by Keith L. Brown | May 7, 2013 | About Mormons
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church by the media and others) has witnessed a growth rate of 45% in its membership in the United States over the past decade. This increase is due largely in part to the growing number of its Spanish-speaking converts.
According to an article by Jack Rodolico on the Fronteras website titled Mormon Missionaries without Papers, the number of Spanish –speaking members of The Church of Jesus Christ has doubled since the year 2000. Rodolico goes on to point out that many of those Latino members do not have the proper legal documentation for being in the United States, which in turn causes problems for the LDS Church, and especially for those Latino members desiring to serve full-time missions. (more…)
by megan | May 7, 2013 | Mormon Reflections
How to Pray
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as the “Mormon Church”), the doctrine of prayer is not new for me. Since I was born and raised in the Church, my parents taught me how to pray when I was very young. The steps they taught me were to:
- First, address God as Heavenly Father;
- Second, give thanks for His blessings;
- Third, ask for blessings or favors;
- Finally, close in the name of Jesus Christ.
They also taught me that prayers should be sincere, offered with real desire and belief that God was listening. We prayed all the time; as a family in the morning and again at night, blessings on the food, and invocations and benedictions for church meetings. However, it wasn’t until I was in college that I really started to have the meaningful conversations with Heavenly Father that personal prayers are supposed to be, and started to understand why we should pray. (more…)
by Terrie Lynn Bittner | May 7, 2013 | Mormonism Works
Rev Wesley H. Hartley of Perth, Australia is both the mayor of Busselton, Australia and a Reverend in a Christian church. Church leaders in Australia contacted him to ask for assistance in figuring out how Mormons (a nickname for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) could become a more accepted part of the Christian community in the area. They focused particularly on humanitarian and service needs common to most Christian faiths.
He admitted that it was unlikely the local churches would shed their prejudices and misinformation, but he did feel they could become a greater part of the local community, given their history of community service. The Mormons invited him to visit Salt Lake City, Utah, the international headquarters of the Mormons, to see first-hand how the church worked, particularly in the areas of humanitarian relief. Meridian Magazine has an article by this Reverend detailing his visit and his impressions.
Read: Missionary Moment: Australian Reverend Visits LDS Church, by Mark Albright
He said of this visit, “What took place in the following five days can be described as nothing short of remarkable, in terms of the experiences encountered, love shared, and people of deep commitment and faith opened their hearts, their homes and their lifestyle.”
Rev. Hartley was particularly impressed by his visit to Welfare Square. Welfare Square is the hub of the humanitarian work done by the church. Foods and commodities needed to care for those who are suffering are produced and packaged there. Kits and supplies made by Mormon volunteers are also collected there. These kits include hygiene kits for people facing natural disasters or living in refugee or war situations. (more…)
by liviw | May 1, 2013 | About Mormons
It’s probably something most people weren’t expecting. BYU TV is perhaps best known for broadcasting talks from leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (often inadvertently called the Mormon Church), as well as the General Conference of the Church.
It’s known for educational programming and well done mini series on historical topics, like the Bible. But in 2013 BYU TV brought out a new program that puts an entirely new spin on their programming.
Welcome to Granite Flats
‘Granite Flats’ is a new fictional series about a small town in the 60’s near a Colorado military base. Interesting characters begin to be presented immediately in the pilot. Teachers, mechanics, nurses, little kids and parents just to name a few.
The show starts with great mystery. Metal objects are seemingly falling from the sky in all different parts of town – in some cases wreaking havoc. No one seems to understand the connection between these objects right away. Viewers see these different instances mainly through the eyes of children and the town’s sheriff. (more…)
by Lisa M. | Apr 30, 2013 | About Mormons
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes inadvertently called the Mormon Church, has launched a new website that is designed specifically for those from the People’s Republic of China who have joined the Church while living in other countries, according to a Meridian Magazine article titled “New Website to Serve Chinese Nationals, Help Members Find Church in China.” Members of the Mormon Church believe in “obeying, honoring, and sustaining” the laws of the land in which they live, as the 12th Article of Faith states. The new website, Mormons and China.org, is set up to help members from China to do that.
“Many of these Chinese members remain where they have been working or studying, but many also return to China and do not know how to find the Church in their country and may not understand how they should comply with Chinese laws in relation to religious practice,” the article said.
“Over the years, the Church has built a strong relationship of trust with the People’s Republic of China by always respecting the important laws and traditions of that country,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who has long supervised the Church in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said in the article. “In order to observe Chinese traditions and directions on religious activities, the Church is blocking access to this website so it cannot be viewed in China.”
Dispelling Rumors and Answering Questions about the Church in China
“The Church hopes that making information public will help counter unsubstantiated rumors that circulate about the Church in China,” including whether Mormon missionaries are being sent there, according to the article. Elder Oaks said that the Church doesn’t send any proselytizing missionaries to the People’s Republic of China and doesn’t have any plans to do so, according to the article. The new site is also unrelated to the recent announcement lowering the eligibility age for full-time missionaries, according to the article. (more…)
