Michael Otterson, head of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, says that if you want to understand what makes members of his church tick, you have to go to church with them. Often called Mormons, members of his church are assigned to congregations known as wards. Assignment is based on a member’s home address.
Otterson says that journalists want to call and ask questions, but they really need to leave their desk and go to church on Sunday. They won’t be asked for money and won’t need to kneel or do anything at all but watch, really. (They might need to pass the sacrament (communion) trays to the person next to them, but that’s all.)
For Mormons, the ward is an important part of their church membership. Although Mormonism is a 24/7 religion and members pray, study, and keep the commandments at home and in their daily lives, there is something special in their connection to their ward, which becomes a second family. No matter where they move to or travel to, they can be certain of a warm welcome on Sunday morning in a church building. The same is true of people who are not Mormon. (more…)
Anita, an immigrant to the U.S., lives in New York and works as a journalist. This Mormon girl loves spending time with her mother, who is her best friend. The LDS Church teaches that family relationships are important and eternal. It is exciting to see women strengthen families and uplift the community around them. Anita had a challenging childhood, because she grew up without her father. Fortunately, she knows that Jesus Christ suffered for all of us in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. Peace is found by applying His atonement in our lives. It is wonderful to see people take advantage of the blessings He’s already paid for. [1]
Lori, a Mormon Flight Nurse, flies in a helicopter to respond and save lives. She knows that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and has faith in God’s plan of salvation. It is wonderful to see the faith of someone who often sees death and tragedy. Although Lori works full-time, this Mormon woman is focused on quality time with her children. It is important for families to spend time together and Lori’s family has “Family Nights.” Modern prophets have counseled families to hold weekly “Family Home Evenings” (usually comprised of a short lesson and/or activity). Researchers know that families that play together… stay together. Lori’s family enjoys “games, popcorn, fire in the fire pit…anything together” [1] even playing baseball by smashing apricots. (more…)
Near the small town of Palymra in upstate New York, there is an unusual gathering of Mormons each summer. Palmyra is the modern birthplace of the faith, whose actual name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormon is merely a nickname some people use to describe the people who belong to it.
Every summer, hundreds of Mormons decide to spend their family vacation participating in a unique pageant celebrating the Book of Mormon and the modern origins of the religion. 750 are in the cast and many more work behind the scenes. They participate as families, so many children are in the program as well. The challenge of organizing a group this large, even children, into a well-run pageant in just one week would baffle most Broadway producers, but the Mormons do it every year. Of course, many of the participants have done this before, but many more are new. Casting assignments are made the first day and rehearsals are quickly underway. The music and voices are already recorded, so the actors do not need to be able to sing. (more…)
In his article titled “Six Reasons Why Mormons Are Beating Baptists (In Church Growth) , dated 10 July 2012 which was posted on the patheos.com website, David French begins his article with the strong statement, “Our churches face a demographic crisis.” What he is speaking of is not so much a decline in actual church growth, but rather the losses that many Christian denominations are facing as numbers of their young people are beginning to leave their churches. In particular, French makes a stark comparison between the growth rate of youth in the Baptist Church and the growth rate of youth in the Mormon Church, noting that at a time when some youth are abandoning their church affiliations, the growth rate of youth membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as the Mormon Church) is consistently increasing.
In his opening comments he states:
Young people are leaving, even the Southern Baptist Convention is starting to lose members, and when you drill down deeper – comparing church attendance with population growth – the picture grows even more bleak. Simply put, when America’s fastest-growing religious segment is “nonreligious” we have a problem. [1]
After compiling the results of a number of national studies, the Barna Group (an Evangelical Christian polling firm based in Ventura, California), published a list of six reasons why young evangelicals leave the Church. The six reasons that were listed are: the church is overprotective, their experience of Christianity is shallow, churches seem antagonistic to science, the church’s approach to sexuality is judgmental and simplistic, they wrestle with the exclusivity of Christianity, and the church feels unfriendly to those who doubt. [1](more…)
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints love their country and cherish the freedoms that they have been proffered. They know that the soils upon which they dwell and traverse are part of a blest nation, a nation that was made by, and has been preserved by, the omnipotent hand of Almighty God.
Having endured their own battles for freedom in the early history of the Church, Latter-day Saints (or Mormons as they are often referred) know and understand all too well that freedom is not free. The freedoms that they, as well as their fellow Americans hold dear, are often wrought through the precious spilt blood of many comrades-in-arms who championed together for the cause of freedom and liberty. Some gave more, some gave less, but many gave the last full measure of their devotion, their lives, in defense of their country, in order that it would always be the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” (more…)
For Mormons, the ward is an important part of their church membership. Although Mormonism is a 24/7 religion and members pray, study, and keep the commandments at home and in their daily lives, there is something special in their connection to their ward, which becomes a second family. No matter where they move to or travel to, they can be certain of a warm welcome on Sunday morning in a church building. The same is true of people who are not Mormon. (more…)
After compiling the results of a number of national studies, the 
Having endured their own battles for freedom in the early history of the Church, Latter-day Saints (or Mormons as they are often referred) know and understand all too well that freedom is not free. The freedoms that they, as well as their fellow Americans hold dear, are often wrought through the precious spilt blood of many comrades-in-arms who championed together for the cause of freedom and liberty. Some gave more, some gave less, but many gave the last full measure of their devotion, their lives, in defense of their country, in order that it would always be the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”