August 2007
Massacre apparently will never die (8-31-7)
As the dozens if not hundreds of books, newspaper articles, debates, discourses, dissertations, monuments, ancestral associations that hold annual conventions and now a full-length movie timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the atrocity attest, the Mountain Meadows Massacre is never going to die.
Filmmakers hope to capture Emma Smith's untold legacy (8-31)
While Brigham Young and others took the bulk of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith's papers west during the great migration of Latter-day Saints to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, Emma Smith stayed behind, a widow with her own memories and her own papers. She left a largely untold legacy to her children that is now being told by her descendants.
LDS Newsroom--New Temples Rising in Remote Locations (8-30)
Church members across the world have long visited temples in order to join in the highest sacraments of their faith--including the sealing of family members in what they believe is an eternal unit.
The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California--Comics who come at you from three angles (8-30)
When the curtain goes up on “A Muslim, A Mormon, and A Jew Walk into A Bar: The Comedy of Religion,” Lisa Geduldig hopes audiences will laugh their socks off. Not to mention their kippahs, hijabs and holy garments.
Provo firm to produce movie on Emma Smith (8-30)
A Provo film production company is set to announce plans today to complete a feature-length narrative film on the life of Emma Hale Smith, wife of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith.
LDS.org - News and Events Article - Three Called to Presidency of the Seventy (8-29)
Three members of the First Quorum of the Seventy have been called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, effective on August 1, 2007. Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder Claudio R. M. Costa, and Elder Steven E. Snow have been called to succeed Elder Charles Didier, Elder Merrill J. Bateman, and Elder Robert C. Oaks.
How Shall We Think about Bill Maher's Upcoming Anti-Religion Documentary? (8-29)
Comic Bill Maher plans to take on religion in an upcoming documentary. (HBO)
Kirilenko praises Utahns, LDS to media in Russia (8-29)
Andrei Kirilenko had a difficult and sometimes emotional time with the Utah Jazz last season, but recent interviews in two Russian publications seem to indicate he is quite comfortable with his Utah surroundings, especially the predominant local religion and landscape.
BYU degree programs being overhauled (8-29)
A massive overhaul of Brigham Young University's 415 degree programs is under way, in response to both a national trend and specific requirements imposed by the agency that accredits BYU.
News Blaze--Can Mitt Romney Serve Two Masters? (8-28)
Let me ask you this: Would you have confidence in a president, in a time of war or otherwise, if he had lived a life of believing deception?
The Denver Post--LDS's Can-Do Spirit (8-28)
Deseret - "the brand that money can't buy" - appears on the Mormon-made goods, from soap to beef, and serves as an emblem for a unique private welfare system that blankets the globe.
The Boston Globe--Romney gets mention on 'Big Love,' will be part of documentary (8-28)
The confluence of Hollywood and politics continues for Mitt Romney's presidential bid, revolving around his Mormon faith.
Charges dropped against polygamist after blackmail scheme revealed (8-27)
Arizona prosecutors have dropped charges against former Hildale police officer and polygamist Rodney Holm, after it was learned the alleged victim in his case tried to sell her testimony to Fundamentalist LDS Church leaders.
LDS quake aid easing pain in Peru (8-25)
Carlos Ayo was given a single day to hope.
ACLU, Justice support lawsuit by LDS student (8-25)
The Justice Department is joining the American Civil Liberties Union in backing a student who lost his state-funded merit-based scholarship because he left college to serve a two-year church mission.
September Dawn film reviews (8-24)
Christian Science Monitor--Ahead of 'September Dawn,' Mormon Church revisits dark period (8-24)
In response to the new movie, the church sheds light on the 1857 Mountain Meadows massacre.
CBS News--10 Questions: About Mormons (8-24)
Is America ready to elect a Mormon as president? It's a question a lot of people have been asking, ever since Mormon Mitt Romney announced his run for the White House. Katie Couric interviews Kenneth Woodward
Smith descendant seeks end to familial Young-Smith enmity spanning 150 years (8-24)
A strain of animosity that has existed for more than 150 years between the families of two early LDS Church leaders is on the mend, according to a descendant of church founder Joseph Smith.
BYU creates 2nd film on Mayans, Olmecs (8-24)
Two years after their first documentary film about the origins of the Book of Mormon, scholars at Brigham Young University have produced a second film detailing how the Mayan and Olmec civilizations parallel details in the book.
The Daily Utah Chronicle--Professor given Mormon history award (8-24)
Robert Goldberg, a professor in the history department in the College of Humanities, received the Thomas Kane Award from the Mormon History Association earlier this year for his defense of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and raising awareness of anti-Mormon sentiment on campus and outside of the state.
The Initiative on the Future of Journalism--The Pageantry of Faith (8-23)
PALMYRA, N.Y.—Perhaps the last place you’d expect to find an FBI Special Agent is decked out in costume, acting in a pageant on the side of a hill in upstate New York. But that’s just how Bill Matthews, an agent stationed in Bangkok, spent his summer vacation.
Romney won't see "September Dawn" (8-23)
Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney says he won't be attending "September Dawn," a movie about the killing of 120 unarmed Arkansas pioneers by Mormon settlers in Utah in 1857.
BYU Hawaii--BYU-Hawaii contingent helps celebrate Tonga LDS centennial (8-23)
A contingent of BYU-Hawaii faculty and students, along with about 40 others from the community, this past summer helped celebrate the centennial of the reintroduction of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionaries in the Kingdom of Tonga.
RealClearPolitics--Romney and the Mormon Issue (8-23)
On Monday, Mark Davis had a column on RealClearPolitics that discussed Mitt Romney and how he has handled the issue of his Mormonism.
Sanpete Messenger--Manti support group aims to help women out of polygamy (8-22)
A former polygamist who left what she calls an abusive organization years ago is trying to help other women do the same, and is forming a first-of-its-kind support group in Manti for people wishing to leave polygamous groups or relationships.
The Christian Century--A Mormon President? The LDS Difference (8-21)
Shortly before the Southern Baptist Convention met in Salt Lake City in 1998, the SBC missions board distributed over 45,000 evangelistic kits titled "The Mormon Puzzle: Understanding and Witnessing to Latter-day Saints."
BYU owns this label: still stone-cold sober (8-21)
Hey, everybody at Brigham Young University, it's time to party like it's 1998.
BYU ranks 79th in news magazine survey (8-20)
Brigham Young University is ranked 79th in U.S.News & World Report's annual survey, "America's Best Colleges," with the Marriott School of Management's undergraduate program ranked among the top 50 in "Best Business Programs," coming in at 38th.
MormonSpeak: Pre-existant stud (8-20)
I've looked at this from every possible perspective, and I've finally come to one completely inescapable conclusion.
Philadelphia Inquirer--For Mormons, a trying mission in Phila (8-19)
The ruddy-cheeked extrovert is Elder Mills, age 20. He raps on doors - hundreds every day - with an eager knock, na-knock, na-knock-knock-knock.
Utah rushes to offer humanitarian aid to Peruvian quake victims (8-18)
Help from Utah is on its way to Peru, and more is planned to be dispatched to the quake-devastated country this weekend.
San Francisco Chronicle--Mormon author Carol Lynn Pearson tries to separate church and hate (8-18)
It's the question Carol Lynn Pearson hears just about every time she appears in public. She heard it again last weekend, during an audience discussion that followed a packed-house performance of her play "Facing East" at Theatre Rhinoceros.
Pres. Faust knew who comes first (8-18)
If you took everything said and written about President James E. Faust over the past week and counted how often certain words were used, words like "kindness," "sweet" and "loving" would be near the top of the list.
Southern Virginia is penalized for paying players (8-18)
ROANOKE, Va.--The NAIA placed Southern Virginia's entire athletic program on probation for the 2007-08 school year and ordered the football team to forfeit five wins for paying two players.
Seven LDS Church members among Peru quake victims (8-17)
Seven members of the LDS Church are confirmed dead as a result of Wednesday's 8.0 magnitude earthquake in Peru that killed more than 500 people, said church spokesman Scott Trotter.
Bishop Burton extols quality of City Creek Center (8-17)
Though he revealed no new information about the City Creek Center while addressing lawmakers Thursday evening, Presiding Bishop H. David Burton did assure them of the quality of the massive downtown development.
2,372 earn BYU diplomas (8-17)
Elder D. Todd Christofferson urged thousands of Brigham Young University students, as they received their degrees on Thursday at the Marriott Center, to pursue and achieve greatness in their lives.
LDS Church assessing quake damage (8-17)
Giancilo Vergel, 22, struggled to finish a final exam at Brigham Young University Wednesday after receiving news of the 8.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated his Peruvian homeland.
BYU Ed Week is featuring 1,000 classes (8-16)
This year's Education Week features 179 presenters brought back by popular demand and 29 new presenters as organizers of the 85th annual event offer more than 1,000 classes on topics from home organization to scriptural understanding to making money and brain mapping.
'White Star' follows young man's journey back to his family (8-16)
It's really no accident that Doug Stewart's new play, "The White Star," deals with redemption and God's healing power.
Expert to teach small-space gardening (8-16)
Traditional row gardening wastes space, grows weeds and is inefficient, says a gardening expert who'll be teaching at Campus Education Week at Brigham Young University.
Classes to offer tips on 'The Pursuit of Happiness' (8-16)
People can be happier if they can learn to understand themselves, says one Campus Education Week teacher.
Emotional farewell: Pres. Faust praised at funeral for his wisdom, compassion and love (8-15)
Tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints gathered on Temple Square and in chapels in various parts of the world Tuesday to say farewell to President James E. Faust.
Pres. Faust gave faith good name (8-15)
Downtown Salt Lake City got calm Tuesday. For an hour, from noon to 1 p.m., you could hardly hear a wrecking ball drop as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other admirers of the life of President James E. Faust, who died last Friday at the age of 87, gathered in the Salt Lake Tabernacle to pay their respects.
Thousands gather to say farewell to President James E. Faust (8-14)
Tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints gathered on Temple Square and in chapels in various parts of the world Tuesday to say their final farewell to President James E. Faust.
USATODAY.com - Opinion - Hollywood's terrorists: Mormon, not Muslim (8-13)
Why would Hollywood release a controversial feature film about alleged Mormon terrorists of 150 years ago while all but ignoring the dangerous Muslim terrorists of today?
Boston Globe - At straw poll, group attacks Romney on Mormonism - 2008 Presidential Campaign Blog (8-11)
AMES, Iowa -- An Iowa Christian group is circulating flyers at today's straw poll urging people not to vote for Mitt Romney, the strong favorite in today's straw poll, because he is a Mormon.
JournalNow.com--Focus on Faith: Work as a Mormon missionary left vital imprint on Orioles rookie (8-11)
It's a steamy summer night and Baltimore Orioles rookie pitcher Jeremy Guthrie is staring down the New York Yankees, whose potent hitters have hammered 70 runs in their previous seven games.
Book explores the life of Islam's founder (8-11)
As director of the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative at Brigham Young University, Daniel Peterson has overseen the translation of many documents from Arabic to English, providing Western scholars with a rich new library of research materials that were previously inaccessible.
Impact of Romney bid on church assessed (8-11)
Does Mitt Romney's presidential bid have wider implications for the LDS Church and its members when it comes to doctrine and identity? Will it change what Latter-day Saints think about themselves?
Young, single LDS converge for 'Spiritual Summit' (8-11)
Thousands of young, single members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in the Young Single Adult Spiritual Summit over the weekend at the University of Utah's LDS Institute building.
Remembering President James E. Faust (8-11)
President James Esdras Faust, 87, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was remembered Friday by colleagues, politicians, fellow attorneys and religious leaders as a man of wisdom, love and integrity who managed to make both his family and his church the top priorities in his life.
Leader had 'rich, righteous life' (8-11)
President James E. Faust's "gentle manner and depth of knowledge" will be missed not only by leaders, but also by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who contacted church headquarters from many parts of the world to express their heartfelt condolences since his passing early Friday morning.
Newspaper board remembers service (8-11)
A keen interest in people marked President James E. Faust's long service on the Deseret News board of directors.
Video: Biography of President James E. Faust (8-11)
President James E. Faust dies at age 87 (8-10)
President James E. Faust, 87, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a general authority for nearly 35 years, died early today.
The measure of a great man (8-10)
With the passing of President James E. Faust, anecdotes are making the rounds.
Officials mourn President Faust's passing (8-10)
As news of the late-night passing of LDS President James E. Faust spread on Friday, leaders in the political and legal communities said President Faust was well-respected as a church leader, an attorney and tireless leader in politics.
President Faust's biographer recalls quiet but wise man (8-10)
Strong yet unassuming, quiet but wise, President James E. Faust's public persona was the same as his private one: a loving, personable and supportive man who never sought the limelight but was always seeking ways to better serve God and his family.
Elder Ballard remembers President Faust as 'example' (8-10)
As a colleague, friend and fellow apostle to President James E. Faust, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the LDS Church's Council of the Twelve shared his love and respect Friday for a man he's known for more than half a century.
President James E. Faust timeline (8-10)
Quotes from the ministry of President James E. Faust (8-10)
Philadelphia Daily News--Mitt's a Mormon. Deal with it, America (8-10)
WITH MITT ROMNEY poised to win an Iowa straw poll in Ames tomorrow, the question of how his faith affects his candidacy is likely to get more attention. I don't think it should.
Mitt 'no shrinking violet' about faith (8-10)
He vows to defend his religion but isn't ready for 'JFK speech'
The Christian Science Monitor--Mitt Romney: proudly, quietly Mormon (8-9)
The former governor of Massachusetts is a Mormon in full. But, facing a wary public, he has played his faith cautiously on the presidential campaign trail.
Filmmaker drawn to big questions (8-9)
In the three and a half years it took to research, interview, write, edit and air "The Mormons" on PBS television, filmmaker Helen Whitney encountered a cacophony of challenges, but the most vexing was how to deal with the LDS Church's truth claims.
Hatch says Romney can win presidency (8-9)
Sen. Orrin Hatch says that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney can win the White House but only after putting up with more speculation on and criticism of his LDS religion.
Quincy Herald Whig--Mormon ancestors tell tale of 1857 massacre in Utah (8-8)
Scott Fancher, a descendent of survivors of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, speaks about details surrounding the historical incident during a pre-videotaping of an interview Tuesday at WTJR-TV in Quincy.
New direction for Sunstone? (8-7)
Whatever software-coding challenges John Dehlin has tackled in the past may look a little less daunting once he tackles his newest project.
MormonSpeak: The Boy Behind the Moon (8-7)
Heavenly Father's plan doesn't reward only the error-free; rather, it is specifically designed for those who learn how to harness negative energy and channel it in positive directions, proving once again that you can have a past--and a future.
Romney's off-air defense of faith gets lots of Internet attention (8-7)
A videotape of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney defending his Mormon faith during an interview with a conservative radio talk-show host in Iowa last week is getting a lot of attention on the Internet.
ABC News--Romney Unplugged: Gets Feisty 'Off Air' (8-5)
In remarks he didn't know were being recorded by a DV camera, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney heatedly defended his religion during commercial breaks of an interview with conservative talk radio host Jan Mickelson at WHO 1040 in Iowa.
'Grounded' firms up faith tradition (8-4)
As a Christian with beliefs about God and salvation, Josh was comfortable in his faith. But when he met Megan at college in San Diego, things started to change.
BYU not alone in using motto 'enter to learn' (8-4)
Motto magazine proclaimed this week that the words etched in stone at the entrance to Brigham Young University, "Enter to learn; go forth to serve," make up one of the 10 best college mottos in the United States.
Priesthood for blacks is focus of film (8-3)
Latter-day Saints and others still puzzled about the history of African-Americans within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will get a close-up look once a new documentary film is finished.
FAIR Conference tidbits (8-3)
During the opening session of the annual FAIR Conference, the audience questioned Steven Olsen of the LDS Family and Church History Department about what the church's archives contain.
The Pew Forum Religion News--Romney's Faith Faces Uphill Fight in South Carolina (8-2)
Romney's Faith Faces Uphill Fight in South Carolina.
Ex-LDS official pleads not guilty (8-2)
An excommunicated general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to register as a sex offender.
It's time to bridge the religious divide (8-2)
Recently, my religious affiliation was mischaracterized in a Deseret Morning News article which stated of me, "He used to be both Mormon and Republican. Now, he's neither."
Mormon volunteers receive national award for community clean-up (8-1)
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from two cities in the metro Denver area (Arapahoe and Aurora) were honored on a national level with the receipt of the 2007 Take Pride in America Award on 19 July.