In a week when Mitt Romney has started to show and tell more about his Mormon faith, NBC's "Rock Center with Brian Williams" is devoting a full hour to the subject of what it means to be "Mormon in America." The special, which "Rock Center" calls "ambitious and lively," airs Thursday, Aug. 23, at 9 p.m. MDT, making NBC the first network to devote a full hour of prime-time television to Mormonism.

A unique audio recording has recently come to light in New Zealand, a recording which chronicles the experiences of the first Mormon missionary to connect with the Parihaka people. (Parihaka was the largest Maori settlement in New Zealand.)

It's ironic that a discussion of the public's comfort-level with Mormons should be pegged to a question about politicians, since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is meticulously neutral in partisan politics.

Famed reality show producer Mark Burnett has brought Americans popular programs like “Survivor,” “The Apprentice,” “Shark Tank” and “The Voice.” But his next project, “The Bible,” a mini-series set to air on the History Channel in 2013, may come as a surprise to some. The program, which takes the holy book from Genesis to Revelation and re-enacts it, will air in two-hour intervals over a five-week period. Recently, TheBlaze attended a screening that was hosted by Burnett and his wife, actress Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”). After airing 90 minutes of the 10-hour series, the duo shared their passion for “The Bible” project, while also highlighting the intense process they went through to see the series come to fruition (Downey plays Jesus’ mother, Mary).

Whether you are a returned missionary or not, as an LDS you are a missionary for life. A member missionary. However, your role is different as a “civilian saint” and sometimes it helps to have some pointers after you take off the name tag. Here are six.

"We honor your efforts to give voice to the voiceless, to shine light on the difficulties of our world and to bestow dignity on the human experience," Elder Christofferson said. "May God bless you and protect you as you go forward as ambassadors of freedom and human rights."

Craig Rydalch had entertained suicidal thoughts before, but never to the point of acting on them.

Because of a certain person who shall go nameless — let’s call him M. Romney or Mitt R. — the question of Mormon differences from historical Christianity has been very much in the air. Not too long ago, for instance, we published an article (part of a broader discussion on the topic) in which Warren Cole Smith explained why he, as an evangelical, could not vote for a Mormon. This became a very controversial piece, eliciting no fewer than three responses in the Washington Post. I have staked out the opposite position: as an evangelical, I’m very comfortable voting for a Mormon. But Warren and I agree on a more fundamentally theologically question: we both believe there are clear and important theological differences between Mormonism and historical Christianity. Those differences worry Warren when he assesses a presidential candidate, while I don’t believe those differences would lead a Mormon to make different policy decisions than a Christian.

It’s Tuesday night Bible study, which at this Crystal City Mormon chapel looks a bit like a mixer. Pews are filled with people in jeans and flip-flops, many texting. The night begins with a prayer before segueing quickly into an ice-breaker trivia game and a pizza social.

“Mormonism in Pictures” is a photo essay feature from MormonNewsroom.org depicting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members around the world.