Mormon Faith and Facts

Prop 8 in California - Vote Yes

2008-10-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

The family is very important to me and to my religion. As such, an important issue regarding all of our families is at stake this election on November 4th. Proposition 8 is on the ballot in California. Voting "Yes" on Prop 8 will add an an amendment to the California Constitution stating: "“Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

You might ask the question--'Why is this important to me?" Well, I invite you to take a minute and learn. It is not just about defining the word marriage in a dictionary. There is much more on the line than that. This is setting up to be a showdown between freedom of religion and this new civil "right."

Some possible consequences if Prop 8 does not pass:

-This battle will be taken to other states, even those that already have laws defining marriage. Further, a legal precedence could be set in California that could establish a basis for judges' decision in other states.

-Advocates and government officials in certain states already are challenging the long-held right of religious adoption agencies to follow their religious beliefs and only place children in homes with both a mother and a father. As a result, Catholic Charities in Boston has stopped offering adoption services.

-Other advocates of same-sex marriage are suggesting that tax exemptions and benefits be withdrawn from any religious organization that does not embrace same-sex unions.

-Accrediting organizations in some instances are asserting pressure on religious schools and universities to provide married housing for same-sex couples.

-The establishment of same-sex marriage as a civil right will inevitably require mandatory changes in school curricula. When the state says that same-sex unions are equivalent to heterosexual marriages, the curriculum of public schools will have to support this claim. If you don't think this will happen, it already has. Check out this video and this story:

There are many more reasons to vote YES on Prop 8. I invite you to study the issues. If you are in California, I urge you to vote YES on this very important issue. If you are outside out California, you can help my donating to the coalition supported by many churches and denominations. Go to http://www.protectmarriage.com/

I believe marriage between a man and woman to be ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

Sources: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

http://www.protectmarriage.com/

Elder M. Russell Ballard - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

2008-05-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

Elder Melvin Russell Ballard, Jr. was born on October 8, 1928, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the only boy in a family of four children. He grew up in Salt Lake City, mowing lawns as a young man.

Elder Ballard comes from a strong religious heritage. He is a great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith, the brother of Church founder Joseph Smith. Elder Ballard’s maternal grandfather was Hyrum Mack Smith who served in the Quorum of the Twelve from 1901-1918. Elder Ballard’s paternal grandfather was Melvin J. Ballard, who served in the Quorum of the Twelve from 1919-1939. Elder Ballard’s great-grandfather was Joseph F. Smith, who served as Church president from 1901-1918.

From 1948-50, Elder Ballard served as a missionary in England. When he returned home he met his future wife, Barbara Bowen, at a dance at the University of Utah. It took some time for him to convince his wife to marry him but they eventually were married on August 28, 1951, in the Salt Lake Temple. They have two sons, five daughters, and forty grandchildren.

Professionally, Elder Ballard was involved in several business enterprises, including automotive, real estate, and investments. He also took over his family’s car dealership, Ballard Motor Company, and managed it for some time. He even experienced a financial failure in one of his ventures in a Edsel dealership, which taught him empathy. He also served briefly in the U.S. Army Reserves. He has also served on many civic communities and boards. He is the author of two books.

Elder Ballard has served in numerous ways in the Church. He has served twice as a Bishop and twice as a high councilor, as well as a priest’s quorum advisor. He served as the Mission President in Toronto, Canada from 1974 to 1976, when he was called as a member of the First Quorum of Seventy. In February 1980, he was called to the Presidency of the Seventy. On October 6, 1985, he was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the age of 56.

Although I have never met Elder Ballard, I know he is a man of God and servant of the Lord. His associates speak highly of him. President Packer describes him as “teachable.” His wife states he is a “perfectionist”, “hard-driven,” and “extremely organized.” On a lighter note, she says his favorite meal is probably steak and French fries.

Elder Ballard currently has responsibilities over the Missionary Department of the Church. As such, he is making use of new media to share the gospel. Here is one video from YouTube.

Sources:

Official Background Information from the Church

Article in the Ensign about Elder Ballard.

Additionally, I took a class at BYU on the lives of the Apostles. I relied on some documents from that class.

Biography of Elder Robert D. Hales - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

2008-05-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Elder Robert Dean Hales was born on August 24, 1932 in New York City, New York. He is the youngest of 3 children. He grew up attending Church in Queens. He went to high school in Long Island, where he played baseball. He graduated in 1954 with a degree in communications and business from the University of Utah, where he also played baseball and worked in radio broadcasting. Elder Hales continues to take interest in sports. During one summer while in college, he returned home to New York where he met Mary Elene Crandall. They were married on June 10, 1953 in the Salt Lake temple and have 2 sons.

Following his graduation, Elder Hales served in the US Air Force as a fighter pilot. He then earned an MBA degree from Harvard in 1960. He had a distinguished business career, serving in various executive positions of numerous companies.

He also served actively in the Church, serving 3 times as Branch President, a member of a branch presidency, 3 times as Bishop, a counselor in a Stake Presidency, an Elders Quorum President, a high councilor, an early morning seminary teacher, and a Regional Representative. He was called as an Assistant to the Twelve in April 1975 and as a member of the First Quorum of Seventy in 1976. From 1978-9, he served as Mission President of the London England Mission. He also served as a counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency from 1981-85. From 1985-1994 he served as the Presiding Bishop. On April 2, 1994, he was sustained--at the age of 61--as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Other interesting facts to note: Elder Hales has suffered two heart attacks. He also enjoys playing golf. The motto of his Air Force unit was “Return with Honor”, which Elder Hales thinks about often. As a baseball pitcher, he once threw a no-hitter.

I met Elder Hales about a year ago at a Stake Conference in my hometown. He was very friendly and willing to reach out and talk to people. I could tell he is a man of integrity.

Sources:

Official Background Information from the Church

Article in the Ensign about Elder Hales.

Story about a fighter pilot that Elder Hales was friends with.

Story about his father shoveling snow to prepare for a visit from an Apostle.

Additionally, I took a class at BYU on the lives of the Apostles. I relied on some documents from that class.

Biography of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

2008-04-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

Elder Jeffrey Roy Holland was born on December 3, 1940 in St. George, Utah. His father was an Irish immigrant who had formal education only up to the seventh grade. Elder Holland says he had an “idyllic childhood.” In high school, he was actively involved in student leadership and sports. He was on the track, baseball, basketball, and football teams-winning a championship in football and basketball. While growing up in St. George, he worked as a paperboy, a grocery bagger, and an attendant at a service station. He also played basketball at Dixie College before and after his mission.

While in high school, Elder Holland met Patricia Terry who was a cheerleader. They later married on June 7, 1963, in the St. George temple. They have 3 children and 12 grandchildren.

From 1960-62, Elder Holland served a mission to the British Isles, where he served as a missionary companion to Elder Cook, also of the Quorum of the Twelve. Additionally, Elder Holland’s parents served in the same mission at the same time. Elder Holland claimed to be the only missionary who said goodbye to his parents at both the start and end of his mission.

Elder Holland described that mission as “the major spiritual turning point in my life”. It was also when he decided to become a teacher. After getting married, Elder Holland went to BYU, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 1965 and a Master’s Degree in religious instruction in 1966. He taught part-time at BYU as a graduate student. Then he taught at various institutes and seminaries, including Hayward, California, and Seattle, Washington. While in Seattle, he served as Bishop of a singles ward. In 1970, Elder Holland went to Yale and earned a Master’s Degree and PhD in American Studies. During that time he served in the Stake Presidency and Sister Holland served as Relief Society President. Elder Holland described this difficult time period to “crossing the Red Sea.” Later, Elder Holland served in two other Stake Presidencies and as a Regional Representative.

In late 1972, the Hollands returned to Utah. He taught briefly at the Salt Lake Institute, and then was called as director of the Church-wide Melchizedek Priesthood Mutual Improvement Association. In 1974, he was appointed as Dean of Religious Education at BYU. In 1976, he was appointed as Church Commissioner of Education. From 1980-1989, he served as the 9^th president of BYU. During part of that time, Sister Holland was a counselor in the general Young Women’s presidency. Elder Holland was also active in the establishment of the BYU Jerusalem Center in Israel.

On April 1, 1989, Elder Holland was called to the First Quorum of Seventy. He was ordained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on June 23, 1994, at the age of 53.

Although I have never met Elder Holland, I feel I know him personally. Perhaps it is because I have read his book "Christ and the New Covenant". Or maybe it is the fact that we share the same first name. One of my personal favorite talks is called “An High Priest of Good Things to Come.”

Sources:
Official Background Information from the Church

Article in the Ensign about Elder Holland.

Additionally, I took a class at BYU on the lives of the Apostles. I relied on some documents from that class.

Update to Elder Bednar Biography

2008-04-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

This week I had the chance to meet Elder Bednar. (See full biography here.) He spoke at my BYU graduation and I just happened to be in the right place to meet him before we had the processional. He was very nice and asked about me, my major, and plans. We also discussed his son. It was a great experience and the highlight of my graduation day. His eyes were pure and he is a true servant of God.

Biography of Quentin L. Cook- Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

2008-04-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Elder Quentin LaMar Cook was born in Logan, Utah on September 8, 1940. He was the middle of 3 children, with an older brother and younger sister. Although his father was less active in the Church, Elder Cook comes from a strong background of faith. In fact, he is the great-grandson of David Patten Kimball, who helped carry members of the Martin Handcart company across the Sweetwater River. He was very athletic and was on the football and basketball teams in high school. He also was highly involved in student government in high school and college.

From 1960 to 1962, Elder Cook served as a missionary to the British Isles, where he was a missionary companion with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, also now a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Following his mission, he resumed is studies at Utah State University and graduated in with a political science degree in 1963. He also married Mary Gaddie on November 30, 1962, in the Logan Temple. They had known each other growing up. They now have 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

In 1966, Elder Cook graduated with a Juris Doctorate degree from Stanford University. The Cooks originally planned on returning to Utah, but the Lord had other plans. He worked as a lawyer for many years in the Bay Area. Eventually, he became President and CEO of California Healthcare System. He also worked as the vice chairman of Sutter Health System and has a board member of several other organizations.

Elder Cook has been prepared by the Lord and has significant Church service. He has served as a Bishop, Stake President, and counselor in the Stake Presidency to his older brother who was serving as Stake President at the time, a Regional Representative, and Area Authority. While serving in the Bay Area, he developed a good relationship with Elder David B. Haight, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve who passed away in 2004. Elder Cook was called as a General Authority to the Second Quorum of the Seventy in April 1996 and then to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 1998. During this time he served as the Executive Director of the Missionary Department and worked frequently with Elder M. Russell Ballard. He was just called to the Presidency of the Seventy on August 1, 2007, before being sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on October 6, 2007.

I have been excited to make this post because Elder Cook is the Apostle that I feel I know best since I have met him twice. His older brother, Joseph, was my mission president. My mission president also shared some personal insights about his brother that helped me feel like I know him better. For example, in the April 2008 Ensign, Elder Cook shared his story about a discussion he had with his brother (my mission president) when they both were teenagers. They concluded together that if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith is a true prophet, then this Church is true, and therefore we must live according to these truths. Decades later, I heard my mission president (President Cook) teach this same reasoning several times to us missionaries. My first opportunity to meet Elder Cook came when he visited our mission. I also met him again when he spoke at BYU in 2007. We had a pleasant conversation. He is a wonderful man and a humble and obedient servant of the Lord.

Sources:

Check out Elder Cook on YouTube with Elder Ballard. Here is another. The Church has just started posting these videos.

Official Church Biography
A biography by Elder Holland with some more pictures
Several of his talks: October 2007 General Conference, BYU Devotional March 2007, October 2003 General Conference, March 2003 Ensign, October 1996 General Conference

Thank you to my mission president for his insights and corrections.

The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

2008-04-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

A new member of the Quorum of the Twelve was added this weekend during the 1st session of General Conference of the Church. The order is now as follows:

1. Thomas Spencer Monson
2. Boyd Kenneth Packer
3. Lowell Tom Perry
4. Russell Marion Nelson
5. Dallin Harris Oaks
6. Melvin Russell Ballard, Jr.
7. Joseph Bitner Wirthlin
8. Richard Gordon Scott
9. Robert Dean Hales
10. Jeffrey Roy Holland
11. Henry Bennion Eyring
12. Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf
13. David Allan Bednar
14. Quentin LaMar Cook
15. David Todd Christofferson

More biographies will be coming soon!

Biography of Elder David A. Bednar - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

2008-03-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

David Allan Bednar was born on June 15,1952, in northern California. He is now 55 years old and is 13^th in seniority in the Quorum. While growing up, his mother was a Latter-day Saint and his father was Catholic. In high school, Elder Bednar played quarterback on the football team.

From 1971-73 he served as a missionary in Germany. He graduated with a Bachelors in Communications from BYU in 1976 and a Masters of Organizational Communication in 1977. He married Susan Kae Robinson in March 1975 in the Salt Lake Temple. He graduated with a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Purdue University in 1980. While he was a student at Purdue, he baptized his father into the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1979.

The Bednars have 3 children, all sons. Elder Bednar was a faculty member at the University of Arkansas from 1980-1997 with 2 years spent at Texas Tech University. The Bednars were huge fans of the Razorbacks basketball team. He also received several awards for his outstanding teaching. Additionally, he served at different times as an associate dean at the Graduate School of Business and the director of the Management Decision-Making Lab at the University of Arkansas. He published several books and articles during this time period.

From 1997-2004, Elder Bednar was the president of BYU-Idaho. He led the transition of the school going from Ricks College to BYU-Idaho. In the Church, Elder Bednar has served as a Bishop, counselor in a Stake Presidency, twice as a Stake President, Regional Representative, and Area Authority Seventy. He was ordained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on October 7, 2004, at the age of 52.

Update:

In April I had the chance to meet Elder Bednar. He spoke at my BYU graduation and I just happened to be in the right place to meet him before we had the processional. He was very nice and asked about me, my major, and plans. We also discussed his son, whom I had met previously. It was a great experience and the highlight of my graduation day. His eyes were pure and he is a true servant of God.

Sources: Official Background Information from the Church

Article in the Ensign about Elder Bednar.

Official BYU-I Biography.

Additionally, I took a class at BYU on the lives of the Apostles. I relied on some documents from that class.

You can check out Elder Bednar's published works here. You may have to buy them to read them.

Biography of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin--Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

2008-02-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

Since my grandma requested more information on this man, I have chosen to post my first short biography on Elder Wirthlin who is currently 7th in seniority.

Joseph Bitner Wirthlin was born June 11, 1917, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is now 90 years old. His father served in the Presiding Bishopric for 23 years. Elder Wirthlin is a distant cousin of the late President Hinckley. Their middle name is the same--a name of a common ancestor (Joseph Bitner Wirthlin and Gordon Bitner Hinckley.)

Elder Wirthlin is an Eagle Scout. He was involved in football and track in high school and played several years on the University of Utah football team. He gave up his senior year of football to serve a mission from 1937-39 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. He returned home and graduated with a business degree from the University of Utah.

He married Elisa Young Rogers in the Salt Lake temple in May 1941. They have 8 children (7 daughters and 1 son) and 46 grandchildren. Sister Wirthlin passed away in August 2006.

Before being called as a General Authority, Elder Wirthlin ran his family grocery store. He also served as the President of Utah Grocers' Association and President of the Utah Surveyors' Association.

In the Church, Elder Wirthlin has served as a Bishop, Counselor in a Stake Presidency, Counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency, Assistant to the Twelve, member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and in the Presidency of the Seventy. He was called to the Quorum of the Twelve on October 4, 1986, at the age of 69.

Elder Wirthlin is a big believer in planning and makes a daily list of what he needs to accomplish.

In his most recent talk given in October 2007 General Conference on the topic of love, Elder Wirthlin began shaking and had a difficult time speaking. Elder Russell M. Nelson stood up to support him. It is interesting that Elder Nelson stood up to help Elder Wirthlin during his talk (besides the fact of Elder Nelson being a medical doctor). They have a long relationship of serving in the Church together going back to the 1960's. When Elder Nelson was a Stake President in Salt Lake, Elder Wirthlin served as his counselor. Then Elder Nelson was called to the General Sunday School Presidency for the entire Church and Elder Wirthlin again served as his counselor. After a few years, Elder Wirthlin was called as an Assistant to the Twelve and he was one of the General Authorities that Elder Nelson reported to. Later, when Elder Nelson was a member of the Twelve and Elder Wirthlin a Seventy, they both had responsibilities over Europe and worked together. Now they are both members of the Quorum of the Twelve.

On a personal note, I met him last summer at an event for my work. He was very nice and we talked a little bit about football. My wife and I also saw him in the Salt Lake temple one day. He was in a wheelchair being pushed by his son, Joe Jr. As I have heard him speak and seen him in person, I know Elder Wirthlin is a chosen servant of the Lord and an Apostle of Jesus Christ.

Sources:
Official Background Information from the Church

Article in the Ensign about Elder Wirthlin--this one has some good stories about his son stowing away in the car and Elder Wirthlin courting his wife.

Additionally, I took a class at BYU on the lives of the Apostles. I relied on some documents from that class.

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

2008-02-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He called and ordained Twelve Apostles. (See John 15:16 and Matthew 10:2-5) He gave them authority to act in His name and to teach His gospel. There are living Apostles on the earth today. Like the original Twelve called in the New Testament, these Apostles have authority to act in the name of Jesus Christ and teach His gospel. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led today by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Generally, there are 15 Apostles--three in the First Presidency and twelve in the Quorum of the Twelve. Currently, the order of seniority is as follows:

1. Thomas Spencer Monson
2. Boyd Kenneth Packer
3. Lowell Tom Perry
4. Russell Marion Nelson
5. Dallin Harris Oaks
6. Melvin Russell Ballard, Jr.
7. Joseph Bitner Wirthlin
8. Richard Gordon Scott
9. Robert Dean Hales
10. Jeffrey Roy Holland
11. Henry Bennion Eyring
12. Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf
13. David Allan Bednar
14. Quentin LaMar Cook

A fifteenth Apostle will most likely be called in April General Conference to fill the vacancy. The person at the top of this list has always been the President of the Church. Each of these men is appropriately called Elder. However, the 3 in the First Presidency are given the title of President, such as President Monson, President Eyring, and President Uchtdorf.

I have decided to do a brief biography on each of these men along with any personal encounters or experiences I have had with them. Look for these posts throughout the coming months. As Paul said, "...know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 5:12)

Great Scripture Website

2008-02-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

A professor and several students at BYU developed this website:

http://scriptures.byu.edu/

You can also try:

http://scripturesbeta.byu.edu/

It is great. You can look up a scripture and see who has used that scripture in General Conference. They currently have talks updated from 1942-present. You can also view that scripture and the talk in the same screen. For example, Helaman 5:12 has been used 42 times during this time period.

Also, you can look up a certain speaker and see how many times they have quoted a particular scripture. For example, President Monson has used John 3:16 five times during this time period.

This website is helpful in both personal scripture study and preparing a talk or lesson. Go check it out!

Background Information- The Book of Mormon

2008-02-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

One of the works that Joseph Smith was called to do was to bring forth The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is scripture like the Bible. Just as the Bible contains writings of God’s prophets in the ancient Holy Land, The Book of Mormon contains writings of God’s prophets in the ancient Americas. The record covers the time period generally from 600 B.C. to 421 A.D. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ and includes an account of His ministry to the American continent shortly after His resurrection.

One of the last prophets in this book compiled the records on gold plates. His name was Mormon, hence the name The Book of Mormon. Mormon lived around 350 A.D. He gave these records to his son Moroni, who wrote a few things and then buried them in the ground.

In the year 1823, this resurrected angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and told Joseph about this ancient record. In 1827, Joseph received these gold plates and later began translating them by the power of God. From this translation, the first edition of The Book of Mormon was published in 1830.

I know The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It has changed my life. It goes together with the Bible to bring me closer to Jesus Christ.

To read this account in Joseph Smith’s own words, click here.

To learn more about coming forth of The Book of Mormon and Moroni, click here.

To read The Book of Mormon, click here.

If you are reading The Book of Mormon for the first time, I recommend starting with the Introduction, 3 Nephi 11 which contains the account of the Savior’s ministry to the Americas, and Moroni 10:3-5 which contains the promise to those who read The Book of Mormon that you can know for yourself by the power of the Holy Ghost this book is truly the word of God.

To read the Bible, click here.

Background Information - The Story of Joseph Smith

2008-02-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

Occasionally my posts will give background information about the Church. For my first background section, I have chosen to tell the beginning of the Joseph Smith story.

To understand the story of Joseph Smith, it is important to recognize that God has followed a pattern in calling prophets throughout time. God loves His children. He wants His children to return to live with Him after this life. To help His children, God calls prophets to teach His word and to be a witness for Jesus Christ. The Bible has many examples of prophets. Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses are all prophets. God spoke to them and they delivered God’s word to the people. In this pattern, we also notice that eventually people reject the truth and reject the prophet. This time period is called an apostasy, or a falling away from the truth. After many prophets, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth. Jesus established a Church, taught and lived the truth, called disciples and gave them authority. The people rejected the Son of God and crucified Him. They also persecuted and rejected His disciples. This led to a time known as the Great Apostasy, where Christ’s authority and true gospel was lost. (See 2 Thes. 2:1-3)

A restoration of the truth was necessary. God followed His pattern as He did anciently and called another prophet. This prophet was Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was born in 1805 in Sharon, Vermont. When he was 14 years old, his family was living near Palmyra, New York. There was a great religious revival going on in the area. Joseph was confused about which church he should join--even his family members went to different churches. One day he read a verse in the Bible, James 1:5, which says:
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Joseph believed this passage of scripture and decided to do as it said. In the spring of that year (1820), Joseph went to the woods outside his home and prayed to God. In answer to his prayer, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph. Joseph describes what happened in his own words:

“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me….When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

The Father and the Son called Joseph Smith to be a prophet and told him that he had a great work to do. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet and he truly had this vision of the Father and Son, just as he said he did.

Part of this great work was to bring for The Book of Mormon, which I will discuss in another post.

To read the full account in Joseph Smith’s own words, click here.

To learn more about Joseph Smith, click here or here.

Growth of the True Church

2008-02-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Statistics are always interesting to me. I am including these graphs to to illustrate the growth of the Church over the last 11 years (1996-2006). The first graph is total Church membership each year. The second graph is the number of converts baptized that year. The third graph is the number of full-time missionaries serving in the Church. I am pleased to say that I am one of the full-time missionaries in 2001 and 2002. Also, you will noticed the dramatic decline in number of missionaries in 2003--along with an associated decline in the number of converts. This was around the time that the Church raised the bar.

What is most important about these charts is not the numbers, but the people and lives they represent. The stone continues to roll forward.

Source: Church Statistical Reports from April General Conference each year.

Media Correction 2 Follow-Up

2008-02-10T18:03:00.000-08:00

It appears that the article was technically correct in regards to the "world-wide" ban on polygamy beginning in 1904. Please see the comment Christopher left under that post for more details. Thanks, Chris.

Further, I wrote an email to the author of that article. She sent a brief reply as shown below:

"We tried to simplify, thus the reliance on the later date. (The first ban was not uniformly followed, thus it was restated.)"

I appreciate the response of the author and here willingness to discuss this subject.

Media Correction 2

2008-02-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal had an article on their front page on Friday, Feb. 8th about the Church being in the spotlight because of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. Although the article had some insightful comments (along with many false remarks from people who are anti-Mormon), the article also contained some historical errors as follows:

Error 1: The article states that the Church did not discontinue polygamy until 1904.

Correction 1: Polygamy was official discontinued in 1890 by a declaration from the Prophet and President of the Church at the time, Wilford Woodruff. In the sidebar on the article, it makes this distinction (sort of) between 1890 and a re-statement in 1904.

Error 2: The article says, "Mormonism began in 1830 after Joseph Smith, a farmer in upstate New York, said an angel led him to some golden plates that contained a 'New World gospel' -- the Book of Mormon."

Correction 2: The wording of this sentence needs some clarification, or it can be misleading. Although the Church was officially formed on April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith had the First Vision in 1820. Further, the article refers to the angel Moroni and the gold plates, which Moroni first appeared to the Prophet Joseph in 1823.

There are also some other important facts that are left out of the history in the sidebar. I recognize that it is impossible to give each of these subjects a full discussion in one article, but the events mentioned seem to focus on controversial topics--even ones that were resolved (such as the service in the Senate of Elder Reed Smoot.)

Succession of the Prophet

2008-02-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

Today, President Thomas S. Monson was announced as the new President of the Church. President Henry B. Eyring was announced as 1st Counselor and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf as 2nd Counselor. They were ordained on Sunday, February 3, 2008 but not announced until Feb. 4th.

During the time between the death of President Hinckley and the ordination of President Monson, the Church was led by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This time period is often referred to as an Apostolic Presidency. This Apostolic Presidency lasted 7 days. It was slightly longer than many recent Apostolic Presidencies, although very short compared to the early years of the Church. A time line of Presidents of the Church and the Apostolic Presidency is included below:

1. Joseph Smith, Jr.-First Elder from Apr.6, 1830-Jan.25,1832. President 12½ years from Jan.25,1832-June 27, 1844.
Apostolic Presidency for 3½ years, then:

2. Brigham Young-President 30 years from
Dec.27,1847-Aug.29,1877.
Apostolic Presidency for 3 years, then:

3. John Taylor-President for 6 years 9 months from
Oct.10,1880-July 25, 1887.
Apostolic Presidency for 2 years, then:

4. Wilford Woodruff-President for 9½ years from
April 7,1889-Sept. 2, 1898.
Apostolic Presidency for 11 days, then:

5. Lorenzo Snow-President for 3 years 1 month from
Sept.13,1898-Oct.10,1901.
Apostolic Presidency for 7 days, then:

6. Joseph F. Smith-President for 17 years 1 month from
Oct. 17,1901-Nov.19,1918.
Apostolic Presidency for 4 days, then:

7. Heber J. Grant-President for 27 years from
Nov. 23, 1918-May 14, 1945.
Apostolic Presidency for 7 days, then:

8. George Albert Smith-President for 6 years from
May 21, 1945-April 4, 1951.
Apostolic Presidency for 5 days, then:

9. David O. McKay-President for 18 years 9 months from
April 9,1951-Jan.18,1970.
Apostolic Presidency for 5 days, then;

10. Joseph Fielding Smith-President for 2 years 5 months from
Jan.23,1970-July 2,1972.
Apostolic Presidency for 5 days, then:

11. Harold B. Lee-President for 1 year 5 months from
July 7, 1972-Dec.26,1973.
Apostolic Presidency for 4 days, then:

12. Spencer W. Kimball -President for 11 years 10 months from
Dec.30,1973-Nov.5,1985.
Apostolic Presidency for 5 days, then:

13. Ezra Taft Benson-President for 8 years 6 months from
Nov.10,1985-May 30,1994.
Apostolic Presidency for 7 days, then:

14. Howard W. Hunter-President for 9 months from
June 5, 1994-Mar.3,1995.
Apostolic Presidency for 9 days, then:

15. Gordon B. Hinckley-President for 12 years 10 months from
Mar.12,1995-Jan.27,2008.
Apostolic Presidency for 7 days, then:

16. Thomas S. Monson President from Feb.3,2008-present.

Source: LDS Church History Packet by Susan Easton Black, available at BYU Bookstore for Rel C 342 class.

Media Correction 1

2008-02-04T16:24:00.000-08:00

One of the purposes of my blog is to ensure accuracy in the media regarding the Church. As such, here is my first correction:

Error-During the Q&A session during the press conference today announcing the new First Presidency, one news reporter commented that President Uchtdorf is possibly the first foreign-born person to serve in the First Presidency.

Correction-John Taylor, who served as President of the Church from 1880-1887, was born in England. George Q. Cannon, who served as 1st Counselor to 3 Presidents from 1880-1901, was also born in England. There may be more-if so please let me know. These are the 2 I could quickly verify.

Official Name of the Church

2008-02-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the preferred name of the Church, although its members are often called Mormons.

Welcome to my Blog

2008-02-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

This blog is an opportunity for me to share doctrine, facts, thoughts, and personal experiences about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known commonly as the Mormon Church. Hope you enjoy.