The Mormon Worker Joins Anti-Racist Vigilante Campaign To Get The American Renaissance Conference Evicted From The Dulles Westin Hotel

An unofficial Mormon blog has joined an extremist anti-racist vigilante campaign to get a convention of race realists evicted from the hotel where they plan to hold their conference. In this post, The Mormon Worker calls for those who oppose "racism" to contact the Dulles Westin Hotel to persuade them to cancel the upcoming American Renaissance conference scheduled for February 19-21 in order to "stand up for racial equality". They consider the New Century Foundation, which publishes American Renaissance, to be "white supremacists".

The Mormon Workers post absolutely reeks of smears and defamation against American Renaissance. They refer to Dr. David Duke as a former "grand master of the KKK" (the correct term is "grand wizard", but accuracy is not important to anti-racists), even though he severed all ties with the Klan back in 1979. They claim that American Renaissance editor Jared Taylor uses "pseudo-science" to prove that black people are genetically pre-disposed to have lower IQs than white people and that black people are naturally prone to violence and crime. They also lump in American patriots of all races who want to control immigration with white supremacists in accordance with the classical Communist tactic of guilt by association. Here's an excerpt of their post:

American Renaissance is the new face of the white supremacist movement. When most people think of white power groups, the image of drunken, “trashy rednecks” who can barely produce coherent sentences, or idiotic, violent skinheads comes to mind. American Renaissance is trying to change all that in an attempt to bring white supremacist ideas into respectable, mainstream society. For example, it is a rule that all males who attend the conference (and it is almost all males who attend; not many women ever show up), must wear a jacket and tie. This, presumably is to hide all of the smelly confederate flag t-shirts and swastika tattoos that conference attendees, like the Keystone State Skinheads, would have showing otherwise. Also, they never use words like “racism”, or “white supremacy” to describe themselves. Hilariously, Jared Taylor refers to himself as a “race relations expert”. He also calls himself a “race realist”. The term “race realist” is just code for “white supremacist”. They also never publicly use terms like “nigger”. Instead, they use academic language to argue ideas that are just as racist as the word “nigger” is.

Interesting that although The Mormon Worker claims to be anti-racist, they literally load up their post with the "n-word". They must get a vicarious thrill from seeing it in print.

The facts: Jared Taylor is not a white supremacist. As a race realist, he does promote the idea of racial separation, but has never called for the deportation of the non-whites out of the United States. Furthermore, Taylor is one of the few white nationalist spokesmen who is philo-Semitic; he does not believe there is a "Jewish Question", and Jews are welcome to attend the American Renaissance conference. But Jared Taylor's ideas about the differences between blacks and whites in intelligence should not be censored; regardless of how much money we throw at the public schools, we can't seem to overcome the racial gap in educational outcomes. If we are sincere about assuring a quality education for all of our youth, we will be intellectually honest enough to examine ALL contributing factors -- including those deemed politically incorrect.

But don't necessarily take my word for it. Unlike these anti-racist thugs, I cherish free speech and consider you, the reader, competent to form your own judgment. Visit the American Renaissance website and read their agenda for yourself. Review the agenda of the upcoming conference HERE.

Unfortunately, it appears that these anti-racist thugs have won a victory. Their Communist allies, One People's Project, now report that the Dulles Westin Hotel will not permit the American Renaissance conference to take place at their facility. Unfortunately, they were unable to withstand the sustained campaign of psychological terrorism waged by anti-racists against their facility. Nevertheless, the conference itself is still on, and American Renaissance will undoubtedly find a replacement venue to host it; more frequent updates are being posted on this Stormfront thread. I hope that Jared Taylor files suit against the Westin Hotel to teach them a lesson.

The Last Word: It is particularly despicable for a blog that calls itself "Mormon" to associate itself with these vigilante tactics. Our legacy does not give us such latitude, since our Mormon forebears know what it's like to be on the receiving end of such treatment. Have we forgotten that our forebears were similarly evicted from two states, Missouri and Illinois, back over 160 years ago?

U.S. Census Bureau To Discriminate Against LDS Church, Will Refuse To Count American LDS Missionaries Deployed Overseas In 2010

On August 16th, 2009, the Salt Lake Tribune reports that the U.S. Census Bureau will refuse to count American missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints deployed outside the country.

The Census Bureau claims there is no reliable way to determine how many were in each country or where they could receive the forms. The quality of data by country could vary drastically, which could harm the stateside census. In the United States, the Census sends a brief questionnaire to every address and if it is not returned, the agency sends an army of temporary employees to go door-to-door to get as much information as possible. But none of that takes place internationally.

The Census Bureau itself has experimented with solutions. In 2004, they conducted a limited "mail-in experiment" to determine the feasibility of counting Americans abroad, focusing on Mexico, France and Kuwait. The plan was to use the lessons learned in this trial to conduct a worldwide test in a few years. The Bureau printed 520,000 questionnaires and created a website for those who preferred to fill out the form online. But only 5,400 people responded, despite a publicity campaign that included giving forms to LDS mission presidents. Subsequently, the Government Accountability Office concluded it would be impractical for the Census to conduct the broader worldwide test and suggested abandoning the effort.

Election Data Services, a consulting firm specializing in the Census, estimates that 6 million Americans are overseas. So that means the undercount is signficant.

However, some overseas Americans are counted. Federal employees, members of the military and those on merchant vessels who are not currently in the country. And it's this discrepancy that has triggered the ire of Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), himself LDS. Bishop said, "The bottom line should still be fairness and accuracy. If we are currently counting some people abroad and not others, there is just no logic to that whatsoever."

Other Utah Federal lawmakers have joined in. In early June, Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) included a provision in a bill that would require the Secretary of State, Attorney General and the Census to study whether they could use passports to track people internationally. The legislation will have no impact on the 2010 Census. And just two weeks later, Bishop and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) co-sponsored legislation that would require "Be Counted" forms at all embassies and a way for non-governmental organizations to submit administrative records. Other proposed solutions include leaving "Be Counted" forms at embassies and consulates, as well as relying upon administrative records of major overseas organizations, faiths and businesses to count Americans and record which state they normally live in. The Census Bureau is not totally unsympathetic to the problem, but has said that if Congress wants them to count people overseas, then it needs to enact legislation requiring it. There is no evidence of deliberate discrimination against the LDS Church, though.

Why are Utah lawmakers leading the charge for census reform? It's because a disproportionate percentage of Mormons live in Utah, meaning that a disproportionate number of missionaries come from Utah. This means the state of Utah is being dsicriminated against as well. And in 2000, it may have cost Utah a fourth U.S. House seat; Utah fell just 857 people short of receiving the last available U.S. House seat and this discrepancy in how Americans are counted overseas is believed to have made the difference.

Nevertheless, this omission is inexcusable. If the Census Bureau knows there are Americans overseas, it should make census forms available at key embassies overseas. Not every U.S. embassy would need be given the forms; only a handful in a given region would need them. Americans in other countries would sinply be advised to visit a key embassy to fill out a form.

The Census Bureau does not seem particularly alarmed at the prospect of counting illegal aliens in 2010, though. The Wall Street Journal points out that California could benefit disproportionately if they do. According to the latest American Community Survey, California has 5,622,422 noncitizens in its population of 36,264,467. Based on WSJ's round-number projection of a decade-end population in that state of 37,000,000 (including 5,750,000 noncitizens), California would have 57 members in the newly reapportioned U.S. House of Representatives.

However, with noncitizens not included for purposes of reapportionment, California would have 48 House seats (based on an estimated 308 million total population in 2010 with 283 million citizens, or 650,000 citizens per House seat). Using a similar projection, Texas would have 38 House members with noncitizens included. With only citizens counted, it would be entitled to 34 members.

Victim Of Former Lone Peak Seminary Principal Michael Pratt Speaks Out In Deseret News Article

In order to dispel defamatory rumours about her virtue, the alleged victim of former Lone Peak High School seminary principal Michael Pratt (pictured at left) allowed herself to be interviewed by the Deseret News. The resultant four-page story, too long to be posted on this blog, can be read HERE.

In summary, the girl traces the beginning back to the January 2009 time frame. It was at this time that Pratt began to noticeably pay more attention to her than to other students. Since his interaction with the girl was strictly platonic at this point, his increased interest triggered no alarms. But as a result of Pratt's attention, the girl began confiding in him about her concerns, her hopes, her fears and her dreams. And Pratt acted like a good listener.

The platonic friendship not only continued to grow, but the girl seemed to be benefiting from Pratt's counsel. Her parents noted positive changes in her, so they also had no reason to be suspicious of Pratt's role at that point. But by April 2009, the tiny hairs on the backs of the parents' necks began to stand up - they began to suspect there was more than met the eye.

What changed? Simple - the girl started obsessively referring to Pratt in her ordinary conversation. It was "Brother Pratt this", and "Brother Pratt that", and "Brother Pratt everything else" - almost in every sentence, it seemed like. And, being savvy parents who had been teenagers themselves, they suspected this was a sign that the relationship had transitioned from the platonic phase to the romantic phase, without it necessarily becoming sexual at that point. Most teenage girls who fall in "love" with a peer can't stop talking about him for five minutes. But the girl quickly brushed off suggestions that she might have a crush on Pratt.

Nevertheless, things quickly progressed to the worst. A few days later, Pratt confessed his love for the girl to her, telling her how special and unique she was. And of course, this inexperienced girl became absolutely overwhelmed by attention; after all, here was a relatively handsome, experienced man of the world, packing a temple recommend, implying that if she threw in with him, he could take her straight to the celestial kingdom and make her his goddess. The fact that Pratt was already married with children was completely lost upon this inexperienced and vulnerable Mormon girl; how could she resist such a sales pitch?

And so by May, Pratt began taking her out of school without any permission. The first time they went to Bridal Veil Falls, where Pratt told her about his fantasies involving the two of them. The two ended up in the boxcar near Vivian Park where kissing turned into a sexual encounter. But this was just the beginning. Even after school was out, Pratt would pick up the girl and take her to various places in Utah County for more sexual activity, including Pleasant Grove, American Fork, the warm springs in Goshen and a mine in Eureka. Although the girl suspected that what they were doing was wrong, Pratt made her believe that it would all work out.

The suspicions of the girl's parents continued to build, but they still lacked the smoking gun. However, in late May, when the girl went for a walk, her parents followed her and caught her getting into Pratt's car several blocks away. Her father immediately read Pratt the riot act, telling him that his daughter is "never, ever to be in your car," and demanding that communication with his daughter cease.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of the story. When the girl disappeared with friends all day and didn't answer calls or text messages, they began monitoring phone records. The parents allege the records show dozens of calls each week between their daughter's cell phone and the seminary building, or from Pratt's cell phone to their daughter's phone. And the last straw came when the girl's dad noticed a call to his daughter from an LDS stake center in Orem, where the dad said he confirmed Pratt had been attending an evening meeting. Pratt was a counselor in a singles ward bishopric in Orem, according to ward members. So the father said he called officials at the Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and voiced his concerns. "Something doesn't add up," he said he told them. "I don't have the hard evidence, but something doesn't add up." The Church investigated, and several days later, terminated Pratt's employment.

And shortly thereafter on July 9th, Pratt was arrested, and now faces 21 separate felony charges stemming from the alleged sexual relationship and abuse of this girl. They consist of 10 counts of forcible sodomy, seven counts of object rape and two counts of rape — all first-degree felonies. He has also been charged with two second-degree felonies of forcible sex abuse.

The girl's parents should not be second-guessed. They took all reasonable measures necessary to bring this case to light, short of chaining their daughter to an engine block. As a matter of fact, they probably intervened more than most parents would, perhaps intervening in time to prevent their daughter from getting pregnant out of wedlock. They are certainly not to blame in this incident.

This does not appear to be a repeat of the circumstances involving Salt Lake West High teacher Jose Fanjul. Fanjul's accuser was a trollop who flirted with many male teachers on campus and got another counselor put in jail. In contrast, this girl has credibility.

A number of Pratt's advocates think we should "pray" for him. If "praying" for him means praying that the truth come out, justice be served, and that he be treated fairly, no problem; that does not breach the presumption of innocence. But if people are praying that Pratt gets off the hook, that would be inappropriate. It is never appropriate to ask our Heavenly Father to help someone escape and evade justice. Justice without mercy may be tyranny, but mercy without justice is anarchy.

Brian Burghart Publishes Friendly Review Of The Church Service At The Reno LDS Lakeside Ward In The Reno News & Review

Recently, Brian Burghart, a reporter with the Reno News & Review, an alternative newspaper, decided to attend a service of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held at the chapel of the Lakeside Ward on 1095 Golconda Dr. in Reno. He published his findings in a report in the Arts and Culture section of the newspaper.

And Burghart appeared to be quite impressed, particularly with the uniformly friendly attitude displayed by church members. Here's the pertinent part of his article:

...The sacrament service begins at 9 a.m. The Lakeside Ward is a beautiful and simple medium-sized meetinghouse in a cute little central neighborhood off Plumb Lane. I’d estimate the sanctuary would hold around 220 comfortably on the blue padded pews, which are divided into three sections aligned toward the chancel. The chancel has an organ and a piano on it, with a lectern in the center and the sacrament table to the right. There were probably 50 chairs available for choir members, elders and other service participants.

The congregation has two distinguishing characteristics: Members are uniformly friendly and well-dressed. (Note to self: Wear a tie the next time I attend a Mormon service.) This, like other LDS services I’ve attended, was simple: announcements, invocation, sacrament (sharing of bread and water), speakers and benediction, with some traditional songs mixed in. This, also like other LDS services I’ve attended, began with a large percentage of the congregation introducing themselves to me, curious about my purpose of writing a review, working to ensure my comfort and establish my welcome.

Immediately before the service began, I was approached by two 20-year-old missionaries, Elder Dallas Ausmus and Elder Jordan Dunkley. They took some time to talk about how they were called to Nevada from Canada and Utah. I hope to talk to them one day at greater length, but suffice it to say, they were among the most hospitable representatives of the congregation, even inviting me to join them at their seats.

Apparently, Burghart was unable to stay for the entire three-hour block of services, witnessing only the sacrament meeting held during the first hour. He hopes to be able to attend only the priesthood session and the Sunday School session in the future. I'm sure the ward will be pleased to accommodate him, particularly after reading his article.

Obviously, I'm pleased that Burghart came away with such a favorable attitude towards the church, and reported on it candidly. But just as impressively, the congregation is to be commended for exemplifying the spirit of Jesus Christ and welcoming Burghart so sincerely into their midst. Not only does the membership exemplify the spirit of Jesus Christ, but it also reflects favorably upon the ward and the stake leadership.

While not every ward is as well-led and motivated as the Reno Lakeside Ward, Burghart's experience is representative of the experience you can expect at nearly every LDS ward. Don't let the rare bad apple shape your image of the entire church.

You can find out more about what to expect at an LDS service HERE. Then you can find the location of the nearest LDS ward to your home HERE.

LDS Church Promptly Terminates Highland, Utah Seminary Principal Michael Pratt After His Arrest For A Sexual Relationship With A 16-Year-Old Student

All previous posts on this case available HERE; the most recent post will appear first.

In the past, there may have been doubt as to how committed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was in rooting on child abuse and sex abuse within its ranks. Not any more. Upon learning that Lone Peak High School seminary principal Michael Pratt had been arrested on suspicion of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female student, the Church promptly took action. Here is their statement:

"The Church condemns abuse of any kind and expects the highest moral and ethical standards of its seminary employees.

"The Church terminated Michael Pratt's employment as soon as allegations surfaced and immediately reported the matter to law enforcement.

"Our hearts go out to the victim and family members. Counseling and other resources have been offered to help the victim in the healing process."

The Church did not, and probably will not, publicly disclose whether or not Pratt's basic membership status in the Church has changed. Most likely it won't (although his temple recommend might be pulled) until he either confesses or is convicted in court. At that time, Pratt's stake leaders would likely convene a disciplinary council, out of which the penalties of disfellowshipment or excommunication will be levied. Excommunication is particularly nasty; an excommunicant is not eligible for reinstatement for a minimum of one year, and it may take an excommunicant as much as five years or more to work his way back. Reinstatement requires approval by Salt Lake. You do NOT want to get excommunicated. Read my September 2008 post on church discipline for more information and additional links.

The KSL Channel 5 news video embedded below provides the story:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Summary: Incorporates additional information from the Deseret News, the Provo Daily Herald, and the Salt Lake Tribune. Michael Pratt was a teacher and the principal of the LDS seminary at Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah. Seminary consists of instruction in church doctrine, and students are allowed one hour of released time each day to attend. It was at seminary the Pratt, who is a husband and father, first became acquainted with the 16-year-old girl.

Authorities state that the relationship began with text messaging, which in itself became sexually explicit, then by the first part of May 2009, escalated into a sexual relationship. Many different types of sexual activities are believed to have taken place.

Pratt checked the girl out of school without her parents' knowledge at least three times and took her up Provo Canyon to Bridal Veil Falls, where he touched her breasts and genital area and kissed her. They were in a boxcar next to Vivian Park. But the actions grew to include more sex acts at various times and in different locations around the county, including a ravine next to the girl's home, in an unoccupied home in her neighborhood, back to the boxcar in Provo Canyon, in Rock Canyon, in a mine in Eureka and in Warm Springs near Goshen, where they were observed to be skinny-dipping.

Sgt. Matt Higley of the Utah Valley Special Victims Task Force said that the acts were consensual, meaning that there was no coercion used. However, under Utah law, a 16-year-old in this situation is not considered competent to give consent, which is why the word "forcible" appears in some of the charges outlined in the next paragraph. Unlike the so-called "victim" in the Jose Fanjul case, this girl does not have a record as a troubled teen. Pratt has no prior criminal record, and there is also no indication of other victims.

Pratt was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of aggravated kidnapping, unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old, aggravated forcible sex abuse, 10 counts of forcible sodomy, object rape, lewdness, burglary, criminal trespassing, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and 10 counts of enticing a minor. A judge set bail Friday at $20,000 cash only. Pratt is scheduled to be in 4th District Court at 8:30 A.M. on Monday July 13th.

The evidence against Michael Pratt appears quite damning on the surface, nonetheless we observe the presumption of innocence and express faith that the justice system will work successfully, as it still does in many cases. The Church reacted promptly and properly.

LDS Woman Jennifer Bourland, A Former Exotic Dancer, Opens Up The PlayfulPole Pole-Dancing Gym In Mesa, Arizona; No Hard Feelings Evident

Here's a story that's unlikely to show up at either the Mormon Times or the LDS Church News, not because the subject is unfaithful to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but because pole dancing provokes an image inconsistent with that normally associated with the Church.

But the story showed up in the Arizona Republic on July 1st, 2009. Jennifer Bourland and Debbie Faaaliga have opened PlayfulPole, a gym at Alma School and Guadalupe Roads in Mesa, Arizona that teaches women how to pole dance in a workout that combines fitness and sexuality. And it's not a dive for men to come and get their jollies, but a safe place for women to express themselves.

The interesting aspect - Jennifer Bourland is both a former exotic dancer, and a current member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After Bourland retired from exotic dancing, she decided to partner with Faaliga to open the gym in order to give women a place they could learn this type of dancing without having to go to clubs. Bourland touts pole dancing as an excellent workout for women, noting that in 16 years as a dancer, she never went to the gym because her job kept her in such good shape.

Jennifer Bourland never sought out to become an exotic dancer in the first place. But a number of years ago, at the age of 33, she found herself with a husband terminally ill with cancer and mounting expenses. She lost her job as a food merchandiser because, according to her, she was considered "too attractive" for her job. She's a tanned, petite blonde.

So, against her husband's wishes, she decided to use her looks to make money. Ironically, there were some other fringe benefits; as she danced, she got into better shape and felt more beautiful and powerful. Her self-confidence grew. In one noteworthy incident, when Mike Tyson showed up at her club, she used the opportunity to playfully bite the champion boxer on the ear. But her job also helped her get a leg up on entrepreneurship, and so today she has her own gym. Classes at Playfulpole cost between $50 and $375 and have anywhere from two to 10 people in them, and women don't often come alone - they bring friends, sisters and even co-workers. Bourland has three children and five grandchildren.

What the story doesn't tell is the impact of this business on her religion. We don't know if she's a fully active Mormon or a Jack Mormon. We also don't know if her local Church leaders have given her any static about her profession. It would have been quite useful if the Arizona Republic had also addressed these issues; good journalism by the professional media includes anticipating and accounting for such follow-up questions in advance.

While the Church still discourages women (particularly if they're married) from working as exotic dancers, and all members from working in any establishment selling liquor by the drink, the Church doesn't ban members from these professions. Mormons who are otherwise faithful are unlikely to have their temple recommends pulled merely for working in these professions. And besides, since beauty is a God-given gift, there's no reason why a woman shouldn't make money from it, so long as the profession is legal. The Church's main concern is that it could expose married women to temptation, leading them to break Temple covenants, which are considered far more serious than ordinary covenants.

Of course, the LDS Church strictly forbids anything remotely approaching exotic or "dirty" dancing at events held on Church property. The traditional LDS view on dancing is replicated in this post on By Common Consent.

A similar issue became contentious up in Davis County, Utah earlier this spring. In March, Davis County Commissioners caught wind of a Miss Pole Dance Utah contest which was slated for May 16th at the Davis Conference Center in Layton. But promoters of the event were able to allay public concerns, citing a host of rules such as no G-strings, thongs or see-through outfits; tops must cover the woman's entire breasts; and bottoms must cover the entire buttocks. In addition, the clothes contestants started with would have to remain on during the entire competition, and any "accidental" wardrobe malfunction would mean immediate disqualification. In the final analysis, the competition, entitled "Fetish", was OK'ed by the Conference Center management.

Fire Investigators Rule Longfellow Park LDS Church Fire In Cambridge, Massachusetts Accidental, But Have Not Isolated The Cause; Mitt Romney Stops By

Update June 19th 2011: Chapel re-dedicated, President Boyd K. Packer suffers fainting spell but is recovering. Updated post HERE.

Update February 18th 2011: Steeple re-attached to chapel, reconstruction proceeding apace. See updated post HERE.

Today was the Cambridge Chronicle's turn to cover the LDS Church fire in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After inspecting Sunday’s four-alarm fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel at 2 Longfellow Park in Cambridge, fire investigators have ruled it accidental. What actually sparked the fire is still under investigation, according to Cambridge Deputy Fire Chief John Gelinas. Gelinas said all that's left to preserve is the church's exterior walls and the steeple, which miraculously did not fall. Meanwhile, Cambridge Fire Chief Gerald Reardon met with city inspectors to estimate the damages done to the building, and determined that $1.9 million in damage was done. Church spokesman Grant Bennett said they plan to rebuild. Mitt Romney and his wife briefly stopped by, although they are members of a different ward nearby.

May 18th stories from the Boston Herald, which claims that the number of congregants was as many as 500, and the Boston Globe are also available. See my previous post for a detailed account of the fire and for links to several photo collections. From this May 17th Chronicle story, which contains its own pictures of the fire, we get a YouTube video of news coverage not previously posted, which is embedded below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5fZcRwi-3Q



Another Chronicle article provides some informative background on the LDS Church, and is written accurately and thoughtfully. They disclose that there are five distinct congregations, or wards, in the city of Cambridge and two in Somerville. Three of them met at the Longfellow Park church, which burned down on Sunday morning. The other two congregations lease a meetinghouse in Kendall Square.

A third space, under construction on Binney Street in East Cambridge, will be completed in the next year and a half and cost $20 million, according to Church spokesman Grant Bennett. The new meetinghouse will house four congregations: the two currently leasing space in Kendall Square and two in Somerville. Bennett also disclosed that the Church in the local area is growing by an average of 75 to 100 new members annually.

The now-burned Longfellow Park church, the first LDS chapel in the greater Boston area, was dedicated in 1951. The average congregation in Cambridge is approximately 175 members. When the church grows, it forms new congregations, creating five in the area today holding approximately 875 members. The Cambridge LDS Stake is the umbrella over 14 congregations north of the Charles River. The stake’s administrative offices will be housed in the new Binney Street structure. The stake center is temporarily located in Belmont.

Unfortunately, the quality of the Chronicle's coverage is offset somewhat by their publication of a guest commentary column written by Ronald Lee Fleming, an architectural critic whose most recent book is entitled “The Art of Placemaking: Interpreting Community Through Public Art and Urban Design.”. Fleming is an ardent proponent of traditional colonial architectural styles, and he expressed his hope that the replacement chapel would better fit that motif. Except that he expressed himself in a manner highly insensitive and disrespectful of the tragedy overtaking the LDS congregation. Here's the pertinent excerpt:

It was quite a fire this Sunday morning. Big red engines blocked traffic on several streets. And when it was over, the brick and white clapboard Mormon church on historic Brattle Street just west of Harvard Square was gutted. Only the steeple, so slim it could have been a minaret, remaining, awash in the spray of a half dozen hoses. Well, too bad, of course, we all regret the loss of private property, but what an opportunity those flames present. Here was a church that was not so much neo colonial in design, as it was just an out of scale concoction with laughable proportions, its barn-like nave, and slender steeple seemed a parody of colonial revival.

Here was a faux style, alas repeated around the country by Mormon temples that look like simplistic illustrations in cardboard, that instantly communicate banality and proclaim a know nothing policy. Perhaps unconsciously they reflect the dubious mythology of Joseph Smith’s golden tablets...

And to add insult to injury, Fleming stated toward the end of his commentary that "as the flames rose, it was hard to repress a grin, for out of this disaster is visual release, and out of calamity is visual opportunity".

A grin? Excuse me, but Fleming thinks somebody else's tragedy is funny? No wonder a number of people left some very hostile comments in response to his screed. His attitude undoubtedly is also motivated by his ideological bias against LDS doctrine. The fact is, the LDS Church is quite aware of the existence of the Historic District Commission in Cambridge and has a successful track record in working with such groups to ensure church buildings meet community standards.

However, media coverage of this tragedy indicates that Fleming's attitude is clearly the exception. On the contrary, a Quaker congregation just across the street from the burned chapel offered to allow the Mormons to temporarily store the church records rescued from the fire until they found another location. In addition, the Friends Meeting house, First Church and the Episcopal Divinity School have all offered to host services in the interim. So the greater community has responded sympathetically and offered assistance.

Fire Guts Longfellow Park LDS Chapel In Cambridge, Massachusetts; 500 Worshippers Escape Unharmed, Fire May Have Originated In The Attic

Update June 19th 2011: Chapel re-dedicated, President Boyd K. Packer suffers fainting spell but is recovering. Updated post HERE.

Update February 18th 2011: Steeple re-attached to chapel, reconstruction proceeding apace. See updated post HERE.

Update May 18th: Fire investigators rule the fire accidental, but have not isolated the cause. Damage estimated at $1.9 million. Updated post HERE.


On May 17th, 2009, a fire began during morning services at an LDS chapel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and quickly spread through the decades-old building. About 300 people were inside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Longfellow Park meeting house at the time for a regional stake conference, but officials say it appears everyone was able to make it outside safely. Primary media story from the Boston Globe; other media stories from WBZ Channel 38 with non-embeddable video, and from WCVB Channel 5 with non-embeddable extended raw video. Here's an embeddable video from NECN.com:



Here's a YouTube video which shows more dramatic (and depressing) footage:

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



Fire officials say the blaze, which began around 10:37 A.M. EDT on Sunday, started in the building's attic and quickly reached three alarms. Witnesses say attendance at the church was larger than usual because the parish was part of a national teleconference with LDS church leaders in Utah. The roof collapsed and the 60-year-old building was gutted, but the steeple still remains standing as of this post. According to Cambridge Fire Chief Gerald Reardon, the fire, which was fought with 22 engines, seven ladder companies, and about 80 firefighters from a wide variety of surrounding communities including Belmont, Somerville, Waltham, and Watertown, was brought under control sometime after noon. Reardon said the fire started in the attic, but he did not know the cause, although speculation is growing that an electrical short in the attic may have sparked a fire which smouldered unnoticed long before the alarms sounded. According to one story, it was only 20 minutes from the time the alarms first sounded until the roof collapsed.

Three congregations, or wards, have been displaced by the fire. The first ward consists of single undergraduates from area colleges, and the other two wards are made up of young adult singles, ages 25 to 30. LDS officials in the area have expressed the desire and intent to rebuild. Many of those commenting to the two blog sources cited below express the hope that the chapel will be rebuilt exactly the way it was; one commenter in particular expressed the hope that it would not be replaced by a typical "McChapel" (in reference to the standard design model generally used for all new LDS chapels).

Photos of the fire posted on the following sources:

-- A series of photos on Tabblo.com
-- A series of nine photos by the Boston Globe
-- A series of 36 photos on an individual Picasaweb account.
-- A series of 200 photos in another Picasaweb account.

The Faith Promoting Rumor blog, which has also posted several pictures of the chapel, tells us that the chapel was constructed in the 1950s just outside of Harvard Square in one of the most beautiful parts of Cambridge, just across the street from the Longfellow House. Other unofficial LDS reaction has also been posted on By Common Consent and My Imaginary Blog.

There have been a disturbing number of church fires starting in attics, including the Brayton Drive LDS chapel fire in Anchorage, Alaska in March 2007 (it took nearly a year and a half to rebuild). This trend warrants increased recurring inspection of attics by local church officials.

LDS Temple In Chicago Suburb Of Glenview, Illinois Re-Opened For Business On March 3rd; No Re-Dedication Required

The Pioneer Press Local reports that the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in the Chicago suburb of Glenview, Illinois, was re-opened on March 3rd, 2009, and that it didn't need to be re-dedicated. The temple had been closed for repairs since December 24th, when a water pipe burst, partially inundating the interior and causing extensive damage. But one of the most informative aspects of this article is that it outlines how emergency access to an LDS temple is handled, since temple access in generally limited to templeworthy Mormons once a temple is formally dedicated.

On December 24th, 2008, a water pipe located in the temple's attic burst, sending water cascading into the rooms below. At 4 A.M., firefighters arrived after being summoned by an alarm. The firefighters, including Battalion Chief Ted Lancioni, had let themselves in by using the lock box on the front gate and had shut off the water. But, guided by a security guard who had a temple recommend, they had not gone beyond the equipment room out of respect for the sacred areas of the temple. Shortly thereafter, temple president Kenneth Robinson arrived, and under the direction of firefighters, verified that there was no fire danger in the sacred areas of the temple.

Robinson praised the firefighters for their expeditious response, saying that had they not responded so quickly, the whole temple might have been underwater. Once the immediate danger had passed, other temple members showed up to help assess the damage. Most of the carpeting and furniture were soaked, and the ceiling and some walls and baseboards were in shreds, necessitating an extended closure to accomplish repairs.

Because the Church and the fire department had previously worked closely together, firefighters understood the significance of the facility, knew where the sacred areas were at, and did only what they needed to do. So even though subsequent repairs were required, the temple itself did not need to be re-dedicated. But after taking delivery of new carpeting and other materials, only templeworthy church members performed the restoration work. Latter-day Saints can be found in all different professions, and in an area with a sufficiently dense population of Mormons to warrant a temple, it's no problem to find a sufficient number of templeworthy LDS to do all the construction. In addition, the local full-time missionaries can always be called upon to assist.

But although emergency services personnel will avoid entering sacred areas of the temple in response to a situation if possible, they are not barred from doing so if life is in jeopardy or major property damage is possible. The Church is practical.

Constructed in 1985, the Glenview temple serves 17 stakes located in the Chicago area and in parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, with an estimated LDS population of 40,000. It is reserved for the Church's most sacred rites, including baptisms, marriage ceremonies and endowments. Here's a new YouTube video in which key Church leaders explain what temples mean to them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x_-TQivCx8



The reaction of Gary Eldredge, second counselor in the Glenview Temple presidency, echoes this theme. "The people felt the void here," said Eldredge. "The president of the Rockford Stake said (having the temple closed) '...was like a spiritual fast.' People missed it".

Perhaps that's why so many Mormons reacted rather strongly to the recent disclosure by HBO that they would include a temple marriage scene in an upcoming episode of Big Love. The LDS Church Headquarters sought to blunt the anger by issuing a statement urging members not to over-react. Even if I watched HBO, I doubt that I would have boycotted it, simply because an apostate by the name of Deborah Laake revealed the ceremonies in a hysterical anti-Mormon screed entitled "Secret Ceremonies" years ago. The ceremonies were changed a bit afterward, but still retain the same basic character. However, it's been since learned that Laake suffered serious emotional disturbances towards the end of her life, committing suicide in 2000, so to write her off as a "daughter of perdition" would be premature and possibly presume upon God's judgmental prerogatives.

LDS Missionaries Joe Bolke And Matt Simpson Participate In Rescue Effort In Silver Lake Hills Apartment Fire In Fenton, Michigan

Two missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been hailed as heroes for their efforts to rescue several people from the burning apartment complex in Fenton, Michigan, where they were living while serving a mission in the area.

Both KUTV Channel 2 and KSL Channel 5 in Salt Lake City have focused their stories on Elder Joe Bolke, from Cottonwood Heights, Utah. During the early morning hours of Friday February 13th, Elder Bolke and his companion, Elder Matt Simpson, found their complex ablaze. Elder Simpson, who hails from Reno, Nevada, had moved in to the first-floor apartment just a few days prior and said he woke up when sparks from the vinyl siding began shooting past his window. "God woke me up," he said. They dashed outside without their shoes into the cold Michigan night and started yelling to get others awake. Their quick thinking helped save lives at the apartment complex, including a mother and her 7-week-old baby, who had to be lifted from a second-floor balcony. They placed themselves in harm's way, along with other rescuers - as they worked, the building's vinyl siding was dripped melting plastic down.

A February 13th story in the Flint News provides more harrowing details about the fire itself, which first erupted around 3:30 A.M. on February 13th at the Silver Lake Hills Apartment Complex in Fenton. Many people escaped with only the clothes on the back - some even left behind wallets and keys. The aforementioned mother and baby were the only casualties; they were hospitalized with burns, but are expected to fully recover.

You can see the sheer magnitude of the destruction in the above photograph. According to a February 18th story in the Tri-County Times, there were 18 apartment units, 15 of which were occupied, in the 3500 building that were involved in the fire. All apartments were either burned or suffered smoke and water damage. Several vehicles were severely damaged from the heat. According to apartment management, units had working smoke detectors and sprinkler systems.

There were 27 people living in the building and all residents have been able to obtain alternate housing. The fire chief said the estimated dollar loss is still being figured at this time and the fire remains under investigation with the Michigan State Police.

Fire investigators believe the fire began in an exterior stairwell on the west end of the building. Fire Chief Robert Cairnduff said he has heard plenty of rumors that the fire was caused by an arsonist. He said at this early stage, arson cannot be ruled out, but explained that fire investigators are leaning more toward an accidental cause. Samples of debris from where the fire is believed to have started was collected and is being analyzed to determine if any accelerants were used.

And the community opened their hearts and their wallets up so wide that on February 23rd, WJRT Channel 12 reports that the apartment management can no longer accept any more aid, because they have too much. People donated enough to fill the complex clubhouse and two apartments. The complex is donating the surplus to area churches and other charities.

LDS Church Members Among The Numerous Victims Of The Wildfires Near Melbourne, Australia; Priesthood Leaders Organizing Recovery Assistance

LDS Church News reports that three homes of Church members were among the over 800 homes destroyed by the deadliest series of wildfires in Australia's history, according to a Church Welfare report.

No members or missionaries were injured in the fires, which as of this post have claimed the lives of 181 people, left 5,000 people homeless, and burned 1,100 square miles (2,850 square kilometers) of land — the majority of which is located in Australia's southeastern state of Victoria. However, numerous member families were evacuated by the fires, which did not damage any Church property.

Blazes had been burning for weeks in the area, but turned deadly February 7th when scorching temperatures and high winds created a fire storm that swept across the region. Temperatures reached the 100s, with a maximum of 118F in Melbourne and 104F in Canberra on February 6th. Experts predict the death toll will rise to near 300 as authorities are able to search devastated areas.

Elder John Larsen, the Church's Pacific Area welfare specialist, explained that shifting winds blowing at or near 60 mph fanned the flames into furnace-like conditions and made it nearly impossible to know which direction to run from the flames. Numerous individuals actually lost their lives while fleeing the fires; their incinerated vehicles and bodies were found by recovery teams after the fact. Elder Larsen said the fire situation began to improve February 9th when extreme temperatures and winds tempered, in answer to prayers by many.

Local priesthood leaders have contacted government agencies and the Red Cross to determine what type of humanitarian aid from the Church would be of greatest worth. Church members have also been giving blood, and all members are being asked to pray for those affected by the disaster, and to ask the Lord to temper the elements to limit further destruction. Priesthood leaders are also organizing cleanup crews to be deployed once the burned areas are re-opened by authorities. Police have treated the areas as crime scenes because they suspect arson; one late report from Australia indicates police believe they are closing in on one suspect, a motorcyclist who was behaving suspiciously in the area of one of the fires. There have also been isolated reports of looting.

Australians have dug deep into their pockets to create a wildfire relief fund, which has now exceeded A$45 Million as of this post. Click HERE if you want to donate.

Here's a YouTube video of an Associated Press report which shows the sheer magnitude of the disaster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eeq1za1HQ8



And the threat is by no means over with. Firefighters, some from as far away as New Zealand, are working furiously to prevent two separate blazes from joining together. Currently, temperatures have dropped into the upper 60s/low 70s, but are expected to jump back into the 80s next week.

The fires were the product of a perfect confluence of favorable events; prolonged drought, high temperatures, strong winds, flammable grasses, and eucalyptus trees which burn like a torch when set alight. A Scottish woman describes her experience HERE.

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.

Latter-Day Saint Officials Dieter Uchtdorf And M. Russell Ballard Attend President Barack Obama's Inauguration, Urge People To Pray For Him

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially represented at the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20th, 2009. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' First Presidency, and Elder M. Russell Ballard of the church's Quorum of the Twelve spent two days in Washington D.C., witnessing not only a historic national event but also countless examples of graciousness, hope and unity.

Primary media stories:

-- LDS leaders feel deep emotion at inauguration, Deseret News, January 22nd
-- LDS church leaders attend President Obama's inauguration, LDS website, January 20th
-- Two LDS Church leaders say Obama brings them hope, KSL Channel 5, January 21st
-- Uchtdorf and Ballard attend Obama prayer service, KTVX Channel 4, January 21st

The two attended Tuesday's inauguration of President Barack Obama on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and joined him and other new national leaders at Wednesday morning's National Prayer Service in the National Cathedral. President Uchtdorf and Elder Ballard were seated front and center some four-dozen rows from the presidential stage for Tuesday's inauguration and then just a couple of yards away from Obama and his contingent for Wednesday's prayer service.

"We could feel the deep emotion around us — we were surrounded by people of all colors, of all creeds and of all languages," said President Uchtdorf before returning to Utah. "It was a great experience we had — to see a unity there that I hope will last on and continue throughout the years of this administration."

Elder Ballard dispensed some important counsel. "I left with a feeling that the people of America are going to unite behind this new president and his administration and that we need to pray for him," Elder Ballard said. "We need to exercise our prayers and help him accomplish the great objectives that he has set."

President Uchtdorf was also favorably impressed with the unity of different faiths as they joined Muslims, Jews and others of different Christian denominations at the prayer service. President Uchtdorf added: "We felt we were in the right place with all these whom we call brothers and sisters, to pray for this presidency, for this administration, and with them to pray for all the governments around the world to bring again peace and prosperity and unity to all countries."

The Millenial Star blog has an open thread on the 2009 inauguration that provides more insight on LDS reaction.

The counsel proffered by President Uchtdorf and Elder Ballard is fully in keeping with the LDS Church's Twelfth Article of Faith, which states, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law". Unfortunately, some comments posted to the media links provided above indicate that this counsel has not yet been fully digested. Consequently, Barack Obama's politics will not be discussed in this post.

Mike Huckabee Extends Olive Branch To Latter-Day Saints On KSL's Doug Wright Show, Now Says He "Loves Mormons"; But Many Mormons Are Still Skeptical

Former Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who was critical of Mormonism and Mitt Romney during the campaign, took a tentative step towards mending fences with the Latter-day Saint community on January 9th, 2008 when he appeared on the Doug Wright Show aired by KSL radio in Salt Lake City. Media story by the Deseret News.

During the 12-minute radio program, Huckabee says he loves Mormons and believes they make the most effective public servants in America. "Utah doesn't need to think there is a problem with me," said Huckabee.

Huckabee was strongly criticized in Utah and elsewhere for critical comments previously made about fellow former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who is also LDS. In the process, he also criticized some of the church's religious beliefs and created the impression that he believed a Mormon shouldn't be President of the United States.

During the interview, set up with several major radio stations across the nation, Wright asked Huckabee, a born-again Christian and former governor of Arkansas, about his comments concerning Romney. Huckabee admitted that he saw a different Romney than the man he knew as a fellow GOP governor. He claimed that during the Presidential primary campaign Romney was not the Mitt he knew. He also claimed that the other Republican candidates also noted that Romney acted differently on the campaign trail than when he was governor or otherwise out of an intra-party race. But Huckabee conceded that perhaps Romney's attitude and atmosphere around him may have been caused by people who gave him very bad advice.

Huckabee still believes he never said anything unkind about Mormons. He reminded Doug Wright that when "11 words were completely misconstrued" when spoken about the LDS religion in a long New York Times profile of him, he immediately apologized publicly to Romney and church members in general. Romney accepted the apology. Furthermore, he said he advocates no religious test in running for office, and defends Mormons running for office. In particular, he singled out Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. as being of Presidential timber.

Huckabee also said that when he saw the backlash against the LDS Church following the bitter Proposition 8 race in California last November, he was one of the first to commend the church for standing up for its beliefs, although as recently as August 2008, he criticized Romney along with Arnold Schwarzenegger for allowing gay marriage to go forward in their respective states. Huckabee said he would have refused to implement it if he had been in their position.

Reaction: As of this post, 140 comments have been posted to the Deseret News story. Many are quite critical; even some Mormons want nothing to do with Huckabee. Most of the critics think Huckabee is merely being opportunistic, and hold him responsible for creating a religious divide within the Christian community which allowed proponents of gay marriage to make so much progress in misleading the American people.

But should we really turn our backs on Huckabee? The successful Proposition 8 campaign resulted in tentative ties being knit between the LDS and Evangelical communities. If we slam the door on Huckabee now, we risk rupturing those new ties. At the very least, we should take Huckabee at his word for now, and afford him the opportunity to demonstrate that his desire to reconciliate with Mormons is genuine. We call ourselves a church of Jesus Christ; isn't that what He would do?

Consequently, I appreciate Mike Huckabee's change of heart, and while I don't expect him to become a Mormon, it would be useful if, after prayerful consideration, he would decide that Mormonism is not a cult and that it is Christian, and give public statements affirming that opinion. He can still express doctrinal disagreements; just don't demonize the entire denomination.

Times And Seasons LDS Blog Selects Mitt Romney As "Mormon Of The Year", But Respondents To Its Poll Selected Plane Crash Victim Stephanie Nielson

On January 7th, 2008, the Salt Lake Tribune reports that one of the most prominent LDS blogs, Times and Seasons, has selected Mitt Romney as 2008 Mormon of the Year. Other major contenders considered by Times and Seasons was David Archuleta (American Idol runner-up), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Mormon novelist Stephenie Meyer, and JetBlue founder David Neeleman; there were ultimately a total of 26 nominees. The specific Times and Seasons blog post can be viewed HERE.

Excluded from consideration in advance were members of the LDS Church's First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, because their overwhelming influence would guarantee their selection every year. This influence was reflected in a number of similar polls, to include the LDS Church's own Most Significant Events of the Year, the Deseret News' Top 10 Utah Stories of the Year, and KSL Channel 5's Top 10 KSL Stories of the Year. The passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley was selected the number one event in all three of those stories.

Romney was actually selected by the staff of Times and Seasons. In the public poll which they staged, Romney actually finished third, as one of the secondary choices, Stephanie Nielson, was the overwhelming selection of respondents to the poll. However, Times and Seasons apparently suspected that supporters of Nielson deliberately targeted and spammed the poll to artificially push their selection over the edge. Nielson was the selection of an obviously unnatural 64 percent of respondents, although it is possible that Nielson got a sympathy bump because of her plane crash, in which she suffered significant burns. Times and Seasons clearly stated in advance that the poll winner would not necessarily be the blog editors' selection.

In an e-mail, Kent Larsen explained his reasoning. "During 2008, Romney concluded the most credible presidential campaign of any Mormon to date and dominated the U.S. national news early in the year like no single Mormon has in recent memory. He garnered a great deal of both praise and criticism, gaining him significant endorsements as well as important detractors. . .On the international scene, numerous press articles mentioned Romney's membership in the Mormon Church, thus contributing to the image of the church abroad", Larsen said.

Larsen also pointed out that the Mormon of the Year designation is a recognition of the effect the person or group of persons has had during the past year and should not be viewed as an endorsement of Romney's political positions or aspirations.

Times and Seasons is a prominent and well-established LDS blog with an Alexa rating of 365,065 as of this post. It can be considered a useful and reliable barometer of LDS thinking. I don't know if I would have excluded the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles; I simply would have set a higher standard of newsworthiness for them.

Two other LDS-oriented blogs ran similar stories. Mormon Mentality selected President Hinckley's death as its top LDS News story of 2008, while Voice Of Deseret selected Proposition 8 as the top story.

Focus On The Family Rolls Over For Underground Apologetics, Removes Glenn Beck Article About "The Christmas Sweater" From Its Citizen Link Website

Update December 29th: Focus on the Family moves to dampen criticism, asserts that they intended no insult to Mormons. Updated information posted in green.

On December 27th, 2008, the Mormon Times reports that the influential and prestigious pro-family lobby Focus on the Family has inexplicably caved in to pressure from a marginal group called Underground Apologetics and and pulled from its CitizenLink website an article about talk show host Glenn Beck's book "The Christmas Sweater". Underground Apologetics complained that Beck's LDS faith is a "cult" and "false religion" and shouldn't be promoted by a Christian ministry. Predictably, many Latter-day Saints are outraged; a lead-in story published by the Deseret News has already attracted 208 public comments. The Christian Post and Media Bistro also published stories.

Significant blog reaction from StopTheMormons and SimpleUtahMormonPolitics, whose editor has already read the book and discusses his impressions.

When contacted, a spokesperson for Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, CO confirmed that the article had been pulled and read a prepared statement for callers who had called about the Beck article:

"You are correct to note that Mr. Beck is a member of the Mormon church, and that we did not make mention of this fact in our interview with him. We do recognize the deep theological difference between evangelical theology and Mormon theology, and it would have been prudent for us at least to have pointed out these differences. Because of the confusion, we have removed the interview from CitizenLink."

Focus's answers to other questions was originally to be delayed until January 2nd. However, recognizing the potential for the erosion of Mormon-Evangelical ties, the leadership of Focus decided not to wait until January 2nd to follow up. On December 29th, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that Gary Schneeberger, vice president of media and public relations for Focus on the Family, said that "differences in the Mormon faith and the historical evangelical faith are not inconsequential." He further stated, "We can, and do, gladly cooperate with friends outside of the evangelical heritage on common causes; but in no case do we intend to alter our clear distinction as unwaveringly grounded in evangelical theology."

Schneeberger said the criticism from Underground Apologetics had "nothing to do with our decision to pull the article from publication" but admitted that "some from our base" were concerned that the interview aimed to signal theological compromise. "We regret having communicated in a way that has caused some confusion both from some within our evangelical base as well as from our friends, like Mr. Beck, who hold a sincere and devout Mormon faith," Schneeberger said. "We intended no insult; we merely miscalculated on how best to feature Glenn."

The LDS Church has wisely refrained from any comment on the matter. As for Glenn Beck, he has since posted the following statement on his website:

"The Christmas Sweater is a story about the idea of Christmas as a time for redemption and atonement. Whatever your beliefs about my religion, the concept of religious tolerance is too important to be sacrificed in response to pressure from special interest groups, especially when it means bowing to censorship. I'm humbled and grateful that hundreds of thousands of people from different faiths have read the book and have appreciated its uplifting message for themselves. At a time when the world is so full of fear, despair, and divisions, it is my hope that all of those who believe in a loving and peaceful God would stand together on the universal message of hope and forgiveness".

Triggering the controversy was a marginal group called Underground Apologetics. On December 22nd, after learning of the Beck article, they issued a release through Christian News Wire which read:

"Focus on the Family has a story on Glenn Beck, a Mormon, on their CitizenLink Web site. Glenn Beck was a CNN host and will move to Fox News in January. Beck is currently promoting his book, 'The Christmas Sweater.' The CitizenLink story focuses on Beck's faith and why he wrote 'The Christmas Sweater.'

"While Glenn's social views are compatible with many Christian views, his beliefs in Mormonism are not. Clearly, Mormonism is a cult. The CitizenLink story does not mention Beck's Mormon faith, however, the story makes it look as if Beck is a Christian who believes in the essential doctrines of the faith.

"Through the years, Focus on the Family has done great things to help the family and has brought attention to the many social ills that are attacking the family. However, to promote a Mormon as a Christian is not helpful to the cause of Jesus Christ. For Christians to influence society, Christians should be promoting the central issues of the faith properly without opening the door to false religions".

Underground Apologetics president Steve McConkey said in an interview that he had not read Beck's book, but understood its message. He felt that the work was suspect based on what he understands about Beck's faith. McConkey said he had not asked Dobson's ministry to remove the article from its site. An examination of Underground Apologetics website reveals that Mormons aren't the only ones in their crosshairs; they take cheap shots at Rick Warren and Franklin Graham as well. I guess they have their own private definition of Christianity about which no one else knows.

Because the Glenn Beck article is no longer available at citizenlink.org, the Mormon Times has republished it as part of their story. Here is also a link to an Amazon.com video about the book. Since the debut of Beck’s The Christmas Sweater six weeks ago, the 284-page hardcover has not only hit the New York Times Best-Sellers List but has also climbed up to No. 1 multiple times. In addition, a “living play” of the book also debuted in 420 movie theaters nationwide last week featuring theatrical animation, specially-created projections and a Christmas musical score from a 10-piece orchestra and Broadway gospel singer.

Based on a personal true story, The Christmas Sweater is a narrative of a boy named Eddie who embarks on a dark and painful journey on the road to manhood.

How should Latter-day Saints react to this development? Go back and read Glenn Beck's response - this best reflects how we should handle it. While it's regrettable that Focus on the Family deleted the article and acknowledged doctrinal differences, note that they did NOT refer to Mormonism as a cult or un-Christian. Thus we should not allow this incident to discolor our attitude towards Focus on the Family, which was a valuable partner to us in successfully promoting California Proposition 8 and which has worked hard for many years to promote pro-family values, reverse elective abortion, and stymie the relentless promotion and protection of the homosexual lifestyle. Focus on the Family remains one of the "good guys"; let's blow this off as a fluke. To attack Focus on the Family would risk severing the growing ties between Mormons and Evanglicals.

However, Underground Apologetics is not worthy of such consideration. They don't merely attack Mormonism; they attack other Christian pastors who do not share their point of view. There's little evidence on their cheesy, clunky website that they've taken any issue with the major social issues of the day. Their very name implies that they're a bunch of attention-starved insurgents who ought not to be taken seriously.

Gunman Stages Armed Robbery At LDS Chapel In Henderson, Texas; Gets Away With $23, Nobody Hurt

An unidentified gunman staged an armed robbery at a chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Henderson, Texas (about 30 miles ESE of Tyler) on Sunday December 21st, 2008, but ended up getting away with only a single wallet containing $23.

Media stories:

-- Male Church Members Form Human Barrier to Shield Women From Gunman, Tyler Morning Telegraph 12/23/08
-- Church crimes fail to deter Rusk family, Longview News-Journal 12/24/08
-- KLTV Channel 7 Longview. News video embedded below:



Summary: An armed gunman clad in black and wearing a ski mask had made his way into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1700 Elm St. in Henderson, Texas shortly after services around 7:45 P.M. on Sunday December 21st. He initially approached a female church member in the parking lot, demanding her purse. She refused to give it up. Then one of the male church members moved in to protect her, and the gunman demanded his wallet. He refused to give it up, and the gunman immediately fired a warning shot, maneuvering the couple into the chapel.

When the ladies present heard the shot, they began moving the children out of the fellowship hall and towards a safe room. When the gunman, who was also holding a yellow plastic bag, demanded that everyone give up their wallets, the men formed a protective semi-circle around the women. Eventually, one of the church members, Jerry White, handed over his wallet, which held $23 along with his commercial drivers license, bank card, and temple recommend card. After receiving the wallet, the gunman backed out of the church. Some of the men of the congregation began following the gunman, but he fired another warning shot and escaped.

There have been no arrests yet, but police Lt. Craig Sweeney says he has two potential suspects. But he's also concerned that the fingerprint evidence may prove circumstantial. Sweeney said that during his 20+ year career with the department, there has never been a robbery of parishioners inside a church in Henderson.

Church members are relatively nonplussed about the outcome, since no one got hurt, and only one person actually got robbed. “You never can tell when something like this will happen. The Lord was with us, no one was injured, and everyone is very thankful it turned out the way it did,” Darlene Lanius said.

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.