"We've been asked to help support the approval of the plan to build the McKinney Texas Temple in Fairview Texas by writing emails of support. We need the voting body to hear many voices of support with personal reasons why you want this temple here in our community. It doesn't have to be long, brief is actually better. Be sincere and share from the heart. We don't want these to seem scripted.
Please email Planning Manager, Israel Roberts (iroberts@fairviewtexas.org)
Subject line:
"Resident in support" (for those who live in Fairview) or
"Neighbor in support" for those who live in a nearby town who are in the temple district.
In your email you could answer a couple of the following questions:
Why you're excited for and support a temple in Fairview and what it will mean to you personally and allow you to worship God/practice your faith
How houses of worship in a community benefit the whole community
How the Temple helps those who attend to be better people, and improve their lives, and therefore improve the community/how it will bless your family.
While we want you to express your feelings in your own words some key concepts would be helpful to the approval process. A key message needs to be on the importance of the temple and how it allows you to worship as you choose, to practice your faith, and that the building itself is a symbol of your faith (including the steeple).
The height of the steeple is part of our Religious Observance. The steeple is the temple's most distinctive architectural feature and serves no other purpose than to send a religious message. Steeples point toward heaven, and serve a purpose of lifting our eyes and thoughts toward heaven. The steeple expresses a message of faith and devotion to God."
Basically the church wants to build above the height limitations in areas where it owns land with height limitations. Akin to Chick-fil-A wanting its store sign to be 100ft tall in a neighborhood that limits signs to 10ft.
The church disingenuously tries to frame this as an essential tenant of its religious worship, despite several temples (including very early ones) omitting the steeple, even in areas where it was allowed. Somehow Mormon God still approves of the temple work that is done without a steeple, apparently in these locations:
Cardston Alberta Temple
Laie Hawaii Temple
Mesa Arizona Temple
Paris France Temple
Meridian Idaho Temple
Tucson Arizona Temple
Hong Kong China Temple
Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple
Unfortunately where as every other business and religion on earth would have to follow the local rules, the Mormon church can just throw money and lawyers at the local government until they are allowed to build a steeple as tall as they like. Lit up as bright as they like. Coming soon to a neighborhood near you. Invest in some good blackout curtains while you can!
