July 2008
FLDS classes to focus on 'core strengths' (7-31-8)
Promising to teach tolerance, awareness and respect of others, the court-ordered parenting classes for members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church are scheduled to finally begin later this week.
Ex-child bride lawsuit could destroy FLDS trust, lawyers claim (7-30)
The future of the Fundamentalist LDS Church's real-estate holdings arm may hang on a lawsuit filed by a former child bride.
Mormon Times--God says 'OK' so we can learn (7-30)
As a writer and book lover, I often muse about the lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon -- especially this year, when the Book of Mormon is on the Sunday School docket.
Mormon Times--Young men set stage at Hill Cumorah Pageant (7-30)
Since 1937, the Hill Cumorah Pageant has been presenting spectacular outdoor theater productions in Palmyra, N.Y.
Indicted FLDS men to appear before Texas judge today (7-29)
Five members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church indicted by a Texas grand jury are expected to make their first court appearances today.
BYU remains most sober university in the country (7-28)
Brigham Young University is stone-cold sober yet again.
Mormon Times--Pioneer Heritage Festival offers glimpse into Utah's past (7-27)
Visitors to Salt Lake City's This Is The Place Heritage Park got a special look at a life of covered wagons, rope twisting and Utah's history at this weekend's Pioneer Heritage Festival.
Mormon Times--Musical 'Promised Valley' still loved after 60 years (7-27)
When the state celebrated its 100th birthday in 1947, one of the principal events was an original musical telling the story of the Mormon migration across the plains to Utah.
Osmonds, Tabernacle Choir unite in song (7-26)
With the Osmond family as special guests, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square are celebrating Pioneer Day just as it should be: with joy, exuberance, nostalgia, inspiration and love.
Mormon Times--Mormon Media Observer: Romney, VP and the "Mormon thing" (7-26)
As pundits look at John McCain's choices for his vice presidential running mate, most point to Mitt Romney as the frontrunner for the GOP veep slot. In fact, some are already predicting the announcement this week. But, again for most commentators, they can't help but bring up what one called Romney's "Mormon
thing."
MiamiHerald.com--Missionary work 'a risk worth taking' for Fins (7-25)
You might think nothing could come close to preparing Dolphins quarterback John Beck for the team and individual disaster that was his rookie season. You would be wrong.
Reid compares polygamy to 'organized crime' (7-25)
Congress seemed to step back into the 1880s on Thursday, as polygamist women in pioneer dresses listened in a packed hearing room as the Senate's leader urged stepped-up law enforcement against criminal syndicates he says lead polygamous groups.
Days of '47 Parade--Thousands flock to celebration (7-25)
When clowns, pooper-scoopers and drum majors take over the streets of downtown Salt Lake City, it must be time for the Days of '47 Parade on Pioneer Day.
BYU, Pope Foundation help Tanzania villages (7-25)
Impoverished Africans may be sitting on a gold mine, but it took a team of Brigham Young University engineering students to show them how to mine it.
Presbyterian minister to offer pre-parade prayer (7-24)
As yet another sign that the annual Days of '47 celebration is becoming more multicultural, a Protestant minister has been asked to offer the prayer at the beginning of today's annual parade.
Texas still looking for 5 indicted FLDS men (7-24)
The search continues for five members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church who were indicted by a grand jury here.
Mormon Times--What's new: '40 Ways to Look at Brigham Young' (7-24)
Who was Brigham Young?
Mormon Times--Inside the Joseph Smith Papers project (7-24)
As scholars at the Church History Department painstakingly compile Joseph Smith's "papers," MormonTimes.com" will provide readers with a look inside the ambitious project.
Jeffs, FLDS members indicted in Texas (7-23)
Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs could be served with a grand jury indictment today in his Arizona jail cell, charging him here with sexual assault, a first-degree felony.
'Mormon-friendly' colleges planned for Nevada, Nauvoo (7-23)
Two separate groups of educational entrepreneurs are planning to open private colleges in the next few years aimed at Latter-day Saint students who are not admitted to Brigham Young University or its campuses in Idaho and Hawaii.
Celebrating the Pioneer spirit (7-23)
Pioneer Day celebrates those who came before, who broke new ground and made untold sacrifices.
Mormon Times--Podcast: 'To Them of the Last Wagon' (7-23)
The centennial celebration of the Mormon pioneers' 1847 entry into the Salt Lake Valley was coming to a close. Parades. Dramatic pageants. Pioneer reenactments. A newly dedicated "This is the Place" monument stood at the mouth of Emigration Canyon.
Mormon Times--Playwright's scripts are a departure from Mormon morality tales (7-23)
Eric Samuelsen is a faculty playwright at Brigham Young University.
Mormon Times--Some myths accompany stories of pioneers' arrival (7-23)
The Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley 161 years ago. Despite the fact this is one of the most epic events in regional history, there are a lot of myths and fallacies circulating regarding the pioneers and their trek and arrival in the valley.
Texas grand jury to reconvene in FLDS case (7-22)
A grand jury is expected to reconvene here today to continue investigating possible crimes by members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church.
Texas AG appears at FLDS grand jury (7-22)
A grand jury investigating alleged crimes within the Fundamentalist LDS Church reconvened here today, with the Texas Attorney General making an appearance.
Mormon Times--Black Mormon discusses race and religion with CNN (7-22)
The key to easily doubling convert baptisms in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is by understanding the church's "black issue," according to Marvin Perkins.
Mormon Times--Amazing grace (7-22)
The backspace key on my computer is stuck, which means that every time I make a mistake I have to slam on it 20 times to erase a single letter. It's nothing short of maddening.
Mormon Times--Navy football coach to members: 'Put the Lord first' (7-22)
Put the Lord first, U.S. Naval Academy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo counseled members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and guests at a fireside Sunday at the Woodbridge Virginia Stake Center.
Guardian--Mormon who put new life into vampires (7-21)
On Saturday, 2 August, thousands of Meyer's fans, many clad in the outfits of her characters, will gather at midnight parties at more than 4,000 bookshops in the US to grab a copy of Breaking Dawn, the latest and final part in Meyer's vampire series, The Twilight Saga.
Honoring the temple builders (7-21)
From one side the float depicted a scene straight from 1853, the beginning of the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. The other side portrayed the modern day construction process of the Daybreak Temple.
Mormon Times--Hero honored on 200th birthday (7-20)
Missouri hero Alexander W. Doniphan, a friend and advocate of Mormons during a turbulent time in LDS Church history, was lauded by civic, government, religious and education leaders on the 200th anniversary of his birth.
Book confronts LDS tragedy (7-19)
As they meticulously pieced together what some are calling the most complete history ever written of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, much of the agony was in the irony for three Latter-day Saint authors.
Times-News--'We're here because we love them' (7-18)
Local Christians stake out LDS temple
Mormon Times--Parody writer Mormonizes popular songs (7-18)
A CD that spoofs pop music and Mormon culture will be released in August by a New York native who sees a need for upbeat songs with a good message.
Mormon Times--book reviews (7-18)
In the newest novel of the popular "A Banner is Unfurled" series, Marcie Gallacher and Kerri Robinson capture the period from 1834 to 1837 of the Julia and Ezekiel Johnson family's life of tragedy, trial, faith and endurance.
Mormon Times--Podcast: Robert L. Millet on Internet dialogue (7-17)
Mormon Times writer Michael De Groote spoke over the phone on July 8, 2008, with Robert L. Millet about Elder Russell M. Ballard's admonition for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be more active in sharing their faith on the Internet.
Mormon Times--Tourist magnet (7-17)
The most-visited 35 acres in Utah call to tourists year-round, but especially in the summer.
Syracuse.com--Spreading the Mormon message (7-16)
Central New York pageant helps a sometimes misunderstood religion tell its story
The China Post--President recognizes Mormons' contributions to local society (7-16)
President Ma Ying-jeou lauded the contributions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church, to Taiwanese society yesterday, saying that its missionaries have helped instill positive values and spirit in the public.
Mormon Times--Wilford Woodruff musical plays Friday, Saturday (7-16)
A musical about President Wilford Woodruff written 22 years ago for a Woodruff family reunion will be produced this weekend at the former LDS Church president's Salt Lake City farmhouse.
FLDS want new fiduciary (7-16)
A lawyer for residents of the Fundamentalist LDS communities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., is going to court to try to remove the man placed in charge of the polygamous sect's real-estate holdings arm.
Actor in LDS-themed films booked for theft (7-16)
A local actor who has appeared in several LDS-oriented comedies spent the weekend in jail after being arrested for investigation of theft.
Mormon Times--All different kinds of Mormons (7-16)
Not only have Mormons been making news lately, but the name "Mormon" itself has been in the headlines.
U.S. Senate committee to investigate FLDS (7-15)
The Senate Judiciary Committee is poised to hold a hearing in Washington next week on alleged crimes involving the Fundamentalist LDS Church.
Mormon Times--The devil made me post it (7-15)
Editor's note: We are not at liberty to disclose exactly how the following e-mail correspondence came into our possession. It is, from all appearances, the reports and dispatches from certain underworld demons, Nailstrip and Bugstone by name, concerning the posting of comments on newspaper Web sites such as DeseretNews.com.
LDS reassign Russia-bound missionaries (7-15)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has stopped sending North American missionaries to Russia due to new, tougher visa laws.
Picturing the West:1852 lithographs of Salt Lake Valley provide unique look at the past (7-15)
Nineteenth-century Americans were fascinated with the lands that stretched beyond their western borders. Yet, they knew very little about them.
Mormon Times--Engineer cuts digitizing time for 2.4 million records (7-15)
The Family History Department faced a herculean task five years ago. Heath Nielson provided the answer.
Calendar-maker ousted by LDS (7-14)
The creator of a 2008 calendar that featured shirtless Mormon missionaries was excommunicated Sunday after a disciplinary meeting with local church leaders in Las Vegas.
Trust serves papers on FLDS ranch (7-14)
Lawyers for the court-controlled real-estate holdings arm of the Fundamentalist LDS Church have served court papers on the polygamous sect's Texas ranch.
Mormon Times--Watching the LDS Church grow in Las Vegas (7-13)
Growing up in the small community of Alamo, Nev., Marsha Lamb's experience with Las Vegas, 90 miles to the south, was two piano lessons a month. Now a grandmother in the Cimarron Ward, Las Vegas Nevada Redrock Stake, Marsha Lamb Leason reflected back on her life in the state's largest city during a Church News interview.
Mormon Times--Joseph Smith's doctor believed to be only man who could save Prophet's leg (7-12)
It took the curiosity of a Boston-area surgeon to uncover the identity of the man who conducted Joseph Smith's famous leg operation.
Jeffs is 'doing just fine' in Arizona jail (7-12)
A sheriff's spokeswoman in Arizona says polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs is doing well just days after he was rushed to a Las Vegas hospital for an undisclosed medical problem.
LDS Church emphasizes 'Mormon' distinctions (7-11)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is again stressing the differences between its global religion and polygamous sects that it believes are being erroneously linked to it as part of an onslaught of news coverage of the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's ranch in Texas.
Mormon missionary calendar-maker facing discipline (7-11)
A Las Vegas man who was the creative brains behind a calendar that features shirtless Mormon missionaries is facing a disciplinary hearing and possible excommunication for the project.
Mormon Times--Making gospel concepts 'easier' (7-11)
For David J. Ridges, gospel concepts just keep getting "easier."
CTR ring designer Douglas Miles dies (7-11)
You probably don't know the man, the late Douglas Coy Miles, but you likely know his famous designs of the CTR ring, the Duty to God award, Relief Society pendant, all-church athletic trophies and Articles of Faith wall hangings--commemorative fixtures in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mormon Times--LDS Church wrestling "Mormon" with polygamist groups (7-10)
The LDS Church is responding to criticism from a coalition of polygamist groups that aren't happy about information the church published to distance itself from the FLDS sect in Texas.
Mormon Times--Mormon view of hell obscured in survey (7-10)
The question was about hell.
FLDS leader Jeffs remains hospitalized in Las Vegas (7-9)
Fundamentalist LDS Church leader Warren Jeffs remains hospitalized under armed guard in Las Vegas.
ksl.com--Polygamous groups assert their Mormon heritage (7-9)
Polygamy-practicing fundamentalists with religious roots in early Mormon theology are rankled by the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' campaign to direct the way news organizations define those sects.
Pro-polygamy coalition takes issue with LDS objection to 'fundamentalist' (7-9)
A coalition of polygamous groups is taking issue with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' objections to the term "fundamentalist Mormon."
Mormon Times--The genetics of the Book of Mormon (7-9)
I keep hearing from ex-Mormons or wavering Saints that their testimony problems come from "science." Yet when I hear which particular scientific point is causing them problems, I realize they're suffering from a serious misdiagnosis.
Mormon Times--LDS athletes bound for Beijing Olympics (7-9)
With Olympic trials and qualifications continuing through the end of the month, the list of Mormon athletes bound for Beijing and the 2008 Summer Games continues to grow.
Mormon Times--Pushing and pulling: handcart treks test youths, make memories (7-9)
Dave Burnham hoped to take 300 teenagers "further than they've ever thought they were capable of emotionally, physically and spiritually" this summer.
Mormon Times--BYU professor defends Mormonism (7-8)
Daniel C. Peterson has his share of antagonists, some of whom have accused him of being a "lying mercenary."
Mormon Times--Mormon, "non-Mormon" divide not so wide (7-8)
As I write this, there's a swirling debate about whether to sell -- or not sell -- liquor on Sundays. And several commentators have been quick to cite the famous "divide" -- the split between Mormons and the artists formerly known as "non-Mormons."
BYU NewsNet--Follow the Prophet (7-8)
On June 29, every LDS ward in California had a statement by the First Presidency read over the pulpit. In it, President Thomas S. Monson and his counselors asked members to “do all [they] can” to support a new proposed amendment to legally define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The amendment would overturn the May 15 California Supreme Court ruling but uphold a 2000 prohibition on same-sex marriage.
NYTimes.com--South Bronx - Mormon Missionaries Recruit the Deaf in the South Bronx (7-6)
In the South Bronx, Mormon missionaries are assigned to recruit for their church's deaf congregation among the neighborhood's hearing impaired.
Mormon Times--Virtual Mormons get a 'Second Life' -- Part 2 (7-3)
ADAM ONDI AHMAN, Second Life -- Keith Thompson entered the virtual world of Second Life to fill the extra time he had from being disabled. He used an 8-year-old's persona, or avatar, to explore childhood psychology -- and to simply play a game.
LDS get final OK on project (7-3)
It took 20 months and 25 appearances before Salt Lake City government boards and commissions, but The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now has all the official approval it needs to remake the heart of downtown.
Crowd of 1,000 closes the door on UVSC, gives UVU big welcome (7-2)
With an enthusiastic eye to the future, Utah Valley University bid a formal farewell to its status as a state college Tuesday.
Mormon Times--Virtual Mormons get a second life -- Part 1 (7-1)
ADAM ONDI AHMAN, Second Life -- When I first met Skyler Goode in Second Life, he was only 8 years old.
Mormon Times--Church Office Building's 26th floor offers Salt Lake City's best view (7-1)
Temple Square is Utah's most popular tourist attraction, even eclipsing the state's national parks. However, some visitors to the Square -- especially Salt Lake-area residents -- don't ever seem to have a breathtaking visit to the 26th floor "Observation Deck" of the LDS Church Office Building on their agenda.
Mormon Times--Sacrament is not for the spotless (7-1)
It's been said that baseball is a game children can play but geniuses can never fully understand.