January 2008
Church group plans protest at Pres. Hinckley's funeral (1-31-8)
The tens of thousands of people expected to flock downtown for President Gordon B. Hinckley's funeral Saturday likely will want to avoid the southwest corner of North Temple and State Street.
WashingtonPost.com--Romney, New Primary Date Put Utah on the Political Map (1-31)
The BYU College Democrats assembled Monday night in Diane Bailey's apartment to watch the State of the Union address. Like so many college kids in America, they weren't going to sit through a SOTU speech without turning it into a drinking game.
'Stonecutter' inspiring short film (1-31)
"Only a Stonecutter" tells the story of John Rowe Moyle--a park in Alpine has the same name--an early LDS pioneer whose story is one of remarkable faith and dedication.
'Boys' full of humor (1-31)
"Los Mormon Boys" is a documentary about a band by the same name, made up entirely of full-time LDS missionaries in Northern Argentina in the 1960s.
'Happy Valley' delves into drug abuse in Utah (1-31)
"Happy Valley," an award-winning documentary, is neither happy nor is the story contained to just Utah County (as some may assume).
Emma Smith tells 'My Story' (1-31)
At last, a movie that tells us about Emma Smith (most of it by her own hand) and her life as wife to the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr.
Cosic's life makes interesting movie (1-31)
The documentary of Kresimir Cosic's life was informative, interesting and well done, as it explored his life on and off the basketball court, his losing battle with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and his legacy.
LDS leadership succession plan well-established (1-30)
Latter-day Saints take comfort in the fact that their church is never without leadership, even when the presiding First Presidency is dissolved upon the death of the president.
Salt Lake Cemetery will serve as final resting place for 11 LDS prophets (1-30)
President Gordon B. Hinckley will be the 11th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
Succession of LDS president: President Monson likely next leader (1-29)
As a counselor to the last three presidents of the LDS Church, President Thomas S. Monson's intimate working knowledge of how the faith's First Presidency functions puts him in a unique position at a time when the church has a higher public profile than ever before.
Westboro Baptist to picket Hinckley's funeral service (1-28)
Romney to attend funeral of President Hinckley (1-28)
Mitt Romney says he plans to attend the funeral of Mormon church President Gordon B. Hinckley.
World mourns beloved leader (1-28)
Reaction late Sunday to the death of President Gordon B. Hinckley came from all quarters of the political, religious and business worlds, as well as from typical Latter-day Saints locally and across the globe.
Timeline--President Gordon B. Hinckley (1-27)
The beloved walnut tree still lives on (1-27)
President Gordon B. Hinckley's love of trees--and one tree in particular--became part of the new Conference Center. He told the story during the Saturday morning session of LDS general conference on April 1, 2000.
President Gordon B. Hinckley dies at age 97 (1-27)
President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through explosive growth during his more than 12 years as president, died at 7 p.m. today of causes incident to age, surrounded by family. He was 97.
MRM.org--Gordon Hinckley, Mormon Prophet, Dies at 97 (1-27)
Concerned Christians Discussion Board--Some sobering reminders on the legacy of Gordon B. Hinckley (1-27)
LDS scholarship program aids Third World members (1-27)
"Education is the key to opportunity," said President Gordon B. Hinckley on March 31, 2001, as he announced a bold new scholarship program to benefit church members in developing countries. The Perpetual Education Fund caught the imagination of Latter-day Saints immediately, and the program quickly grew far beyond expectations.
Maxwell Institute Dead Sea Scrolls database honored as 'outstanding' (1-26)
Brigham Young University's "Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library," produced by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship and published by Brill Academic Press, is on Choice Magazine's short list of Outstanding Academic Titles from among 7,000 or so reviewed in 2007.
Group says Romney 'acknowledged' Mormons aren't Christian (1-26)
An executive for one of the nation's leading evangelical groups says in a video voter guide that Mitt Romney has "acknowledged Mormonism is not a Christian faith," although the GOP presidential candidate has said he follows Jesus Christ and his church insists it is Christian.
LDS Newsroom--Reverence for the Bible (1-25)
During the past several years, scholars, religious leaders, journalists and the general public have steadily shown an increased interest in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Much of this attention has been focused on the question of whether it is a Christian faith. Central to this inquiry is the Church's relationship with the Bible.
Mormon Pop: American Idol (1-25)
There are a few LDS singers who are going to Hollywood this season on American Idol.
Palm Beach Post--A Mormon in a strange land (1-25)
With a church steeple in the background, media crews keep an eye on Romney's stump speech in Pensacola today. Mitt Romney wasn't the only Mormon in Pensacola this afternoon. Willie Branham, 69, of nearby Milton, came by to see...
1888 Book of Mormon stolen from DI store (1-25)
CENTERVILLE — Police are trying to recover an 1888 edition of the Book of Mormon that was stolen from a Deseret Industries store here.
FBI investigating seminary vandalism as hate crime (1-24)
The graffiti was blatant and violent in language.
'Forever Strong' a nice ride (1-24)
"Forever Strong" is an enjoyable watch, one of those movies that picks you up and takes you for a nice ride without any serious suffering.
Teaching moments--MTC plays major role in lives of instructors (1-24)
Sitting around a table in a conference room on BYU's campus, four Missionary Training Center instructors are on common ground.
Ask the editor (1-24)
Why, while The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is trying to emphasize its full name and discourage the use of "Mormon Church," does the Deseret Morning News call this section "Mormon Times?"
Temple artist mixes hunting, painting (1-24)
His daughter's first moose is mounted by the gas stove. The 20-foot begonia his mother tended in his youth creeps up the staircase. Three antelope line the wall by the door, and a pile of fishing rods clings to a corner nook.
LDS Film Festival plays to its largest audience (1-24)
LDS Film Festival founder Christian Vuissa said it several times during the 2008 event.
LDS Church terms no longer in use (1-24)
The organization, magazine and business names within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have changed over the years.
LDS names scattered across world (1-24)
Utah, settled by the Mormon pioneers, obviously contains a lot of LDS-oriented place names. There's Nephi, Bountiful, Orderville, Manti, Deseret, Moroni and Kolob Canyon to name a few. But Mormons settled much of the Intermountain area, too, and so how about Mormon names outside the Beehive State?
BYU professor fills LDS history post (1-24)
When Kathryn Daynes began working on her doctorate at Indiana University, her focus was on British history.
No real value to be found in violent 'Eleventh Hour' (1-24)
Shot in two weeks with a $150,000 budget, this movie capitalizes on blood, guts and violence to tell its story.
'Angels' beautifully told (1-24)
Finished just hours before the producers screened it at the 7th Annual LDS Film Festival at the SCERA Center for the Arts, this endearing film tells the story of Rachel Taylor, played by Erin Chambers, who is called to Austria to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
'Nobody Knows' is compelling subject (1-24)
The untold story of black Mormons is a compelling one and a story that needs to be told, even shouted from the rooftops.
'Tears of King' shows spiritual side of Elvis (1-24)
This moving film depicts the spiritual side of Elvis Presley at the end of his life and his search for redemption.
'Hold the Door' dark, brooding, perplexing (1-24)
Not all movies at the LDS Film Festival have lighthearted or Mormon-culture themes. One such film this year, "Hold the Door," is dark and perplexing at times.
Memorable 'TAKE' is a must-see (1-24)
The LDS Film Festival has come of age with this clean but adult-themed movie that takes an intense look at extreme forgiveness and restorative justice.
RM's star rising as he sings, dances on hot reality show (1-22)
Last summer, returned missionary Zack Wilson was touring China with the Young Ambassadors performing group from Brigham Young University.
LDS Newsroom--Media Lessons From Slovenia (1-22)
Twenty-year-old Reggie Cavalier nervously adjusts his tie as he prepares to be interviewed for the Slovenian television network Pop TV.
Mormon Media Observer: Looking for American tolerance (1-21)
In January, 1987, my wife and I were working in staff positions in the U.S. Senate in Washington D.C. when we attended a service at the Washington National Cathedral to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
SouthCoastToday.com--Singe Mormon women serve church in pairs (1-19)
Sister Elizabeth Sullivan, 74, is proud of her ancestry. She traces her lineage back to one of the direct followers of Prophet Joseph Smith.
TheTimesNews.com--Mormons share their faith (1-19)
Freddie Oakley was asked by his landlord to move out when he joined the Mormon church as a young man.
Lawmakers, LDS Church brainstorm (1-19)
LDS Church leaders have told legislative bosses that the "element of humanity" should be re-introduced to the state's immigration debates.
New York Times--Pacific Islanders' Ancestry Emerges in Genetic Study (1-18)
An international team of scientists found evidence that Polynesians and Micronesians were more closely related to East Asians, and had few links to western Pacific islanders.
National Post--Morals, Mormons and Mitt (1-18)
He may be Mormon, but as Allen Abel found out, not all of Mitt Romney's co-religionists are guaranteed to vote for him.
LDS Church joins 'alco-pop' battle (1-18)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has joined a list of groups publicly supporting the removal of malt beverages, or "alco-pops," off grocery store shelves.
Will Dutcher's 'Falling' be a lightning rod? (1-18)
Local filmmaker Richard Dutcher has never been one who plays it safe.
Institute impact--Program is prominent part of student life at U. (1-17)
The halls of the Salt Lake University Institute of Religion were quiet Friday afternoon but far from empty.
Songwriter puts lives of LDS prophets to music (1-17)
Ask Janice Kapp Perry who her favorite LDS Church president is, and she might say David O. McKay. "He was the one I grew up with. He presided with such dignity. He was just what I thought a prophet should be."
What's new--Hearing the Voice of the Lord: Gerald N. Lund (1-17)
Elder Gerald N. Lund, author of the "Work and the Glory" series, poses a key question in his new book, "Hearing the Voice of the Lord."
LDS Film Festival gets under way (1-17)
More than 5,000 ticket holders including producers, directors and actors are expect- ed at this year's LDS Film Festival, the seventh year for the event.
Ann Coulter calls Mormonism a "wacky religion" (1-16)
LDS Newsroom--Official Numbers Attract Media Interest (1-16)
New official membership numbers will surge past 13 million for the first time when they are announced at the general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April. The numbers reflect steady growth for the Church both nationally and internationally. According to recent trends, the Church is growing by about a million people every three years worldwide.
LDS Newsroom--Looking Beyond Statistics: The Souls Behind the Numbers (1-16)
In an age when so many aspects of life are measured by statistical formulas and metrics, the incalculable value of the human dimension--devotion, dedication, compassion--is often overlooked and underappreciated.
White House campaign puts the focus on Mormons (1-16)
To Don Lounsbury, it's just another chapter in the same old story--his church is being maligned, misrepresented and misunderstood--only this time it's happening as part of the campaign for the White House.
WashingtonPost.com--A Puff of Fresh Air (1-15)
Opinionated Hollywood Star Katherine Heigl Is Really Smokin'
EthicsDaily.com--Romney's Politics Aren't Christian (1-15)
On Dec. 5, Mitt Romney gave an excellent speech at Texas A&M University about the relationship between church and state. He asked evangelicals to take an inclusive outlook toward his Mormon faith, and he urged Americans not to exclude the language of faith from our national discourse.
MPR--Many Mormons back Romney, but say it's not just faith (1-15)
Minnesota's 28,000 Mormons are probably watching Tuesday's Michigan presidential primary more closely than most Minnesotans. Michigan is seen as key for former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., who would be America's first Mormon president if he makes it to the White House. What does Romney's candidacy mean to Minnesota Mormons?
Police looking for vandals of Highland High LDS seminary building (1-15)
Salt Lake police Monday were looking for the vandal or vandals who spray-painted anti-LDS messages on the side of the Highland High School seminary building.
Baltimore librarian wins Newbery medal for best children's book (1-14)
A Baltimore librarian's classroom project is now part of publishing history. "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices From a Medieval Village," first conceived a decade ago by Laura Amy Schlitz, is this year's winner of the John Newbery Medal for best children's book.
62% say Mitt's still in race (1-13)
GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney may be struggling to win Tuesday's primary in Michigan after losing two other key states, but Utahns still have faith he can be his party's nominee.
LDS Newsroom--Church Aid Program Saves Over 400,000 Lives (1-12)
One of the central pillars of the humanitarian aid program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — training medical staff and birth attendants how to resuscitate oxygen-deprived babies at birth — has saved the lives of more than 400,000 infants in developing countries.
GetReligion.org--What is it about Mormonism? (1-11)
Last week's Sunday New York Times Magazine had an article analyzing the Mormon religion and arguing for voters choosing a president without regard to his or her religion. What is it about Mormonism was written by Noah Feldman, a Harvard law professor and adjunct senior fellow at the Council for Foreign Relations.
Genes make music a family affair for a trio of brothers (1-11)
The Gibbons boys didn't have a chance, says their mother, Lucie, with a laugh. With their dad, Barry, who owns the Platinum Recording Studio and works as a producer and engineer, and grandfathers on both sides who were music educators, it was pretty much a given that the boys would be musical.
Tone is key in talks with Evangelicals (1-10)
"Bridging the Divide," the new book from Robert Millet and Gregory C. V. Johnson, is a cottage with a huge front porch. The book itself is small and homey, but the introductory material goes on forever--promotional blurbs, a foreword, a preface, an introduction, two author biographies. Saying you "plan to get to the book" can mean you hope to eventually get beyond the introduction.
Top Ten LDS news stories of 2007 (1-10)
The most noteworthy LDS-related events of 2007 revolve around "presidency"--the First Presidency of the LDS Church, and the presidency of the United States.
LDS wards--grooming world 150 at a time (1-10)
Last week my wife and I took our eighth-grade daughter to an open house at the local high school where students can specialize in visual and performing arts.
Strong lineup of short films (1-10)
"Better and Better" could be the running theme for submissions at the LDS Film Festival as the finalists for the 2008 short films competition were announced earlier this week. With a record number of submissions to this year's festival, Christian Vuissa, festival founder, said, "The quality of submitted films keeps improving. I think we have the strongest program in the festival history lined up this year."
LDS Film Festival (1-10)
They come to envision, to create and to illuminate.
KIDK 3--Business Booming in Rexburg with Temple Open House (1-8)
Tens of thousands will tour the Rexburg LDS temple this month. Many of them are from out of town and businesses are ecstatic because the visitors are bringing their wallets and spending their money. It's an average day, lunchtime at Craigo's pizza is normally a little slow when BYU-Idaho isn't in session.
Adventures in Mormonism--Ignorance at work (1-6)
Noah Feldman, in today's New York Times Magazine, puts forth a thesis about "Mormon secrecy" that just is ill-informed.
NY Times--What Is It About Mormonism? (1-6)
Our post-denominational age should be the perfect time for a Mormon to become president, or at least the Republican nominee. Mormons share nearly all the conservative commitments so beloved of the evangelicals who wield disproportionate influence in primary elections.
A majority of Americans have no idea what Mormons believe (NY Times piece abridged by Deseret News) (1-6)
Our post-denominational age should be the perfect time for a Mormon to become president, or at least the Republican nominee. Mormons share nearly all the conservative commitments so beloved of the evangelicals who wield disproportionate influence in primary elections.
LDS in politics an uphill battle for 164 years (1-6)
LDS in politics an uphill battle for 164 yearsMitt Romney's strategies in dealing with the "Mormon question" had their first test in the Iowa caucuses with mixed results as rival Mike Huckabee harvested most of the support from evangelical Christians in an evangelical state.
Ledger-Enquirer.com--RISING SON (1-5)
Riggs returns a changed man after two years of sharing his Mormon faith overseas
Ex-missionary sentenced (1-5)
A former missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was sentenced Thursday to two to six years in prison after a judge ruled he violated terms of a plea deal that called for him to complete counseling and community service.
Telegraph--Protestants fight to stop a Mormon president (1-4)
Evangelical Protestants are campaigning against Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate, as he vies to become the first Mormon president of the United States.
As Mormons support Romney, he supports their businesses as well (1-4)
Mitt Romney has benefited from the financial support of his fellow Mormons as he runs for president, and he hasn't shied from returning the favor as he conducts the business of his campaign.
LDS Newsroom--Video Challenges Public Misperceptions, Explains Myths vs. Reality (1-4)
A 10-minute video originally produced for the large number of journalists visiting Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympics has been updated and posted on Newsroom today to help counter persistent myths about the Church.
WSJ.com--Why Mormonism Helps Businessmen, but Not Politicians (1-3)
Mitt Romney’s presidential candidacy spotlights one of the contradictions of Mormon life in the U.S., says a prominent political scientist--Mormons' religion helps them fit easily into America’s business sector, but awkwardly into politics.
The American Spectator--Evangelicals Against Mitt (1-3)
Mitt Romney is facing an unexpected challenge in Iowa from rival Mike Huckabee, who has enjoyed a groundswell of support from religious voters, particularly evangelical Christians wary of the clean-cut former Massachusetts governor because of his Mormon religion.
Archivist OKs release of Leavitt documents (1-2)
The Utah state archivist has decided that certain documents from former Gov. Mike Leavitt's administration will remain public.
DallasNews.com--Iowa's Mormons could play role in a Romney win (1-2)
More than a few politicos have viewed Mitt Romney's Mormon faith as a political liability detracting from his fight for the Republican presidential nomination.
LDS Newsroom--Church Finds Ways to Help (1-2)
In a Mormon congregation, a wheelchair equipped with a special tray allows a young man with a disability to participate with his peers to pass the sacrament, similar to communion, during Sunday worship services.
SFGate.com--Mormonism's Al Smith moment? (1-2)
Let us suppose that Mitt Romney does not become the next president. What will this mean for the Mormons? There about 5.7 million Latter-day Saints in America, which in a nation of more than 300 million makes us demographic chicken feed, but the question is important for what it reveals about the presidency and its relationship to American citizenship.
Albany Democrat-hearld--Confessions of a weird Mormon (1-1)
The rambling letter, from an organization calling itself the Freedom Defense Advocates, alleges Romney is running for president at the bidding of church leaders and that Mormons are a violent people who want to overthrow the U.S. Constitution.
Fans in withdrawal from coffee substitute Postum (1-1)
Dark and hot--but caffeine-free--Postum has reigned for decades as the "Mormon coffee" among members of the LDS Church.