An American Idol...in the Mormon Missionary Training Center - The Salt Lake Tribune

On March 31st, social media was abuzz about former American Idol finalist David Archuleta's appearance in General Conference singing with a over 300 other LDS missionaries (David appears at 4:43).

In Saturday's Salt Lake Tribune, there was a fun article to read about "Elder Archuleta" and his life in the Missionary Training Center (the MTC). Since Elder Archuleta is trying to remain low key, the article is based on the letters home from missionaries who are in the MTC who have seen him or had experiences with him.

David Archuleta at Mormon Missionary Training — as seen by fellow elders and sisters

Church service » Details about singer leak out from blog posts: “He is way cool.”

By David Burger

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Apr 13 2012 10:01 pm • Last Updated Apr 14 2012 12:19 pm

Murray native and "American Idol" finalist David Archuleta began his journey to become a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by entering the Missionary Training Center in late March.

It was thought that once he went inside the doors of the secretive Provo institution, the 21-year-old would be out of the public eye for about two years, spending about 10 weeks at the MTC and then the rest of his time in his assigned mission, reportedly in Chile.

But this is an age where social media breaks down ramparts and bulwarks, no matter how much Elder Archuleta desires his pious privacy. As a consequence, the public and his fans have been able to read about his experiences through blog posts written by fellow elders and sisters at MTC.

"I’ve been officially star struck," wrote Sister Emily Lewis. "I just drooled over him when he was on ‘American Idol.’ 

To read the rest of the article, check it out on the Salt Lake Tribune.

What Does a Mormon Bishop Do? - South Coast Today

New Bedford, Massachusetts' South Coast Today published an interesting article looking into the family life and work of a Mormon Bishop. These men are not paid and do not apply for the position.

Rochester resident is Mormon bishop, father of nine

ROCHESTER — A remarkable couple, Sean and Brenda Spearin are the parents of nine children ranging in age from 18 to 11 weeks.

Employed as a regional corporate manager, Sean has his hands full, balancing his work life with the demands of fatherhood; but he also happens to be a bishop.

"They are good people who teach by example," said Elder Max Staples, a senior Mormon missionary on assignment with his wife, Gaye, in the Greater New Bedford area. "You look in their eyes and see the light of Christ."

Sean serves as bishop of the SouthCoast Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Born and raised in Norwell, Sean grew up as a Catholic. He converted to Mormonism 15 years ago and was baptized on Father's Day.

For the rest of the article, click here.

Colbert Getting Reports From a Mormon - Salt Lake Tribune

Turns out Stephen Colbert's Super PAC is advised by a University of Utah graduate.

Utahn part of Stephen Colbert’s Super PAC team

By Matt Canham

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Apr 12 2012 12:24 pm • Last Updated Apr 12 2012 11:40 pm

Washington • On air, Stephen Colbert has two advisers for his super PAC. One is Trevor Potter, a prominent campaign finance attorney, and the other is a canned ham with glasses.

But off camera, Matt Sanderson, a spiky-haired Orem native just a few years out of law school, is helping Colbert navigate the quirky laws that have led to a deluge of unfiltered money in politics.

"The Colbert Report" last week won a Peabody Award, one of the top prizes for electronic media, for its satirical look at super political action committees, and the show’s long-running spoof is far from over. Colbert has just sold 1,000 "super fun packs" to college students, helping them create similar entities at universities across the nation, and he’s likely to produce political ads through his super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, throughout this election year.

Read the entire article at the Salt Lake Tribune

Study Abroad, Mormon Style

The New York Times wrote a pretty good article about what Mormon missionaries' lives are like.

The Huffington Post called it "Study Abroad, Mormon Style." Good title. It is a pretty extensive lesson in life. My wife did an official study abroad through BYU. To Jerusalem.

At Age 19, From Utah to Uganda

By JOSH KRON

Published: April 13, 2012

LAST summer, Jared Dangerfield was simply 19, skateboarding the streets of suburban Salt Lake City, plugged into the Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu. He had just wrapped up his year at Utah State University, where there was a girl he liked to make laugh.

Memories of college and family are kept in a photo album his sister gave him when they said goodbye, but it is rarely looked at.

“Little time to remember home,” he says. “We kind of have to stay away from the world.” Gone are his friends. Gone is his given name. The next time he will see his mother’s face is 2013. Until then, he is Elder Dangerfield, as it says on his name tag.

Each day he rises with the African sun to say his prayers before venturing into the urban wilderness of Kampala, Uganda, a churning kaleidoscope of motorcycles, street urchins, vegetable carts and pterodactyl-like storks that circle office towers and lampposts. They orbit above him as he makes his way up and down the muddy hills of the capital city, careful to keep his black pants and white shirt clean, scanning faces in search of those who will listen to him speak of his faith. His Mormon faith.

To read the entire article, check out the New York Times.

Mormon for President? Two Groups, Two Views - Washington Post and Reno Gazette-Journal

Apparently Mitt Romney's LDS faith is a good thing in Nevada according to the Reno-Gazette Journal.

Romney's LDS faith a strength in Nevada

Written by Ray Hagar

Las Vegas political consultant Sig Rogich is fond of saying that "Nevada is Romney's to lose"...Rogich has faith in Romney in part because he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But it is not such a good thing for Millenials (those age 18 - 29) as reported by the Washington Post.

Romney’s Mormonism a tough sell for Millenials

By Robert P. Jones

A new survey...reveals that if Romney becomes the Republican nominee for president, he will be confronted by another, perhaps even more challenging, “M” problem: A majority of Millennial voters (ages 18-29) report being uncomfortable with the idea of a Mormon president.

The Growth of Mormonism in Latin America - Fox News

By the times I was born in the mid 1970's, the Church has built all of 17 temples throughout the entire world since its inception in 1830. Since then, they have built over 20 in Latin America alone.

With Spanish as the second largest language spoken by members of the Church, Fox News looks at the growth of the Church in Central and South America.

The Growth of Mormonism in Latin America

Written By Angela Santos

Published November 13, 2011

Fox News Latino

Growing up in Colombia, Margarita García always considered herself a woman of faith. But no matter how many religions she explored, she couldn’t find the right one.

It wasn't until she got baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — also known as the Mormon Church or the LDS Church — that, she says, she found a perfect fit.

It all started when a pair of clean-cut young men wearing suits and ties showed up on her doorstep. She was unsure about their message but started asking questions.

For the complete article, go here.

The Potential Mormon Breakthrough - New York Times

The New York Times posted an Op-Ed yesterday about the Mormon Church from the 19th Century. He sets up Mitt Romney as the likely Obama opponent, then puts Romney deep within Salt Lake, then bashes the Church.

The author uses words like "corporate greed" to describe the Church's leadership.

A rather unfortunate article.

Will This Election Be the Mormon Breakthrough?

THIS fall, we behold omens that will darken a year hence in the final phase of President Obama’s campaign for a second term. His likely opponent, the Mormon Mitt Romney, will be a pioneer figure whatever the outcome, since no previous member of that very American church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has ever secured a major-party nomination. Even should Mr. Obama triumph, a crucial precedent will have been established.

For the entire article, please go here.

Obama's Plans for Romney & Are Mormons Weird? - Colbert Report

The Comedy Channel's Stephen Colbert did a five minute segment on the Mormons. See what he thinks about Mitt Romney's hair, President Obama's plans for countering Mitt Romney, and the I'm a Mormon ad.

The real question posed here is....Does the tiger make you want to be a Catholic?

Great video. Click here or on the picture below to view the five minute video. You may have to watch a 30 second commercial before it.

Yaweh or No Way: Mormons & God's Poll Numbers

The Colbert Report

Excerpt (s.7 : ep.105)

August 10, 2011

Want to Become a CEO? Serve a Mormon Mission - Business Insider

Business Insider is adding their own insight as to why they believe Mormon missions prep 19-year-old young men for the business and political world.

The REAL REASON So Many Mormons Become Executives And Political Leaders

Aimee Groth | Jul. 22, 2011, 9:01 AM

Every 19-year-old in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) goes through what one might call executive training camp.

It's an extremely rigorous two-year program: 10-hour days, no TV, no dating, constant rejection. At the same time many American teenagers are relishing their first taste of freedom as college freshmen, these Mormons are entering into the most disciplined period of their lives.

For the rest of the story, go here. It even has a little spot on "What the missionaries go through."

Image courtesy windy_sydney on Flickr.

A New Site to See Coming to Paris - ABC4 in Salt Lake City

The next time you are in Paris, enjoy the cuisine, the art, the architecture, and this new upcoming addition to be build on the city's outskirts.

(Note, this photo is of the temple in Draper, Utah)

Mormon Church announces plans to build temple near Paris

Written by: Dan Metcalf Jr.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to build a temple near Paris, France in the near future.

In a statement released on Friday, church spokesman Scot Trotter said,

"President Thomas S. Monson said today that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hopes to build its first temple in France on property on the outskirts of Paris"

For a full text of the story, go here.

The Original Mormon Broadway in New York - The New York Times

The New York Times reviews the Hill Cumorah Pageant, a large scale musical production put on by the church since The New York Times reviews the Hill Cumorah Pageant, a large scale musical production put on by the church for almost 80 years.

Did you see the production? Have you been in the production? Leave a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.

A Mormon Spectacle, Way Off Broadway

Guy Solimano for The New York Times

By PETER APPLEBOME

Published: July 13, 2011

MANCHESTER, N.Y. — With its cast of 700, 1,300 costumes, 10-level stage and thrill-a-minute special effects of earthquakes, floods, fireballs, airborne deities and burnings at the stake, the annual Hill Cumorah Pageant, one could argue, has more in common with the spectacle of “Spider-Man” than with the merry snark of “The Book of Mormon.”

But then the pageant — staged here since 1937, on the very hill where, it is said, an angel named Moroni directed Joseph Smith to uncover golden plates 188 years ago — really is the Book of Mormon, a Cecil B. DeMille-style presentation of the holy book rather than the cheerfully profane Broadway version.

For the complete article, go here

How does The Bachelorette, Stephanie Myers, and the Presidential Campaign Make Mormons Look? - The Miami Herald

Mormons having a ‘moment,’ but is the buzz good or bad?

BY MICHELLE BEARDEN

TAMPA TRIBUNE

Mark Brenchley takes his Mormon faith seriously.

Others, apparently, do not.

Brenchley admits he gets “a little steamed inside” when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is heckled, parodied, maligned and ridiculed in the national media. And that’s been happening a lot lately.

On the other hand, all this attention could turn into a good thing.

“I’m choosing to look at as a teachable moment,” says Brenchley, a municipal site-plan examiner and Tampa church leader. “If it makes people more curious about us and they start asking questions, we can tell them the truth about our religion.”

Without question, the LDS church is the religious denomination du jour. From Broadway’s The Book of Mormon to players in the race for president to Bentley the caddish heartbreaker on the TV reality series The Bachelorette, Mormons are making news. A few weeks ago, Newsweek magazine put a digital image of a dancing Mitt Romney on the cover for a story on “The Mormon Moment: How the Outsider Faith Creates Winners.”

To read the complete article, go here

The Challenge of Stereotypes - ABC News (Video)

It is not so much the Mormon faith that presents a challenge for Huntsman and Romney, as it is the (mostly incorrect) stereotypes surrounding that faith.

Mormon Mission: Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman Challenged by Stereotypes

By LAUREN VANCE

June 25, 2011

Mitt Romney, considered the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, and Jon Huntsman, the GOP candidate who may just be the one the White House fears most, share something that makes them different from anyone ever elected president: They are Mormons.

For the full story, go here

For the real stereotype I would hope we would come to be known for, watch below

Huntsman v Romney - Marketwatch

MarketWatch Blogs

Political Watch

June 21, 2011, 12:20 PM ET

Sizing up Huntsman, Romney, Mormons for president

Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are both Mormons who went to college in Utah and share similar views on taxes and regulation. Both try to appeal to moderates as well as conservatives and they have occasionally broken ranks with Republicans on issues such as global warming and health care. Both of their fathers served briefly in the Nixon administration and they are even distant cousins.

Yet the two presidential contenders for the 2012 Republican nomination also have plenty of differences.

The more soft-spoken Huntsman, who announced his candidacy on Tuesday, is not....

For the full article, go here.

Teen Puts AU$1.5 million on Hold for a Mission - Sydney Morning Herald

And you thought the choice between a car and/or a girlfriend and a mission was tough....

Battle of Will: clubs all want a piece of Hoppa, says agent

Wanted ... William Hopoate has become hot property with a number of clubs vying for his attention. Photo: Getty Images

Daniel Lane

June 22, 2011

WILLIAM HOPOATE might be spending two years out of the NRL on a Mormon mission, but that has not stopped several clubs trying to sign him for the 2014 season.

It had been assumed that if Hopoate decided to resume his post-missionary football career it would be with his club, Manly. However, his manager, Tyran Smith, has revealed there has been "a lot of interest" from several clubs, although he has declined to name which clubs have made approaches.

It is understood the 19-year-old Hopoate will announce where his long-term football future lies before the end of the season. "I'm going through contract negotiations now," said Smith, a former New Zealand international. "But, we aren't rushing things. There's been no need to rush things.''

To read the full article, go here.

Flash....Mormon! Choir Surprises Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg

If you have never been to Colonial Williamsburg, this would have been the day to have gone.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir surprises visitors

Members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir laugh with eachother after their surprise flashmob appearance. Scott (foreground), was one of the first men to start the song off. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir made a surprise appearance during Colonial Williamsburg's 'Revolutionary City' adventure program. (Alyssa Ki, Daily Press / June 21, 2011)

By Cara R. Anthony, cranthony@dailypress|247-7429

8:53 p.m. EDT, June 21, 2011

WILLIAMSBURG — Sightseers' jaws dropped in Colonial Williamsburg when the 360-member Mormon Tabernacle Choir broke out into flash mob-like performance Tuesday.

Just after noon, harmonized voices suddenly erupted from a large crowd that gathered to watch a historical presentation about the American Revolution.

For the full article, go here.

Click below for a video of the performance. Music starts at 3:27

A New Type of Mormon Ad - Boston Globe

The Boston Globe discusses the ad campaign going up in New York City.

Mormons’ image campaign

Ads coincide with church’s greater visibility in 2012 race

A Times Square billboard in New York is part of a Mormon ad campaign to counter negative attitudes toward the faith. (Peter Foley for The Boston Globe)

By Lisa Wangsness

Globe Staff / June 20, 2011

SALT LAKE CITY — In the fall of 2008, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened focus groups across the country as part of a major market-research study to learn more about anti-Mormon sentiment in America.

The researchers found that the most common negative associations with Mormonism included being “pushy,’’ “cultish,’’ “secretive,’’ “controlling,’’ “sexist,’’ “antigay,’’ and “polygamist.’’ There was scant interest among those surveyed in learning more about Mormon doctrine, but they did display curiosity about Mormons as people.

“I’ll never forget this one woman,’’ said Stephen B. Allen, managing director of the church’s missionary program. When participants were asked how they would feel about doing community service with Mormons, “She said’’ — Allen adopted a stage whisper — “if you are serving alongside them, you can ask them the questions you always wanted to ask.’’

To read the rest of the article, go here.

To see my wife's "I'm A Mormon" bio, go here.

The "Real" Reason Romney and Huntsman Will Struggle - Foreign Policy

I am usually a fan of Foreign Policy magazine...its articles generally get me thinking.

This article, however, was a little harder to understand. She talks about Mormons, and she talks about Romney and Huntsman. But I had to read it a few times to get what she was trying to say with the following tagline:

Mormonism will affect the foreign policies of Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman -- just not in the way you might expect

Her basic thesis (I think) is that Romney and Huntsman's Mormon upbringing make them pragmatists and patriots. She does so while distancing the current candidates from Joseph Smith (whom she paints in a pretty negative light).

That "pragmatic" and "patriotic" thesis is not so bad....I think.

In the end, she states that Romney's and Huntsman's (Mormon-bred) pragmatism will be their downfall as (she believes) voters tend to want more polarized figures.

While her statements on Joseph Smith illustrate she tends to listen closer to those antagonistic about him, her opinions on Romney and Huntsman are that, while highly qualified and have good intentions, they will have a harder time getting to the White House for reasons most scholars are overlooking.

So here is the article.

The Missionary Position

Mormonism will affect the foreign policies of Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman -- just not in the way you might expect.

BY MOLLY WORTHEN | JUNE 13, 2011

When Joseph Smith, the religious genius and sometime-treasure hunter who founded the Mormon faith, announced in 1844 that he was running for president of the United States, international affairs were not his top priority. In a pamphlet outlining his campaign platform, Smith quoted James Madison's inaugural address declaring that he would "cherish peace and friendly intercourse with all nations." But he never got the chance to elaborate on his foreign policy: Later that year, while Smith was in jail awaiting trial on charges that he had ordered the destruction of an anti-Mormon newspaper, a mob of armed men stormed his cell and fatally shot him as he jumped out of the window.

To read the full article, go here.

Mormons are becoming a ‘true part of the American culture’ - Anniston Star

A little ditty about the Mormon faith written by a newspaper in Alabama.

You'd think that one story covering everything from the church's founding to TLC's "Sister Wives" to Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman to the Tony award winning The Book of Mormon would be biting off more than one journalist (or their readers) could chew.

But it is a great overview of the Church.

This

is as American as

This?

And This?

Using as sources, a local Bishop (and converted Mormon), a fellow journalist (also Mormon), the "foremost non-Mormon scholar of the Latter Day Saint movement" (so says Wikipedia about Jan Shipps), and a University of Richmond professor (and Mormon), the author gets a pretty good understanding of how many Mormons feel about themselves and how many of them view themselves in history.

Mormons rising: Mormons are becoming a ‘true part of the American culture’

by Brett Buckner

Special to The Star

Sid Kooyman has never felt like a stranger in a strange land.

Since moving to Jacksonville in 1986 to teach ROTC at Jacksonville State University, the career soldier assimilated himself within this close-knit college community by doing the things that virtually everyone else does, including regularly attending church. But it is where Kooyman worships that occasionally raises the eyebrows of his faithful peers.

To read the rest of the story, go here.

Anti-Mormonism: The "Thinking Man’s Prejudice" - Washington Post

Did the Washington Post really print an op-ed that called Mormons "subhuman freak(s)?"

Obviously written tongue in cheek, but there is nothing funny about saying she had to "sanitize" her surfaces after having sat next to somone she thought was one on a bus.

It really was written intended as a bit of humor. She equates being "self-proclaimed enlightened and tolerant" with being a liberal Democrat.

To read the entire opinion piece, go here.

ps - Ms. Petri, BYU offers a number of courses studying the Book of Revelation. You can study it as an undergrad, as a graduate, you can study it online, you can study it in Jerusalem. Every four years Mormons study it as part of their Sunday School courses.

And every four years, Mormon high school students the nation (and the world) over are up in a classroom studying it while other high school students are still in bed.

A group of Mormon high school students finishing "early morning seminary" (scripture study in a classroom)...at 6:45 am

What many high school students look like at 6:45 am.

pps - And did you know that John the Beloved actually penned the Gospel of John after he wrote the Book of Revelation?

ppps - The leadership of the Mormon church (between the President, his two counselors, and the 12 Apostles) have amongst them numerous degrees from Ivy League Schools (four graduate degrees)...and other prominent universities such as the University of Chicago and Duke (law school at each) and George Washington University. I would say that is pretty enlightened.