by Keith L. Brown | Jan 18, 2014 | Mormon World Report
Following the death of Nelson Mandela, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as the “Mormon” Church by the media and others) released a statement expressing its condolences at the loss of a national and world leader.
Remembering the Legacy of Nelson Mandela
Former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela, passed away on Thursday, 5 December 2013 at the age of 95. Born on 18 July 1918 in Mvezo, Transkei, South Africa, he was the son of Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, a counselor to the royal house of the Thembu tribe, and Nosekeni Fanny Mandela. The name given him at birth was Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela. He was later given the name Nelson by a school teacher.
Throughout his life he was known as both “the world’s most famous political prisoner” and “South Africa’s Great Black Hope.” [1] In a CNN report following his death, Mandela was described as a “freedom fighter, prisoner, moral compass and South Africa’s symbol of the struggle against racial oppression.” [2] He was the first Black President of the Republic of South Africa having been elected on 29 April 1994, and serving until June 1999. (more…)
by Keith L. Brown | Jan 3, 2014 | About Mormons
Greg Whiteley, a director and editor, is known for such productions as Resolved (2007), New York Doll (2005), and the January 2014 scheduled Netflix release of Mitt. The January 2014 release is a documentary about the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, and follows his life up close and personal from Christmas 2006 to his initial run to become the Republican nominee in 2008, through his Presidential concession speech in 2012. Whiteley also has his own production company known as One Potato Productions.
Success as a Film Producer
Whiteley attended Brigham Young University (BYU) as an undergraduate. Following BYU, he earned a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
He has had great success with the first two films which he directed and produced. His 2005 production, New York Doll – the story of Arthur “Killer” Kane, a recovering alcoholic and recently converted Mormon of the rock band The New York Dolls – was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and Blender Magazine named it one of the best rock movies of all time. Whiteley knew Arthur Kane because they were both members of the same LDS Church congregation. (more…)
by Keith L. Brown | Dec 22, 2013 | About Mormons
Josh Groban is well known as an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. In December 2012, he shared a “Kid Snippets” video titled “Drivers Ed,” produced by the Roberts brothers of Utah, on Facebook, and commented, “This is my new favorite online laughy thing.” [1] A collaborative relationship between the two was soon begun.
From Home Videos to YouTube Sensation
Growing up, the Roberts brothers enjoyed making home videos. They would have never imagined that one day they would become a YouTube sensation going viral through a channel they created called Bored Shorts TV. They also never dreamed that someone like Josh Groban would watch one of their videos and agree to film some episodes with them. (more…)
by Keith L. Brown | Dec 13, 2013 | About Mormons
The official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as the “Mormon” Church” by the media and others) is LDS.org which is “part of a digital communications ecosystem made up of web, mobile, social, and media platforms.” [1] The amount of internet traffic that the site receives each month ranges upwards of 25 million visitors. Jeff Isom, director of LDS.org, commented, “It is believed to be the largest religious website in the world in terms of traffic, design, and content.” [1] With the ever increasing advances in technology, The Church of Jesus Christ is anxiously engaged in developing a website that is informative, educational, and user-friendly, in order for everyone to learn more about the gospel.
Blessing Heavenly Father’s Children with the Gospel
The LDS.org website was launched almost two decades ago, in 1996. Since its inception, the Church has developed, improved, and enhanced the capabilities of the main website, enabling Heavenly Father’s children to partake of the blessings of the gospel. The website is expected to expand even more as the work continues to move forward. One of the greatest challenges in working with a website of this capacity is having all of the various entities of the Church such as welfare, temple work, Church history, and the priesthood become more unified so that members can accomplish the work that they need to do. Since the Church has a lay clergy, every member is serving in some capacity. Resources are available to them on LDS.org. (more…)
by Keith L. Brown | Dec 13, 2013 | Mormon Beliefs: Christian Values
There are people who purport that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as the “Mormon” Church by the media and others) are not Christians. One of the main arguments that they use to substantiate their claim is that Latter-day Saints use another volume of scripture, the Book of Mormon, instead of the Holy Bible. In fact, Mormons use both the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon in their teaching, as well as for personal study, and revere both volumes as the Word of God. The 8th Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ states,
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
The National Bible Association Recognizes Mormons as Bible Believers
The National Bible Association, a New York based group, is a Judeo-Christian association which was established in 1940 to “encourage everyone to read the Bible … in every sector of society regardless of religious or political distinction.” [1] Some may question whether or not Mormons should be included in that group of Bible believers. To answer this question, Richard Glickstein, the group’s president, replied, “Do Mormons read the Bible? Then they are part of the tribe.” [1] In fact, the Association chose Salt Lake City, Utah, headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ, as the 2013 National Bible City. (more…)
