1 big thing: Ballard accusers 

Tim Ballard, founder and ex-CEO of Operation Underground Railroad poses in front of a screen with a SiriusXM logo. 

2. Downtime with Bed Bath & Beyond CEO

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1 big thing: More Utah moms are working after having babies

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Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson announces U.S. Senate run to replace Romney

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😼 Erin's cat Enola hates phone calls and Zoom meetings so much that she attacks any electronic device she can find whenever Erin talks to a screen.

She already chewed through one laptop, and little remains of the phone protector.

🌮  Kim enjoyed catching up with her old Utah Valley University friends at Sol Agave in American Fork.

Your guide to ranked-choice voting

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Mormon leaders double down on gender and marriage

1 big thing: Mormon leaders double down on gender and marriage 

Conference Center at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the morning session of general conference on Sunday, October 1, 2023

UDOT's preferred I-15 expansion plan includes relocating homes, businesses

2. Widening I-15

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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announces 20 new temples

4. New Latter-day Saint temples revealed

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BYU's among the nation's least economically diverse colleges, per federal aid analysis

1 big thing: BYU's low-income gap

Scoop: A Salt Lake City Council member's fight against stopped trains

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday announced the sites of 20 new temples.

Church president Russell M. Nelson unveiled the locations in a video announcement during the weekend's General Conference.

Nelson did not attend in person, as he was recovering from a back injury.

Details: Six of the new temples will be in the U.S., with plans in Kahului, Hawai'i; Fairbanks, Alaska; Vancouver, Washington; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Roanoke, Virginia.

South American temples include: Piura and Huancayo, Peru; Goiânia and João Pessoa, Brazil; and Viña del Mar, Chile.

Four were announced for Africa: Cape Coast, Ghana; Calabar, Nigeria; Luanda, Angola; and Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In Asia, temples are planned for Osaka, Japan; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; and Laoag, Philippines.

Sava'i, Samoa will be the church's newest temple in Oceania.

The big picture: The church has 177 temples operating worldwide, with another 54 under construction, five in renovations and 99 announced.

The new locations will include 12 in North and South America.

Mormon Church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday announced the sites of 20 new temples.<ul><li>Church president Russell M. Nelson unveiled the locations in a video announcement during the weekend&#x27;s General Conference.</li></ul>

News

In General Conference talks this weekend, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stressed the importance of heterosexual marriage to become "exalted" for eternity.

The message used the powerful leverage of church teachings about the afterlife to reassert its conservative stance on marriage and gender.

General Conference is the semiannual gathering of church leaders in Salt Lake City, where faith messages and policy updates are announced to members.

Driving the news: Dallin H. Oaks, who is effectively the church's second-in-line after President Russell M. Nelson, said Saturday that "exaltation can be attained only through … an eternal marriage between a man and a woman in the Holy Temple."

The "union of a man and woman in marriage" is the "highest and holiest" manifestation of the church's power to "link generations," said D. Todd Christofferson, member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

"The Lord has clearly taught that only men and women who are sealed as husband and wife … will be together throughout the eternities," Nelson said in a video message Sunday.

Why it matters: Church teachings on gender, sexuality and marriage have long created tension with the LGBTQ+ church members and allies, as well as single adults.

Even if members remain "chaste," the church teaches they cannot reach the highest degree of exaltation in the afterlife unless they marry someone of the opposite sex.

"That is why we teach that, quote, 'gender' is an essential characteristic of individual … eternal identity and purpose," Oaks said Saturday. It is church policy to discipline members who transition genders.

Context: Among Christian traditions, Mormonism's teachings about the afterlife are particularly specific and detailed, and frequently held up as the stakes of obedient membership.

Only those in the highest or "celestial" kingdom will join their families for eternity, according to church teachings.

The intrigue: Oaks stressed that Latter-day Saint teachings about the afterlife are also more merciful than many other Christian beliefs. Rather than a selective heaven that relegates many to a fiery hell, Mormonism holds that nearly everyone will enjoy eternal "glory" — just in varying degrees.

"No other theology or philosophy or authority can match such an all-inclusive opportunity," Christofferson said.

Yes, but: Oaks repeatedly added that the church's purpose is to "prepare" members for the highest degree of exaltation. That exaltation excludes many LGBTQ+ people due to the prerequisite of a temple marriage, which the church only performs for heterosexual couples.

That effectively makes queer members second-class citizens within Mormonism, not just during their lives but for eternity, said Jaclyn Foster, who was raised in the church and still considers herself Mormon.

Foster now attends Episcopalian Church, where she says her lesbian marriage "isn't up for debate."

What they're saying: "You cannot preach that 'exaltation is a family matter' while continuing to insist that queer people will either find their marriages eternally invalid or be forced into a marriage that does not reflect their family on Earth," Foster told Axios.

"Being taught that the 'best-case scenario' for your eternal progression is fundamentally unequal is extremely damaging, as it teaches you to believe that you inherently deserve less love than others," Foster said.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The heterosexual link to eternal "exaltation" was a point of focus at this weekend's General Conference.

The Conference Center at church headquarters Sunday in Salt Lake City. Photo: Courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In General Conference talks this weekend, leaders of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/10/01/latter-day-saints-mormon-temples-general-conference" data-vars-content-id="1e21e0a9-4f93-4bbc-b4ef-a08c733d4e81" data-vars-headline="Mormon leaders double down on gender and marriage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/10/01/latter-day-saints-mormon-temples-general-conference" target="_self">Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</a> stressed the importance of heterosexual marriage to become &quot;exalted&quot; for eternity.<ul><li>The message used the powerful leverage of church teachings about the afterlife to reassert its conservative stance on marriage and gender.</li></ul>

Data: U.S. Census; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

More moms in Utah are going to work less than a year after giving birth, new census data show.

But Utah remains slower to send moms back to work than the rest of the country.

By the numbers: In 2022, about 56% of Utah women who gave birth within the previous year were in the labor force, a lower percentage than any state except Alaska, according to census data released last month.

That's an increase of about 3% from 2010 — about half the rate of increase nationally.

Zoom out: By contrast, 67% of U.S. women who gave birth were working within the year in 2022, up from just under 62% in 2010.

But eight states saw the percentage of working new moms decline over the same 12-year period — Utah wasn't one of them.

Between the lines: Most Utahns are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a faith whose leaders historically discouraged mothers from working outside the home.

Members have described a stigma against women who pursue careers.

Having one stay-at-home parent while the other works full time is the most-desired family arrangement, according to statewide polling in 2022; two parents working full time was the least desired.

The intrigue: It's unclear how much of the increase may be linked to the state becoming less Mormon over the same timeframe, or whether Latter-day Saint mothers are more likely to work while parenting young children.

Zoom in: Workforce participation rates in the Provo-Orem metro area — Utah and Juab Counties — could provide a clue.

The metro area is home to one of the nation's largest concentrations of Latter-day Saints.

The share of mothers working there less than 12 months after giving birth rose 8.7% since 2010, more than the 5.9% drop in the Mormon population share during roughly the same timeframe.

Meanwhile, work rates for new moms held within a percentage point over the same 12 years in the Salt Lake and Ogden metros — populations that were significantly less Mormon than Provo-Orem is now.

Of note: The census figures don't differentiate between part-time and full-time work.

Part-time jobs are extremely common among Utah women.

Context: Remote and flexible work is making it easier for new moms to juggle both parenting and careers, Axios' Emily Peck has reported.

Yes, but: Pandemic-era federal funding for child care centers is drying up.

70,000 child care centers, looking after 3.2 million children, may close after the funding runs out, according to an estimate from The Century Foundation.

What we're watching: Whether the scarcity and skyrocketing cost of child care ultimately neutralizes Utah's unique religious factors.

If that expense wipes out a parent's earnings, it's often mothers who wind up staying home because they're likely making less.

More Utah moms are working after having babies

But women here are less likely than the rest of the country to punch in within a year of giving birth.

Utah

More moms in Utah are going to work less than a year after giving birth, new census data show.<ul><li>But Utah remains slower to send moms back to work than the rest of the country.</li></ul>

Fall is in full swing, and there's lots to do this weekend in and around Salt Lake City.

Curiosity, Salt Lake's non-alcoholic cocktail bar is closing its doors Saturday, the owner announced Wednesday on Instagram.

The closure is due to financial challenges and family health problems, the owner said.

"Come in for a last drink this week, and cheers to everything curiosity has been."

When: Curiosity is open 11am–8pm Friday and Saturday.

The star comedian is playing Salt Lake City on Friday.

Tickets are running low, but a few dozen are still available.

Grab a stein and drink up at Templin Family Brewing's Oktoberfest, with games, Bavarian food and lots of beer.

Of note: The brewery is celebrating recent big wins at beer festivals.

Celebrate the artistic mastery of Frida Khalo with crafts, vendors, dancers, food and games — including a look-alike contest.

When: 4–9pm Saturday, with a 21+ afterparty at Flanker until 1am

The Midvale Main Street Car Show is back with a market, music, food trucks and more than 150 cars. Aah-OOOH-gah!

Be wowed by dancers and join in while you listen to jazz, hip hop, reggae, afrobeats and more.

Check our fall foliage forecast and pick one of our favorite drives or hikes to see the autumn leaves.

Downtown's nightlife is pouring into Main Street for a weekly free party.

Witchfest 2023 is underway at Gardner Village. Parking is $7 to meet lots of costumed characters, take in the decorations and join activities in the shops.

Salt Lake City weekend events | Sept. 29–30

Check out these weekend events in Salt Lake City.

Fall is in full swing, and there&#x27;s lots to do this weekend in and around Salt Lake City.<h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">One last toast</h2>

Things to Do

Tim Ballard, the anti-sex-trafficking crusader and Senate hopeful, sexually harassed multiple women, an attorney alleged Thursday.

Driving the news: Attorney Suzette Rasmussen said she was speaking on behalf of "several" former employees and contractors of Operation Underground Railroad, the controversial nonprofit Ballard founded.

"We were subjected to sexual harassment, spiritual manipulation, grooming and sexual misconduct," Rasmussen said from the state Capitol steps, reading aloud a statement she attributed to the unidentified women.

Catch up quick: Media reports last week detailed allegations of Ballard's sexual misconduct during OUR's military-style child trafficking stings.

Women who joined the vigilante raids said Ballard, asked them to pose as his wife or girlfriend, and then sleep in his bed or shower with him as part of his ruse, Vice News and Utah-based freelance journalist Lynn Packer reported.

Ballard, who was the subject of this summer's surprise-hit movie "Sound of Freedom," abruptly left OUR around the time of the film's release. His departure followed an internal investigation into the harassment allegations, Vice reported.

Details: Rasmussen, previously a staff attorney for former Gov. Gary Herbert, disclosed scant detail about her clients or the specific allegations.

She would not provide the number of women who signed on to the statement, except to say Vice's estimate of seven victims "is pretty close to accurate."

Rasmussen would not say whether the women planned to file lawsuits, whether they filed police reports in the cities where the alleged misconduct occurred, or whether they felt OUR handled their reports adequately.

"I can say that complaints have been filed and statements were known for several months" before Thursday, Rasmussen said.

The other side: Ballard called the accusations "baseless inventions designed to destroy me and the movement we have built," per a statement released by his new anti-trafficking nonprofit, The Spear Fund.

The "couples ruse" enables men on OUR raids to credibly pose as customers without having to "partake of what's being offered" because their wives or girlfriends will object, Ballard said in an Instagram video posted this week. That way the man can entice a trafficker, but then explain why he can't immediately avail himself of the sex he's paying for, Ballard says.

He also posted an anonymous testimonial from a woman who said she experienced "zero inappropriate behavior" while enacting the "couples ruse" during OUR's international stings.

What they're saying: "The women have remained silent as much as possible to this point," Rasmusssen said. "As further denials of these allegations come from the other side, they felt it was very important that the public know the truth."

Context: Ballard and OUR are under fire after a stream of media reports detailing a now-closed criminal investigation into the group.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which Ballard is a member, issued a rare public denouncement of Ballard for allegedly claiming a high-ranking church leader endorsed Ballard's personal business ventures.

According to case documents obtained by Axios from the criminal investigation, former operatives and employees with OUR told investigators that the group in recent years exaggerated or misled donors about its involvement in rescue missions.

Of note: OUR confirmed in a prepared statement Thursday that Ballard resigned "at the conclusion of" an investigation into "an allegation of behavior that violated company policy."

"Mr. Ballard's alleged misconduct does not represent OUR's values or others within the organization," the statement read.

In a written statement to Axios, an OUR spokesperson noted that the investigative documents are from a case that was closed without charges.

The statement added that OUR provided "favorable audits ... following recognized general accounting principles by a reputable third party" to prosecutors, as well as information about its current operations.

Tim Ballard, anti-sex trafficking crusader, accused of sexual misconduct

Attorney for anonymous victims alleges "spiritual manipulation" and grooming of former employees and contractors.

Tim Ballard, founder and ex-CEO of Operation Underground Railroad, in 2016. Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Human trafficking

Tim Ballard, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="anti-sex-trafficking crusader and Senate hopeful" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/09/20/tim-ballard-sound-of-freedom-mormon-senate" data-vars-content-id="8cec3cbf-4e97-48bc-83d0-624e09abf18d" data-vars-headline="Tim Ballard, anti-sex trafficking crusader, accused of sexual misconduct" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2023/09/20/tim-ballard-sound-of-freedom-mormon-senate" target="_self">anti-sex-trafficking crusader and Senate hopeful</a>, sexually harassed multiple women, an attorney alleged Thursday.Driving the news: Attorney Suzette Rasmussen said she was speaking on behalf of &quot;several&quot; former employees and contractors of Operation Underground Railroad, the controversial nonprofit Ballard founded.

Erin Alberty

Stories

Mormon leaders double down on gender and marriage

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announces 20 new temples

Salt Lake City weekend events | Sept. 29–30

Tim Ballard, anti-sex trafficking crusader, accused of sexual misconduct

More Utah moms are working after having babies

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