Free Republic

NEW YORK - Holocaust survivors said Monday they were abandoning negotiations with the Mormon church over its posthumous baptisms of Jews who were killed in Nazi death camps. Survivors claim elders of the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have refused to systemically search for and remove the names of Holocaust victims from their master genealogical database and have failed to prevent "zealots" from adding thousands of new Jewish names to the list in recent years - including thousands lifted from Yizkor books of Jews massacred at Berdichev in Ukraine. "We are not going to continue...

The Democrats won the White House and gained seats in both houses of Congress in the past election. So do you think the DUmmies would be happy? As it turns out they are angrier than ever. Why? Well, among other thngs, because Propositon 8 in California didn't pass. WAAAAAAAH!!!! They didn't get a hundred percent of what they wanted and now they are crying like a bunch of babies. And who is the scapegoat for their defeat on Prop. 8? It turns out it is the Mormons as you can see in this DUmmie THREAD titled, "I had 2...

Feel the love. NOT!

Gay marriage is once again banned in California after the nation's most hotly contested citizen referendum ended in victory for Proposition 8 supporters, backed by major fundraising and grass-roots organizing by members of the LDS Church. Elder L. Whitney Clayton, a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy who helped lead the church's support for Proposition 8, told reporters during a press conference Wednesday that he doesn't have a total for how much money was donated by Latter-day Saints. He did say it was "considerable and generous" and that church leaders are "grateful for the sacrifice" made by members...

An estimated 2,000 protestors gathered near the Salt Lake LDS Temple this evening, carrying signs defending gay marriage and attacking Mormon officials for the church's active campaigning on behalf of California's Proposition 8. Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson was at the center of the crowd gathered at City Creek Park with chants of "Yes, we can." Across the street, a group of fewer than 50 stood in defense of the church's support of the successful ballot measure, which effectively bans same-sex marriage in California. "The people voted," they shouted at the protesters. "You are intolerant." Tonight's demonstration in...

The backlash against the church — and by extension Utah — has been immediate. Protests erupted outside Mormon temples, Facebook groups formed telling people to boycott Utah, and Web sites such as mormonsstoleourrights.com began popping up, calling for an end to the church's tax-exempt status. Church spokeswoman Kim Farah said in a statement about the temple protests Friday that it is "disturbing" that the church is being singled out for exercising its right to speak up in a free election. "While those who disagree with our position on Proposition 8 have the right to make their feelings known, it is...

Late this afternoon, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement in response to recent calls for protests and boycotts from opponents of California's Proposition 8. Opponents of the proposition are angry about the Church's involvement in its passage. Today, the Church responded with a statement that reads, in part: "It is disturbing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being singled out for speaking up as part of its democratic right in a free election. "While those who disagree with our position on Proposition 8 have the right to make their feelings known,...

Here is a video response to the venomous video that the opponents of Proposition 8 created.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah's growing tourism industry and the star-studded Sundance Film Festival are being targeted for a boycott by bloggers, gay rights activists and others seeking to punish the Mormon church for its aggressive promotion of California's ban on gay marriage. It could be a heavy price to pay. Tourism brings in $6 billion a year to Utah, with world-class skiing, a spectacular red rock country and the film festival founded by Robert Redford, among other popular tourist draws. "At a fundamental level, the Utah Mormons crossed the line on this one," said gay rights activist John...

Introduction The California Supreme Court recently ruled that same-sex marriage was legal in California. Recognizing the importance of marriage to society, the Church accepted an invitation to participate in ProtectMarriage, a coalition of churches, organizations, and individuals sponsoring a November ballot measure, Proposition 8, that would amend the California state constitution to ensure that only a marriage between a man and a woman would be legally recognized. (Information about the coalition can be found at http://www.protectmarriage.com/). On June 20, 2008, the First Presidency of the Church distributed a letter about “Preserving Traditional Marriage and Strengthening Families,” announcing the Church’s participation...

Thousands protest Prop. 8 outside Mormon temple in Westwood Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times By Joanna Lin and Jessica Garrison | 3:48 p.m. Santa Monica Boulevard is closed to traffic near the temple as gay-marriage proponents march against Tuesday's vote. PHOTOS: Unrest over the ballot's passage Map: Prop. 8 and Prop. 22: A tale of two votes

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement today in reaction to what some are calling a particularly vicious attack ad in California's Proposition 8 battle over same-sex marriage. The ad, targeting Latter-day Saint missionaries, started on the Internet and is scheduled to air on TV tomorrow. The anti-Proposition 8 group Courage Coalition released the ad on YouTube. In the ad, two young men dressed as Mormon missionaries visit a lesbian couple then proceed to confiscate their wedding rings and tear apart their marriage license. While experts we talked to called the ad "offensive" and "over-the-top," Courage...

Just heard that prop 8 protesters are marching on the Mormon temple in west L.A. (It's on Santa Monica Blvd. about 2-3 miles west of West Hollywood). Can see Santa Monica Blvd. and the Temple outside my window...helicopters everywhere. The street is shut down...it's a major east-west commuter artery for West L.A. These guys get everything except one measure on the ballot and they shut down things. Pathetic petulent babies.

Since Proposition 8 was placed on the ballot in June of this year, the citizens of California have considered the arguments for and against same-sex marriage. After extensive debate between those of different persuasions, voters have chosen to amend the California State Constitution to state that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Voters in Arizona and Florida took the same course and amended their constitutions to establish that marriage will continue to be between a man and a woman. Such an emotionally charged issue concerning the most personal and cherished aspects of life — family, identity, intimacy...

Sacramento, /Nov 4, 2008 12:20 pm (CNA).- In what one Catholic bishop called “a blatant display of religious bigotry and intolerance,” a commercial advocating a “no” vote on Proposition 8 depicts Mormon missionaries invading the homes of a lesbian couple. --------------------------------------------------------- The California ballot’s Proposition 8 would restore the legal definition of marriage to being between one man and one woman. Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court imposed same-sex marriage on the state. In the 60 second commercial, produced by the Courage Campaign Issues Committee, two missionaries knock on a door and say they are from the Church of...

NOBODY knows quite how the contagion that broke out in Wall Street will affect the rest of America, nor how deep or how long the likely recession will be. What is certain is that some places will suffer more than others. So far Utah, a state best-known for Mormonism and pretty rocks, is looking unusually healthy. “We’ve got a lot to be proud of,” says Jon Huntsman, the governor. “Certainly more than many of our neighbours.” Indeed, Utah has more to be proud of than any other state in the West. In September its unemployment rate was just 3.5%—less than...

The church's effort against gay marriage is its most vigorous since 1970s The thought of going to church in her southern California LDS ward makes Carol Oldham cry. She can't face one more sermon against same-sex marriage. She can't tolerate the glares at the rainbow pin on her lapel. Oldham, a lifelong Mormon, is troubled by her church's zeal in supporting a California ballot initiative that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. She feels the church is bringing politics into her sanctuary. "It has tainted everything The LDS Church's campaign to pass Proposition 8 represents its...

A group of dissident Mormons on Friday presented to LDS Church officials about 300 letters and a petition opposing the church's efforts on behalf of a California amendment to thwart gay marriage. About 50 people carried 15 stacks of personal letters wrapped in pink ribbons to the north entrance of the LDS Church headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City while singing the Mormon hymn "As I Have Loved You, Love One Another." Organizers asked that each stack be given to a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' three-man First Presidency and 12 apostles. The protesters also...

When the LDS Church called upon its members to ''do all you can'' to back California's proposed gay-marriage ban, it inspired Orem entrepreneur Bruce Bastian. He donated $1 million - to the opposition. In one fell swoop of his pen, the WordPerfect co-founder outspent all Utah donors - 37 of them - who have pitched in $120,550 to push Proposition 8, a ballot measure seeking to eliminate Caifornia's current recognition of same-sex couples marriages. The outcome could wind up framing the issue for other states. Bastian, a former Mormon who is openly gay, made a smaller donation of $5,000 to...

The Bountiful Republican does admit Romney's downfall in his campaign may have stemmed from opposition he received within the national party from segments in the South, where some view Mormons as being members of a cult. The Mormon religion is still relatively new to a large segment of the nation's population, and over time people's perspective of the LDS faith will change, she said. The increased acceptance may open the way for a Mormon to someday become president. "People didn't think a Catholic could be president, (John F.) Kennedy proved them wrong," Christensen said. "(Richard) Nixon was a Quaker." But...

A coalition that represents fundamentalist Mormons has issued a statement objecting to the LDS Church's attempts to deny their claim to a shared Mormon heritage. The Principle Voices Coalition, based in Salt Lake City, said that members "strenuously object to any efforts to deprive us and others of the freedom to name and describe ourselves by terms of our own choosing." Two weeks ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints launched a media campaign aimed at distinguishing itself from the breakaway sects. The church said its effort was primarily aimed at clarifying the difference between the LDS Church...

The creator of the beefcake calendar on my desk that has struck some of my male colleagues speechless has been excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Chad Hardy, the creator of a 2008 calendar that featured topless male Mormon missionaries, was ousted from the church this week after a disciplinary hearing with Nevada church leaders. "I have no regrets,” said Hardy, 31, a sixth-generation Mormon who conceived the calendar as a way to spark healthy dialogue about expectations imposed by the church and to soften the image of missionaries around the world. The ''Men on a...

Black History Timeline Black LDS History Black U.S. History 1619: First African slaves arrive in what would become the United States. 1816: American Colonization Society formed. At the urging of Charles Fenton Mercer, a Federalist member of the Virginia state assembly, Presbyterian minister Robert Finley helps found the organization which is devoted to bring free blacks from what would later be Liberia to the United States. Despite being overtly anti-slavery, ACS members were openly racist and frequently argued that free blacks would be unable to assimilate into white society. Source: Wikipedia 1815: A.M.E. Church Founded The African Methodist Episcopal...

Click to watch video

CELESTIAL MARRIAGE   A DISCOURSE DELIVERED BY ELDER ORSON PRATT, IN THE TABERNACLE,GREAT SALT LAKE CITY, AUGUST 29, 1852 1:58 It is quite unexpected to me, brethren and sisters, to be called upon to address you this forenoon; and still more so, to address you upon the principle which has been named, namely, a plurality of wives. It is rather new ground for me; that is, I have not been in the habit of publicly speaking upon this subject; and it is rather new ground to the inhabitants of the United States, and not only to them, but to a...

Chapter 1Introduction "Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. Let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He did not leave that open to us. He did not intend to."- C.S. Lewis1A Restoration Church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) is a radical religion by the standards...

Critics attack Joseph Smith for his introduction and practice of polygamy. These attacks usually focus on arguing that polygamy is unchristian or unbiblical, Joseph hid the truth about the practice, it was illegal and thus improper, and that polygamy sprang from Joseph's carnal desires. Unchristian? The criticism that polygamy is irreligious appeals to western sensibilities that favor monogamy, and argues that polygamy is inconsistent with biblical Christianity or (ironically) the Book of Mormon itself. There is extensive, unequivocal evidence that polygamous relationships were condoned under various circumstances by biblical prophets, despite how uncomfortable this might make a modern Christian. Elder...

LDS Church leaders have agreed to seek national landmark status for the church-owned Mountain Meadows Massacre site in southern Utah where Mormons attacked a California-bound wagon train on Sept. 11, 1857. A national landmark designation would ensure that the 120 Arkansas emigrants of the Fancher/Baker wagon train company who were killed by Mormon militia and some Paiute Indians "will always be remembered as part of our nation's history," said Marlin K. Jensen, an LDS general authority and official historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jensen met Friday in Arkansas with about 20 representatives of the Mountain...

It's been nearly a quarter of a century since Freemasons in Utah rescinded a 60-year ban that prohibited Latter-day Saints from joining their fraternity. And while many remember the religious division that had characterized Freemasonry in the Beehive State from pioneer times, Glen Cook believes he is evidence that things are changing among his Masonic brethren. Cook, a Salt Lake criminal defense attorney and Brigham Young University law school graduate, is believed to be the first member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be elected grand master in Utah in nearly a century, overseeing the activities...

At least one version of an e-mail that's been spreading like wildfire in recent days says it this way: "Check this picture out. It has just been released by the RLDS church as being an authentic picture of the prophet Joseph Smith." The message includes a photograph that may or may not be a scan of a historical image captured by early photographic technology of the founder and first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  LDS Church publicists released a short statement on Wednesday saying that church officials can neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of...

Elijah Abel, Jane Manning James and Green Flake hold a unique, but rather obscure place in Mormon history: all three joined the church in its infancy and all three were black people. They also remained faithful after policies were altered and black people were denied full membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Abel was the first black man ordained to the priesthood in 1836. James worked in the home of church founder Joseph Smith and followed the faith's next president, Brigham Young, across the Plains to Utah in 1848. Flake came to Utah as well, but...

So you're single. An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Age twenty-something, a college graduate with a successful career. Sounds normal, right? After all, many singles don't even consider marriage until their late 20s, according to national studies about marriage and dating. But not in Utah, where the legend is if you're 27, LDS and not married, you're a menace to society. Members of the LDS Church believe marriage is "ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children," according to "The Family: A...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Monday morning it will establish a new imprint for publishing works relating to its origin and growth— the Church Historian's Press. "The claims the church makes are in its history," Elder Marlin K. Jensen, church historian and member of the Seventy, said. "It seems logical to have a Church Historian's Press." Although this publishing effort may never have its own separate printing facilities, its staff and efforts will utilize those of church-owned Deseret Book initially and perhaps someday even the facilities of the church's own existing printing services too. "We don't...

BOISE - A man has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the Boy Scouts and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, contending they didn't do enough to stop a Scout troop leader from sexually abusing children. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Malheur County Circuit Court in Vale, Ore., by a 53-year-old man identified only as Tom Doe. Doe alleges that Larren Arnold, a leader of his Nampa, Idaho, Boy Scout troop, sexually abused him for about three years, starting in 1967, and that the abuse left him with debilitating physical, emotional and mental injuries. Arnold could not...

SALT LAKE CITY ---- Last fall, the head of the Mormon church's Relief Society delivered a treatise on motherhood that equated nurturing with keeping a tidy house. Women in poor countries who dress their daughters in clean, ironed dresses, the speaker said, honor a sacred covenant. Julie B. Beck's exhortation at the church's General Conference that Mormon women strive to be "the best homemakers in the world" did not go unanswered. More than 250 women signed an online rebuttal. The exchange illustrates that while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is years removed from open hostilities over feminism,...

A prominent Hindu leader met a senior leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Salt Lake City (Utah) yesterday and discussed similarities in both the religions. Rajan Zed, prominent leader of Hindus and Indo-Americans, and Neil L. Anderson, member of the Presidency of the Seventy of LDS Church, met in LDS headquarters in Salt Lake City, and talked about various issues concerning their religions. Similarities examined were "law of the harvest" of LDS and karma doctrine of Hinduism; life does not begin with birth nor end with death; Brahman is unlimited and pervasive, so is...

Snip Let us not forget that Romney snapped his fingers before the election and decided to become a conservative by switching his positions on a litany of key issues, even though his past record was moderate. There were endless gaffes throughout the campaign in which he reinforced the well-earned perception that he would say anything to get elected--from describing himself as a lifelong hunter even though he had hunted only twice, for saying he watched his father march with MLK, for claiming an endorsement of the NRA he never received, etc. He also failed to emotionally connect with voters. I...

Mitt Romney's campaign for the presidency brought more attention to the Mormon Church than it has had in years. What the church discovered was not heartening. Critics of its doctrines and culture launched frequent public attacks. Polling data showed that far more Americans say they'd never vote for a Mormon than those who admitted they wouldn't choose a woman or an African-American. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in late January revealed that 50% of Americans said they would have reservations or be "very uncomfortable" about a Mormon as president... The Mormon religion "was the silent factor in a lot...

Mitt Romney suspended his presidential campaign yesterday, after his poor showing on Super Tuesday made a victory over John McCain all but mathematically impossible. As much as McCain and Mike Huckabee loathe Mitt, it's been easy to imagine them conspiring to deliver the killing stroke. Conventional wisdom says Huckabee won five southern states outright and helped turn others, such as Missouri, to McCain by taking conservative votes away from Romney. But Romney probably wasn't going to earn those ballots anyway. Southern states have GOP primary electorates dominated by evangelical Christians, specifically by Southern Baptists. And many of those Southern Baptists...

Salt Lake City - This morning, PETA sent a letter to newly elected Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Thomas Monson wishing him well in his new position and urging him to emphasize God's requirement to protect His creatures and treat our bodies as sacred gifts by urging all Mormons to go vegetarian. "As you know, the Doctrine and Covenants states, 'And [animals] hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger,'" writes PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich, a lifelong Christian, in his letter to Monson. "Adopting a vegetarian diet...

President Thomas S. Monson was named Monday morning as the 16th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Henry B. Eyring and President Deiter F. Uchtdorf were named as first and second counselors, respectively, in the First Presidency.

...Why is Utah Governor Huntsman in the McCain camp? Several years ago I had a lengthy conversation with the late Elder David B. Haight of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church. He and I were driving through the streets of little Oakley, Idaho where both he and George Romney, Mitt's dad had grown up. He spoke fondly of the long, lazy summer days when he and his best boyhood pal, George, would don their worn and cutoff bib overalls and swim for hours in the irrigation canals of Oakley. He mentioned how it was that these...

Posted: 8:31 PM- The funeral for LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. in Salt Lake City's LDS Conference Center. While funerals for every president from Brigham Young on have taken place in the LDS Tabernacle, Hinckley's will be in the center to accommodate the expected crowds.     The 97-year-old leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died at his Salt Lake City home on Sunday at 7 p.m., surrounded by his children and other members of the governing First Presidency.     Though many saw signs of decline in recent weeks,...

The foreign retention rate is critical to the future of the Mormon church. An American-born denomination, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now boasts more members abroad than at home — about 55 percent of the world's 13 million Mormons live outside the U.S., according to church figures. -SNIP-Some scholars suggest the church is struggling to retain members because it resists accommodating the cultural trappings of other countries. The Roman Catholic Church, in contrast, has allowed drumming in African parishes, something Mormon leaders frown on. Even in the African bush, Mormon missionaries still wear white shirts and ties....

He was the people's prophet. It wasn't just the fact that he led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for nearly 13 years, or traveled almost a million miles to conduct the church's business, or helped spread the faith and its message in ways few could have imagined a decade ago. As President Gordon B. Hinckley confessed to church members worldwide during a recent general conference, "I love you." And they loved him back in a personal way at his viewing on Thursday, coming by the thousands to the Conference Center downtown, in cars and buses; on bikes...

I thought this was touching and showed a very human side to Glenn Beck.

I live in a beautiful rural valley of 700 people in eastern Idaho and after I came to live here I found out that Utah isn’t the only place that is fifty percent Mormon. As a compulsively inquisitive geo-political junkie I decided to look through the Book of Mormon so I could learn a little about the belief of my neighbors. As with any outsider looking into another’s faith, I found many outlandish passages that would require faith to swallow, however, this is a characteristic that all religions share. What I have learned of my Mormon neighbors in the years...

Statement from President George W. Bush: Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our friend, Gordon B. Hinckley. While serving for over seven decades in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon demonstrated the heart of a servant and the wisdom of a leader. He was a tireless worker and a talented communicator who was respected in his community and beloved by his congregation. As President of his church, he traveled to more than 60 countries to spread a message of love and optimism to the millions of people around the world who shared his...

(ABC 4 News) SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley has died. He was 97 years old. President Gordon B. Hinckley, world leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was ordained and set apart as the 15th President of the Church on Sunday, March 12, 1995. He had earlier served 14 years as a counselor in the First Presidency, the top governing body of the Church, and as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for 20 years prior to that. President Hinckley married Marjorie Pay in the Salt...