Proud to be Mormon

Mormon tithing under national media microscope

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:55:00 +0000

Here is an excerpt from an article about Mitt Romney and the spotlight that his candidacy has put on the practice of paying tithing.

That point was emphasized by Givens, who was also contacted by CNN's Dan Gilgoff about the subject.

"Mormon children are expected to begin tithing from their very first allowance," Givens told Gilgoff. "And there's never any variation on the 10 percent, whether you're on welfare or you're a millionaire."

For members of the LDS Church, Givens continued, "tithing is an article of faith, not an economic principal." He went on to call it "an important differentiator between devout Mormons and nominal Mormons."

Michael Otterson, director of Public Affairs for the LDS Church and a frequent guest contributor to the Washington Post's "On Faith" blog site, used the sudden interest in LDS tithing to talk about the history, the doctrine and the uses of tithing in the church.

"The principle is simple to understand and administer," Otterson wrote. "Each member, knowing their accountability to God, decides for themselves what 'one tenth of their increase' means, when and how to pay it. For people on regular salaries, it is usually a tenth of their income and paid weekly or monthly. It is an honor system that works very well, because each member has a sense of consecrating a portion of his or her means to God's work."

He quotes the late LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, who once observed that "the Lord's plan for financing the church is captured in just 35 words of modern scripture."

"We know that these funds are sacred," President Hinckley said. "We have a compelling trust to use them carefully and wisely…. I keep on the credenza in my office this genuine widow's mite …. I keep it as a reminder of the sacrifice it represents, that we are dealing with the consecration of the widow as well as the offering of the wealthy."

Otterson outlined some of the ways in which tithing dollars are used, pointing out that simply providing for the needs of 30,000 LDS congregations worldwide — including meetinghouses and temples — required a large part of the church's tithing income.

"In addition to their tithes," Otterson said, "most faithful members make other voluntary contributions to humanitarian aid and to the monthly 'fast offering.' Fast offerings are the result of fasting for two successive meals on the first Sunday of each month and donating the cost of the meals. Local bishops then use these funds to help the poor and needy."

Otterson concludes by saying that "tithing and other financial offerings are less about finances and more about personal attitude and commitment."

"It is difficult to pay tithing and be selfish at the same time," he writes. "For the millions of people who participate, there is something in the act of voluntary giving that is innately enriching to the human soul."

Read the rest at the Deseret News. Mormon tithing under national media microscope after Mitt Romney releases his financial data

Crystal City - Little Provo

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:33:00 +0000

Here is an interesting article from the Washington Post about an area in Washington DC, known as "Litttle Provo," because it has the largest concentration of single Mormons outside of Utah.

The newly opened “23rd Street chapel” is unique in the American Mormon church: It is the only worship space in the country devoted solely to unmarried people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. It serves the biggest population of single Mormons outside Utah in a neighborhood so thick with church members that it is nicknamed “Little Provo.”

LDS Stereotypes

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:49:00 +0000

A new study coming out of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., indicates that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are predominantly Republican, overwhelmingly white, well-educated, prosperous and have larger-than-average families. The study also found that Mormon women are less likely to work outside the home than other American women.

Surprised?

Probably not.

Read the rest of the article at Deseret News. "New study confirms many LDS stereotypes. Research does not offer startling new info about Mormons."

President Monson: Make Christ center of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:59:00 +0000

Despite all the distractions around them, Latter-day Saints can see to it that Christ is at the center of their Christmas celebration, said President Thomas S. Monson on Dec. 4.

"I, with you, have witnessed during the past few days and weeks what has become over the years the annual commercialization of Christmas," said President Monson during the annual First Presidency Christmas Devotional. "I am saddened to see Christmas becoming less and less about Christ and more and more about marketing and sales, parties and presents. And yet, Christmas is what we make of it."

Read the rest at LDS Church News

LDS Christianity: Differences that matter

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:44:00 +0000

They gather twice each year — once on the Provo, Utah, campus of Brigham Young University and once at the Fuller Theological Seminary main campus in Pasadena, Calif.

Evangelical Christians and Mormons.

Together.

In the same room.

Talking about religion.

And — believe it or not — getting along famously.

"Our meetings are extremely cordial," said Dr. Robert L. Millet, former dean of Religious Education at BYU, who has been participating in the meetings since their inception. "We have great fellowship with one another, and there's a real feeling of brotherhood and affection even though we spend hours discussing our differences."

Dr. Richard J. Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, wrote about the semiannual meetings recently in one of his articles on the Washington Post's On Faith blog site.

"We have talked for many hours about key theological issues," Mouw wrote. "We evangelicals and our Mormon counterparts disagree about some important questions. But we have also found that on some matters we are not as far apart as we thought we were."

This cooperative effort between evangelical Christian scholars and their LDS counterparts is especially noteworthy since the last two months have seen a number of highly placed evangelical Christians making comments about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In early October, Baptist Pastor Robert Jeffress of Dallas, called Mormonism a "cult," and another evangelical leader, Bryan Fischer, claimed that Latter-day Saints are not Christian and are therefore not entitled to First Amendment protections of religious freedom. Since those comments were made in public forums and were directed at presidential candidate Mitt Romney, they generated a media firestorm that has has generated through the ensuing weeks a good deal of public discussion on the LDS Church and whether or not it is truly Christian.

"To a Mormon, the claim that they are not Christian is confusing," said Dr. David Campbell, an associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame and a leading researcher on faith in American life. "They point to the name of Jesus Christ in the church's official name and wonder how they can be considered anything other than Christian."

Without going too deeply into the theological differences, Campbell, who is LDS, suggests there is a semantic difference at work here.

Read the rest at the Deseret News.

The Atonment Brings Comfort

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:38:00 +0000

How can we know that during these times we are not abandoned or forsaken, but that Heavenly Father is there?

October 2011 World Report

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:34:00 +0000

The Amazing Book of Mormon

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:31:00 +0000

Even setting aside its doctrinal richness and its vital importance as a second witness for the Savior Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon is a strikingly complex document — far more so, probably, than most of its readers realize.

It features hundreds of individual characters, many of them bearing quite uncommon names, who belong to a multitude of groups, subgroups and small factions. It describes three migrations from the Eastern Hemisphere to the Western Hemisphere. It employs at least three distinct dating systems.

Yet, amazingly — and particularly so for a book that was dictated within a remarkably short time, at high speed (roughly nine to 11 pages of the English printed edition per day) — it's internally consistent. It doesn't contradict itself.

It both presupposes and reflects a complicated geographical backdrop to its stories, involving scores of place names and topographical indicators. Yet places maintain their proper relationships to each other even when they're mentioned only a few times over hundreds of pages.

Read the rest at the Deseret News.

Mormons in the NFL

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:26:00 +0000

Here is a list of Mormons currently playing in the NFL:

John Beck, QB, Redskins, BYU

Austin Collie, WR, Colts, BYU

Chris Cooley, TE, Redskins, Utah State

*Christian Cox, LB, Patriots, Utah

*Kevin Curtis, WR, Titans, Utah State

Stewart Bradley, LB, Cardinals, Nebraska

John Denney, LS, Dolphins, BYU

Jonathan Fanene, DL, Bengals, Utah

*Max Hall, QB, Cardinals, BYU

Todd Heap, TE, Cardinals, Arizona State

Chris Hoke, DL, Steelers, BYU

Bryan Kehl, LB, Rams, BYU

Brett Keisel, DL, Steelers, BYU

Paul Kruger, DL, Ravens, Utah

Spencer Larsen, FB, Broncos, Arizona

Deuce Lutui, OL, Cardinals, Southern California

Fili Moala, DL, Colts, Southern California

*Tony Moeaki, TE, Chiefs, Iowa

Haloti Ngata, DL, Ravens, Oregon

Dennis Pitta, TE, Ravens, BYU

Brady Poppinga, LB, Rams, BYU

Sione Pouha, DT, Jets, Utah

Samson Satele, C, Raiders, Hawaii

Vic So’oto, LB, Packers, BYU

#Harvey Unga, RB, Bears, BYU

Eric Weddle, DB, Chargers, Utah

Manase Tonga, RB, Raiders, BYU

Fui Vakapuna, RB, Bengals, BYU
Practice squad players

Matt Asiata, RB, Vikings, Utah

Garrett Mills, TE, Patriots, Tulsa

*Injured reserve

#Exempt status

Source

What Famous People Have Said About Mormons

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:25:00 +0000

Horace Greeley

“I do not believe there was ever a religion whereof the great mass of the adherents were not honest and sincere.”

Sir Richard F. Burton, translator of Arabian Nights and agent for the East India Company

Of his visit to Salt Lake and his conversation with Brigham Young, he said, “When conversation began to flag, we rose up, shook hands, as is the custom here, all round, and took leave. The first impression left upon my mind by this short seance, and it was subsequently confirmed, was, that the prophet is no common man, and that he has none of the weakness and vanity which characterize the common uncommon man.”

Mark Twain, on his visit to Salt Lake City

“There was fascination in surreptitiously staring at every creature we took to be a Mormon. This was fairyland to us, to all intents and purposes — a land of enchantment, and goblins, and awful mystery. We felt a curiosity to ask every child how many mothers it had, and if it could tell them apart; and we experienced a thrill every time a dwelling-house door opened and shut as we passed, disclosing a glimpse of human heads and backs and shoulders — for we so longed to have a good satisfying look at a Mormon family in all its comprehensive ampleness, disposed in the customary concentric rings of its home circle.”

Abraham Lincoln

“You go back and tell Brigham Young that if he will let me alone I will let him alone.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Good out of evil. One must thank the genius of Brigham Young for the creation of Salt Lake City — an inestimable hospitality to the Overland Emigrants, and an efficient example to all men in the vast desert, teaching how to subdue and turn it to a habitable garden.”

Charles Dickens talking about the Liverpool emigrants going to Utah

“It is surprising to me that these people are all so cheery, and make so little of the immense distance before them.”

P. T. Barnum, in speaking with Brigham Young in Salt Lake City

“Barnum,” said Brigham Young, “what will you give to exhibit me in New York and the eastern cities?”

“Well, Mr. President,” I replied, “I’ll give you half the receipts, which I will guarantee shall be $200,000 per year, for I consider you the best show in America.”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a letter to Winston Churchill about the Deseret News article noting that Clementine Churchill was related to a Mormon line and that Churchill was too.

“Hitherto I had not observed any outstanding Mormon characteristics in either of you — but I shall be looking for them from now on. I have a very high opinion of the Mormons — for they are excellent citizens.”

Filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille (in commencement address at BYU)

“I have known many members of your church — and I have never known one who was not a good citizen and a fine, wholesome person — but David O. McKay embodies, more than anyone that I have ever known, the virtues and the drawing-power of your church.

"David McKay, almost thou persuadest me to be a Mormon! And knowing what family life means to the Latter-day Saints, I cannot speak or think of President McKay without thinking too of that gracious and spirited young lady who is his wife.”

President Herbert Hoover

“I have witnessed their devotion to public service and their support of charitable efforts over our country and in foreign lands during all these years. I have witnessed the growth of the church’s communities over the world where self-reliance, devotion, resolution and integrity are a light to all mankind. Surely a great message of Christian faith has been given by the church — and it must continue.”

John F. Kennedy quoted the 11th Article of Faith in his Tabernacle Address. Also, “Tonight I speak for all Americans in expressing our gratitude to the Mormon people — for their pioneer spirit, their devotion to culture and learning, their example of industry and self-reliance. But I am particularly in their debt tonight for their successful battle to make religious liberty a living reality — for having proven to the world that different faiths of different views could flourish harmoniously in our midst.”

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

“Yours is a most remarkable story of faith in action, and it changed the world.”

President of Taiwan Ma Ying-Jeou about the Mormon missionaries

“Their clean image elicits good feelings.”

Angela Lansbury about singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

“The spirit of this place is so evident. It is all enveloping. It’s all around me. I feel buoyed up by it. This has been one of the things I felt very strongly about being here. I didn’t realize that I was going to be hit by this extraordinary spirit. I haven’t experienced this before. It’s quite unique, people doing something for the love of it.”

Walter Cronkite about performing with the Tabernacle Choir

“I hope that somewhere, Mom and Dad are proud that little Walter is performing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I have never been a religious person in the conventional sense, but I have felt nearer to my God the past couple of days than ever before.”

Taken from the book "Much Ado About Mormons," available at Deseret Book and Seagull Book. Source

Mormon Family Planning at Walmart

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:19:00 +0000

Mormon Church Announces Talks to 'Regularize' Operations in China

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:09:00 +0000

"The church deeply appreciates the courtesy of the Chinese leadership in opening up a way to better define how the church and its members can proceed with daily activities, all in harmony with Chinese law."

Although the Mormon Church does not proselytize in China, it is holding worship services there. Separate congregations exist for expatriates who are working and living in China, and Chinese nationals who returned to their homeland after converting to the LDS faith while living abroad.

Once the process of regularization is complete, the native Chinese congregations will gain greater leeway in holding public meetings.

Read the rest here.

Dr. Jan Shipps Quote Regarding Joseph Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Dr. Jan Shipps, Indiana University:
This is the key to understanding Joseph Smith and to understanding Mormonism, I am convinced: It is the literalness, the experiencing the same things that are described in the scriptures. Mormonism takes the scriptures and brings them into life. Literally recapitulates the scriptures. Now, if you get that understanding of Joseph Smith's understanding of what was going on, then you begin to see that this could not have been just somebody making it up as he went along.

Quote About Joseph Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:13:00 +0000

The New York Herald - April 3, 1842 observed:
"...Joseph Smith is undoubtedly one of the greatest characters of the age. He indicates as much talent, originality, and moral courage as Mahomet, Odin, or any of the great spirits that have hitherto produced the revolutions of past ages. In the present infidel, irreligious, material, ideal, geological, animal-magnetic age of the world, some such singular prophet as Joseph Smith is required to preserve the principle of faith, and to plant some new germs of civilization that may come to maturity in a thousand years. While modern philosophy, which believes in nothing but what you can touch, is overspreading the Atlantic States, Joseph Smith is creating a spiritual system, combined also with morals and industry, that may change the destiny of the race.

Quote About Joseph Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:12:00 +0000

The New York Sun - September 1843 wrote about the Prophet Joseph Smith:
"It is no small thing, in the blaze of this nineteenth century, to give to men a new revelation, found a new religion, establish new forms of worship, to build a city, with new laws, institutions, and orders of architecture, to establish ecclesiastic, civil and military jurisdiction, found colleges, send out missionaries, and make proselytes in two hemispheres: yet all this has been done by Joseph Smith, and that against every sort of opposition, ridicule and persecution."

Quarterback Was Catalyst for Fan's Conversion

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:50:00 +0000

Jason Sheridan's conversion began something like this:

With the 40th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select John Beck, quarterback, Brigham Young University.

Sheridan didn't join the LDS Church just because his favorite football team drafted a Mormon. There were other factors — like BYU-TV, President Gordon B. Hinckley and the Book of Mormon.

But draft day 2007 was the catalyst.

"It all came down to Mr. Beck there," Sheridan said. "If the Dolphins hadn't drafted him ..."

Read the full story on MormonTimes.com.

BYU Women's Rugby Team Forfeits Rather Than Playing on Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:26:00 +0000

They would have done it anyway. But it was easier for the BYU women's rugby team to walk away from a shot at a national championship knowing so many people were on their side.

In Sanford, Fla., this past weekend, the club team forfeited its second-round game against Penn State in the USA Rugby collegiate tournament because the organization mistakenly scheduled it to play on Sunday if it won Saturday. The 35 women — all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU students — were crushed when they found out about the scheduling mishap the Monday before the competition. To play would mean breaking their Sabbath, though, and that simply wasn't an option.

Census Form for Mormons

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:02:00 +0000

I thought this was pretty funny.

1. _____________________ (Given name)

2. _____________________ (SURNAME)

3. Descendant of:
A. Brigham Young _____
B. Heber C. Kimball _____
C. Laman and Lemuel _____
D. Cain _____

4. Tribe of Israel : _____________________

5. Number of occupants residing in home in each category:
(Listed in chronological order)
A. Nursery _____
B. Junior Primary _____
C. Senior Primary _____
D. Young Women's _____
E. Young Men's _____
F. Relief Society _____
G. Elder _____
H. Dearly Departed _____
I. High Priest _____

6. Occupation [Please select all that apply.]:
A. Amway dealer _____
B. Shaklee dealer _____
C. Nonie juice dealer _____
D. NuSkin dealer _____
E. Melaleuca dealer _____

7. Automobile:
A. Station Wagon _____
B. Van _____
C. Suburban _____
D. School Bus _____
E. Double Decker _____
F. BMW (Big Mormon Wagon) ________

8. Favorite place to eat the night before Fast Sunday:
A. Chuck-A-Rama _____
B. Hometown Buffet _____
C. Golden Corral
D. Sumo Sam's All You Can Eat Feeding Trough _____

9. Favorite Hero:
A. Nephi _____
B. Abinadi _____
C. Samuel the Lamanite_____
D. Steve Young _____
E. Johnny Lingo _____

10. Which of the following do you bring to church [check all that apply.]:
A. Scriptures _____
B. Franklin Planner/ Daytimer _____
C. Pen/Pencil _____
D. Lifesavers/ Cheerios _____
E. Tic Tacs _____
F. Game Boy _____
G. Big Gulp _____
H. Cooler _____
I. I-pod _____
J. All of the above _____

11. Do you prepare your church lessons:
A. A month in advance _____
B. A week in advance _____
C. While in the bathtub _____
D. While on the toilet _____
E. During Sacrament Meeting _____
F. During the closing prayer of Sacrament Meeting _____
G. During the opening prayer of the class you're teaching _____
H. Just wing it [according to the promptings of the Spirit]

12. Do you think pews should be permanently equipped with drink holders?: yes___ no ___

13. How many years has your family sat in the same place for Sacrament Meeting:
A. 10-20 years _____
B. 20-30 years _____
C. 30-40 years _____
D. Over 3 generations _____

14. How much time does it take for you to fall asleep during a high council talk:
A. 1/100,000,000th of a second _____
B. 1/999,999,999th of a second _____
C. 1/999,999,998th of a second _____

15. Which day of the month do you go home/visiting teaching:
A. 31st ______
B. 31st ______
C. 31st ______
D. 31st ______

16. How many church basketball fights were you in last year:
A. 1-10 _____
B. 10-20 _____
C. 20-30 _____
D. You'll have to ask my lawyer _____

17. Which of the following has been your most effective Family Home Evening:
A. Arguing about getting along
B. Having an opening and closing prayer with dinner
C. Gathering around the television to watch, "Dancing with the Stars?"

18. How many times a year do you make:
A. Green Jell-O salad _____
B. Funeral potatoes _____
C. Cabbage and Top Ramen salad _____
D. Turkey, cashews and grape-stuffed croissants_____

19. How many water-filled two-liter bottles do you own:
A. 1-2 thousand _____
B. 2-3 thousand _____
C. 3-4 thousand _____
D. Enough to fill the Great Salt Lake _____

20. Which of the following do you feel is the most secure facility in the nation:
A. Alcatraz
B. Fort Knox
C. Ward Libraries

21. How many structural engineers do you hire annually to ensure you'll win the pinewood derby: _________

22. Keeping the Word of Wisdom in mind, how much of the following do you consume:
A. Chocolate:___ pounds daily X 365 days annually = ____
B. Cola: ____ gallons daily X 365 days annually = ____

23. If you had to choose between witnessing the Second Coming or attending a BYU/UofU football game, which would you choose?
A. Second Coming _____
B. Football game _____

AMEN ________________________________

40 Mormons Start 158 NFL Games

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:28:00 +0000

I thought this was a neat article, because I'm a bit of a sports nut.

Mormons accounted for 158 regular-season starts, 16 postseason games played and one Pro Bowl appearance during the 2009 National Football League season.

By year's end, 40 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were listed on NFL team rosters. One of them, Baltimore nose tackle Haloti Ngata, finally made the elite roster for the league's all-star exhibition.

"Last year, so many people had said that I would be going to the Pro Bowl and this and that, and I was kind of paying attention to what was going on around the league with guys in my position," Ngata told the Baltimore Sun. "I think I kind of worried about it too much and didn't end up going. This year, I was kind of like, 'If it happens, it happens.' And I ended up going. Now I'm way excited and happy to get picked."

Ngata finished the regular season with 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He also recorded a sack during the Ravens' playoff run.

Read the full story on MormonTimes.com.

Via

New Temple Announced in Payson, Utah

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:34:00 +0000

Via

LDS Church Sends Humanitarian Aid to Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:50:00 +0000

Nate Leishman, manager of the Church’s humanitarian emergency response efforts describes aid being sent.

Via LDS.org

Journalistic Integrity and the Compartmentalization of Ethics

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:12:00 +0000

From LDS.org:

SALT LAKE CITY 17 November 2009

An informed citizenry, it is often said, is the bulwark of democracy. The basic principles of journalistic integrity – objectivity in reporting, detachment from personal bias, and disinterested duty to the truth – are essential in facilitating public trust and civil discourse. All individuals and institutions, including churches, share an interest in contributing to these worthy goals.

The advent of social media has changed the way people gather, consume and analyze information. Blogs, Twitter and Facebook, for example, are expanding the channels for public participation in receiving and sharing information. Likewise, these platforms are becoming important tools for media organizations to interact with their audiences. Old, comfortable lines are being blurred. The new values of openness and authenticity are often seen as colliding with the traditional values of editorial oversight and authority. Private expression runs seamlessly into public expression. News organizations across the country are doing their best to adapt to changes as they develop. Nonetheless, these dynamics have not altered the fundamental ethical imperatives of journalism.

This duality between traditional media and new media has created a situation where journalists often report by day and blog by night. For example, a reporter can write an objective news story for an organization’s public website and then later add a personal slant about it on a blog, Facebook or Twitter. Though the perceived distance between personal and public writing might make sense to the reporter, the reader is often left confused. People still expect journalists to be impartial reporters of the facts. If objectivity is absent in one platform, it cannot be present in the other. Trust cannot thrive on contradiction. Nevertheless, these conflicts can be managed with proper rules and guidelines. Openness can co-exist with objectivity, but not with open bias.

Among news organizations grappling with these issues, National Public Radio has done a commendable job of establishing guidelines that promote journalistic ethics by delineating clear boundaries between the private and the public. In doing so, they inject a welcome dose of order into an often unwieldy world of conflicting information Excerpted below are NPR’s “commonsense rules” that can also apply to everyone in the field of journalism:

Information from your Facebook page, your blog entries, and your tweets - even if you intend them to be personal messages to your friends or family - can be easily circulated beyond your intended audience. This content, therefore, represents you and NPR to the outside world as much as a radio story or story for NPR.org does.

Recognize that everything you write or receive on a social media site is public. Anyone with access to the web can get access to your activity on social media sites. And regardless of how careful you are in trying to keep them separate, in your online activity, your professional life and your personal life overlap.

You should conduct yourself in social media forums with an eye to how your behavior or comments might appear if we were called upon to defend them as a news organization. In other words, don't behave any differently online than you would in any other public setting.
You must not advocate for political or other polarizing issues online. This extends to joining online groups or using social media in any form (including your Facebook page or a personal blog) to express personal views on a political or other controversial issue that you could not write for the air or post on NPR.org.

Furthermore, in an effort to ensure a respectful, reciprocal relationship between staff and readers and to promote more civil online participation, many news organizations are establishing guidelines to rein in contentious comments. For example, the Cleveland Plain Dealer recently issued a new commenting policy seeking to end bigoted comments, while at the same time urging its staff members to meaningfully engage with readers. Likewise, the Boston Globe has created a “member agreement” stipulating general rules for reader participation on its site: “You agree not to use language that abuses or discriminates on the basis of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual preference, age, region, disability, etc. Hate speech of any kind is grounds for immediate and permanent suspension of access to all or part of the Service.” Hopefully, such moves among respected news organizations such as these will be duplicated by media organizations concerned about the low levels of public trust and civil discourse.

A Look Back at 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:37:00 +0000

In the end, these are the stories we remember. The year 2009 is about over, and out of all the e-mails, phone calls, Web searches, visits and interviews, some powerful stories have emerged.

They range from the quirky and improbable to the humbling and heart-warming. They've taught us sorrow, humility, enthusiasm and understanding.

And they've all left an impression.

This week, Mormon Times writers and editors reflect on the subjects and story lines that made 2009 a memorable year.

We look at families who have lost loved ones and how they cling to hope. We reflect on the power of faith and trust, and the moving influence of artistic expression.

And we revisit personalities like the boxing bishop in Texas, the 105-year-old convert in Arkansas and the positive pitcher-turned missionary who still hasn't looked back.

Read the powerful stories on MormonTimes.com.

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:19:00 +0000

Are Mormons Christian? Absolutely. There are Christians out there that will argue that Mormons are not, becuase we do not fit into the small box they define as Christian. Since Mormons do not believe in the Trinity, they say we are not Christian. Since we believe in the Book of Mormon, they say we aren't Christian. There are other reasons they list as well, but they all mean nothing. The dictionary defines Christan as: "following the teachings or manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus Christ." Is there a church in all the world that so fully meets this description? I would argue no. I define Christan as any person or religion that loves, worships, honors, and obeys the Lord Jesus Christ. Under this definition, Mormons are indeed Christian.

Joseph Smith once said:

"The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it." (TPJS, p. 121).

For more information, check out the talk given by Boyd K. Packer.

Skywalker Genealogy

noreply@blogger.com (Nifty Nick) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:20:00 +0000