News

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 newspaper. That kind of recognition is exciting for everyone who reads it.

For more information on Mormon meetinghouses and their functions, read my blog post entitled "Differences Between Mormon Temples and Chapels."

Tri-City Herald: LDS teen Will Casper of Basin City, Washington, performed admirably on the most recent "Teen Tournament" on the popular TV game show Jeopardy! He finished in the semifinal round with $10,000. He plans to use the money to study electrical engineering at Brigham Young University and to serve a mission for the Church. (The fact that many youth his age would choose to spend the money frivolously makes Will's story that much more inspiring.)

Salt Lake City, Utah: The Utah State House of Representatives passed a resolution on February 26, giving special honor and recognition to President Gordon B. Hinckley. President Hinckley was the fifteenth prophet of the Church and passed away just this past January.

"President Hinckley had a tremendous influence, not only on the church, but in Salt Lake City, Utah, the United States and the world," Representative Mike Morley of Spanish Fork said, as reported by the Deseret Morning News. "President Hinckley certainly was the consummate builder, always building those around him and making them better - building the world to be a better place."

Several members of President Hinckley's family were present, and received a standing ovation as they left.

That the state of Utah would want to honor a prophet of the Church may not be too surprising, given the large LDS population there and the presence of Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. But there are also many residents who are not Latter-day Saints. That he could be seen as a friend to all, and not just those of his church, is truly a great tribute to this man.

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, persona, and hometown of Mesa, Arizona set off "the Mormon radar." Soon bloggers all over the Internet were speculating that she must be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or "Mormon."

The speed at which the world associated her with a particular religion surprised the singer. "People from all different faiths and walks of life live their lives this way," she said. "For me, part of it is attributed to my faith, but it's also beyond that. It's a choice I made on my own." (The Arizona Republic, Feb. 20, 2008, "Mesa 'Idol' Contestant's Innocence Strikes Chord with Many")

But the support from fans has been amazing. "I've gotten all these e-mails and letters from adults and little kids," Brooke told the Republic. "Sometimes they say they live their lives the same way, or they're going to live their lives that way. I was nervous when I saw it on TV, but that response was very reassuring... It was scary to talk about (my values)," she added. "I didn't want to come off as self-righteous, but American Idol seemed to think was interesting and picked it up and ran with it."

It certainly can be a boost to people striving to live similar values to see someone such as Brooke White living them so publicly. The apostle Paul said in the New Testament, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." (Romans 1:16) Sometimes it can be scary to keep different standards from those around us, but truly, if we believe in these values and in the gospel of Christ, we should not be ashamed and nor should we act as if we are. I appreciate her willingness to stand as an example before the world.

Meanwhile, Brooke is just enjoying the ride, however far American Idol takes her. "I'm thrilled, overwhelmed, nervous, excited, all of the above," she said. "It's beyond what I could have anticipated."

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 Doctrine and Covenants 89, they do not drink alcohol, use tobacco, use illegal drugs, or drink coffee. Sexual relations outside of marriage are prohibited. Beyond that, Mormons are counseled to dress modestly, avoid the use of profanity, and avoid music and other entertainment that would offend the Spirit of the Lord. This often includes R-rated movies, of which Brooke White said in her American Idol audition that she had never watched even one.

Why do Mormons live this way? The question is not as easy to answer as it might appear. In part, the answer lies in the fact that we believe that God speaks to us today through His prophet, and our living prophet and other Church leaders have admonished us to follow these standards of behavior. Another answer is that in order to enter the temples of the Mormon Church, we must live clean lives and adhere to these standards. So that's an incentive to live this way, but it's still not the whole answer.

In the booklet "For the Strength of Youth," the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes this promise:

We promise that as you keep these standards and live by the truths in the scriptures, you will be able to do your life's work with greater wisdom and skill and bear trials with greater courage. You will have the help of the Holy Ghost. You will feel good about yourself and will be a positive influence in the lives of others. You will be worthy to go to the temple to receive holy ordinances. These blessings and many more can be yours.

We pray for each of you. May you keep your minds and bodies clean from the sins of the world so you can do the great work that lies before you. We pray that you will be worthy to carry on the responsibilities of building the kingdom of God and preparing the world for the Second Coming of the Savior.

It's not that we blindly follow our prophet in anticipation of promised blessings. As we put this counsel to the test, and try it in our own lives, we realize that living clean and moral lives really does make us happy. And we really do have added strength and influence of the Holy Ghost as we continue to live this way. There's a lot that the Lord expects us to accomplish, and we need this strength in our lives.

And we know who we are and what's expected of us. A beloved children's song perhaps explains it best: "I am a child of God, and He has sent me here." We understand that we are children of our Heavenly Father. He loves us. He created us. And we understand that He is all-knowing and all-powerful, and we can trust Him and His infinite wisdom.

Following a "high-standards" lifestyle is not always easy, especially when the world around you chooses very different standards. But the rewards can be great. Hats off to Brooke White and David Archuleta for holding on to their ideals.

Ernie Wallengren died in 2003, but his image lives on in a documentary that will air on public television in Utah later in January. “Rolling,” produced by physician and filmmaker Gretchen Berland, has won multiple awards for showing what daily life is like for individuals in wheelchairs.

Wallengren is one of three individuals followed in the film. In her filming, Berland utilized cameras on top of the wheelchairs of those featured, filming life as they experienced it—at a level that would be waist-high to most people.

Prior to his two-and-a-half year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, Wallengren was a writer, story editor, and producer for a number of popular television shows. The many series that he worked on include “Touched by an Angel,” “The Waltons,” “Little House on the Prairie,” and “Doc.” He also wrote the teleplay for “Mr. Krueger’s Christmas,” a holiday show produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as “the Mormons”) featuring Jimmy Stewart as a lonely widower who finds the true meaning of Christmas. Wallengren was also a producer for early episodes of “Baywatch,” but he pulled out of that project when he disagreed with the direction the show was taking.

Wallengren, a member of the Mormon church himself, found strength in his faith when his health failed him. His priorities, of necessity, had to change from finding worldly adventures to finding inner peace. "I became more spiritually oriented,” Wallengren said, as reported in the Salt Lake Tribune. “My inner sense of peace increased. . . . Taken as a whole, body and spirit have never been in better health in my entire adult life."

ALS is a condition that attacks nerve cells in the brain; it is crippling and eventually fatal. But Wallengren continued his work as long as he could. Among his finest achievements during this time were episodes for “Doc” and “Touched by an Angel” that featured characters with ALS and portrayed their struggles.

In a statement written by Wallengren and distributed at his funeral in 2003, he said, as quoted in the Tribune:

"The world is a slippery place…I have done more than my share of sliding to the bottom, but I have also learned the value of picking myself up and tackling the mountain all over again. I have learned that the mountain flattens out considerably if I don't try it alone. God's hand is always extended to us. All we have to do is take it in our own."

Among those who have echoed this sentiment is Elder W. Craig Zwick of the Quorums of the Seventy (a Church priesthood leadership body; they preach the gospel, help the Church membership, and are witnesses of Jesus Christ) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Elder Zwick has said: “Every one of us needs to know that we can go on in the strength of the Lord. We can put our hand in His, and we will feel His sustaining presence lift us to heights unattainable alone.” (W. Craig Zwick, “The Lord Thy God Will Hold Thy Hand,” Ensign, Nov 2003, 34)

High school senior Jerry Bruner excels at football. He's been a running back at his Vancouver high school this year, but his commitment to excellence doesn't take place only on the football field. Qualities such as honesty, virtuous living, and respect for others are part of his everyday life.

He will feel right at home at college. He has made a verbal commitment to play football for Brigham Young University next fall. And BYU is known for its "honor code" of student and faculty behavior. Some of the qualities addressed in the honor code include honesty; virtuous living; respect for others; abstinence from tea, coffee, tobacco, and alcohol; modest dress; and clean language.

"I don't live by it just because I'm Mormon, or because I'm an Eagle Scout," Bruner said to the Columbian, of the BYU honor code that he already lives by. "It's just a better way to represent yourself to everyone around you."

BYU and other institutions owned and run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as "Mormons") "exist to provide an education in an atmosphere consistent with the ideals and principles" of the Church, according to www.byu.edu. That atmosphere can only be present when students, staff, and faculty members strive to live by high moral standards.

Such integrity has been present during Bruner's senior year of high school. After accepting BYU's scholarship offer, he injured his foot at a camp put on by the BYU coaches. They assured him that despite the injury, they would keep their word and the scholarship offer would still stand.

This meant something to Bruner, who in turn kept his word to his Vancouver teammates. "Because they are so strong in their word, I'm going to be strong in my word," Bruner said to the Columbian. "I'm going to come out as strong as I can for my teammates, for my school."

And he has. As of the end of October, he was playing with two broken bones in his left foot. But he was playing. "It's my senior year," Bruner said to the Columbian. "The pain will eventually go away."

In order to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, Bruner had to complete an Eagle project that would help the community. He chose to paint a mural of the United States on the playground at a local elementary school. After holding a fundraiser to raise money for the project, and then painting the map, he was able to watch the children playing games on it. "I guess I made the playground a little better. I made the kids happy, and that made me happy," Bruner said to the Columbian.

Bruner plans to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after he turns 19.

The Thirteenth Article of Faith, written by Joseph Smith to explain the basic beliefs of Mormons, reads:

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

While high standards are sometimes seen as easier to desire than to keep, as we strive to live in this manner we can see great things happen in our lives. Such is the case with Jerry Bruner, who is "strong in his word" and will continue to make a difference in the lives of others.

The death of a loved one can be one of the most difficult trials we may endure in this life. Not only is the separation difficult, but the uncertainty of what has happened to the one who has died adds even more pain to the situation.

The Daily News of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa reported on October 30 that 17-year-old Calvin Boreham had been pronounced dead by a doctor. His mother, Charmaine, shared at his memorial service at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the "Mormons") what she experienced next.

After receiving the news of his death, Charmaine went into the bathroom where she could be alone. She prayed to her Father in Heaven that he would "be with her son." She then heard the voice of her son saying, "'Mom, I'm alright, I'm okay.'"

Calvin was killed in a drive-by shooting. According to the Daily News, he had been traveling with his mother and his brother to their home from a coffee shop. A minibus pulled up next to their car, and the driver shot at them. Calvin was shot in the chest and died soon afterwards. Two other similar incidents took place in the same area that evening.

Like the pain of any family who has suffered a tragedy, the pain that Calvin's family has experienced has been immense. "For those of you who have lost kids you will know that there is nothing more painful. I can't describe the intense pain we feel," said Calvin's father, Dave, to the Daily News.

But Charmaine's experience of hearing Calvin's voice assuring her that he is okay has been a blessing. "I want you to know that I have felt him with me every step of the way (since his death) and I want you to know that he's fine," she said at Calvin's memorial service, as reported by the Daily News.

We may not all have the opportunity of receiving messages from loved ones after their passing, but we have the assurance that their spirits are alive and well. President Gordon B. Hinckley, the current president of the LDS Church and a living prophet on the earth today, once said, "Death, though bitter to observe, is not the end, but is, rather, only another graduation from which we go on to a better life." (Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Empty Tomb Bore Testimony," Ensign, May 1988, 65)

Here's how death is explained in a book called True to the Faith. The book is published by the LDS Church and gives clear and simple explanations on a variety of topics.

When the physical body dies, the spirit continues to live. In the spirit world, the spirits of the righteous "are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow" (Alma 40:12). . . . Because of the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, physical death is only temporary: "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22). Everyone will be resurrected, meaning that every person's spirit will be reunited with his or her body-"restored to their proper and perfect frame" and no longer subject to death (Alma 40:23; see also Alma 11:44-45).

Through the Atonement and Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, all mankind will live again. And the spirits of those who are awaiting resurrection continue to live on. May all those who grieve find comfort in this assurance.

Approximately 125 Osmonds flew from Utah to Chicago to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show that aired on November 9, 2007.

Despite the recent passing of their father, the family chose to do the show anyway, feeling that he would have wanted them to do it. He had originally been planning to appear on the show himself. Donny and Marie agreed that this was a wonderful opportunity for them to all get together; for all of them to be in the same place at the same time is pretty rare.

Olive Osmond passed away on Mother's Day in 2004. Donny and Marie quipped that their father's passing just before the taping of the family's reunion on Oprah's show was his attempt not to be outdone by their mother. "He wanted to be talked about on Oprah," Marie said.

George and Olive Osmond, the parents of the clan, have a total of nine children. The oldest two, Virl and Tom, are deaf. As Oprah reported, the younger four - at that time, Alan, Merrill, Wayne, and Jay - performed at state fairs to raise money for their brothers' hearing aids. These young boys sang four-part barbershop arrangements, and caught the eye of Walt Disney himself on a 1961 trip to Disneyland when they gave an impromptu performance. Subsequently they became regular performers on the Andy Williams Show. When the younger children became old enough to perform, they joined the act as well.

There were spotlights on both Donny and Marie, who are perhaps the most famous members of the family.

Marie delighted Oprah with a personalized (very adorable) doll that looks just like her, and praised her for all the good she does in the world. Marie talked about sharing a birthday with her father, having been born "legitimately, not induced" on his birthday. "I was Daddy's little girl," she said. She is George and Olive's only daughter.

Donny, who turns 50 this year, talked a little about his years as a teen idol. He said he loved the adulation, but it still left him lonely. But, "being the Mormon that I am," he said, premarital sex and drug abuse were out of the question for escape. "So what do you do?" he joked. His wife of 29 years, Debbie, and their children were also there on the show.

Donny and Marie both testified of the eternal nature of families. "We believe we are an eternal family," Donny said. "We'll be with our parents again. We don't just believe it, we know." He added that it is amazing that their parents could raise a family in show business, and they're all still together and they still love each other. "That's a testimony to my parents," he said.

"They're here right now," Oprah said, and the Osmonds around her agreed.

The six singing brothers -Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, and Jimmy -- reunited for a medley of some of their popular songs, with videos of the brothers performing in the 1970's playing in the background. Marie watched beaming from the sidelines. She had her turn to perform with her dance partner from "Dancing with the Stars" performed a dance set to WWII songs, in memory of George and Olive, whose relationship began on a dance floor during WWII. Of her participation in the show at age 48, she said she found it preferable to "crawling in a hole."

Another emotional moment came when Marie had the opportunity to introduce their oldest two brothers, Virl and Tom. "Can you imagine being born into this family, and not being able to sing?" she asked. "They are my heroes." The brothers stood to applause and lots of hugs from Oprah.

A fitting ending came to the show when the family reprised the song "May Tomorrow Be a Perfect Day," the sign-off song that Donny and Marie sang each week on their TV show in the 1970's. It was originally written by Alan Osmond, and was intended to be a prayer expressing thanks for their many blessings. Once again Donny and Marie took the lead, with the rest of the family joining in at the end.

I grew up with the Donny and Marie show, and as a young girl I felt like I had a special connection to the Osmonds because we were of the same religion. The Oprah Winfrey Show for me was a great trip down memory lane. It's an inspiration to us all to see this family still together, still performing together, and still loving each other. Olive and George, I'm sure you are both very proud.

This isn't really the type of news I like to blog about. I mean, we're usually blogging about weightier matters here at LDSBlogs, like doctrine and testimonies and Mitt Romney. So adding a blog about Marie Osmond passing out on live television doesn't quite fit. But it's so prominent in the media right now, I'm choosing to take the leap.

So here it goes.

During a live broadcast of Dancing With The Stars on Monday, October 22, Marie Osmond danced a lively samba, and then fainted afterwards as she and her partner professional dancer Jonathan Roberts were listening to comments from the judges.

It's now an event that has played repeatedly around the world, thanks to such inventions as TiVo, news videos and YouTube. Watching someone pass out is strangely fascinating, although I'm sure many viewers still feel embarrassed for Marie (and then watch the video again).

But Marie, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has handled it very well. Personally, I'm pretty impressed with the way she's taking it. She's known for her positive attitude and cheerful personality, and that's certainly coming through now. A sense of humor can go a long way towards fixing things that can't otherwise be undone.

The 48-year-old singer and entertainer laughed as she talked to Entertainment Weekly about the incident. "I'm sure I'll be a punchline on late night [talk shows]," she said. "I'm fine, so you have to have fun with it. I threw a couple of punchlines backstage myself."

Shirley Halperin from Entertainment Weekly further commented that "apparently those eight kids (that Marie has) keep things in perspective."

Marie herself believes it was probably due to something in the air, perhaps the fires raging in southern California. "Right at the beginning ... I started getting lightheaded. The only thing I can think of, I have allergies," she told Entertainment Tonight. ... "The air quality (in Los Angeles) is terrible. And I think I just couldn't get my breath."

Marie has also indicated that she sometimes forgets to breathe when she gets winded. Reader comments indicate that this can be a problem among dancers; they are taught early on to remember to breathe regularly and to not get so caught up in the difficulty of their routines that they forget to inhale and exhale.

Other reader comments show lots of support for Marie, and applaud the way she's handled the situation - with humor and class. Despite the shaky aftermath of her performance on Monday, Marie was not voted off the show and will be around to perform at least another week. When asked if she was well enough to perform again, Marie responded, "Oh yeah. Bring it on."

As the current Republican frontrunner in Iowa, Mitt Romney is still anything but yesterday's news. And Newsweek, in its October 8, 2007 issue, has once again raised the question: Can the United States vote for and support a Mormon President?

Clearly Romney does not want his religion to become the central issue of his campaign, nor should it be. The fact that he has established himself as a moral, God-fearing man should mean something to the millions of voters who are looking for just that in a President--regardless of which specific religion he chooses to follow. Yet the media, and Americans in general, remain curious about exactly what Romney believes and how these beliefs might impact his Presidency.

The article discusses his childhood and how his parents' strict morality influenced his growing-up years. His parents were in fact members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), but children of many faiths have been raised with similar values. Like many active Latter-day Saint young men, Romney went on a mission at the age of nineteen. As the article relates, he grew a great deal during those months and emerged as a leader: more sure of himself, who he was, what he believed, and what those beliefs meant to him. Many Latter-day Saints serving missions experience the same thing.

The Newsweek article seems to view the mission as something of a curiosity--something Romney was programmed to do by his family and his religion. Certainly we see many youth today of varying degrees of conversion choosing to serve missions for the Church in part because it is expected of him. But one thing the media often fails to pick up on is how vibrant and living the faith becomes in people who live it. Church members don't serve just because they have to. Many choose to serve because they sincerely want to. They have true desires to serve the Lord and help people come to Christ.

We don't often see statements of faith like these in the news media. Mitt Romney himself has been careful not to bring these sentiments to the forefront. But that's how it is--and perhaps that's one thing people are looking for as they try to understand Romney and how he ultimately feels about God, the Presidency, and life in general.

This theme continues through the Newsweek article beyond Romney's missionary years. His marriage, college years, and early professional life are all explored through the scrutiny of writers who want to understand how his religion has affected his life, yet miss the vital vibrancy of it all: People of faith want to serve. They want to live clean, moral lives. They want to help others.

The article goes on to discuss his Church service as a bishop (the leader of a local congregation) and a stake president (the leader of a group of such congregations). Those who have served--or watched others serve--in such demanding positions, know the kinds of things that he must have experienced during this time.

While Newsweek believes that Romney does not talk enough about his past or his true heart and soul, the authors of the article have this to say about him: "In fairness, it is true that Romney has the stuff of great presidents somewhere inside him...a strong work ethic, an insistence on sacrifice and a reverence for those who put the principles of humanity over the conveniences of the moment" (36).

Trying to learn about Mitt Romney's beliefs through the news media--usually from people who don't truly understand those beliefs--will only give you a distorted picture. I invite you to learn from other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints what those beliefs are and how those beliefs shape their lives. You can get a sense of this from the blogs here at LDSBlogs.com. Another good site is www.mormon.org. This is an official site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, especially geared toward people of other faiths who would like to know what Latter-day Saints believe. Only by really talking to and watching people who embrace the religion can you get an inkling of what those beliefs are and the difference those beliefs have made in their lives.