Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are loyal members of the Australian community and contribute in very real ways to social cohesion and well-being.
This is exemplified by the Church’s heavy involvement in disaster relief in this country and many other nations throughout the world.
They honour the heritage and laws of the countries in which they reside. These practices and beliefs are outlined in one of the Church’s 13 faith statements which were written soon after the Church was organized in 1830.
Article of Faith number 12 states, “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.”
The Church’s love of country is reflected in its respect for the Australian flag, which flies prominently on the grounds of each of the Australian temples across the country.
Recently, The Hon Christopher Pyne MP presented Adelaide temple president, Barry Lee, with a brand new, much bigger Australian flag to fly in front of the temple.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
The Adelaide temple was the second temple built in Australia (the Sydney temple being the first). It serves the many faithful members in southern Australia. There are now five temples providing the spiritual needs of the 140,000 Church members throughout the country.
On 3rd September, 1901, the Australian flag was flown in the country for the first time. One hundred and thirteen years later, it can be seen on flag poles all over Australia.
Each year, the Adelaide temple flag needs to be replaced due to the wear and tear of the elements. This year, on 5th September, 2014, the new flag was presented by Mr Pyne, who is the federal member for Sturt.
He was present when ground was broken for the temple 15 years ago in the year 2000. He also accepted an invitation to tour the temple during the period before the temple was dedicated when the building was open to the public for special viewings.
Mr Pyne has also been a regular attendee at Firle stake Church events, including stake conferences.
Christopher Pyne’s electorate of Sturt falls within the Firle stake boundaries. He has served in parliament for 21 years and is currently the Federal Minister for Education.
Education of our young people is regarded by Latter-day Saints as among the most critical responsibilities of state and federal governments, working in companionship with parents.
The Church is a non-partisan organisation and appreciates relationships with members of parliament from across the political spectrum.
Watch a film about Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.