The East Valley's second Mormon temple won approval from the Gilbert Town Council Tuesday night in front of a crowd that surprised even church leaders with the amount of support offered by the public.

Packed council chambers usually indicate a divisive topic, but this time, the room was filled with supporters of the temple project; 68 people who filled out speaker cards indicated they were in favor of the project and none against. The council unanimously approved the project.

Paul Gilbert, the attorney representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said he'd read letters sent into the Town Council by opponents who had said they would be at the meeting, "but frankly, we're very happy that there wasn't."

Amy Oberly and Becky Blanchard, two Mormon church members who attended the public hearing, said they were not part of any organized effort to show support about the meeting, which Blanchard said she had heard about just a couple of days earlier.
Both said they were surprised as well by the lack of opposition.


See the rest of this story at The East Valley Tribune.