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Revealing the sacred on 'Big Love' sparks discussion about ethics

Salt Lake Tribune - The LDS Church -- and many of its members -- objected last spring when HBO's hit series "Big Love" depicted a plural wife participating in a temple ceremony, calling the episode an offensive act that trivialized a sacred practice. But an entire context is needed to sanctify an image, gesture, ritual or event, said Alex Caldiero, and without its unique context, the sacred cannot be violated. "The sacred sort of protects itself against any inappropriate, any misuse or any foul play by being so protected and encased in a context," said Caldiero, artist-in-residence at Utah Valley University in Orem. "What I...

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From the inside looking out

Segullah - I never thought about it happening on a play date. My new-found friend and I had spent a delightful day making bread, mixing soup and baking cookies. While the kids played happily, we talked about art, literature, church, friends and living providently while we swapped funny stories and checked on the kids. We talked about our families. Genetic traits. Birth order. Age. We were sitting on my friend’s playroom floor picking up toys while our boys played together; her second son, my last, when I noticed the briefest of pauses. She said “You’re 44?” And like a jolt it occurred to...

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Star BYU football player helps brother qualify for a mission

Deseret News - The two brothers trained for countless hours together in the sweltering heat last summer — with seemingly different motivations. Harvey Unga was preparing for another football season. His younger brother, Victor, was preparing for an LDS Church mission. But in reality, because the Unga brothers are so close, the purpose and the motivation were one and the same. While Harvey (a star running back who rushed for 97 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown last Saturday in a loss to Florida State) was trying to get healthy after an injury-riddled 2008 campaign, Victor, a walk-on defensive lineman for the Cougars...

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First Impressions of the Joseph Smith Papers: Revelations Volume

Keepapitchinin - Everybody comments on the size of this volume; its weightiness, both physical and metaphorical, is inescapable. Other reviewers will do a more scholarly job of analyzing the contents. This is my idiosyncratic first impression of this beautiful book. The left-hand side of every spread is a color photograph of a page from one of the two manuscript books used to record early revelations and commandments, with the right-hand side being a transcription of that manuscript page, line by line, each line of printed text breaking where the manuscript line breaks, insertions and overstrikes and erasures being marked on the text to...

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Joseph Smith Papers second book released and presented to Elder Nelson

Newsroom - Coinciding with the anniversary of Joseph Smith receiving the ancient plates that he would later translate as the Book of Mormon, the second volume of The Joseph Smith Papers was released today. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was presented one of the first copies by Elder Marlin K. Jensen, Church Historian and Recorder, in a special ceremony in the Church History Library attended by members of the media. The facsimile edition of Revelations and Translations: Manuscript Revelation Books opens a new series of The Joseph Smith Papers. The volume provides new access to priceless documents...

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Statistical data showing Utah is still unique but becoming more like nation

Deseret News - Ask Adrian Oliphant what life is like with an extra-large family, and he half jokes, "I don't know. I only have eight children." The West Valley resident adds that he grew up in a family of 11 children, "so having eight never hit me as being that big." He's not alone in Utah, which again, according to new census survey data for 2008 released today, has the nation's largest family size (3.76 people, compared to 3.22 nationally). That's not all. Utah has the nation's youngest median age (thanks to all those children); most stay-at-home moms; highest rate of women who gave...

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ABC News: BYU co-ed's remains finally found in Oregon

ABC News - The story of Wilberger's disappearance begins on the afternoon of May 24, 2004. The 19-year-old Brigham Young University student was home in Oregon visiting her family, and helping out her sister and brother-in-law at an apartment complex they manage in the town of Corvallis. Corvallis is a picturesque Oregon city of about 54,000 people. It's a place most people would consider ideal for raising a family. But even idyllic places can be visited by crime. "The city of Corvallis is really safe, but we're also in the real world," said Lt. Ron Noble of the Corvallis Police Department. Wilberger was in...

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Take heart, Mom: Kids do grow up

Deseret News - Before I had children, I used to wonder why general authorities would always speak with concern and understanding for "parents with young children." I couldn't understand why they made that particular distinction. What happened when children grew older? Did it suddenly become easier? The answer, I've discovered in my short eight years of parenting, is yes and no. Older children bring their own set of challenges, and it starts and ends with a mouth that learns to talk, and therefore disagree. But now that we are climbing out of those young years and into the school years, I understand what the...

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Angel Moroni statue placed atop the Kyiv Ukraine Temple in eastern Europe

LDS Church News - More than 650 Church members — including parents sitting with their children — attended a devotional meeting in the chapel of a meetinghouse at the temple site in the early afternoon. About two hours before the devotional, the angel statue was positioned near the temple in a fenced area designed for members and visitors to observe the placing of the statue. Those who arrived early to the devotional were delighted to take pictures of their groups standing near the statue. During the devotional, talks were given about the importance of temples, of possessing a temple recommend and attending the temple often....

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BYU basketball: Free of cancer, Rose will coach BYU's basketball team

Deseret News - From all indications, Dave Rose's bout with pancreatic cancer this past summer and his ongoing monitoring of the disease will not keep him from coaching the BYU Cougars men's basketball team full time this coming season. On Friday, the 51-year-old Rose had his first periodic MRI scan to look for traces of cancer since having a cancerous tumor, part of his spleen and pancreas removed in June. The results, following the one-hour non-invasive process, came back clean with no further traces of cancer. "I feel great, and the doctors are extremely confident that they are right on top of the situation...