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LDS missionaries resuming their work in Guyana

KSL - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is slowly rebuilding its public profile in Guyana after the government ordered dozens of its missionaries to leave last fall because of outdated documents. Church spokesman Leslie Sobers said Saturday the church has resumed donations of medical equipment to charities in the South American nation. Sobers declines to say how many missionaries are now in Guyana after some 40 church members left to comply with the government's Sept. 2 departure order. Police say no more than 20 missionaries remain. ...

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Am I 'my brother's keeper'?

LDS Church News - Within hours of a devastating earthquake hitting the poverty-ravaged nation of Haiti, generous people worldwide were sacrificing time, energy and resources to help the victims. And just as quickly, scam artists were busy at work, trying to find ways to lure generous people to give them money instead, using false promises and outright lies. Typical among these was a Web site pretending to belong to the Red Cross of the United Kingdom. People were urged to click on a link that would send them to a site telling them where to wire money. But the money never would go to Haiti...

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Phoenix temple will take 8 months to 1 year to redesign

Arizona Republic - Since voters won't go to the polls to approve a height increase for the proposed Phoenix Arizona Temple, the attention shifts to the Mormon Church's redesign of the building. The City Council on Tuesday rescinded its decision allowing an extra 10 feet of height for the temple at 5104 W. Pinnacle Peak Road. City leaders said they changed their minds about the zoning because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints withdrew its application and wanted to avoid a costly special election. Critics of the temple had collected enough valid signatures to force an election. The site's neighbors opposed the...

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Not LDS Dad shares thoughts on FHE

Deseret News - Not long after my wife and I moved to Utah about 12 years ago, I used to wonder how people felt about their church urging them to set aside a certain time to bond as a family. I'm talking about the LDS Church's family home evening. Back then I would imagine that I'd probably resent it. It was a narrow-minded way of thinking on my part. The longer I've lived in Utah and the more I've learned about the LDS Church, the more my respect has grown for some of what the church does. I like the LDS Church's public service...

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'Napoleon Dynamite' still defines LDS actor Jon Heder's career

Deseret News - Several comic actors play wacky geeks in "When in Rome," and according to one national movie critic, "Jon Heder as a goofy street magician is the funniest of the bunch." That comes from A.O. Scott in last Friday's New York Times review. And it may be faint praise in the context of this truly awful farce, especially since the rest of "the bunch" — Dax Shepard, Will Arnett and Danny DeVito — are so decidedly unfunny. But it's nice to see Heder being singled out for a decent notice in the Newspaper of Record. Especially since, if you've only seen the...

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Using Movies From the Lord’s Side of the Line

LDS Media Talk - A friend of mine, Steven K. Jones, has compiled The Good List: Using Movies From the Lord’s Side of the Line and has agreed to share it with others. The list was compiled considering the following counsel from George Albert Smith: “All safety, all righteousness, all happiness are on the Lord’s side of the line . . . All that enriches our lives and prepares us for eternal joy is on the Lord’s side of the line” (Conference Report, Oct. 1949, 5-6). Key quotes, ideas, principles, and scriptures are provided for most of the movies on the list. These “keys” unlock...

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LDS Senator's cell phone interrupts National Prayer Breakfast, laughter ensues (with video!)

Yahoo - Democrats and Republicans don't agree on much these days. But folks from both sides of the aisle were able to share a few laughs at this morning's National Prayer Breakfast. Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch from Utah stood up to lead the assembled leaders in a prayer. To his side sat the big guy, President Barack Obama. This was no time to mess up. Unfortunately, Sen. Hatch forgot to turn off his cell phone. Just as he stood at the podium, his phone's alarm began to ring. D'oh! Sen. Hatch, a good sport, laughed sheepishly and said, "Whoops, oh dear." He then...

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Washington Post: Head of Church Public Affairs on 'pure religion' in Haiti

Washington Post - In the wake of the earthquake in Haiti that left millions of lives shattered, the world saw, and continues to see, an outpouring of love, compassion and service on a magnificent scale. It is a scene we have witnessed before: when lives are devastated by disaster, the best of humanity surfaces as many set aside personal conveniences, agendas and interests to selflessly take part in what the Bible describes as pure religion--"to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction..." Offers of help poured into my own church by the thousands - and we are just one organization among many. "I...

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The dangers of ward hopping

Deseret News - So, young single adults ... have you ever been in a ward you didn't like? The chemistry was off? Didn't connect with your quorum? Not enough hotties? Too few mingles? Well, what did you do about it? If your answer is, "I served others, fulfilled my calling, loved the congregation and tried harder," then kudos. Good work. If your answer is, "I up and left," then you're a ward hopper and we need to talk. The costs of jumping ship It may seem like a small thing to go to a fresh ward each Sunday -- after all, you're still going...

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Vancouver Sun: Residents can get rare glimpse of Mormon inner sanctum

The Vancouver Sun - In the month of April, Metro Vancouverites will be offered the highly unusual opportunity to experience the inside of a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon ). By early May, the large new Langley temple will be formally dedicated by Mormon officials and closed to outsiders, virtually forever. Mormons consider the rituals performed inside their temples so holy that they are reserved only for Mormons judged worthy by church authorities. The nearly completed Vancouver British Columbia Temple, located in a semi-rural neighbourhood at the corner of 82nd Avenue and 204th Street, is the first Mormon...