Sunday, September 30, 2012

LDS Church Unveils New Tech Savvy Pass Along Cards

Recently, I got the Ensign in the mail and I was surprised to find out that the LDS Church has new pass along cards that missionaries and members can use. The LDS Church is integrating technology known as QR Codes into the pass along cards so that people who receive them can scan them with their smart phone and be taken to an official Church website in which people can learn about specific topics about the Mormon Church. 
The LDS Church provided a supplement to the October 2012 issue of the Ensign or English Liahona that contained a page inviting members to join Mormon.org, the new pass along cards, and a page explaining how the new pass along cards work:
The Mormon Church did a trial balloon of pass along cards in 1999 and unveiled it to the entire Church in 2000. It did not contain QR codes or invite people to a social media website. The old pass along cards invited people to receive a free copy of the Book of Mormon, Bible or video by contacting the Church via phone or a website.  With the new pass along cards, its giant leap forward in how the LDS Church shares the gospel. The LDS Church saw how successful and easy it was for missionaries to share a simple message about the Church. With social media sites and technology, its makes it even more easier for us to share the gospel with others. 
I expect that these new pass along cards will be the subject of at least one or more General Conference talks. The Brethren have been been encouraging us to share the gospel online using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and other websites for a few years now. Although these speeches haven't been given yet, I hope we will be open to what they have to say with regards to how we can best share the gospel with others.
The LDS Church is becoming very bold and creative in terms of marketing, advertising and message sharing. A great example of how confident the Church is sharing the gospel is when it placed advertisements inside the Playbill of the theatrical play, The Book of Mormon Musical. See below: 
Personally, I love what the LDS Church is doing in promoting the gospel. They are being bold, brave and tech savvy. It also provides an example of how we, as members of the Church, should go about in sharing the gospel with others.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

October 2012 General Conference Scheduale For Deaf Members Of The Church

The LDS Church has released the schedules to view General Conference with American Sign Language Interpretation on multiple television and online formats. Look at the scheduale below. If you know someone who is Deaf and is a member of the LDS Church, please refer them to this scheduale. This is also a great missionary opportunity to invite those who are non-LDS Deaf to learn more about our Church. 

1.  Internet ASL Schedule
2012 General Relief Society Meeting
Saturday, September 29, 2012

Sept. 29 6pm LIVE

1) Type conference.lds.org
2) Click on “Live Conference”
3) Click on “Watch Live”
4) Click on “Select Another Language”
5) Choice “American Sign Language ASL”

October 2012 General Conference
Saturday and Sunday Sessions
October 6 & 7, 2012

 Oct. 6 and 7 at 10am and 2pm LIVE

1) Type conference.lds.org
2) Click on “Live Conference”
3) Click on “Watch Live”
4) Click on “Select Another Language”
5) Choice “American Sign Language ASL”

October 2012 General Conference
Priesthood Session
October 6, 2012

Provided in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.
2.      KSL, Comcast, and BYU TV ASL Schedule
2012 General Relief Society Meeting
Saturday, September 29, 2012
KSL Television 5.3

Sept. 29 at 6pm             LIVE                 (English)
Sept. 29 at 8pm             Rebroadcast      (ASL)

October 2012 General Conference
Saturday Morning Session
October 6, 2012

KSL Television Channel 5 and 5.1
Oct. 6 at 10am               LIVE                 (English)

KSL Television 5.3
Oct. 6 at noon                Rebroadcast      (ASL)

Comcast 105
Oct. 6 at noon                Rebroadcast      (ASL)

BYUtv & Global
Oct. 14 at 10am             Rebroadcast      (English and ASL)

October 2012 General Conference
Saturday Afternoon Session
October 6, 2012

KSL Television Channel 5 and 5.1
Oct. 6 at 2pm                 LIVE                 (English)

KSL Television 5.3
Oct. 6 at 4pm                 Rebroadcast      (ASL)

Comcast 105
Oct. 6 at 4pm                 Rebroadcast      (ASL)

BYUtv & Global
Oct. 14 at 1pm               Rebroadcast      (English and ASL)

October 2012 General Conference
Priesthood Session
October 6, 2012

Provided in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.

October 2012 General Conference
Sunday Morning Session
October 7, 2012

KSL Television Channel 5 and 5.1
Oct. 7 at 10am               LIVE                 (English)

KSL Television 5.3
Oct. 7 at noon                Rebroadcast      (ASL)

Comcast 105
Oct. 7 at noon                Rebroadcast      (ASL)

BYUtv & Global
Oct. 21 at 10am             Rebroadcast      (English and ASL)

October 2012 General Conference
Sunday Afternoon Session
October 7, 2012

KSL Television Channel 5 and 5.1
Oct. 7 at 2pm                 LIVE                 (English)

KSL Television 5.3
Oct. 7 at 4pm                 Rebroadcast      (ASL)

Comcast 105
Oct. 7 at 4pm                 Rebroadcast      (ASL)

BYUtv & Global
Oct. 21 at 1pm               Rebroadcast      (English and ASL)
3.      Closed Caption (CC) Schedule
2012 General Relief Society Meeting
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Sept. 29 6pm LIVE

Provided live in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.

Rebroadcast at 8pm:
18 BYUTV (Southern UT)
21 BYUTV (Northern UT)

October 2012 General Conference
Saturday and Sunday Sessions
October 6 & 7, 2012
Oct. 6 and 7 at 10am and 2pm LIVE

5 KSL
5.1 KSL - Digital
18 BYUTV (Southern UT)
21 BYUTV (Northern UT)
143 SiriusXM
374 Direct TV
9403 Dish Network

October 2012 General Conference
Priesthood Session
October 6, 2012

Provided in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.
4. Roku ASL Schedule
October 2012 General Conference
Saturday and Sunday Sessions
October 6 & 7, 2012

Oct. 6 and 7 at 10am and 2pm LIVE

To stream general conference through a Roku player, download the Mormon Channel app from the Roku Channel Store.

Live video broadcast: Mormon Channel > Broadcasts and Events > Live Broadcasts

Languages: American Sign Language, English

Archived video broadcast: Mormon Channel > Broadcasts and Events > Conference

October 2012 General Conference
Priesthood Session
October 6, 2012

Provided in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.
5. Local Meethouse ASL Schedule
Please check with your local leaders as to when ASL interpretation will be provided in your area buildings.

Facts About Mormon Church & Temple Worship

The LDS Church has put out an infographic about the worship habits of their members. Look below: 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Steinfeld Star Accuses Mitt Romney Of Cheating The LDS Church Out Of Tithing Money

Jason Alexander, who is famous for playing George Costanza on the television show "Seinfeld" believes that Mitt Romney won't release his tax records because he believes there may be evidence that he's cheating the LDS Church out of millions of dollars by not paying his tithing:
Its a similar claim to Harry Reid made in which he accused Mitt Romney of not paying taxes for 10 years: 

Here's the transcript of Harry Reid's astonishing accusation:
He’s refused to release his tax returns, as we know. If a person coming before this body wanted to be a cabinet officer, he couldn’t be if he did the same refusal Mitt Romney does about tax returns. So the word’s out that he hasn’t paid any taxes for ten years. Let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn’t.
Jason Alexander accuses Romney of avoiding paying tithing. Harry Reid says Romney hasn't paid his taxes. 
Both claims are outright lies. 
Today Mitt Romney released a detailed report of his 2011 tax returns and Romney's trustee, whose name is Brad Malt, gives us a summary of the 2011 data:
- In 2011, the Romneys paid $1,935,708 in taxes on $13,696,951 in mostly investment income.
- The Romneys’ effective tax rate for 2011 was 14.1%.
-The Romneys donated $4,020,772 to charity in 2011, amounting to nearly 30% of their income.
-The Romneys claimed a deduction for $2.25 million of those charitable contributions. The Romneys’ generous charitable donations in 2011 would have significantly reduced their tax obligation for the year. The Romneys thus limited their deduction of charitable contributions to conform to the Governor's statement in August, based upon the January estimate of income, that he paid at least 13% in income taxes in each of the last 10 years.
Brad Malt, the trustee of the Romney family, also gives us a breakdown of the taxes paid by the Romney campaign for the last 20 years:
- In each year during the entire 20-year period, the Romneys owed both state and federal income taxes.
-Over the entire 20-year period, the average annual effective federal tax rate was 20.20%.
-Over the entire 20-year period, the lowest annual effective federal personal tax rate was 13.66%.
-Over the entire 20-year period, the Romneys gave to charity an average of 13.45% of their adjusted gross income.
-Over the entire 20-year period, the total federal and state taxes owed plus the total charitable donations deducted represented 38.49% of total AGI.
-During the 20-year period covered by the PWC letter, Gov. and Mrs. Romney paid 100 percent of the taxes that they owed.
Its clear that Harry Reid's claim that Mitt Romney hasn't paid is any taxes is a LIE. Mitt Romney has paid 100% of his taxes for the past 20 years. What's even more important is to keep in mind that if you look at the numbers more closely, Mitt Romney paid 30% in taxes rather than the 13% to 14%.
As far Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander's claim that Mitt Romney hasn't paid tithing, the LDS Church does not publicly release how much tithing any member of the LDS Church has paid. That is a matter between the Bishop and the member. Mitt Romney has said that his tithing records should remain private even though by releasing his tax records, people can figure out how much he's given in tithing. 
"Our church doesn't publish how much people have given," Romney is reportedly quoted as saying in the forthcoming edition of Parade. "This is done entirely privately. One of the downsides of releasing one's financial information is that this is now all public, but we had never intended our contributions to be known. It's a very personal thing between ourselves and our commitment to our God and to our church."
However, records show that Mitt Romney has actually paid more than 10% in tithes to the LDS Church: 
The couple’s donations to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appear to be almost double the 10 percent tithe faithful members are asked to give to the Salt Lake City-based faith.
In addition to Romney’s direct contributions to the LDS Church, he also gave to the faith through his charity for a total of $3.07 million last year, according to his campaign. The campaign also said Friday that the Romneys have given, on average, 13.45 percent of their income annually to charity, including the LDS Church.
Jason Alexander's claim that Mitt Romney is cheating the Church of tithing funds is also NOT TRUE. Its clear that Mitt Romney has been a faithful tithing payer all along. 
For more information on the LDS practice of tithing, the LDS Newsroom gives a simple explanation on tithing and charitable donations while another official LDS website called Mormon.org explains what the Mormon Church does with these funds and why Mormons pay tithing.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

My Review Of The Book Of Mormon Broadway Show

This is a review of the Book of Mormon Broadway show at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles on September 2012 which did not feature the original cast of the Broadway play.  Unlike LDS commentators and bloggers who have given their thoughts about this play without having seen it, I have seen it.
The Book of Mormon Broadway show is one of the most awesome, thought provoking and wildly offensive show.
Lets get the obvious out of the way. This play was written by Matt Stone and Trey Parker who are well known for their deeply biting critique of everything. You shouldn't be surprised to that this is a play filled with swearing, sex jokes, scatological gags, and poking fun at religion, especially the LDS faith. Matt Stone and Trey Parker have poked fun at the LDS faith before with an episode dealing with the origins of Mormonism and a movie called Orgasmo which is about an LDS Missionary who becomes a porn star. 
Like every other project these men have engaged in, they exert every ounce of creative energy they have to produce top notch entertainment. Yes, their entertainment is irreverent but its not cheap. There is a reason why they have won 9 Tony Awards and a nominated for a Grammy. The actors were fantastic. The set was phenomenal. The music was awesome. The lighting was done right. When it comes to the art of theater, Matt Stone and Trey Parker absolutely deserved these awards. It was very evident from what I observed at the play.
This play is about two young LDS Missionaries who have been called to serve in Uganda, Africa. One of the missionaries, Elder Price, is self centered overachiever who dreams of serving mission to Orlando, Florida. The other missionary is Elder Cunningham who is an awkward, chubby but funny person who yearns for a best friend. These two unlikely friends become companions. Once they arrive in Uganda, they find that other missionaries have been unsuccessful in sharing the gospel. They find a people who are more concerned about their everyday problems of malaria, AIDS, diarrhea, warlords, and poverty than they are about what peace this American gospel might bring to them now or in the afterlife. These Ugandans have a justified reason for saying "Hasa Diga Eebowai" (Fuck You God) which is the title of one of the songs in the play.
As a result of not getting a single baptism, Elder Price begins to feel frustrated and unhappy. The other missionaries (who are all very flamboyant) sing "Turn It Off" in which they advise him suppress his negative feelings. Unable to overcome his frustrations, Elder Price ditches his companion to wander off on his own. Meanwhile, Elder Cunningham, now without a companion, inadvertently begins to take creative liberties with Mormon doctrine and with what the Book ff Mormon teaches in order to win converts. He begins to make up things in order to address their everyday concerns and questions for which cannot be found in the Book of Mormon. As a result, Elder Cunningham has created a new religion which is a hybrid of Mormonism and his imagination which is filled with Star Wars, and the Lord of the Rings. With this new religion, he forbids the people from engaging in certain practices. Now, the missionaries are baptizing like crazy.  This excites the Mission President and the local townspeople put on a play demonstrating what they've learned from Elder Cunningham which they sing the song "Joseph Smith American Moses." What the Mission President learns horrifies him and catches the other missionaries off guard. The Mission President is unhappy and threatens to shut the mission down.
While Elder Cunningham is off making converts, Elder Price is on a harrowing journey of what it means to be Mormon and what it is he really believes. He goes to hell in which he has a very "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream" in which he sings about his sins. Elder Price finds his faith in hell and confronts the local warlord and sings about what "I Believe." The warlord, known as the General, takes Elder Cunningham and inflicts some pain on him. Having survived the torture, Elder Price shows up just as the Mission President is about to shut the mission down. He learns of what Elder Cunningham has been teaching and gets an idea. He confronts the warlord and threatens him with Divine Punishment based on Elder Cunningham's new religion. The General and his men flee. The people in this town of Uganda are happy that the Mormon helped them be free of this warlord. They sing a song titled "Tomorrow Is A Latter Day" with the Elders about a new and better tomorrow and say "Ma Ha Nei Bu, Eebowai." After that song, the show closes with a fabulous ending. 
The play has takes some of the usual observations about religion and presents them in an interesting, thought provoking and sometime irreverent light. This would be a great play for those who study religions and philosophy.
This play is about a religion that has arrived in a new land filled with people who are facing problems that unique that region. The play goes on a journey of how that religion struggles to gain converts and some creative liberties were taken to get people to join the religion. It shows how it morphs into a new faith that is a hybrid of local beliefs and the original religion.  This story is similar to the history of the Catholic faith in South America. It explores how ideas, beliefs and dreams are affected, shaped and changed by the land and people they are introduced to.
The Book of Mormon play also deals with the how people want to believe in a higher purpose but are more concerned about their everyday problems and how religion struggles in addressing it. Its not a problem unique to the most challenging parts of the world but in places that do not know war, hunger, disease and poverty.  The song "Sal Tay Ka Siti" demonstrates how people want to rise above their circumstances and to place where such things don't exist either in this life or the next.
One of my favorite aspects of this play was how the missionary work changes the person teaching the gospel and the person receiving it and how it affects the relationship dynamics of proselytizer and investigator. It is an aspect that I don't often see addressed in stories about religions. Its also the most realistic part of the play in a play filled with humor, sarcasm, sex jokes, and scatological gags. It delivers moments that would make any Mormon proud with songs such as "I believe," and "Baptize Me."   
One thing that I don't like about the play is when the missionaries (who are all very flamboyant) sing "Turn It Off" in which they sing about suppressing negative feelings and doubts. It doesn't really help the play in any way and I felt that it was an unneeded jab at religion.
Could Matt Stone and Trey Parker have made these points differently? Yes. For many Mormons, it is unfortunately that our ox got gored in this play. I can understand why some people of faith would be offended by this play. It pokes fun at religion. It also pokes fun at Mormonism. Thus, its not surprising why Mormons (and other faiths) would be upset by it and refuse to see it.
However, religion is a curious thing. It is bizzare. It is odd. It is funny. But its the people within the religion that make it is also spiritual, magical, and inspiring. That is Matt Stone and Trey Parker's message. Its also a topic worth exploring further because its a message that everyone needs to be reminded of because its applicable to everything else in life. Regardless of how we feel about religion, politics, business, or education, its the people that breathes life into those institutions we love or hate and create those touching and human moments within the framework of these institutions.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Dear Mormon Friends, It’s Time to Go “All-In” for Mitt

Below is an open letter penned by two Evangelicals to the LDS Community: 
Nancy and I started Evangelicals for Mitt in 2006 with one simple idea: To enlist the mighty machinery of evangelical activism behind the single best candidate for President of the United States, Mitt Romney. Even then we could see the need for a man of Mitt’s unique talents and now – with labor participation the lowest in 30 years and with the most sluggish recovery since the Great Depression – the need is even greater.
We were more idealistic back in those days. Convinced of Mitt’s merits, we saw our task as relatively easy. Introduce Mitt to evangelicals, deal with the relatively easy questions about theology and politics, and then watch him win social conservatives on his way to the White House. Of course politics is never easy, and there are always competitors for the same set of voters. First Mike Huckabee won enough evangelicals to hand John McCain the nomination in 2008, then Rick Santorum swept southern conservatives and challenged Mitt for the evangelical vote in 2012.
But now, all that is past. Evangelicals are finally united behind Mitt (even 2008 Huckabee supporter – and coolest action star in the universe – Chuck Norris is pleading with evangelicals to vote Barack Obama out of office), and Mitt’s rivaling George Bush’s astounding share of the evangelical vote in 2008. Pro-Obama evangelicals are coming back home to the Republican Party after Obama’s almost four-year assault on religious liberty and his zealous support for abortion. In short, evangelicals – as theologically and culturally divided as we are – will be there for Mitt on election day.
Curiously, however, we’ve heard disturbing reports that LDS Mitt supporters are hanging back just a bit. Some are afraid of stereotyping (“just because I’m Mormon doesn’t mean I’m going to automatically support Mitt. After all, I can’t stand Harry Reid!”), but many more seem just a bit confused about the role of the church in politics. If the LDS church is politically neutral, how can you use your church relationships to mobilize voters and donors?
But let’s back up a moment. Is the LDS church really “neutral?” Is my Presbyterian Church really “neutral?” Yes, I’ve read the portions of the LDS Handbook that emphasize that the church is politically neutral and doesn’t endorse candidates. But the fact that the church is nonpartisan doesn’t mean that it’s neutral on the key moral issues of the day or that the church’s members must maintain their neutrality. In fact, the LDS Handbook specifically urges member involvement:
"Members are encouraged to support measures that strengthen the moral fabric of society, particularly those designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."
Let’s be perfectly clear, after the God-booing abortion celebration masquerading as the Democratic National Convention, the moral choices in this election are beyond stark. Let’s just examine the issue of abortion. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God lays out His will for His people:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live . . .”
And now here’s the Democratic party platform:
The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.
By contrast, here’s the Republican party platform:
Faithful to the “self-evident” truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.
Is there anything that threatens the “moral fabric of society” or the “family as the fundamental unit of society” as much as granting mothers the “right” to order doctors to kill their innocent children in the womb?
In addition, the Obama administration’s assault on religious liberty through the HHS contraception and abortifacient mandates represents a clear and present danger to the autonomy of the church. The administration is telling Americans of every faith that if they leave the walls of their church and attempt to reach out to their communities – either as business owners or through ministries – that they can only do so on the state’s terms while advancing the state’s values. This is antithetical to the First Amendment and antithetical to fundamental American traditions.
In other words, while your church and my church will not endorse any candidate for president, that does not mean that individual congregants cannot or should not use our web of church friendships and relationships to invest fully in the outcome of this election.
In the six years that Nancy and I have run Evangelicals for Mitt, we’ve made a huge number of Mormon friends and learned a great deal from the LDS church. In fact, we’ve taken flack for urging evangelicals to emulate Mormons in your approach to missions, service, and church growth. We have long stood on the barricades against anti-Mormon bigots. But now we’re asking you to take a page from the evangelical book: Engage fully, proudly, and without hesitation.
Call your friends from your ward. Make sure they’re registered to vote. Ask them if they’ve given to Mitt’s campaign. If they need more education on the issues, equip them with materials. Don’t use church resources; use your own. Between worship and Sunday School, I can’t tell you how many conversations Nancy and I have had about Mitt, about abortion, about religious liberty, and – yes – about the economy. Politics isn’t a “dirty business;” it’s part of our life and obligations as citizens of a nation and government “of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Now is not the time for concerns about stereotyping, for false worries about “neutrality.” The church will remain nonpartisan, but you don’t have to. There are more than six million Mormons in America, and the causes of life and religious liberty need every one.
It’s time to go “all-in” for Mitt.
By David and Nancy French (EVANGELICALS for MITT)