MormonVoices

18 June 2013

tspackman — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:45:46 +0000

Names and Meaning: Zoram as a Case Study

June 18, 2013

FAIR Blog

The Book of Mormon Onomasticon project, which has long been in the works, has finally been launched online. Although it is still under development, there is plenty of great information and research available already on every single name in the Book of Mormon. Many of the entries provide convenient summaries of the research that has gone into a Book of Mormon name. Some brief time browsing the entries will quickly make it apparent which names have received the most attention from scholars and which names need more work. In any event, it is a great new tool for Book of Mormon study.

Understanding the meaning of a name can shed light on the meaning of scripture, especially since scriptural names can be metonymic. That is, names more relevant to the actions or role of a person in a narrative may be substituted for that actual person’s name. Even in cases where a metonymic name is not in play, authors aware of the meaning of the name may have used it in some way to enhance the narrative. Such word plays on proper nouns are common in ancient Near Eastern literature.

http://www.fairblog.org/2013/06/18/names-and-meaning-zoram-as-a-case-study/

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Mormon Tabernacle Choir delivers a quality concert

June 18, 2013

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Minnesota)

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir showed Monday night that it’s the brand name in vocal music for a reason.

The choir, making its first appearance in Milwaukee since 1992, delighted a Milwaukee Theatre audience with its usual mix of classical, folk music, show tunes and hymns.

The precision that 320 voices can achieve is amazing. The singers followed directors Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy through every swell and fade and every nuance of tempo, and their diction was clear enough to understand most of the words with no supertitles.

The transparency of Dvorak’s “Gloria” was remarkable, as all four independent lines were clearly audible and balanced.

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/mormon-tabernacle-choir-delivers-a-quality-concert-b9935377z1-211978611.html

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‘Book of Mormon’ calls for a bleep of faith

June 18, 2013

Moultrie News (South Carolina)

They’d come up with an extremely fast-paced, witty and extravagantly funny production that had a little something to offend just about everybody. Which is not to say that “The Book of Mormon” is a slam on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or that its raunchy moments are lewd and rude. Quite to the contrary. Mormonism is given many a well-aimed barb throughout, but the scuttlebutt is that the church, rather than attacking the show, now sees it as something of an introduction of their faith to non-Mormons, and even a bit of a recruiting tool. You know, “You’ve seen the hit musical, now read the book.” That sort of thing. And, the snippets of titillation are miles away from obscene and, literally, do serve to advance the plot.

The crib notes on the show are: Two young Mormon missionaries are preparing to head out on their two year quest to bring their faith to the far corners of the globe.

One, Elder Kevin (why Mormon men barely out of their teens are known as “elders” is one of the mysteries of the religion) is an honest, sincere, straightforward young man with a zeal for spreading the good word. His idea of the appropriate “far corner of the globe” for him is Orlando, Fla., which he remembers fondly from a childhood visit to Disneyworld and Universal Theme Park. Somewhere in the back of his mind he probably envisions converting Mickey and Minnie.

http://www.moultrienews.com/article/20130618/MN01/130619755/1014/-x2018-book-of-mormon-x2019-calls-for-a-bleep-of-faith

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Review: “Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret”

June 18, 2013

Variety

Motivational speaker Alexander is dutifully presented as a good Mormon boy conflicted by his frequent sexual encounters with Arias. At worst, he’s leading her on in a situation that will go nowhere, but the script by Richard Blaney and Gregory Small provides plenty of chances for Alexander to make it clear to Arias they don’t have a future together. There’s no hint or suggestion of the physical abuse or other accusations Arias made against Alexander in her case for self-defense during the trial.

http://variety.com/2013/tv/reviews/jodi-arias-dirty-little-secret-review-lifetime-movie-1200496735/

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HEMET: Writer hopes to help teens through high school

June 18, 2013

Riverside Press-Enterprise (California)

Partially autobiographical through the eyes of his main character, Marc Ryan, Evan hopes his book will help others who are facing some of the same trials he did find their own strength.

“I’m focusing the series more on being a Mormon, because I feel that the church’s teachings can be of use when dealing with teen issues, but it doesn’t overwhelm them with Mormon culture,” he said. “The principles work for all situations and if kids will just try to understand how to avoid the pitfalls and take some of Marc’s advice, their outcomes can improve.”

http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/hemet/hemet-headlines-index/20130618-hemet-writer-hopes-to-help-teens-through-high-school.ece

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Need Something To Do Tuesday?

June 18, 2013

Boise Weekly (Idaho)

Mormons have a long and storied history in Idaho–it’s just not a story well-known to many non-Mormons.

Starting at 6:30 p.m. at Rediscovered Bookshop, Shawn Vestal will be reading from and signing copies of his new book, Godforsaken Idaho.

Vestal grew up in a Mormon family in Gooding before splitting with the church in early adulthood. Now, after years of writing for the Spokesman-Review, Vestal has written a book about growing up Mormon in the Gem State, the trials and tribulations of the faith, and his insights into the religion and its culture.

http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2013/06/18/need-something-to-do-tuesday

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‘Summer Camp’: Meet the cast headed to California for a reality ‘Campathlon’ and watch the promo

June 18, 2013

Zap2It

Brooke Magnum (“The Model”): 23-year-old Brooke was born and raised in a large Mormon family in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a strong believer in being “good to thy neighbor.” Having grown up an overweight tomboy sporting a mullet, Brooke surprised everyone, even herself, when she shed her ugly duckling exterior and started a modeling career. Beware of this hot “girl next door” because not only will she distract you with her good looks but she will kill you with kindness.

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/06/summer-camp-meet-the-cast-headed-to-california-for-a-reality-campathlon.html

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Tuesday’s Religion News Roundup: Zesty Guy * Hollywood Nun * Sikh Soccer

June 18, 2013

Religion News

Admirable commitment to their beliefs, or a monumental waste of time?Non-Mormon Christians are proselytizing in the capital of Mormonism. As its missionaries fan out across Salt Lake City, the Truth In Love Ministry took also out ads in the LDS-owned Deseret News and The Salt Lake Tribune:

“You have recently been told at [LDS] General Conference that if you love God, trust him, believe him and follow him, that you will feel his love and approval,” it says in the brochure. “But what if you are doing all that and still don’t feel God’s love or approval?”

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/06/18/tuesdays-religion-news-roundup-zesty-guy-hollywood-nun-sikh-soccer/

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Churches split on what to do about Scout sponsorship

June 18, 2013

Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas)

Mormon churches outnumbered all religion-based sponsors on the abbreviated list, at 20 percent. Methodists, Baptists, Church of Christ and Catholic were also represented.

“Sexual orientation has not previously been — and is not now — a disqualifying factor for boys who want to join Latter-day Saint Scout troops,” the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a May 23 news release. “Willingness to abide by standards of behavior continues to be our compelling interest,” the church said.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/06/18/4945569/churches-split-on-what-to-do-about.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.

17 June 2013

tspackman — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:49:07 +0000

Concern Over Changes to Home Storage Centers Unnecessary

June 17, 2013

Mormon Newsroom

Over the past several weeks, misinformation and unnecessary concern has been circulating on blogs, over social media channels and by email regarding changes in operations at the Church’s home storage centers, which are located in the U.S. and Canada. No home storage centers are being closed, but the Church is making welcomed modifications in its operations at most of these centers that will help to better serve the needs of members of the Church, as well as significantly improve efficiency.

In all but 12 of the Church’s 101 home storage centers in the U.S. and Canada, patrons will no longer self-can products, but they may purchase these same items pre-canned or prepackaged at no additional cost.

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/concern-over-changes-to-home-storage-centers-unnecessary

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Social Media Gives New Twist to Tabernacle Choir’s 2013 Tour

June 17, 2013

Mormon Newsroom

Even though the roots of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir go back 165 years, the world-famous group is keeping up with 21st century technology. The choir and Orchestra at Temple Square are currently in the middle of a 10-day tour of the Midwest United States, and for the first time ever, the audience gets to choose the show’s encore by texting or tweeting. The contest is just one aspect of the venerable institution’s effort to connect with a younger generation through social media.

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/social-media-gives-new-twist-to-tabernacle-choir%E2%80%99s-2013-tour

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Laban’s Sword of “Most Precious Steel” (Howlers #5)

June 17, 2013

FAIR Blog

Today, the cutting remarks of past critics notwithstanding, it is increasingly apparent that the practice of hardening iron through deliberate carburization, quenching and tempering was well known to the ancient world from which Nephi came “It seems evident” notes one recent authority, “that by the beginning of the tenth century B.C. blacksmiths were intentionally steeling iron.” (Robert Maddin, James D. Muhly and Tamara S. Wheeler, “How the Iron Age Began,” Scientific American 237/4 [October 1977]:127).

Archaeologists, for example, have discovered evidence of sophisticated iron technology from the island of Cyprus. One interesting example was a curved iron knife found in an eleventh century tomb. Metallurgist Erik Tholander analyzed the weapon and found that it was made of “quench-hardened steel.” Other examples are known from Syro-Palestine. For example, an iron knife was found in an eleventh century Philistine tomb showed evidence of deliberate carburization. Another is an iron pick found at the ruins of an fortress on Mount Adir in northern Galilee and may date as early as the thirteenth century B.C. “The manufacturer of the pick had knowledge of the full range of iron-working skills associated with the production of quench hardened steel” (James D. Muhly, “How Iron technology changed the ancient world and gave the Philistines a military edge,” Biblical Archaeology Review 8/6 [November-December 1982]: 50).

http://www.fairblog.org/2013/06/17/labans-sword-of-most-precious-steel-howlers-5-2/

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Christian missionaries going door to door in Mormon capital

June 17, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

Thirty missionaries from the Truth in Love Ministry are in Utah this week, knocking on doors to “talk positively about Christianity” with Mormons.

“This is our first day out on the street, and it’s going really good,” said Pastor Mark Cares, president of the nondenominational group based in Nampa, Idaho, that has members across the country. “People were very nice and kind as they listen to our message. Some won’t agree, but 95 percent of the time they are very courteous. We have been getting into a lot of conversations.”

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56473067-78/door-lds-group-love.html.csp

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My husband Alex Boye grilled in UK for ‘I’m a Mormon’ campaign

June 17, 2013

Deseret News (Utah)

Within the first few seconds of my husband Alex Boye’s international interview, BBC radio hosts busted out of the gate with difficult religious questions: “What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ view on gay marriage? Why is your church secretive — do you have something to hide?”

Surely all of us, especially those who served full-time missions, have been asked questions like these, or questions similar to them, but not during a live interview on the BBC World Service Radio for all of England and Ireland (and probably more) to hear.

My poor husband was put in an incredibly uncomfortable position with questions from radio personalities doing their best to increase his heart rate. With questions surrounding topics like “posthumous conversion,” they pulled out every trick to stump this English black Mormon.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865581686/My-husband-Alex-Boye-grilled-in-UK-for-Im-a-Mormon-campaign.html

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Glenn Beck Warns Viewers Of End Times, Cites Book Of Mormon (Video)

June 16, 2013

Opposing Views

A serious Glenn Beck warned his audience on Friday’s radio show that “we are living in Biblical times” and added “we are at the end” (video below).

Beck cited the Book of Mormon, which was supposedly given to founder Joseph Smith in the form of tablets that could only be read with special spectacles. Smith, using the spectacles, allegedly translated the tablets into the Book of Mormon.

“I happen to believe in another book called ‘The Book of Mormon,’ and in it, in the very end is the story of the Americas,” Beck said. “It’s only a story of ‘watch for these things.’ It is really a calendar, that’s all it is. Watch for these things and you will know.”

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/politics/foreign-policy/war-terror/glenn-beck-warns-viewers-end-times-cites-book-mormon-video

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Amy still has Mormon values

June 18, 2013

The Nation

The 38-year-old actress was raised believing in the ideals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – a form of Christianity – which bans cigarettes, coffee, tea, drugs and has a strict law of chastity, requiring abstention from sexual relations outside of marriage. Although she is no longer a practising Mormon, Amy still follows the same moral code which she was taught as a child. In an interview with The Sun newspaper, she said: ”I grew up as a Mormon and that had more of an impact on my values than my beliefs.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/entertainment/18-Jun-2013/amy-still-has-mormon-values

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Mormon youths follow 100-year tradition

June 15, 2013

Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada)

A good education is an important component of any youth’s upbringing. Combine good education with religious studies, and you gain life experiences and spiritual foundations that yield benefits for years to come.

Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) long have since believed in and encouraged its members to seek quality education in both secular and religious areas.

More than a hundred years ago, the church started a seminary program in religious studies for its youths.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20130616/LIV/306160043/Mormon-youths-follow-100-year-tradition

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Mormon Tabernacle Choir makes rare Milwaukee visit

June 15, 2013

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Minnesota)

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is one of the biggest names in choral music. To become a member, though, it helps to be self-effacing as well as a talented singer.

“They’re all very fine musicians,” said choir president Ron Jarrett. But “they also have to be the kind of people who are group people…,” he added, noting that the ability to blend in vocally with other choir members is crucial.

The choir performs in concert Monday at the Milwaukee Theatre, its first visit to the city since it performed here during German Fest in 1992.

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/mormon-tabernacle-choir-makes-rare-milwaukee-visit-b9934077z1-211708361.html

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My Mormon past left me afraid to have fun

June 17, 2013

The Sun (United Kingdom)

Hollywood glitz and glamour is a world away from the strict teachings of the Mormon church which Adams was brought up believing.

It bans cigarettes, coffee, tea, drugs and sex before marriage.

Though her family was forced to leave the church when she was 11 — after her parents divorced — Adams can’t shake her Mormon ideals.

She said: “I grew up as a Mormon.

“I’m very hard on myself anyway. Religious guilt carries over, too. You can’t really misbehave without feeling badly about it — at least I can’t.

“Even when I go out with friends and we go overboard at bars or clubs, I wake up the next morning feeling a bit conflicted about having had too much fun.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/film/4971639/man-of-steel-amy-adams-mormon.html

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My Mormon past left me afraid to have fun: Amy Adams

June 17, 2013

Times of India

Amy Adams has confessed that she was not confident enough after her first breakthrough as Hollywood glitz and glamour was quite different from her past in the Mormon Church.

She revealed that she grew up as a Mormon and that had more of an impact on her values than her beliefs, the Sun reported.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-interviews/My-Mormon-past-left-me-afraid-to-have-fun-Amy-Adams/articleshow/20630166.cms

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Carlsbad police: Mormon missionary turns himself in for sexual abuse

June 15, 2013

Carlsbad Current-Argus (New Mexico)

Convicted by a guilty conscience, a Mormon missionary reportedly turned himself in for sexually abusing a female child, according to a police report.

Patrick “Robbie” Oliphant, 20, of Carlsbad is accused of molesting a five-year-old girl while babysitting – a crime he reportedly confessed to in May.

A criminal complaint from the Carlsbad Police Department states the victim’s mother received a call from Oliphant’s missionary leader, Stephen Hess, in Michigan where Oliphant had been living since April to train as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Hess said Oliphant told him what he had done because he needed to get if off his conscience before starting missionary work.

The mother went to Carlsbad police who partnered with Michigan State Police to get a statement from Oliphant. Oliphant reportedly cooperated and told police in a recorded interview what he had done, according to the complaint. He reportedly said he molested the child from June to August 2012. He had also reportedly watched an Anime hintai pornographic movie with her.

http://www.currentargus.com/ci_23467396/carlsbad-police-mormon-missionary-turns-himself-sexual-abuse

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Mormon Church TV Adopts Anne

June 16, 2013

The Guardian (Prince Edward Island)

While I am long removed from PEI except for a yearly Hajj, it causes excitement to encounter a reference to the Island through some means of the mainstream media. For some time Sharon and I have watched one of her favourite shows, a Canadian production, Wind at My Back, on BYUtv, which is the product of Brigham Young University (BYU). BYU is the university of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Recently, I have noticed BYUtv presenting Anne of Green Gables – The Animated Series. Tugged at by nostalgia of the good old days on Prince Edward Island, I decided to watch the cartoon – which was a well-done and most instructive entertainment (as I am sure Islanders already know).

Already somewhat interested in BYUtv, I went to their website, www.byutv.org. I discovered that in September 2012, BYUtv wrote “One of the most influential stories of the 20th century has leapt off the pages and landed on BYUtv.” That year, over eight weeks, BYUtv presented Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, AoGG: The Continuing Story, and AoGG: A New Beginning,

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Blog-Article/b/24493/Mormon-Church-TV-Adopts-Anne

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Mormon Power Couple Collects Art, Supports Gay Rights

June 17, 2013

2 Paragraphs

An ambitious exhibition of more than 100 oil paintings, sculpture and works on paper depicting American Indians — portraits rendered by natives and non-natives over 160 years — is on view at the Utah Museum of Art (until August 11, 2013). The work included in Bierstadt to Warhol: American Indians in the West is drawn primarily from the Diane and Sam Stewart Collection. The Stewarts are Mormons, active LDS in Salt Lake City, who are not easy to pigeonhole. In 2008 they hosted George W. Bush in their home for a fundraiser for McCain (yes, Gov. Romney was there, too). A year later they hosted a meeting between LDS Church officials and representatives of Utah’s gay community-which produced the Church’s support of a non-discrimination ordinance. (A UCLA study reports Utah has climbed from 38th to 14th in the nation for people living in committed same-sex relationships.)

http://2paragraphs.com/2013/06/10951/

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BYU Program Prepares Mormons for Hollywood Career and Cultural Influence

June 15, 2013

The American Culture

Mormons have figured out one way to really penetrate and engage the culture from their decidedly counter cultural perspective. A recent piece in the New York Times tells how a Brigham Young University computer-animation program is earning respect and professional positions in Hollywood studios.

Out of nowhere, B.Y.U. — a Mormon university owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — has become a farm team for the country’s top animation studios and effects companies. Unlikely as it sounds, young Mormons are being sucked out of the middle of Utah and into the very centers of American pop-culture manufacturing.

http://stkarnick.com/culture/?p=24943

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Local youth re-enact Mormon handcart journey

June 15, 2013

Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman (Alaska)

Between 1847 and 1869, an estimated 70,000 Mormons made the 1,400-mile journey by horse and wagon along the Mormon Pioneer Trail from Illinois to Utah.

The 2013 Pioneer Trek June 10 to 14 was organized by the Wasilla Alaska Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a “re-enactment” of the journey made by about 3,000 people who used human-powered handcarts between 1856 and 1860 to make the pilgrimage.

Trail boss Channer said that Mormon Stakes around the world have organized similar treks for decades, but this is the first time for the Wasilla Stake. Anchorage and Soldotna stakes completed similar treks this year, he said.

Although 10 handcart companies made the trip, the focus is generally placed on the last two companies to begin the trek in 1856. About 1,000 people left Nebraska Territory that August as part of the Willie Handcart Company, led by Captain James Willie, and the Martin Handcart Company, led by Captain Edward Martin.

http://www.frontiersman.com/valley_life/local-youth-re-enact-mormon-handcart-journey/article_cf282fd8-d64f-11e2-a08f-001a4bcf887a.html

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‘I Feel Guilty When I Have Fun’: Man Of Steel’s Amy Adams Says Her Mormon Upbringing Still Casts A Shadow Over Her Life

June 17, 2013

Entertainmentwise

“I grew up as a Mormon and that had more of an impact on my values than my beliefs,” she said, in quotes taken from The Sun. “I’m afraid I will always feel the weight of a lie. I’m very hard on myself anyway. Religious guilt carries over, too.

“You can’t really misbehave without feeling badly about it – at least I can’t.”

With Mormons abstaining from alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and sex before marriage, Adams admits she feels troubled whenever she heads out for a night on the town with pals.

http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/118067/I-Feel-Guilty-When-I-Have-Fun-Man-Of-Steels-Amy-Adams-Says-Her-Mormon-Upbringing-Still-Casts-A-Shadow-Over-Her-Life

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LATTER-DAY SAINTS CHURCH GROWING IN NORTH NAPLES

June 17, 2013

Naples News (Florida)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints formed a new congregation in Naples to be called the Vanderbilt Beach Ward. Latter-day Saint wards are organized geographically and members attend a ward near their home. This latest ward is just one of more than 28,000 such congregations worldwide.

Local attorney, Joseph Lindsay, was called to serve as Bishop of the new congregation consisting of approximately 350 current local church members. All Mormon clergy serve without compensation. Bishop Lindsay and his wife Stacy have been married 22 years and are the proud parents of four children. Their two eldest Elise & Colin are currently serving as Mormon missionaries. Graham, age 17, and Rudy 9, attend Naples schools.

In 2011, the Church broke ground on a new temple just outside of Ft. Lauderdale. The second temple in Florida, the towering white structure is expected to be completed in early 2014 and will serve members living throughout South Florida and the Bahamas.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/jun/17/latter-day-saints-church-growing-in-north-naples-1/

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Big U.S. Companies You Might Not Know Are Religious

June 17, 2013

Yahoo Finance (Canada)

You may still find a Book of Mormon alongside the Bible in your Marriott hotel room.

Marriott Hotel founder John Willard Marriott was a devout Mormon who held leadership positions within the church at the same time he was building his hotel empire.

While Marriott passed away in 1985, his religious legacy has lived on within the family-run hotel chain, which is known for sometimes putting the Book of Mormons along with Bibles in hotel rooms.

The company also recently announced that it would no longer offer pay-per-view pornography in its hotel rooms.

7. JetBlue founder David Neeleman was featured in a book titled “The Mormon Way Of Doing Business”

Founder and CEO David Neelman, a devout Mormon father-of-nine, once traveled to Brazil as a Mormon missionary, according to a 2002 USA Today profile.

And it’s a big reason Neeleman prioritizes customer service. “My missionary experience obliterated class distinction for me,” he said to author Jeff Benedict in “The Mormon Way of Doing Business.” “I learned to treat everyone the same. If anything, I have a disdain for the upper class and people who think they are better than others.”

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/big-u-s–companies-you-might-not-know-are-religious-175228053.html

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14 June 2013

tspackman — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:14:07 +0000

Mormonism in Pictures: Temple Square Attracts Millions of Visitors |14 June 2013

June 14, 2013

Mormon Newsroom

Historic Temple Square, in downtown Salt Lake City, is one of the most visited places in Utah. Each year, more than 5 million people walk through one of four entrances to view a multicolored landscape and well-manicured lawns.

Inside the 10-acre block of Temple Square, flowers, trees and bushes surround the Salt Lake Temple, historic Tabernacle, Assembly Hall, two visitors’ centers and several statues of special significance to Latter-day Saints. All add to the peace that is found on Temple Square.

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormonism-in-pictures-temple-square-attracts-millions-of-visitors-14-june-2013

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The Spectacles, the Stone, the Hat and the Book: A Twenty-first Century Believer’s View of the Book of Mormon Translation

June 14, 2013

FAIR Blog

Editor’s note: This blog post is the introductory section of Roger Nicholson’s June 2013 article in Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture (The Spectacles, the Stone, the Hat, and the Book: A Twenty-first Century Believer’s View of the Book of Mormon Translation). The full article may be read on the Interpreter website.

In his 1916 book, The Birth of Mormonism, John Quincy Adams provided this rather colorful description of the Book of Mormon translation method.

The process of translating the “reformed Egyptian” plates was simple though peculiar. It was all done with the Urim and Thummim spectacles, but it was instant death for any one but Joe to use them. Even when he put them on, the light became so dazzling that he was obliged to look through his hat. Moreover, when so engaged, no profane eyes were allowed to see him or the hat. Alone, behind a blanket stretched across the room, Joe looked into his hat and read the mystic words.[1]

Any Latter-day Saint will immediately be able to sort the familiar from the unfamiliar elements of this story. We see the Urim and Thummim and the blanket shielding the translator from others in the room, but what is all of this talk about a hat?

http://www.fairblog.org/2013/06/14/the-spectacles-the-stone-the-hat-and-the-book-a-twenty-first-century-believers-view-of-the-book-of-mormon-translation/

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Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s summer concerts offer diversity

June 14, 2013

Ogden Standard-Examiner (Utah)

This summer, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will partner with three diverse artists for two concerts.

Up-and-coming Latter-day Saint artists Lindsey Stirling and Nathan Pacheco will be the featured performers with the Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square at this year’s Pioneer Day concert at 8 p.m. July 19 and 20 in the Conference Center.

http://www.standard.net/stories/2013/06/14/mormon-tabernacle-choirs-summer-concerts-offer-diversity

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THOUSANDS EXPECTED AT MORMON MIRACLE PAGEANT

June 14, 2013

ABC 4 (Utah)

Tens of thousands of people will be heading to Manti next week for the Mormon Miracle Pageant. The pageant features a cast of 900 people.

Dave and Linda Gunderson stopped by ABC 4 Utah to talk about what it’s like to put the production together.

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/state/story/Thousands-expected-at-Mormon-Miracle-Pageant/WqnCA7alm0-MRuCAJRxaNw.cspx

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Students graduate from Mormon class

June 14, 2013

Destin Log (Florida)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently announced its graduates from Early Morning Seminary. This is a daily scripture study class held at 5:45 a.m. before high school begins. Students describe this class as a great way to start the day, and some even make it through four years of this early-riser class with perfect attendance.

The curriculum begins with a year of study of the Old Testament, followed by the New Testament, the Book of Mormon and then Church History. By the time a student graduates, he will have covered all four areas of scripture study. During this time, through games and various drills, the students master 100 scriptures, 25 from each discipline. These classes seek to provide a spiritual and social climate and to prepare young people for effective service and missions.

http://www.thedestinlog.com/community/faith/students-graduate-from-mormon-class-1.158965

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Mormon Tabernacle Choir set for Ravinia stage

June 14, 2013

Lake County News-Sun (Illinois)

There are concert tours, and then there are concert tours.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir would fall under the latter. With 320 of the full choir’s 360 members and 65 members of the Orchestra at Temple Square, the logistics of the tour are nothing short of a miracle of precision and planning: There are the 11 buses that ferry the choir. And then there’s having to reserve an entire hotel of rooms (depending on the size of the hotel) in most cities. And don’t forget meals, three times a day, for nearly 400 people.

http://newssun.suntimes.com/entertainment/20685785-421/mormon-tabernacle-choir-set-for-ravinia-stage.html

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Layton church serves many denominations through school, service

June 14, 2013

Ogden Standard-Examiner (Utah)

“The people were very focused. When I came in 1986, there was a tremendous amount of angst between the Mormons and non-Mormons,” he said. “It was ugly. It is much better today for everybody’s efforts, I’m sure. It caused people to be very focused. For a pastor, it was good. I didn’t have to ask people to get going.”

http://www.standard.net/stories/2013/06/14/layton-church-serves-many-denominations-through-school-service

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8 Things to Know About Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)

June 14, 2013

NBC News

His great-grandfather and Mitt Romney’s great-grandfather crossed paths once upon a time. From The Denver Post:

“Senate candidate Mark Udall and presidential contender Mitt Romney’s Mormon great-grandfathers crossed paths in Arizona in the 19th century. It was an era of bitter distrust between Mormons and other white settlers. David K. Udall briefly served time in prison for a perjury conviction in a dubious land-fraud case involving Miles P. Romney, who fled to Mexico to establish a safe haven for other polygamists.”

http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/14/18961828-8-things-to-know-about-sen-mark-udall-d-co

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Notre Dame sends Class of 2013 on to next chapter

June 14, 2013

Star Gazette (New York)

Connor Webster, 18, of Horseheads, belongs to the Mormon Church in Horseheads. He will go on a two-year mission to spread the Gospel before heading to college. He hopes to attend Brigham Young University. “All my uncles who have served missions have gone there,” he said.

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20130614/NEWS01/306140086/Notre-Dame-sends-Class-2013-next-chapter

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Utah Pride Center not allowed to start Boy Scout troop

June 14, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

Most troops in Utah are sponsored by churches, predominantly the LDS Church. And Kobe said he and his mother were concerned that some “are rude toward gay or non-Mormon people. We found one that’s really supportive and there’s a comfort level [at the Jewish Community Center].”

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56456545-78/center-church-gay-pride.html.csp

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13 June 2013

tspackman — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:30:51 +0000

Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 320 strong, set for Ravinia stage

June 13, 2013

Chicago Sun-Times (Illinois)

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir would fall under the latter. With 320 choir members and 65 members of the Orchestra at Temple Square (not to mention music stands, instruments, choir robes and all sorts of other show necessities), the logistics of the tour are nothing short of a miracle of precision and planning. Then there are the 11 buses that ferry the choir. And then there’s having to reserve an entire hotel of rooms (depending on the size of the hotel) in most cities. And don’t forget meals, three times a day, for nearly 400 people.

Dr. Mack Wilberg, the director of the iconic Grammy-winning choir, who also conducts the orchestra, will tell you the monumental undertaking is something the all-volunteer troupe and behind-the-scenes teams have mastered.

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/stage/20686162-421/mormon-tabernacle-choir-set-for-ravinia-stage.html

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Web of history

June 13, 2013

Boston Globe (Massachusetts)

TWO YEARS ago I started working on a book about the tumultuous final year in the life of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith. Digging in, I was startled by the cornucopia of historical resources available online, just a few keystrokes away.

Mormon history is quite digitized, thanks in part to the hyperactive “bloggernacle” — the erudite community of Latter-day Saint commentators and history buffs — and also thanks to the wealthy Salt Lake City-based church, which has invested in archives at the Church History Library and at Brigham Young University. Many documents and publications dating from the church’s founding in 1830 can be downloaded from anywhere in the world.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/06/12/online-research-can-you-write-history-without-actually-going-anywhere/rp6dJBvvjDiYw1EC25AV4O/story.html

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The Boy Scouts’ Opportunity

June 13, 2013

American Spectator

In the past, the fact that major church organizations back the BSA has ensured the exclusion of gay youth. More than 70 percent of all Boy Scout troops are chartered by faith-based organizations, and the Mormon Church alone sponsors 25 percent of them. But there’s been a lot of shifting of late: In April — a month before the National Council voted on the proposal — the Mormon Church announced its support for the Scouts, saying the proposed policy was “a thoughtful, good-faith effort” to address a complex situation. “We appreciate the positive things contained in this current proposal,” the news release read, “that will help build and strengthen the moral character and leadership skills of youth as we work together in the future.” Edward P. Martin, the U.S. Catholic Church’s top liaison to the BSA wrote in a May 29 letter that the new policy “is not in conflict with Catholic teaching,” and encouraged his “fellow Catholic Scouters” to continue supporting scouting programs.

http://spectator.org/blog/2013/06/13/the-boy-scouts-opportunity

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Love St. Louis? Pay closer attention

June 13, 2013

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)

To the extent that the piece is simply a dispatch to an insular northeastern elite that, yes, it is possible to make a satisfying life away from metro-coastal enclaves, I suppose it succeeds. I occasionally find myself mentally comparing my life in St. Louis to the lives of family and friends on the coasts and in Utah, an important geographic pole for a Mormon like me.

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/civil-religion/rosalynde-welch/love-st-louis-pay-closer-attention/article_7811617c-d435-11e2-8854-0019bb30f31a.html

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Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake apologizes for teen son’s slur-filled Twitter, Facebook postings

June 13, 2013

New York Daily News

Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a devout Mormon and family man, has apologized for homophobic, racist and anti-Semitic comments posted online by his teenage son.

The high schooler, Tanner, posted the offensive remarks in February and March. In one message he threatened the “f—-t” who stole his motorcycle from a church parking lot and frequently used the N word in a series of Facebook postings.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ariz-sen-aplogizes-teen-son-online-slurs-article-1.1371590

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It’s Kiribati against the sea – and the sea is winning

June 13, 2013

Globe and Mail (Canada)

“Right now, population is the major issue, the number one issue we should face,” said Peter Itibita, a member of the Mormon Church in South Tarawa.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/its-kiribati-against-the-sea-and-the-sea-is-winning/article12536215/

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Self-Published Memoir, Hippie Boy, Lands on New York Times Bestseller List

June 13, 2013

PR Newswire

Hippie Boy: A Girl’s Story, a self-published memoir about a feisty teenage girl who escapes her abusive Mormon stepfather and the suffocating religion and poverty at home by joining her dad on the road as a tool-selling vagabond, has hit the New York Times eBook bestseller list.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/self-published-memoir-hippie-boy-lands-on-new-york-times-bestseller-list-211373961.html

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SOUTHERN UTAH MEMORIES: Fort Harmony becomes mother community of Washington County

June 13, 2013

KCSG (Utah)

Both Harmony and New Harmony, the latter of which was built several miles upstream from the original settlement, were named for Harmony, Pennsylvania, where LDS Prophet Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, according to John W. Van Cott, author of Utah Place Names.

“The local settlers also appreciated the name because it indicated the harmony and united action the pioneers showed during their periods of trial and hardship,” Van Cott states.

Following the establishment of Parowan, Mormon apostle George A. Smith returned to Salt Lake City to appeal to church authorities for more settlers to colonize the south, according to Janet Burton Seegmiller, author of A History of Iron County; Community Above Self.

http://www.kcsg.com/view/full_story/22888609/article-SOUTHERN-UTAH-MEMORIES–Fort-Harmony-becomes-mother-community-of-Washington-County?instance=home_news_lead

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Super Weird Sports Facts You Never Knew

June 13, 2013

Bleacher Report

San Francisco 49er great Steve Young was slated to play the role of Mary’s secret love in There’s Something About Mary. Young however declined the role; as a Mormon (and the great-great-great grandson of Brigham Young) he reportedly found the nature of the movie objectionable.

The role went to Brett Fa-vra instead.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1668677-super-weird-sports-facts-you-never-knew/page/2

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Tide of humanity, as well as rising seas, lap at Kiribati’s future

June 14, 2013

Reuters

Progress is being made, with clinic visitor numbers up and a growing acceptance of the threat of over-population.

“Right now, population is the major issue, the number one issue we should face,” said Peter Itibita, a member of the Mormon Church in South Tarawa.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/06/14/kiribati-climate-idINDEE95D00V20130614

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11 June 2013

tspackman — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:28:43 +0000

‘Polygamy,’ the Broadway play: Mormon controversy on stage nearly 100 years before ‘Book of Mormon’ musical

June 10, 2013

Deseret News (Utah)

“The Book of Mormon” musical has been a Tony Award-winning success, but this isn’t the first time a Mormon-themed stage production has generated attention and controversy on Broadway.

Almost a century ago, a story based on Mormonism played on the Great White Way — only in 1914, the hot topic was polygamy.

The Broadway show “Polygamy” was discussed during a concurrent session on June 7 at the 48th Annual Mormon History Association Conference in Layton.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865581431/Polygamy-the-Broadway-play-Mormon-controversy-on-stage-nearly-100-years-before-Book-of-Mormon.html

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Black Mormon panelists: LDS Church must face its racial history

June 11, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

Thirty-five years after the LDS Church lifted its ban on blacks being ordained to its all-male priesthood, African-American Mormons still experience subtle discrimination, exclusion and self-doubt, said three panelists on Tuesday’s hourlong Trib Talk.

The trio — black Latter-day Saints Marvin Perkins, of Los Angeles; Paulette Payne, of Atlanta; and Darron Smith of Memphis, Tenn. — agreed that part of the problem was a lack of discussion of the controversial ban, the perpetuation of false ideas about its cause (black skin being the “curse of Cain” or that blacks were “less valiant” in what Mormons call the premortal existence) and ignorance about the role of black Mormon pioneers.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/56445020-80/church-lds-ban-black.html.csp

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‘Book of Mormon’ beguiles audiences in Buffalo debut

June 12, 2013

Buffalo News (New York)

Anyone who may have worried if Buffalo was ready for “The Book of Mormon,” just off a successful six-week run in Toronto, should stop worrying now. Ushers reported only two audience members fled for the exits during the first act (a few more likely left at intermission) during the sold-out performance, a surprisingly low tally given the supposed conservatism of Buffalo’s theatergoers.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s breathlessly funny and strategically offensive show is surely the most vulgar, foul-mouthed and sophomoric piece of theater ever to appear in the vicinity of a Broadway stage. It is also one of the smartest and most emotionally savvy, inserting devastating critiques of religious hypocrisy and American values into a package guaranteed to beguile all but the most jaded theatergoer.

http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130612/CITYANDREGION/130619786/1031

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How Did the Joshua Tree Get its Name?

June 11, 2013

KCET (California)

“The name Joshua tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree’s unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.”

That’s the version of the Joshua tree’s naming origin story that shows up on Wikipedia, as succinct a version of the story as I have read. It’s a pretty story, and very widespread. But is it true?

The story does have variations. Some say that the Mormons’ first glimpse of Joshua trees along the trail marked the halfway point of their journey. Others, such as this person, say things like “Mormon settlers gave the Joshua tree its distinctive name when they were traveling westward toward their promised land.”

http://www.kcet.org/news/the_back_forty/commentary/the-hidden-desert/how-did-the-joshua-tree-get-its-name.html

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Yonkers Polish center’s sale to Mormons back on

June 11, 2013

Journal News (New York)

The state Supreme Court has given the Polish Community Center permission to proceed with the sale of its hall to the Mormons.

The Thaddeus Kosciuszko Citizens Club Holding Corp.’s board of directors had announced earlier this year that the proposed sale of the catering hall at 92 Waverly St. to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was canceled.

But a June 3 court petition seeking the dissolution of the Polish group’s corporation indicates the sale is back on. It says the proposed buyer never asked for the return of its $120,000 contract deposit — “a clear indication of the purchaser’s desire to proceed with the sale.”

http://www.lohud.com/article/20130611/NEWS/306110095/Yonkers-Polish-center-s-sale-Mormons-back-on

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Charlotte senior will head to Brazil after graduation

June 11, 2013

Charlotte Observer (North Carolina)

Next fall, when other members of the Providence High School graduating class head to college, Nathan Anderson, 18, will not be joining them.

Anderson was accepted at the one school to which he applied – Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah – but he will attend only the summer session there before taking a two-year leave of absence.

Anderson, who became an Eagle Scout this year, is in the top 10 percent of his class, is president of the Junior Classical League and is a competitive gymnast.

So what is it that has him breaking the college mold?

“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always planned on going on a church mission trip,” he said.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/06/11/4099295/charlotte-senior-will-head-to.html

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Local Cub Scout troop losing charter in response to national gay membership decision

June 12, 2013

RTV 6 ABC (Indiana)

The National Jewish Committee on Scouting and the Mormon Church have both come out in support of allowing gay boy scouts.

Roman Catholic leaders said they were undecided.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/local-cub-scout-troop-losing-charter-in-response-to-national-gay-membership-decision

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Wharton: These volunteers represent Utah to the world

June 11, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

The volunteers who work the information desk at the Visit Salt Lake office and store inside the Salt Palace get some strange questions.

One older gentleman asked retired newspaper printer and volunteer Dale Hansen where he could find a sperm bank. Volunteer Christiane Huckin regularly gets asked where downtown Salt Lake City is located, despite the fact that the Salt Palace is right in the middle of it. Some from big cities look at her as if to say “This is it?” Volunteers regularly get asked where they might see a Mormon.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56424007-78/salt-utah-lake-volunteers.html.csp

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Griffin impressed with BYU

June 11, 2013

BYU Scout (Utah)

De La Salle High School cornerback Kevin Griffin took part in BYU’s Junior Day last Friday. He competed in the drills and was able to see what BYU has to offer. What he learned gave him a new perspective of what he would like to have at the next level.

http://byu.scout.com/a.z?s=338&p=2&c=1299015&ssf=1&RequestedURL=http%3a%2f%2fbyu.scout.com%2f2%2f1299015.html

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Riding Shotgun: A Father Daughter Story

June 11, 2013

He was just that kind of guy. He was kind and generous and pretty much radiated his awesomeness to anyone he came into contact with. He was, in fact, so hospitable that much to my mother’s dismay, meant lots of unexpected guests. When I say guests I mean incidents like inviting the Mormon missionaries into our home for lemonade on a hot day (my Dad was a devout and practicing Catholic and couldn’t be swayed). However, I think he gave those missionaries something to think about.

http://www.chicagonow.com/south-i80/2013/06/riding-shotgun-a-father-daughter-story/

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Denomination will adapt, find newness

June 11, 2013

Henderson Daily Dispatch (North Carolina)

That voting booth decision for Rev. Fred Luter Jr., the outgoing president of the Southern Baptist Convention, was a decision on Mitt Romney or Barack Obama. Romney is Mormon, a religion many Southern Baptists don’t consider to be Christian; Obama is a liberal Christian, the opposite of how Southern Baptists have been aligned for years.

http://www.hendersondispatch.com/opinion/x265260620/Denomination-will-adapt-find-newness

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God at the Gay Pride Parade

June 11, 2013

Religion Dispatches

Organizers of this weekend’s Capital Pride named 14 faith-based groups participating in Sunday’s festival for the first time. They include Baptist, Lutheran and Quaker churches as well as the country’s largest Buddhist denomination, a Conservative synagogue and a Mormon advocacy group.

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/petermontgomery/7142/god_at_the_gay_pride_parade/

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Football: Nevada adds a lineman

June 11, 2013

Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada)

One of the reasons Denucci wanted to jump to the FBS level after one year at junior college is his age. The Bountiful, Utah native is 22 years old. After a standout high school career, he went to Mississippi on a two-year Mormon mission. Denucci has three years of eligibility at Nevada, plus a redshirt year.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20130611/SPORTS/306110032/Football-Nevada-adds-lineman

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10 June 2013

tspackman — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:11:35 +0000

Christopher Lund

June 10, 2013

Mormon Scholars Testify

There followed scores of experiences on my mission that continued to cement the freshness of what for me was then only a recently acquired articulation of a testimony. It had been born of my experience at General Conference that previous Spring, ratified by my reading of the Book of Mormon, consolidated by my equally recent reading of the New Testament, and nourished by the daily experiences of the mission and the love I felt for Nancy. Through the very formula we preached to investigators–study, pray, and attend church–I soon gained the same certitude that I had felt in those two elders at our branch meeting three years earlier. Nancy, whose own mission to Chile had overlapped mine, returned. We married, began our family, and functioned over the years in numerous church callings. At critical turns, it seemed, we gratefully felt the nudgings of the Holy Ghost.

http://mormonscholarstestify.org/3194/christopher-lund

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“Book of Mormon” fans in Denver hit speedbumps in DCPA ticket system

June 10, 2013

Denver Post (Colorado)

When tickets for the Denver Center stop on the 2013 tour of “The Book of Mormon” went on sale this morning, many would-be ticketbuyers experienced a case of deja vu all over again: For some users, The Denver Center web site appeared non-responsive when tickets were requested, returning users to a landing page.

For a time, the site was blank except for a note encouraging users to clear their cache, open up a new web browser, and try again. Many customers were reporting difficulty getting through and rumors of the show being sold out swept across Twitter and Facebook.

http://www.denverpost.com/theater/ci_23428743/book-mormon-fans-denver-hit-roadblocks-dcpa-ticket

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Mormon church embraced black priests 35 years ago, but racial tensions remain

June 10, 2013

The Grio

Just as the United States considered black Africans as 3/5 of a human being and treated them as such, Mormon’s saw black skin as an irreducible sign of God’s disfavor and, thus, banned them from full participation. Insular writings by church authorities lambasted the black experience, blaming black suffering on divine forces rather than white supremacist tendencies (that are irrefutable given the time).

Yet, throughout the development, refinement and implementation of those racist teachings, at least two black men were baptized and ordained to the Mormon priesthood during the time of Joseph Smith, the founder of the faith.

Mormon researchers knew this information long ago, and some tried in vain to encourage the church headquarters to talk openly about and acknowledge what historians uncovered about two of its own, Elijah Abel and Walker Lewis. Both men were black and bore the “Mark of Cain” in Mormon theology. Both, however, also held the priesthood and all of its blessings that their descendants were later denied. The Mormon faith released a statement that acknowledges the existence of these men and their place in respects to church liturgical rites. The statement furthered that nobody knows why the ban on blacks existed in the first place: “Church records offer no clear insights into the origins of this practice.”

http://thegrio.com/2013/06/10/mormon-church-embraced-black-priests-35-years-ago-but-racial-tensions-remain/

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THE MORMON MIRACLE PAGEANT

June 10, 2013

ABC 4 (Utah)

Manti, Utah is a small town of only 2000 people settled in the 1850′s by Mormon pioneers. Forced from their homes in Illinois and Iowa, these pioneers traveled over 1200 miles in covered wagons and handcarts to find religious freedom. Braving desert winds, winter blizzards, and difficulties with native tribes, they acted on faith and the hope of a better life to settle new communities in the Sanpete Valley.

As a symbol of that faith, they banded together to build the amazing Manti L.D.S. Temple. Using hand tools to cut pale yellow limestone from a nearby quarry and to fashion the beautiful woodwork found throughout the temple, their achievement is made even more remarkable by the fact that they were living in a wilderness far from any professional builders or architects, an achievement that rivals the building of the great cathedrals of Europe. That temple now stands for all to see the beauty of the exterior of this amazing building and the Mormon Miracle Pageant is performed on the Temple Grounds hillside area.

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/dailydish/story/The-Mormon-Miracle-Pageant/6Ij8rpVkVkCCfsD3y829bg.cspx

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New Utah trend? Grads plug Mormon missions at commencement

June 10, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

Hundreds of Bountiful High graduates lined up to receive their diplomas at the Regional Center in Woods Cross on Friday, many of whom have already received their LDS mission assignments since the minimum age went from 19 to 18 for young men.

As is the custom, graduating seniors wrote their names on a card to be read aloud as they crossed the stage. Apparently, dozens of young men added what appeared to be the place of their Mormon mission as a “middle name” – as in John “Russia” Doe and James “New York” Smith.

By the end, perhaps 50 or more had done this, according to one parent in attendance.

Was this appropriate at a public high school, where many of the grads are not Mormon, or did it cross church-state lines?

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsfaithblog/56438895-180/age-district-lake-mission.html.csp

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Frederick youth chooses Mormon mission over college

June 9, 2013

Longmont Times Call (Colorado)

Erie High School graduate Dane Stotts was planning for college when his senior year began in the fall, but an October announcement from his church put that on hold.

During the fall conference, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that the minimum age for missionaries would drop from 19 to 18 for men and from 21 to 19 for women.

Stotts, 18, said the traditional two-year mission was always part of his plan, so when he heard about the change, he quickly re-evaluated his priorities.

http://www.timescall.com/ci_23425275/frederick-youth-chooses-mormon-mission-over-college?source=most_emailed

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We are Mormons who love our gay brothers and sisters

June 9, 2013

The Guardian (United Kingdom)

Who are these Mormons marching in the Utah Gay Pride parade? And what are they trying to do?

Not a few individuals have offered their own answers – apparently because the stated purpose of Mormons Building Bridges, “conveying love and acceptance to LGBTQI individuals”, is too simple to accept at face value.

“They’re just tools being used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ public relations department” has been put forward as one explanation by some who can’t grasp that any Mormons would choose to act all by themselves according to the dictates of conscience. I can understand this view. Lots of people have been hurt by previous actions and statements from within the church. Defenses go up and cynicism kicks in.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/09/mormon-utah-pride-festival-gay-rights

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New Zealand’s ‘the real deal’ for Mormons

June 6, 2013

Stuff (New Zealand)

A Mormon missionary has produced a striking guide to serving in New Zealand, describing Kiwis as “earthy, raw, straight-shooting, irreverent, hilarious, and caring folk”.

Missionary Gina Colvin, in a blog on a major Mormon website, also took shots at her own Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints and the way Americans see the world.

She said New Zealand was a secular and morally liberal nation.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8776762/New-Zealands-the-real-deal-for-Mormons

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Mormons were early settlers in what became Nevada; why don’t they show up in the census?

June 9, 2013

Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada)

Mormons made some of the state’s earliest settlements at what became Genoa and Las Vegas. Nevada was largely created out of the Utah territory. Today, about one in 15 Nevadans is Mormon, based on church membership counts. Yet members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don’t show up in Nevada census records in significant numbers until after the turn of the 20th century. Utah was granted statehood in 1896.

What happened to the Mormons?

It’s not really clear, according to two archivists. But there’s several potential factors, including Mormons being called back to Utah in 1857 as the church readied for conflict with the federal government and just poor record keeping by the Census Bureau.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20130610/NEWS/306100012/

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Timaru Mormons happy battling the odds

June 11, 2013

Timaru Herald (New Zealand)

In the wake of American Mormon missionary Gina Colvin writing an amusing and insightful blog about New Zealand’s culture during her time here, reporter Esther Ashby-Coventry asked two Mormons in Timaru what they thought.

Gina Colvin wrote of Kiwis “wine-drinking is an important cultural institution and pre-marital cohabitation is the norm”, which is at odds with the church she represents as it does not allow any stimulants to be imbibed, including Coke.

But cycling around in the cold weather and having doors slammed in their faces has not jaundiced the views of the area for two of her fellow missionaries.

Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints Church elders Nafetalai Vimahi, from Tonga, and Matthew Lawson, from Wellington, have been here 12 weeks and most of the people they have met so far have been friendly.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/8779215/Timaru-Mormons-happy-battling-the-odds

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Pain lingers for black Mormons 35 years after priesthood ban lifted

June 9, 2013

Oneida Daily Dispatch (New York)

June 8, 1978, was a sacred, momentous event — a revelation — in the history of Mormonism, catapulting the Utah-based faith into a new era of global growth.

On that day, the LDS Church ended its ban on blacks in its priesthood, opening ordination to “all worthy male members,” including those of African descent.

http://www.oneidadispatch.com/articles/2013/06/09/news/fec401ab-9ac6-44ce-a444-8b742670a387.txt

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Baptisms for health were once more common than baptisms for the dead

June 10, 2013

Ogden Standard Examiner (Utah)

Most of us know about the ubiquity of the LDS Church performing baptisms for the dead in church temples. And every week in many locations there are baptisms outside temples, either converts or children when they reach eight years. However, in the first half of the LDS Church’s existence, baptisms for health were a common procedure, both in LDS temples and outside. It’s a bit of Mormon history that seems to have been tossed aside.

In Volume 34 (2008) of The Journal of Mormon History, academics Jonathan A. Stapley and Kristine Wright, authors of “They Shall Be Made Whole”: A History of Baptism For Health,” dove into the practice in great detail. They noted its origins, scriptural support, the eager support of church leaders and members, certain rules associated with it, including anointing and prayers afterward, and its eventual drop in popularity and eventual banning in 1922. The fascinating history occurred over 80-plus years.

http://blogs.standard.net/the-political-surf/2013/06/10/baptisms-for-health-were-once-more-common-than-baptisms-for-the-dead/

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Arias jury questions released

June 10, 2013

Headline News

Question # 51

You testified that Travis gave you the book of Mormon at Starbucks. Did you read it thoroughly? If so, when? Does the book of Mormon go into details regarding the vow of chastity?

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/06/10/arias-jury-questions-released

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An Open Letter to Attendees of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting

June 10, 2013

Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Minnesota)

More than 70% of Scout chapters have charters with faith-based organizations. (Baptist churches sponsor over 100,000 Boy Scouts through 4,000 chapters.) Yet not all religions share your disappointment with the BSA’s decision. The Mormon Church, for example, with more than four times the number of Scouts than Baptist congregations, has accepted the Boy Scouts’ ruling on gay membership.

http://www.startribune.com/local/yourvoices/210932771.html

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Gay marriage: Like it or not, polls go in only one direction

June 10, 2013

Los Angeles Times (California)

Not that 58% necessarily translates directly into a ballot booth repudiation of Proposition 8; a lot depends on the campaign, the message, who turns out to vote, who cares the most. But the Mormon Church and its followers, major and active supporters of Proposition 8 during the campaign, have shown several signs that they are not interested in replaying that role. And the support has been heading only one way for years; it’s not as though it has been on a roller-coaster ride.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-gay-marriage-poll-20130610,0,5927059.story

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8 June 2013

tspackman — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 21:02:19 +0000

4th_Watch_7-Symbolic or Literal – A Gospel Perspective

June 8, 2013

FAIR Blog

From the days of Adam to the present our Father in Heaven has used symbolic representations and literal events to teach his children the principles of eternal life. As we learn these principles and inculcate them into who we are, we attempt to make sense of the world in which we live. There are those who struggle with this learning process and become discouraged or disillusioned when life is not clear-cut, when it’s not black or white but shaded with degrees of grey. In this podcast we strive to shed light on this process, using the rainbow of colors that constitute the gospel of Jesus Christ.

http://www.fairblog.org/2013/06/08/4th_watch_7-symbolic-or-literal-a-gospel-perspective/

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Today in History

June 9, 2013

ABC News

In 1978, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints struck down a 148-year-old policy of excluding black men from the Mormon priesthood.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/today-history-19357811

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Olympic golden girl Torah Bright splits from husband

June 9, 2013

Brisbane Courier Mail (Australia)

After growing up in Cooma at the base of the Snowy Mountains in NSW, where she was raised as a Mormon, Torah turned pro at the age of 14 and moved to Salt Lake City in Utah, which hosted the 2002 Winter Games.

She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“For me it’s just a way of life. I don’t drink, smoke, drink tea or coffee, or have sex before marriage,” she once said.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/olympic-golden-girl-torah-bright-splits-from-husband/story-e6freraf-1226660663861

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How to explain LDS religious terms to Jews

June 8, 2013

Jewish Journal of Greater L.A. (California)

When Jews share their religious beliefs with others, they don’t automatically assume that they are familiar with Judaism, and usually do a beautiful job of expressing their thoughts using secular terms that can be understood by all. However, well-meaning Mormons who discuss their beliefs with Jews often sound like they’re writing or speaking to other Mormons, not to non-Christians. Many a Jewish acquaintance or reader has contacted me after hearing a Mormon explain a religious principle using language that didn’t resonate with him or her. In my experience, this often happens when Mormons use Jewish instead of Christian terms to describe their beliefs and practices.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/jews_and_mormons/item/how_to_explain_lds_religious_terms_to_jews

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Ohio State’s Gordon Gee and UMaine’s Dale Lick: loose lips sink presidencies

June 8, 2013

Bangor Daily News (Maine)

As surely benefits one of the highest paid university president in America at every campus he’d led, Gee “richly” deserved, he firmly believed, to live in luxury at others’ expense. Whether, as a devout Mormon, he tithed his income to his church hasn’t been revealed.

http://educationfutureimperfect.bangordailynews.com/2013/06/08/ohio-states-gordon-gee-and-umaines-dale-lick-loose-lips-sink-presidencies/

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McLeod happy with draft results

June 8, 2013

ESPN Chicago

The Cubs’ third pick — outfielder Jacob Hannemann — missed two years of development going on a Mormon mission.

“We went a little bit off the board with his selection,” McLeod said. “We are really excited about his upside and potential as well. He was a guy we felt we just had to have with his athleticism and his strength. We feel he has tremendous upside even though he is already 22 with only one year of baseball under his belt.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/17552/mcleod-happy-with-draft-results

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‘Sharia’ sets off alarms in Canada. Here are the facts (graphic)

June 8, 2013

Vancouver Sun (Canada)

Mormon religious law is handled by male bishops or disciplinary councils, called “stakes.” They rule on adultery, marriage (which Mormons consider “eternal” into the afterlife), divorce, financial wrongdoing and apostasy, which the church defines as promoting teachings in opposition to Mormon doctrine.

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/06/08/sharia-set-off-alarms-in-canada-check-the-facts/

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Broadway favorites and girls’ night out shows on tap for area theaters

June 8, 2013

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (New York)

The big outdoor spectacle each year in the Rochester area is the Hill Cumorah Pageant, which tells the story of the Mormon religion. It takes place on a hill outside Palmyra where, according to church leaders, Joseph Smith received golden plates that became The Book of Mormon.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130608/ENT01/306080060

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7 June 2013

tspackman — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 18:06:56 +0000

A Queer Atheist in the Heart of Mormon Country

June 7, 2013

Huffington Post

Last weekend a group of around 400 Mormons marched in the Utah Pride Parade. Calling themselves “Mormons Building Bridges,” they were met with enthusiastic applause. Carrying signs with messages like “Love 1 Another” and “LDS heart LGBT,” they were there to show their support for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community and celebrate recent advancements in issues relating to LGBTQ people and Mormons, such as Bishops no longer excommunicating members who come out and the Boy Scouts of America voting to allow openly gay scouts to participate. (LGBTQ adults and atheists still cannot do so openly.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-stedman/a-queer-atheist-in-the-heart-of-mormon-country_b_3404657.html

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35 years later, some black Mormons see lingering prejudice

June 7, 2013

Religion News Service

June 8, 1978, was a sacred, momentous event — a revelation — that catapulted Mormonism into a new era of global growth.

On that day, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ended its ban on blacks in its priesthood, opening ordination to “all worthy male members,” including those of African descent.

“For me,” former church President Gordon B. Hinckley said on the day’s 10th anniversary, “it felt as if a conduit opened between the heavenly throne and the kneeling, pleading prophet of God who was joined by his brethren.”

In the 35 years since the announcement, Mormonism has spread exponentially in areas formerly off-limits, especially Africa.

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/06/07/35-years-later-some-black-mormons-see-lingering-prejudice/

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Pain lingers for black Mormons 35 years after priesthood ban lifted

June 7, 2013

Lowell Sun (Massachusetts)

June 8, 1978, was a sacred, momentous event — a revelation — in the history of Mormonism, catapulting the Utah-based faith into a new era of global growth.

On that day, the LDS Church ended its ban on blacks in its priesthood, opening ordination to “all worthy male members,” including those of African descent.

In the 35 years since the announcement, Mormonism has spread exponentially in areas formerly off-limits, especially Africa.

http://www.lowellsun.com/webextras/ci_23411509/pain-lingers-black-mormons-35-years-after-priesthood

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Black Mormons See Lingering Prejudice, 35 Years After Ban On Blacks In Priesthood Was Lifted

June 7, 2013

Huffington Post

June 8, 1978, was a sacred, momentous event — a revelation — that catapulted Mormonism into a new era of global growth.

On that day, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ended its ban on blacks in its priesthood, opening ordination to “all worthy male members,” including those of African descent.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/07/black-mormons-see-lingering-prejudice-35-years-after-ban-on-blacks-in-priesthood-ended_n_3405191.html

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Has Lifting the LDS Priesthood Ban in 1978 Engendered Blacks Athletes to Attend BYU?

June 7, 2013

Huffington Post

Thirty-five years ago marked a significant shift in policy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) when it lifted its priesthood ban against black males. For much of its history as an organized religion (1830-2013), the LDS Church denied people of African ancestry full rights and privileges that white male church leadership was bound to uphold. Church authorities claimed that black skin was a sign of God’s displeasure with them according to various Mormon beliefs and interpretations of the Bible. In addition to the time-honored, Christian-centered Curse of Ham belief, Mormons also believed that Cain, the biblical counter figure found in the Christian Bible, committed fratricide. Hence, a vengeful God punished him with a skin of blackness, thus accenting his transgression to the world and singling his progeny out for differential treatment. Another popular belief found within the Mormon canon is that blacks were fence-sitters between God and the devil in the Great War in heaven. And because they were not valiant in the pre-existence, their contemporary spirits were rendered ineligible for the all-male Mormon priesthood and other church callings and responsibilities.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/darron-t-smith-phd/has-lifting-the-lds-pries_b_3391527.html

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Concerns persist about history, explanations of ban

June 7, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

Some LDS leaders, including then-apostle Bruce R. McConkie, taught that black skin was “the curse of Cain,” an allusion to the biblical figure who killed his brother Abel. Others added the notion that blacks were “less valiant” in the sphere known in Mormon theology as the “premortal existence.”

The official position is that only God knows the reason for the ban.

“Church records offer no clear insights into the origins of this practice,” says a new preamble to LDS President Spencer W. Kimball’s 1978 announcement, which is part of LDS scripture. “Church leaders believed that a revelation from God was needed to alter this practice and prayerfully sought guidance.”

The preamble was added in a new edition of scriptures that came out this year. The introduction makes clear that Mormon founder Joseph Smith had ordained several black men but does not dispel any of the theological myths that arose to defend the practice.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/56422550-80/church-lds-black-god.html.csp

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Pain lingers for black Mormons 35 years after priesthood ban lifted

June 7, 2013

Monterey County Herald (California)

June 8, 1978, was a sacred, momentous event — a revelation — in the history of Mormonism, catapulting the Utah-based faith into a new era of global growth.

On that day, the LDS Church ended its ban on blacks in its priesthood, opening ordination to “all worthy male members,” including those of African descent.

http://www.montereyherald.com/digitalextras/ci_23411509/pain-lingers-black-mormons-35-years-after-priesthood

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Ways to improve Mormon race relations

June 7, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

Here are some ideas, taken from interviews, about improving race relations within the LDS Church:

- Extend the church’s Perpetual Education Fund, a much-praised program that has helped 3,913 men and women from 24 African countries advance their schooling, to America’s urban centers.

- Invest more money and time in recruiting, preparing and supporting African-American students at church-owned schools.

- Expand the faith’s Oral History Project — which has been so successful in Nigeria and Ghana by documenting 5 million family names — to include more places in the U.S., sending field workers into urban centers to record interviews with black members, hearing their conversion tales and making those widely available online.

- Cast a black Adam and Eve in films shown in Mormon temples.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/56422575-80/black-church-mormon-race.html.csp

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Mormon Choir of DC to Perform in Harris Pavilion on Saturday

June 7, 2013

Manassas Patch (Virginia)

Patriotic music will flow through the streets of Old Town Manassas Saturday as the Mormon Choir of Washington, DC performs for the masses in Harris Pavilion.

The Mormon Choir of Washington, DC, will perform “God Bless America! A Celebration of America,” a summer pops concert, at 1 p.m. at the Loy E. Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St.

http://manassas.patch.com/articles/mormon-choir-of-dc-to-perform-in-harris-pavilion-on-saturday

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M.E. Thomas Is a Sociopath

June 7, 2013

Slate

Thomas escapes her abusive Mormon family and coasts through college and into a big law firm through manipulation and coercion. After she is fired for her lazy work, she undertakes a ruthless period of rational introspection. Once she embraces her true nature, she sees the dark light of harnessing her power, moving to a cushy gig as a law professor who screws with her students’ heads and prepares them to master the real world, just as she had in her day: “The law school environment made everyone a little more sociopathic, since we were encouraged to view our successes in a zero-sum game measured by precise numbers.”

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2013/06/american_psycho_s_patrick_bateman_reviews_m_e_thomas_s_confessions_of_a.html

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A growing presence in the LGBT rights movement: The religious

June 7, 2013

Washington Post (DC)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/06/07/a-growing-presence-in-the-lgbt-rights-movement-the-religious/

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Day 2 of Draft delivers bevy of talent

June 7, 2013

Colorado Rockies

Emanuel’s selection kicked off the proceedings Friday, but there were a few other noteworthy picks. The Cubs selected Jacob Hannemann, a freshman outfielder out of Brigham Young University, with the second pick of the day. Hannemann, born in April of 1991, served two years of a Mormon mission before enrolling in college and being named West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year.

http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130607&content_id=49927722&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

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SOUTHERN UTAH MEMORIES: The Muddy River Mission turns out to be a mixture of success and failure

June 7, 2013

KCSG (Utah)

In the fall of 1864, LDS President Brigham Young began asking volunteers to help colonize the Muddy River as part of the Cotton Mission.

Some LDS members were called to design plans for navigating the southern Colorado River while others to called to establish colonies where cotton and other hot weather crops could be grown, according to James W. Hulse, author of The Nevada Adventure; A History.

http://www.kcsg.com/view/full_story/22822535/article-SOUTHERN-UTAH-MEMORIES–The-Muddy-River-Mission-turns-out-to-be-a-mixture-of-success-and-failure?instance=home_news_lead

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Sveum likes what he sees in top-pick Bryant

June 7, 2013

Daily Herald (Illinois)

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130607/sports/706079618/

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The gospel according to this choir is full of life, hope and faith

June 7, 2013

Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nevada)

The choir’s drummer, for example, DeMiyon Hall, is the musical director for Knight; his father, David Blakely, is the choir’s pianist but is the musical director for Knight’s other choir, the Mormon Choir, which a few years ago won a Grammy for best album. The talent runs in the family.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/music/gospel-according-choir-full-life-hope-and-faith

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6 June 2013

tspackman — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:19:58 +0000

Church Providing Relief After Most Recent Oklahoma Tornadoes

June 6, 2013

Mormon Newsroom

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is providing relief supplies and volunteers to support communities in Oklahoma affected by five tornadoes that struck near Oklahoma City on Friday, 31 May. These tornadoes, which came just 11 days after a powerful tornado hit Moore on 20 May, have claimed 20 lives. Officials have confirmed 44 tornado-related deaths and more than 500 reported injuries between 20 May and 5 June.

Since 20 May, more than 5,300 Mormon volunteers have assisted with cleanup efforts, providing 34,000 hours of service. The Church continues to work closely with civil authorities and other community organizations to assess damage and determine areas needing assistance.

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-oklahoma-tornado-relief-update

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VIDEO: Moore, Oklahoma, Woman Leaves For Mormon Mission in Wake of Tornado

June 6, 2013

Mormon Newsroom

Forty years ago, Glenn Orr built the Orr Family Farm, a farm-themed amusement park and horse stables that attract thousands of visitors each year from Oklahoma and beyond. But when a powerful tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma, on 20 May, the Orr Family Farm was decimated.

Amid the chaos and cleanup, family member Shelby Orr is leaving for 18 months of service as a Mormon missionary — a tough thing to do in light of what needs to be accomplished before reopening the farm. Her family fully supports her decision to serve. “We have faith that the Lord knows exactly where we need to be at the right time, and this is the time for her to be [a missionary],” her mother says.

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/moore-oklahoma-woman-mormon-mission

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A Queer Atheist In the Heart of Mormon Country

June 6, 2013

Religion Dispatches

Last weekend a group of around 400 Mormons marched in the Utah Pride Parade. Calling themselves “Mormons Building Bridges,” they were met with enthusiastic applause. Carrying signs with messages like “Love 1 Another” and “LDS heart LGBT,” they were there to show their support for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community and celebrate recent advancements in issues relating to LGBTQ people and Mormons, such as Bishops no longer excommunicating members who come out and the Boy Scouts of America voting to allow openly gay scouts to participate. (LGBTQ adults and atheists still cannot do so openly.)

As I read about Utah Pride in preparation for my remarks this upcoming weekend as the 2013 Boston Pride interfaith speaker, I couldn’t help but reflect on what I learned during a recent visit to Utah.

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/sexandgender/7137/a_queer_atheist_in_the_heart_of_mormon_country/

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Mormon historians gather to talk polygamy, the Pacific, modesty and Mountain Meadows

June 6, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

Ever wonder how the Chinese got to Utah, how Mormons relate to Freethinkers, or how single LDS men fit into the faith’s intellectual landscape in the 19th century?

If so, you can join hundreds of historians from all over the country at the Mormon History Association’s annual conference, which began Thursday at the Davis Conference Center in Layton.

The three-day conference — organized under the theme “The Crowded Landscapes of the Mormon West(s): Agency and Action From the Wasatch Front to the Pacific Rim” — offers a potpourri of fascinating topics relating to LDS history.

Speakers will talk of the LDS “modesty culture” in early 20th-century Utah and in the Mormon Pacific. They’ll look at the church’s Indian Placement Program, blacks working on the railroad, art in Mormon meetinghouses, church reform movements and much more.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsfaithblog/56421298-180/mormon-conference-history-lds.html.csp

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Palmyra’s Hill Cumorah pageant inspired ‘Book of Mormon’ creators

June 6, 2013

Buffalo News (New York)

From dozens of feet above a sprawling stage, a bearded figure in a fluttering white robe descends from the night sky as an audience of thousands gazes up in silent awe. After a majestic touchdown, he slowly strides down an impossibly tall staircase with arms outstretched, each step eliciting a fresh series of gasps from the assembled crowd.

Finally, he speaks:

“Behold,” he declares, in a stentorian voice made earth-rattling by a high-decibel sound system. “I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.”

Behold one of the more elaborate scenes in the annual Hill Cumorah Pageant, an overwhelming theatrical spectacle held annually in Palmyra, just outside of Rochester, that retells the story of the Book of Mormon with a cast of hundreds, retina-searing pyrotechnics and the latest in church-approved choreography.

http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130605/GUSTO/130609506/1003

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Kirby: Mormons have made familial references their own

June 6, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

I’ve had a lot of official titles as a Mormon. I was Elder Kirby on a mission and later President Kirby as an Elders Quorum boss. Mostly I’ve just been Brother Kirby.

“Brother” and “Sister” are how most rank-and-file Mormons refer to each other. I have no idea when or how the practice began, other than it probably began as a reminder of our solidarity in the family of God.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/56417937-80/brother-kirby-sister-bishop.html.csp

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Puerto Rico-born “Hispanic Republican” Idaho Represenative Raul Labrador hurting Mormon outreach

June 6, 2013

Tucson Citizen (Arizona)

The “Hispanic” Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) is a Puerto Rico-born Mormon convert and a lawyer who said he will drop out of the so-called House Gang of Eight — a group that supports legal immigration reform to fix the broken immigration system.

What is it with Republican Mormons who do not practice what the Mormon religion teaches?

We saw the 2012 Republican candidate Mitt Romney (also a Mormon) make a key alliance with Kris Kobach who is the legal architect behind many of the anti-immigrant laws like Arizona’s SB 1070 bill. According to the SPLC, nativist lawyer Kris Kobach has drawn a great deal of criticism for his association with the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

http://tucsoncitizen.com/hispanic-politico/2013/06/06/puerto-rico-born-hispanic-republican-represenative-raul-labrador-helps-make-the-mormons-look-bad-in-idaho/

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Mormons in Hollywood

June 6, 2013

The League of Ordinary Gentlemen

It’s noteworthy that this project isn’t about making movies by Mormons for Mormons. It’s Mormons influencing films for mass consumption.

There is actually a cottage industry for Mormon-to-Mormon entertainment. I was introduced to it when I lived in Deseret. I was, by and large, unimpressed. But then, why would I be? I’m not the target audience. I am not particularly religious. Though I share concern about sex in entertainment, I like a lot of the dark and morally complex stuff that is anathema to a lot of Mormon entertainment. But… I do like a fair number of “family” movies. I can imagine a lot of movies from the Book of Mormon that would interest me[1].

Richard Dutcher’s Brigham City walked the line pretty nicely. On the face of it, it’s a movie about a Utah town[2] that is faced with a serial killer. Mormonism plays a role in the film, but it manages to place it in a context that is engaging for gentiles. The movie did not have all that much success because it was tagged “an LDS film” and was an indy film to boot, but as a blueprint for introducing the faith and worldview[3] without overwhelming people who are not particularly interested in seeing “a Mormon movie.”

http://ordinary-gentlemen.com/burtlikko/2013/06/mormons-in-hollywood/

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Woman Sues Her Ex and the Mormon Church

June 6, 2013

Courthouse News Service

Two years after state prosecutors dropped lurid charges against a woman’s ex-husband and family, she claims in court that the Mormon church covered up clerical sexual abuse of children and shamed the victims.

Jane Doe and her present husband sued the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its Bishops Paul Tonga and Grant Bench, Stake President Gordon Goodman, Minister and Elder Burrell Edward Mohler Jr. (Jane Doe’s ex-husband), Mohler’s father Burrell E. Mohler Sr. (a pastor in the RLDS/COC Church), and the Community of Christ Church (RLDS/COC).

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/06/06/58266.htm

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Conference will draw LDS historians

June 6, 2013

Davis Clipper (Utah)

The Mormon History Association has met all over the world, from China to Denmark, but never here in Davis County — until this year, that is.

This year’s annual conference is being held at the Davis Conference Center in Layton, beginning Thursday, June 6 and running through June 9.

Hundreds of presenters will offer insight on many aspects of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and on issues still relevant today.

“We have professors come from all over the world,” said Bountiful resident and presenter Breck England. ” “People are very interested in Mormonism as a new religion, and that is being shown in the growth, acceptance and influence the church is seeing,” he said.

http://www.davisclipper.com/view/full_story/22807611/article-Conference-will-draw-LDS-historians?instance=home_news_1st_left

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If the Internet is so smart…

June 6, 2013

Boston Globe (Massachusetts)

Facebook has likewise offered me “Hot Mormon Boys” — “that could be a gender misfire but still related to Mormon content you’ve encountered in previous browsing,” Sharma explains — and “Zen Dentistry for St. John’s Alumni.” (“Superior dentistry meets you in a relaxing, spa-like atmosphere.”) That’s because I told Facebook that I attended St. John’s College, the Great Books school in Annapolis, Md. I didn’t go to St. John’s, but I thought it would be neat to have attended a college where you actually learned something.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/06/06/internet-smart-how-come-thinks-was-born-oakland/uh8sn8lqlvbXGThYZ9LAJO/story.html

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5 June 2013

tspackman — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:27:22 +0000

Mormon Tabernacle Choir to Donate Wisconsin Historical Marker

June 5, 2013

Mormon Newsroom

As part of its upcoming tour, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will stop in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, on 19 June to honor the history of Mormon loggers in the area. Choir members donated the funds to erect a commemorative historical marker near the mills where Latter-day Saints cut lumber used to construct the Nauvoo Temple and other buildings. The choir will perform specially prepared musical numbers for members of the community.

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-tabernacle-choir-to-donate-wisconsin-historical-marker

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Urban designers in Salt Lake City praise innovations of the ‘Mormon Grid’

June 5, 2013

Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)

Duany was in town for the annual gathering of the Congress for the New Urbanism… Duany contrasted Salt Lake City’s current conditions to the city as laid out by Brigham Young, whom he called a master of management and the “Henry Ford of urbanism.” When Salt Lake City and other Utah towns began, Young used a system called the “Plat of Zion” or the “Mormon Grid.”

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56386379-90/lake-salt-duany-blocks.html.csp

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Mormon History Association stays close to roots

June 5, 2013

Deseret News (Utah)

Mormon history lovers will gather for the 48th annual MHA conference June 6-9 in Layton, Utah. Though the group today can boast of a membership of approximately 1,100, with members from Hong Kong to St. George, the Salt Lake-based Mormon History Association came from humble beginnings.

Its roots spring from September 1965 and 14 men who shared an interest in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Among them was Leonard J. Arrington, who according to MHA executive director Ron Barney is considered to be the father of the association.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865581156/Mormon-History-Association-stays-close-to-roots.html

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Teens graduate from Mormon seminary in Hacienda Heights

June 5, 2013

San Gabriel Valley Tribune (California)

A dozen students graduated from seminary in the Hacienda Heights Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last weekend. The local district covers much of the San Gabriel Valley. To graduate, students must earn credit for all four years of high school. The local teens had to attend 80 percent of the seminary classes held before the regular school began.

http://www.sgvtribune.com/highlanders/ci_23394167/teens-graduate-from-mormon-seminary-hacienda-heights

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The Data Governance Best Practice Award Recognizes LDS Church

June 05, 2013

PRWeb (New Jersey)

DebTech International LLC, DATAVERSITY and The Data Administration Newsletter (TDAN.com), have announced LDS Church, the winner of the 2013 Data Governance Best Practice Award.

Pablo Riboldi, Solution Manager Information Governance & Quality at LDS Church said, “Receiving this award is a great honor and we appreciate the recognition; however, the most valuable benefit has been participating in the contest through the years, driving us to improve and measure our program against other best practice programs.”

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/6/prweb10797964.htm

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‘Book of Mormon’ Grads Gad, Rannells Look Back on TV Journeys

June 5, 2013

Variety

They were both Tony-nommed for their respective turns in The Book of Mormon. And they both won Grammys for that cast album. This summer, Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells move onto competing for the Emmys — but involving lead roles in different shows, although they were later canceled: Gad for NBC’s 1600 Penn and Rannells for the network’s The New Normal, with added attention likely for his guest role on HBO’s Girls.

http://variety.com/2013/legit/news/book-of-mormon-grads-gad-rannells-look-back-on-tv-journeys-1200491937/

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