With The Book of Mormon play on Broadway and now a Mormon presidential candidate, the media has described this point in time in terms of attention and interest as the “Mormon Moment.” For those of us who are Mormons, customarily encountering misperceptions and misunderstanding, this is an unprecedented opportunity to clarify who we are. First, a little background. I am reaching a stage in my life where I have been a Mormon longer than not. I grew up with a Catholic father, Protestant mother, and attended a college with a predominantly Jewish student body. I respect all who strive to know God, consistent with our 11th Article of Faith: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege.” Sadly, religious tolerance did not greet Mormons during the early years as they fled from the East to the Midwest and finally settled in what was then Indian Territory but is now Utah, to escape mob violence and persecution.

Last summer, Jared Dangerfield was simply 19, skateboarding the streets of suburban Salt Lake City, plugged into the Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu. He had just wrapped up his year at Utah State University, where there was a girl he liked to make laugh.Memories of college and family are kept in a photo album his sister gave him when they said goodbye, but it is rarely looked at.

Life is rarely easy. And usually, right when we feel we finally have reached a point of comfort, we have to move onto the next, unfamiliar stage of life. However, even if life can be unpredictable, we know there is also a promised joy that comes with living life the best we can.

Manual 1; Excerpt from "The Power of Covenants," by D. Todd Christofferson

In a recent interview withRolling Stone, LDS frontman for the Killers, Brandon Flowers, talked about the way Mormonism is often misrepresented.

The following are the feelings, observations and convictions of Elizabeth Njeri Kang’ethe, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a journalist. She describes how her life has improved after her coming in contact with the Church. My name is Elizabeth Njeri Kang’ethe. I hail from Central Province in Kenya, raised up in a family of ten (seven girls and three boys). My goodly parents of devoted Catholic faith taught me at an early age Christian values by word, deed and love for mankind. My primary and secondary school life was quite eventful; I loved being taught by my teachers, some of whom were my neighbors and good friends to my parents.

In a landmark address today to the Chapman University School of Law, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints affirmed the importance of the free exercise of religion and called for people to work together to protect this First Amendment right. “It is imperative that those of us who believe in God and in the reality of right and wrong unite more effectively to protect our religious freedom to preach and practice our faith in God,” he said. Elder Oaks outlined the positive impact religion has had on society.

Though some sections of the Bible can be difficult for us to make sense of in our modern age, there's still much they can teach us.

Manual 1; Excerpt from "The Power of Covenants," by D. Todd Christofferson

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