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Man's LDS mission inspired bringing light to Ghana

Salt Lake Tribune - A Utah engineer's idea to light up western Africa using kid power is going round and round. Empower Playgrounds Inc. builds special merry-go-rounds that generate power for lights in villages where electricity is scarce or not found at all. The nonprofit started three years ago with one playground generator in Ghana. Now 10 merry-go-rounds have been installed and EPI has plans for 25 more in 2010. "If you want a peaceful Earth, you have got to get rid of the differences," EPI founder Ben Markham said. "You can't have some countries with high technology and other countries still not have light...

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I Will Not, I'm Mormon

Straight and Narrow Blog - Reading the many blog posts I do during the week, I came across answers to some strange questions. Often it seems that those who don't know Mormons, and some who do, have this idea that the faith has too many rules and regulations. Most importantly is that somehow the religion is different from all the others in the approach to ethics and commandments. Some have said there are over 100 commandments that Mormons must follow. There is some truth to these opinions because the Western World has changed over the years. What is expected of people today is far less than...

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Pastor speaks out about Idaho billboards targeting Mormons

The Idaho State Journal - One of the organizers of a media campaign that is using billboards in Pocatello and other cities seeking to convince Mormons of perceived errors in their faith says the group is not attacking members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “The reason we do this is that we really do have a love for the Mormon people,” says Mark Cares, president of the group that is organizing the campaign. “Our ministry is to reach out to the LDS people.” He says while the campaign does question LDS doctrine, it is not meant to attack Mormons. LDS members see...

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The pros and cons of life at 37,000 feet

Deseret News - There are two questions I field more than any other. The first is predictable: "Can you help me get my book published?" The easy answer is "Maybe, but I probably won't. I don't need any more competition than I already have." I kid, I'd be happy to help. As long as your book is a gut-wrenching memoir of a karaoke-singing llama. The second question: "Is it hard being away from home so often?" I wish there were an equally satisfying answer. I'm the definition of a frequent flier. And by "flier" I mean as a passenger on airplanes, not in the...

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They're So Popular!

By Common Consent - About three weeks ago while I was in Finland with my wife’s family for Christmas, I visited with a old friend of mine–a man whom I consider to be one of the greatest I’ve ever met, and who has taught me more about the gospel than nearly anyone else in my life. After exchanging the requisite pleasantries about what has happened in our lives since we last saw each other (it had been over 5 years), we sat back on a sofa in his living room in silence for few moments before my friend turned the discussion to some of the...

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How to stand firm when others question your faith

Deseret News - I received a letter from a recent Mormon convert asking how one stands firm against those who question your church membership. This is an important question because, as I have stated in a previous column, pressure from family and friends is among the reasons new converts become inactive. I have heard far too many times about new converts who believe that the church is true, yet allow a spouse, family member or friends to prevent them from living it. I hope this column will provide some help for those struggling with this issue. The first thing I would suggest is to...

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Excerpts from a Fox interview with Mitt and Ann Romney

Deseret News - The Romneys appeared recently on Fox TV's "Fox and Friends" in a two-part taped interview. Ann talked about her battle with cancer and Mitt talked about his political future and whether being Mormon is a political liability. Excerpts of the interview with Gretchen Carlson: CARLSON: So what was that experience like, breast cancer? ANN ROMNEY: It was breast cancer, again, diagnosed from mammograms, so for me, it was -- it's real important for women to know they have to get their mammograms, but very early stage and I was really lucky and I had surgery right about this time right before...

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Visiting teaching is a 'way of life'

LDS Church News - A bishop recently spoke to Sister Julie B. Beck about a problem he had in his ward. The women, he told the Relief Society general president, don't know how to minister. This was obvious, he continued, because only 10 percent of the Relief Society sisters were completing their visiting teaching each month. Sister Beck agreed to attend a ward Relief Society meeting and see if she could discover the cause of the problem. "When I got there they sent around a sign-up for about 15 expectant mothers who were going to have new babies," she said. "They needed meals brought in,...

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It took 42 years to meet a prophet

LDS Church News - I grew up in Wisconsin. When I was 16 years old, I remember saying a prayer one night while lying in my bed. I asked Heavenly Father to help me find the true Church and the fullness of the gospel. I told Him that I was young, and I could easily be confused by all of the different religions. I prayed that He would show me which church was true. Three days later I met Dawn Marie Nimmer, a young woman who told me about a living prophet that was the president of the church she went to. As I thought...

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Church announces new youth website

LDS Church News - Uniting Latter-day Saint youth around the world by giving them a sense of the gospel rolling forward is an aim behind a new youth-oriented Internet site the Church has just launched, according to Lee Gibbons, director of the Church's Web site, lds.org. The new site, www.youth.lds.org , is accessible now in English and is being translated into 10 other languages (including the two Chinese languages of Mandarin and Cantonese) in preparation for later this year, when the Church's Web site, lds.org, will be launched on a new platform in those 11 languages. As of now, visitors to youth.lds.org are greeted by...