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Balancing law and religion discussed at BYU conference

Deseret News - For a few days in September, a pastor from Florida captured the world's attention after proclaiming his intent to burn a Quran, the holy Islamic book, on Sept. 11. Government and military officials reacted swiftly to condemn the proposal, and many religious communities joined together in a show of solidarity for their Muslim neighbors, said Ted Stahnke, director of policy and programs for Human Rights First at the recent International Law and Religion Symposium held at BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School. "American leaders ... confirmed their commitment to tolerance and drowned out the hatred and rhetoric of an isolated extremist,"...

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Relief Society Lesson 20: Baptism

The Exponent - This lesson is particularly salient for me, as my oldest son turned 8 this summer and is preparing for baptism. My husband and I are having Baptism Prep classes with him using scriptures, videos, and stories to help him understand the importance of the the covenant he is making. With his friends getting baptized throughout the year, we’ve learned that he didn’t always separate the baptism from the event of having friends and family who come visit and celebrate. Intro: If I were teaching this lesson, I would start by talking about my son and our journey to prepare him for...

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San Diego Mormon Choir takes first bows

North County Times - For the organizers of the new San Diego Mormon Choir and Orchestra, the timing was good and the talent plentiful. The choir and orchestra, formed and conducted by Welk Resorts music director Justin Gray and Moonlight Amphitheatre resident music director Elan McMahan, involves more than 150 singers and instrumentalists. The group presents its inaugural concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. The concert is titled "Praise the Lord With Heart and Voice: A Celebration of Sacred Music." The group's youth choir opens the show. Tickets between $15-$25 are available at the box office....

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FHE: Love

Shauna Gibby - Conference Talk: For more information on this topic read “Mother Told Me,” by Bradley D.Foster, Ensign, May 2010, 98–100. Thought: In a world where everyone is granted agency, some of our loved ones may stray for a season. But we can never give up. We must always go back for them—we must never stop trying.(Bradley D. Foster, “Mother Told Me,” Ensign, May 2010, 98–100.) Song: “Love One Another,” Children’s Songbook, p. 136. Scripture: Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another(1 John 4:11) Lesson: Read the words of the hymn, “Dear to the Heart of the...

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David Archuleta to perform in Christmas concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

LDS Church News - Jive Records recording artist will join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for their annual Christmas concerts, titled "Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square." Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy will conduct the concerts. The concerts will be presented in the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City on Thursday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. and Friday, Dec. 17, and Saturday, Dec. 18, both at 7:30 p.m. The weekly half-hour CBS radio broadcast of "Music and the Spoken Word" on Sunday, Dec. 19, at 9:30 a.m. in the Conference Center will also feature David...

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Utes, Cougars agree to home-and-home football series

Deseret News - BYU and Utah announced Thursday that their long-standing rivalry will continue beyond this year, with game dates set in football and men's basketball. The Utes and Cougars have agreed to a home-and-home series in football with a game on Sept. 17, 2011, at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The following year, the two rivals will play on Sept. 15 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah and BYU are competing in the Mountain West Conference for the final time this season. Next year, the Utes join the Pac-10 while the Cougars go independent in football and become a member of the West Coast Conference in other...

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Halloween on Sundays

By Common Consent - With fall comes Halloween and, this year, the dilemma of whether to participate when it falls on a Sunday. Growing up, my parents would graciously decline the birthday party invitations that we received when they were scheduled for a Sunday. Many of these parties involved going to places, such a pizza parlors, that most Mormons would eschew on Sundays. But others were merely gatherings at homes. Still, they got the same treatment. I also remember Halloweens that fell on a Sunday. Some members would not let their children participate and sponsored special Saturday Trick-or-Treats. But my parents, it turns out, didn’t...

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The forgotten eighth and tenth commandments

Millennial Star - This post argues that people have forgotten and/or conveniently ignored the eighth and tenth commandments. What are they? Exodus 20:15 — Don’t steal Exodus 20:17 — Don’t covet somebody else’s property. What does it mean to covet? Dictionary.com’s definition of “covet” is interesting: “to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another’s property.” Laws should have some basis in morality. The 10 commandments are one of the foundations for many of our laws, but the moral laws against theft and against coveting are often ignored today. ...

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Christian leader on yoga: Not Christianity

KSL - A Southern Baptist leader who is calling for Christians to avoid yoga and its spiritual attachments is getting plenty of pushback from enthusiasts who defend the ancient practice. Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler says the stretching and meditative discipline derived from Eastern religions is not a Christian pathway to God. Mohler said he objects to "the idea that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine." "That's just not Christianity," Mohler told The Associated Press. Mohler said feedback has come through e-mail and comments on blogs and other websites since he wrote an essay to address questions...

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Orson Scott Card: We don't know the Lord's time

Deseret News - When I was young, I remember getting mixed messages about the doctrines of creation. I knew my share of "'seven days' is 'seven days'" Mormons, as well as Mormons who found no difficulty believing in divine creation with evolution and natural geological processes as the likely method. I also read some books in my teenage years that seemed almost like a compromise, based as they were on the premise that "a day to the Lord is as a thousand years to man." There was such lovely symmetry in this interpretation, for they taught that not only did the creation take exactly...