Free Republic

BYU students have many options when they choose classes to fulfill 14 required religion credits. Options range from classes that study world religions to Church history, temples, living prophets, and even missionary preparation. Missionary preparation is a two-credit class, in which students learn skills that will help them if they decide to serve a full-time mission, as well as be a member missionary for the rest of their lives. "Our program is a support to the training that the Missionary Training Center gives," said Brent L. Top, chair of the Church History and Doctrine Department at BYU. "The Missionary Training...

Because of changes in Swiss immigration and labor laws, the Mormon church and other religious groups soon will be unable to send any non-European missionaries to Switzerland. But Mormon leaders and some U.S. government officials are hoping to find a way around that change in policy. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officials issued a statement on Tuesday saying Mormons have "a long history in Switzerland dating back to 1850. We hope a solution can be found that allows missionaries, regardless of their country of origin to serve the Swiss people." A group of 13 Mormon members of Congress,...

Dear Editor, The Guyana political opposition is all up in arms about the story of the group of Mormons who have clearly broken the country’s immigration laws. Interestingly, the lawbreakers are all Americans and opposition activists are keenly playing up this aspect rather than seeing their departure as merely a procedural aspect of law and order. The government has said that the church may send in replacement missionaries provided their paperwork is intact. Recently, the opposition has taken to cozying up to anything American, even writing to the American government and asking the Obama administration to meddle in local politics....