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America's freedom fighters

It’s been more than a month since my last column. During that hiatus, some of my time was spent speaking to groups in Utah and Idaho. On Oct. 29 I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at the Pocatello Idaho Branch of the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet Honoring America’s Veterans. The theme of the event was “Fulfilling America’s Promise.” It was a very moving evening, especially the POW/MIA presentation, for all in attendance. I am a better person for having been there.

LDS church plans next steps for missionaries, members in Japan

Whether Mormon missionaries in the areas of Japan hardest hit by the earthquake and tsunami will be relocated or stay and become a humanitarian aid force is still a question. Either scenario is a possibility as the needs are assessed for both the local church population as well as the missionaries, most of whom are expatriate Americans. Missionaries were part of relief efforts in Haiti following the earthquake there 14 months ago and took on humanitarian aid roles following Hurricane Katrina in 2008 and the tsunami originating in the Indian Ocean in 2007.

Mitt Romney gives millions to charity, most to Mormon church

This article is part of a series in which HuffPost is taking a close look at the charitable giving of Republican presidential candidates. How much and to whom did they give? How does their giving compare with their fellow Americans? And what impact did their contributions ultimately have? WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney can afford to be charitable.

Wash. Post Humor: Mormon says he’ll miss ‘cult’ lifestyle

The BGEA legitimized a group that has been excoriated for decades as anathema to good ol’ American values. In a simple—and, perhaps precipitous—move, the BGEA has made Mormons like me normal. I confess that I’m going to miss the cult lifestyle. Staying up all night. Carousing with ne’er-do-wells. Terrorizing farm animals. Plotting to destroy the constitution. I remember, like it was yesterday, worshiping Stephen R. Covey for my 16th sixteenth birthday. Sigh. Once they’re gone, those days don’t come back.

Mitt Romney reflects 'Mormon culture' of moderation, expert says

Mitt Romney has called himself "severely conservative" but an expert on religion and politics said the Republican presidential front-runner, a Mormon, is a product of "Mormon culture," which contains "a real strain of moderation and pragmatism" on issues like same-sex relationships, abortion and immigration. David Campbell, co-author of "American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us" and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said at a policy briefing Thursday that "the moderation you see in Romney the candidate, and I suppose in Romney the governor of Massachusetts, I would say pretty nicely reflects what you see in the public opinion polls of the rank and file of the Mormon community."

CNN: LDS scholar dishes on 'Mormon' musical

Prof. Bushman, the character of Elder Price, an American Mormon missionary in modern-day Uganda, questions his faith, but regains it while performing the song, “I Believe.” He sings, “I believe that God has a plan for all of us. / I believe that plan involves me getting my own planet.” Is that lyric based in Mormon belief?

Latter-day Saint Life

Why I Think the 'Footprints in the Sand' Poem is Misleading

There is a famous American story about a vision in which a man sees his life in review, matched with two pairs of footprints on a beach—one belonging to himself, and the other to the Lord.[1] During the hardest times of his life, the man sees only a single set of footprints. When the man asks Christ why the second set of footprints is missing at the times of greatest trial, as if Christ had abandoned him when it mattered most, Christ explains, “It was then that I carried you.” I have heard this story countless times, and I acknowledge that it has been precious to some who struggle. But the core of this sentimental story is misleading.

Correlation is why LDS high priests and MIA maids learn basically the same stuff

Have you ever wondered why LDS church lessons seem to be recycled every few years? Or why the lesson manuals can be used in high priests group, elder’s quorum, Relief Society classes? Or why there isn’t much distinction between what is taught to the high priests or the MIA maids? It’s called correlation, and despite the opening of this blog, there’s actually as many positives to it than there are negatives. As author Matthew Bowman explains in his superb book, “The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith,” by the mid-1950s, the LDS Church was in real danger of becoming a global bureaucratic nightmare, and an expensive one.

Latter-day Saint Life

What a Mormon Bishop, a Jewish Rabbi & a Catholic Reverend Can Teach Us About Muslims Today

MR says: It's encouraging to see interfaith groups joining together to keep recent attacks and Islamic terrorism from causing more damage by creating hatred and fear.

Business Week: Why Mormon missions produce leaders

Many of the men who trained to be Mormon missionaries have gone on to become among the most distinguished persons in American business and civic life.