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5 August 2012
Mormons in Italy Rejoice, Church Granted Country’s ‘Official’ Status
August 3, 2012
More than 150 years since the first Italian Latter-day Saints were baptized, and after decades-long efforts and negotiations, the Italian government has granted The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) official status as a church and “partner of the state.” As Maurizio Ventura, president of the Pisa congregation, explained, “The intesa is a fulfillment of a long-awaited blessing.” This legal status gives the Church greater freedom to do more good, both as a church and as a social institution.
Italy President Giorgio Napolitano signed the Intesa con lo Stato, or legal agreement, on 30 July, and the document will soon be published as law in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, the official journal of record of the Italian government. In contrast to the 1993 legislation that recognized the Church as only a charitable institution, the Church is now officially recognized as a religious denomination, along with the Catholic Church and a few others.
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormons-italy-rejoice-church-granted-country-official-status
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The Lord’s Prayer: Newest Video on BibleVideos.org
August 3, 2012
The text of Matthew 6:9-13, known by Christians as “The Lord’s Prayer,” is the subject of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ newest Bible video.
The Church launched biblevideos.org in December 2011, and the site initially featured videos about the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. More than 30 videos have been produced since then, including segments about Christ’s baptism, healings, crucifixion and resurrection.
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/the-lords-prayer-bible-video
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Would You Vote for a Mormon for President?
August 5, 2012
About Catholicism
During the race for the 2008 Republican nomination for U.S. president, numerous commentators made comparisons between John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Mitt Romney today, and such comparisons will likely reemerge in these final months of the 2012, once Romney seals the nomination at the Republican National Convention. The idea is that Kennedy faced entrenched anti-Catholicism and managed to overcome it by convincing Protestant voters that he was their kind of Catholic–one who didn’t listen to Rome. Similarly, Romney, a Mormon, while benefiting from the general impression that Mormons are conservative on social issues such as abortion, has tried to distance himself from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints–at least in terms of how the Mormon Church might affect his presidency.
http://catholicism.about.com/b/2012/08/05/would-you-vote-for-a-mormon-for-president.htm
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THE MORMON MOMENT
August 13, 2012
The New Yorker
In the August 13th & 20th issue, Adam Gopnik looks at the history of Mormonism and its place in American life. Here Gopnik talks with Sasha Weiss and Avi Steinberg, who is currently writing a book that explores the Book of Mormon by visiting sites from the Mormon story. They discuss the history of Mormonism, how the church has managed to move from a fringe religious movement into a more mainstream position, and what Mormonism can tell us about Mitt Romney. Also, Lauren Collins takes advantage of Olympic hospitality.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/2012/08/13/120813on_audio_mormonism
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Mormon mission in Brazil shapes Amory man
August 5, 2012
Daily Journal (Mississippi)
The Christensen family of Amory welcomed their son Dane home from his Mormon mission last week after the 22-year-old spent the past two years in Brazil traveling the Sao Paulo state, helping people draw closer to God.
“It is a commandment of God to preach to your neighbor,” said Christensen. It is this principle that the Mormon rite of passage is founded on.
Christensen said people are more open to traveling ministry in the South American country. They are a very humble people, lacking the modern luxuries we take for granted, such as air conditioning, carpet and cars, he said.
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Romney shows his LDS roots
August 5, 2012
Columbia Daily Journal (Missouri)
Weird as this might sound, Mormons consider themselves to be Jewish. Mitt Romney, like almost all Mormon adolescents, was given a blessing that named the lost tribe of Israel to which they belonged. My grandmother, and everyone else of her generation, referred to those who were not Mormon as “gentiles.” Ironically, that even included Jews.
And Mormons secretly congratulate themselves for the creation of the state of Israel.
In 1841, Mormon Apostle Orson Hyde scaled the Mount of Olives in Ottoman Palestine and dedicated everything in sight, and then some, to the return of the Jews. There is no record of what the Turks thought about this giveaway of this bit of their empire by a tiny American frontier sect. They probably didn’t notice. Perhaps they should have.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/aug/05/romney-shows-his-lds-roots/
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Romney’s ‘irresponsible’ comments
August 5, 2012
Gulf Times (Qatar)
Romney is a Mormon. The latest polls in the United States show that many people don’t think that Mormonism (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) is part of Christianity; they see it more as a cult. The number of Americans who think that Mormonism is part of Christianity is just around 50%, according to a survey. But Mormonism is well accepted by the Jewish community and this is one of the factors that Romney is counting on.
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Few choices in US election for those who support peace
August 5, 2012
Saudi Gazette (Saudi Arabia)
But, the Arabs and Muslims should be cheering on Romney. Why? Well, Romney is politically naïve and uneducated about the justice of the Palestinian cause. He may never be educated about it.
He’s a pawn of the Israeli lobby and his Mormon religion may not embrace Judaism enthusiastically but it embraces Islam and the Arab world even less.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20120805132183
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Romney pledges loyalty to Israel
August 4, 2012
Media With Conscience
Recognising the fact that Islamists were the winners in Egypt’s democratic process, he demanded that the majority respect the rights of minorities.
A follower of the Mormon faith, which many Christians think is heretical, Romney was alluding to the Egyptian Coptic community whose rights all Egyptian leaders, including Mursi, have vowed to respect and preserve.
http://mwcnews.net/focus/politics/20633-loyalty-to-israel.html
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Insider-outsider theme frames GOP Senate race
August 5, 2012
Arizona Daily Star
Republican U.S. Senate candidates Jeff Flake and Wil Cardon offer primary voters a stark contrast, despite their similarities.
Both subscribe to the Republican conservative principles of limited government, free markets and individual responsibility. Both are Mormons from Mesa with five children and deep family roots in Arizona.
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Embracing Sheldon Adelson
August 6, 2012
New York Times
The source of Adelson’s huge campaign contributions would appear to create a conflict with Romney’s Mormon convictions. The official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints states: “The Church opposes gambling in any form, including government-sponsored lotteries.”
What Mormons Believe, an unofficial web site explicating the positions of the Church declares:
The Mormon Church has always opposed gambling in every form, including government-sponsored lotteries. Mormon prophets and leaders have counseled the members over time, to avoid gambling of any type. Doing so, leads one away from righteousness and into the hands of Satan. The Mormon belief is that it is an addictive behavior and leads only to destructive habits and practices. It undermines the value of work and motivates one to think that they can get something for nothing. In time, the gambler will deny themselves, as well as their family the basic needs of life. They will oft times steal from others to finance their addiction, which in turn leads to stealing, robbery, etc.
http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/embracing-sheldon-adelson/
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Alaska Ear
August 5, 2012
Anchorage Daily News (Alaska)
Pollster Dave Dittman is celebrating the one-year anniversary of selling his research company by prepping for a two-year mission on behalf of the Mormon church.
Dave was probably best known for his creative (Republican) political ads, though most of his business was actually nonpolitical, he explained. The new owner of Dittman Research is Matt Larkin, a former officer at Wells Fargo.
As for Dave, he and wife Terry have signed up to serve the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years, maybe in Africa. They don’t yet know where they’ll be sent.
http://www.adn.com/2012/08/04/2573834/alaska-ear.html
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As Eagle Scouts return medals, gay ban still firm
August 6, 2012
New England Cable News
Beyond the Eagle Scout protests, the Boy Scouts’ reaffirmation of the no-gays policy has drawn condemnation from liberal advocacy groups, newspaper editorialists and others. In Washington state, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna, an Eagle Scout, joined his Democratic opponent, Jay Inslee, in suggesting the policy be changed.
But overall there has been little evidence of any new form of outside pressure that might prompt the Scouts to reconsider.
The leadership of the Scouts’ most influential religious partners — notably the Mormons, Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists — appears to support the policy. And even liberal politicians seem reluctant to press the issue amid a tense national election campaign.
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As Eagle Scouts return medals, gay ban still firm
August 5, 2012
Seattle Times (Washington)
But overall there has been little evidence of any new form of outside pressure that might prompt the Scouts to reconsider.
The leadership of the Scouts’ most influential religious partners – notably the Mormons, Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists – appears to support the policy. And even liberal politicians seem reluctant to press the issue amid a tense national election campaign.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018853975_apusboyscoutsgays.html
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Romney’s tithing should not be grist for political mill
August 6, 2012
Boston Globe (Massachusetts)
While of late there have been areas where Mitt Romney’s actions and comments legitimately have been called into question, his tithing beyond the minimum required by his church does not qualify as grist for the political mill (“Judging Romney by how much he gives,” Op-ed, July 31). Farah Stockman, who suspects Romney of “going far out of his way to avoid” paying taxes, follows her faint praise of Romney’s generosity to the Mormon Church with her opinion that he should be equally generous “to the federal government that he hopes to lead.”
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