in Kuwait and 223 live in Bahrain.
There are 162 Mormon temples around the world.
How are Mormons viewed?
Mormons have faced persecution ever since the faith was founded.
In 1838, they were driven from their early base in Missouri after an official state order was issued that called for their “extermination or expulsion”.
Smith, the founder of the faith, was killed by an anti-Mormon mobthat broke into a jail in which he was being held, in Carthage, Illinois, in June 1844.
The group had tried to establish themselves in Illinois but had again faced hostility and discrimination.
A common complaint of Mormons is that they are subjected to ridicule while older religions do not.
Are there any famous Mormons?
Yes, plenty. Perhaps the world’s most influential Mormon is Mitt Romney, the Utah senator, who was the Republican Party’s nominee for the US presidency in 2012.
Although he lost the election to Barack Obama, he has continued to be an important figure in the politics of the United States. Mr Romney’s faith has been a topic of interest and scrutiny throughout his political career.
Other famous Mormons include Brandon Flowers, lead vocalist of US rock group The Killers, and soul diva Gladys Knight.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
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Maestro
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
SPECS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Francesco Totti's bio
Born September 27, 1976
Position Attacking midifelder
Clubs played for (1) - Roma
Total seasons 24
First season 1992/93
Last season 2016/17
Appearances 786
Goals 307
Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
Scorline
Iraq 1-0 UAE
Iraq Hussein 28’
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
