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15842

How Church Disciplinary Councils Work, Change Lives

Deseret News - On a chilly Saturday last January, a man who once led a small LDS congregation walked into a church building in the Salt Lake Valley expecting to be excommunicated. "It was very serious," Carl said this week. "I repeatedly sinned, in any religion's book." Four years after he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the early 1970s, Carl had felt intimidated when he had to convene a disciplinary council to evaluate a member of his branch in the American southwest. Now he sat down at the end of a long table to face a disciplinary council convened...

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Do Mormons Love the World Cup More than Most Americans?

Jenny Spencer - Before my mission, I never watched soccer—let alone the World Cup. I knew that the world at large loved it, but I just didn’t see the appeal. I never grew up watching it, and so I didn’t bother learning about the sport. I was happy with my basketball and my American football, thank you very much.  But then I went on my mission to a French island where the kids learn to play by kicking around coconuts in the streets. I happened to serve during 2010, smack dab in the middle the World Cup and Spain’s heyday. I couldn’t walk the...

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LDS Week in Review: 5 Must-Read Stories (June 14 - 20)

LDS Living Staff - LDS Family Services Discontinues Adoption Agency LDS Family Services is a private, nonprofit corporation owned and operated by the Church. For decades, it has been operating one of the largest, private nonprofit adoption agencies in the world. This week, LDS Family Services announced that it will shift its focus to counseling for birth parents and prospective adoptive parents, and will no longer operate a full-scale adoption agency. This was a big decision, but the corporation hopes that it will broaden options for prospective adoptive parents. -->Find the rest of the story here! 9 Callings We Overlook While stake callings and calls...

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7 Vintage LDS Films that will Make You Smile (and Make Your Kids Laugh)

Utah Valley 360 - LDS kids these days don’t know how good they have it. The Mormon Channel produces new Mormon Messages for Youth every month or so. LDS recording artists release uplifting music videos that make the rounds on the Internet every few days. With so much high-quality, uplifting media to choose from, many of today’s Mormon teenagers have no idea how far LDS short films have come. If you remember “The Mailbox,” “The Phone Call” or “Johnny Lingo,” you’ve seen the evolution of LDS cinema. Show your teenagers these videos to teach them a valuable lesson in innovation and progress — and maybe...

15837

Elder Christofferson Testifies of Christ on Mars Hill, as the Apostle Paul Did

Deseret News - Elder D. Todd Christofferson, member of The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited Greece this spring, where the ancient apostle Paul preached. In a video released June 4 by the LDS Church, Elder Christofferson is seen visiting church members throughout Europe. "I'm so proud of our missionaries and our members who persevere nonetheless. I believe that's the tradition of Paul," he said. "What a model, what an inspiration for anyone, anytime, any age." ...

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Andy Warhol's 'Sidekick' and Unlikely Mormon Ultra Violet Dies at 78

Salt Lake Tribune - French-born Isabelle Collin Dufresne, aka Andy Warhol’s sidekick Ultra Violet, was among the most unlikely Mormon converts ever. She was playing in a rock band and was interviewed by journalist Carl Arrington, who happened to be Mormon. They talked about religion, especially her interest in a Heavenly Mother, and he said that Latter-day Saints believe in a divine partner for God the Father. Dufresne attended an LDS service in New York and found a welcoming atmosphere. "The Mormons were full of light," she told The Salt Lake Tribune in 2004. "They seemed clean and happy. I was intrigued and impressed by...

15834

Taking Offense: Is It Our Choice?

Childless Mormons Support - I believe that generally people don’t mean to be unkind, to say hurtful things, or to offend. I believe they say these things through lack of understanding, not being in the situation before, or being uneducated with all things infertility/childless. Should we not be sensitive to them? It's easy that our first reaction is one of offence. But, Elder Bednar says this about being offended: When we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreated, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that...

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Paris France Temple Update: Cleared for Construction

Deseret News - The Paris France Temple is rising as a prophecy in fulfillment. During a meeting in Paris in 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley told some 2,400 Latter-day Saints, “The time will come … when we can construct somewhere in this area a house of the Lord, a sacred temple. …” Returning to Paris six years later, in 2004 when a temple site had yet to be found, President Hinckley said, “Sometime in the future, a beautiful house of the Lord will grace this land.” On both visits, President Hinckley asked the members to pray that the Lord would direct Church leaders to...

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Elder Holland Creates Second Branch in Cuba

ChurchofJesusChrist.org - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles created the Church's second branch in Cuba on Sunday, June 15, during a branch conference attended by almost 100 people. Accompanying him were Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy, Sister Diane Hallstrom, Elder Wilford W. Andersen of the Seventy and president of the Caribbean Area, and Sister Kathleen Andersen. During the conference, the Havana Cuba Branch was divided to create the El Cotorro Cuba Branch. Though the Church is not yet registered in Cuba, government officials in the Department of Religious Affairs have welcomed the Church...

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Church Responds to Concerns Over Member Questions

ChurchofJesusChrist.org - LDS Church Spokesperson Jessica Moody issued the following statement Thursday in response to media inquiries concerning the ability of church members to raise questions and seek answers in the church. First, there is no effort to tell local leaders to keep members from blogging or discussing questions online. On the contrary, Church leaders have encouraged civil online dialogue, and recognize that today it's how we communicate and discuss ideas with one another. Our whole Church was founded on the basis of sincere questions asked by a 14-year-old boy. Having questions and seeking answers is normal. Within those earnest questions may lie...