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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 agriculture," said Bekker.

Researchers also discovered that the Mormon pioneers must have used trees that had already died in their construction. Out of the 28 trees in the study, 5 of them had died or were cut earlier than 1847.

"In this desert environment, the settlers would not overlook the dead trees," Bekker said. "In fact there may be advantages to using post-mortem timber because you don't have to take bark or twigs off and it's already dried so it's not going to warp anymore after you cut it."

The Mormons came to Utah beginning in 1847 in order to escape persecution that had followed them from their beginnings in 1830 in upstate New York. Most recently they had built the beautiful city of Nauvoo on the banks of the Mississippi River in Illinois, only to be driven out by mob violence. The mobs had assassinated their prophet and leader Joseph Smith in 1844, but under the direction of his successor, Brigham Young, the Mormons made the arduous journey to the Salt Lake Valley - a previously unsettled desert land that nobody else wanted.

But, it offered the Mormons the protection they needed to establish themselves as a people. As their settlements spread throughout the west and they cultivated the land, people of other faiths settled the area as well.

Following is a description from a journal kept by a man who arrived in the Salt Lake Valley just two years after the first Mormon pioneers did:

There were more people (except emigrants and Indians) 200 to 1 than I had seen since I left the Missouri River. Where did they come from? How did they get here? I pinched myself to make sure that I was not dreaming. I have seen tables set for probably 100 or more, but here were tables for thousands. But the greatest marvel is how they could, in so short a time, produce in a desert, the variety of food stuffs with which the tables were spread. Men do not gather vegetables from sage brushes or cereals from cactus. The seeds, the tubers, the roots, the fouls, the pigs, the sheep, the cows, everything from which this abundance was produced had to all be transported a thousand miles or more over such roads as we have traveled. Even then, how could they in so short a time with so small a beginning, have produced so much. It seems incredible. I take off my hat to those who planned and executed it" (Diary of John H. Benson, May-Sept. 1849, typescript, Family and Church History Department Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 48-51)

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Today, Salt Lake City is a thriving metropolis, with plenty of green grass and trees all around. The city hosted the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and is home to many other events and amenities one might expect to see in a major city.

But when the Mormon pioneers arrived there, beginning in 1847, it was an unsettled desert. Making it into a place where people could live and thrive was a huge task, but they succeeded. Today a visitor to the city might never guess how difficult the area was to settle. But the individuals who settled it worked on tirelessly, building the foundations of a city that at that time they could only dream of.

For more information on the Mormon pioneers who settled Utah, visit www.lds.org/churchhistory/history.

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.

One reason for this that is suggested by the Church at newsroom.lds.org is seminary. Seminary is available to youth of high school age, and is intended to be a daily program to help them study the scriptures and apply the principles they learn in their daily lives.

Students who live in areas with a high concentration of Latter-day Saints, such as Utah and Arizona, can take "released time" seminary during their regular school days. Most other students participating in seminary take "early morning" seminary, which meets - you guessed it - early in the morning before school each day. Seminary classes may actually be held at any time during the day, but most groups find that the early morning hour works best in everyone's schedules. Classes are held five days a week during the school year, and students attend each year they are in high school.

Certainly all youth can make their own choices, but daily seminary attendance can't help but make an impact on their lives. The daily exposure to the scriptures and principles of righteous living gives them a "lift" throughout their day at school, and helps them keep their hearts centered on God rather than on the cares of the world. And the self-discipline needed to succeed in seminary can extend to the rest of their lives as well.

"It takes a lot of self-discipline," said Lisa Kell, a seminary student in New York City, to lds.org. "You just have to say, ' I'm going to attend seminary every morning.' If you say, 'Maybe I'll attend,' it won't happen. You have to make a really strong decision and make it a priority." Lisa herself leaves home at 6 a.m., takes a subway, a bus, and then finally walks across Central Park in order to arrive at her seminary class on time at 6:30 every morning.

President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, explained why seminary and spiritual education are so important: "Remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life. When you see that reality clearly with spiritual sight, you will put spiritual learning first and yet not slight the secular learning. In fact, you will work harder at your secular learning than you would without that spiritual vision."

With a perspective like this, it's no wonder that so many LDS youth are making morally responsible decisions.

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.

Institute classes may be offered anywhere. I’ve seen them taught in chapels and in regular campus classrooms. But schools with a significant number of LDS students often have institute buildings near campus. These buildings are places where institute classes, regular church services, and social activities can be held. They can be places where LDS students stop between classes -- sometimes to visit, sometimes to eat, and sometimes to study.

The institute building at the University of Utah, the Salt Lake University Institute, has been the largest LDS institute building in the entire world. This is not surprising, considering the large population of Latter-day Saints in Utah. It was recently featured in the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City, Utah.

According to the article, the Salt Lake University Institute has the largest institute enrollment in the Church -- over 7000 students. The building has 25 classrooms, with nearly 250 classes taught by 29 full-time and 30 volunteer instructors. There are also 14 secretaries and 10 volunteer service missionaries assigned there. In addition, there are four chapels and associated offices that allow university student wards (congregations) to hold their regular meetings there.

Other institute buildings are generally not so large. The one where I attended college, for example, had one classroom, one full-time instructor and program director, and another instructor who divided his time between the institute program and supervising the area seminary programs. There was also a full-time secretary. Several classes were offered throughout each week; most were taught by the full-time instructor, but the other instructor and the secretary also taught classes.

The program I attended was smaller, but the intent behind the classes, program, and the buildings were all the same.

"The mission of this institute of religion I don't think is any different than any other institute of religion, which is to provide a weekday religious class experience for students attending the University of Utah ... to give them a spiritual part to their day or week," Salt Lake University Institute director Allan Gunnerson said to the Deseret Morning News.

According to the Deseret News, Gunnerson said his hope is to “create a place where students of all faiths can feel accepted, socialize with those who have similar standards and supplement their university education with a spiritual education.” He wants the building to “be one of the locations where students choose to be when not in class.”

"I'm trying to create an atmosphere here where this is kind of the (Student) Union Building No. 2," said Gunnerson to the Deseret Morning News.

And that’s the same kind of response that many institute directors will give you. An LDS institute building is a place where students can find a safe haven from the rest of the world.

President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was serving as the prophet and the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time of his death on January 27, has said: "We urge all for whom [Institute] is available to take advantage of it. We do not hesitate to promise that your knowledge of the gospel will be increased, your faith will be strengthened, and you will develop wonderful associations and friendships.” (“The Miracle Made Possible by Faith,” Ensign, May 1984, 46.)

More information about the LDS institute program and locations of institute programs worldwide can be found at http://www.ldsces.org/institute/.

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 the Boston Herald, Hatch originally planned to play football at BYU. When coach Gary Crowton left the school, Hatch changed his plans and went to Harvard for a year instead. Following that, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was cut short, though, due to an injury that required surgery.

Back home, he again talked to Gary Crowton, who was now an offensive coordinator at LSU and told him he might be able to make the team. Hatch hadn’t previously considered the school. “I’d never been to Louisiana,” he said. “It wasn’t on my radar.” However, he finally walked on to the team and ended up with a scholarship.

Provo, UT: Did you realize that a significant number of students at Brigham Young University are actually not Latter-day Saints? According to a story on BYU NewsNet, most of these are international students, and among their reasons for choosing BYU are “sports, safety, price of tuition and recommendations from alumni.” Adjustment to life on the BYU campus can be daunting to those not familiar with the Latter-day Saint religion. Fortunately, BYU offers a course just for them, “Introduction to the LDS Church,” that helps them understand the basic beliefs of the Church. (“Religion 100 Introduces LDS Beliefs to Students,” BYU NewsNet, 8 Jan 2008)

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 things differently when you've been into the scriptures for an hour before school even begins."

"Most of my friends are really tired when they get to school," said Matt Brandt, a Portage Central High School freshman, also to the Gazette. "People think I drink a lot of caffeine before school, because I'm not (tired). But it's seminary that does it. It really gets me going and gets me ready for the rest of the day."

According to Meghan Decker, director of public affairs for the LDS Church in southwestern Michigan, last year approximately 362,000 students participated in seminary across the world. Seminary is not a mandatory program for LDS youth, but it is highly encouraged. There are four years of curriculum, one for each year students are in high school: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants with Church history.

"Some people are surprised to learn that Mormons study the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon," said Decker, who taught seminary herself for four years. "We believe that they both teach us the Gospel."

The lessons themselves are based on the scriptures, but each teacher invariably has his or her own style. This particular class, taught by Courtney Banton, had the students beginning a study of the ministry of Joshua in the Old Testament. The teacher asked for volunteers to stand in an extra large pair of shoes, and explained, "Can you imagine how Joshua felt when Moses was gone and he took over? The only leader they had ever known was Moses -- for 40 years. Joshua had very big shoes to fill." Then she had them write letters with advice and encouragement to Joshua, and then share them with each other.

"The whole objective for the seminary program is to help students develop their own testimony of Jesus Christ," Banton said. "We do this through the study of Scriptures."

Seminary is a wonderful opportunity for youth to study the scriptures, build friendships with other youth, and turn their hearts to the Lord on a daily basis. President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was serving as prophet and president of the LDS Church at the time of his death on January 27, 2008, said this of the youth participating in seminary programs around the world:

"As we look to the future, I see our young people in the Church. I see a lot of them. I see them all over. And I am absolutely enthusiastic about the quality of their lives, their strength, their goodness, their faithfulness. I haven't the slightest concern about the future of this Church as I see our young people. They study the scriptures. They go to seminary ...They pray about their decisions. They socialize among themselves in a wonderful atmosphere of faithfulness. They are on their way to becoming strong, and faithful, and able Latter-day Saints, who will deliver when they are called upon to do so" (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Messages of Inspiration from President Hinckley," Church News, Dec. 2, 2000, 2)

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What Mormon missionaries really experience during their missions is something of interest to many people, regardless of their own religions. One such missionary, Brandon Riggs, was recently profiled in the Ledger-Enquirer of Columbus, Georgia. He had recently returned to Columbus from his two-year mission in Japan.

"The whole thing was a learning experience. There were things I could never have learned in a classroom or in the Peace Corps. It was rare, unique and difficult -- but I wouldn't change it for anything," said Riggs to the Ledger-Enquirer.

His experience began in December 2005 when he was 19 years old. Like other newly-called missionaries, he left his home in Georgia and first traveled to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Provo, Utah. There he spent the next 2 months learning to become a missionary to the Japanese people. All missionaries receive training in teaching the gospel and ministering to the people they will be serving, but those serving foreign-language missions also become heavily immersed in the language in which they will be teaching.

"They train you spiritually and lingually. You are learning to teach the gospel and to express your feelings of the gospel in Japanese. I found that when I had the desire, I could excel, because God gives you help to do those things," Elder Riggs said.

When the time for his training was finished, he went on to Tokyo. But, like other missionaries, he did not stay in his first area for long. Missionaries usually serve in several different areas throughout their missions, and work with several different partners, or “companions,” as well. Elder Riggs served with a total of eleven different companions during his mission. According to the Ledger-Enquirer, here’s how his day typically went: “Each day, he and his (companion) would wake up, eat breakfast and study all morning. Then they would venture out -- usually on foot, or bicycle if they were in the countryside -- and strike up conversations with the locals.”

Elder Riggs said that sometimes he and his companions would talk to families in restaurants. They would also meet people by performing music and teaching English classes. "English schools there are really expensive," he said. "We weren't professional, but we made up games and songs so they could learn. We gained relationships with the people in the program."

He and his companion also looked for ways to serve the people around them, such as picking up trash and cleaning up trains. He did see people baptized as a result of his efforts, but he also just wanted to serve the people. "I didn't go there simply to baptize people. I have found happiness in my religion and I went to share it with them. But if it's not what they wanted, it was their own choice," Riggs said.

Besides learning to love foods that were new to him such as octopus and squid, Elder Riggs learned about the true heart of missionary work. “When I went to the MTC, I thought I needed to become an expert in Japanese and scripture,” he said. “But to be a good missionary you have to have compassion, trust and work ethic. These are really basic things you can't learn in a book."

Of the missionaries who serve faithfully, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said, “From personal experience I can tell you that they study, they pray, they worry intensely about each child of God and especially the souls of those they are able to teach. They face rejection and sometimes verbal abuse. But they soldier on. They serve, they help others, and they go the extra mile to lift and bless people in all walks of life and in all human conditions.” (“One Million Missionaries, Thirteen Million Members,” Ensign, Oct. 2007, 76–77)

Here are some examples of Mormons and Mormon achievements recently highlighted in news venues across the United States.

• Orange County, California: Early morning seminary students in the Mission Viejo area were profiled in the Orange County Register on November 8. In a very complimentary article, 17-year-old seminary student Julia Knecht said, "I get a good feeling starting out my day here ... If I ever miss a class I feel different; a little emptier." Knecht sets several alarm clocks at night to make sure she wakes up in time for her early morning seminary class at 5:30.

  Many Mormon students take a seminary class each year they are in high school. There are four one-year courses: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants with church history. "Teaching these classes is one of the most difficult assignments in the church," said Greg Briggs, former seminary supervisor, to the Orange County Register. "It's a tremendous amount of work and sacrifice. We love those that can connect with the youth."

  As a former early morning seminary teacher myself, I can vouch for the amount of work and sacrifice that the position takes. I can also vouch for the wonderful spirit it brings you that carries through your day, and the strength that this brings to the youth who participate.

• University of Texas: A study about young adults and religion completed by Mark Regnerus, professor of sociology at the University of Texas, didn't originally contain data on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But after looking again at their research, Regnerus and his research team told the Deseret Morning News that "LDS young adults are much more likely than those of other faiths to attend as often as ever."

  The study concerns whether young adults, newly on their own, continue to participate in the religion they were raised in. The Reverend Joel Nau, head of the Episcopal/Lutheran campus ministry at the University of Utah, told the Deseret Morning News that he admires the LDS Church for giving its young adults meaningful roles by sending them out to do missionary work. According to Nau, it sends them the message that "You are our future."

  The LDS Church sends missionaries to teach the gospel throughout the world. Many of them are young men of ages nineteen to their early twenties. Many others are young women of similar ages. A recent article in a Michigan newspaper gives some insights into their lives and routines.

• Denver, Colorado: In a reprint of an article originally run in the Washington Post, roof gardens are discussed. Among those spotlighted is the garden on the roof of the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City Utah. The Conference Center is used for general conferences of the Church where the prophet and other leaders give counsel, as well as for other events. Joel M. Lerner, the author of the article, described it as "green on a monumental scale, with fountains, prairie, alpine meadow and woodland, including conifers and aspens. It is a landscape design on ground, vertical and overhead planes." It's always nice to receive a pat on the back for a job well done, and those who designed, planted, and maintain the garden at the Conference Center certainly deserve one.

• South Florida: A profile on Miami Dolphins rookie John Beck discloses that Beck has an action figure of Captain Moroni from the Book of Mormon. He takes the figure to each game with him. Readers of the Book of Mormon may remember that Captain Moroni was a great general who led the Nephite armies and inspired them to victory. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and is accepted as scripture by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Colorado Springs Gazette recently profiled a Mormon family who have followed the counsel of the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and built up an extensive food storage in their basement.

Leaders of the Church have counseled members for years to build and maintain a supply of food and other essentials to use in times of need - be it a widespread natural disaster, or a family-level crisis such as a period of unemployment. In that vein, the First Presidency (the prophet of the Church and his two counselors) recently issued the following statement:

"We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.

"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve." -The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, Feb. 2007, 1

John and Susan Leavitt of Pine Creek, Colorado, have taken this counsel to heart. Carol McGraw of the Gazette describes what she saw in their basement: "an extensive emergency stash: buckets of wheat, rice, beans, oats, canned vegetables and fruit, powdered fruit drinks, razors, zip-lock bags, shampoo, candles, (and) toilet paper" as well as "dehydrated milk."

The Leavitts, along with other Mormons in Colorado, use two LDS-owned canneries to help them stock their storage. Both canneries help the members can the food that they need. "It's a place where machines are whirring and clanking, and volunteers in hairnets are filling cans with beans, rice, cocoa powder and other dry commodities," McGraw says of the dry pack facility in Colorado Springs. There is also a cannery in Aurora that allows members to can "wet" items such as vegetables and fruits.

Similar canneries are available throughout the United States and throughout the world. Patrons make appointments in advance to visit the cannery, and place their orders to ensure that the cannery has the food available that they want. On their assigned day, cannery personnel help them to can their orders. Patrons of the cannery do have to pay for the food that they can, but the prices are generally lower than those they might find in stores.

People purchasing food for their personal storage aren't the only ones who benefit from the canneries. The bishop's storehouse maintains a supply of food items for Mormons who need financial assistance.

"It's a blessing," said Rachael Porter to the Gazette. "This way our children don't go hungry." Porter's family is receiving assistance because her husband was hospitalized and their medical bills are large.

In order for families to receive assistance, they must first meet with their bishop (the leader of their local Latter-day Saint congregation). He assesses their level of need and can approve temporary assistance when appropriate. "Bishop's storehouses," as they are called, are part of the LDS Church welfare system that enables the Church to care for those in need. They are also available throughout the United States and Canada. Most of it is produced and canned by volunteers.

To learn more about building up your own food storage, including guidelines for what to store and how much you will need, visit www.providentliving.org.

I remember the first set of Mormon missionaries I met that had been assigned to my university campus when I was in college. Having come from a small branch that covered a large geographical area, I was surprised that there was a set of missionaries that was assigned only to the campus and the student population. They must have attracted the attention of some students by their mere presence - after all, these were young guys who would have fit in well with the student population, but were instead ordained ministers preaching the gospel.

This is the case with a pair of missionaries assigned to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor profiled in the Michigan Daily on October 24. In fact, the article teaser goes like this: "You know those two hyper-clean cut guys on the Diag? They're not on their way to give a presentation at the B-School. They're here to save your soul."

With an opener like that, these elders - Elder Stoker and Elder Mackintosh -- have a lot to live up to. But the article makes it obvious that these young men are working hard and trying to do the things that missionaries should do - something that students not of the Mormon faith find particularly fascinating.

"We take these young kids in the flower of the youth and take them out of the most narcissistic, self-absorbed time of life and plant them somewhere on Earth," Steven Hedquist, president of the Ann Arbor Stake (group of local congregations) explained. On their missions, they "realize for the first time that there are other people on this planet besides themselves." He adds that missions often change the life perspectives of those serving.

Elder Stoker and Elder Mackintosh, just like tens of thousands of other missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, follow some strict rules and scheduling during their two years as missionaries. This particular day, they make some cold contacts on campus and hand out some cards for a free Book of Mormon.

They must stay with their partner, or "companion," at all times. And while they are allowed to e-mail their families and write to their friends once a week, they are only allowed to call their families on Christmas and Mother's Day and their other use of the Internet is strictly limited. Neither are they allowed to watch television, or read anything but the scriptures and other religious texts. These rules allow the missionaries to concentrate on their service to the Lord with minimal distractions.

Occasionally throughout their two years of service, missionaries are transferred to other cities in the area and work with other companions. This gives them the opportunity to serve a variety of people in a variety of situations.

Elder Stoker and Elder Mackintosh said they have rarely been harassed by students on campus. This is probably at least in part due to their peaceful approach, especially as compared to some of the other preachers on campus who draw attention by insulting and outraging the crowds around them.

Elder Stoker and Elder Mackintosh said that Mormon missionary work isn't to scare or hassle people into joining the Church, it's to make sure the chance to learn their faith is available to all who are interested.

A couple of blogs at LDSBlogs.com explain more about missionaries and what they do:

Life as a Full-time Missionary

Why the Mormon Emphasis on Missionary Work?

The seminary program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - particularly the early morning seminary program - receives local media attention from time to time. In this day of MTV youth and a society moving away from religion in general, finding a group of youth who meet together every morning before school to study the scriptures can seem unusual to those outside the Church. In fact, even those inside the Church are often impressed with the faith and perseverance of these young students.

For those unfamiliar with seminary, it is an LDS Church-sponsored program of daily scripture study for youth in high school. The religious education that these youth receive could be compared to what youth of other faiths might get in their own private church-run schools. Those who choose to participate in such settings recognize that while secular knowledge is important to a student's success in life, a religious education is equally if not more important to their success and well-being.

Those Latter-day Saint youth who live in Utah or other areas of high LDS population can take seminary classes during their regular school hours. Seminary buildings are located near high schools, and students arrange their schedules to include a seminary class. Others gather early in the morning on a daily basis to study the scriptures together. Still others complete daily lessons on a home-study basis.

Here are tidbits from an article that ran recently:

From the News-Press in North Fort Myers, Florida: Brothers Trey and Trevor Myers are both linebackers on the Riverdale High School football team. They also wake up at 4:45 every morning and attend seminary with their Latter-day Saint peers. "It's real hard to get up that early, but it feels like you're doing the right thing," said Trevor, 15.

The article praises the brothers for their commitment to the football team and their hard work, both on and off the field. Their religion is a part of their lives, but it's not the only thing.

"It's all about balance," said Trey, 17. "That's part of why we like to play football. You can be a different person on the field. In real life, you definitely need all aspects to come together and make you a better person, but on the field you can get all of your aggression out."

Another recent article from the Lebanon Daily News in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, "Sleepy students get wake-up call from God," is unfortunately no longer available in the newspaper's free archives.