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

BROTHER, IM COMITTED

First Presidency Message

Brother, I’m Committed 

 

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

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Brother, I’m Committed

Two young brothers stood atop a small cliff that overlooked the pristine waters of a blue lake. This was a popular diving spot, and the brothers had often talked about making the jump—something they had seen others do.

Although they both wanted to make the jump, neither one wanted to be first. The height of the cliff wasn’t that great, but to the two young boys, it seemed the distance increased whenever they started to lean forward—and their courage was fading fast.

Finally, one brother put one foot at the edge of the cliff and moved decisively forward. At that moment his brother whispered, “Maybe we should wait until next summer.”

The first brother’s momentum, however, was already pulling him forward. “Brother,” he responded, “I’m committed!”

He splashed into the water and surfaced quickly with a victorious shout. The second brother followed instantly. Afterward, they both laughed about the first boy’s final words before plunging into the water: “Brother, I’m committed.”

Commitment is a little like diving into the water. Either you are committed or you are not. Either you are moving forward or you are standing still. There’s no halfway. We all face moments of decision that change the rest of our lives. As members of the Church, we must ask ourselves, “Will I dive in or just stand at the edge? Will I step forward or merely test the temperature of the water with my toes?”

Some sins are committed because we do wrong; other sins are committed because we do nothing. Being only sort of committed to the gospel can lead to frustration, unhappiness, and guilt. This should not apply to us because we are a covenant people. We make covenants with the Lord when we are baptized and when we enter the house of the Lord. Men make covenants with the Lord when they are ordained to the priesthood. Nothing can be more important than keeping a commitment we have made with the Lord. Let us remember the reply of Rachel and Leah to Jacob in the Old Testament. It was simple and straightforward and showed their commitment: “Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do” (Genesis 31:16).

Those who are only sort of committed may expect to only sort of receive the blessings of testimony, joy, and peace. The windows of heaven might only be sort of open to them. Wouldn’t it be foolish to think, “I’ll commit myself 50 percent now, but when Christ appears at the Second Coming, I’ll commit myself 100 percent”?

Commitment to our covenants with the Lord is a fruit of our conversion. Commitment to our Savior and His Church builds our character and strengthens our spirit so that when we meet Christ, He will embrace us and say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

There is a difference between intention and action. Those who only intend to commit may find excuses at every turn. Those who truly commit face their challenges squarely and say to themselves, “Yes, that would be a very good reason to delay, but I made covenants, and so I will do what I have committed to do.” They search the scriptures and earnestly seek the guidance of their Father in Heaven. They accept and magnify their Church callings. They attend their meetings. They do their home or visiting teaching.

A German proverb says, “Promises are like the full moon. If they are not kept at once, they diminish day by day.” As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have committed to walk in the path of discipleship. We have committed to follow the example of our Savior. Imagine how the world will be blessed and transformed for good when all members of the Lord’s Church live up to their true potential—converted in the depth of their souls and committed to building the kingdom of God.

In some way, each of us stands at a decision point overlooking the water. It is my prayer that we will have faith, move forward, face our fears and doubts with courage, and say to ourselves, “I’m committed!”

Teaching from This Message

“One way to help learners understand gospel principles is to have them draw pictures. Drawing allows them to explore and express their understanding and feelings of gospel stories and principles” (Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 166). Consider reading the article, discussing the principle of commitment to the gospel, and then asking those who wish to do so to draw a picture of a gospel activity that demonstrates commitment. Younger children may need suggestions about what to draw.

Youth

All I Can Give

By Alyssa Hansen

I was stressing about how I was going to pay for the things I wanted to do over the summer: classes, workshops, summer camps, and so on. I thought I was going to cry. Then I remembered all the things I’d been taught about having trust and faith in the Lord. I decided to put the situation in the Lord’s hands and trust that if it was His will, He would provide a way.

Not too long after that, my mom found an uncashed check from a job I had had earlier that year, and the very next day I got a small cash prize in the mail for taking second place in a competition. This was a great testimony to me that God does live, that He loves and cares about me and will provide.

I was so filled with gratitude and love for my Heavenly Father and Savior. I felt as if I might burst! I longed to show how thankful I was, to praise God the best that I could, and to share that feeling. Others have done this by composing a song, writing a poem, or painting a picture, but I felt inadequate to do any of those things. I realized the only thing I could give that would be adequate praise would be my life—to be “an example of the believers” (1 Timothy 4:12), to give my life to Christ. That’s all He asks, and that’s all I can give.

Children

Are You Committed?

When we have promised to follow Jesus Christ, we do what is right without making excuses.

These four children are joining their Primary class to clean up a local playground. Which of the children does not look committed? Why not? How are the others showing their commitment?

Circle five items that would help this child participate in the service activity with the others. Can you find a rake, paintbrush, ladder, bucket, and shovel?

NEWS - DNA SOLVES A JOSPEH SMITH MYSTERY

DNA solves a Joseph Smith mystery

 July 9, 2011

By Michael De Groote, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — Ugo Perego had almost all the DNA evidence he needed to determine who was the father of John Reed Hancock.
One of the alleged fathers was the most obvious: Levi W. Hancock.
The other alleged father was Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Only one piece was missing to solve the mystery.
Historians and critics have struggled for more than a century to identify children Joseph Smith may have had through polygamous marriages in the 1840s. If definitive answers could be found, it would shed light on how plural marriage was introduced to Mormons by Joseph Smith in Illinois. Brigham Young succeeded Joseph Smith as leader of the LDS Church and announced the practice publicly in Utah. The church ended polygamy in 1890.
But questions remain today — particularly whether Joseph Smith, who had nine biological children with his wife Emma Smith, had any children through a polygamous wife. Perego, a senior researcher at the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, has looked at this question since 2003 when a descendant of Moroni Pratt called him on the phone.
The descendant had read in Fawn Brodie’s critical biography, “No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith,” that Moroni Pratt wasn’t the son of early LDS apostle Parley P. Pratt, but that he was really the son of Joseph Smith. He wanted to know if Perego could use DNA to tell if Moroni Pratt was really Joseph Smith’s son.
The DNA signature of Joseph Smith was easy. Perego had reconstructed it years earlier while trying to trace Joseph Smith’s DNA back to England and Ireland. “This is a very accurate signature. It would not be any different if Joseph Smith were standing next to me to get a DNA sample directly from him,” Perego said.
He took other DNA samples from Pratt’s descendants and made the comparison.
Moroni Pratt was not Joseph Smith’s son, he was Parley P. Pratt’s son.
The Joseph Smith family association referred others to Perego. These were people who wanted to join the association because they had read references in books like Brodie’s that listed their ancestor as a possible child of Joseph Smith. DNA gave the conclusive answers that rumor and speculation couldn’t give:
Oliver Buell was not Joseph Smith’s son.
Zebulon Jacobs was not Joseph Smith’s son.
Orrison Smith was not Joseph Smith’s son.
Mosiah Hancock was not Joseph Smith’s son.
The DNA research on the last one, Mosiah Hancock, gave Perego the DNA signature of Levi Hancock. But to test whether Mosiah’s brother John Reed Hancock was a son of Joseph Smith, he needed to find one missing piece of the puzzle: a descendant of John Reed Hancock.

It was Brodie’s book and Hancock family traditions that raised the question of whether John Reed Hancock was really Joseph Smith’s son. A person who was interested in the subject had sent Perego a pedigree chart that named some of John Reed Hancock’s living descendants, but Perego didn’t know how to contact them. “I am not a genealogist. I don’t know how to find particular individuals,” Perego said.

Then in February of this year, he spoke at a Family History Expo in Phoenix and in St. George. After the events, he received an email from a woman naming a living descendant of John Reed Hancock — including an address. He checked the name and it matched the pedigree chart.
Before the end of February, Perego had the DNA sample he needed.
“I am a scientist. I look at the data objectively. I don’t care if the results are positive or negative. It doesn’t affect my trust in religion or in science,” Perego said. “If I were to find a child from Joseph Smith from a plural marriage, I would think that was cool because we would learn something more about what was going on.”
It was a simple matter for Perego to compare the DNA profile of the descendant of John Reed Hancock to Joseph Smith’s profile and Levi Hancock’s profile. “It could have been that it didn’t match either one of them. There could be an error in the genealogy.”
He had 46 DNA markers to match up.
He compared it to Joseph Smith first.
“It is not a match at all to Joseph Smith,” Perego said. “There is no biological relationship within the historical timeframe of these two individuals.”
He compared it to Levi Hancock.
“It is a perfect match to all the other Hancock males in my database — including his brother Mosiah,” Perego said. “Case solved.”
But not every case can be solved. A few alleged children of Joseph Smith died as infants and their burial places are not known. Descendants of daughters are particularly difficult to test conclusively because the easy-to-identify Y chromosome signature only works to identify male descendants.
But for now, one more piece of the puzzle has been solved. Perego is working on a detailed scientific analysis of the case that he hopes will be published soon in the Mormon Historical Studies journal.
“Through DNA we will not be able to test 100 percent of the cases. But if we test 70 percent of them and they are all negative, does that provide some insight on the topic that we did not consider before?” Perego said. “That is not for me to answer.”

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 - MEMPHIS REPORTER MOCKS MORMON BELIEF

Memphis reporter mocks Mormon beliefs

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7/07

Written by: Dan Metcalf Jr.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A local Fox television news reporter in Memphis recently mocked the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during a "man on the street" segment.

The segment is part of a series of reports on the Mormon faith which aired on WHBQ-TV (My Fox Memphis) in the past week.

During one report, conservative talk radio show host Ben Ferguson goes out to interview random people on the street to jokingly ask if they could identify the presidential candidate who believes good people will "get their own planet."

Ferguson laughs with the people who are not able to identify Mitt Romney. Ferguson has a few good laughs with the people, and in one part, he asks a woman if she wants her own planet.

Ferguson also jokes with people who did not know that Mormons believe that the Garden of Eden was located in Missouri.

In one of the other segments, a different reporter interviews a local LDS theater director about some of the LDS beliefs referenced in the recent Broadway hit musical "The Book of Mormon."

In another report, an apostle for the Church of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) is presented as a member of the mainstream LDS Church and expert authority on mainstream LDS beliefs.

Yet another report profiles two LDS missionaries in the Memphis area.

Politico blogger Ben Smith called the Ferguson report a slam against Mormons, saying, "I've been of the mind that anti-Mormon sentiment has been overstated, but this segment on the Memphis Fox affiliate shakes that view a bit."

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.