April 2008
Shurtleff eager to educate Reid on polygamy battle (4-30-8)
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff wants to "educate" Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on what the state has done to fight polygamy after the Nevada Democrat said Utah and Arizona are turning "a blind eye" to the issue.
FLDS mother gives birth under guard (4-29)
A young woman from the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch gave birth with Texas Rangers and child protective services workers standing guard.
Mormon Times--It's time to change our view of 'works' (4-29)
LAST SUNDAY ON the radio, I was asked why Mormonism resonates so deeply with Latino immigrants.
Child-abuse policies in Utah receive an F (4-29)
Many states often fail to release adequate information about fatal and near-fatal child abuse cases, placing confidentiality above disclosure to a degree that thwarts needed reforms, two child advocacy groups say in a new report.
One phase of FLDS work is complete (4-29)
The last of the extra Texas state troopers, child welfare investigators and others involved in the massive effort of caring for Fundamentalist LDS Church children in custody have rolled out of town.
More than half of teen girls at FLDS ranch are pregnant or had baby (4-28)
More than half the teen girls taken from a polygamist compound in west Texas have children or are pregnant, state officials said Monday.
Mormon Times--Ancient writings support LDS doctrine and teachings (4-28)
Ancient writings unearthed in the last century and a half, primarily in Egypt, are lending support to doctrines and teachings of Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Brigham Young University professor of antiquities said Sunday.
Former FLDS member is sharing her insights on the sect (4-28)
Pastor Gerald Clark's baritone voice boomed as he strummed his guitar and sang, "I've got peace like a river" with his Baptist congregation.
This won't be 'another Short Creek' (4-28)
A Texas lawmaker who helped pass legislation strengthening the state's marriage laws in response to the Fundamentalist LDS Church presence in his state said he believes criminal charges will result from the Eldorado raid earlier this month.
2 young FLDS boys unaccounted for (4-27)
As children from the Fundamentalist LDS Church settled into new foster homes this weekend, the whereabouts of two young boys remains uncertain.
Last of kids separated: All FLDS children in Texas now off to foster care (4-26)
The last of the children taken in the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's Yearning for Zion Ranch are now adjusting to life in the foster care system.
Mormon Times--Church announces plans for two new temples in Arizona (4-25)
Plans to build two new temples in Arizona, one in the Gila Valley and the other in Gilbert, were announced by President Thomas S. Monson. This will bring the total number of temples to 134 already in operation or in the planning and construction phases.
More buses leave San Angelo (4-25)
More buses left the makeshift shelter this morning where children from the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch are being housed.
Mothers shout 'Help!' as they're bused off (4-25)
As the big charter bus pulled away from here, the women threw open the dark-tinted windows and shouted: "Help!"
TIME--Stephenie Meyer: A New J.K. Rowling? (4-24)
Five years ago, on the night of June 1, 2003, a Phoenix housewife named Stephenie Meyer had a dream: a young woman was talking to a beautiful, sparkling man in a sunlit meadow. The man was a vampire. They were in love, and he was telling the girl how hard it was for him to keep from killing her.
Calls from 'Sarah' kept on coming (4-24)
Even after the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch that led to the removal of 437 children, 16-year-old "Sarah" continued calling for help.
Information, interaction online for readers of LDS-related books (4-24)
Upon further review ... it's time to talk books.
Publication offers global perspective (4-24)
The Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University has published "Global Mormonism in the 21st Century," a book compiled from 17 years of conferences on the globalization of Mormonism. The conferences have been sponsored by the International Society and have been held annually at BYU.
Reid requests review of efforts to stop abuse (4-24)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has asked U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey to review the federal efforts to stop child abuse or other criminal activity in polygamous communities.
More buses transport FLDS children to foster care; appeals court agrees to hear motions from mothers (4-24)
Buses rolled out of the San Angelo Coliseum, separating mothers from children who have been sheltered here since they were taken in a raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch.
25 mothers taken from FLDS ranch now believed to be minors (4-24)
The number of children in Texas custody after being taken from a polygamist retreat now stands at 462 because officials believe another 25 mothers from the compound are under 18.
Shurtleff says FLDS prayed for his death (4-24)
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says Fundamentalist LDS Church members prayed for his demise after his motorcycle accident last year.
New York Times Blog--Faith of Our Fathers (4-23)
Watching the polygamists in West Texas come into the sunlight of the 21st century has been jarring, making you feel like a voyeur of some weird historical episode.
FLDS providing DNA samples (4-23)
David J. Williams is repenting from a distance. Though he was earlier cast out of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, he still drove more than 1,200 miles from his home in Nevada to the Schleicher County Memorial Building to give a DNA sample.
Attorneys for Warren Jeffs seeking new trial (4-23)
Attorneys for jailed FLDS leader Warren Jeffs will be in court Thursday seeking a new trial for the 52-year-old spiritual leader of a polygamist sect now embroiled in a massive child custody case in Texas.
Scattered across Texas: Up to 100 FLDS children are relocated (4-23)
The children of the Fundamentalist LDS Church peered out the tinted glass windows of the chartered buses, some jumping up excitedly in their seats and waving to the people outside.
Utah probing call alleging abuse in Hildale (4-23)
The Utah Attorney General's Office has been asked to investigate a phone call alleging abuse in the polygamist border town of Hildale that appears to be similar to calls that sparked the raid on the YFZ Ranch.
Archaeologists unable to find Pratt's remains (4-23)
The exhumation of Parley Parker Pratt ended Tuesday when archaeologists couldn't find the early LDS Church leader's remains.
LDS Church calls request 'erroneous' (4-23)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said a request to help monitor prayer services for women and children in the Fundamentalist LDS Church would be "erroneous."
Mormon Times--LDS singer on stage with Celtic Woman (4-22)
Alex Sharpe still loves the feeling she gets when singing LDS hymns.
Prayers: Request baffles LDS official (4-22)
A judge wants to see if local LDS Church members would be willing to help supervise prayer services at the makeshift shelter where Fundamentalist LDS women and children are being housed.
FLDS children being moved in Texas as DNA testing continues (4-22)
Buses filled with FLDS children left the makeshift shelter at the San Angelo Coliseum early Tuesday afternoon.
Tally of FLDS children jumps from 416 to 437 (4-22)
Guess? Final head count may change
Exhumation begins for Parley Pratt (4-22)
Early LDS official's remains to be moved from Arkansas
Victoria Advocate--VANDALS HIT IN PLACEDO (4-21)
The paint was still wet when a Mormon family discovered threats and slurs sprayed on its house, garage and car early Monday morning.
Texas LDS deal with confusion (4-21)
Shortly after the raid began on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch, a group of Mormon missionaries sat down to eat at a restaurant here.
DNA sampling under way for FLDS children in Texas (4-21)
Authorities have begun collecting DNA samples from children taken from the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch, the Texas Attorney General's Office said.
FLDS consider options to keep their children (4-21)
Lawyers for the Fundamentalist LDS Church are planning to challenge the decisions that placed 416 children from the YFZ Ranch in state protective custody.
Open house expected to draw thousands (4-21)
The opening of a new LDS temple here in July is expected to be a boon for local hotels and tourism.
The Huntsville Times--Churches are growing in fresh directions (4-20)
Other area denominations can point to growth, too. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is looking at
splitting congregations, called wards.
FLDS raid in Texas: How did this happen? (4-19)
2 say changes in church may be behind the troubles
CNS STORY--Ecumenical meeting marks first time Mormons join in papal gathering (4-19)
For the first time, representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in a papal prayer service -- and it all started over coffee.
Cortez Journal Online--Mormons note differences (4-19)
Bishop Russell Decker, who serves the second ward of the LDS church — there are four wards in Cortez — said that while he’s sure individuals discuss the incident within the confines of their home, it has not been a topic within the church.
LDS Church News--2007 Annual Report (4-19)
LDS again stress the difference from FLDS (4-19)
For the third time in the past two weeks, leaders of the LDS Church have asked media outlets to refrain from incorrectly mistaking the Salt Lake City-based faith with a polygamous sect now under legal fire in Texas.
Modern polygamy started in 1929 (4-19)
Modern roots of polygamy in Utah and the United States can be traced back to 1929 to men said to have been "set apart" by Lorin Woolley, who in turn claims to have been secretly authorized by early LDS Church President John Taylor to perform plural marriages. Mormon fundamentalists believe that Taylor had a revelation in 1886 to continue the practice of plural marriage, a contention that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says is wrong.
LDS Newsroom--Respect for Diversity of Faiths (4-18)
A respect for the diverse beliefs and unique contributions of all the world's faiths is one of the hallmarks of Mormonism.
Texas officials deny ex-FLDS members involved in search warrant (4-18)
Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran said Friday that Rebecca Musser, a former member of the FLDS church, did not help law enforcement obtain a search warrant to raid the YFZ ranch.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson: A sense of the sacred (4-18)
When Elder D. Todd Christofferson and his wife, Kathy, were newlyweds striving to adhere to a tight budget, she decided to create a meaningful, though inexpensive, Christmas present for him: a scrapbook representing his life up to that point.
LDS Newsroom--Mormons and Baptists Clean Up Houston Neighborhood (4-18)
Over 200 Mormon teens and youth leaders worked with their Baptist neighbors recently to clean up a downtown neighborhood.
Apostle lists some differences between Mormon and FLDS churches (4-18)
Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has appealed to news media to make a clear distinction between the LDS Church and the FLDS Church, a polygamist sect that in Texas is making headlines.
GetReligion--"What's in a name?" (4-18)
Religion reporters have had some time to reflect on the raid on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Texas.
Is arrest tied to FLDS raid, phone calls? (4-18)
Police in Colorado Springs have arrested a woman for investigation of making a false report to authorities that may be connected to the Fundamentalist LDS Church's raid on the YFZ Ranch in Texas.
Child welfare worker describes FLDS ranch as 'scary environment' (4-17)
A child protective services supervisor took the stand this afternoon providing details for the first time about her encounter with FLDS members on the night of the raid.
Attorneys, media, others descend on San Angelo for FLDS custody hearing (4-17)
Attorneys, the media and polygamist wives in long flowing dresses already have started filtering into the downtown courthouse and City Hall auditorium here for what is anticipated to be at least a day-long hearing to determine the fate of 416 Fundamentalist LDS Church children.
Attorneys make objections as FLDS custody hearing begins (4-17)
The hearing to determine the fate of 416 Fundamentalist LDS Church children taken into Texas state custody got off to a rocky start this morning, with guardian ad litem attorneys representing the children making a flurry of objections.
Other FLDS enclaves are feeling scrutiny (4-17)
When Nephi Barlow got word that his neighbors were worried about him and his family, he called the local sheriff.
C.S. Lewis enthusiast chronicles his passion (4-17)
It all began in a faculty meeting at the Tempe High School seminary with a man and lizard visiting from hell. For S. Michael Wilcox, it was the introduction to a great passion.
What's new: 'More Amazing Mormon World Records' (4-17)
Paul B. Skousen continues to chronicle Latter-day super feats.
BYU professors have eye on pontiff (4-17)
Some Brigham Young University professors have their eye on Pope Benedict XVI as he plans to address presidents of Catholic colleges and universities today.
Mysterious Sarah may be unnecessary in Texas bid to keep FLDS children (4-16)
The pleas of Sarah, the mystery polygamist child bride who told authorities she was battered and sexually abused, was the key that unlocked the doors of the sprawling YFZ Ranch in Eldorado.
Fallout from FLDS raid is intense (4-16)
Texas child protection officials defended the removal of 416 children from the polygamist YFZ Ranch and said they were hopeful a judge on Thursday will continue to keep the children in the state's custody.
Heavily armed operation pleased officials, not FLDS (4-16)
Texas authorities entered the YFZ Ranch April 3 armed with a search warrant, automatic weapons, SWAT teams, helicopters, dozens of law enforcement vehicles--including an armored personnel carrier--and were met with no resistance from the more than 600 residents of the polygamous community.
MormonTimes.com: Ex-model pushing modest styles (4-15)
If anyone understands how the fashion industry romances God-fearing LDS teenagers into dropping cash for bikinis and belly shirts, it's Jennifer Loch. She used to be the woman in the fashion advertisement, wearing the mini skirt and barely-there top.
Mormon Media Observer: The 'perfect storm' goes global (4-15)
American Latter-day Saints have known what it feels like to be scrutinized by the U.S. news media during the past few years -- recently referred to by Dr. Richard L. Bushman as a "perfect storm" of LDS-oriented stories and media interest -- what has been the media perception on the international stage.
Ex-FLDS members try to counter claims of persecution (4-15)
Hearing the FLDS mothers complain about having their families ripped from them is bitterly ironic to Richard Holm.
Mormon Times--Mormon history buffs seek Mormon Battalion 'gold' in California (4-15)
Discharged Mormon Battalion veteran Henry Bigler wanted to make a little money before he headed over California's Sierra Nevada mountains to join the Mormons who were settling the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.
Raid aftermath: Cell phones are confiscated (4-14)
A Texas judge on Sunday ordered law enforcement officials to immediately confiscate all cell phones in the possession of FLDS women and children now housed in temporary quarters here.
Texas authorities move children while dozens of attorneys meet with judge (4-14)
Texas authorities loaded more than 150 children taken from the YFZ ranch nearly two weeks ago onto buses this afternoon, moving them from the cramped conditions they have endured at Fort Concho to the San Angelo Colisuem.
Ex-member defends Texas raid (4-14)
Carolyn Jessop knows many of the people swept up in the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch.
Utah's 'Safety Net' for polygamists is tested (4-14)
The raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's Texas compound is becoming the first true test for Utah's "Safety Net."
Shurtleff connects the FLDS dots (4-14)
Stung by critics who say Utah has done little about the polygamy problem, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff suggested Utah's crackdown on abuses within the closed societies may have ultimately led to the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's Texas compound.
FLDS appear to be staying put in border towns (4-14)
In what appears to be fallout from the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's Texas compound, residents in the polygamous border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., are now signing deals to stay in their homes.
U.S. Muslims and Mormons share deepening ties (4-13)
The Mormon Church has to be among the most outgoing on earth; in recent years its leaders have reached out to, among others, Latinos, Koreans, Catholics and Jews.
Singer isn't eager for his retirement (4-13)
In 1959, when he was 10 years old and growing up in Cody, Wyo., Keith Finlayson heard a song on the radio that shaped his musical destiny.
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal Online--Mormon Church missionaries link with community (4-13)
Monday is a day of rest for Elders Mack and Hansen. It's not that they're old and need rest; "elder" is the word for teacher in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dustin Mack is 19 and Darrick Hansen is 21.
LDS Church critical of media reports on FLDS (4-12)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is criticizing international news media outlets for failing to distinguish between the mainstream LDS Church and the Fundamentalist LDS Church.
Joseph Smith translated by revelation, professor says (4-11)
The only way Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, could have written the Book of Mormon is the way he said he did, Daniel C. Peterson said in a lecture at the Olivewood book store Thursday.
Eldorado search warrants detail seizure of multiple items (4-11)
Texas authorities released Friday more than 80 pages detailing a multitude of items seized from a ranch of Fundamentalist LDS Church members.
Providing for FLDS costing Texas tens of thousands daily (4-11)
Child welfare officials said Friday they've been receiving "hundreds of calls," many from FLDS parents whose children were taken from their homes and placed into state custody.
Men: Faithful surrounded temple but didn't fight raid (4-11)
Dozens of FLDS faithful surrounded the gates of their only temple in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent a SWAT team from entering it, Texas police officials revealed Thursday.
FLDS women: Mothers plead to see children (4-11)
Three mothers of 10 children taken from the Yearning For Zion Ranch by Texas authorities told the Deseret Morning News Thursday that child-welfare workers will not allow them to see or talk to their children.
Docudrama highlights faith of Emma Smith (4-11)
Her life, her choices and her motives may have been second-guessed more than those of any other woman in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now filmmakers have sought to portray what they say is Emma Smith's legacy of faith and perseverance in a new film made primarily for her descendants but opening this weekend to the public in area theaters.
'Emma Smith' is a labor of love (4-10)
** 1/2--Katherine Nelson, Patricia Place, Nathan Mitchell; rated PG (violence)
Search: Were beds in temple used for teen sex? (4-10)
A Texas Ranger serving a search warrant at a polygamist ranch says there are beds inside the FLDS Church's only temple.
Barlow says he's wrong guy (4-10)
Law enforcement officers here said Thursday morning they've now concluded their search of the YFZ Ranch in nearby Eldorado.
Texas raid has Hildale residents 'wound up' (4-10)
Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith says he met personally with Hildale Mayor David Zitting to reassure him that "we don't anticipate anything happening here" that is connected to or reflects the events occurring in Texas.
Parallels to Short Creek raid in 1953 are pointed out (4-10)
In the early morning hours, law enforcement moved into the polygamist community, seizing hundreds of women and children under the premise of child abuse--specifically that young girls were being married to older men.
Majority of Utahns say removal of FLDS children was justified (4-10)
As the legal battle begins over last week's siege of an FLDS compound here, a majority of Utahns believe law enforcement was justified in removing more than 400 children from the ranch, a new Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll shows.
Final tally: 416 children removed (4-9)
Now that the search for children living at a remote polygamous ranch near here is over, the legal issues begin.
Scale of Texas' tough task unprecedented (4-9)
The scale of the decision by Texas child welfare workers to take 416 children into state custody dwarfs any endangerment response in Utah--or anywhere else for that matter.
Mormon Times--Passover traditions draw interest from LDS audience (4-8)
For some 3,300 years, Jews have been observing Passover, commemorating when the angel of death passed over the Hebrew families, sparing their eldest child, prior to the Israelite exodus from Egypt.
Mormon Times--Relationships are key to building LDS credibility internationally (4-8)
Elder Lance B. Wickman says he sometimes smiles when asked: "What does a church need lawyers for?"
State treatment in question as FLDS lose custody of kids (4-8)
A boy shook his head "no" Tuesday morning when the Deseret Morning News asked if the children taken from an FLDS ranch near here were being treated well.
Salt Lake Council OKs motion to build City Creek skybridge (4-8)
The Salt Lake City Council approved a motion Tuesday night that will allow the LDS Church to build a skybridge over Main Street for the City Creek Center. Council members Carlton Christensen, Van Turner, Eric Jergensen, Jill Remington Love, J.T. Martin and Soren Simonsen approved the motion.
Global awareness of LDS Church growing (4-8)
Positive public perception of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appears to be progressing as international relations increase, according to speakers at the LDS International Society's 19th annual conference on Brigham Young University campus Monday.
Spartan Daily--'Fighting Insanity' Setting the record on Mormons straight (4-7)
This may surprise some people, but I do not have horns and a tail. Yes, there are some people that believe such things. Why? Because I am a Mormon.
Name raising eyebrows (4-7)
Ironically, women and children from the FLDS Church's Texas ranch in Eldorado are being housed in neighboring Tom Green County--which shares the name of one of Utah's most notorious polygamists.
Moving forward: LDS leader reaches out, urges respect (4-7)
President Thomas S. Monson issued an appeal Sunday for those who have left the LDS Church to come back, and for church members to respect people whose beliefs differ from theirs.
Wilberg, choir shine at conference debut (4-7)
Mack Wilberg, the newly appointed 15th music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, made his debut at general conference this weekend.
LDS officials to meet with gay group (4-7)
After decades of silence, LDS Church officials have agreed to meet with a gay Mormon support group that has sought to forge understanding between the faith's leaders and its gay members.
Texas ranch probe grows (4-6)
After FLDS Church leaders balked, local law-enforcement officials entered and searched the sect's temple late Saturday, looking for a 16-year-old girl who reported being abused.
Dozens of leaders called to LDS posts (4-6)
Fifteen new general authorities were called to serve in the LDS Church's Quorums of the Seventy during the opening session of the 178th Annual General Conference on Saturday, a new member of the Presidency of the Seventy was named, and a new presidency was called to lead the Young Women of the church.
Elder Scott blasts abuse, offers hope (4-6)
In an unusually frank public sermon on a sensitive topic, Elder Richard G. Scott told Latter-day Saints during the faith's general conference on Saturday that God knows the details of each act of verbal, emotional, physical or sexual abuse and will help victims while holding abusers accountable.
LDS therapists' workload expected to rise (4-5)
College students, military recruits and LDS missionaries are experiencing more bouts with mental illness than in the past, and the trend is likely to continue, so Mormon mental health professionals willing to volunteer their services will be more in demand than ever before.
Texas officials 'preparing for the worst' (4-5)
Texas officials said Saturday that 183 individuals--including 137 infants and children--have been removed from the YFZ polygamist ranch in Eldorado.
167 kids taken in Texas raid (4-5)
Authorities have removed 167 children from the Fundamentalist LDS Church's compound near Eldorado, Texas, after a raid over allegations of child sex abuse on the Utah-based polygamous sect's ranch.
Arkansas Judge says remains of Parley P. Pratt can be moved to Utah (4-3)
The remains of an early Mormon leader murdered 151 years ago in Arkansas can be moved to Utah for burial as long as other burial sites are not disturbed, a judge has ruled.
MormonTimes.com: Fashion show makes a statement for modesty (4-3)
When Kelsey Hiskey walked down the runway last week dressed in her white, ruffled wedding dress with her fiance, Jared Glenn, the point of the faith-based fashion show was clear--when young women wear modest attire through their teen years, they are creating a pathway to their church's temple marriage.
What's new: 'The Holy Secret' (4-3)
James L. Ferrell is the managing director of a firm that specializes in resolving conflict. In 2004, he authored a book called "The Peacegiver." Two years later, he wrote a book called "The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict."
Gathering is way of life for us Mormons (4-3)
THIS WEEK, LATTER-day Saints will gather their families, gather their thoughts and then gather in person or by television at the heart of Salt Lake City for general conference.
Washington Square News--Living Mormon (4-2)
When Gallatin freshman Alexis Sumsion arrived to New York City from Utah, she was coming to a place where less than 1 percent of the population shared her Mormon faith.
Mormon Times--'We'll call in our solemn assemblies' (4-2)
Thirteen years ago, on April 1, 1995, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met in solemn assembly in the Salt Lake Tabernacle and sustained a new president of the church.
Mormon Times--Word of the Week: 'Sustain' (4-2)
In its most literal sense, "sustain" means to hold up from beneath. Sustain comes from the root "to stretch." In Latin, sustain came to mean to hold, keep, maintain, to cause to endure or continue, to hold onto. It also has the sense of holding by the hand and sustenance.
MormonTimes.com: President Thomas S. Monson to be sustained as 16th president of the LDS Church (4-1)
President Thomas Spencer Monson will be formally sustained by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a solemn assembly during the faith's two-day 178th Annual General Conference, which begins Saturday.