This Week in Latter-days

The Church is embroiled in a lawsuit over water rights in Nevada. You see, there isn't much water in Nevada, and the Church sits on top of a lot of it. Las Vegas casinos want it. Who will win?!

John Dehlin has reversed course and decided to appeal his excommunication, but basically on grounds of a mistrial. It's interesting.

Speaking of discipline, a blogger who decided polygamy was not a divine commandment, but the will of man, is allegedly facing some sort of discipline from his stake president if he doesn't pull down his blog post. We can't confirm what is second-hand hearsay, but we say the man is not a prominent thinker and can publish what he wants. But again, where's the line? We gotta find the line.

Elder Holland says we'll have 100,000 missionaries by 2019. But is this a prophecy or a projection?!

Ancient cities are discovered in Honduras! Book your ticket for our Book of Mormon history tour today!

What are the top 21 Mormon temples? We'll tell you.

Links:

* Top 21 Mormon Temples

* 100,000 missionaries by 2019

* How to teach Mormons about tough things

* Polygamy debate and church discipline. Read both.

* It's not of God?

* It's of God?

* Come to Honduras

* Vegas vs Mormons

* John Dehlin to appeal

* "Actor" from "hit" movie Meet the Mormons to play BYU football

 

Tanner Christensen, editor of 17 Miracles, Ephraim's Rescue, and the upcoming Don Verdean and The Cokeville Miracle joins us to talk LDS Cinema, Indiana Jones-like shows, how many celebrities he knows, and whether Jared Hess has a potty mouth. It's pretty awesome. Make sure to use TanMan Post for your post-production needs!

LDS Family Services has partnered with Adoption.com, a for-profit adoption community, to provide adoption services to Latter-day Saints. For a refresher, LDSFS stopped providing its own adoption services last year. Now the Church is footing the bill for the $200/month charge for using this site. Good? Bad?

Kate Kelly was denied her final appeal on excommunication, and as a response, her husband has opted to resign his membership in the Church. Because that's the measured response.

Did you know you can buy a book that depicts famous moments from LDS church history in the form of Legos? Oh yes! It's real, and it's fabulous.

BYU once had a secret club in which grown men hid a book in the Harold B. Lee Library and proceeded to traipse about, playing games of tag and intrigue. The book of secrets still exists.

Prince Ata of Tonga has ignored his father's wishes and been baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having done so in Hawaii this past weekend. We are praying for no patricide or regicide or any form of -cide.

Did you know that the apostles are old? Peggy Fletcher Stack does, and she wants all of you to know it, too.

Alex Boyé has opted to listen to dirty music so as to remove the dirty from it and then make a hot YouTube video. This time, he's done it to perennial filth monger Bruno Mars' latest hit. But someone had to listen to it to edit it! This is like the Cleanflix conundrum!

Other news: Elder Holland speaks at Chapman University; Star Valley Wyoming will finally break ground on its temple; Sister Jean A. Stevens, who is the first woman to pray in General Conference, is being released so her husband can be a mission president; and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is inducted into the Classical Music Hall of Fame.

Links!

* LDS Family Services partners with Adoption.com

* Lego church history

* Sister Stevens will not stay forever

* BYU's secret club

* Kate Kelly loses appeal, continues raging

* Prince Ata gets baptized

A-ha! Another week. More bliss! More joy!

Do we have problems in Scouting within the LDS Church? Are we maximizing the opportunity of Scouting? What about the Young Women? Are they getting enough of the pie? Let's talk about the youth programs in the Mormon Church.

In huge news, the Raintree Apartments will revert back to BYU control. No more missionaries. It's OVER!

Ever been to the LDS Film Festival? Well now's your chance. But what is the purpose of this festival? Like, srsly. Why?

New rules encourage families to attend the temple for baptismal sessions together instead of going with the ward. This is awesome. Are your memories of youth baptisms with your ward or with your family? Might be better with your family, eh?

In other news: dating is OVER; LDS LinkUp dies and resurrects in a matter of days; Dialogue gets a new editor; 20th stake in Houston...

...and more! Like discussions on Subway franchises in Spain! OR tips for how to give a good sacrament meeting talk!

 

News Items to Click:

* The real problem with Scouting

* Female anger toward Scouting

* Raintree reverts to BYU

* Houston's 20th stake

* Dating is over

* LDS Film Festival

* Family time at temple

* Dialogue gets a new editor

* Get rid of this guy's watermarks

* Tonga gets Meet the Mormons

Missionaries are held captive in Albuquerque. Better call Saul!

In a much cooler story, a Flemish television presenter who has vowed to say "yes" to everyone runs across some LDS missionaries, and agrees to talk with them about the gospel. The result is a pretty cool little video. Watch it below at the bottom of this post.

Mormon sexuality is misunderstood, and much of it is our own doing. So how do you feel about sexy Mormon times? The Huffington Post ran a thirty-minute video discussion with a handful of therapists, academics, and even an active and gay Mormon man about sexuality within Mormonism.

BYU got a heart-shaped piñata. All are punished.

The LDS Bachelorette has returned, and we don't love it. Come on, Erin Elton. Stand by your (sort of former) product!

Other stuff: Mormons believe in an afterlife more than everyone else; Prime Minister David Cameron receives his genealogy from Church leaders; a former bishop loves Jewish food so much he opened a deli in Salt Lake; there's a bloody history for Mormons in Jackson County, Missouri; and the Church's new Family Discover Center is pretty cool.

 

Stories:

* Missionaries held captive

* Say yes to the missionaries

* Mormon sex lives

* The return of the LDS Bachelorette

* Mitt Romney is not a terrorist

* BYU heart piñata

* Reuben-worshiping Mormon

* Belief in the afterlife

* The bloody history of Jackson County

* David Cameron receives family history

* Family discovery center

This week's lead story is, of course, the excommunication of podcaster and Open Stories Foundation founder John Dehlin. The Church has been a bit more open this time around, perhaps having learned lessons from the Kate Kelly ordeal last year. Either way, there is more information available to all of us than there was before.

So what constitutes apostasy? Is it for having questions? Is it for having questions publicly? Is it for pushing one's views in such a realm that others adopt said views, leading them astray? Is it publicly expressing disagreement with the Church over core doctrines?

None of us are thrilled when someone gets excommunicated, and it's important to remember that while many of you say "courts of love" with snark and a wink, that love is real, and many of you have firsthand experiences with disciplinary councils.

There's also other news, such as the Church moving away from pensions in favor of 401(k)s. Ick.

Some missionaries in New Zealand were attacked, but they rocked it. Another missionary took a selfie every day for two years and shared it as a video. Kinda neat.

How do we improve Internet access in our buildings. The key is to Not. Use. The. WiFi. Just don't use it!

Ever been curious about the religious affiliations of the United States Congress? We've got you covered.

Elder Oaks holds a fireside to tell kids not to hang out. So stop hanging out! But does Elder Oaks understand Tinder? That is the question.

Other stuffs: Floods in Reno! Mormon Yankees! A woman offers to take lashes for Saudi prisoners! The Lost Book of Mormon!

Here are your show links. Use them. Give them traffic.

* Church responds openly about John Dehlin

* John Dehlin surreptitiously recorded one of his meetings with stake leaders

* John Dehlin makes money

* Church drops pensions

* Missionaries attacked

* Missionary selfie

* Improving Internet access

* Religious affiliations of congress

* LDS woman volunteers to take lashings for Sa...

Former Mitt Romney and Rick Scott communications guru Susan Hepworth joins us to talk about Brother Romney's 2008 and 2012 runs for president, as well as Mitt Romney's decision not to compete in 2016, and how Mormonism factored into the whole thing. She also tries to convince us to move to Florida, which, no.

Aside from plenty of Mitt Romney talk, we have other news, including a fast for the Rome Temple, which has been met with all sorts of road blocks and is years behind schedule with construction. Keep it in your prayers.

Nary a week after leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encouraged lawmakers to find a balance between religious freedom and fundamental civil rights for the LGBT population, Idaho lawmakers - many of them Mormon - thumbed their collective noses at the idea, voting down a bill that would have afforded gays and lesbians with new protections. So... way to be, Idaho.

Also, check out the Trib Talk below where Elders Oaks and Christofferson are a bit more off-the-cuff, and Elder Oaks responds to his comment on the Church "never apologizing."

This year's biggest Oscar snub is not anything related to Selma missing out on acting and directing nominations, or The LEGO Movie getting snubbed for Best Animated Feature. No, this year's snub is the failure to nominate Meet the Mormons for Best Documentary. Sure, we could blame this on not sending out screeners early enough. *cough* However, now you can watch Meet the Mormons on digital demand, currently on iTunes and Amazon Instant, but soon on Netflix, Google Play, and a host of other nondescript streaming services. Also, for physical medium adherents, you can get it on Blu-ray or DVD.

Did you see the survey that the Church put out on temple garments? It's closed now, but it was rad.

An atheist is making money selling bibles, and journalists want to know if he feels morally compromised.

Nightline ran a great segment on sister missionaries, which included questions about their bras. Keep it classy, ABC.

 

Links:

* Meet the Mormons digital download

* Idaho doesn't listen to SLC

* Garments survey

* Rome Temple fast

* Atheists make money on Bibles

* Sister missionaries on Nightline

* Follow Susan Hepworth on Twitter

Big news of the week: the Church's press conference about religious liberty and anti-discrimination. It's been met with mixed reactions from various corners of the commentary kingdom, some citing the Church's embrace of LGBT rights as landmark, while others arguing that the "religious protections" proposed equate to little more than an excuse to legally discriminate.

Admittedly, there are pros and cons to the entire thing, and we have our analysis in this episode. There's really no perfect answer, and we'd love it if you shared your thoughts on it with us.

And because we think the proposed hashtag #Fairness4All is super lame, we are using #Freedom4Eva and hope you will all join us in our quest to utilize numbers for a purpose reminiscent of tween texting.

In Alaska, did you know you can attend church by phone? It's awesome how the Church extends itself into whatever medium available to allow the saints to worship. This Alaska Bush Branch story is great. It begs to be covered by NPR.

Should BYU be abolished? Al thinks so.

Have any of you had missionary open houses at your buildings? Are they worthwhile? What would you do the same and what would you change?

In shocking news, LDS.org will evolve over time. No more will a site be static from now into time immemorial. It will evolve!

Times and Seasons announced their Mormon of the Year, and the result is... fine.

We are also up for some Wheaties awards over at Wheat and Tares! You should vote for us for Best Podcast!!!!!

Other stuff: 10 Amazing Mormon civil rights leaders; BYU-Idaho gets a new president; a missionary dies in Mexico; a mission mom dies in Salt Lake City

Also, Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. Winning.

 

Links:

* Religious freedom and gay rights

* Religious freedom from the Newsroom

* New BYU-I president

* Missionary dies in Mexico

* Mission wife dies

* Attending church by phone

* 10 amazing Mormon civil rights leaders

* Mormon of the year

*

Welcome to this glorious week of awesomeness and truth!

The Supreme Court of the United States is finally going to weigh in on gay marriage. This is a big deal. There are three likely possible outcomes and a few key areas under consideration. We'll help you make sense of it here.

John Dehlin has a hearing date regarding potential excommunication. The bloggernacle is up in arms. What does this mean to you? Is there a witch hunt on for Mormon liberals? Let us know your take, but make sure to listen in for our thoughts on it all. Admittedly, when comparing John Dehlin and Kate Kelly, it's shocking that action came swiftly and decisively toward the latter and not the former.

Hey! Marriages to so-perceived gay men end in divorce. Funny how that works.

The Church wins its lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a Canadian polygamist offshoot that can now no longer be known by its name because the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints doesn't want there to be confusion between the two. LDS Salt Lake beats LDS British Columbia.

What defines true modesty? It's not what you'd think. Some great principles here.

The BYU student who was arrested for having a meth lab in his bedroom, but claimed he was just making soap, has now pled guilty, asserting that he was making both soap and meth. Meth soap!

Other stuff: a cool missionary workout video, dedication dates for the Indianapolis Indiana and Trujillo Peru Temples; a Southern California church building gets vandalized; the Gateway shopping center in Salt Lake City is falling apart.

Also, more talk on R-rated movies!

* SCOTUS to rule on gay marriage

* Marriages to gay men end in divorce

* We have defeated the Canadian LDS Church

* Indianapolis and Trujillo Temples

* Goodbye, Mormon liberals? (terribly researched article)

* BYU meth kid pleads guilty

* Gateway slumping

* True modesty

* Lake Elsinore church vandalized

* Check out DC Temple cutaway pictures!

 

//

BYU amends its beard ban, allowing one to express religious freedom so long as one is not LDS.

A great story out of the Deseret News on mental illness and missionaries. This is an evolving area of focus for the Church, but we're glad to see more attention given where it's needed. Did you or anyone you know cope with mental illness while serving?

Joseph Smith and Brigham Young are named among Smithsonian's 100 most significant Americans of all time.

Bryce Harper's wedding was canceled. WHY? Listen in and we'll tell you nothing.

Ordain Women publishes photos, but No Ordinances Were Carried Out in the Making of These Photos.

The Church has a new unit - the cluster! It's a subdivision of a ward or branch, basically, and we think it's pretty rad.

Woman falls off zipline at bishop's house. Woman sues bishop. Bishop's insurance sues Church. Church tries to help all. Woman asks for SIX MILLION DOLLARS in damages. The lesson: do not have a zipline in your hard. And lesson #2: Always have waivers.

The First Presidency and Mitt Romney attend the BCS Championship in Texas. Sort of.

There's a new cutaway model of the Washington, DC Temple, and you should all take your friends to it. We'll have an East Coast TWiM party. Hit us up.

 

Links:

* BYU beard ban amended

* Joseph and Brigham are influential

* Bryce Harper - unwedded but not yet a menace

* Leaders at BCS

* Mitt will run as the "first divorced Mormon" in 2016, per Ann

* Don't fall off ziplines. That's rule #3.

* Ordain Women in photos!

* Mental illness and missionaries

* Clusterfünke

* Cutaway model of DC Temple

Hey! We're pro-Church, folks! Get it? Let's set the record straight. We are severely LDS.

With that out of the way, the new US Congress is in session, and we have some stats on the Mormon makeup within it. Also, Senator Orrin Hatch is now third in line for the presidency. That's the closest a Mormon has been to the big chair!

We love Celestial Shine Magazine. Seriously. It is a beacon of journalistic winning. It is the place for talk on fashion and modesty while still showing shoulders. Shoulders! It is also worthy of a Peabody.

The Church is busy helping out with refugees in Iraq. We love seeing more of this and wish we'd see even more.

TLC's "reality" series My Husband's Not Gay has WAAAAAY jumped the shark in the popular psyche, and it hasn't even aired. GLAAD and other groups are speaking out against the perceived social damages of the show. Also, it's a show, not a documentary.

Some allegedly existing place called Roosevelt, Utah received vandalism to its church building. We're looking for proof that Roosevelt exists.

What were some of the victories and failures for the Church in 2014 in terms of growth? The fine folks at Cumorah.com have a rundown of the 10 best and 10 worst things. Great stuff for you stats lovers.

Are missionary homecomings out of control? Probably. This is what happens when you build a TRAX line to the airport. We can't let these people have mobility, Utah! Come on!

Do you love LDS Employment Services? Why not?

And Al has some big news!

 

Link party party party:

* Mormons in Congress

* Modest fashion magazine 

* Iraq

* Teens jailed for vandalizing church

* Outrage on My Husband Is Not Gay

* Church comment on gay husbands

* Missionary homecomings!

* Ups and downs of 2014

* Eradicating polio

* LDS Employment wants you to use Facebook