ARTICLE - ITS UNJUST TO SAY LDS (Mormon) CHURCH IS ANTI-SEMITIC

It's unjust to say LDS Church is anti-Semitic

By Dan Peterson

For the Deseret News

Published: Thursday, March 15 2012

One of the charges leveled in the recent controversy over vicarious baptisms for the dead is that Mormonism is anti-Semitic.

Nothing could be further from the truth.
Latter-day Saints are, for example, the only religious group of which I'm aware whose canonical scripture expressly denounces anti-Jewish bigotry.
The familiar prophecy in 2 Nephi 29:3, that "many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible," is typically used to argue for extrabiblical scripture. And, plainly, that's one of Nephi's points. Still, we shouldn't overlook the next three verses:
"But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?
"O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people.
"Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?"
By contrast, while neither can be legitimately used to charter anti-Semitism, both the New Testament and Quran are replete with denunciations of the Jews for having persecuted and slain their own ancient prophets, and the gospel of John, in particular, blames "the Jews" for the killing of Jesus. The famous "passion play" at Oberammergau, in Germany, historically based on John's account of the last days of Christ, has sometimes come under fire in recent decades for alleged anti-Semitism.
Far from being anti-Semitic, the Book of Mormon is actually philo-Semitic, pro-Jewish. And Mormon support for the Jews is further demonstrated in a famous episode from early Latter-day Saint history.
By the 19th century, hope of a return to Palestine was fading among many Jews. An 1845 conference of rabbis in Frankfurt-am-Main deleted all prayers for a return to Zion and the restoration of a Jewish state from their ritual prayer books. An 1869 rabbinic conference in Philadelphia essentially agreed.

In April 1840, though, the Prophet Joseph Smith dispatched Orson Hyde and John Page of the Council of the Twelve Apostles "to visit the cities of London, Amsterdam, Constantinople and Jerusalem." They were to carry a letter of introduction with them into the domains of the Ottoman Empire, explaining that "The Jewish nations have been scattered abroad among the Gentiles for a long period; and in our estimation, the time of the commencement of their return to the Holy Land has already arrived."
Only Elder Hyde completed the arduous mission, spending April 1841 to December 1842 in Jerusalem. Before dawn on Oct. 24, 1841, he climbed the Mount of Olives, where, overlooking the city, he wrote and recited a prayer. Here's a paragraph from it:
"Now, O Lord! Thy servant has been obedient to the heavenly vision which Thou gavest him in his native land; and under the shadow of Thine outstretched arm, he has safely arrived in this place to dedicate and consecrate this land unto Thee, for the gathering together of Judah's scattered remnants, according to the predictions of the holy Prophets — for the building up of Jerusalem again after it has been trodden down by the Gentiles so long, and for rearing a Temple in honor of Thy name."
Then, having built a small altar of stones, he descended from the mount.
The "First Aliyah" or Jewish emigration to Palestine can be dated to 1882, and many consider 1897, the year in which the First Zionist Congress met in Basel, Switzerland, to create the World Zionist Organization, as the birth year of practical Zionism.
Mormonism isn't committed to any particular position on the Arab-Israeli conflict, but, plainly, while many Jews were abandoning the idea, a Mormon apostle was praying for their return to Jerusalem. And, while many Christians have used the Bible to justify prejudice against Jews, the Book of Mormon expressly condemns such prejudice.
It's simply unjust to claim that Mormonism is anti-Semitic.

NEWS - LDS (Mormon) CHURCH REMINDS MEMBERS TO FOLLOW PROXY BAPTISM POLICIES

LDS Church email reminds members to follow proxy baptism policies

By Joseph Walker, Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, March 14 2012

Continuing its effort to encourage all church members to comply with established policies for the submission of names for proxy baptisms, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent an email Tuesday to users of its New FamilySearch genealogical website reminding them that the conditions for use of the website "require compliance to the policies before you can submit names to the temple."
During recent weeks the church's emphasis on genealogical research in support of its doctrinal belief in eternally uniting families through rites and ordinances performed in LDS temples has drawn public attention – and, in some cases, criticism. Particular notice has been made of the unauthorized submission of the names for temple work of Jewish Holocaust victims despite a 1995 policy that such names would not be available for proxy baptism.
The email to New FamilySearch users quoted Dennis C. Brimhall, managing director of the church's Family History Department, from a recent article in the LDS Church News, in which he said "the searching out of our family, and preparing the names for the work to be done in the temple is … a responsibility, but it is also a privilege."
"That privilege is extended to the members by those who hold the (priesthood) keys to the work," Brimhall continued. "The(se) keys … are held by the First Presidency of the Church."
A letter from the church's First Presidency outlining the policies was attached to the email. This is the same letter recently sent to local LDS leaders, who were asked to read the letter during worship services. The First Presidency letter stressed that "our preeminent obligation is to seek out and identify our own ancestors" and indicates that "those whose names are submitted for proxy temple ordinances should be related to the submitter."
"Without exception," the letter continued, "church members must not submit for proxy temple ordinances any names from unauthorized groups, such as celebrities and Jewish Holocaust victims. If members do so, they may forfeit their New FamilySearch privileges. Other corrective action may also be taken."

ARTICLE - ARE MORMONS KEEPING ROMNEY AFLOAT?

Are Mormons Keeping Mitt Romney Afloat?

By Timothy Stanley

Mar 14 2012, His victories in the Pacific Islands and American West show the power of a strong minority to boost a weak candidate in low turn-out contests.


There are six kids in white shirts and black ties standing in a line. One steps forward and dances around the others, hissing and sneering like a bobcat. He moves to the front on the chorus and the boys start slapping their thighs in a steady one-two-three, one-two-three rhythm. The leader cries, "Grab the book from your pants!" They pull out a black book -- one-two-three. "Slap the book on your chest!" They slap away -- one-two-three. "Read the book, read the book, pray, pray!" One-two-three. "We've got the gospel, you get it, you get it?" Then they step towards the camera and wave their hands. "You come walk in the waters with meeee!" The boys fall to the floor in a fit of giggles. It's one of the odder sights on YouTube.
The book is The Book of Mormon and the boys are young missionaries. They are dancing a Mormon-themed version of the Maori war dance, or Haka -- just one of the many Mormon Haka videos posted on YouTube (if you want to see the dance done with real force, check out this version by by Mormons Elders Hopoate and Ofahulu in Australia.) This extraordinary cross-fertilization of Mormonism and Polynesian culture is quite common. It's a testament to the broad and growing reach of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- and hints at the political power of the Mormon diaspora.
In a primary season as competitive as 2012, every delegate counts. For that reason, the votes of Republican Pacific islanders living in American territories and Hawaii have gained an unusual degree of importance. Last Saturday, beleaguered front-runner Mitt Romney won GOP caucuses in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. On Tuesday he scooped victories in American Samoa and Hawaii. Together, these islands have given him at least 36 delegates -- a small number, perhaps, but one more hard-earned step towards the nomination. He came in third in the American deep South last night, but he still was the day's delegate winner, thanks to the island caucuses.
Romney's victories owed something to the Pacific islands' large population of Mormons. In fact, local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may have proved crucial to winning each of these caucuses. It wouldn't be the first case of Mormons bailing out Romney this campaign season. They've also helped his candidacy in two critical Western states -- demonstrating that Mormons aren't just a great fundraising network, but a surprisingly powerful demographic force within the world of low-turnout GOP primaries and caucuses.
The Mormon presence in the Pacific islands is certainly substantial. There are an estimated 14,784 Mormons in American Samoa -- where only about 70 Republicans gathered to caucus Tuesday -- and 55,000 in Hawaii -- where more 10,000 Republicans turned out -- along with 1,971 in Guam, and 735 in the Northern Marianas. The heavy concentration of converts is no coincidence. Polynesians have a special place in Mormon theology. According to some Mormons, thousands of years ago a group of Israelites, led by the prophet Lehi, escaped Babylonian captivity and sailed to freedom in Central America. Their new civilization flourished until it was destroyed in a civil war between the Nephite and Lamanite factions in 400AD. The sinful Lamanites, who won, were distinguished by a dark colored skin and were the forebears of the Native Americans.
According to the Mormon Book of Alma, a mixed group of Nephites and Lamanites sailed to Polynesia in 55BC. They settled down peacefully and, mixing with migrants from Southeast Asia, became the modern Polynesians. Many Mormons thus believe that the Polynesians practice a religion that is very close to the early Israelite church -- a claim supported by the fact that they share several myths in common with the Hebrew tradition, including one about a great flood. In the Mormon mind, Polynesians have a covenanted role to play in religious history. Being dark skinned, they bear the "mark" of the Lamanites. But, as the apocalypse approaches, the Book of Mormon prophesizes that they shall become "a white and delightsome people" (NB, the word "white" was changed to "pure" in 1981).

In fact, it was typical for Christian missionaries to claim that the Polynesians were a lost tribe of Israel: the first Protestant missionary to New Zealand in 1830 called the Maori "dispersed Jews." This helped justify the expense of evangelization, which continued apace during the 19^th century. Mormons often get rough treatment when they try to spread their version of the Good News abroad. But in Polynesia they benefited from cultural norms about hospitality that made the locals natural converts. The LDS Church set up its first mission in Samoa in 1862 and, since then, it's been one of the most popular destinations for missionaries to go -- because Samoans have a culture of welcoming strangers and listen to what they have to say. Only local Protestant and Catholic churches resisted Mormon encroachment, retarding growth until after the Second World War. Since then, the American Samoan church has grown to a likely 22.5 percent of the population. The LDS Church puts the figure as high as 30 percent, and today's Republican vice chairman in American Samoa -- where Romney swept -- played football at Romney's alma mater, the Mormon-owned and operated Brigham Young University. One of the reasons why Polynesians were drawn to Mormonism was that the Mormons were so generous. In addition to building schools locally, they welcomed migration to Utah. As a result, present-day Utah has a population of about 25,000 people of Pacific Islander descent. Although they tend to join wards (churches) in heavily Polynesian neighborhoods, there is little evidence of racial segregation. Given the sometimes difficult historical relationship between white Mormons and African-Americans, the LDS's embrace of Polynesians is an example of how its theology is oddly bifurcated. It has been capable of discriminating against one minority while positively fetishizing another, with the lines of racial demarcation shaped by the peculiarities of scripture.
Did the Mormon/Polynesia link make a difference in the Pacific island votes? Two things that suggest so. First, the Romney campaign made a big outreach to the islanders. The day before the Northern Marianas voted, Mitt's son Matt had lunch with the governor of the islands and the candidate dialed in to say sorry for not being there: "I am apologetic that I can't be with you today, but as you could imagine I'm running from place to place, trying to secure as many delegates as I can." Matt added, "It is important for us to get everywhere we can, everywhere that people vote. This is obviously one of the harder locations to get to but by far, it's one of my favorites so far." And Team Romney dominated among local endorsements -- including that of former Republican congressman Charles Djou of Hawaii, Hawaii House Minority Leader Gene Ward, and Guam Governor Eddie Calvo.
Second, turnout was so low that it's hard not to credit the sizable Mormon populations with some impact on the outcome. Even in the islands with tiny LDS communities, Mormons outnumber the people who participated in the vote. In Guam, only 207 people took part in the convention. There are 1,971 Mormons living on the island.
This is not to suggest a stitch up, but rather to note the surprising demographic strength of the LDS Church. Worldwide, its membership rocketed from 4 million in 1978 to 11 million members in 2000. In America, it has increased by about 30 percent since 1990. There is evidence that domestic growth has flat-lined, but heavy concentration in certain states has given it increased political clout.
Consider the importance of states with sizable Mormon populations to this year's primaries. Shortly after he won the Florida primary, Romney faced his first Western challenge in Nevada. Although he was always going to do well in The Silver State, a strong victory was necessary to prove that Florida wasn't a one off and he had momentum to carry him to victory in Michigan at the end of the month. Romney won Nevada with 50 percent. Importantly, turnout was a dismal 32,894 -- well below the total Mormon population of the state, at 174,662. According to CNN exit polls, a quarter of all participants were LDS members and 88 percent of them voted for Mitt. Nationwide, only 2 percent of Americans are Mormon.
One month later, there was Arizona. Arizona wasn't as important as Romney's home state of Michigan, which voted on the same day, but for a while Santorum was close to Romney in polls and it was vital that Mitt win the Arizona primary. He did so easily, by 47 percent. Turnout was 505,635. The local Mormon population is 381,235 and, according to CNN, 14 percent of voters were LDS members. Three days later came Washington state, which was, again, important for establishing Romney's credibility after a series of defeats by Santorum. Romney won with 38 percent on an appalling 1.4 percent turnout. The turnout equaled 50,764 Republicans -- in a state with a local Mormon population of 263,004. Romney has also won Idaho and Wyoming, both of which have high densities of LDS members (Idaho is the second most Mormon state in America, after Utah). It is surely significant that Mitt has yet to be truly tested in a Western state that doesn't have a significant population of Mormons. The only such challenge he has faced so far was in Colorado, which he lost 40 to 35 percent. Ergo, even if Mormons aren't directly responsible for Romney's Western victories, they have been critical to their scale and maintaining his campaign's momentum.
Much has been written about the role that Mormons have played in the 2012 race, but most of it has operated on a conceptual level. What might voters think of Romney's faith? How will Romney's beliefs influence his decision making? What has been less well studied is the precise impact of Mormon votes and communities on the primary outcome. Given their obvious significance in early Western votes and the way that they have helped add to Romney's delegate count in the Pacific islands, it's clear the extended Mormon family has delivered for Romney and proven itself to be a vital part of the Republican electoral process. If and when Romney sews up the nomination, their Haka may well be heard at the convention.

NEWS - AMERICANS KNOW LITTLE BUT ARE STILL WARY OF MORMONS

Americans know little but are still wary of Mormons

Church is 'totally integrated,' adherents say, but suspicions linger

By CATHY LYNN GROSSMAN • USA Today | Posted: Sunday, January 29, 2012 12:00 am 

When Mormons call themselves "a peculiar people," they mean it in the biblical sense — set aside by God, chosen.
But many Americans call them peculiar in Webster's way — strange, odd.
Now Mormons, followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are in the spotlight. One of their own, Mitt Romney, is a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination.
Suddenly, America's abuzz about "gold plates and magic underwear," says Terryl Givens, a professor of religion at the University of Richmond in Virginia and a Mormon himself.
Many Americans are suspicious of Mormon ways. That could be because:
• Mormons are unfamiliar to many. There are 6 million, adults and children, accounting for fewer than 2 percent of the U.S. population, and 76 percent live in a handful of Western states.
• Outspoken evangelical pastors call Mormonism a non-Christian "cult." Mormons disagree, saying they just center their faith on a different understanding of God, Christ, Scripture and salvation than Catholics or Protestants. Christian private schools and home-schooling associations specify that the Bible is the only Scripture, thereby excluding Mormons, who add three more holy books.
• Unlike Judaism, Mormonism is not a faith commonly studied in comparative religion classes. When Mormons show up in history books, it's generally limited to a saga of persecution (they were driven from the Midwest to Utah in the 19th century) and legal conflicts over polygamy. The church banned polygamy in 1890, but polygamist splinter groups, such as those depicted in "Big Love" and "Sister Wives," often see more media airtime than mainstream Mormons.
Joseph Smith founded the LDS church, according to church teachings, after discovering gold plates buried in upstate New York that he believed contained the words of ancient prophets detailing Jesus' visit to the New World. When translated, it became the text of The Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe is essential to restoring the original church as Christ intended. According to one of the four books of Mormon scripture, The Pearl of Great Price, Smith later returned the golden plates to an angelic guardian.
Some adult Mormons in good standing with the church wear a simple cotton T-shirt and fitted pants that have been blessed by the church.
"Once someone actually lifted the sleeve of my shirt to peek while asking, 'Do you wear the magic underwear?' Stop! I don't check your underpants!" recalls Erin Gillie, 26, who moved to Washington, D.C., from Alabama.
She wears the undergarments, she says, "as a reminder of who I am: a child of God who should live by certain standards."
"A lot of people have preconceived ideas about Mormons, and there's not much I can do to change their minds if their pastor is telling them Mormons are evil," she says.
"People will ask, 'How many moms do you have?' I've had dates who never called again once they learned I was Mormon. I figure it's their loss."
Mormons cherish their "peculiar" distinctiveness, says Michael Otterson, chief spokesman for the LDS church.
"We value and recognize and respect the values of other religions, but we very much appreciate our own. If you are a Latter-day Saint, a member of the fourth-largest (denomination) in the country, you shouldn't have to go hat in hand for acceptance while acceptance of other minorities — Jews or Muslims or Presbyterians — is taken at face value," he says.
Of course, Otterson notes, "You may not even know that the person who cuts your hair or does your taxes is a Mormon because we're totally integrated in the American mainstream."
A survey of Mormons released by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life delineated Mormons' traditionalist values — high on family and education. Most (67 percent) of adult Mormons are married, compared with 52 percent of the nation. College-educated Mormons also have the highest level of commitment to religious orthodoxy: 84 percent say they follow the teachings "wholeheartedly."
On Pew Forum's 2010 U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey, which asked 32 questions on the Bible, major religious figures and core beliefs and practices, the average score was 16 correct. Just 19 percent of Protestants knew the basic tenet that salvation is through faith alone, not actions as well. Who scored best? Atheists, Jews and Mormons.
Mormons' strong communities make them a potent organized force, whether for joining in relief programs, campaigning for a moral cause or proselytizing by those ubiquitous young missionaries knocking on doors.
Advocates of same-sex marriage still burn over the millions in donations and savvy campaigning by Mormons backing Proposition 8, which overturned legal gay marriage in California in 2008.
The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center turned its outrage into a moneymaker and rallying point. The center raised $70,000 in contributions. Jim Key, spokesman for the center, says, "For each donation, we sent a postcard to LDS President Thomas Monson saying a gift had been made in his name to invalidate Prop 8."
It's Mormons' religious outreach that worries Warren Cole Smith, an evangelical blogger and associate publisher of World, a Christian news magazine. He fears a Romney presidency would give credence and publicity to a "false faith."
One proof of falsehood, to Smith, is that Mormons believe the Bible didn't close the book on God's revelations. They believe present-day prophets, including the president of the church, can proclaim new teachings from God.
Smith cites two examples: The LDS church banned polygamy in 1890 (perhaps, say historians, prompted by the threats from the U.S. government and by the Mormons' wish to see Utah become a state).
And in 1978, then-LDS president and prophet Spencer Kimball overturned the church's ban on ordaining black men to the priesthood.
Smith's oft-quoted line that makes evangelicals jittery is that Mormons "may believe one thing today, and something else tomorrow."

ARTICLE - MORMONS IN AMERICA 'PEW STUDY'

“Mormons in America” PEW Study

 

by Larry Richman on January 13, 2012

“Mormons in America” is a groundbreaking study by the Pew Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, the first ever published by a non-LDS research organization to focus exclusively on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their beliefs, values, perceptions and political preferences.
In summary, the study shows that Mormons subscribe to traditional Christian beliefs, have high moral standards, are overwhelmingly satisfied with their lives and communities, are active in serving others, and have a profound dedication to family.

Here are a few of the study’s findings that I found interesting:

• 87% of Mormons are satisfied with their lives.
• 92% say their communities are excellent or good places to live.

Politics:

• 66% of Mormons describe themselves as politically conservative. 74% of Mormon voters identify with or lean toward the Republican Party.
• 75% of Mormons say they prefer a smaller government providing fewer services.
• 86% of all Mormons and 94% of Mormon Republicans view Mitt Romney favorably. Even among Mormon Democrats, 62% rate Romney favorably. 50% view Jon Huntsman favorably. 25% view Barack Obama favorably. 22% view Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid favorably.

Immigration:

• Mormons are fairly evenly split on whether immigrants strengthen the U.S. because of their hard work and talents (45%) or burden the U.S. by taking American jobs, housing, and health care (41%).

Religious beliefs & practices:

• 82% say that religion is very important in their lives.
• 77% say they believe wholeheartedly in all of the Church’s teachings.
• 83% say they pray every day.
• 79% say they donate 10% in tithing.
• 77% say they attend church at least once a week.
• Mormons exhibit higher levels of religious commitment than many other religious groups, including white evangelical Protestants.
• 98% say they believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• 94% believe the President of the LDS Church is a prophet of God
• 95% believe that families can be bound together eternally in temple ceremonies.
• 94% believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate, physical beings.
• 91% believe that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets.
• 97% of Mormons believe they are Christians.

Moral issues:

• 86% say that polygamy is morally wrong.
• 79% say that sex between unmarried adults is morally wrong.
• 74% say that abortion is morally wrong.
• 54% say that drinking alcohol is morally wrong.
• 65% say that homosexuality should be discouraged by society.

Learn more:

• “‘Mormons in America’ Pew survey explores beliefs, attitudes of LDS Church members” in the Deseret News.
• “Pew Mormon Study Highlights Christianity, Religiosity of Latter-day Saints” in the Church’s Newsroom.
• “Mormons in America” on the PEW study

NEWS - MORMON FAMILY STARS IN NEW ANIMAL PLANET TV SERIES ON PET TAXIDERMISTS

Mormon family stars in new Animal Planet TV series on pet taxidermists

 

Published: Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012

By Trent Toone, Deseret News

ROMANCE, Ark. — It all started with an email that appeared to be a hoax.
"We received an email from someone who wanted to create a TV show about a small, family-owned, taxidermy business and would we be interested," said Daniel Ross, the owner of Xtreme Taxidermy. "My wife told me about it and we thought it was a joke. We didn't take it seriously at all. But I told her to reply, 'Sure, why not?'"


Three years later, the Ross family is going on TV.
Daniel Ross, his wife, LaDawn, and three young sons, along with three employees, make up the cast of Animal Planet's new series, "American Stuffers," which chronicles the ups and downs of a rural, backyard taxidermy business that specializes in pet preservation. The series premieres Thursday, Jan. 5, at 8 p.m. MST.
At least two things set the Ross family business apart. First, the pet preservation aspect of Daniel's business is unique and clients come from far and wide with their beloved, dead pets, including raccoons, snakes, iguanas, dogs, tarantulas, scorpions, even a screech owl owned by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Second, the Rosses are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Daniel was raised in an LDS family, and his brothers served missions. As high school sweethearts, Daniel introduced LaDawn to Mormon missionaries who taught and baptized her. Daniel and LaDawn have been married for 16 years and have created a loving, supportive home environment for their three sons. There is a part in the second episode when the family reads the Book of Mormon together, followed by a game at the kitchen table.
Both elements appealed to show executives.
"It was something new to us," said Mick Kaczorowski, Animal Planet executive producer. "The whole series is about love. Daniel transforms these pets for people who don't want to depart with them and they shed tears of joy … And the whole family is involved. There is something unique and loving in everything they do. It's sort of 'I Love Lucy' meets 'Extreme Home Makeover.'"
Daniel Ross, an outdoor enthusiast, started in taxidermy about nine years ago when he decided he could save money by doing his own mounts. Business began to boom about five years ago when he started doing pet preservation.
"I wanted to learn how to do it myself to make a little money and maybe do some for my friends," he said. "But once we opened the shop, me and a buddy of mine, it was just crazy how many people brought deer in that first year. It became a flood of work. Now with the pet preservation, it's added a whole new growth to the business. This pet preservation is going to be huge."


In addition to innovation and family values, the show is funny and entertaining. In the first episode, "Keep Your Dead Animals Out of My Kitchen," Daniel uses his family's kitchen oven to dry a few animal parts. When LaDawn smells something foul as she prepares the family meal, she gets in her husband's face about it. "I thought I would kill him," she said.
In the second episode, "The Woman with a Pet Raccoon," an emotional woman comes into the shop carrying her dead raccoon, Chatters. Daniel is worried, as he is with every client, that if he doesn't arrange things just right, the client will be upset and his business will suffer. But he always finds a way.


"Many people don't have a clue that pet preservation exists. They may think it's weird and say, 'Gee whiz, something like this really goes on?'" Kaczorowski said. "But this series really has it all. It's a feel-good series. There is no screaming, yelling or fighting, but it's very entertaining."
The Ross family will spend Thursday evening at a party with media and about 200 of their closest friends and family. Daniel admits he never thought he would be on TV, but he and LaDawn are excited to see where the show takes their business and lives. The biggest challenge has been maintaining balance and a sense of normalcy in the home.
"It's crazy our lives have played out like this. I never thought I would be a taxidermist or on TV," Daniel said. "The Lord is blessing us for trying to live right and do our best."

NEWS - MORMON CHURCH LAUNCHES MEDIA CAMPAIGN

 

Mormon Church launches media campaign

By John Stanley, The Arizona Republic

Updated 10/2/2011

PHOENIX – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will launch a new media campaign Monday in 12 major cities.

The "I'm a Mormon" campaign — mostly TV spots and billboards — will encourage people to learn about Latter-day Saints by visiting the mormon.org website, which features video profiles of thousands of Mormons from around the world.

"These are real people," said Cindy Packard, the LDS Church spokeswoman for the metropolitan Phoenix area. "There are no scripts, no fake stories, no wardrobe, just real people talking about their lives."

Visitors to the website can also chat live with representatives who can answer questions about the Mormon faith and check out a list of common questions about church doctrine, such as "Are Mormons Christians?" "Why don't Mormons drink coffee, tea or alcohol?" and "What do Mormons believe about the Bible?"

The purpose of the campaign is to make it easy for people to learn about the faith and get to know Mormons personally, Packard said.

Although there are 52,000 full-time Mormon missionaries in the world, nowadays many people prefer to seek information about the church online, she said, noting that it's an efficient and effective way to reach more people, and on their terms.

"You can come knocking on our door whenever it's convenient and learn as much as you want," she said.

A similar effort to publicize the website was launched in nine cities last year.

Both campaigns came about after church research showed that about half of all Americans say they have never met a Mormon, and that many held misconceptions about church tenets.

In the spotlight

Mormons have been the topic of much public discussion lately:

• "The Book of Mormon" Broadway show, by Robert Lopez and "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, opened in March. In June it won nine Tony Awards, including "Best Musical."

• A June Gallup poll showed that 22% of Americans (20% of Republicans and Independents, and 27% of Democrats) would not vote for a Mormon for president.

• The mid-summer sex-abuse trial and subsequent imprisonment of polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs, who headed the Arizona- and Utah-based Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which split away from the mainstream church more than a century ago. Despite the similarity of names, there is no affiliation between the two groups.

• The ongoing quest by church members Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman for the Republican nomination for president.

'Strict neutrality'

According to several prominent Phoenix-area Mormons, though, there is no connection between the "I'm a Mormon" campaign and the candidacies of Romney and Huntsman.

"I can tell you unequivocally that this mormon.org campaign has nothing to do with the election," said Paul Gilbert, a zoning attorney who serves as the co-chair of Mitt Romney's Arizona campaign.

Gilbert is also the president of the Tempe Arizona University Stake.

"I have attended every training meeting about mormon.org (at ASU) and the presidential race has never been mentioned," he said.

He also said that he didn't think the "I'm a Mormon" campaign would have any effect — positive or negative — on Romney's candidacy.

Charles E. "Bud" Jones, former Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, said the church has always maintained a neutral stance about individual candidates. The only time the church gets involved with politics, he said, is when issues concern doctrine, such as abortion or same-sex marriage.

"But as far as political candidates and partisan politics — absolutely not," Jones said.

Any perception of a church-orchestrated effort to aid Romney or any other candidate is simply wrong, said Jones, who has served as a stake president and bishop in the church.

"The church has a policy of strict political neutrality," Packard said. "We have Harry Reid on one end (of the political spectrum) and Glenn Beck on the other. So there's lots of (political) diversity within the church, and that's the way it should be."

Early church

Founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith, the church was instrumental in the settlement of the American West and has grown to more than 14 million followers, with more than half of those living outside the United States.

According to church history, Smith had a series of visions around the family's home in Palmyra, N.Y. in the 1820s. In 1830 he published the Book of Mormon, which he said was a translation of a pre-Columbian history of the Americas.

Smith was murdered by a mob in a Carthage, Ill., jail, where he was awaiting trial for inciting to riot and other charges in 1844.

The church splintered after Smith's death, with the largest contingent following Brigham Young to Salt Lake City, now the church's headquarters.

Under Young's leadership, the church established settlements throughout much of the western region of the country, as well as in southern Canada and northern Mexico. Over the decades, though, disputes arose with non-Mormons over church practices, especially polygamy, which was announced as official doctrine in 1852.

Almost 40 years later, in 1890, the church reversed its policy regarding the practice. It now promotes strict monogamy and strong family values.

The "I'm a Mormon" campaign in Phoenix will continue through February 2012. Other cities in the campaign are Spokane, Wash., Seattle, Austin, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, Omaha, Neb., Lincoln, Neb., Denver, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Ind., and South Bend, Ind.

A separate "I'm a Mormon" campaign started in New York City in June.

"(The website) is just a really fun way to learn about our lifestyle and our faith," Packard said. "The diversity that is represented there will be surprising to a lot of people."

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Michelle Williamson, i am an avid Blogger, and i am a Mormon. Nice to meet you! :)

MICHELLE

NEWS - MUSLIM LEADERS EXPRESS THANKS TO PRESIDENT (TO THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS/MORMON) UCHTORF

 * I LOVE LOVE LOVE this man...and i cant figure out why..i read his words and they resonate through me, he speaks, i listen. he  talks about subjects (as interjections into his speeches) that i have NO commonality to, yet, i listen. it will be awesome if he ever becomes our Prophet one day. 

MICHELLE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Muslim leaders express thanks to President Uchtdorf

Pres. Uchtorf is on the far right in this image.

Published: Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011

By Steve Gilliland, For the Deseret News

Among some 800 attendees at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council to hear President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's remarks on May 25 were more than 30 Muslim leaders from Southern California.
Many of the Muslims were able to thank President Uchtdorf, the second counselor in the First Presidency, personally for the LDS Church's friendship with Muslims and the support they feel from the church in combating prejudice and fostering good will.

President Uchtdorf originally met some of the leaders following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. He was serving at that time as president of the North America West Area for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and asked to meet with Muslim leaders at a mosque in Southern California. He expressed concern for the prejudice many Muslims and their families were experiencing. He let them know that the LDS people also had to learn to cope with the sting of unjust persecution and that he, as a German, grew up being unjustly persecuted after World War II.
At the World Affairs Council dinner, the Muslim leaders expressed thanks for the LDS Church humanitarian projects in their birth countries.
"From the worst earthquake to hit Pakistan in 2005 through the most recent disastrous floods, the LDS Church has been with us helping people in our cities and out to our most remote villages," Saghir Aslam said. "We came tonight to express our thanks."
The leader of the Shura Council of Southern California, Shakeel Syed, said, "President Uchtdorf's message for mutual respect and love between the human family resonates with my Islamic values. I pray that Muslims and Mormons continue to uphold these universal values and share them with the world. We are being blessed for bringing our communities together."
Many stakes in Southern California have had joint activities with their Muslim neighbors, doing humanitarian projects, interfaith dinners, youth activities and Mosque visits. LDS members have spoken favorably of their Muslim neighbors before city councils, in interfaith gatherings, to the media and on the Internet.

NEWS - NATIONWIDE MEDIA EXPLORE WHAT MAKES MORMONS TICK

Nationwide, media explore what makes Mormons tick

Published: Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011 3:26 p.m. MDT

By Joseph Walker, Deseret News

 

With stories about Mormons and Mormonism seemingly everywhere this summer, newspapers, blogs and websites around the country are using a variety of approaches to take a look inside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to see what makes Mormons tick.
One of the most interesting has been part of Beliefnet's "Project Conversion: Twelve Months of Spiritual Promiscuity," during which blogger Andrew Bowen spends a month immersing himself in different religions in an attempt to understand them by going through the conversion process. During the month of July he took LDS missionary discussions and attended LDS worship services in North Carolina. He wrote several columns about his experiences, including this one in which he is "saying good-bye to my LDS home."

"In the end, they thanked me just for giving them my time and a fair chance to explain the faith on their terms," Bowen wrote. "This reaction, of thanking me for just listening, is a common theme I find with all the faiths. People don't want to argue or convince me (well, the LDS guys tried, but I love them anyway) that every other faith is wrong, they just want people to give them a chance — to listen instead of criticize or judge. It surprises me every time it happens."
In Spokane, Wash., the Pacific Northwest Inlander takes an intimate view of the faith, with a series of five brief profiles of local Latter-day Saints. Each profile focuses on a different element of LDS living, and gives an interesting first-hand view of what Mormons are really like.
"My faith is something that is very important to me," said Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovitch, who is LDS. "Your core values are what you bring to the table every day."
The story also includes thumbnail bios of nine nationally prominent Mormons.
And the Sun Chronicle near Foxboro, Mass., allowed local Latter-day Saints to explain the church to its readers, with a far-reaching story that discusses everything from presidential politics to the family, tithing and the Word of Wisdom.
"Talking about our faith is something we enjoy and welcome," one of the quoted church members said.

NEWS - THE MOVIE MORMON PARENTS WILL ENJOY

The movie Mormon parents will enjoy

July 12, 2011 

By Tiffany Gee Lewis, For Mormon Times

There is a movie every person will want to see this summer — and it’s not “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”
It’s called “The Tree of Life,” and if you haven’t heard about it, that’s because it’s probably not in a theater near you. You might have to hunt to find it.
But the hunt will be well worth your time. That’s what my brother assured me when he called me up last week and said, “There is a movie you have to see, and you have to see it now.” He was right.
Despite the title, the film has nothing to do with the LDS Church, yet the movie’s themes have everything to do with the gospel.
The director of the film, Terrence Malick, is famous for being extremely private and meticulous in his movie making. In his more than 40 years as a film director, he has directed only six movies. “The Tree of Life” was an idea he’s been working on for more than three decades.
You can see why it took him so long. In just a little more than two hours, Malick attempts to capture the scope of all eternity, starting with the Creation, moving through prehistoric time (yes, there are dinosaurs), and on through life, death and resurrection.
Yet the real beauty of the movie comes through the eyes of a 1950s family growing up in central Texas. Specifically, it captures childhood through the eyes of a pre-adolescent boy as he awakes to the simplicities and complexities of life. He struggles with the death of his brother, the borderline-abusive relationship with his father and his connection to God.
The movie doesn’t take any cheap shots. There are no drugs, no bedroom scenes (except one very innocent dabble into relationships with the opposite sex) and no curse words. In fact, there are not a lot of words at all. Most of the images are set to a soaring score of classical music.
This is not a movie that hands you life’s lessons on a silver platter. There is no, “And thus we see.” Which is why, for the typical movie-going audience, they may come away confused and frustrated. When the film concluded, the audience sat there for several minutes in stunned silence. The only other time I’ve seen such a reaction is when I saw “Schindler’s List.”
But as Mormons, we are used to extracting symbolism. We are certainly used to the powerful themes of forgiveness and love, which lace their way through the entire movie. Four days after the show, my husband and I are still discussing themes and connections.
I think an LDS audience will also appreciate the movie because it does what fine, noble art is supposed to do. It is truly a celebration of life in all its forms. As the New York Times film critic A. O. Scott wrote, “The sheer beauty of this film is almost overwhelming, but as with other works of religiously-minded art, its aesthetic glories are tethered to a humble and exalted purpose, which is to shine the light of the sacred on secular reality.”
For me, who looks at all things through the lens of mother, the movie was a reminder of what childhood and life should be. When I stepped out of the theater, I was more aware of the humid air on my skin, the green of the grass. We’re so busy, you see, we forget these things.
I was reminded of how important it is for my children to have a self-awakening like the one in the movie. Nearly all of the film shots of children take place outside — there was no air conditioning to keep them huddled in on those hot summer days, and there were certainly no Legos or video games.
The movie made me want to capture some of that stillness that comes when you’re sent outside for the entire day to navigate the neighborhood social structure, your relationship with your siblings and the thoughts in your own mind.
More than anything, I came away wanting my husband and children to feel love — from the sky, the birds, the water, the people around them and, most of all, from their Father in Heaven.
So if you do one thing this summer, treat yourself to this movie. It won’t change your life. It will simply affirm everything you already knew.
Tiffany Gee Lewis writes humorous and thoughtful commentary on the life of a stay-at-home mother in her column, “From the Homefront,” which appears on MormonTimes.com on Tuesdays.
Follow her blog, “The Tiffany Window,” at http://thetiffanywindow.wordpress.com.

NEWS - MIRACLES SAVED MORMON MISSIONARY MAULED BY LIONS, FATHER SAYS

Miracles saved Mormon missionary mauled by lions, father says

July 12, 2011

By Jared Page, Deseret News
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — Alan Oakey said he believes in miracles.
Now more than ever.

Oakey’s 20-year-old son, Paul, is recovering in a Guatemalan hospital after being mauled by two lions Monday at a zoo.

Elder Paul Richard Oakey, of St. George, has been serving the past 19 months as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Guatemala City South Mission.

On his preparation day Monday, Elder Oakey climbed up a tall concrete wall to have his picture taken in front of the zoo’s lion exhibit, the missionary’s father said.

When Elder Oakey turned his back to the lions, they crept up on him, Alan Oakey said. One lion reached through the cage and grabbed the missionary’s right leg, causing him to fall back against the cage. A second lion then grabbed Elder Oakey’s left arm with its mouth.

One of the lions bit a chunk out of Elder Oakey’s right calf. The other lion clamped down on the missionary’s left bicep, and during the attack had most of the man’s left arm in its mouth.

Other missionaries who were at the zoo with Elder Oakey had trouble scaling the wall, Alan Oakey said. The missionary battled the lions for about two minutes before he was able to free himself and escape the cage.
“He was punching one of the lions with his right arm,” Alan Oakey said. “If he would have given up, the two-minute battle would have ended up very differently. I wouldn’t have my son right now.”

He also credits a higher power for saving his son’s life.

Two sister missionaries with the group at the zoo said a quick prayer, Alan Oakey said.

“As soon as they said, ‘amen,’ the lion’s mouth opened, and (Elder Oakey) fell back down in a safe area,” he said.

Elder Oakey’s companion eventually made it into the fray and used a bar to help pry open the mouth of the lion whose jaws were locked on the missionary’s biceps.

The missionary lost about three pints of blood during the battle, Alan Oakey said. Fortunately, other missionaries at the zoo that day shared Elder Oakey’s O-positive blood type, providing him with the transfusions he needed.

Elder Oakey was rushed to a nearby hospital in Esquipulas, where a vascular surgeon happened to be working that day. Typically, that hospital doesn’t have a vascular surgeon on duty, Alan Oakey said.
“We were very fortunate to have (the surgeon) there,” he said. “Otherwise, Paul probably wouldn’t have an arm right now.”

The surgeon worked to repair Elder Oakey’s arm for about two hours and then operated on his leg for three hours. The missionary then was transported by ambulance to a larger hospital six hours away in Guatemala City, where doctors are working to determine if he will regain full use of his fingers.

LDS Church officials issued a statement Tuesday, saying “our thoughts and prayers are with Elder Oakey and his family as he goes through this difficult time.”

And prayers, Alan Oakey said, are exactly what his son needs.

“That’s what’s been working,” he said.

Contributing: Marc Giauque

NEWS - HOMELESS MAN CHARGED WITH STALKING MORMON CHURCH PRESIDENT

Homeless man charged with stalking Mormon church president

July 8, 2011 

SALT LAKE CITY — A homeless man was charged Friday with stalking the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Benjamin Tucker Staples, 36, was charged with stalking, a class A misdemeanor.
Salt Lake police officers were called to the LDS Church Office Building, 50 E. North Temple, on July 5 after receiving a report of a trespasser. Officers were told Staples had been to the building about five times since June 25 asking to speak with President Thomas S. Monson.

Benjamin Tucker Staples, 36, was charged Friday with stalking LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson.

From the archive

Staples was "told on every prior appearance that he is not to return to the premises," the charges filed in 3rd District Court state. "Each prior incident, the defendant was arrested and booked into the jail."

Staples, who has the alias of "Jesus Christ" listed in the Salt Lake County Jail booking information, told officers "he intends to keep returning to the offices" until he meets President Monson, the charges state.

Each time, he refused to leave voluntarily, "choosing instead to be arrested by police," according to the charges.

"Church security is concerned for the safety of the president and those employed in the building because of defendant's persistence even after being told not to return and given a written trespass order," the charges state.

Staples is being held in jail on $25,000 bail.
— Brian West

NEWS - NATIONAL ATTENTION IN MORMON FAITH COULD DRIVE ATTENDANCE AT HILL CUMORAH PAGEANT

National interest in Mormon faith could drive attendance at Hill Cumorah Pageant

July 07, 2011

source: Democrat and Chronicle

As the actors, directors, lighting designers and production assistants prepare for the annual Hill Cumorah Pageant, which opens this weekend, they're wondering if a national "Mormon moment" will inspire more people to make the journey to Manchester, Ontario County.The pageant will go on as it has every year since 1937, but this year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has captured national attention as two of its adherents are running for president and the Broadway musical, "The Book of Mormon," was this year's big Tony Award-winner.
"There's a lot of curiosity right now, which is kind of fun," said Heather Gist, a member of the Hill Cumorah cast who traveled from Utah to be a part of the show with her husband and four children.
If the attention, which includes a Newsweek cover story on Mormon prominence of late, brings more people to the sprawling hill with the massive stage, that's a good thing, Gist said.
"That's one of the best parts of this pageant," she said. "We get to talk to people who come for whatever reason."
The pageant's mission is to teach people about the Mormon faith, which is based on the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Mormons believe that their faith's founder, Joseph Smith, found metal plates in the hills of Palmyra in 1823, which became the Book of Mormon.
The pageant, which features a cast of more than 700 actors and draws more than 30,000 people, has become a national event for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Post-pageant surveys in 2008 found that people had traveled from 48 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Some people preparing for the pageant were effusive about the two Mormons seeking the nation's highest office, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. Others said a candidate's personal religious beliefs were less important than other personal characteristics they bring to the office.
"I don't think their religious affiliation should matter," said Becky Buffum, an East Rochester resident who was coordinating activities for children in the pageant. "I think it's good that people of our faith are more prominent, just because it opens the door for (people) to ask more questions about what (it means to be) a Mormon."

Buffum and others acknowledged the public's misconceptions of their faith, notably that polygamy is still practiced. The LDS church ended the practice in 1890.It is these misconceptions and a suspicion about the faith that have prevented some evangelical Christian voters from supporting Mormon candidates. In a Republican primary, evangelical voters are highly sought after.
While 68 percent of Americans said a presidential candidate's Mormon identity wouldn't matter, 34 percent of white evangelical Protestants and 41 percent of liberal Democrats said they would be less likely to support a Mormon candidate, according to a Pew Research Center survey in May.
Though Mormons are not exclusively Republican — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is Mormon — many are, and Mormons and evangelicals share many values.
Nancy French, a writer who contributes to an "Evangelicals for Mitt" blog, said Mormons are also opposed to gay marriage and abortion, and said Mormons can be more conservative than evangelicals.
She said evangelical opposition to Mormon candidates is "identity politics at its worst."
"Just because you're an evangelical Christian doesn't mean that you have to have an evangelical Christian in the White House," she said.
Local political observers said they've heard more opposition to Romney because of his positions rather than his faith.
"I just don't see it as an issue," said conservative talk show host Bill Nojay, who added that Romney's record was more of a concern among Republicans he knows.
Monroe County Conservative Chairman Tom Cook shared that view.
"I have never had one person say they were concerned because he's a Mormon," Cook said.
Observers have noted that the economic climate is different than it was in 2008, when Romney lost the Republican nomination, and that people are thinking more about their pocketbook than about social values.
"You never want to see bad economic times but I'm sure Gov. Romney will tout that as something he can fix," said Kelly Patterson, a Brigham Young University political science professor.
Romney has attracted some local support, and made a quiet visit to Rochester last week to raise money in an event at Max at Eastman Place, organized by real estate developer and prolific Republican fundraiser David Flaum.
The Republican establishment was there, including Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, but Brooks and the local party have not made any endorsement in the race.

NEWS - LDS (LATTER-DAY SAINT/MORMON) AUTHOR WINS NATIONAL BOOK AWARD-AGAIN

LDS author wins national book award, again

Katie Barlow - July 06, 2011

source: LDS Living

This year, ForeWord Reviews awarded the Gold honor to the book The Golden Spiral, written by LDS author Lisa Mangum. 

The Book of the Year awards, given by ForeWord Reviews, honors books in 60 categories for the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards to call attention to librarians and booksellers who may have otherwise overlooked these books.

The Golden Spiral, the second book in The Hourglass Door trilogy, is a clean, time-traveling romance novel about a senior in high school who falls in love with a man from a different time period. 

Mangum and her husband were in New Orleans promoting her books at the annual American Library Association’s (ALA) conference when they found out ForeWord Reviews was also at the conference to announce the winners of their awards. Because she knew she was a finalist for an award, Mangum and her husband decided to attend. 

“I had high hopes for winning because The Hourglass Door won the gold for 2009, and I thought it would be amazing to win in back-to-back years,” Mangum said. 

When they came to the young adult fiction category, the cover of the winning book was flashed on the screen. As soon as she saw the black and gold cover, Mangum gasped and started to cry, not really remembering them say her name before moving on to the next category. 

Mangum has always wanted to be a writer, and with a mother who also wrote, she grew up exposed to many books. Around five ago, Mangum and some friends started a writing group, and that is when she got serious about writing novels. It was after a group meeting that the idea came to her.


“I was driving one day, thinking about YA novels, and it was like Abby and Dante jumped into my car with me, and just like that—I had this idea,” Mangum said. “I’ve never had an idea hit me with that much force before and it was all I could do to write everything down fast enough.”

Within 30 minutes, she had the entire trilogy outlined—complete with character names and development arcs, pacing and plot and some snippets of dialogue. It was almost two years to the day from when she came up with the idea that the finished book was available for purchase in stores.

“It’s nice to have that feather in her cap—to be able to tout that it is no longer subjective: this is an award winning series,” said Chris Schoebinger, product director and creative director at Deseret Book and Shadow Mountain Imprints, which published the series.

Romance novels are a top pick among teens, and they are often laced with sexual promiscuity and immoral scenes. Because of that, he loves to tell librarians that this is a clean, romance novel, and he said librarians usually light up when they hear that. 

“I think the writing is not only good, but it is sophisticated. It makes you think and it engages you from the very first page,” Schoebinger said. 

The comment Mangum hears the most from readers is that they couldn’t put the book down, and the reader in her understands what it is like not being able to set a book down. She said she is honored that her books could be those kinds of books for someone else. 

Another frequent comment she never expected to hear from readers is that after reading her books, they are inspired to write their own stories.

“I believe that everyone has a story to tell, and [that] I can be a part—even a small part—of that great circle of life and literature and inspiration is exciting.” 

*To learn more about The Golden Spiral, click here.
THE SYNOPSIS

The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Abby knows that Dante, as a Master of Time, is the only one who can stop them from destroying time itself. She also knows that he will need her help. But almost immediately, things start to change, and Abby’s worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically.
As Abby’s world fractures around her, she must face a terrible truth: either Dante didn’t make it through the door, or he is lost forever. So with Dante’s blueprints in hand, she begins construction on a new door, a new time machine that will either save Dante — or doom him.
With each new change that ripples into her present, Abby’s life continues to spiral out of control. Her relationships with Jason, Natalie, and even her family are threatened to the breaking point — and beyond. Zo’s power is greater than Abby ever imagined, but as she struggles to free Dante, she receives help from an unexpected — and unlikely — ally.
The bank is eroding. The barriers are thinning. And time is running out.

NEWS - WHITES 'NOT NORMAL' LIFE REQUIRES FAITH, PRAYER

White's 'not normal' life requires faith, prayer

June 23, 2011

By Rhett Wilkinson, Mormon Times 

Brooke White, a Latter-day Saint singer from Mesa, Ariz., who gained fame on “American Idol” when she told former judge Simon Cowell that she had never watched an R-rated movie, is now well down the winding road of the music industry.
And it's a road she's had to navigate with faith and a music style that is less than conventional.
White will be in Utah this week speaking to aspiring musicians at the Soundcheck Series in Salt Lake City, followed by a concert in Provo the next day. She's kicking off a tour with pop rock artist Jack Matranga, with whom she recently recorded an EP called "Gemini." Future tour stops include Rexburg, Idaho, and Lake Forest, Calif.

White admits to having “a lot of issues with confidence” in the past, but success has followed her appearance on “American Idol.” Since her top-five finish in 2008, White has also produced an album with 10-year “Idol” judge Randy Jackson. The single “Hold Up My Heart" rose as high as No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This Mormon has found the music industry to be far from black and white.
"Sometimes, there’s certain things you know you do and don’t do,” White said. “In this industry, there’s situations that are not clear, where you don’t know what route to take. There are situations that are not defined in a handbook or pamphlet; it’s not like I can just Google what I should do. It takes fine-tuned spirituality to know those answers."
Whether that’s having prayed in bathroom stalls during “Idol” or on the back of buses on road trips — scripture study and meditation come, no matter what, in the morning — improvising has been part of White’s life ever since she became a hot commodity.
“I always try to make right choices based on the principles and commandments given,” said White, who has been married for seven years. “But so much more, everything has to be tailored so much as individuals and keeping an open thought process and conversation in my prayers. I must think out of the box because this is not a normal life.”
It was as a teenager when White, after listening to the Beach Boys and the Beatles continually with her family, understood that her craft could best be fostered in the very time period she was taking herself to through her parents’ records. With a bit of country flavor thrown into the mix, White says it’s never been easy to categorize her style.
“I’ve always had a little bit of trouble living in a box,” she said. “We live in a day and age where people put you into a category, but I’m like a pop flurry of circumstance. I call it California country, where you had those times where the music was very melodic, very earthy, an Americana flair. But I have country-from-Arizona stuff that’s an influence. It’s all infused. At the end of the day, it’s not country, rock. It’s music."
White will perform June 24 at the Tahitian Noni International Ampitheatre, 333 Riverpark Way in Provo, from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10 for tandem general admission and $7 for single tickets.

NEWS - JOSEPH SMITH PAPERS WEBSITE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED

Joseph Smith Papers Website Officially Launched

Written by Patrick Dunshee
09 June 2011

Patrick DunsheeThe Joseph Smith Papers website, which has been in beta since October, was officially launched last week.

The purpose of the Joseph Smith Papers project is to make widely available all the writings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The goal is to publish meticulously prepared transcripts of every document Joseph Smith wrote, dictated, or had others write for him, along with detailed notes helping explain the context and substance of the writings.

The project also includes documents Joseph Smith received and kept in his office, such as incoming correspondence. Much of the content will be published in 20+ printed volumes, but the website will contain the comprehensive set of documents—thousands in all—free of charge.

You can view the new Joseph Smith Papers site at josephsmithpapers.org.

Site Scope
---------------------------
At present, the website includes images and transcripts of about 425 documents, including five of Joseph Smith’s personal journals, the earliest copy of dozens of revelations, and the Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book.

The site features biographies of hundreds of people mentioned in the writings as well as a Google map tagged with hundreds of place markers and descriptions of locations relevant to Joseph Smith’s life. There is also a chronology of the Prophet’s life, a glossary, and a library with maps, charts, and historical photographs.

As you navigate the site, you can see transcripts and images of every page of every document. You can see the original handwriting and zoom in to view individual words and even letters. Seeing the yellowing paper and the actual writing on the page, with smears and ink spills and all, really makes Church history come alive. It’s like having these 180-year-old documents in your hands.

You can see the original documents for many of the letters, revelations, minutes, and other historical records. Each of the document transcripts is tagged with people, places, events, topics, and dates. For example, when the name “Oliver Cowdery” appears in a letter, you can click on it and a short biography pops up.

This tagging also allows faceted searching. From the Search page, you can narrow the pool of search results to include only those documents that have Emma Smith tagged, or relate to Adam-ondi-Ahman, or were written in 1835, and so on.

Project Challenges
-----------------------------------
Because the site deals with complicated transcripts, including canceled text, insertions, illegible portions, and multiple scribes for some documents, it has been a challenge to construct an XML schema that handles all possible scenarios, and it has taken months and months of work to get the transcripts to render correctly on the website.

With so many moving parts to the project, from text specialists deciphering hard-to-read words to genealogists researching the lives of Church history figures to archivists obtaining rights to publish images of documents held by other libraries, it is a constant challenge to coordinate all the steps and make sure all the pieces are in the right place at the right time.

As such, the Joseph Smith Papers project is a tremendous effort. But we know the site will help all people—from historians to teachers, writers, students, and others—get to know the life of the Prophet Joseph better, to find the materials they need to better examine and contextualize and illuminate his life.
Future Roadmap

Although the site is officially launched, we still have many more documents to add. We plan to release new documents every few months. Some of the key plans of the upcoming roadmap include the following:

Provide a comprehensive calendar of documents that lists all known Joseph Smith documents, including those no longer existing.
Expand the chronology to more fully capture Joseph Smith’s day-to-day life.
Upload excerpts from the Joseph Smith Papers television series, where Joseph Smith experts talk about the papers and the life of the Prophet.

For a brief overview of the project and the website, see the introductory video on the front page at josephsmithpapers.org and this introductory essay.

NEWS - ROMNEY LEADS IN SOUTH CAROLINA -POLL SAYS

Wednesday, Jun. 08, 2011

Romney leads in S.C., poll says

Palin, who has not said whether she will run, in second place

By GINA SMITH

A new poll affirms former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as South Carolina’s early favorite for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling quizzed 1,000 South Carolinians who usually vote in GOP primaries and found Romney leading with 27 percent support. The poll’s margin of error is 3.1 percent.
Romney, who also ran for president in 2008, also is in first place in three other early-voting Republican contests – in New Hampshire, Nevada and Iowa, according to polls by Public Policy, which made its reputation polling for Democratic candidates.

But Larry Sabato, politics professor and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, expects Romney to lose his S.C. lead, in part because of his Mormon faith.
“You have to combine a poll with the political reality of a state,” Sabato said. “There’s a reason why (Romney) does so well in New Hampshire, because he was governor nearby in Massachusetts. They know him.
“There’s a reason he’s doing well in Nevada. There are lots of Mormons there.
“But (Christian) fundamentalists are about 60 percent of the Republican base in both South Carolina and Iowa, and they have a problem with Mormons. These are small leads (in South Carolina and Iowa), and we know for sure that Romney has problems in both states. We know that from 2008, and not that much has changed.”
During his 2008 run, Romney spent millions in South Carolina only to finish a disappointing fourth.
That showing has led to widespread speculation that Romney will not campaign much in South Carolina this year as he seeks the GOP nomination. Still, Romney was briefly in the state last month to meet with a group in Irmo to discuss the economy.
According to the poll, Romney’s strongest following is among South Carolinians who say they are moderate Republicans. He received 41 percent of that group’s support to Sarah Palin’s 15 percent.
The poll also found Palin is South Carolina’s second-favorite Republican. The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate, who has not said whether she will run in 2012, garnered the support of 18 percent of those surveyed.
Both Romney and Palin have close ties to S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley. Romney’s political action committees were heavy contributors to Haley’s 2011 campaign. Palin appeared in Columbia to endorse Haley before the GOP primary.
Former chief executive of Godfather’s Pizza Herman Cain and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, both of bordering Georgia, were tied at 12 percent each in the poll.
The remainder of the field polled in the single digits: U.S. Rep. Michele Bachman of Minnesota at 9 percent, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas at 7 percent, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty at 4 percent and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who was U.S. ambassador to China under President Barack Obama, at 2 percent.
Joel Sawyer, Huntsman’s S.C. director, said his candidate’s low showing is because so few South Carolinians know him.
“The poll results are largely a function of name ID,” Sawyer said. “Gov. Huntsman has been in the state one time. He’s been exploring the idea of running for president for less than a month.”
Sawyer added if Huntsman decides later this month to run, S.C. voters can expect to see him frequently.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thats serisouly very difficult for me to recon with, as SC is largely a baptist state, sitting in the middle of the "bible belt". and for the most part Baptists have had issues with the doctrines of The Church of Jesus CHrist of Latter-Day Saints.
very hard for me to see that ROmney would be ahead in the polls there.
perhaps, hes the "lesser, of two evils" lol
MICHELLE

NEWS - MITT ROMNEY MORE COMPETATIVE W/OBAMA IN POLL, BUT RELIGION REMAINS A STICKING POINT

Mitt Romney more competitive with Obama in poll, but religion remains a sticking point
June 08, 2011|By Michael Muskal | Los Angeles Times

Republican presidential hopeful, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney answers questions during a town hall style campaign event at the University of New Hampshire.

Mitt Romney is stepping away from the rest of the field for the GOP presidential nomination and is increasingly competitive against President Obama, though the former Massachusetts governor faces a potential problem because of his religion, according to the Quinnipiac poll released on Wednesday.

A quarter of Republicans or GOP-leaning independent voters said they would back Romney over the rest of field for the Republican nod. It was the best showing for Romney in months and the first time any Republican had garnered so much support from his own party, a sign that Republicans may be coalescing a bit in these early days of the 2012 presidential campaign.

Still, Romney faces a possible political problem because of his religion, the Quinnipiac poll and other surveys have found. Overall, only 45% said they had a favorable opinion of the Mormon religion, while 32% said they had an unfavorable one. Other polls have found different numbers, but most agree that between a quarter and a third of voters say they would have a problem voting for a Mormon, creating a tough situation for Romney and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who is flirting with a presidential bid.

“The fact that less than half of voters have a favorable view of the religion is likely to be a political issue that Gov. Mitt Romney, and should his campaign catch on, Gov. Jon Huntsman, will have to deal with as they pursue the White House,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

The nation’s anti-Mormon feelings aren’t new. In 2007, Romney tried to defuse the issue with a speech stressing common values.

According to the poll, Romney has opened up a lead over the rest of the GOP field, which has been seen as weak and fluid. Ranking in second place was Sarah Palin, the party’s 2008 vice presidential nominee, who received 15%. Palin has yet to announce her intentions, though she captured the media’s attention in her recent bus tour of patriotic sites in the East.

Palin, however, did better in the Reuters/Ipsos poll also released on Wednesday. That gave her 22% to Romney's 20%. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

In the Quinnipiac poll, Herman Cain, a businessman, continues to draw attention in third place with 9%, while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, are tied at 8%. Rep Michele Bachmann gets 6% and former Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty is at 5%.

The Quinnipiac poll is based on telephone interviews with 1,946 registered voters, conducted from May 31 to Monday. It has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, though some questions dealing with GOP primary preferences have smaller samples and a higher margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

Perhaps most significantly for Romney, the poll found that in a trial heat against Obama, the former businessman runs close, losing 47% to 41%. It is the best showing by a Republican candidate in the poll; Pawlenty loses by 12 percentage points and Palin by 17.
Voters remain split on whether Obama should be reelected, with 46% favoring and 48% opposed.
It was the second day of good polling news for Romney. On Tuesday, the ABC/Washington Post poll had Romney ahead of Palin, 21% to 17%. The poll gave Romney a three percentage-point margin over Obama, but the race was a statistical dead heat.

The ABC/Washington Post poll was based on 1,002 telephone interviews conducted Thursday through Sunday. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i. myself, dont see Romney getting the presidential seat, based on the religion factor alone.
it held him back before, and it will continue to hold him back.
and, i have no doubt, it will also effect Hunstman...as he is LDS as well.
for whatever reason (and its mostly false info they have indoctrinated within themselves) people cant get past the Mormon issue.
were NO diferent than anyone else.
we work, have lives, kids, and most of us have allot of kids.
we DO NOT have more than one wife!
we DO NOT intend to try to convert the nation once we have a Mormon in office!
NOT all of us are ultra conservative, some of us are actually very modern...like me.


Romney has a proven track record for taking bad financial situations and recovering them to a flow of sustainability.
He COULD very well start this country back on its feet again...
but well never see that happen, if the nation thinks his faith comes ahead of his Job.


MICHELLE