This Week in Latter-days

Become a TWiM Patron in order to get early-release episodes and bonus content. 

TWiM Daniels are back with an international flavor of Mormon news.

Links:

Joseph Smith Papers project completion after over 2 decades of work: https://www.thechurchnews.com/history/2023/6/27/23759796/joseph-smith-papers-final-volume-published-hyrum-smith-martyrdom-elder-david-a-bednar?utm_campaign=churchnews-en&utm_content=entry&utm_medium=social_share

Tabernacle Choir Mexico tour in June 2023 https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/6/18/23765123/tabernacle-choir-orchestra-tour-2023-mexico-national-auditorium-songs-hope-adassa

Updated UK Safeguarding Standards & influence of member advocacy: https://religionnews.com/category/faith/christianity/latter-day-saints/

Chilean TV station leases their facilities to the church: https://www.publimetro.cl/entretenimiento/2023/06/19/de-la-entretencion-a-la-religion-la-red-arrendo-instalaciones-a-iglesia-mormona/

2nd Edition of Preach My Gospel announced and released: https://www.deseret.com/2023/6/22/23770229/church-releases-preach-my-gospel-at-missionary-training-center-lds-president-nelson

Become a TWiM Patron in order to get early-release episodes and bonus content. 

Final volume of Joseph Smith Papers to release on day of the Prophet’s martyrdom

(Related: Forensic images: New research provides fresh evidence this really is a photo of Mormon founder Joseph Smith)

 

MATT

 Updated version of Preach My Gospel now out, Pres. Nelson on this

MELISSA

TabCats Covid outbreak after tour in Mexico - more on the Mexico tour

MATT

Mormon crickets are going to be abundant this year. In some places, they are using snowplows to get rid of them.

MELISSA

LDS Church celebrates Juneteenth with gift to NAACP branch

MATT

Meet Sarah Sun, Miss Utah 2023 and a Latter-day Saint convert committed to serving others. The returned missionary is the first Asian American to wear the Miss Utah crown

MATT

News for Three Temples in the USA

Famous Mormons:

Which actor who was in a lot of Info-mercial style commercials is Mormon-Adjacent?

George Foreman

Wilford Brimley (Diabetes)

Ron Popeil (RonCo Products)

Big/Little/No Deal

MATT

No more cornerstone ceremonies at temple dedications. Is this a change in doctrine?

MELISSA

Members of the church in the US are becoming a little less Republican.

MATT

 Former FLDS members fear their children's disappearance is part of Warren Jeffs' prophecy

MELISSA

AI to answer faith questions?

MATT

What 18 years of research tells us about the mental health of Latter-day Saints

MELISSA

 Bible Ban in Davis County Schools, related: Book of Mormon up for ban discussion

Mormons Doing Goodly:

Raymond Stevens  is working to provide educational opportunities for students in his home country of Sierra Leone

This Week in Mormon History:

90 years ago today - Jun 22, 1933

The First Presidency and apostles decide that "the Church as an organization could not take part in the campaign for the repeal of the 18th Amendment since this [is] a partisan political question. It [is] hoped however that all L.D.S. would vote against repeal [of national Prohibition]." Thirty-five years later, the LDS hierarchy reverses this decision and participates actively in a campaign against liquor-by-the-drink in Utah as a "moral issue."

40 years ago today - Jun 20, 1983

FORBES magazine notes that in recent years at least ten separate swindles have been uncovered in Utah involving more than 9,000 people (1 percent of Utah's adults) and losses are estimated at more than $200 million. In asking itself "why?" the magazine described Utah as "fertile soil for swindles" because of excessive trust among LDS members: "Most of those bilked are Mormons, and the bilkers, too, profess to be upstanding members of the church and use church connections"

Become a TWiM Patron in order to get early-release episodes and bonus content. 

The TWiM Sisters approach the mic to discuss this week's news!

Latest from Mormon Land: Wards are up in Utah, way down in California. See by how much.

Kansas doctor, a dad of 13, dies after rescuing daughter during Colorado rafting trip

Dad jokes are scientifically shown to benefit children. Here’s Utah’s favorite one

Latter-day Saint designer combines faith and fashion with Dillard’s collection

LATTER-DAY SAINT ENIGMA: THEIR UNEXPECTED TROOP ABUSE RATES

Local author to share his story of finding belonging as an openly gay Latter-day Saint

Elder Holland returns to apostolic assignments after ‘some serious health challenges’

We must find uncommon, common ground

See how one sister in Montana is using her talents to serve others by sewing 1,400 dresses for children in need

Latter-day Saint returned missionary Kenneth Rooks wins NCAA championship in steeplechase

Meet twin brothers who are newly called bishops in the Atlanta area

Miss Lehi Teen 'excited to serve' role after week of confusion on pageant title

Ken Jennings Has Some Questions About Death

How Mormonism Defined So Much of Battlestar Galactica’s Plot

La historia del primer patriarca de la Iglesia que visitó Rapa Nui (Isla de Pascua)

Mormon Church buys Wembley Amazon warehouse for £74 million via charitable company

Did you know the first temple endowment film had a clip from Disney’s ‘Fantasia’?

For more This Week in Mormons content, JOIN THE PATREON

Links:

Q&A: How Ashley Hatch prioritizes faith while chasing World Cup dreams

Mormon Church buys Wembley Amazon warehouse for £74 million via charitable company

Two new books untangle the Mountain Meadows Massacre

She’s played with members of AC/DC and the Killers. How faith helped this teen drum her way to Harvard

Bus Accident in Brazil Claims Life of Young Missionary

Former BYU president Kevin Worthen headed to Yale for a year

‘God is in the details of my life’: Missionary in Africa finds his cousin’s baseball shirt

The heartwarming thing a Utah couple did when the youngest of 11 kids graduated high school

Latter-day Saints update and expand policy on political neutrality and participation

A coast-to-coast guide of US Church History and Restoration sites

What happened to John Forsyth, the Missouri doctor found dead in a lake? What we know.

MAILBAG? MATT

A listener wrote in regarding our discussion on church finances:

“I think there is a balance somewhere in between full-disclosure and what we’ve got now - where, as Melissa said, we can read articles on the church news to see where we are spending money.  I would like something like a line item budget.  You don’t have to tell me exact numbers, but what about letting us know that we spend 20% on temples, 15% on disaster relief, 35% goes into savings, etc.  I’d be interested in your thoughts on a middle-of-the-road type financial disclosure from the church”

QUICK CLIPS (A FEW OF THE WEEK’S STORIES)

MELISSA

Church sends weekly emails of inspiration

MATT

I think we should discuss two things from President Oaks Devotional. The first is these two figures he presents:

President Oaks asks young people to consider what they miss when marriage is intentionally delayed. President Oaks mentions a couple of causes: shortage of affordable housing, and increased student debt. What else is behind these trends?

The second is his response to a question from a Young Woman in the US who is concerned with how other members of the church act on social media and at stake youth activities regarding LGTBQ issues. He says two things that I think we should discuss. 1) He tells young people that their church leaders and parents can help them understand eternal principles and then emphasizes the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. The states that “With these truths as your guide, you can make inspired choices that will bless you throughout eternity” then 2) He emphasizes the two great commandments and says, “Anyone who does not treat individuals who face gender identity challenges with love and dignity is not aligned with the teachings of the first and second great commandments.” What is the best way to stand up for the truth on these moral questions?

MELISSA 

American Idol winner is LDS

MATT

Plans For 101-Foot Mormon Temple In Cody Spark Opposition, Petition Drive

MELISSA

Has the church increased transparency about what happens inside temples?  Related: Status of all 133 temples announced by Pres. Nelson

MATT

Central American Youth encouraged to serve missions

MELISSA

Mental Health awareness https://www.thechurchnews.com/

MATT

What does anti-Mormon bias look like in academia? A Q&A with Patrick Mason “I’ve heard students of faith at Utah State University and the University of Utah say they are sitting in classrooms where at least their perception of the faculty is that they are hostile to either the particulars of their faith or faith in general. Oftentimes, it revolves around more social and political and cultural issues, such as LGBTQ equality and things like that, but sometimes it’s just simply, at least in the student’s perception, a kind of hostility toward religion broadly speaking” Is this true?

FAMOUS MORMONS MATT

Alan Moon: Ticket to Ride

Frank Norris: Pit

Grandpa Beck: Cover your Assets

(BIG DEAL, LITTLE DEAL, NO DEAL?)

MELISSA

1 in 4 lds have thought about leaving the church by Jana Riess. I think it is humorous that she wrote this piece because that number is the same as the national average. She could just have easily written a story that says that 22% of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are converts, or that at most 5% of our church members have left the church, compared to 37% leaving the Catholic Church or 24% leaving their Protestant church.

MATT

Church handbook instructs on how to handle preferred names or pronouns. There are some interesting tidbits in there.

MELISSA

Women's Conference talk on how to avoid spiritual overwhelm

MATT

Holly Jane, 39, wasn't willing to quit her OnlyFans venture, despite the bishop demanding she delete her account. Apparently she still attends church, but she has faced disciplinary action for continuing to have an OnlyFans account. She has over 26k Instagram followers and makes $32k per month. How is an OnlyFans page different from someone who owns a bar or a coffee shop? Would a coffee shop owner face disciplinary action?

MORMONS DOING GOODLY 

MATT

Kentucky Governor Thanks the Church of Jesus Christ for Flood Relief.  Some 3,000 Latter-day Saints gave 65,872 hours of service to clean out 867 damaged homes in August 2022

Elizabeth was one of over 500 Ghanaians who received the gift of sight thanks to a collaboration between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Daybreak Vision Project, a non-profit organization with the mission of bringing sight-restoring cataract surgery to those in greatest need.

THIS WEEK IN MORMON HISTORY 

70 years ago today - May 23, 1953

Apostle Spencer W. Kimball publishes a repudiation of Norman C. Pierce's 'The Coming of the Great White Chief': "If members of the Church would always check the authenticity of such stories, through the Church authorities before spreading them abroad, it would save much embarrassment and deception." I checked, this book is currently available on Amazon.

110 years ago today - May 21, 1913

The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America invites the Church's MIA Scout organization to formally join the BSA, thus beginning a long association between the two groups.

135 years ago today - May 23, 1888

[Heber J. Grant]

I regret more than words of mine can tell the absence of a majority of the members of our quorum from the dedication [of the Manti temple] and my gratitude will know no bounds when in the kind providences of our Heavenly Father our quorum can meet as they did before the raid under the Edmunds Tucker bill started. No pen can picture the sufferings and heart aches our people have undergone. I take no pleasure in thinking about them or writing anything on the subject.

[The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]

Encourage individuals to subscribe to This Week in Mormons on social media

Facebook.com/thisweekinmormons

Twitter: @therealtwim   

Feel free to plug another project or platform you are affiliated with. 

Encourage the audience to send us an email with any feedback to [email protected]

Visit our website thisweekinmormons.com to leave a voice comment. 

Become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/thisweekinmormons to unlock bonus episodes and bonus content.

Thanks for listening to the original Mormon/Latter-day Saint news podcast”

Welcome to a new episode of This Week in Mormons! In this week's episode, Tiffany Hales & Arianne Smith (The TWiM Sisters) cover a variety of stories and updates related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Links:

What this Latter-day Saint rodeo barrel racer learned from the ‘strong’ women in her family

President Nelson issues a statement on his health, saying ‘little challenges with balance should be the least of our worries’

6 things we now know (maybe) about the LDS church’s wealth

A Utah Mom Wrote a Children's Book on Grief After Her Husband Died. Now, She's Accused of Murdering Him

Rededication Date Set for Historic St. George Utah Temple

‘Jeopardy!’ legend Ken Jennings tried his luck on ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ Here’s what happened

The ‘Mormon Moment’ 10 years later: Why Joanna Brooks and Mitch Mayne left the public eye

Who is Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, BYU–Idaho’s new president?

Perspective: What’s behind American media’s unhealthy fixation on ‘Mormons, Inc.’?

60 Minutes, David Nielson, and Ensign Peak Advisors

Is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hoarding wealth?

Ranked: The World’s Top 50 Endowment Funds

Modular temples? See how the Church is keeping up with new temple announcements

This week's hosts: Christopher Cunningham (Public Square Magazine) and Ivan Wolfe (Times & Seasons)

In this episode, we delve into a variety of topics, including the transformative power of birth experiences, the ongoing debate surrounding caffeine and the Word of Wisdom, the controversial recognition of Tucker Carlson in Deseret News, the passing of Heather Armstrong and her impact as a prominent mommy blogger, the jury deliberations in the Lori Vallow Daybell murder trial, the historic moment of interfaith leaders in Kenya welcoming The Church, the 50-year celebration of an unlikely union between a Jewish congregation and Latter-day Saints in Utah, the social capital rates of Latter-day Saints and mainline Protestants, the earthquake relief efforts in Türkiye and Syria by Latter-day Saints, and the GFWC Williston Woman's Club receiving a grant from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Join us as we explore these captivating news stories, providing insights and analysis along the way.

News Links:

New food bank opens doors in Wilmington, receives large donation to help kickstart operations

Ivan Wolfe's Articles

CHANGING THE WORLD ONE BIRTH AT A TIME

Latest from Mormon Land: Is caffeine really against the Word of Wisdom?

Tucker Carlson lauded in Utah newspaper despite replacement theory ties

Heather Armstrong, ‘Queen of the Mommy Bloggers,’ Is Dead at 47

Jury begins deliberations in murder trial of Lori Vallow Daybell

Historic Moment as Interfaith Leaders in Kenya Welcome the Church

‘This could only happen in Utah’ — Jewish congregation celebrates 50 years of an unlikely union

Why Latter-day Saints and mainline Protestants have the highest social capital rates

Latter-day Saints Continue to Provide Earthquake Relief in Türkiye and Syria

GFWC Williston Woman’s Club receives grant from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Medical training, computers enhance education, and service in flooded communities: Service from Latter-day Saints around the world

Hey folks, welcome back to This Week in Mormons, where we dive into all the news this past week related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Matt Miles and Melissa Jensen are back to host!

First up, CNN poses the question, what do Mormons believe? This is a complicated topic and one that has been debated for years.

Unfortunately, not all members of the church live up to these ideals. As we saw recently, a leader in Trenton was charged with allegedly enticing a teenage girl from his congregation. This is a disturbing story and one that goes against everything the church stands for. It's important that we hold leaders accountable for their actions, no matter who they are.

Speaking of accountability, a former member of the church, Patrick Hardy, has been speaking out about the church's lack of accountability. He believes that the church needs to do more to address issues of abuse and misconduct, and he's calling on members to demand change. This is an important conversation to have, and it's something that all organizations need to take seriously.

On a more positive note, we have some news from the Relief Society, the women's organization within the church. They recently held a conference at BYU, where they discussed their commitment to providing relief to those in need. This is a great example of the good work that can be done when people come together to help others.

Moving on to a different topic, we have a story about the church's wealth. Behind the vast wealth of the church are two centuries of financial hits and misses. It's interesting to see how the church has managed its finances over the years, and it's worth taking a closer look at.

In sports news, we have some NFL draft picks from BYU and Utah. It's always exciting to see young Latter-day Saint athletes achieve their dreams, and we wish them all the best in their careers.

On a more serious note, we have a tweet from Senator Mike Lee about a BYU professor who spoke about her transgender child in class. This has sparked controversy, with some accusing the professor of pushing a political agenda. It's important to remember that everyone has a right to express their views, but we should always strive to listen to and understand those with different perspectives.

Unfortunately, not everyone is open to different viewpoints. The same professor has become the target of bullying after discussing her child in class. This is a sad reminder that we still have a long way to go when it comes to accepting and embracing diversity.

In political news, we have a researcher who is calling attention to a "seismic political shift" happening among young Latter-day Saints. It's interesting to see how younger generations are approaching politics, and it's something to keep an eye on in the coming years.

On a more spiritual note, we have a surprising statistic: more Americans pray in their cars than in a place of worship. This is a reminder that spirituality can take many different forms and that people find solace in different places and ways.

Speaking of spirituality, we have news about changes coming to the "Come, Follow Me" program in 2024. It's always good to see organizations evolving and adapting to meet the needs of their members.

In Ghana, we have a heartwarming story about Latter-day Saints opening their stake center to more than 1,000 Muslims celebrating the end of Ramadan. This is a great example of people coming together to celebrate their differences and find

Links:

What do Mormons believe?

LDS leader in Trenton charged with allegedly enticing teen girl from congregation

Patrick Hardy: LDS Church has dodged hard questions of accountability

Relief Society Leaders Open BYU Women’s Conference: We ‘Stand Ready to Provide Relief’

Behind the Latter-day Saint church’s vast wealth are two centuries of financial hits and misses

NFL draft: BYU’s Freeland, Hall and Nacua are selected on third day, along with Utah’s Phillips III and Daniels

Mike Lee Tweet

BYU Professor Speaks About Her Transgender 8 Year-old in Class

BYU prof becomes bullying target after mentioning her trans child in class

Young People Fleeing the Republican Party Tweet

What one researcher calls the ‘seismic political shift’ happening among young Latter-day Saints

More Americans pray in their car than in a place of worship

What percentage of Americans are praying? New survey finds surprising results

Locations of Temples in Africa and Europe Released

Changes coming to ‘Come, Follow Me’ in 2024

Ghana Latter-day Saints open stake center to more than 1,000 Muslims celebrating end of Ramadan

How a young man with special needs is finding joy and inspiring others in his Utah ward

25 years ago today - May 3, 1998

100 years ago today - May 2, 1923

50 years ago today - Apr 28, 1973

In this week's episode, hosts Geoff Openshaw and Jared Gillins discuss the new updates to the Gospel Library app that offer ward-based experiences, allowing members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to study together and be on the same page. They also talk about the upcoming Silicon Slopes Summit '23 and how Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will be a keynote speaker at the event.

The hosts then discuss the Church's Military Advisory Committee and how it supports service members and their families worldwide. They also talk about Elder Rasband's recent visit to Armenia, where he brought a message of hope in Jesus Christ.

The hosts then switch to a lighter topic and discuss whether there is less crime around the Manhattan Temple. They also talk about a nurse's claim that most US Mormons are failing to follow the Word of Wisdom.

Next, they discuss an episode of the podcast where Elder David A. Bednar talks about Latter-day Saint temples and the power of covenants and ordinances. They also talk about a researcher's claim that there is a seismic political shift happening among young Latter-day Saints.

Finally, the hosts end the episode by discussing a BYU-Hawaii Culture Night event where over 1,200 students from 31 different groups shared a taste of their home cultures.

Are you a devoted listener of This Week in Mormons podcast and eager to show your support? By becoming a patron on Patreon.com/ThisWeekinMormons, you can not only gain early access to the latest episodes but also play an instrumental role in the development of our show. Your contributions will go directly towards improving the content and expanding our reach to a wider audience. Join our community of passionate supporters and help us continue to deliver engaging and informative discussions on all things related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

News Links:

Gospel Library app’s new ward-based experiences get members ‘on the same page’

Elder David A. Bednar, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to Keynote Silicon Slopes Summit 2023

Silicon Slopes announces Elder David A. Bednar as a speaker at Summit '23.

How the Church’s Military Advisory Committee is supporting service members and families worldwide

Elder Rasband brings a message of hope in Jesus Christ to Armenia

Is There Less Crime Around the Manhattan Temple?

Most US Mormons are failing the Word of Wisdom, nurse says

Episode 133: Elder David A. Bednar on Latter-day Saint temples and the ‘power of godliness’ that comes through covenants and the ordinances

What one researcher calls the ‘seismic political shift’ happening among young Latter-day Saints

More than 1,200 BYU–Hawaii students representing 31 groups share ‘taste of home’ during Culture Night