April 2007
New York Times--The Mormons - Review - Television (4-30-7)
If your beliefs are any good, you needn't be afraid to bring them out into the light. The proof: "The Mormons," a thoughtful two-part series on PBS.
Historic Las Vegas (4-29)
Probably the most overlooked tourist site in Las Vegas is also its lowliest in terms of glamor, glitz, size and neon. However, the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park is worth a visit for a priceless lesson in pioneer history and as a contrast to the modern Las Vegas.
Gentle Mormon historian wasn't full of himself (4-29)
Davis Bitton passed away recently after a distinguished, even elegant, career as a historian/professor. He was 77. He grew up in Blackfoot, Idaho, but his super brain decreed that he should be educated at Princeton--where he came away with both a master's and a doctorate.
Christian musicians build bridge of praise (4-28)
Sometimes you just need the words. Paul Cardall is known for lyrical piano music that speaks to the heart and the soul, but for his latest CD, he says, he needed to say things he couldn't say instrumentally.
Washington Post--Debating History: Did Brigham Young Order a Massacre? (4-28)
One hundred fifty years ago, a glorious September morning in the Utah mountains morphed into Mormonism's darkest hour when a militia opened fire on a wagon train, leaving more than 120 men, women and children dead in a flowery field.
ABC News--Anti-Mormon DVDs Anger Church Members (4-27)
It arrived in everyone's post office box or at their front door along with the latest junk mail.
Slate--God Is Not Great (4-27)
This week Slate is publishing three excerpts from Christopher Hitchens' new book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.
A documentarian looks at 'The Mormons' (4-27)
Anyone who's planning to use the two-part, four-hour PBS documentary "The Mormons" in Sunday School at their local ward is going to be sorely disappointed. But then so is anyone who's planning to hang copies of the program on doorknobs to convince members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to abandon their faith.
BYU graduation facts (4-27)
Warm welcome for Cheney (4-27)
A month of controversy over the decision to invite Vice President Dick Cheney to speak at Brigham Young University's commencement ended Thursday with more than 20,000 BYU graduates and their families, along with faculty and staff, soaking Cheney in applause.
Cheney talk a thrill for big BYU crowd (4-27)
Family and friends of Brigham Young University graduates braved lengthy lines and intense security measures for the 2007 commencement--but the chance to hear Vice President Dick Cheney during Thursday's exercises is what most will remember.
Nader challenges decision to invite v.p. (4-27)
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader drew cheers and applause Thursday as he questioned Brigham Young University's decision to invite Vice President Dick Cheney to speak at the school's graduation ceremony.
'Pioneers' bid college adieu (4-27)
LDS Business College commencement activities Thursday were a combination of the new and the familiar.
LDS Church leaders and BYU degrees (4-26)
BYU has bestowed honorary degrees on six men who later became presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
20,000 to hear Cheney at BYU: He'll get honorary doctorate (4-26)
Air Force Two will deliver the vice president of the United States to Utah this afternoon, when Dick Cheney will speak to more than 20,000 people during commencement exercises at Brigham Young University.
Cheney arrives in Utah as demonstrators line sidewalks near BYU (4-26)
Vice President Dick Cheney arrived at Salt Lake International Airport at 1:56 p.m., nearly two hours after various groups lined Provo sidewalks to both decry and support the vice president, who is in Utah to speak at Brigham Young University's commencement rites.
Trial set in slaying of LDS missionary (4-25)
A jury trial for a man charged with killing an LDS Church missionary from Bountiful has been scheduled to go forward in October.
The Hollywood Reporter--'Dawn' recalls Sept. 11 killings--but in 1857 Utah (4-25)
Religious fanaticism leading to a Sept. 11 massacre sounds very contemporary, but "September Dawn" is actually about events that happened in 1857.
Mountain Meadows relatives mark 150th anniversary (4-24)
In April 1857, several families gathered at Beller Spring near Harrison, Ark., to make final preparations before starting their wagons for the west. Soon, other Arkansas families joined the westbound wagon train. The emigrants had big herds of cattle and dreams to match, but they never reached their goal of California.
Protest leader walks fine line (4-24)
Last semester, weekly meetings of the College Democrats club at Brigham Young University drew three or four people. The club shot out of obscurity this month when new club president Diane Bailey organized an on-campus political protest to criticize the record of Vice President Dick Cheney.
Yeltsin had effect on Utah (4-24)
Boris Yeltsin's effect on Utah was more direct than one might think. Take the Russian literature class at the University of Utah, for example. Six students were enrolled during spring term in 1993. That fall, enrollment jumped to 24 and currently hovers around 30.
LDS Newsroom: Balancing Interest and Good Taste (4-24)
The current interest in American politics and political figures who are Mormons continues to draw attention to the beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The latest example was the 22 April broadcast on PBS's "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly."
LDS humanitarian aid explored (4-21)
Humanitarian aid by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is explored in the "Acts of God" documentary series, set to air in its entirety during May on the BYU Cable-TV channel.
Seven-part anti-pornography series reported by the LDS Church News (4-21)
Is Warren Jeffs Losing Sanity? (4-20)
Has the polygamous prophet Warren Jeffs become insane in jail and incompetent to stand trial?
Park isn't place for development (4-20)
This Is the Place Heritage Park will no longer be the place for commercial development.
Father can't sue LDS Church (4-20)
The Utah Court of Appeals has ruled that a father locked in an international custody battle with his former wife in Japan cannot sue The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for ordaining his two sons into the LDS priesthood against his wishes.
Institute a refuge to stunned LDS students at Virginia Tech (4-19)
Layton resident and Virginia Tech student Sunny Drysdale was one building over from Norris Hall Monday morning, but she didn't hear any of the shooting going on inside that left 30 dead.
BYU clarifies Honor Code about gay orientation (4-18)
Brigham Young University modified text included with its Honor Code last week, a change that clarifies the university's policy against homosexual behavior among students rather than against homosexual orientation.
Ground broken for Liahona school (4-18)
After more than a year of eager anticipation, Liahona Preparatory Academy officials broke ground for their new school on Saturday.
Correction: Parley P. Pratt (4-17)
Early LDS Church apostle Parley P. Pratt was killed in May 1857 in Arkansas by a man from San Francisco who blamed Pratt for the man's estrangement from his wife, whom Pratt married. A story in Saturday's Deseret Morning News incorrectly identified the killer and his motive.
Daily Herald--Kieth Merrill apology (4-16)
To the myriad fans of Richard Dutcher and members of the LDS film community, many of whom I have disillusioned and offended and to whom I wish to apologize. The essence of the following is being personally delivered to Richard and Gwen Dutcher by a mutual friend.
Utah's volunteer rate tops in U.S., study says (4-16)
A new study based on three years of data has ranked Utah tops in the nation for its high rate of volunteering.
Noted LDS historian R. Davis Bitton dies (4-16)
R. Davis Bitton, historian and retired University of Utah professor, died April 13, 2007, at his home in the Salt Lake City Avenues district. He was 77.
Rexburg's last bar closes its doors (4-16)
They'll have to cry in their soda pop in this LDS town from now on.
In-your-face gospel riles town (4-15)
Christian couple's confrontational style gets hostile response in Mormon Nauvoo
Salt Lake mall rubble to rise again (4-15)
The replacement of Crossroads Plaza and ZCMI Center malls with City Creek Center isn't all out with the old, in with the new.
LDS-Indian history studied (4-15)
MAKING SPACE ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER: MORMONS, MINERS AND SOUTHERN PAIUTES, by W. Paul Reeve, University of Illinois Press, 231 pages, $35
LDS-tied events to bisect in Arkansas (4-14)
Latter-day Saints familiar with early church leader Parley P. Pratt may find it ironic that a conference exploring his life will take place in Arkansas the same day that descendants of those killed in the Mountain Meadows Massacre gather in a different part of that state.
New organist chosen (4-14)
Andrew E. Unsworth has been appointed a full-time Tabernacle organist, joining three other full-time and two part-time organists currently serving on Temple Square, according to an announcement from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Cannon creates PAC to aid 'like-minded' (4-14)
Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, has created a political action committee aimed at getting "like-minded" contributors--and candidates--involved in the election process.
Daily Herald - Kieth Merrill: Dutcher comments showed arrogance (4-14)
Richard Dutcher's "parting words" to Mormon cinema--and with it any lingering allegiance to the LDS Church--would be laughable if it weren't so tragic. There is an old adage that suggests: "Never dignify stupidity with a response." I should listen.
Daily Herald - Richard Dutcher: 'Parting words' on Mormon movies (4-12)
Good filmmaking is the only thing that will save Mormon cinema. Six years ago, most of you were frustrated, aspiring filmmakers. You hadn't yet made a film. Thanks to the energy surrounding the Mormon cinema explosion, you've now made a film. Or two.
Daily Herald--Ex-Mormons use billboard to reach others (4-11)
LOGAN -- A billboard aimed at uniting former Mormons has gone up on Main Street in a city that once had the image of a local temple on its public seal. Jeff Ricks, a member of Post-Mormon Community, said similar signs in other cities could follow as the group tries to reach former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Politico--Mormon-Run PAC Aims to Broaden Its Reach (4-11)
A new congressional campaign group could piggyback on Mitt Romney's apparent success in rounding up political cash from first-time Mormon contributors.
PBS's 'Mormons' is independent, church points out (4-10)
PBS's two-part, four-hour documentary "The Mormons" doesn't air until the end of the month, but The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is already trying to make it clear that the church itself did not produce the film.
LDS at Y. called too deferential to Bush (4-10)
Most LDS students at Brigham Young University are too deferential to the Bush administration, a BYU professor said Monday during a panel discussion about Vice President Dick Cheney and the war on terror.
The Politico--Mormons Heighten Public Relations Efforts (4-9)
Amid heightened scrutiny because of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's White House bid, the Mormon church is raising its public relations profile, making moves that reflect deep concerns over widely held myths about the faith and internal anxiety over the need to convince outsiders that it will remain neutral as a Mormon runs in the 2008 contest.
The Presidency's Mormon Moment - New York Times (4-9)
How might Mitt Romney defend himself against the charge that, as president, he would be vulnerable to direction from the prophet of his church?
Hugh Hewitt: Woodward's Mormon Moment (4-9)
I was pretty certain that Kenneth Woodward hadn't read my book, and in an interview just concluded, he confirmed as much.
Focus on LDS treatment of animals (4-7)
While some Latter-day Saints view environmentalists among their fellow members as "extremists," there is a growing movement--at least in the scholarly community--to rethink what it means for men to have "dominion over the Earth."
LDS support is mixed blessing for Romney's campaign (4-7)
It is the rare presidential candidate who comes to Idaho to raise money, but there was Mitt Romney last month, packing more than 100 people, at up to $2,300 a head, into the Crystal Ballroom in Boise.
Power shift for FLDS may be under way (4-6)
Here in this stronghold of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, a power shift may be under way in the polygamist sect's hierarchy.
'Mormon Way' hot topic (4-6)
Connecticut author Jeff Benedict is on a cross-country book-signing tour for his latest work. For an author, that is not unusual.
Y. rally quite tame: Demos object to Cheney speech; other students protest the protest (4-5)
The only thing burned Wednesday at a midday campus protest at Brigham Young University was the students' skin.
Washingtonian.com--Voight's New Movie May Cause Trouble for Romney (4-4)
'September Dawn' may force a 150-year-old massacre into the 2008 presidential race.
Open Letter to the First Presidency Regarding the Charge of Hatred | Mormonism Research Ministry (4-4)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 50 East North Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0002 Dear Sirs, As a Christian living in the Salt Lake Valley, I wish to express my indignation at your church's tacit approval of the Anti-Defamation League's accuastion of hatred towards Christians who were involved in a recent DVD distribution.
From LDS mission to the minors (4-4)
Jimmy Scholzen has been on deck for the last two years and now it's time for him to step up to the plate.
An LDS conference outside the U.S.? (4-3)
The early success of the Perpetual Education Fund led its managing director to suggest Monday that future general conferences of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could be held outside the United States.
Heritage Park petition drive begins (4-3)
Headed up by a former This Is the Place Heritage Park curator, a group of Utahns has started a petition drive calling on the governor and other state leaders to put ownership of the park in state hands.
LDS Newsroom: PBS Film Likely to Cause Debate (4-2)
PBS is keeping a tight lid on the forthcoming four hours of documentary television that it is calling "The Mormons"--due to air on April 30 and May 1 on the PBS network.
Hurtful evangelism (4-2)
I was appalled to read your front-page story ("Anti-Mormon group gives away DVDs in pre-LDS Conference campaign," March 27) on the Christian evangelicals' crude attempt to "shake Mormons' faith."
177th Annual LDS General Conference (n.d.)
Forgiveness is extolled (4-2)
The healing power of forgiveness, caution on divorce and the continued opportunity for repentance were among the varied topics addressed during the final day of the 177th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Cheers? Alcohol added to some energy drinks (4-1)
Packed with caffeine, energy drinks are already a concern in some health-profession circles.
Historic Kirtland: Revisit Ohio town's central role in the early development of the LDS Church (4-1)
It was all so new back then. That's the thing that strikes you about Kirtland--how early it took its central place upon the stage.
Church president defends Mormon faith, validity of Book of Mormon (4-1)
Wishing followers safe travels, peace and harmony in their homes, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints closed a two-day biannual conference Sunday by reminding the faithful to treat each other with care.
Mormons counseled to find forgiveness after tragedy (4-1)
Mormons should strive for forgiveness despite the anger and bitterness that can follow tragedy, an elder in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints counseled Sunday, the second day of the faith's biannual conference.
Salt Lake Tabernacle rededicated (4-1)
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took a nostalgic step back in time Saturday to witness rededication of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, one of the city's most venerable landmarks.
Photo gallery of the remodeled Mormon Tabernacle (4-1)
Tabernacle reborn (4-1)
Thousands of Latter-day Saints who entered the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Saturday afternoon for the second session of their 177th Annual General Conference sat on new oak benches, walked on new carpeting and used re-configured stairways to the balcony.
Tabernacle timeline (4-1)
Three boweries provided shelter for meetings on Temple Square during the earliest years of settlement. The "Old Tabernacle" then served the purpose from 1852-1867, before the oval Salt Lake Tabernacle succeeded it.