LDS Lubbock Stake Has Grown By 31 Percent Since 2002; Two New Wards Created, A Third Chapel Under Construction

The LDS Temple in Lubbock, Texas

On May 5th, 2010, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal published a story about the activities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The story's primary focus was on the growth of the Church in the Lubbock area. Understandable, since the Lubbock Stake, which had 2,381 members in 2002, now records 3,125 members, an increase of 31 percent in just eight years. This exceeds the overall growth rate of the Church. The city's overall population is 220,483 as of July 2008.

As a result of the membership surge, the original five wards, parceled out amongst two separate chapels, have now been expanded to seven, with two new wards being created just this month. One of the chapels is designated as the stake center, and is immediately adjacent to the temple. To help accommodate the new wards, a third chapel is being constructed at 114 Street and Milwaukee Avenue, and is expected to be completed within the next 18 months. Junius Merrill, Lubbock Stake public affairs director, said that the ideal ward size is 200 to 250 members, but because of the sudden increase in members, some of the wards had grown to 400 members, which becomes unwieldy and inhibits personal ministry.

Personal ministry is one of the main reasons the church is expanding. Kimberly Simon, a 28-year-old who recently joined the church, said she immediately felt welcome at Sunday services. “I really enjoyed the big family atmosphere. I didn’t feel like a stranger,” Simon said. “That feeling made me want to know more about the spiritual doctrine of the church.” She began meeting with missionaries to learn more about the church in October 2009. About six weeks later she became a baptized member, thanks to the efforts of two of the 122 full-time missionaries serving in West Texas. Find out HERE what to expect when LDS missionaries knock on your door.

Another possible reason for the Church's strong growth in Lubbock is the presence of a temple, which was dedicated in 2002. The Lubbock Temple is the fourth temple in Texas, in addition to those in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. View this map to see the distribution of temples in the South Central U.S. Find out more about the purposes of temples HERE.

Another well-written, factual article about Latter-day Saints by a local media outlet.

Can A Latter-Day Saint Be Both A Liberal And A "Real" Mormon? If They Are Members Loyal To Church Doctrine, The Answer Is "Yes"

A post entitled "Are Liberal Mormons Real Mormons?" on the Things Of My Soul blog gave me the idea for this post. There is somewhat of a growing divide within the Church between liberal and conservative Mormons, and I think it would be useful to explore and resolve it as much as possible. This divide was most recently exacerbated by the LDS Church's advocacy on behalf of California Proposition 8, although the Church itself merely launched the campaign, while the funding and the trooping came from individual members.

Part of the problem lies with the liberals themselves. Many of them have not yet become truly secure in their political positions. So they seek to overcompensate in advance, reacting defensively and emotionally to challenge and criticism. Rather than promoting dialogue, they end up pushing monologue.

But many liberals within the Church do report experiencing hostility and even outright abuse from some conservative members. Some will even imply that liberal Mormons aren't real Mormons, without considering whether or not the liberal Mormon is a member in good standing, a full tithe-payer with a temple recommend. One statement attributed to President Ezra Taft Benson years ago is that one could not be both a good Mormon and a Democrat. But to imply that liberal Mormons may not be real Mormons is unacceptable.

How did Mormons in the United States become predominantly conservative? It's because the Democratic Party changed. The Democrats started espousing liberal positions on social issues. They promoted elective abortion and so-called "gay rights". These are anathema to Church doctrine. Consequently, many LDS who had been Democrat dating back to the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal shifted to the Republican Party simply because it became the only party posing no threat to the LDS social agenda. They had no other political home available to them.

But there are plenty of examples of liberal Mormons who are "real" Mormons. One of the best examples can be found on the MormonLeft blog. Viewing the blog, you can tell it is a classical liberal resource, replete with the standard links to an extremist site like Daily Kos as well as links to more moderate liberal resources. However, his political liberalism has no apparent effect upon his doctrinal loyalty to the Church. In this post, MormonLeft continues to clearly express doctrinal allegiance to the LDS theological position on homosexuality:

Where the problem comes is where the church is asked to repudiate "such teachings as homosexuality being an evil perversion." "Evil perversion" seems harsh, lets just call it sin. No matter the semantics, though, this will not change. First, it is not the homosexuality that is a sin, but homosexual actions, which is not a small difference. In any case, changing the church's teachings here would be reversing a prophetic pronouncement and one of the most basic doctrinal tenets of the church: the sanctity of the heterosexual marriage.

Not only is it theologically untenable, it is not necessary. As I stated above, there is no reason why we can't hold on dearly to our beliefs but still allow gay marriage amendments and votes to go forward without our opposition. Allowing gays to marry will not cheapen my marriage, or any other temple marriage that has ever been performed, nor will it negate or lessen the prophetic and doctrinal truth that we espouse. We can still use our influence through our missionary program and our examples and discussions with our neighbors, but going the political route is more harmful than beneficial. The church won't, and shouldn't, reverse its teachings about marriage, but it can, and should, take a different approach in public statements and treatment of non-Mormon gays. These are very different things that should not be confused and completely intertwined.

{snip}

But the church has always stressed love and sympathy and tolerance of the person. Many members can't separate the condemnation of the sin and the person, and I admit that it is very hard. When church teaches that homosexuality is a sin, but that the person is to be loved and respected, many members use this as a basis for over-the-top rhetoric against the sin and the person. The fault is not with the church, but with the individual that misinterprets. The church, I believe, can and should stress this point more clearly and often for those that don't understand.

It looks to me like this is a good faith effort to bring the two sides together, but there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between doctrine and public policy. For the church and its faithful members, requiring that it reverse its prophetic pronouncement and no longer consider homosexual acts sins is a non-starter. But members of the church can begin separate the politics from the doctrine and reach out with more understanding and tolerance.

You can clearly see that on four separate occasions within this post, MormonLeft clearly supports the LDS Church's doctrinal position on homosexuality. So despite the fact that he still supports more "rights" for gays in the civil realm, there is NO REASON to question MormonLeft's faithfulness to the Church. Until proven otherwise, MormonLeft is both a liberal AND a real Mormon.

Two other prominent examples of liberal Mormons who can be considered "real" Mormons are Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT). While Senator Reid espouses some strongly liberal positions, his Mormonism assures there is a barrier beyond which he will not stray, and permits him to act as a restraining force upon more radical senators such as Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and gun-grabber Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). And Rep. Matheson is actually part of the "Blue-Dog Democratic Caucus", for Democratic lawmakers who are economically to the left, but are socially conservative.

Consequently, to promote greater unity and inclusivity within LDS ranks, I suggest the following definition of a "real" Mormon: If you are officially a member of the Church, and profess allegiance to the core doctrines of the Church, then you are a "real" Mormon. Your secular politics, Church activity, and temple worthiness will not be taken into account. This attitude will also encourage LDS members who stray into inactivity not to give up and leave the Church altogether. It will strengthen the greater LDS community.

Are Latter-Day Saints Inadvertently Aiding And Abetting Mass Immigration And Even Illegal Immigration Into The United States?

The answer to the question posed in the title of this post is ambiguous. Certainly, there are many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who take a strong stand against both mass immigration and illegal immigration into the U.S. One of the most prominent examples is Utah's 3rd District Congressman Jason Chaffetz, himself a devout Mormon, who promotes the idea of enforcement through attrition, and who believes the path to citizenship for all illegals must, at some point, lead back OUTSIDE the United States. He also wants legal immigration ratcheted down to more sustainable and manageable levels.

However, many Mormons not only do not share Congressman Chaffetz' commitment to protecting our country's borders, but they actually believe we should throw our borders wide open to facilitate what's called "the gathering of the elect to Zion", notwithstanding the Twelfth Article of Faith, which states that we shall "obey, honor, and sustain the law". And the current law quite clearly states that prospective immigrants must take their place in line and follow proper procedure to seek admittance to our national home.

One such individual who believes our borders must be thrown wide open to facilitate this "gathering" posted the following comment in response to a mostly-unrelated post on Times and Seasons entitled "Why Are The Faithful Fleeing":

Comment #53, posted by Bookslinger:

I think immigrants, Hispanic and other, are going to be a big factor in the growth and makeup of the LDS church in North America, just like they’ve become a factor in the Catholic church.

I believe that the huge number of immigrants in the US in the last 20 years, not just Hispanics, but Asians and Africans, is part of the fullfillment of the gathering prophecy in the Book of Mormon: “I will gather my elect from the four corners of the earth”. That’s not just a specific gathering to the city or land of Zion or the city or land of Jerusalem, but a gathering to the stakes of Zion. And the US currently has the most stakes of Zion. There currently are no stakes in China, or India, or Senegal, or Ethiopia, or Mali, so I think the Lord is gathering them here.

And in some countries where there are stakes, and even temples, there are still vast areas without a church presence.

The Lord has “gathered” thousands of Africans, East Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, and other Asians to Indianapolis, and every major US city. And I mean thousands from each of those areas/countries just to Indianapolis alone, not merely thousands in the aggregate.

And, in order to gather “the elect”, (whoever they are) the Lord also has to bring in others with them. The Lord didn’t say he will gather the elect and ONLY the elect. I think that their brothers, sisters, cousins, parents, children, uncles, aunts, neices and nephews are coming along with them too. [Ed. Note: That's called chain migration.]

Of course, Bookslinger completely disregards the aforementioned Twelfth Article of Faith, which commands us to "obey, honor, and sustain the law". But more importantly, Bookslinger also does not reference the other dictum, which is to carry the Gospel to ALL parts of the earth. This means the fulness of the Gospel must be carried to every nation, kindred, and tongue. While the Lord may gather the elect in the future through forces yet to be completely set in motion, we have a current mandate to exert every reasonable effort to bring the Gospel to them. This is why we have over 50,000 missionaries in the field.

And when we make an honest effort to obey this commandment, the Lord opens doors for us. One of the most common ways the Lord opens doors to recalcitrant nations is through "regime change". Most of the time, regime change must be imposed externally, as it was in World Wars I and II, and in Iraq. However, in one of the greatest miracles of the 20th century, regime change took place internally when the Soviet Empire voluntarily and peacefully disbanded. Since that time, the Gospel has more successfully penetrated Eastern Europe, and now there's a temple in Kiev, Ukraine.

To add insult to injury, many of the immigrants that Bookslinger cherishes hardly constitute the "elect". I certainly don't consider MS-13 gangbangers to be the "elect".

The LDS Church does not have an official "thus saith the Lord" position on illegal immigration. But on February 15th, 2008, the Deseret News recorded the unofficial position espoused by Marlin K. Jensen, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. During an interfaith forum on immigration at Westminster College, Elder Jensen stated, "The church's view of someone in undocumented status is akin, in a way, to a civil trespass", relating it to coming onto someone's property uninvited. "There is nothing inherent or wrong about that status", he concluded. The Church also does not ask local leaders to question prospective converts or members seeking temple privileges about their citizenship status, because, as spokesman Mark Tuttle later put it, "The church does not see itself as an enforcement agency".

And in response to Latter-day Saints who use the Twelfth Article of Faith argument to question why the church baptizes people and issues temple recommends to members who live in the country illegally, Tuttle responds, "I wonder how they'd feel about the second great commandment, to love thy neighbor as thyself. It's not an answer to your question, but it's another question. Sometimes it's hard to do them all". But does Tuttle love our foreign "neighbors" enough to put them up in HIS house?

I'm not suggesting that the LDS Church should become an enforcement agency. But put the moral burden on the interviewee during a worthiness interview by asking the person "are you obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law to the best of your ability?". This might encourage some illegals, out of a sense of conscience, to answer honestly.

If a member identifies himself as an illegal immigrant to his bishop, should his bishop turn him in? Tough question, but if bishops are required to turn in admitted sex offenders and others who confess crimes to them, aren't they also equally obligated to turn in self-confessed illegal immigrants?

Spotlight On Argentina: Integrity And Stability Fuel Latter-Day Saint Growth In Latin America

While there are some occasional challenges presented to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Latin America, such as the sudden evacuation of LDS missionaries from Bolivia to Peru in September 2008, and the recent decision to find a new site for the proposed temple in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the growth of the LDS Church in Latin America has been steady. Of course, one of the selling factors is LDS doctrine about Lamanites; a high percentage of Latin Americans are believed to have Lamanite (Amerindian) ancestry, although not all Amerindians are descended from Lamanites (the Book of Mormon merely focuses on two specific tribes in Mesoamerica from 600 B.C. to 400 A.D., and there is no reason to believe that other peoples did not live in the Western Hemisphere during that period).

But there are two other factors aiding LDS growth in Latin America; integrity and stability. During Latin America's most recent 500-year history, both qualities have been in short supply as country after country has been sporadically affected by coups and revolution. In addition, the spirit of mordida prevails throughout much of Latin America, since many public servants tend to be underpaid and rely upon gratuities to supplement their incomes.

Reuters has published an excellent article which not only focuses on the latter attribute, stability, but also on an area of Latin America which often doesn't get publicity - Argentina. Argentina actually defies the typical Latin American stereotype; the majority of their people are of Spanish, Italian, and German ancestry. Other than the fact that they speak Spanish, they are not significantly different than most mainstream Americans.

According to the intro to the main Reuters article, LDS churches are multiplying across traditionally Catholic Latin America, and the region boasts the largest LDS membership outside the United States. They make up some 5.2 million of the Church’s 13.5 million global membership. And Reuters sent Kylie Stott from their Buenos Aires bureau to visit the Belgrano Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints there. It is housed in one of the 692 Mormon chapels in Argentina (5,500 total in Latin America). The Church also has one temple in Buenos Aires and another being planned for Cordoba. Stott found that the perceived stability and status of the church is a draw for many Latin Americans who have lived through economic and political turmoil, and her findings are documented in a three-page article here. Some highlights are presented below.

Diego Lacho, a 28-year-old Argentinian who recently converted, spoke to Reuters. "To begin with it wasn't easy, obviously it was a life-changing decision ... But now I have the faith and I have a shield to protect me from society, because today's world is a difficult one". Lacho, a casino worker, married a Mormon woman three years ago and was baptized in August. He has learned to follow church rules against smoking, alcohol and coffee.

Sociologist Cesar Ceriani, who recently published a book on Mormon missionary work in Argentina, says Latin Americans see the Latter-day Saints as pure, reliable and economically powerful in a region often plagued by instability and corruption. The church has an estimated global annual revenue of $5 billion, and everywhere it is expanding it spends heavily on new temples and chapels and on aid projects like clean water wells, hospitals and educational kits. Indeed, the Church is participating in the effort to help the people in Western Kentucky who are still without power after the ice storms.

"The church has a lot of visible power, and people notice that the missionaries are always so neat, and the mission presidents are always so busy and well-dressed," Ceriani said. "They see the church as a tool, or a way of getting a better position or job, or belonging to a social group that gives one more stability and support," he continued.

Another factor working in the Church's favor is that in Latin America, most people are not aware of scandals that harm it elsewhere, such as media attention in the United States to polygamous practices by isolated fundamentalist Mormon groups. Church leaders emphasize that these fundamentalists do not belong to the official church, which abolished polygamy more than a century ago and opened its priesthood to males of all races 30 years ago.

Reuters also sought input from one of the Church's full-time missionaries serving in the area. "The life of a missionary is busy, busy, busy. We're working really hard all the time trying to find people that are interested in the gospel... from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. We're running the whole day. We get pretty tired," said Elder Fuller, a missionary from Idaho working in Argentina. Elder Fuller, who is not allowed to use his first name while on mission, is halfway through his mission, and so far has helped convert six people, a fairly standard number for most Mormon missionaries.

One of the LDS Church's continuing challenges is to keep converts active in the Church once they join. In some areas, converts tend to have a high inactivity rate; one comment to the Reuters story posted by a former LDS missionary in Ecuador indicated that out of 2,000 members in his area, only 20 were active. This is not necessarily typical, but it is an indicator of the need to keep converts interested and engaged. Upon becoming Church President in 2008, Thomas S. Monson issued a specific appeal to inactive members to come back.

Reuters did an excellent job with this article.

LDS Stake Center In Logandale, Nevada Burns Down; Three Wards And 1400 Mormons Displaced, Arson Not Suspected

On February 4th 2009, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' stake center in Logandale, Nevada, approximately 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas, caught fire and burned down. As a result, three separate LDS wards constituting approximately 1400 church members are now displaced. Full stories published by the Mormon Times, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and KTNV Channel 13 in Las Vegas. Additional local perspective (and photos) available at Bev's Journeyings and the Milennial Star.

The fire broke out in a back room approximately 4 A.M. on February 4th and spread to the main facility. Sixty firefighters from Clark County, North Las Vegas and Mesquite responded quickly and were able to save an office building and church records, but the chapel itself was a total loss. Clark County fire spokesman Scott Allison says there's no immediate indication of foul play, but he said the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating because it's a church fire. Federal investigators routinely participate in the investigation of any church fire. KTNV news video embedded below:



The church, located at 3245 Moapa Valley Blvd in Logandale, is the first and oldest Mormon congregation in the area. It was first dedicated in 1951, and was of additional sentimental value because many of the members at that time personally made and laid the bricks from which it was constructed.

Ace Robison, stake president for the LDS Church in Moapa Valley, arrived on scene within 15 minutes of receiving the call. The 65-year-old Logandale native was greeted by flames erupting from the roof as the blaze moved through the attic, and found it devastating. Robison worshipped at the church for most of his life. He now oversees the 13 wards spread among five chapels in the historically Mormon farming communities of Logandale, Moapa and Overton. The region is home to 7,200 people, most of them members of the Mormon church.

"It's a terrible loss for the community," said Bryant Robison, the stake president's older brother and a lifelong Logandale resident. "It meant a lot to the community. It meant a lot to me." When he was in high school, Bryant Robison helped mix concrete and make bricks for the church every Saturday.

Susan Whipple was a toddler when the chapel was dedicated 58 years ago, and the building played a big role in her life. On February 5th, she sat on a folding chair across the street as her son, Scott, helped break apart the smoking remains of a structure her father helped build. Whipple rushed to the church around 6 A.M. about two hours after firefighters were called out.

Other wards in the area will make room for the three displaced wards until the chapel is rebuilt. It customarily takes one to two years to rebuild a chapel.

LDS Church Highlights Significant Events Of 2008; Change In Presidency Ranked Most Significant, Proposition 8 Only Ranked Fourth

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued a press release entitled "2008: A Historic Year for the Church", in which they describe those events significant to the Church's mission. While not specified, the list appears to be ranked in order of importance.

Read the full press release HERE. I present a condensed version below.

(1). Church Leadership: The passing of Gordon B. Hinckley and subsequent accession of Thomas S. Monson appears to have been the most significant event. Included in this category was the accession of Dietrich Uchtdorf as Second Counselor, and D. Todd Christofferson to the Quorum of The Twelve, as well as the death of another apostle, Joseph B. Wirthlin.

(2). Publishing and Church History: The publication of the inaugural volume of the "Joseph Smith Papers" was characterized as a landmark literary event. It's the first of an expected 30 volumes, which will include journals, correspondence, discourses and written histories, as well as legal and business documents. Also in this category was the distribution of the 140 millionth copy of the Book of Mormon.

(3). Temples: The dedication of newly-constructed temples and the announcement of future temples continued throughout the year. Four temples were dedicated - Rexburg Idaho, Curitiba Brazil, Panama City Panama and Twin Falls Idaho. The Mexico City Mexico Temple was also re-dedicated. In addition, nine future temples were announced; Rome Italy; Gila Valley, Gilbert and Phoenix all in Arizona, Calgary Alberta, Kansas City Missouri, Cordoba Argentina, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and Trujillo Peru.

(4). Protecting Marriage: The Church encouraged members in California and Arizona to support broad-based coalitions to define marriage as between and man and a woman. Both ballot measures passed in November. This galvanized and polarized the nation.

(5). Humanitarian Efforts: Leading examples include providing relief to victims of hurricanes and other natural disasters such as the flooding in Myanmar, and sending dozens of semi-truck loads of supplies to the Gulf Coast to aid those affected by Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike.

(6). Commemorating the Priesthood Revelation: The Church formally commemorated the 1978 decision to extend priesthood eleigibility to black men, who were heretofore denied by Biblical injunction. Thousands packed the Salt Lake Tabernacle to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the revelation.

(7). Correcting Misconceptions: Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve basically urged Mormons to start blogging and exploiting the Internet more vigorously. I started Mormonism-Unveiled in response to that call.

(8). Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Dr. Mack Wilberg was appointed as the new director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, replacing former director Dr. Craig Jessop, who led the choir for over eight years.

It appears that the LDS Church wanted to limit the list to newsworthy events of positive impact. Consequently, events like Mitt Romney's campaign, the FLDS crisis, David Archuleta's American Idol stint and Chad Hardy's excommunication, though receiving national publicity, were excluded from consideration.

Mormon Media Observer somewhat followed the Church's reasoning. According to the Mormon Times, Mormon Media Observer's list, in order of priority, was the death of President Hinckley, Mitt Romney's campaign, Proposition 8, FLDS-LDS confusion, and Latter-day Saints' increase online.

I have found two other sources which have put together lists of top LDS events. MormonMentality published a Top Five list and named Gordon Hinckley's death as the top LDS event of 2008. Voice Of Deseret took it one step further - he not only published a Top Eight list, naming the Prop 8 campaign as the top LDS event, but is also running a poll on which you can vote.

My Top Five: Prop 8, Mitt Romney's campaign, the death of Gordon Hinckley, the accession of Thomas Monson, and the FLDS crisis.

Why Latter-Day Saints Don't Hold Special Religious Services On Christmas Eve Or Christmas Day

As Christmas 2008 approaches, perhaps you've checked your local newspaper to find out when and here Christmas worship services are being held. The Roman Catholic Church is particularly noteworthy for their Christmas religious services, particularly Midnight Mass, and I recommend that all people attend a Midnight Mass on at least one occasion to experience the liturgy and to pay homage to Jesus Christ.

But as you review the list of religious services, you'll notice that the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not listed as holding services, and perhaps you wonder why.

The reason the LDS Church does not hold special services on Christmas is because we do NOT believe that Jesus Christ was born on December 25th. Instead, we believe that Jesus Christ was born on April 6th, which also happens to be the date the LDS Church was formally organized.

But this has not canonized as official doctrine, but is merely a tradition. This is why Latter-day Saints continue to observe Christmas during the normal season in other ways. The history of the April 6th tradition is actually spelled out on the ReligiousTolerance website, and is described as follows:

Many Christians believe that Yeshua was actually born on December 25. Some suggest that he was born in the year 1 BCE. Many religious historians, liberals, etc. suggest that the birth occurred circa 4 to 7 BCE, possibly in the Spring, but more likely in the Fall.

Some Mormon leaders suggest that Jesus was born on April 6, which is the precise month and day on which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was founded in 1830, (The church celebrated its 175 anniversary recently, on 2005-APR-06.)

James E. Talmage (1862-1955), a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, was commissioned by Church president Joseph F Smith to write a biography of the life of Yeshua called: "The Life of Christ." It is still in circulation almost a century later. He wrote: "As to the season of the year in which Christ was born, there is among the learned as great a diversity of opinion as that relating to the year itself. It is claimed by many Biblical scholars that December 25th, the day celebrated in Christendom as Christmas, cannot be the correct date. We believe April 6th to be the birthday of Jesus Christ as indicated in a revelation of the present dispensation already cited in which that day is made without qualification the completion of the one thousand eight hundred and thirtieth year since the coming of the Lord in the flesh. This acceptance is admittedly based on faith in modern revelation, and in no wise is set forth as the result of chronological research or analysis. We believe that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, April 6, 1 B.C".

Elder Neil A Maxwell, who served as an Apostle in the Church, concurred with this date in his book "But for a Small Moment": "Significantly, Joseph [Smith] was finally released from Liberty Jail, with a subsequent escape en route, on April 6, 1839 -- both the Savior's and his church's birthday".

And this is also echoed by prolific LDS author Bruce R. McConkie in his book entitled "Mormon Doctrine". Since the text of this book cannot be found online, I am transcribing his entry about Christmas directly from pp 132-33 in the 31st printing, published in 1986:

"Modern day Christians celebrate December 25th as an annual church festival and as the traditional day of our Lord's mortal birth. Special gifts and greetings are common, and both Christmas itself and the whole yuletide season often take on an air of commercialism and worldliness. Apparently Christ was born on the day corresponding to April 6th (D&C 20:1), but the saints nevertheless join in the wholesome portions of the Christmas celebration. Christmas becomes to them an ideal opportunity to renew their search for the true Spirit of Christ and to center their attentions again on the true doctrine of his birth as the Son of an Immortal Father, a fact that enabled Him to work out the infinite and eternal atonement".

But while D&C 20:1 implies that Jesus may have been born on April 6th, it doesn't state so directly, so it remains merely a tradition and cannot be canonized as formal doctrine.

And the GospelCougar blog has posted statements from other LDS leaders, including the following from President Gordon B. Hinckley:

“In a few days comes the promise that spring will come again and summer will return, as it has through all the millennia that men have been upon the earth. It is no wonder that in ancient times Christmas, commemorating the birth of the Christ child, was celebrated at this solstice season. Men had no knowledge of the time of His birth, and so they came to bond the celebration of Christmas with the celebration of the return of the sun. While we now know through revelation the time of the Savior’s birth [April 6], we observe the 25th of December with the rest of the Christian world.”(“Christmas Devotional with First Presidency,” Ensign, Feb. 1998, 74–75)

To be consistent, Latter-day Saints do not hold special religious services on April 6th. In fact, Latter-day Saints only hold religious services on Sunday, the Christian Sabbath. This means no special Easter services, either.

However, local LDS bishops are not barred from holding Christmas services if they so desire, and a few have held such services, as documented in some comments to this blog post on Feminist Mormon Housewives. But in general, devout Mormons have so many callings and other meetings related to these callings that they generally would rather take Christmas off and observe it in other ways.

Exploring The Controversy Surrounding The LDS Church's "Handbook Of Instructions"; It's Nothing More Than A Procedural Manual For Church Leaders

One of the issues generating significant grist for the propaganda mills of anti-Mormons is the "Handbook of Instructions", periodically published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because physical distribution of this resource is limited to Latter-day Saints in leadership positions, and because the LDS Church has suppressed its indiscriminate online publication due to copyright issues, anti-Mormons seize upon this as an excuse to maliciously portray the Church as secretive and abusive. Anti-Mormon sites exploiting this issue included the LDSFreedom website, the ExMormon website, and the Utah Lighthouse Ministry.

The most recent mainstream media coverage of this issue was posted in May 2008 by the Mormon Times.

Just what is the Handbook of Instructions? Wikipedia provides an explanation. The Church's Handbook of Instructions is actually divided into two volumes. The church only distributes copies of the handbook to individuals that fill certain leadership callings within the church hierarchy.

Click HERE to view a 198-page truncated version of Part 1 of the 1999 Handbook of Instructions in PDF format. Perhaps the Church allows Wikileaks to continue hosting this version is that it is NOT the most current version (2006), and that all charts have been removed from it. Despite the limitations, it will still provide the reader with a good idea as to what this book is really all about - and there's nothing sinister, underhanded, or secretive about it.

Book 1 is subtitled "Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics". It's provided to stake presidencies, bishoprics, mission presidencies, district presidencies, and branch presidencies (presidencies/bishoprics are defined as the principal and his two counselors). Other officials receiving copies include members of a stake high council, temple presidents and their counselors, general authorities, area seventies, and church clerks and executive secretaries.

Topics addressed include guidelines involving general, area, and regional administration; stake administration; ward administration; interviewing and counseling; performance of ordinances; callings and releases; church meetings and worship services; temples and marriage; missionary service; church discipline; single adults and students; the Church Educational System; Perpetual Education Fund; military relations; records and reports; church finances; physical church facilities; creating and changing church congregations and other units; and general church policies on administrative, health, and moral issues.

Book 2 is subtitled "Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders". It's provided to every quorum president and auxiliary organization leader at stake, ward, district, and branch levels, as well as most of the individuals who receive Book 1. Counselors to quorum or auxiliary presidencies and other members receive smaller booklets that excerpt only those portions of Book 2 relevant to their specific church position.

Topics addressed include guidelines involving the Melchizedek priesthood; the Aaronic priesthood and Young Men Organization; Relief Society; Young Women Organization; Primary; Sunday School; member missionary work; spiritual and temporal welfare; temple and family history work; church activities; church curriculum; printed church materials; meetinghouse libraries; music; and teaching in the church. Book 2 also contains some of the general church policites on administrative, health, and moral issues that are contained in Book 1.

In scanning through the Handbook, I found absolutely nothing than can be construed as sinister, underhanded, or secretive. It is exactly as advertised - a procedural manual for Church leaders - nothing more, and nothing less. However, I did learn a very interesting fact; namely, that the Church has more than one type of temple recommend. In addition to the standard Full Recommend, the LDS Church also offers Limited-Use Recommends. These are provided to "unendowed" Mormons (those who have not undergone the full endowment ceremony), allowing them to access a temple solely to perform proxy baptisms and confirmations for deceased individuals.

The significance of this discovery is in its potential further application. The LDS Church is experiencing a growing public relations problem by its refusal to allow non-Mormon guests and even "Jack Mormon" guests to witness the temple weddings of devout Mormons. The concept of the Limited-Use Recommend gives me an idea on how the Church can consider resolving this issue, which I will discuss at greater length in a future post.

Yet the LDS Church has pursued litigation against those who have published or who have hosted copies of the Handbook in the past. The most notable targets include the Utah Lighthouse Ministry, LDSFreedom, and Wikimedia. It appears, though, that copyright issues are not the only concern. Some are concerned that the Handbook could be exploited by anti-Mormons (which is already occurring). But one other concern expressed in a comment on Jeff Lindsay's Mormanity blog is the possibility that LDS members could use the Handbook to promote second-guessing of the leadership. Bishops probably don't want to deal with a constant bombardment of "you didn't do this quite right" or "that's not what the handbook says" when, in fact, they have the keys to tailor the policies to the situation and need.

These are valid concerns, and technically, the LDS Church should be held accountable to the same standard as other denominations in regards to the distribution of procedural manuals. However, the LDS Church has been preferentially targeted over its participation in the Yes On 8 campaign in California, and this has been used as a springboard by anti-Mormons for further misrepresentation and defamation of the Latter-day Saints. Consequently, some extra transparency may be in order to effectively combat the upsurge in anti-Mormon bigotry.

If the LDS Church doesn't want to post the latest version of the Handbook of Instructions online, that's defensible. But at the very least, the LDS Church should allow Wikileaks to keep hosting their dated copy of the Handbook of Instructions as "historical" reference material the public can use to combat anti-Mormon bigotry.

YouTube Video: Mormon Myths And Reality, As Explained By Former NFL Quarterback Steve Young And Former Miss America Sharlene Hawkes

Anyone who is tempted to question former NFL quarterback Steve Young's fidelity to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a result of the recent report that he allowed his wife to display a "No on 8" sign in the yard of their family home in California will be disabused of any doubts after watching the video embedded below.

In the 9:00+ minute video entitled "Mormon Myths and Reality" created on January 4th, 2008, Steve Young teams up with former Miss America Sharlene Hawkes to address and debunk the popular myths about Mormonism and to promote and explain the realities. Read the accompanying press release from the LDS Newsroom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfOyGTLDqjM



The three primary myths debunked in the video:

-- Mormons practice polygamy: Not true; practice indefintely suspended in 1890. The Fundamentalist LDS (FLDS) chose not to accept the change and went their separate way.
-- Mormons care only for their own: Also not true; the Church has participated in a number of aid programs which are religious-neutral.
-- Mormons are not Christians: Also not true. We declare the divinity of Jesus Christ, and look to Him as the only source of salvation. We declare that there is no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ.

This video is one of many currently hosted on the LDS Church's YouTube Public Affairs channel. This channel also features a number of short videos starring Russell Ballard, who is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Elder Ballard has been most active in promoting the use of the Internet to deliver the message of Mormonism worldwide.
End Test

The LDS Word Of Wisdom Wasn't Just A Warning Against Harmful Substances, But Also Against Deceptive Advertising

Many of you are familiar with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints health code, known as the Word of Wisdom. It was revealed to the first president of the Church, Joseph Smith in 1833, and subsequently incorporated into the Doctrine and Covenants as Section 89.

But while the health aspects of the Word of Wisdom are well-known, what's less publicized is the fact that Joseph Smith actually warned us against the deceptive and persuasive advertising which would be used to make these substances attractive to people. Here's the applicable part of Section 89 below:

1 A Word Of Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—
2 To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—
3 Given for a principle with apromise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.
4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—
5 That inasmuch as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is not good, neither meet in the sight of your Father, only in assembling yourselves together to offer up your sacraments before him.
6 And, behold, this should be wine, yea, pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.
7 And, again, strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies.
8 And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.
9 And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.

First, let's look at verse 2. It states that the Word of Wisdom is sent by greeting rather than by commandment or restraint. What does that really mean? When Mormons sit for worthiness interviews from their priesthood chain of command, whether it be for a temple recommend, for mission service, or to accept a higher office within the Priesthood, they are asked if they observe the Word of Wisdom. If the answer is No, then the person will be denied the desired opportunity until he is in compliance. However, the individual will NOT be subject to formal Church discipline.

And therein lies the difference. If you break an actual commandment, such as adultery, you can be subject to Church discipline, which can result in probation, disfellowshipment, or excommunication. However, breaking the Word of Wisdom, since it's not a commandment, merely results in denial of a particular privilege, such as a temple recommend.

Now look at verse 4. This is where the warning against advertising is delivered. And it's definitely come to pass. Advertisers motivated by pure amoral profit show macho men and demure women consuming alcohol and tobacco in an effort to make these substances appear more desirable. Remember the "Marlboro Man"? A macho cowboy. What they didn't show were career smokers hospitalized with lung cancer or hacking their lungs out with COPD. They don't look very macho. Joseph Smith apparently foresaw this, and incorporated this into Section 89.

And finally, the health code itself. Remember, Joseph Smith received and delivered the revelation in 1833, and it is worded in context with the references of the time. As references changed and new substances were invented and marketed, various General Authorities issued subsequent supplemental guidance to keep the Word of Wisdom contemporary. Consequently, the harmful substances identified in Section 89 have been further defined as follows:

(1). Strong drink - any alcoholic beverage. This includes alcopops and 3.2 beer.

(2). Tobacco - any form of tobacco, smokable, chewable, or sniffable.

(3). Hot drinks - formally defined to mean coffee and tea. Decaffinated coffee and tea is O.K.

In addition, the General Authorities have since declared that the consumption of caffeinated soda and recreational drug usage also constitute violations of the Word of Wisdom. LightPlanet.com provides some more guidance. You can also read more authoritative Church guidance HERE.

The consumption of meat is authorized by the Word of Wisdom. However, Mormons are directed to use meat sparingly, since it requires that we take an animal's life. A diet rich in meat actually contributes towards obesity and other health problems. Those who really want to go the extra mile would consume meat only during times of cold weather or scarcity of grains and fruit. Don't forget, the Lord provided the ancient Israelites with BOTH manna AND quail. But Mormons aren't asked about meat consumption during a worthiness interview.

Compliance with the Word of Wisdom is required to be accepted for membership in the LDS Church in the first place, and to retain full membership privileges once in the system.

Introduction To "Mormonism Unveiled"

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I find that, 178 years after the official establishment of the LDS Church, there remains an astonishing amount of misunderstanding regarding the Church. This misunderstanding may have hindered Mitt Romney's Presidential campaign and contributed to what I still consider his premature exit from the race. Another example presents itself in the Anchorage Daily News' Church Visits blog, edited by Chris Thompson. He somehow got the idea that he would be restricted to visiting a particular LDS ward before becoming a member, although visitors are welcome at any LDS ward.

At best, this misunderstanding frustrates honest skeptics who are not necessarily ill-disposed towards the Church, but who fail to understand what it's all about because frequently we have differing definitions for the same terms.

At worst, this misunderstanding provides undeserved opportunities for hard core anti-Mormons to deliberately defame Mormonism and mislead the general public. The most prominent hard core anti-Mormons are generally former LDS who either left of their own accord under hostile circumstances, or were excommunicated for cause. Instead of accepting the decision like a responsible adult and finding an alternative better serving the dictates of their own consciences, they seek to wage war against the Church because they feel they have a "duty" to "expose" Mormonism. These are the only true enemies of the Church, not the honest skeptic who has legitimate doubts.

However, in reading a certain amount of "anti-Mormon" literature, I find that the antis occasionally bring forth points which need to be addressed. Many antis complain that they were "hustled" into the Church with the doctrines of faith, repentance, baptism, and laying on of hands, but didn't find out about the Church's more uncommon doctrines, such as plurality of Gods and temple ceremonies, until after they were brought into the system. This is a legitimate gripe which needs to be addressed.

In short, I, as a Latter-day Saint, want YOU, the prospective convert to know what you are buying into BEFORE you plunge into the waters of baptism. Mormonism is not for everybody, but it may be for YOU. But I believe you should know as much as possible before accepting it. It is worthwhile, if your mind and spirit are right before you make the decision.

The LDS Church operates two primary websites. Mormon.org is primarily an informational website, focusing on doctrines and practices. LDS.org is the official Church website, where decisions are announced and news releases posted.