by Keith L. Brown | Dec 11, 2013 | Mormon World Report
The Republic of the Philippines suffered major devastation as a result of Typhoon Haiyan, known as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, which occurred in early November 2013.The powerful tropical cyclone ravaged many portions of Southeast Asia, with the Philippines being one of the hardest hit areas. The storm, recorded as one of the most deadly Philippine typhoons, claimed the lives of some 5,924 people, and not one missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as the “Mormon” Church by the media and others) was numbered among those who perished.
The Aftermath of the Storm
On 12 November 2013, 71 missionaries from the Tacloban mission arrived safely by bus in the capital city of Manila. There they were greeted by Elder Brent Nielsen, Philippines Area President, who had been expecting their arrival.
The missionaries had little more than the clothes on their backs as most of their belongings were washed away by the typhoon. They were given warm blankets, taken to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) cafeteria for a hot meal, given clothes that they could change into, and were able to notify their families of their safety via Skype and telephone calls. (more…)
by gloria | Nov 26, 2013 | About Mormons
One of the wonderful benefits of being part of a ward (congregation) in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon Church”) is that you have “family” even when your real family may be far away. Such was the case when I became a widow at the age of 27. My three children were 4 months, 2 years, and 4 years old.
Not long after my husband’s death, I determined to move to another city. While kneeling in prayer one morning, I had the distinct impression—like a voice in my head—which simply said, “Stay here.” I was startled by that admonishment, because it was not a choice that I wanted to consider. But, oh how many times in the ensuing years I reaped the blessings of listening to that prompting to stay!
My foremost desire for my children, as well as for myself, was to be involved with other families in the ward. We were a family unit and felt very much a part of the ward family as we attended all calendared events. At the time I had no desire to find my own fulfillment in activities for singles. I was puzzled at the attitude of a widow a bit older than I who one day said to me, “I’ve never been invited to any event.” I could have replied, “Nor have I. I just went.” It is a credit to my ward that I never perceived myself as an outsider. (more…)
by Keith L. Brown | Nov 15, 2013 | Famous Mormons
Todd Jay Christensen, an American football player who played in the National Football League from 1978 until 1988, was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, to Ned Jay and June Christensen on 3 August 1956. During his career as a professional football player, he spent most of his time playing tight end for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders. He became well known as “The Renaissance Man” because of his varied interests.
An Athletic Prowess
When Todd was born, his father was pursuing a doctorate degree at Pennsylvania State University. His father taught in West Virginia for a time, and when Todd was 5 years of age, the family relocated to Eugene, Oregon, where his father was offered a job as a professor.
Todd was athletically gifted from a very young age. By the age of 9 he had already set world records in track and field. He had originally hoped to continue excelling in track and field, but by the time he reached puberty and adolescence, he soon discovered that although his mind was set on one goal, his body had other ideas. “Puberty and adolescence helped me realize that I was not as fast as I had thought,” he recalled. “My body went a different direction and that was when I started leaning towards football.” [1]
He graduated from Sheldon High School in Eugene, Oregon, and later attended Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. While attending BYU, from 1974 to 1977, he was a starter at running back. In 1977, he led the team for three consecutive seasons as a receiver, and was an All-Western Athletic Conference selection. His career numbers at BYU are impressive: 152 receptions, 1,568 yards, and 15 touchdowns. He graduated from BYU in 1978 with a degree in social work and soon embarked on a professional career in football. (more…)
by Delisa Hargrove | Nov 4, 2013 | Mormon Single Adults
A driven and motivated teen, Audrey Denison of Las Vegas, Nevada won the Miss Nevada Teen title in 2010.
People often ask me why I do pageants. I do them because every interview I’ve been on since age 16 resulted in a job. Every single pageant I’ve competed in resulted in a lifelong friend that changed me for the better, and every time I’ve walked away more confident, determined, and ready to take on the future. … True character is being happy for whoever wins – sometimes it’s your year sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s time to move on and sometimes it’s time to kick it into high gear. 1
Audrey’s Search For A Church
After graduating from high school, Audrey attended George Mason University in Virginia. Raised by her Christian mother in the Baptist faith, Audrey sought to understand the role of religion in her life and to find a church to attend. She attended almost all available Christian churches in the area. One large congregation reminded Aubrey of her church at home, with thousands of attendees, where she could worship in relatively anonymity. Yet, she still felt unsettled spiritually. One day while online, Audrey visited mormon.org and requested a visit from missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently called the Mormon Church). She had attended The Church of Jesus Christ with a high school friend and decided to learn more about that church. (more…)
by paulah | Aug 31, 2013 | About Mormons
Like many people, I have a bucket list of places I’d like to visit before I die. I also have a list of places I like to visit now. Some places on my list are unique to me and my personality. I can connect at least eight of them to my heritage or my life as a Mormon woman. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently called the Mormon Church). These eight places are loved at least in part because the gospel of Jesus Christ has helped me learn to love them. Jesus often used the everyday, common objects and occurrences of life to teach his parables. My favorite eight places are listed (but not ranked) below.
Fabric Stores. Sewing is in my blood. My maternal great-grandmother, Karen, learned the dressmaking and men’s tailoring trades from her father when she was raised in Denmark. She taught her daughter Elsie (my grandmother) to sew. My grandmother, who was mother to nine daughters and four sons, made clothes for each of her children. My mother also learned to sew and taught me basic skills as I grew up. She required me to take a sewing class in high school. I loved to explore the stacks of fabric that she stored in one of her bedroom closets. She regularly let me pick fabric from her stash to make clothes for my dolls or myself. I also loved sifting through her large tin of buttons. (more…)
