Mormons to build place of worship at Mintlaw

The Mormon Church is opening a new base in the north-east after the Osmond family proved they still have the power to draw a crowd.

Brandon Osmond, the son of 1970s pop sensation Donny, helped fuel a major expansion in the north-east congregation when he visited the area several years ago.

Now, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, as it is officially known, has won permission to create a new place of worship at Mintlaw.

The group said it needed a home in the north-east to help accommodate its growing flock.

The project, earmarked for land between Academy Gardens and Newlands Road, was first proposed in 2003 and involves the construction of a picturesque white chapel with space for about 200 followers.

It won outline planning permission six years ago when Mr Osmond was working in Elgin as part of his missionary training.

Plans for the site, which originally attracted complaints from locals about the height of the chapel spire, have been revised several times.

An application for full planning permission was submitted to Aberdeenshire Council in September and last night a local authority spokesman confirmed consent had been granted.

As there were no objections, the proposal did not have to be brought before members of the council’s Buchan area committee.

In recent years, several missionaries from the US have spent time in the Buchan area spreading the word about their religion.

About 70 people are expected to worship at the church each week.

Mormons regard Jesus Christ as the head of their Church and deem themselves Christians.

They do not consider themselves part of the Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant traditions and believe their faith to be the restoration of the original Church established by Jesus Christ on Earth.

The Osmond family’s Mormon connections are well-known.

Donny, lead singer of the family band which regularly topped the charts in the 1970s, donates an entire section of his website to the Church and his beliefs.

Other famous Latter-Day Saints include singer Brandon Flowers and actor Matthew Modine.

The Church currently has premises in Aberdeen, Elgin and Lerwick.

SIC: APJ/UK