http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/lds/ en-us Mon, 6 Jul 2009 16:35:49 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2286568/posts Ellis T. Rasmussen, professor emeritus of Religious Education at Brigham Young University. The best support for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon is the testimony of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Lord has exhorted us to seek that kind of witness not only of the entire Book of Mormon, but also of its parts. When Moroni, the last author in the Book of Mormon, gave the promise of spiritual confirmation, he spoke especially of particulars:“When ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ,... Ensign Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2286568/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 16:35:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2286485/posts It was forty years ago, on Wednesday, August 16, 1967, that the discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon occurred. As I have looked back over the intervening four decades, I have enjoyed seeing how far this idea has come and how many people have contributed to its development. To document the events of 1967, I have gone back through my missionary letters, notes, and records, and I have reminisced with my missionary companions to relive that extraordinary experience. I still remember it vividly. I am grateful for each opportunity to share the story of that discovery.To set the... Maxwell Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2286485/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 14:37:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2286140/posts I grew up in the era of headlong evangelism by the LDS church. We were out to convert the world. Back then, it was "every young man on a mission" and "every member a missionary." The church didn't just leave it to our imagination how to accomplish this. Full-time missionaries were expected to memorize verbatim an entire series of official gospel "discussions." Regular members were exhorted to ask acquaintances, complete strangers, or anyone who held still for five seconds, "What do you know about the Mormon Church, and would you like to know more?" I did the first one on... The Salt Lake Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2286140/posts#comment Sun, 5 Jul 2009 22:22:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285871/posts The talk on Death and Resurrection: Gifts from a Loving Heavenly Father can be heard or watched BYU Education Week http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285871/posts#comment Sun, 5 Jul 2009 12:53:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285528/posts If Mormons’ “HBO moment” was not bad enough, it seems that Hollywood, Broadway and the publishing world aren't likely to give up on portrayals of Latter-day Saints on screen, on stage and in books any time soon. Such Mormon portrayals, often stereotypical, have been showing up since the 1800s. For example, When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced detective Sherlock Holmes in the story, “A Study in Scarlet.” It was set against the backdrop of anti-Mormon inaccuracies about Latter-day Saints and their beliefs popular in England at the time. On a later visit to Utah he apologized for the inaccuracies. Here... The Mormon Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285528/posts#comment Sat, 4 Jul 2009 17:43:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285492/posts Is There No Help For The Widow's Son? By Dr. Reed C. Durham, Jr.There are two concepts I need at this point to reiterate. Firstly, I said that Joseph Smith had no qualms about using Masonry. This letter, I think, is evidence of that. One historian has described this use of Masonry as the "grabbing on" principle employed by Joseph Smith. This was explained to me that whatever was in his surroundings, being preached, professed, or practiced, he sometimes borrowed it and incorporated it into his ideological theology and system.The second concept I wish to reiterate is that the... mormonism.net http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285492/posts#comment Sat, 4 Jul 2009 16:58:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285489/posts Is There No Help For The Widow's Son? By Dr. Reed C. Durham, Jr.Someone has said that a historical convention like this - all of these papers that we have heard - are like a pair of steer horns, with a point here and a point there and a lot of bull in between; and in my case, a lot of "Bull Durham."One thing we won't have to put up with though is the wind blowing - just hot air. And I know the disadvantage that we are placed in, with the dimness of the room, the delightful meal... mormonism.net http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285489/posts#comment Sat, 4 Jul 2009 16:57:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285429/posts Mughsayl: Another Candidate for Land BountifulFor the past ten years I have been associated in some capacity with the search for Lehi's trail from Jerusalem to Land Bountiful, where Nephi was commanded to build a ship and sail to a promised land in the New World. I have never been to Saudi Arabia or to Yemen and have never received permission to go there, so I will leave that part of Lehi's journey to those who have. I have traveled most of Oman from the Yemen border to Musandam, on the Straits of Hormuz, and have traveled the south... Maxwell Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2285429/posts#comment Sat, 4 Jul 2009 14:54:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284838/posts A Tale of Three Communities: Jerusalem, Elephantine, and Lehi-NephiBefore the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC, inhabitants of Judah, or the Jews, as they came to be known, centered their religious life around the priestly activities of the Jerusalem temple. Their temple-centered religion changed, however, with the invasion and takeover by the Babylonian Empire. In advance of the looming crisis, many prophets exhorted the citizens of Judah to repent and be preserved from possible destruction. Jere-miah (see Jeremiah 7:1—15; 11:1—17) and Lehi (see 1 Nephi 1:4, 13) were among them. Both Lehi and... Maxwell Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284838/posts#comment Fri, 3 Jul 2009 14:28:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284782/posts MAGNA -- Accusations of sex abuse and assassination threats are swirling around a small religious group led by a man who claims to be the Holy Ghost. He calls the charges a pack of lies, but they prompted a raid by the Secret Service, the FBI, and child protection investigators. Six weeks ago, officers surrounded and searched the Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven's headquarters in Magna, interrogating members for hours. According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, they found nothing. If the charges are lies, they reveal a most unusual church, torn apart by... KSL.com (Salt Lake City) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284782/posts#comment Fri, 3 Jul 2009 13:12:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284088/posts D&C 84:33-44; 107; 121:34-36 By Breck England The Doctrine and Covenants is an invitation to all people everywhere to come unto Christ. In the revelations of this book “one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ,” inviting all to come unto Him “preparatory to his second coming.” [1] In the Sacred Grove, Jesus Christ informed the young Joseph Smith that the power of godliness had been taken from the earth. Joseph was told that the religious organizations of the day had “a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (JS-H 1:19). The “power of... Meridian Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284088/posts#comment Thu, 2 Jul 2009 14:44:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284023/posts Scholars often categorize texts as being either didactic or literary. The didactic text features exhortation, narrator insertions, moral summaries, stark contrasts between good and evil, and plot lines with obvious ethical significance. The literary text, in contrast, is characterized by reticence, metaphor, ambiguity, and indirection; by suggesting rather than telling. The literary text, when done well, is deemed worthy of sustained attention and repeated readings, while the didactic is generally disparaged and dismissed as either simplistic, moralistic, or both.At first glance, there is little doubt which category the Book of Mormon occupies. It is, undeniably, a remarkably didactic text, and... Maxwell Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284023/posts#comment Thu, 2 Jul 2009 13:20:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2283341/posts The Place Shazer in the Arabian Peninsula   Many Latter-day Saints have become fascinated about recent discoveries in the Arabian Peninsula that provide strong evidence for the authenticity and plausibility of the Book of Mormon. Much attention has been called to the finding of an ancient burial place with a name very close to Nahom in the only region where it could be, according to the description in First Nephi (and don't forget the recent discovery of altars with inscriptions that further strengthen the case for Nahom as evidence for the Book of Mormon). Much attention has also been directed... Jeff Lindsay Book of Mormon Evidences http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2283341/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 16:08:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2283232/posts The possible location of the Valley of Lemuel has captured the attention of students of the Book of Mormon, particularly following the publication of an attractive site in northwestern Arabia whose characteristics include canyon walls that rise more than 2,000 feet above the valley floor and a stream that runs year around. The canyon, called Wadi Tayyib al-Ism, appears to fit snugly with Nephi's description of a "valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable" featuring a "river, continually running" (1 Nephi 2:9—10).1 This find is set into profile all the more because surveys have concluded that "the Red Sea . .... Maxwell Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2283232/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 13:52:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2282210/posts The visit last month of two Spanish government officials to Madrid's Temple Square capped the Church's celebration of the 40th anniversary of Spain being dedicated to the preaching of the gospel. Nearly 40 years to the day after Elder Marion G. Romney -- then of the Quorum of the Twelve -- dedicated Spain to the preaching of the gospel, the Church hosted Jose Maria Contreras and Jose Manuel Lopez from the Spanish Ministry of Justice on May 19 during a tour of Madrid's Temple Square. The visits of Mr. Contreras, Director of Relations with Religious Organizations, and Mr. Lopez, Director... Church News, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2282210/posts#comment Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:33:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282067/posts SALT LAKE CITY -- A New York judge sentenced Bernard Madoff today to 150 years in prison. The judge imposed the maximum sentence because he says he wanted to send a message that Madoff's multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme is not just a "bloodless crime that takes place on paper. " Prosecutors say the Madoff case is a perfect example of what they call "affinity fraud." They are scams that prey on members of close knit groups such as religious or ethnic communities, the elderly, or professional associations. Utah too has seen a slew of affinity-fraud cases. These scams exploit trust... KSL.com (Salt Lake City) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282067/posts#comment Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:14:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2282033/posts Parley and Orson Pratt and Nineteenth-Century Mormon Thought Public Symposium at Brigham Young University Sponsored by the Mormon Scholars Foundation July 2, 2009 B092 of the Joseph F. Smith Building at BYU In the tradition of Richard Bushman’s summer seminars on Joseph Smith and early Mormonism, eight graduate students, under the direction of Terryl Givens and Matthew Grow, have studied the writings of Orson and Parley Pratt and will be presenting their research at this symposium. The seminar has been hosted by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. 10:00 Terryl Givens, University of Richmond, Introduction 10:10 Ryan Tobler,... The Juvenile Instructor http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2282033/posts#comment Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:38:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2281359/posts Publication of issue 15/2 of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies was a landmark event in Old World studies of the Book of Mormon. Encouragingly, it illustrates what Daniel McKinlay's article calls the "brightening light" being shed on Lehi and Sariah's odyssey. Just thirty years ago the most optimistic of us could not have imagined how much of that journey can now be plausibly situated in the real world. Researchers generally agree that Nephi's Bountiful must lie somewhere on the fertile southern coast of Oman, which stretches a short distance into Yemen. Wellington and Potter discuss the most promising... Maxwell Institute http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2281359/posts#comment Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:43:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2281269/posts On the evening of June 27, 1844, an armed lynch mob descended upon the Carthage, Ill., jail. The mob, their faces disguised with a mixture of mud and gunpowder, was bent on killing Joseph Smith, the powerful Mormon prophet and founding father of the Church of Latter Day Saints. The Illinois governor had placed Smith under arrest for, among other crimes, ordering the destruction of a printing press that produced the first edition of the Nauvoo Expositor, a newspaper critical of Smith and the practices of his religious movement. The destruction of the press was not the best public relations... Tuscaloosa News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2281269/posts#comment Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:09:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2281114/posts TAIPEI, TAIWAN Sultry weather failed to dampen the spirits of hundreds of Church members and full-time missionaries gathered on Saturday, June 13, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Taiwan's dedication for the preaching of the gospel. The Taiwan Latter-day Saints were assembled on the hillside overlooking Taipei where Elder Mark E. Petersen of the Quorum of the Twelve gave the dedicatory prayer on June 1, 1959. He was surrounded by a small group of Taiwanese converts and some of the earliest missionaries called to serve on the island. In his dedicatory prayer, Elder Petersen said, "Let Thy Spirit bear testimony... Church News, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2281114/posts#comment Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:59:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2280625/posts Elder D. Todd Christofferson's six-country tour included a visit with Albania President Bamir Topi. Elder D. Todd Christofferson greets those who attended ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new school in Albania. Elder Christofferson and his wife, Katherine, Elder Johann Wondra, Area Seventy, and his wife, Ursula, and President J. Martin Neil of the Albania Tirana Mission and his wife, Elizabeth, and senior missionaries Peter and Ruth Lynne Snow attended the opening of a school created to educate the Roma ethnic minority in Tirana. The school is designed to teach the Albanian language to the local Roma children. Once they learn Albanian,... Church News, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2280625/posts#comment Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:43:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2280489/posts On June 27, 1844, Mormon leader Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Ill. The Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2280489/posts#comment Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:25:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2280027/posts He wanted an apology to Emma Smith's family. "What?!" Brigham Young's descendants said, according to Mary Ellen Elggren. "What are they talking about?" In 2007, Elggren was president-elect of the Brigham Young Family Association when she first heard that Michael Kennedy, president of the Joseph Smith Jr. Family Organization, wanted an apology. "I was totally puzzled over this," Elggren said. Kennedy, however, was not puzzled. He was baptized as a Mormon in 1973 -- the first male descendant of Joseph and Emma Smith to join the LDS Church and be ordained an elder. He knew firsthand the prejudices that kept... Mormon Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2280027/posts#comment Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:50:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2279945/posts During the tour of the five countries of the former Yugoslavia, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve dedicated a meetinghouse in Zagreb, Croatia, the first in the country and the second meetinghouse in these South Eastern Europe countries. The meetinghouse was dedicated on May 24, during a two-day district conference in Zagreb. During the conference, Elder Christofferson read a letter from President Thomas S. Monson, who dedicated the land for the preaching of the gospel in 1985. In the letter, President Monson recounted his experience of 24 years ago and expressed his love and appreciation for... Deseret News Publishing Company http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2279945/posts#comment Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:09:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2279443/posts MRMOVES - I was reading one of the questions in the faq where one person asks.... JOHN - "Asks whether President Hinckley contradicts Joseph Smith's concept about God once being a man" At one point you answer... President Hinckley could not say that we believe God was once a man like us, because it has never been identified as official Church doctrine... I was reading the book, " Preparing for a celestial marriage" where it bluntly talks about that God was once a man and that he was once like us, and I know that is a approved Church Manual.... Mormon Haven http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2279443/posts#comment Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:34:30 GMT