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2 July 2012
Celebrating Freedom Around the World
July 2, 2012
One of the articles of faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) is “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”
The freedom to practice religious convictions and rites is very much a part of the Church, regardless of where Latter-day Saints gather in the world. Another closely held belief is “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/celebrating-freedom-around-the-world
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Mormonism in the News: Getting It Right | July 2
July 2, 2012
Today’s edition of “Getting It Right” includes mentions of Mormon temples as places of peace, missionary service through the eyes of a parent, how the Church’s humanitarian work seeks to relieve suffering wherever it is found and the Church’s interest in educating others about the faith.
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormonism-news-getting-it-right-july-2
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It’s a Matter of Relevance
July 2, 2012
FAIR Blog
In fine, looking at relevant aspects of the person making the argument is not a fallacy. In many aspects it is essential to making an informed judgment of the argument. It’s a matter of relevance. The fact that critics have to stoop to their own invocation of ad hominem and the style before substance fallacy argues that they are ill-equipped to confront the arguments being made.
http://www.fairblog.org/2012/07/02/its-a-matter-of-relevance/
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Mormon FAIR-Cast 94: Gay Mormon Finds Happiness in Church’s Teachings
June 30, 2012
FAIR Blog
Joshua Johanson, a scheduled speaker at the 2012 FAIR conference on August 2-3 in Sandy, Utah appeared recently on K-Talk radio to discuss his experience as an active Mormon who experiences same-sex attraction, and who is also happily married to a woman. “Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints can find happiness in following the Church’s teachings against same-sex relationships” said Joshua.
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Privately devout Romney worships with his family
July 2, 2012
Associated Press
Romney’s campaign doesn’t tell reporters when Romney is going to church. But the Wolfeboro branch is open to visitors and an Associated Press reporter attended the same sacrament service the Romney family attended. It featured bread with water instead of wine, a variation on communion that allows for the Mormon prohibition on drinking alcohol.
And it provided a rare glimpse into his practice of a faith that has permeated every aspect of Romney’s life: his childhood, his college years and time as a missionary, his marriage, his life in Boston, even his business career.
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Romney takes summer break before big campaign push
July 2, 2012
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
Like the Romneys, the Marriotts are Mormons, and in the summer both families attend services at the same small, nondescript branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Only the Romneys attended the service Sunday, with their family making up nearly a third of the congregation.
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Romney-takes-summer-break-before-big-campaign-push-3679625.php
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Mitt Romney, a privately devout Mormon, worships with family on vacation in New Hampshire
July 2, 2012
Washington Post
Not that church leaders or worshippers mentioned the new reality as, one by one, they stood at a podium to offer testimony, a custom in Mormon churches on the first Sunday of every month. Among those testifying: one of the many Romney grandchildren.
“My name is Chloe Romney and I’m visiting here from California,” the candidate’s middle-school-age granddaughter said from the church’s lectern, a pink flower in her hair. “I know that my family loves me and I like to go to church.”
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Privately devout Romney worships with his family
July 2, 2012
Fox News
Mormonism began in the 1830s when, according to believers, an angel presented another book of scripture to Joseph Smith, the church’s founder, called the Book of Mormon. With 14.4 million members, the church is among the fastest growing in the world, supported by a full-time missionary force of about 55,000 young people. Romney has been an active Mormon all his life, so involved in the church at one point that he rose to a rank equivalent to a bishop. He eventually presided over a group of congregations.
During his presidential campaign, the demands of Romney’s faith can dictate how he spends his time; it requires as many as three hours nearly every Sunday for services. According to people familiar with his private schedule, Romney goes to church nearly every week. His faith also helps drive his fundraising; a significant amount of money comes from wealthy Mormon donors. And Mormon households across the country often housed campaign aides as they moved from state to state during the GOP primary.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/02/privately-devout-romney-worships-with-his-family/
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Romney takes summer break before big campaign push
July 2, 2012
San Francisco Chronicle (California)
Like the Romneys, the Marriotts are Mormons, and in the summer both families attend services at the same small, nondescript branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Only the Romneys attended the service Sunday, with their family making up nearly a third of the congregation.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Romney-takes-summer-break-before-big-campaign-push-3679625.php
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Here’s What It’s Like To Go To Church With Mitt Romney
July 2, 2012
Business Insider
As the first Mormon presidential nominee, Mitt Romney’s faith is a subject of cautious scrutiny on the campaign trail. On Sunday, AP reporter Kasie Hunt took an interesting look at Romney’s church-going experiences, trailing the presumptive Republican nominee to an open service in Wolfeboro, N.H.
According to Hunt, Romney goes to church nearly every week. The services typically last three hours, and feature a variation on the typical communion service: bread and water, instead of wine, because the Mormon religion prohibits drinking alcohol.
http://www.businessinsider.com/mitt-romney-mormon-faith-church-2012-7
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Mitt Romney, a privately devout Mormon, worships with family on vacation
July 2, 2012
Newser
During his presidential campaign, the demands of Romney’s faith can dictate how he spends his time; it requires as many as three hours nearly every Sunday for services. According to people familiar with his private schedule, Romney goes to church nearly every week. His faith also helps drive his fundraising; a significant amount of money comes from wealthy Mormon donors. And Mormon households across the country often housed campaign aides as they moved from state to state during the GOP primary.
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Romney: The ‘Romney Olympics’
July 2, 2012
MSNBC
AP’s Kasie Hunt went along to a Mormon church in Wolfeboro that Romney attended: “The family’s devotion to the Mormon faith is a part of Romney’s life that the electorate rarely sees. Romney himself almost never mentions it in public. And his campaign typically bars the media from seeing him participate in a religion with which many Americans are unfamiliar. But it’s a part of his life that could help him connect with an American public that’s only just now starting to get to know him — one that includes many church-goers. Romney’s campaign doesn’t tell reporters when Romney is going to church. But the Wolfeboro branch is open to visitors and an Associated Press reporter attended the same sacrament service the Romney family attended.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/02/12523363-romney-the-romney-olympics?lite
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ROMNEY BRINGS IPAD TO CHURCH, NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS
July 2, 2012
The Blaze
Yet, as good of a story as this starts off (we get to read about Romney doing Mormon things?!), here’s the most interesting part of the Associated Press’ report:
Romney sat next to his wife, with grandchildren occupying the rest of the row. He sang along during the service’s three hymns, holding his iPad underneath his navy blue hymnal. Some of the kids — who range in age from a few weeks old to 16 years — grew restless during the long service. At different points, several walked over to receive a kind smile and quiet word from their grandfather.
http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2012/07/02/mitt-romney-mormon-church-ipad/
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Romneys’ summer vacation full of competitive sports
July 1, 2012
Seattle Times (Washington)
Mitt Romney first vacationed in Wolfeboro with his father, George, at the estate of family friend J.W. Marriott, the hotel magnate. Over the years, many other well-to-do Mormon families have made the town their summer home, too, and on Sundays the Romneys join them at church on North Main Street.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2018578562_romneyvacation02.html
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Romney’s Vacation? The ‘Romney Olympics’
July 2, 2012
Slate
The Associated Press is using the vacation to dig a bit into Romney’s private religious life–something he’s largely declined to discuss on the campaign trail. The small resort town in which Romney’s compound is situated has its own branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the church allows visitors. The AP’s write-up of the service, which is, well, about as exciting as a New England church service normally is, seems likely to do more good than harm for the candidate’s image. Romney supporters tend to argue that media scrutiny of Mormonism is aimed at hurting the candidate’s image by making his religion seem strange, which is seen by some as part of the reason for Romney’s reticence on his beliefs.
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Mitt Romney Enjoys 4th of July Vacation at New Hampshire Lake House
July 2, 2012
Travelers Today
However, as the first Mormon presidential candidate, the family also attended church services and the small Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Wolfeboro. Romney rarely discusses his faith, but he attends church services regularly every week, Newser reports.
http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/2131/20120702/mitt-romney-enjoys-4th-july-vacation-new.htm
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The Mormon Lens on American History
July 2, 2012
New York Times
“People are seeing right now that Mormonism is a great laboratory for studying all kinds of questions about religion and the modern world,” said Patrick Mason, the chairman of Mormon studies at Claremont Graduate University in California, which four years ago became the first secular university outside Utah to establish a program on the subject.
Latter-day Saints — as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prefers its members be called — are also cropping up in broader historical accounts that might previously have just left them out.
“Mormons have been seen as outliers, as oddities, as strange, as people who don’t seem to fit the American narrative,” said Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a professor of history at Harvard University who is working on a book about Mormon women. “But they end up illuminating some of the most important themes in our national history.”
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New York Times on Mormon History
July 2, 2012
Patheos
The New York Times has an excellent piece on the “growing cadre of young scholars of Mormonism,” including my friends Patrick Mason (Claremont Graduate University) and the Anxious Bench’s own John Turner (George Mason University). As the article points out, John’s new biography of Brigham Young will be published this fall by Harvard University Press.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/2012/07/new-york-times-on-mormon-history/
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Jewish-Mormon collaboration
July 1, 2012
Jewish Journal (California)
Last week a Jewish journalist contacted me about Mormon outreach efforts to the Jewish community. His email came just after an LDS leader interested in reaching out to Jews had called for a briefing on the “ABC organizations” that make up the organized Jewish community. Their queries caused me to reflect on the prospects for future LDS-Jewish collaboration, which I believe will ultimately prove to be most fruitful with Orthodox and pro-Israel groups.
Through my professional involvement with the Jewish community, I have seen firsthand the positive results from LDS-Jewish interfaith outreach. Jews are the best coalition builders in the country, and are always willing to work with Christians who love and respect them. Many Mormon leaders have longstanding relationships with prominent Jewish leaders and organizations, Mormons are working and blogging in the Jewish community, and the thorny proxy baptism issue has largely been put to rest.
http://www.jewishjournal.com/jews_and_mormons/item/jewish-mormon_collaboration_39120701/
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Mormons are turning to the web to recruit new adherents
July 3, 2012
The Australian
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints elder Erich Kopischke recently told a British audience the church was embracing online media.
While a Facebook post could reach 900,000 people in an instant, he said, it would take months, if not years to knock on that many doors.
Fritjof Langeland, who runs the church’s mission operations in Queensland, told The Australian that conventional proselytising methods had proven ineffective, with the success rate of cold-calling and door-knocking abysmally low.
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Mormons turn to Facebook evangelism
July 2, 2012
The Telegraph (United Kingdom)
The Mormons – the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – believe they’re more likely to get converts thanks to social media than knocking on doors.
Despite 200 years of pounding the pavements looking for converts, the Church says its experience is now put to best use on the web.
Elder Erich Kopischke, told The Times that “one post on Facebook could reach 900,000 people in an instant”. He argued it would take many months, if not years, to knock on that many doors.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9369477/Mormons-turn-to-Facebook-evangelism.html
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Report: Mormons Quit Church in Mass Resignation
July 2, 2012
Boise Weekly (Idaho)
A group of 150 Mormons that gathered from around the country, including some from Idaho, quit their church in a mass resignation this past weekend in Salt Lake City.
To actually resign from the church, the group had to address formal letters of resignation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, asking that their names be removed from LDS records. Reuters reported the group then celebrated by signing what they called a “Declaration of Independence from Mormonism.”
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Mormons quit church in mass resignation ceremony
July 2, 2012
The Telegraph (United Kingdom)
The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is known for its culture of obedience, and the mass ceremony was a seldom-seen act of collective revolt.
After gathering in the park, participants hiked a half-mile up nearby Ensign Peak, scaled in 1847 by church President Brigham Young to survey the spot where his Latter-day Saints would build a city.
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Mormons quit church in mass resignation rites
July 2, 2012
ABS CBN (Philippines)
A group of about 150 Mormons quit their church in a mass resignation ceremony in Salt Lake City on Saturday in a rare display of defiance ending decades of disagreement for some over issues ranging from polygamy to gay marriage.
Participants from Utah, Arizona, Idaho and elsewhere gathered in a public park to sign a “Declaration of Independence from Mormonism.”
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/world/07/02/12/mormons-quit-church-mass-resignation-rites
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Mormons quit church in mass resignation
July 1, 2012
Global Post
A group of 150 Mormons quit their church in a mass resignation, Reuters reported. Participants from around the country gathered in Salt Lake City on Saturday for the exodus.
To actually resign from the church, the group had to address formal “letters of resignation” to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, asking that their names be removed from LDS records. They then celebrated by signing a “Declaration of Independence from Mormonism.”
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Disillusioned Mormons Sign ‘Declaration of Independence From Mormonism’
July 1, 2012
Gawker
Maybe it was the Mormon church largely funding California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8. Maybe they just really liked the Tony Award-winning Book of Mormon. Either way, a group of 150 Mormons quit the church in a mass resignation ceremony to express their displeasure with the religion.
The Salt Lake City-based event was organized by Zilpha Larsen, who explained her motivation.
It’s been a hard journey and this is a symbolic end. I just hope that it boosts people up and helps them feel more comfortable in their decision.
http://gawker.com/5922687/disillusioned-mormons-sign-declaration-of-independence-from-mormonism
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Romney boosts liberal Mormons
July 1, 2012
Salon
Although Dehlin is cautiously optimistic about what he sees going on around him, his own work has not gone completely unscathed.
“Unfortunately I have been disciplined by my bishop — and have been told that I will not be allowed to baptize my son (who recently turned eight) because of the podcast — so we’re not out of the woods yet.”
It hurts. But Dehlin shrugs off the controversy.
“Church leaders likely see both Peterson and myself as bad for PR. And next to the temple, maybe, I believe that PR is perhaps the most sacred thing to church leadership.”
http://www.salon.com/2012/07/01/romney_boosts_liberal_mormons/singleton/
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Mormons’ love-hate relationship with America
July 2, 2012
Washington Post
Other Mormons caution against linking political perspectives on American exceptionalism to specific theology or teachings.
LDS views run the gamut — from believing that this nation is distinctive to seeing it as better than others, says Brigham Young University political scientist Quin Monson. “I don’t think the church’s position on the divine origins of the U.S. Constitution and teaching that America is a special place have really clear implications for policy.”
Besides, Mormons aren’t the only ones who see a transcendent mission for the United States. Many other politicians, including Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan and Rick Santorum, see it much the same way.
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Cher upsets Mormons with alleged slur
July 2, 20912
San Francisco Chronicle (California)
Cher wrote, “I Feel if he (Obama) doesn’t get all his DUCKS IN A ROW we’ll b forced 2 listen 2Uncaring Richy Rich! The whitest man in MAGIC UNDERWEAR in the WH (White House).”
Her remarks have upset prominent members of the Mormon church, who wear formal underwear, known as garments, for religious purposes. The term “magic underwear” is considered offensive.
http://blog.sfgate.com/dailydish/2012/07/02/cher-upsets-mormons-with-alleged-slur/
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Thanks, Cher
July 2, 2012
The American Thinker
For liberals, however, Romney’s wealth is just the beginning. There is something really weird about a man as morally upright as Romney is. And there is something weird about anyone who is devoutly religious.
The Obama campaign is not going to engage directly in an attack on Romney’s religion, but it will have plenty of surrogates who point out that in its early days the Mormon Church did not seem to encourage diversity. That was the case with Lawrence O’Donnell on “Townhall” back in April and with Bill Maher, who mocked those who “put their faith in things that are unprovable.” “I have a problem with all religions,” he added. Then Andrea Mitchell jumped into the act by asking her guest, McKay Coppins of Buzz Feed , about the “challenges” Romney’s faith would present in the election. Not surprisingly, she uncovered many. Those attacks on Romney’s faith, repeated a million times, constitute a crucial aspect of the President’s reelection campaign. More than one liberal has predicted that Romney’s faith is going to cost him the election.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/07/thanks_cher.html
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Why I Fired My Mormon Handyman
July 2, 2012
Huffington Post
In 2005, having hatched one baby and preparing for the arrival of a second, Tracie and I heard the seams of our 1,200-square-foot house ripping, so we moved. The inspection report on the new house included a laundry list of minor repairs, which the selling agent promised to arrange. Enter Dick, the Mormon fix-it-guy. Dick with the brown overalls and barrel chest. Dick with the high-blood-pressure-red face and tendency to pontificate on anything from epoxy to education policy.
In hindsight, the fact that Dick flashed the Mormon card on his first visit should have been a warning — I mean, isn’t discussing religion on the job considered unprofessional? But Tracie, so much more tolerant than I was, had taught me that a general policy of rejecting people because they’re religious is no better than a general policy of rejecting people because they’re queer.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cheryl-dumesnil/why-i-fired-my-mormon-handyman_b_1641216.html
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Romney leads Obama in Alabama poll, but voters question his Mormon faith (Political Skinny)
July 2, 2012
Birmingham News (Alabama)
An overwhelming number — 88 percent — said it was important for a candidate to have strong religious beliefs, and 76 percent said it made no difference if a candidate held different religious beliefs than their own.
But 43 percent said they were more likely to vote for an evangelical born-again Christian, compared to just 7 percent for a Mormon, 2 percent for an Atheist and 2 percent for a Muslim. Conversely, only 6 percent said they were less likely to vote for an evangelical Christian, compared to 24 percent for a Mormon, 74 percent for an Atheist and 63 percent for a Muslim.
Voters were divided when asked whether or not Mormonism was a Christian religion — 36 percent said it was, 35 percent said it was not, and 29 percent said they weren’t sure.
http://blog.al.com/live/2012/07/romney_leads_obama_in_alabama.html
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Mormon Tabernacle Choir returns to Rexburg
July 2, 2012
Rexburg Standard Journal (Idaho)
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square will perform a full evening concert at Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg on Friday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the BYU-Idaho Center. Tickets for the concert will go on sale to the general public Tuesday, July 10, at 8:15 a.m.
As one of the oldest and largest choirs in the world, the choir has performed before U.S. presidents, sold millions of records, won scores of awards, and enthralled audiences in dozens of countries. Ronald Reagan, president of the United States from 1981 to 1989, dubbed the Mormon Tabernacle Choir “America’s Choir” in 1981 when the choir sang at his inauguration.
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Obama and Romney Should Run on Religion
July 2, 2012
Huffington Post
Romney is trying to reach evangelicals who are troubled by his Mormon faith, but is treading lightly around religious topics.
Still, the U.S. remains an overwhelmingly religious country, and voters care deeply about the personal faith of their presidents. Citizens want to see that their leaders have a moral compass and trust a power greater than themselves. To have a chance of winning this election, I think Obama and Romney should take the offensive, using plays from two historical movements: Social Gospel Christianity and the Mormon commitment to religious freedom.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-g-brinton/obama-and-romney-should-run-on-religion_b_1634793.html
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Tolleson LDS church fire probe aided by national team
July 1, 2012
Arizona Republic
A team of 21 disaster investigators from across the country descended on Tolleson on Sunday to begin probing the cause of a fire that destroyed most of a beloved 54-year-old Mormon church.
After a fire tore through one of the oldest Mormon churches in Arizona early Friday, collapsing the roof, punching holes in walls and charring the red-brick structure, Tolleson authorities requested help investigating from the National Response Team.
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Team to investigate Tolleson LDS church fire
July 2, 2012
My Fox Phoenix (Arizona)
A national team of investigators has descended on Tolleson to begin probing the cause of a fire that destroyed most of a Mormon church.
The team investigating Friday’s fire at the 54-year-old church includes chemists, engineers, a schematic artist, fire investigators, a bomb technician and a dog that sniffs out accelerants.
A giant crane removed the ruined roof that had collapsed on pews in the decimated chapel.
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/18934331/2012/07/02/team-to-investigate-tolleson-church-fire
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Romney, an Eye on Campaign, Plans a Trip to Israel
July 2, 2012
New York Times
This will be Mr. Romney’s fourth visit to Israel. He first came with his family on a Mormon Church trip, according to a campaign official, then served as a keynote speaker at the Herzliya Conference on security in 2007. In January 2011, he spent three days here during a swing that also included Afghanistan and Jordan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/us/politics/romney-plans-trip-to-israel.html?_r=1
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From Zion to Zion: My Utah weekend with Republicans
July 2, 2012
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Keep in mind, this was not a Jewish summit. Well over 90 percent of the attendees were not Jews. (Interestingly, a number of the Jewish participants were disgruntled former supporters of President Obama). Yet, in the Mormon Land of Zion, the cultural and religious sensitivity shown to us was remarkable. Only a handful of us were strictly observant, yet the organizers arranged for glatt kosher food, a minyan and special Shabbat accommodations.
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=276040
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Mitt Romney to visit Israel
July 3, 2012
Y Net (Israel)
This will be Romney’s fourth visit to Israel. His first visit was on a Mormon Church trip, and his second visit was in 2007, when he served as a keynote speaker at the Herzliya Conference. In January 2011, Romney spent three days in Israel during a tour of the region.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4250404,00.html
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No wonder he’s still a virgin! The 34-year-old man who lives at home and parties with his ‘wing-mom’
July 2, 2012
Daily Mail (United Kingdom)
Despite his frustration, however, the Mormon is cheerful and upbeat about his mission to find and seduce the perfect girl, one that he knows will rely on his gift of the gab and larger than life personality to succeed.
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Rupert Murdoch Pokes Fun at Tom Cruise, Tweets Scientology Is ‘Very Weird Cult’
July 2, 2012
ABC News
Murdoch was asked about his views on Mormonism, which is a subplot in the presidential campaign as Mormon Mitt Romney faces President Obama.
“Mormonism a mystery to me, but Mormons certainly not evil,” Murdoch said.
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Political candidates are giving God a rest
July 2, 2012
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Minnesota)
First, Romney, the GOP’s presumptive nominee, is a Mormon. He is not a Protestant and certainly is not an evangelical Christian, a member of the GOP’s most reliable voting bloc. As such, he is wary of emphasizing his faith and values bona fides and bringing too much attention to tenets of Mormonism out of synch with Protestant beliefs.
Strategically, Berlinerblau writes, Mormons and evangelicals long have been fierce competitors in efforts to save and recruit souls worldwide. What advantage would Romney gain by reminding the nation’s army of evangelicals of this battle? By default, Obama has little if any reason to stress faith and values when Romney is not doing it.
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/161102395.html
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NOTE: This is posted for those who are interested in keeping abreast what is being said around the world about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members. MormonVoices cannot and does not guarantee the validity or truthfulness of any information reported. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of this information lies with the reader. As all information comes from other news sources and has not been independently verified, MormonVoices cannot guarantee or be responsible for the security of links in the clipping service. MormonVoices will attempt as much as possible to exclude news articles containing strongly offensive language or which lead to offensive images, but cannot guarantee that some will not slip through.
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