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Western wildfires devastate; Church members unharmed

A deadly combination of intense summer heat and dry terrain has resulted in a massive outbreak of wildfires throughout the American West threatening land, homes and lives of people in the endangered areas. According to firewhat.com, each state in the Western region, with the exception of Washington and Oregon, is suffering from at least one wildfire, some with as many as nine fires burning within state boundaries.

Would America elect a Mormon?

For most of American history, voters wanted their president to be white, Protestant and male. But such prejudices have eroded — dramatically, in some cases. The last Democratic presidential primary contest was between an African-American and a woman — two groups that many voters once ruled out for the presidency. While a sizable share of voters still would refuse to support any gay or atheist candidate for president, those numbers also have dropped significantly, according to the most recent Gallup poll on the subject. But in a trend that may prove troubling to Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, nearly one-fifth of voters surveyed nationwide told Gallup last year that they would not support a Mormon for president — about the same as when Romney's father, George, ran for president more than four decades ago.

Romney faces ‘stained glass ceiling’ with voters, study says

Americans who have only passing contact with Mormons are more likely to react to negative information about Mitt Romney and his faith and less inclined to buy into the counter, pro-Mormon argument, according to a new study. The research, by three political science professors, including one at Brigham Young University, contends that voters who know Mormons well (such as having a family member or close friend who is in the faith) tend to dismiss outside arguments about the religion, while those who have had no contact with Mormons were the "most persuadable" either for or against Romney and the Salt Lake City-based religion.

Summer Travel Series: Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Tucked into a corner of Old Town San Diego is a place where people of all ages can step back in time and discover some unsung heroes. At the Mormon Battalion Historic Site, visitors learn about the only religion-specific military unit in American historyand what motivated their 19th-century trek from Iowa to California. The recently remodeled site offers a fun, interactive experience for the whole family.

Religion in public schools: America is religious, but also illiterate of religion

America is famously religious, but also famously illiterate of religion. Only about half of Americans know, for example, that the Quran is the holy book of Islam or that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist. So why is Modesto School District the only one in the nation requiring students to take a world religions course? Part of the problem is widespread misunderstanding regarding U.S. law. According to a 2010 Pew Forum survey, nearly two-thirds of Americans erroneously believe that the Constitution forbids public schools from offering a course on religion.

BYU Professor makes controversial statements about Blacks & LDS Church

Comments made by a BYU Theology professor opening up old wounds about the LDS church’s policy on African Americans and priesthood. It was June 9th, 1978 when LDS President Spencer Kimball announced the church was opening its priesthood ranks to all worthy men. Some 30 years later the question why the church denied African Americans priesthood once again taking center stage because a Mormon is running for President.

Pro-Kremlin youth group protests Mormon missionaries in Russia

The youth wing of the ruling United Russia party's held a protest on Thursday calling for a ban on Mormon missionaries in Russia, charging that they were potential American spies. "This is an American sect," said Ekaterina Stenyakina, co-chair of Young Guard's coordinating committee, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. "They are funded by the United States of America, and it's been proven that many young Mormons return to the U.S. to work for the CIA and FBI."

From the Church

First Presidency congratulates president on election win

The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement Tuesday: We congratulate President Obama on winning a second term as President of the United States.

Do Mormons really want recognition as a 'mainstream' religion?

To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who view Mitt Romney's successful campaign for the Republican presidential nomination as a significant step toward acceptance of the church as a mainstream American religion, respected Harvard professor Noah Feldman has these words of caution: "Be careful what you wish for." In early 2008, Feldman, a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard, wrote a long essay in the New York Times titled "What Is it About Mormonism?" in which he speculated that "the soft bigotry of cultural discomfort may stand in the way of a candidate whose faith examplifies values of charity, self-discipline and community that we as Americans claim to hold dear."

Gallup chief: God is alive and well in America

Despite a deep drop in the number of Americans who identify with a particular faith, the country could be on the cusp of a religious renaissance, says Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of The Gallup Poll. Grounded in more than a million Gallup interviews, Newport’s new book, “God is Alive and Well,” argues that the aging of the baby boomers, the influx of Hispanic immigrants and the links between religion and health could portend a bright future for faith in America.