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6 September 2012
Mormon Helping Hands Clean Up From Hurricane Isaac
September 5, 2012
Within days after Hurricane Isaac hit the Gulf Coast near New Orleans, hundreds of Mormon Helping Hands volunteers were in the impacted areas cleaning up. This coming weekend, more than 1,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) from Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana will arrive in the hardest-hit areas with needed supplies, tools, and hygiene kits. They will spend their days working alongside local residents helping them remove carpet, base-boards, sheet rock, and otherwise assist with the clean-up effort.
New Orleans television station WGNO covered the volunteer efforts of the Mormon Helping Hands. Watch WGNO’s story: Mormon Church helps clean up LaPlace after Isaac.
Local Church leaders expect volunteers will be necessary for the next two to three weekends to help homeowners.
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-helping-hands-clean-up-from-hurricane-isaac
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Mormonism in the News: Getting It Right | September 5
September 5, 2012
Today we feature several articles that note the Church’s longstanding political neutrality statement, a commentary from a local Church leader that corrects Mormon myths, an article from the Palm-Beach Post that correctly describes a variety of aspects of Mormonism and a column in American Thinker that refutes the claim that Mormons are “secretive.”
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormonism-news-getting-it-right-september-5
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The Mormon Moment
September 6, 2012
Humboldt County Journal (California)
Elder Mitchell Camper sits in his musty study room clutching his Mormon Missionary Handbook and reads aloud a few pages to his inseparable missionary companion. The wallet-sized booklet with 82 pages of small font disappears in his big hands. It’s filled with so many rules that they seem to be spilling over the binding.
The missionaries can’t roll up their sleeves and can’t wear anything but sanctioned underwear. They can’t have a “faddish” hairstyle. They can’t read any book or watch any video that hasn’t been approved by the church. They can’t join clubs, musical groups or sports teams. If they play a team sport among themselves, they can’t keep score. They can’t call home, except for Christmas and Mother’s Day. They can’t flirt, and they sure as hell heck can’t be alone with women. They’re not the kind of guys you’d want to get a beer with; they can’t drink alcohol. There’s another rule too: They can’t be without the rulebook.
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/news/2012/09/06/mormon-moment/
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GOP’s move rightward pushes some Latter-Day Saints to the Democrats
September 6, 2012
Washington Post
Mormon Democrats exist, and they say the Republican Party’s rightward shift has encouraged more Latter-day Saints to defect.
On Tuesday in Uptown Charlotte, the LDS Democrats caucus held its first national meeting. If I hadn’t known I was walking into a crowd of Mormons, a few things might have given it away. One was that I met a distant cousin of mine — I was born and raised Mormon, and Mormondom can be a small world. Another was that everyone was so tellingly nice.
Eager to commiserate with like-minded Latter-day Saints, some Mormons drove for hours or altered flight layovers to mingle with LDS delegates to the Democratic National Convention. They traded stories about coming out as President Obama voters and bumper stickers with messages such as “Choose the Left,” a play on a ubiquitous Mormon aphorism, “Choose the Right.” When Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) visited, they sang an impromptu hymn.
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Mitt Romney’s religion should be an asset, not a liability in the presidential race
September 6, 2012
Oregon Live
I say this as a non-Mormon who from my Mormon friends has gained a deep appreciation for the positive values that church imparts to its members — chief among them their obligation to provide support and charity for others. I could never join that church myself because their beliefs are not my beliefs, but I am convinced that every community benefits by having more people with the personal qualities most of the Mormons I know exhibit.
I haven’t seen the Tony Award-winning Broadway play “The Book of Mormon,” which apparently both lauds and laughs at Mormon missionaries; however, I have watched the 2003 “South Park” episode “All About Mormons,” which mercilessly ridiculed the story of Joseph Smith and the founding of the Mormon church. But at the end, after the new Mormon boy’s efforts to make friends with the non-Mormon kids in South Park were rebuffed, he made the best case for his religion directed to nonbelievers that I’ve heard:
“Look, maybe us Mormons do believe a lot of crazy stuff that makes absolutely no sense and maybe Joseph Smith did make it all up. But I have a great life and a great family, and I have the Book of Mormon to thank for that. The truth is, I don’t care if Joseph Smith made it all up because what the church teaches now is loving your family, being nice and helping people. And even though people in this town may think that’s stupid, I still choose to believe in it.”
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/09/mitt_romneys_religion_should_b.html
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Mormon Democrats Make the Case for Obama
September 5, 2012
CNN
Mormon Democrats are a rarity in Utah. They represent just 7 percent of Mormons in the state, but came out full force Tuesday evening at an LDS Democrats event held in Charlotte, N.C. in and around the Democratic National Convention. LDS Democrats, many of whom were formerly Republican, say the Democratic party now best represents their core values, including caring for the most vulnerable in society. They are not monolithic in their beliefs however, as LDS Democrats range from feminists to anti-abortion.
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-837647
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Book of Mormon Girl
September 6, 2012
Patheos
Over the years, I’ve experimented with several ways to introduce students to the topic of Mormonism: either South Park or the song “All-American Prophet” from the Book of Mormon: The Musical, Joseph Smith’s First Vision, sections of the Helen Whitney documentary The Mormons, as well as several excellent short introductions (namely Matt Bowman’s The Mormon People and Richard Bushman’s Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction).
Now there’s one more great option: Joanna Brooks’s The Book of Mormon Girl: Memoir of an American Faith. I reviewed the memoir in last Sunday’s Washington Post:
Brooks describes her 1980s Southern California Mormon childhood in loving and witty detail: the search for a non-caffeinated beverage at birthday parties, an overabundance of greasy casseroles and a Mormon festival at the Rose Bowl featuring 15,000 sateen-clad dancers.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/2012/09/book-of-mormon-girl/
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Mormon Democrats On Drawing On Faith For Politics
September 6, 2012
National Public Radio
For the first time, a Mormon is leading the GOP ticket. The vast majority of Mormons identify as Republican or conservative, according to Pew Research Center. But some Mormon Democrats say their numbers are growing. Host Michel Martin speaks with a roundtable of Mormons who find inspiration in their faith for liberal political positions.
http://www.npr.org/2012/09/06/160676765/mormon-democrats-on-drawing-on-faith-for-politics
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Mormon Church runs search ads on Romney’s name
September 5, 2012
Politico
The Mormon Church is running Google search ads on Mitt Romney’s name.
When users search for Romney’s name, the link is the third promoted one on the page — behind a link from the Romney campaign, and another pro-Romney message from the group CAPE PAC.
“Mormons and Politics: From Liberals to Conservatives, learn about our political diversity,” the ad’s text says. It links back to this landing page, which reminds that “Mormons are politically diverse.”
The page indicates that it is an official site of the LDS Church.
The search ad is a shift from the norm as far as the kinds of search ads that normally show up on Romney’s name, the vast majority of which are campaign-sponsored on either side of the aisle. It’s also a sign that the Mormon Church sees an opportunity to educate voters who are searching for Romney about the church — and to explain that the church itself does not align with one party or the other.
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Mitt and Mormonism: Does It Matter?
September 6, 2012
The Peoples Voice
Romney is America’s first non-Christian presidential nominee. He’s a Mormon (aka Latter Day Saints Church member – LDS). Does it matter? More on that below.
Before he entered politics, he spent years as a Massachusetts Mormon leader. He began in the mid-1970s. From 1986 – 1994, he was president of the Boston Stake. It’s similar to a Catholic diocese. Before that he was a Belmont and Cambridge bishop. His duties involved organizational work and counseling.
Later he taught Sunday school and oversaw church programs for teenagers. He overstepped by lecturing women on their sex lives and roles as homemakers. A 1994 Boston Phoenix cited an anonymous woman. As bishop, Romney discouraged her from having an abortion vital for health reasons.
http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2012/09/06/mitt-and-mormonism-does-it-matter
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McEntee: Putting our faith in Mormon Democrats
September 5, 2012
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
Newer Utahns may find it hard to believe, but there were times when Democrats held virtually all major political offices in the state and dominated the Legislature and congressional delegation.
Now that 2,000 members of the LDS Democrats’ caucus have stepped forward — scores attended a national meeting this week in Charlotte, N.C. — that showing could, given time, begin to dent the entrenched and overwhelming majority of Republicans, most of them LDS, in state offices and in our congressional delegation.
It’s safe to say: It’s OK for a Mormon to be a Democrat — again.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/54835314-90/lds-mormon-faith-mcentee.html.csp
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Mormon Church buys ads in ‘Book of Mormon’ playbill in L.A.
September 6, 2012
Los Angeles Times (California)
Taking the high road, or throwing down the gauntlet? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has purchased ads promoting the faith in the playbill for the Los Angeles engagement of “The Book of Mormon,” the satirical musical from the creators of TV’s “South Park.”
The show, which is currently in previews at the Pantages Theatre as part of a national tour, tells the comical story of two Mormon missionaries who travel to a remote African village. The musical pokes fun at the tenets of the Mormon Church, as well as those of other religions. It also targets a host of sensitive subjects such as AIDS and female circumcision.
The LDS Church has not purchased playbill ads for the Broadway run of the musical at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. The L.A. engagement is the first time the church has bought playbill ad space for the musical, and church officials are considering doing the same for other cities, according to a source.
Michael Purdy, a spokesman for the Mormon church, issued the following statement on Thursday: “Patrons of the musical aren’t likely to leave the theater with a better understanding of the Book of Mormon. Our message in the playbill invites the audience to seek a more complete perspective on the book, its Christ-centered message and its place in Mormon belief.
“Currently, these ads are running only in the playbill for the L.A. production, and plans for future use have not been determined.”
One of the ads that in the L.A. program features the face of a smiling man with the words “I’ve read the book.” Another features a smiling woman with the words “The book is always better.” The ads contain the URL thebookofmormon.org, which takes you to an official site for the church.
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How a Mormon scholar went from doubter to believer
September 6, 2012
Washington Post
“I could describe many of the events of Joseph Smith’s life, but I couldn’t explain the thing that really mattered: why it all worked,” Bradley, now 42, said in a July speech at the annual Sunstone Symposium, a conference in Salt Lake City for Mormon intellectuals. “Joseph Smith wasn’t of interest because he’d been a merchant, a mayor, or even a much-married husband, but because he was the founder of a religion. And it was precisely the religious dimension I couldn’t account for.”
Besides rediscovering Mormonism, Bradley learned how to balance faith and facts, science and spirituality, reason and revelation.
Along the way, he spent time as an agnostic and atheist, then back to theist, then Baha’i, then generic Protestant before returning to the Mormon church where he had begun.
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Uganda: Rare Sects Take Uganda By Storm
September 6, 2012
All Africa
While Mormons believe in the Bible, they also believe that it is incomplete and contains errors. In Mormon theology, many of these lost truths are restored in the Book of Mormon, which Mormons hold to be divine scripture and equal in authority to the Bible.
They also believe all other churches are apostate. On April 13 2012, the New York Times published an article about a 19-year-old Mormon missionary named Jared Dangerfield who had been in Uganda with an intention of converting as many people as possible. The article claims there are 5,000 Mormons in Uganda, and that the number of Mormon missionaries stationed in Uganda is 120, up from 70 in 2010.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201209061092.html
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In the U.S., neither party owns faith
September 6, 2012
Los Angeles Times (California)
I’m a Catholic and a Democrat, mostly in that order.
When Jack Kennedy ran for president, the two overlapped as much as “Mormon and Republican” seem to today. Now, however, even though Vice President Joe Biden and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) are Catholic Democrats (and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is a Mormon Democrat), it’s increasingly uncomfortable to be both. Angry voices in my church and in my party are squaring off against each other in an increasingly noisy and ugly confrontation.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-cole-catholic-democrat-20120906,0,6759409.story
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The Broken Promises Coalition Comments on Recent Discussion Religious Garments and Symbolism of Wedding Rings
September 5, 2012
Midland Daily News (Michigan)
On September 5, 2012, The Broken Promises Coalition released a statement in response to an article on The Moderate Voice, regarding the importance of traditional Mormon Temple Garments and other religious symbols that are significant to marriage.
Following a recent discussion on The Moderate Voice, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés elaborated on religious ignorance by stating, “It is called Temple Garment and it is worn by Mormons. Many Jews wear tefillin [phylacteries] for ceremony (straps with sacred symbols and ceremonial meaning tied around arm and forehead.) Many from many different systems of [religiosity] and spirituality, also place a special sign on the door of their homes. Many Catholics including myself daily wear scapulars of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” The discussion on The Moderate Voice had become an issue after what a commenter referred to the Mormon garment as “magic underwear.” Estés goes on to detail symbolism behind the garments and symbols of other faiths as well, pointing out that many are no different from the Mormon Temple Garment.
http://www.ourmidland.com/prweb/article_ad547f90-62cd-5343-a7e0-8685a76dd6a0.html
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5 YOUTUBE MORMON MUSICIANS SIGN SONY RECORD DEAL
September 5, 2012
New Media Rock Stars
With YouTube K-pop star PSY signing with Justin Bieber’s label and Megan Nicole with Bad Boy, it’s clear that mainstream labels are now looking more towards the Internet to discover new talent. Just one hour ago, Mormon YouTube stars “The Piano Guys” announced on their channel that they’ve signed with Sony Masterworks and have an album coming out in October.
Now to be honest, I’ve never heard of these guys before. I only saw the video because a friend messaged me online about them. However, their personalities immediately won me over when I saw their humorous announcement video below:
http://newmediarockstars.com/2012/09/5-youtube-mormon-musicians-sign-sony-record-deal/
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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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