Search - LDS Living

Man on a mission: Australia newspaper features rugby star missionary

Perhaps if William Hopoate dressed in one of his old rugby league jerseys – and not a crisp, white, short-sleeved shirt, distinctive black name tag and tie – the man who responded with such unbridled hostility towards him after he offered a polite "hello" at the local shopping centre might have stopped to shake his hand and talk. Instead, the thick-set bruiser glared at the clean-cut teenager and cursed under his breath as he marched past with his chest puffed out. Moments later another local nodded timidly as Elder Hopoate, Mormon missionary, asked how his day was going; an Asian woman panicked and indicated via frantic hand signals that she couldn't speak English when Hopoate and his missionary companion, Elder Paia'aua, approached her.

Burning Question: Religion Is One Factor Driving Cremation Trend

Among the knickknacks on the shelves of Pamay Bassey's home office in Chicago is small black urn with a gold motif standing next to a Bible written in Ibibio, a Nigerian language.

Why we fear Mormons

Mockery of Mormonism comes easily for many Americans. Commentators have offered many reasons, but even they have found it difficult to turn their gaze from Mormon peculiarities. As a result, they have missed a critical function of American anti-Mormonism: the faith has been oddly reassuring to Americans. As a recent example, the Broadway hit “The Book of Mormon” lampoons the religion’s naïveté on racial issues, which is striking given that the most biting criticisms have focused on the show’s representations of Africans and blackness. As a Mormon and a scholar of religious history, I am unsurprised by the juxtaposition of Mormon mocking and racial insensitivity. Anti-Mormonism has long masked America’s contradictions and soothed American self-doubt.

Latter-day Saint Life

Pew Study Finds Mormons Are Becoming Less Republican (+ the Reasons Behind It)

By Katharine Lyon

In 2014, Mormons were the most Republican religious group in the United States. However, a recent Pew study comparing how voters identify based on their religion, race, and gender shows a political shift among LDS voters.

SOM Transcript - S6E39

From the Church

New Scripture Mastery Better Aligns with Basic Doctrines

According to the Seminary website, the basic doctrines of the gospel are:

Study: LDS women, men 'very close' in religious observance

The subject of the conference was "Women and the LDS Church." But the big news coming out of the conference had to do with LDS men. "From a sociological perspective, the priesthood system works," said Dr. David C. Campbell, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. "It appears to motivate Mormon men to a level of religiosity that is equivalent to Mormon women."

From the Church

Women to Join Key, Leading LDS Church Councils

The LDS Church has added women to three major committees, a historic development that gives women significant, permanent, official voices in church leadership.

39: “To Have the Heavens Opened” (Doctrine and Covenants 106–108)

Let’s play a game of guess who. Are you ready? This person was “a man of faith, who wrought righteousness; and when a child he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire.” Do you have any guesses so far? As we study Doctrine and Covenants 106–107, we’ll find out who this Old Testament prophet was and what his significant role was in the priesthood. Oh no! We just gave you two more clues. So grab your scriptures and let’s dig into this week’s lesson.

Famous Latter-day Saints

Was Yoda modeled after President Kimball? (and 3 true Star Wars connections to Latter-day Saints)

Any discussion of Latter-day Saint connections in Star Wars has to begin with the old legend that Yoda was modeled after Latter-day Saint prophet Spencer W. Kimball, who was passably similar in appearance and mannerism.