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Study finds Americans say they are more religious than they actually are

Consumer Affairs - When it comes to religion, many Americans can't put their money where their mouth is. A new University of Michigan study finds that we are much more likely to exaggerate our attendance at religious services than people in other countries. "Americans have long been viewed as exceptionally religious compared to other nations in the developed world," said Philip Brenner, a research fellow at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR) and the author of the study. "But this study suggests that American religiosity may be exceptional not in terms of actual behavior, but rather in terms of identity. ...

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Washington church arson caught on camera

Herald Net - Mukilteo police released surveillance video this week showing the arson that destroyed a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building here in October. You also can watch the video here. If you're on the Sirens main page, you can view the video by clicking on the headline of this post. ...

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BYU center seeks teachers for China

LDS Church News - The David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at BYU is seeking qualified couples and individuals to teach at highly respected universities in the People's Republic of China during the 2011-12 academic year. Although most teachers are hired to teach oral and written English, there is an increasing need for professionals with experience in the fields of linguistics, business, law, economics, science, culture and literature. ...

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Nauvoo Pageant 2011 audition

LDS Church News - Professional-quality actors are being sought to fill 20 core cast roles in the summer 2011 Nauvoo Pageant. Ten men's roles, nine women's roles and one role for a young man are available. Adult ages are from 20s through 60s. The rigorous nature of this outdoor summer pageant requires that core cast members be experienced, faithful LDS performers demonstrating a high degree of maturity, flexibility and willingness to work long hours. Once cast, candidates must also receive their bishops' recommendations. ...

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Festive feelings stirred with lighting of Mesa temple lights

LDS Church News - "Celebrate the Birth of Christ in Lights and Music" features hundreds of thousands of colorful lights in stunning displays, including illuminated palm trees and flower gardens; a beautifully crafted Nativity scene, life-like figures of Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem and nightly concerts by local groups. The annual celebration kicked off Nov. 26 when Arizona Cardinals players Max Hall and Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui flipped the switch at the official lighting program. Both LDS football players are graduates of local high schools. ...

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Best way to get students to school on time is through praise, Y. researchers find

Deseret News - Forget the tardy slip. New research out of Brigham Young University suggests that the best way to get students to show up on time to school is by praising them for punctuality. Paul Caldarella and other researchers of the David O. McKay School of Education found that the main way local elementary schools deal with tardy students is by sending warning letters home to parents. The more tardies the student had, the more severe the letters would become. The warning letters ultimately ended in a notification for truancy court. ...

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First Presidency Christmas Devotional: President Uchtdorf — 'Look for the good'

LDS Church News - If people look for what is wrong with the Christmas season, they will surely find it, said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. "We can grumble and complain, becoming cold and cynical about what we see around us," said President Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency. "Nevertheless, if we look for the good, we can see this time of year with new eyes — perhaps even the eyes of a child." Speaking during the annual First Presidency Christmas Devotional, President Uchtdorf spoke about the Grinch, the memorable character from Dr. Seuss' classic children's story that had a heart "two sizes too small"...

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First Presidency Christmas Devotional: President Eyring — 'The greatest gift'

LDS Church News - The greatest gift Church members can offer this Christmas season is to point those they love and serve toward the Savior Jesus Christ, the only source of eternal life, said President Henry B. Eyring on Dec. 5. "Many of you will in the Christmas season find ways to give food to people who are hungry," said President Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency. "As you do, you bring joy to the Lord. Yet He taught us that there is a way to give an even more priceless and lasting gift. He said, 'I am the bread of life; he that...

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Carpenter 'humbled' by Mormon temple work

Deseret News - In the beginning, J.R. Potthast saw it as just another job. But the metro-east carpenter later learned that this order would literally be a mission ... from God. "It was quite an experience," Potthast said. "I was awed and humbled by it." This job was completed last month over the course of 10 days about 20 miles northeast of Kansas City, Mo. Potthast, who owns Thick & Thin Hardwood Lumber & Sawmill near Pierron, was hired to cut the lumber for a new temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Specifically, the 8-acre construction site is just southeast...

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First Presidency Christmas Devotional: President Monson — 'A time to remember'

LDS Church News - The Christmas season brings to all people a measure of happiness that corresponds to the degree to which they have turned their minds, feelings and actions to the Savior, whose birth they celebrate, said President Thomas S. Monson. "There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ," said President Monson during the annual First Presidency Christmas Devotional on Dec. 5. President Monson offered a message of peace and hope to thousands gathered in the Conference Center, which was adorned with Christmas lights, trees and...