by dwhite | Aug 19, 2013 | About Mormons
Looking for Clean Family Entertainment?
Are you one of the many people who struggle to find wholesome entertainment to enjoy with family members? I know my parents cancelled their cable subscription, because they got so tired of offensive commercials and programs. It can be especially difficult to find clean comedy. I am a sometimes fan of Saturday Night Live and the Big Bang Theory, but you never know when you’re going to be bombarded with something vulgar and offensive, though it’s a virtual guarantee at least one offensive tidbit will come across in any given episode.
Studio C Is Beginning Its Third Season
Trying to meet this problem and to come up with a solution, students at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, began a season on BYUtv called “Studio C,” originally named after the studio in which it was filmed. The idea for the show came from Divine Comedy, a comedy troupe at BYU. It was originally intended for only one season. It was kind of an experiment to see if there was even enough interest to keep something like it going.
Now Studio C is in its third season, which began filming July 19, 2013. Its diverse fan base continues to grow. It seems the clean comedy appeals to a much broader audience than just “Mormons” (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often inadvertently referred to as Mormons rather than Latter-day Saints). (more…)
by dwhite | Jul 10, 2013 | Mormon Beliefs: Christian Values
Christianity and China
The gospel of Jesus Christ is spreading, if very slowly, in China, and people are seeking information. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often inadvertently called the Mormon Church, has recently announced its plan to create a website for Chinese Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”). The laws governing different religions in China are very strict, and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ have always been, and continue to be, very careful to observe all of those laws.
It is currently illegal for Mormons to proselyte in the People’s Republic of China, but, according to officials of The Church of Jesus Christ, thousands of Chinese people have been baptized while they were in other countries. This is in no way illegal, but many of them have had a hard time living their religion when they return to China. In addition, there are many Chinese members of The Church of Jesus Christ who continue to live in countries other than China whose needs are not currently being sufficiently met.
New Mormon Website for Chinese Members
The Church of Jesus Christ is launching a new website, mormonsandchina.org, to reach out to Chinese members. According to the official news release from the Church… (more…)
by dwhite | Feb 26, 2013 | Meet Some Mormons
Justin Wayne Lewis has been a musician practically since birth. Born to musician parents and raised with a love of music, Justin is a talented cellist with a passion for conducting. He has a Bachelor’s from Temple University and a Master of Music in Cello Performance from Pennsylvania State University; he completed teaching certificates for both Pennsylvania and Virginia, returned to Pennsylvania State University for a Master of Music in Conducting and is about to complete his Doctor of Musical Arts from the Catholic University of America.
He loved teaching 6th- and 7th-grade choirs, but he was accepted two years ago into the U.S. Air Force to be a conductor. It was during basic training in the summer of 2012 that he learned he had been chosen as the winner of a contest to conduct the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He had seen the contest online and he sent in a video of himself conducting the Choir’s recording of “Ode to Joy.” His wife, Jenny, compiled the video.
Justin was given the opportunity to conduct the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Sunday, February 17, 2013, after their weekly broadcast from the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
Justin and Jenny are both talented, hard-working musicians. They recognize their talents are a gift from God and should be used to bless others’ lives. They are raising a family and make that their true focus. Enhancing and using their musical talents brings them joy and allows them to share these things with others as well. (more…)
by dwhite | Jan 31, 2013 | Mormon Beliefs: Christian Values
In society today there is an indelible line between the spiritual and the scientific, but this was not always so. Though many scientists today may say that in the past, it was only ignorance that bound science and religion together, there are some people involved in both who see no conflicting teachings. Critics of religion often argue that since there is no physical evidence for God, then He must not exist. This argument is flawed because it is assuming that the only evidence for a Supreme Being must be measurable and quantifiable through our five senses. Those who have had meaningful spiritual experiences, though, know with a certainty that modern science scoffs at that there is a God. How can they know? Through another sense just as valid as the five we usually discuss, but one which is personal and spiritual.
Spiritual experiences touch a person’s heart and soul in a very real, very personal way. It is hard to find words to describe these experiences because they are, quite literally, not of this world. This does not mean that any spiritual experience involves visions of angels or divine manifestations; it simply means that the wisdom of men falls far below the wisdom of God. He does not express Himself in the same way we do to each other. (more…)
by dwhite | Jan 29, 2013 | Mormon Beliefs: Christian Values
There has been a good deal of discussion lately, even in scientific forums, about what makes Mormons (more accurately, Latter-day Saints—members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) stand out physically from other people. Some people are quite skeptical that this difference exists at all, but in the November/December 2012 issue of Psychology Today, the cover story (“What’s in a Face?” by Jena Pincott) referenced this issue. The story’s abstract said, “From spotting the ‘Mormon Glow’ to intuiting sexuality, criminality, and leadership ability, we make snap judgments about people that are remarkably accurate. It’s one of the brain’s oldest tricks –a matter of self-protection.”
Nicholas Rule, assistant professor at the University of Toronto, decided to put his experience in the study of judgments people make based on appearances to the test on this issue and was surprised when he found that Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) could pick out other Latter-day Saints from headshots more often than chance would allow. How could these people spot the “Mormon glow”? (more…)
