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The 11th Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as the Mormons, states: We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. (Articles of Faith 1:11) This is something President Thomas S. Monson, the 16th called prophet of these modern times, has taken to heart. In the last ... Read More

I thought this story was interesting, and it's worth sharing. In Murietta, California, members of the United Church of the Valley were preparing to serve their first mission, and they turned to an unusual source for help: the Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Asking missionaries of another faith for help in preparing to teach may seem odd, but when you think about it, it really does make sense. After all, Mormons have a very active and successful worldwide missionary program. So whether or not you agree with the specific religious beliefs, you've got to admit that the LDS Church probably does have some good insights into missionary work and sharing the gospel of Christ with others. According to the... Read More

The March issue of the official magazine for adults of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called "the Mormons") is devoted to testimonies and doctrines about our Savior, Jesus Christ. This magazine is the Ensign for English speakers; international readers receive the Liahona. Featured is a message written by President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was president and prophet of the Church until his passing at the end of January. The entire article can be accessed at ... Read More

At a time when we hear so much about troubled teens and the problems they cause in society, it's good to call attention to young people who are making good choices. Following are two accounts of youth who have gone the extra mile to help others. In one instance, a youth conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called "the Mormons," in Sun City, California, brought more than 200 young people together to help senior citizens with yard work and home maintenance. (In the LDS church, youth conferences typically gather the youth of several LDS congregations in an area where they can work together and build friendships. Activities may include social interactions, service projects, and motivational speakers.) Tea... Read More

Watching the early audition videos at the beginning of an American Idol season can be strangely fascinating. The auditions draw all kinds of singers: the seasoned pros who want to bring their career to a higher level, the closet singers who hope to be "discovered" as the next big talent, and even those who are not serious about singing but thought it would be fun to try out. There are a couple of themes that emerge throughout the auditions of those who don't make the cut. One you see repeatedly is the singers who perform poorly and then try to explain to the judges that they were just "too nervous." The excuse of nerves really doesn't help any, yet auditioners continually try to use it. When the judges kindly tell them that they aren't what they're looking fo... Read More

Here are a few recently-appearing news stories that involve The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as "the Mormons"), or members of the Church: Flowery Branch, Georgia: Ground was broken for a new LDS meetinghouse in the Flowery Branch, Georgia area. It will be the fourth LDS chapel in the county, and is expected to serve a congregation of approximately 300 people when it is completed in January 2009. While the construction of new meetinghouses is usually exciting for the local congregations, such events don't usually get mentioned in Church-wide news because this happens around the world on a regular basis. However, this particular construction project did get a nice write-up in their local newspape... Read More

According to a BYU news release, researchers there analyzed rings in the original wood used to build the Salt Lake Tabernacle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or "Mormons") during its recent renovation. By studying the width of the rings they could determine the rainfall in the area for a given year. One conclusion they reached, said BYU professor Matthew Bekker, was that "The 1840s were drier than any other decade in this tree-ring history, which spans the years 1702 to 1863." In fact, 1846 - the year before the first Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley - was the sixth driest year in the study, and those that followed weren't much better. "It was a really rough time to establish a settlement based on irrigated agricultu... Read More

As a whole, youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or "Mormons," are bucking national downward trends of increasing school drop-out rates. They're also less likely than other teens to engage in premarital sexual relations or use drugs and alcohol. A report on a study done at the University of North Carolina, published by Oxford University Press in Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, indicates that LDS youth in general have strong religious beliefs and live in accordance with those beliefs. While all youth have challenges, LDS youth are less likely than other youth to drop out of school, and are more likely to be committed to their faith and live socially responsible lives. ... Read More

Something that leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as "the Mormons") have stressed throughout the last century is the need to be prepared for disasters or other unforeseen events. Not only do we need to have our own homes and affairs in order, but we also need to be prepared to help others in need. Two stories recently in the news shows this counsel put into action. In Ghana, a country in Africa, twenty-eight missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently visited two orphanages in Accra and brought food and gifts for the children. As reported on allafrica.com, the children performed songs and dances for the missionaries, and two of the missionaries performed a Polynesian dance ... Read More

An article by Edward R.K. Dwemoh about why he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormons") recently appeared in the Accra Daily Mail, a leading private newspaper in Ghana. Brother Dwemoh begins his account by explaining that many people have asked him why he joined the Church. In his own words, "To set the minds of those who have asked the question at rest, and (this may surprise some of you) to quench my own burning desire to go public with the story of my conversion to Mormonism, let me now place on record why I am now a Latter-day Saint." ("Why I Joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Accra Daily Mail, February 21, 2008). He describes some early visits he had with missi... Read More

A seminar was held on February 23 in Richmond, Virginia, where presenters discussed the preservation and indexing of the Virginia Freedmen's Bureau Records. The seminar was presented by the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia and volunteers from the Central Virginia Family History Centers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as "the Mormons"). The Freedmen's Bureau was a federal agency formed in 1865 to assist and protect newly freed blacks in the South following the American Civil War. The Bureau only lasted nine years, but the records involved in administering it included marriage certificates and licenses, applications for food rations, school and land reports, and other court records. A wea... Read More

Brooke White, a native of Mesa, Arizona, recently spoke with Randy Cordova of The Arizona Republic about her experience as one of the 24 finalists on American Idol - and about her Mormon faith. In her audition, when the judges asked her to share something that was unique about her, Brooke told the judges that she has never seen an R-rated movie or tasted alcohol. While she did not bring religion into her explanation, she did testify that the values have worked in her life and "made sense" to her. The judges seemed impressed with her "purity," although Simon Cowell declared they would "turn (her) over to the dark side." Brooke did not mention her religion at all, but, as she told the Republic, her remarks, pe... Read More

There's something about the office of President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called "the Mormons") that invites a higher level of public interest and scrutiny regarding his life. President Thomas S. Monson, who was recently named as the new prophet and president of the Church following the recent passing of Gordon B. Hinckley, has been in the First Presidency of the Church since 1985 and was called into the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1963. Both of these are considered to be p... Read More

We all have "food stories" that we could share--tales of strange foods that we've tried, or even of foods that we really, really did not want to eat. As for my own food stories, the time we went to a Chinese wedding banquet and found ourselves at the "authentic Chinese food table" as opposed to the "Americanized Chinese food table" stands out in my mind. We ate some unusual dishes that evening--most of which I will be fine with never trying again. People who travel abroad for an extended period often have the opportunity to try a myriad of new dishes. Some of them will be wonderful, and others will seem very strange. And missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly referred to as "the Mormons") who serve in fore... Read More

The annual Easter pageant presented in Mesa, Arizona, is undergoing final preparations and will be presented to the public from March 11 through March 22. This year is the pageant's 70th anniversary. Titled "Jesus the Christ," the pageant portrays the life, ministry and mission of Christ through music, dance and drama. It is produced annually with a combined staff and cast of over 700 volunteers, and is recognized as the world's largest annual outdoor Easter pageant. Wayne Leavitt, pageant president, says the pageant helps members of the community "to understand how we, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or what many people refer to as 'Mormons,' feel about the ... Read More

It's that time of year again-the blogs are abuzz with the latest news on American Idol. While all of the semifinalists have caught the media's attention, two of them-Brooke White and David Archuleta--are Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And they stand out in Hollywood in a different way than many of the other contestants. Mormons are well known for their squeaky-clean lives. As put forth in the Word of Wisdom received by the prophet Joseph Smith and recorded in ... Read More

I am grateful that we have a living prophet on the earth today. I'm grateful for the life and service of President Gordon B. Hinckley, who had served as the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as "the Mormons") from 1995 up until his recent passing. And I'm grateful that even though we love and miss him, the Lord has provided us with another prophet who has been raised up to this position. President Thomas S. Monson has been a member of the ... Read More

Following the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley, the fifteenth president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly referred to as “the Mormons”), a new president and counselors have been announced. Thomas S. Monson, who had been serving as the first counselor to President Hinckley at the time of his passing, succeeds him as president of the Church. As his counselors in the First Presidency, he has named President ... Read More

President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called “the Mormons”), passed away on Sunday evening of this week. Since that time, tributes and condolences from many individuals and organizations have poured in to Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. Following are selections from just a few of those that they have posted on the Church website at the Newsroom on www.lds.org: President George W. Bush: ... Read More

While new temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as “the Mormons”) generally draw a media buzz, new chapels are more common – and usually less heralded. Still, open houses are often held in conjunction with completion of construction, and these are wonderful opportunities for the public to see the inside of a Mormon church building. One such open house happened recently, on January 12 of this year, in Twin Falls, Idaho. For more on what Latter-day Saint chapels are, and how they differ from temples, click here. Chapels are meetinghouses where regular worship services are held. There may be one, or ... Read More

Sometimes the various buildings owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as “the Mormons”) can get confusing to those outside the Mormon faith. There are chapels, where regular Sunday services are held. There are temples, where sacred ordinances are performed. There are also institute buildings. The LDS institute program is specifically designed for Latter-day Saint students attending college or other post-secondary education. Similar to the seminary program for high school students, institute classes are offered to help older students balance their educations; they provide spiritual learning alongside of the secular. ... Read More

Apparently it all began with some fast text-messaging, and it spread like wildfire. President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) since 1995, passed away on January 27, 2008. And the next day, Latter-day Saint youth all over the United States wore their Sunday best to school to honor him. Keep in mind that Latter-day Saints have a tradition of dressing more formally for church than many denominations do. Girls and women usually wear skirts or dresses, and men and many of the boys wear button-up shirts, slacks, and ties – and often full suits. So wearing church clothes to school is something that would call attention to these youth, to say the least. ... Read More

Denver, CO: Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as “the Mormons”) collected and wrapped over 1000 gifts for Meals on Wheels recipients to receive on Christmas morning. Church members have been participating in this program as a group for the past 12 years. "It gives our families a chance to give back knowing that each gift will mean something special to someone who will be alone on Christmas morning," said Pat Robinson to a writer for YourHub.com. Robinson headed up this year’s effort. Associated Press: Andrew Hatch, a quarterback for the champion Louisiana State college football team, recently discussed his road to the team with the Associated Press. As reported in th... Read More

When the statistical report is read during the upcoming general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as "the Mormons") in April 2008, the number of the general membership of the Church will top 13 million for the first time. Church membership is growing steadily, both through convert baptisms and through the births of children into Latter-day Saint families. It is estimated that the Church is growing at approximately 1 million members every 3 years, according to the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d... Read More

In a day and age where far too many youth are lost to crime, drugs, and a host of other problems, the Kalamazoo (Michigan) Gazette recently ran a story about a group of youth doing something that helps them through each school day. These youth, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or "Mormons," as they are often called), rise extra-early every morning and gather for their early morning seminary class at 6:00. From there, they continue on to their regular school classes. It may seem like a tough regimen, but these youth have plenty of good things to say about it. "Starting out in a spiritual way sets the tone for the entire day," Shane Murphy, a senior at Mattawan High School, said to the Gazette. "You perceive th... Read More

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as "the Mormons," has announced the funeral services for beloved prophet and leader Gordon B. Hinckley. The services will be held on Saturday, February 2, 2008, in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, at 11:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. The services will also be broadcast via satellite over the Church satellite system to over 6000 LDS meetinghouses worldwide. Additionally, BYU-TV will broadcast the funeral. BYU-TV is available in many cable and satellite packages in the United States. They also provide live streaming video at www.byu.tv. Thus, viewers worldwide have some options fro... Read More