February 2008
Road show: New movie stars Jessica Lange as LDS widow traveling in Utah (2-29-8)
Roles are hard to come by for actresses who are Jessica Lange's age. Or as the 58-year-old actress put it, "When our youth and beauty fades, the script offers dry up as well.
LDS Newsroom--Bishops See National Trend in Mormon Congregations (2-28)
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released a report this week surveying the faith landscape of the United States. Based on interviews with 35,000 Americans, the report finds that religious affiliation in this country is increasingly diverse and fluid.
'Smug' Mormon takes on 'brazen' evangelical (2-28)
On Saturday, I spent a couple of hours chatting with a friend who runs an evangelical bookstore. He set the shop up in the heart of Mormon country and has kept at it for 30 years.
Idaho Evangelical Christian polygamists use Internet to meet potential spouses (2-28)
Albert Morrison is a religious man. He prays, he reads the Bible and says he has a deep connection with Jesus. It is this devotion that helps explain why Albert and his wife, Sarah, are searching for a second wife.
Jeffs files a not-guilty plea to his charges in Arizona (2-28)
Even in handcuffs, Warren Steed Jeffs held the respect of followers as they rose when he entered the courtroom for his initial appearance here.
Many FLDS might vacate twin towns (2-28)
Fundamentalist LDS faithful may vacate the towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., rather than accept court-ordered reforms to the polygamous sect's real-estate holdings arm, the United Effort Plan Trust.
What's new: 'Mormon Beliefs and Doctrines Made Easier' (2-28)
Remove the book jacket, and "Mormon Beliefs and Doctrines Made Easier" resembles a lighter version of "Mormon Doctrine."
3 leads make 'Bonneville' worth the trip (2-28)
Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Joan Allen; rated PG (mild profanity, vulgarity, violence)
23 years later, speaker remains young at heart (2-28)
In a sense, Brad Wilcox is still stuck in 1985.
LDS.org--Site Offers Online Focus on the Savior (2-27)
JesusChrist.lds.org, a new Web site featuring the Savior, has launched to English audiences with plans to be available in 10 additional languages later during the year.
Being a black student at BYU can be difficult (2-27)
While attending Black History Month events at Brigham Young University this month, many black students have spoken out about their feelings on being a minority at the university--and issues that arise from being black and Mormon.
The Christtian Century--Monson poised, prepared as new Mormon leader (2-26)
Thomas S. Monson, tapped to succeed Gordon B. Hinckley as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has spent his entire career in the service of the LDS church.
Church History Library will be 'state of the art' (2-26)
Besides the publication of "The Joseph Smith Papers," the construction of the new Church History Library in downtown Salt Lake City is evidence of the LDS Church's desire to make history more available to scholars and the public.
LDS in Hawaii lose music icon, Aunty Genoa Leilani Keawe (2-26)
One of the most enduring and endearing voices in Hawaiian music is silent with the death of "Aunty" Genoa Leilani Keawe.
LDS have largest families in U.S. (2-26)
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have the largest families in America, among both religious and nonreligious groups.
House honors Hinckley and his family (2-26)
Members of the Utah House of Representatives passed a resolution Tuesday, honoring the life of President Gordon B. Hinckley, the late leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
LDS Church announces new Historian's Press (2-25)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Monday morning it will establish a new imprint for publishing works relating to its origin and growth--the Church Historian's Press.
MiamiHerald.com--Orioles' Guthrie on the rise again (2-24)
You could get a nosebleed trying to follow the career of Jeremy Guthrie, who somehow has gone from being released by the Indians just two years ago to becoming the favorite to be Baltimore's Opening Day starter.
Academic world training an eye on Mormonism (2-23)
Harvard Divinity School has long prided itself on the diversity of its curriculum--it currently features classes in American Buddhism, Jewish Apocalypticism and Classical Sufism--but it took until this semester for the venerable school to offer a course on one of the fastest-growing faiths in the world: Mormonism.
Tabernacle timbers reveal pioneer-era drought (2-22)
A Brigham Young University geographer studying timbers from the Salt Lake Tabernacle concludes those old walls can talk, and they tell a new tale of pioneer hardship.
Accra Daily Mail--Why I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (2-21)
Many are the relatives, friends and acquaintances who have asked me at one time or the other: “Why did a person like you join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?”
Nampa man files sex abuse lawsuit against Scouts, LDS Church (2-21)
A man has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the Boy Scouts and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, claiming the two entities didn't do enough to stop the sexual abuse of children by troop leaders.
LDS teen earns $10,000 as 'Jeopardy!' semifinalist (2-21)
Will Casper batted .500 while playing the game of "Final Jeopardy!"
Artist finds spirit in experience (2-21)
While he considers himself a disciple of Christ, Brian Kershisnik doesn't force spiritual themes into his work.
EVliving.com--Arizona Easter Pageant Continues 70-year-old Tradition (2-20)
As 450 cast members take the stage for this year’s Arizona Easter Pageant, they will be participating in the 70th Anniversary of the event that has grown to be what is considered the world’s largest outdoor Easter Pageant.
LDS veteran makes film about his march for troop withdrawal (2-20)
An LDS military veteran who walked 500 miles to promote a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq has made a documentary, "A Soldier's Peace."
The Boston Globe--Colleges scramble to offer curriculum on Mormon religion (2-19)
Harvard Divinity School has long prided itself on the diversity of its curriculum - it currently features classes in American Buddhism, Jewish Apocalypticism, and Classical Sufism - but it took until this semester for the venerable school to offer a course on one of the fastest-growing faiths in the world: Mormonism.
LDS Newsroom--Mormon Students Counter Drop-out Trend (2-19)
At a summit this Friday, America's Promise Alliance will contend that high school drop-out rates are increasing. The group, founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, has gathered data that was announced today at a press conference and will be more deeply discussed on Friday, according to the New York Sun.
Readers Write: Mormons are focused on the family (2-19)
Recently, Professor Kathleen Flake of Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tenn., who has written a history of the Reed Smoot hearings in the U.S. Senate and is LDS, wrote an essay for the Washington Post “On Faith” Web page.
Mormon Pop: More 'American Idol' (2-18)
With impressive performances, LDS singers Brooke White and David Archuleta moved on to the Top 24 on television's "American Idol." Both got positive comments from Paula, Randy and Simon. David has really caught fire, with nearly 300,000 views of this week’s performance on YouTube.
Newsweek--Latter-day Domination (2-18)
Maybe Mitt Romney should have taken up tango.
Indiana Daily Student--Mormon missionaries describe daily lives in Bloomington (2-18)
Each day, Nicholas DiGiuseppe and Shane Jacobson wake up at 6:30 a.m.
Meridian Magazine--Church Update: San Diego Stakes Stage Annual Mormon Battalion Day (2-18)
It was a Saturday filled with fun and celebration when the 14 stakes in the San Diego Region presented their fourth annual Mormon Battalion Day on Old Town Square recently.
Smoot case fascinating (2-17)
When Reed Smoot, an LDS apostle, was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Republican from Utah in 1903, he immediately fell into a quagmire. After all, when another Mormon, B.H. Roberts, had been chosen for Congress in 1899, the political uproar was so great that he was denied his seat.
Book review: 'The Mormon Church on Trial: Transcripts of the Reed Smoot Hearings' (2-17)
North County Times--Area Mormon youth help Sun City seniors tidy up community's ubiquitous rock lawns (2-16)
The weeds that poke through the rock lawns here were more than just a nuisance Saturday morning. Those weeds, removed by hundreds of bare and glove-covered hands, were a way for more than 200 young men and women from Southwest County Mormon churches to give back to their community.
Asheville CITIZEN-TIMES.com--WNC Mormons take comfort from church’s new leader (2-16)
Unlike many other faiths, in which a new leader is selected from among a number of candidates, the Mormon church has a set procedure that typically elevates a designated successor. So members know well in advance who will become the church’s next president, eliminating lobbying or posturing among several candidates.
Jehovah's Witnesses Fastest-Growing of U.S. Faiths (2-15)
Jehovah's Witnesses are the fastest-growing church body in the U.S. and Canada, now with more than 1 million members, according to new figures that track church membership in the U.S. and Canada.
WashingtonPost.com--How to Bury a Prophet (2-15)
The Latter-day Saints buried their prophet on Saturday.
Compassion call could affect immigration bills (2-15)
A call from the LDS Church for compassion on the issue of illegal immigration has many immigrant rights advocates hoping for a potential reprieve from legislators who are debating a large slate of bills addressing the issue.
Debate resumes over illegal immigrants' status in LDS Church (2-15)
Comments made by an LDS Church leader this week again stirred debate in Mormon circles about whether the church should baptize illegal immigrants or allow them to enter its temples.
Herald News--Mormons in the spotlight (2-14)
The Mormon Church is receiving quite a bit of media attention lately.
LDS Newsroom--The Mormon “Open-Door” Tradition of Hosting Visitors (2-14)
In his homes in New York, Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, Joseph Smith often entertained visitors, those he invited and others passing through town. In fact, he built a hotel in Nauvoo, Illinois, to accommodate the frequent guests who called upon him and other leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Have compassion for immigrants, lawmakers urged (2-14)
An LDS Church leader on Wednesday urged Utah's lawmakers to "take a step back" and hold a "spirit of compassion" as they consider a slate of bills aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration.
Current focus concentrates on retaining LDS members (2-14)
When asked by the media about those who had drifted from the faith, President Thomas S. Monson had three words: "Don't give up."
What's new (2-14)
Mack Wilberg, the associate director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, has added a "Requiem" to his resume.
LDS artist right where she wants to be (2-14)
Every now and then, Jessie Clark Funk looks at Britney Spears and the like and thinks, "that could have been me."
Atonement deters hurt of priesthood restriction (2-14)
Drawing strength from the atonement of Jesus Christ can deter falling over the stumbling stone of the history of the black members' priesthood restriction, said Ahmad Corbitt, director of the New York Office of Public and International Affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mormon Media Observer: Mitt's curtain call (2-13)
It’s been an interesting week to see how the nation’s media sized up the withdrawal of Mitt Romney from the presidential race, and its lingering effects on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
LDS Newsroom - What Is This Thing That Men Call Death? (2-12)
"If a man die, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14).
Bill honors LDS President Hinckley (2-12)
A House resolution that would officially honor the life and work of Gordon B. Hinckley passed unanimously through a committee hearing Tuesday.
OC Register--U.S. not ready for Romney – or a Mormon? (2-11)
A Catholic, a Protestant and a Jew go into a campaign …
New York Times--Missionaries Spread the News, but Don't Read It (2-10)
Mormonism has a reputation for unshakable optimism but missionaries are also unusually blinkered, forbidden from reading newspapers, watching television or listening to the radio.
Hard lessons for LDS Church from Romney's presidential campaign (2-10)
Mitt Romney isn't the only casualty in his failed presidential bid. The Mormon church, yearning for broad acceptance, also took a beating.
LDS temple in Rexburg dedicated by Pres. Monson (2-10)
Newly-named LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson dedicated the church's newest temple in Rexburg Sunday morning in his first official act as leader of the 13-million member church, thanking God for the restoration of priesthood authority and asking for help in spreading the faith throughout the world.
Sister Ruth Wright Faust, widow of Pres. James E. Faust, dies at 86 (2-10)
Ruth Wright Faust, the widow of President James E. Faust of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died Sunday morning at her home surrounded by her family of causes incident to age. She was 86.
Gay Mormons request meeting with Pres. Monson (2-10)
A group of gay Mormons is seeking a peaceful reunion with the church--asking a new church president to meet and begin a conversation to change the way the LDS Church supports and counsels its gay members and their families.
Temple adds to Rexburg's economic boom (2-10)
Northbound motorists who exit I-15 at Idaho Falls and head east on U.S. 20 toward Yellowstone National Park have a new landmark to tag along their way.
Grandson tells story of famous LDS scientist (2-10)
Henry J. Eyring, grandson of Henry Eyring, the scientist, never had any illusions or even serious thoughts about writing his grandfather's biography. But Elder Neal Maxwell, former University of Utah vice president and member of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, now deceased, suggested many years ago that he do so.
Book review: 'Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring' (2-10)
With Romney out, Utahns in quandary (2-9)
They're cool to McCain, frosty toward Huckabee
LDS Newsroom--Church Will Work To Increase Understanding, Apostles Say (2-8)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will increase its efforts to ensure that the public better understands its beliefs and the values it represents, two apostles of the Church said today.
LDS.org--Church Raising Self-Reliance in Cambodia (2-8)
Partnering with the Center for Study and Development of Cambodian Agriculture (CEDAC), a local nongovernmental agency (NGO) in Cambodia, the Church is working to improve the lives of 7,000 families and help them rise out of poverty.
Globeandmail.com--Russian unorthodox (2-8)
Alternative sects face discrimination in a post-Soviet system that was supposed to ensure religious freedom
Mormons Dismayed by Harsh Spotlight (2-8)
Mitt Romney's campaign for the presidency brought more attention to the Mormon Church than it has had in years. What the church discovered was not heartening.
Washingtonpost.com--Did Mormons Get A Bounce From Mitt? (2-8)
After Mitt Romney suspended his presidential campaign yesterday, in a speech praising conservative values and criticizing such scourges as liberal judges and France, the question became:
PETA Media Center--PETA Urges New Mormon President to Promote Humane, Scriptural Vegetarian Diets (2-7)
This morning, PETA sent a letter to newly elected Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Thomas Monson wishing him well in his new position and urging him to emphasize God's requirement to protect His creatures and treat our bodies as sacred gifts by urging all Mormons to go vegetarian.
New York Times--Mitt’s Funeral (2-7)
Mitt Romney is gone, having suspended his campaign in the face of delegate math that cannot work in his favor, no matter how he crunches the numbers. But before he leaves the stage, the record should show who – or what – did him in.
Romney suspends campaign (2-7)
John McCain effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday as chief rival Mitt Romney suspended his faltering presidential campaign. "I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney told conservatives.
A closer look at the Rexburg Idaho Temple (2-7)
Rexburg history merges with temple preparations (2-7)
When Richard Smith was 8 years old, he climbed in his grandfather's car for a ride about town. His grandfather, Joseph Fred Smith, was mayor of Rexburg and wanted to check on newly oiled streets.
WashingtonPost.com--Challenges Await New Mormon President (2-5)
Thomas S. Monson was just named president of the Mormon church.
BBC News--Welcome to Mormon heartland... Chorley, Lancs (2-5)
With a Mormon vying to be the Republican candidate for president, all eyes in the church's heartlands will be on the primaries, but one of those heartlands is Chorley in Lancashire.
Thomas S. Monson named as new LDS Church president (2-4)
Newly-named LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson told reporters on Monday there will be no abrupt change in the faith's initiatives or outreach throughout the world, and the church will continue to work cooperatively with people of other faiths.
President Monson recalls influence of family on his life (2-4)
Thomas Spencer Monson was born Aug. 21, 1927, in Salt Lake City, the first son and second child of George Spencer Monson and Gladys Condie Monson.
Elder Uchtdorf, former pilot, named new counselor in First Presidency (2-4)
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 67, who was sustained to the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve on Oct. 2, 2004, was introduced Monday as the new second counselor in the church's First Presidency.
President Eyring named as first counselor in LDS First Presidency (2-4)
President Henry B. Eyring was named as the new first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today.
Mormon church's global growth a test to attract and keep converts (2-2)
Every Wednesday, hundreds of young Mormon men and women not far removed from high school arrive on the campus of Brigham Young University, where they are severed from family and text-messaging and entrusted with the very future of their faith.
President Hinckley remembered by family, friends, church leaders (2-2)
With millions of Latter-day Saints worldwide watching and listening live, LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley was eulogized Saturday--his red chair on the Conference Center dais empty and his casket resting in front of the pulpit handcrafted from a tree he planted decades ago.
Romney hails President Hinckley as 'great faith leader' (2-2)
GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney stepped off the campaign trail today to attend the funeral of LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley.
Four Westboro protesters show up to protest funeral (2-2)
Lonnie Pursifull already was planning early Saturday morning, long before funeral services began for LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, to meet with Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church leaders, specifically Westboro founder Fred Phelps Sr.
Time, Newsweek write about LDS leader (2-1)
Time and Newsweek magazines both gave the death of President Gordon B. Hinckley of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prominent play in their online editions this week.
Romney opens up about President Hinckley, Mormonism (2-1)
The death of Mormon church President Gordon B. Hinckley renews attention on Mitt Romney's little-known religion--yet rather than being reluctant to discuss it, he's making a public embrace that shows some shifting political attitudes.