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24 September 2012
Sam Hardy
September 24, 2012
Mormon Scholars Testify
Lastly, not only do I have a testimony of the gospel, but, I support the church. This church and the doctrines therein are true, and are from God, regardless of any blemishes in the history books, limitations of the leaders, or failings of the church members. Further, I believe in supporting church leaders regardless of the trends of the day, the philosophies of man, or the winds of political thought. We are asked to bend our life to fit the gospel, not bend the gospel to fit our life.
http://mormonscholarstestify.org/3102/sam-hardy
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Mitt Romney’s Mormonism has no community at its heart
September 24, 2012
The Guardian (United Kingdom)
Romney’s message would not have resonated with his Mormon forebears. I live in Rochester, New York, only a few miles from the birthplace of Mormonism – the Hill Cumorah, where in 1827 Joseph Smith is said to have been given the golden tablets of the Book of Mormon, the sacred grove where he had a vision of God the father and of Jesus, and the house where he lived at the time.
It’s a small house. Smith’s parents had moved to the frontier of western New York State from Vermont, hoping for richer soil and better luck. They found the first but not a great deal of the second. Most of the early Mormons were people like that: struggling artisans and farmers, seekers and souls adrift in a world where chaos and isolation were hard to stave off. The religious manias and utopian communities of this region – the “Burnt-Over District”, historians call it – testify to the rootlessness, disorientation, and even terror of life on the fringes of the United States in the 1830s.
Smith offered the Latter-day Saints something more than a new bible and the grand theme of the new world as the kingdom of God. He offered them a community.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/sep/24/mitt-romney-mormonism-no-community
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Mormon blogger says he faces church slap-down, possible excommunication
September 24, 2012
CNN
A Mormon blogger in Florida typed his way into national headlines when he recently went public about facing possible disciplinary action from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
David Twede, who says he’s a fifth-generation Mormon, is the managing editor of MormonThink.com, an online publication that invites debate and open discussion about the LDS Church.
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Mormon blogger faces excommunication over temples, not Romney
September 24, 2012
Washington Post
In recent days, the blogger has blasted Romney as part of his critique of Mormonism, its beliefs about the nature of God and its temple ceremonies.
But, Twede told The Salt Lake Tribune on Friday, his LDS leaders never brought up Romney, a Mormon, in their exchange with him. Though not supporting the Republican nominee, Twede apologized to Romney, saying, “I didn’t mean for (the story) to go this way.”
Indeed, plenty of Mormons across the country are critical of Romney — in public and often — but none has been threatened with any church sanction.
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Roland Sharette: Reservations about the Mormon faith and Mitt Romney
September 24, 2012
Boulder Daily Camera (Colorado)
To Mr. Romney, these are the ‘latter’ days when practicing Mormons look forward to an inevitable ‘Apocalypse’ that will free the faithful from their burdens and find themselves as — depending on their adherence to Mormon principles — actual gods in a universe yet to be understood, but assured by works they may have accomplished on Earth.
Mormons believe they are assembling ‘Ten Lost Tribes of Israel’ to be ‘gathered on American soil,’ which demand some strange (to most of us) practices, ceremonies, obeisance to their hierarchy, etc. Along with this they tend to view struggles in the Middle East, climate change, increased crime — even the inequity of rich to poor, as ‘prophecy’ — as “not much we can do about it but see the prophecy is fulfilled.”
As a well respected Mormon Bishop (a fairly significant step in the church hierarchy), Mr. Romney would have access to and no doubt be in communication with the current Prophet Thomas Monson who, as guide and overseer of ‘revelations’ in the church, is responsible for interpreting and delineating development of church precepts and member responsibilities.
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Mitt Romney and his Mormon ‘Garments’
September 24, 2012
NBC News
For Mormons, these temple “garments” are a special piece of clothing worn to represent a symbolic gesture of the promises they have made to God, and are seen as either a symbolic or literal source of protection from the evils of the world.
There’s a long tradition among editorial cartoonists of drawing politicians in their underwear, but not religious underwear like this. For instance, many cartoonists illustrated President Clinton’s sexual dalliances by drawing him with his pants around his ankles and wearing boxer shorts with a pattern of little hearts.
Here are a couple of cartoons I’ve drawn featuring Romney wearing his Mormon “garments.” I have gotten a bit of flack from readers about drawing the mysterious underwear on Romney, but not as much as I expected:
http://cartoonblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/24/14069152-mitt-romney-and-his-mormon-garments?lite
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It’s Not a Mormon Thing
September 24, 2012
Mesquite Citizen Journal (Nevada)
One of the things I’ve noticed are the number of commenters who blame all the problems on the LDS church or the Mormon religion. They seemingly blanket all those in the religion with negative connotations. I totally and fundamentally disagree.
I’ve lived here for 11 years and have been writing about local government and politics for six years. I’ve been through four mayors and a bunch of council people. I’ve suffered with the rest of you during the Water District fiasco. I’m the first to say that many of the people involved in some of the problems we’ve had do indeed belong to the LDS church. But many of the culprits that caused some of the problems do not.
Just to make it perfectly clear, I am not Mormon nor do I participate in any institutional religious organization.
http://mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=2885&id=10
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Local Mormons like what they see in Mitt Romney but the church wont officially endorse any political candidate
September 24, 2012
ABC 50 (New York)
Ever since Mitt Romney surfaced in 2008 running for the Republican nomination, his religious beliefs have been under the spot light. Being a Mormon has never been more discussed, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints caused most of the country to seek answers regarding the details of Mormonism. In a recent article by The Guardian, “Mitt Romney’s Mormonism has no community at Heart” focused criticizes the running of Romney’s campaign.
The U.K. columnist Michael Steinberg states- “The Mormon presidential candidate’s social vision is a far cry from the communitarian ethos of early Mormonism. Mitt Romney’s campaign has been all about individualism – a Randian dream of unregulated markets and untrammelled self-interest.” At one point in time, the North Country once held the most LDS members in the world. Tucked away in Watertown, New York LDS church, what the Mormons call “Ward” holds an equal amount of civilians and military members.
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Evangelicals Vote Republican–Mormon or No Mormon
September 24, 2012
Christianity Today
At this year’s Values Voter Summit, held September 14-16, the tone was very different. There was no anti-Mormon rhetoric; Jeffress was not invited to speak; and organizers talked about the growing enthusiasm for the Republican ticket.
Speaking at the National Press Club before this year’s summit, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins said enthusiasm for Romney among social conservatives is building. Perkins pointed out that Romney’s Mormonism could be a plus.
“We’re not hiring a pastor in chief. We’re not asking him to lead a national church–we don’t want a national church,” Perkins said. “We want religious freedom, and I think someone who has been part of a persecuted religion is going to be even more sensitive to the issue of religious freedom.”
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/september-web-only/will-evangelicals-vote-for-mormon.html
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Mitt Romney Mexican Heritage: A Look Inside the Mormon Community in Mexico Where Romney Has Roots
September 24, 2012
Policymic
VICE’s Shane Smith decided to travel to Chihuahua via Ciudad Juarez, one of the most dangerous cities for journalists in the world, to uncover the story behind this under-reported, yet highly important Mormon community in Mexico. In typical VICE style, he’s put together an entertaining and compelling film called “The Mexican Mormon War” that uncovers some revealing secrets about Romney’s relatives in Mexico.
In the seven-part series, Smith gets to the heart of the Mexican drug war, speaking with officials about drugs, guns, and the sheer extent of the violence that’s resulted from the decades long war on drugs. He reveals that the war on drugs has killed 10 times as many people as the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He investigates the obscure Mormon community living in Mexico, a collection of Utah polygamists residing in upscale communities and native Mexicans who joined the LDS Church.
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Will Mitt Romney Fulfill the Mormon White Horse Prophecy?
September 24, 2012
Market Oracle
As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney could become the first Mormon president of the United States. Questions about how a candidate’s religious faith may impact his presidency are always a topic of discussion during campaign season but when the candidate belongs to something other than an established mainstream American Church, people are more curious.
There is one piece of information I find particularly interesting, given everything unfolding in the United States at the moment. Before his death, Joseph Smith supposedly issued the White Horse Prophecy, which stated that at some time in the future of the United States, evil men and secret combinations would combine to destroy liberty, freedom and free agency in the United States. It is true that we do see this happening today by secretive power elites, politicians and the Federal Reserve.
This prophecy claimed that through political or educational actions Mormons would see the Constitution hanging by a thread and rescue the Constitution and nation from strife, evil control and destruction. Many in the Church support this prophecy while the leadership today backpedals from such an extreme statement.
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article36699.html
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Vox Populi: ‘Concerning the letter about not trusting Mormons — I’d rather trust a Mormon than a moron’
September 24, 2012
Savannah Morning News (Georgia)
“I am no fan of Mitt Romney’s, but to claim that he cannot be trusted because he is a Mormon is a disgusting betrayal of the American ideal of religious tolerance.”
“Concerning the letter about not trusting Mormons — I’d rather trust a Mormon than a moron.”
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Issues for LDS voters
September 23, 2012
Arizona Republic
John Chiazza claims Mormons will have a difficult task voting for Romney because his stance on immigration supposedly differs from the church’s (“Romney, LDS out of sync,” Letters, Thursday). He suggests Mormons should vote against Romney because he’s not following teachings of his church.
My question to Mr Chiazza is: Whom does he expect Mormons, or other Christians for that matter, to vote for?
If we vote for the candidate who most closely represents our values, then Mormons, Catholics, Baptists, Protestants, and others will find it difficult to vote for Obama because his stance on things like abortion and same-sex marriage that go against church teachings, too.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2012/09/23/20120923issues-lds-voters.html
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Harry Reid: Mitt Romney is not the face of Mormonism
September 24, 2012
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he agrees with a fellow Mormon who wrote recently that Mitt Romney has “sullied” the LDS faith and that the GOP presidential candidate is “not the face of Mormonism.”
Reid, a Mormon Democrat from Nevada, blasted Romney in a conference call for reporters over a litany of things the Republican nominee has said recently. And Reid added that Latter-day Saints aren’t buying Romney’s rhetoric.
“He’s coming to a state where there are a lot of members of the LDS Church,” Reid said in advance of Romney’s Friday visit to Nevada. “They understand that he is not the face of Mormonism.”
In contrast, other prominent Mormons have thanked Romney for presenting a positive image of the church.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/54958981-90/romney-reid-mormonism-face.html.csp
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Willford Woodruff issues ‘Mormon Manifesto,’ Sept. 24, 1890
September 24, 2012
Politico
On this day in 1890, leaders of the Mormon Church reluctantly ordered members to uphold the nation’s newly re-codified anti-polygamy laws. Followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been practicing “plural marriage” since the 1840s.
In issuing “the Mormon Manifesto,” Willford Woodruff, the church’s president, responded to mounting anti-polygamy pressure from Congress. At the time, the federal government had revoked the church’s incorporation documents, seized its assets and imprisoned many prominent Mormon polygamists.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81571.html
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Mormon church dedicates temple in Brigham City
September 24, 2012
Local News 8 (Idaho)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has dedicated its newest temple after a month-long open house that drew more than 400,000 visitors.
Mormon church officials say the site dedicated Sunday in Brigham City, Utah is the 14th temple in the state and the 139th in the world.
The temple will serve about 40,000 people throughout northern Utah and southeastern Idaho.
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Media’s Silence About Mormons And Its History of Racism
September 24, 2012
Black Star News
Ironically the campaign to stop the re-election of President Barack Obama is led by the Republican nominee former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. His ascendancy as a major party candidate speaks volumes to White supremacy. Romney was born and raised in the Mormonism, a faith which held racist views towards Black people and even barred them from priesthood well into the 20th century. Has Romney ever denounced the tenants of the church which was in the Book of Mormon or denounced its history of racist practices?
Romney has said he is proud to be a Mormon candidate. Mormonism is a quasi religion that openly believes in a racist doctrine like no other, as you can read in the following five books in the Mormon of Latter Day Saints Holy Book: 2 Nephi 5:20-25; Alma 3:6-9; Mormon 5:15-1: Nephi 12:23 and Jacob 3:5.
http://blackstarnews.com/news/135/ARTICLE/8469/2012-09-24.html
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Muslims, Mormons and Liberals
September 24, 2012
Front Page Magazine
‘Hasa Diga Eebowai” is the hit number in Broadway’s hit musical “The Book of Mormon,” which won nine Tony awards last year. What does the phrase mean? I can’t tell you, because it’s unprintable in a family newspaper.
On the other hand, if you can afford to shell out several hundred bucks for a seat, then you can watch a Mormon missionary get his holy book stuffed–well, I can’t tell you about that, either. Let’s just say it has New York City audiences roaring with laughter.
http://frontpagemag.com/2012/bret-stephens/muslims-mormons-and-liberals/
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Comics Compete for Title, Schools Closed for Holiday and More in the Week Ahead
September 24, 2012
Caldwells Patch (New Jersey)
Interfaith Dialogue: Understanding the Mormon Faith, a three-week dialogue, will be presented by members of the Mormon Church in North Caldwell at the First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell starting Wednesday.
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Nicholas D. Kristof: Exploiting the prophet
September 24, 2012
Silicon Valley Mercury News (California)
“Piss Christ,” a famous photograph partly financed by taxpayers, depicted a crucifix immersed in what the artist said was his own urine. But conservative Christians did not riot on the Washington Mall.
“The Book of Mormon,” a huge hit on Broadway, mocks the church’s beliefs as hocus-pocus. But Mormons haven’t burned down any theaters.
So why do parts of the Islamic world erupt in violence over insults to the Prophet Muhammad?
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_21619442/nicholas-d-kristof-exploiting-prophet
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North Iowa Sign is Turning Heads
September 24, 2012
KIMT (Iowa)
If you’re heading into Charles City from the Avenue of the Saints you’ll see this sign. It reads “I’d take the Mormon over the moron anyday.” The spelling error is included on the sign.
For most people driving by, that refers to Mitt Romney as the “Mormon,” and President Barack Obama to fill in the rest.
Because this particular sign has such strong messaging we wanted to see exactly what people thought about it, so we took a picture and got people’s reactions.
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