October 188th SemiAnnual General Conference Broadcast Scheduale For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

Click on the photo below for a clearer view for when to best view General Conference in American Sign Language. 

Is The Bible The Source of Truth?

Many Christians believe that the Bible is the only source concerning Truth since it contains all the Truth that Christians need to know.  As a result, there is no modern need for prophets and apostles. The term “sola Scriptura” or “the Bible alone” is often used to explain that there is only one special revelation from God that man possesses today, the written Scriptures or the Bible.

However, the Bible would not be possible with out prophets to write down what God revealed to humanity. Prophets are the medium by which Truth is given to mankind.  (Numbers 12:6, Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 18:18, 2 Kings 21:10, 2 Kings 24:1-3,  1 Chronicles 29:29, 2 Chronicles 13:22, 2 Chronicles 18:6, 2 Chronicles 24:19, 2 Chronicles 26:22, 2 Chronicles 32:32, 2 Samuel 24:11, Ezra 5:1, Hosea 12:10, Zechariah 1:6, Amos 3:7, Haggai 2:1, Haggai 2:10, Jeremiah 35:15,  Jeremiah 37:6, Jeremiah 45:1, Jeremiah 47:1, Jeremiah 49:34, Jeremiah 50:1, Matthew 23:34, Acts 3:22, Ephesians 3:5, Hebrews 1:1, 1 Nephi 19:4, 1 Nephi 22:2,  Jacob 5:2,  Helaman 13:26,  D&C 21:1, D&C 107:92, D&C 124:94, D&C 124:125, and D&C 138:53).

As one studies the scripture, it is evident that God has a long-established pattern of calling prophets. Many well-known figures in the Bible, like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others, were prophets. These men were chosen by God and given authority to lead His people. However, when people chose to ignore God, God took prophets away and waited until the people were ready to listen again. Thus, from the beginning of time emerges a pattern of prophets teaching the people, the people eventually turning away from God (a state called apostasy), and God sending prophets again to show His love and concern for His children.

Prophets have always been essential to God's method of sharing His knowledge to mankind as shown throughout the scriptures. God provided prophets to create scripture, and at the same time teach them what had been revealed before, since God's followers did not have access to the scriptures because it would not be "completed" until much later. Thus, the God sent prophets to proclaim His Word to His people to educate those who did not have His Word. Prophets are essential to the religion as established by God. (1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 2:20, Ephesians 4:11, Revelation 11:10, D&C 124:125).

The Bible (and other scriptures) contain Truth but are not the source of Truth. The source of Turth comes from God Himself, who reveals Truth to his prophets and these prophets writes down what has been revealed to them. (2 Timothy 3:16–17, 2 Peter 1:20-21).

The Old Testament clearly demonstrates that God Himself is the source of Truth and that prophets are the conduit by which Truth is revealed to humanity.  For example, King Jehoiakim had attempted to destroy God's Word by burning a roll written by Jeremiah. Yet, the Lord instructed Jeremiah take a new scroll and rewrite the words that were destroyed. (See Jeremiah 36: 27-28). However, not only did God have Jeremiah restore what was destroyed, but the Lord told him there were additional information (revelation) to write about on top of what was previously written before the King burned the roll.

This concept is also illustrated in the New Testament as well. For example, the Paul recived a revelation that the gospel should be taught to the Gentiles and not just the Jews. (Acts 10:1-48; 11:1-18). This revelation was then recorded as evidence that God still uses prophets to guide His people, even after Christ's death.

We also see this concept throughout the Book of Mormon. God gives specific instructions to His Prophets on what to write down and/or what not to write down. (see 2 Ne.4: 15, 2 Ne. 29: 11-12, 3 Ne. 27: 23-24 and 3 Ne. 28: 25).

The above scriptural examples from the Old Testament, New Testament and the Book of Mormon repeatedly show that the Bible itself is not the sole source of Truth. God is the source and inspiration of the scriptures and that the scriptures would not be possible without the prophets. There's no evidence that God shut the heavens and intended for mankind to only have the Bible. God frequently speaks to mankind via prophets thoughout history as evidenced by the scriptures and continues to do so today.

There are some Christans who have argued that the closing verses in the Book of Revelation, (specifically Rev. 22:18-19) cap off the Bible and define all the preceding Books as inspired by God. That is not possible because the Book of Deuteronomy contains similar verses (4:2 & 12:32). The only logical conclusion that the reader of the Bible can make is that God frequently revealed His Word to his Prophets throughout the Old and New Testament and that He continued to reveal Truth to people in other parts of the globe such as to those prophets in the Book of Mormon. God continues to provide revelation to His Prophets even today.

Another argument that some Christians make in defense of "Sola scriptura" is that there were to be no prophets after Christ. While, prophets are frequently found in the Old Testament, they are frequently found in the New Testament. Prophets existed in Christ's day. The New Testament shows that there was a prevailing belief in prophets before and during Christ's ministry. (Luke 7:16, Luke 7:28, Mark 6:4, Luke 11:29, John 4:19, John 4:44, John 6:14). The New Testament shows that prophets continued after Christ's death  and will continue until Christ returns again a second time. (Acts 11:27, Acts 13:1, Acts 15:32, Acts 21:10 and Revelation 11:10.) 

Another piece of evidence for prophets continuing after Christ's death is that Jesus warned that there would be many false prophets that would come after his death and that the followers of Christ should learn to discren who is a true prophet and who is not. (Matthew 7:15, Matthew 24:11, Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 4:1). Interestingly enough, God warned about false prophets in the Old Testament too. (Deuteronomy 13:5, Jeremiah 14:14-15, Jeremiah 23:21, Jeremiah 27:14, Ezekiel 13:3, and Matthew 7:15.) The Book of Mormon has a similar warning about false prophets as well. (Helaman 13:27). It is clear that separating the true prophets from the false prophets have always been a problem in the Old and New Testament, as well as the Book of Mormon, and that it would continue into the future until Christ returns again. The important lesson here is that scriptures are clear in showing that God is the source of Truth and He will verify who are His true prophets. These true prophets are authorized to share what He has revealed for all of mankind.

The scriptures consistently teach that God is the source of Truth, the Prophets are the medium by which God reveals Truth to mankind, and that the scriptures (the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price) are a record of the Truth that God gave to his prophets.

God still speaks His Truth to us today through His Prophets and his message is currently being recorded, preserved and shared in multiple mediums such as books, magazines, media and the Internet.

Leaked Videos Shows The Brethren Are Deeply Concerned About YSAs

Although the 2016 October General Conference has just ended a few hours ago, the biggest news about the LDS Church may not be about what was said during General Conference, but what the Church leaders have said behind closed doors away from public view. Someone has uploaded videos of internal discussions among senior leaders of the LDS Church on YouTube account called "Mormon Leaks." These videos show Church leadership being briefed on a variety of topics such as YSAs & Marriage, politics, and marijuana. After each presentation, they talk about the impact these topics could have on the LDS church.

Two of those videos will be of interest to those who are young single adults in the LDS Church. One video shows Church authorities receiving a presentation on the topic of single Mormons delaying marriage. Another video shows the Brethren sharing their concerns about the young single adults in the Church.

The LDS Church has quickly put out a response to today's leak. Their response is below. 

LDS church spokesperson Eric Hawkins said in a statement to 2News, "Most of these videos appear to be from briefings received by senior Church leaders between 2007 and 2012. In these committee meetings, presentations are routinely received from various religious, political and subject matter experts on a variety of topics. The purpose is to understand issues that may face the Church, and is in pursuit of the obligation Church leaders feel to be informed on and have open discussion about current issues. This is an informational forum, not a decision-making body."

The Brethren work hard to stay informed and current on the issues of our day. It appears that these meetings is just one way they work to stay informed about current events and issues that are of interest to the LDS Church.

The videos of the Brethren talking about YSAs are available below.

Talking about single Mormons delaying marriage



Sharing their concerns young single adults in the Church

Feeling Conflicted Over Elder Kearon's Talk About Refugees

Elder Patrick Kearon, of the quorum of the Seventy, gave a moving talk about the Church's call to help refugees during the Sunday afternoon session of the April 2016 General Conference. 

Many Mormons were clearly moved by his talk. However, there were many of Mormons who felt conflicted about his talk. I can see this conflict in debates among members of the Church after General Conference on social media sites.

Before I explain the conflict felt by many members in the Church, I want to make it clear at the beginning that we are all for helping refugees. We fully support the Church's efforts in mobilizing members to gather food, water, clothing, bedding, and bags full of sanitary items so that they can ship it to refugee camps in the Middle East and Europe. 

Elder Kearon's talk certainly pulled at our heartstrings. Elder Kearon raised the valid point that Christ himself, at one point in his life, was a refugee when his parents fled to Egypt when he was a little child. He talked about how Mormons were refugees when they were forced to flee from place to place by angry mobs and ultimately had to leave the United States to find peace beyond the western frontier of the United States by moving into what was then Mexican territory. We know that many in the Church were once refugees. We clearly heard the call to be compassionate and charitable towards refugees that are escaping war, famine, and economic uncertainty in their homelands. 

It was clear that Elder Utchdorf was moved by Elder Kearon's talk afterwards. Elder Uchtdorf talked about being a refugee prior to Elder Kearon's talk in General Conference.

However, many members couldn't help thinking about the ongoing political debate in America and in Europe about letting refugees into their homelands during his talk.  Many of us were thinking about how Europe suffered repeated terrorist attacks because they allowed people to come into their country without asking any questions about who was coming in. 

Elder Kearon didn't mention anything about opening the borders and letting as many refugees in as possible. His talk simply focused on the need for members of the Church to help the refugees. He explicitly stated in this talk that his desire was to focus on refugees themselves and not on immigration policy or the debates over the definition of a refugee. 

Yet, many members were torn between having compassion for these refugees and the desire for security against terrorism by refugees coming from certain parts of the world. Clearly, the hot topics of immigation, terrorism, and other issues came to mind to some people when they heard this talk even when Elder Kearon explicitly stated that he would be avoiding these issues.

Correctly or incorrectly, some people got the impression that we should sacrifice our desire for safety and security in the name of compassion. Many of us have a legitimate concern about sacrificing security for compassion by opening up our borders to people who wish to do us harm. The United States government, through both the FBI and DHS, have admitted that we have no way to verify who is coming into our country. Many members of the Church want to help the refugees, but they have a legitimate concern about their safety not being compromised while helping others.

We fully acknowledge that not every refugee is a terrorist bent on hurting as many as possible. Refugees do flee from all parts of the world to come to places of safety. Not all of refugees come from the Middle East. But some of the terrorists did come into Europe during the large wave of refugees who came from the Middle East last summer. And this fact certainly is still a presence in many people's minds.

Its clear that the recent events in Europe have affected some people's reception of Elder Kearon's talk. Under different circumstances or had the recent terror attacks not occurred, the response to his talk would have been more universally accepted. Instead, many people felt conflicted about his talk. Many debates erupted on social media sites about the issue of compassion versus security.

I don't know how to resolve the conflict between the call for compassion and the legitimate desire for personal safety while helping others. I don't know what the answer to that problem is. I felt this conflict while I listened to his talk. I confess to having participated in these online debates on various social media platforms.

I have been reflecting on this inner conflict and thinking about the points raised by both sides. I decided to write this post to ask the readers for solutions on this conflict. I don't want a debate. I want answers. I want to be Christlike but I also want to protect myself and others at the same time. 

How can members of the Church balance their desire for compassion and safety? Is such a balance possible? 

The 2016 LDS Deaf Symposium Now Open For Registration

The LDS Deaf Symposium is a great way for Deaf and Hard of Hearing members of the LDS Church to gather together to be spiritually strengthened and to form connections with one another. Those who know American Sign Language are also invited to come. The dates for the 2016 LDS Deaf Symposium have been announced and online payment is now available.  More information is available in the flyer below.

April 186th Annual General Conference Broadcast Schedule For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

General Conference is coming upon us again soon! As always, I am providing the broadcast schedule for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals who wish to watch Conference in an accessible format. See below for information on how to enjoy General Conference. 

If you have trouble viewing the infographic below, click on it and download it for better viewing. 

October 185th SemiAnnual General Conference Broadcast Scheduale For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

UPDATE: This has been updated to include more information about how to view General Conference in ASL.

UPDATE #2: We received word from many members trying to view the ASL interpretation for the General Women’s Session this past weekend that it was difficult to find the ASL interpretation on lds.org. We’ve done some research and it seems ASL and all other languages available through the language drop down menu have been removed from the main English broadcast page. All languages will now be shown on their individual language pages. This means that you need to go to lds.org/asl to find the ASL interpretation of General Conference. It will appear between “American Sign Language” and “Scriptures” on the page captured below. Sorry for this confusion. Please help us spread the word.

Can Deaf People Serve LDS Missions?

Recently, I received a Facebook message from an LDS Bishop serving somewhere in Europe. He contacted me asking me if a Deaf member in his ward can serve a mission.

People with a hearing loss of any kind CAN serve a mission. I am hard of hearing and I served as an American Sign Language (ASL) missionary in the New York Rochester mission. 

However, just because someone has a hearing loss doesn't mean that they will serve as a Sign Language missionary. There are many Deaf and Hard of Hearing missionaries who have served in other countries and have learned to speak other languages. 

Sometimes, an individual with a hearing loss will be called to serve in their own country but will serve a foreign speaking mission. For example, I know of one Deaf missionary who has been called to serve in the United States and to preach among those who speak Mandarin. A lot of us were surprised when she was called to a Mandarin speaking mission because we all expected her to serve as a Sign Language missionary.

Given that there isn't a whole lot of information for branch presidents, bishops and stake presidents located outside (and inside) of the United States to review, I've decided to compile information to help people understand that any worthy young adult who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing can serve an LDS mission.

Can A Deaf Young Adult Serve On A LDS Mission?

Yes.

Any Deaf individual who wishes to serve a mission can serve a mission just like any other young adult who desires to serve. A Deaf person must go through the same process of going on a mission by first meeting with their bishop or branch president. The ecclesiastical leader such as a will give the young Deaf man or woman access to the Missionary Online Recommendation system. 

 How Does a Deaf Individual Prepare To Serve A Mission? 

A Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual must prepare for a mission just like any other young man or woman will. They must prepare spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. 

Spiritual Preparation

Spiritual preparation means that they should be studying the scriptures and from Preach My Gospel prior to serving a mission. They should be engaged in serving others. They should be attending all of their classes at Church and actively participating in those classes. Be aware that The Church does have materials and resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people in American Sign Language but they do not have resources and materials for sign languages in other countries. Perhaps someday in the future, there will be materials created for people who speak sign languages in other countries. 

If possible, have the Deaf or Hard of Hearing youth work with the Sign Language missionaries in your area. If there are no Sign Language missionaries in the area, reach out to the Mission President and ask him to prayerfully select two missionaries who are willing to work with the individual in sharing the gospel.

If you know of a member in your branch, ward or stake who knows sign language, they can work with the youth in learning the gospel. Most Deaf individuals need extra preparation in learning the gospel because they are often not taught the gospel in their first language which is Sign Language.  Deaf people can also watch Church videos that are captioned in their native language of their country. 

Finally, be aware that some Deaf people will receive extra doctrinal preparation in the MTC from those who have already served Sign Language missions and are fluent in Sign Language. 

Personal Worthiness

They should be able to meet the personal worthiness standards requirements to serve a full time  mission because in order to share the gospel, they must  have the Holy Spirit with them. (see D&C 42:14). If there are any unresolved issues that they need to inform their ecclesiastical leader about, they should be encouraged and supported in meeting with their local Church leaders.  

Physical Preparation 

A missionary can be physically prepared for a mission by exercising everyday. Most missionaries walk or ride bikes every day for long periods of time. A missionary must be able to walk an average of six miles (10 km) per day and ride a bicycle 12 miles (19 km) per day. The best way to prepare is to walk or ride a bike everyday. They can also go to a gym and work out. 

However, most ASL missionaries in the United States are assigned cars because Deaf people do not live in close proximity to each other. Thus, they will spend a many hours driving around the city or country side. Yet, being physically in shape is essential when serving as a sign language missionary. 

Emotional Preparation 

It is hard to be emotionally and mentally prepared to serve a mission. Most missionaries work long hours everyday without financial compensation. A typical missionary day begins by waking at 6:30 a.m. for personal study. The day is spent proselytizing by following up on appointments, visiting homes or meeting people in the street or other public places. Missionaries end their day by 10:30 p.m. In addition to working long hours, they must deal with stress, rejection, living in a new area and meeting strangers and working with another missionary. 

Missionaries will have to learn to how to deal with limited contact with friends and family. They are limited to letters and emails and occasional phone calls to family at special times. They must cope with having their social life drastically reduced since they will spend most of their time teaching the gospel or serving others. They cannot use social media or play on computer games during their time on a mission. They are also expected to know that a mission is not a time to date other people or develop romantic relationships. They are expected to work for Heavenly Father. 

There are specific and unique hardships that ASL missionaries will face. They will have to deal with other missionaries and Mission Presidents who do not understand how to properly proselyte among the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Mission Presidents are not prepared in the MTC of how to lead Sign Language missionaries or how Sign Language missionaries proselyte. 

They will have to confront missionaries who might be unkind or rude towards missionaries with a hearing loss. I have experienced this many times on my mission. I know that other Deaf missionaries have experienced this as well.

Sometimes missionaries will get angry that the ASL missionaries are in their area teaching Deaf people. They insist that THEY should be teaching Deaf investigators because they live in THEIR area. I have to make it clear to many missionaries on many occasions on my mission that my companion and I are called to preach to the Deaf and our coverage area is not limited to any area within the mission. 

Those who will be serving a Sign Language mission will have to prepare to preach the gospel to people who are Deaf and Blind or have other disabilities other than a hearing loss. Sometimes, missionaries don't have the resources and materials they need to share the gospel and will have to be creative in how they teach investigators. Many Deaf people have other unique challenges such as poor education or difficulty reading because English (or the native language of that country) is not their first language. 

Since Deaf people rely heavily on technology such as email, Facebook, Videophone, and TTYs to communicate with one another, Sign Language missionaries must rely on communication technology to connect with Deaf members and investigators. During my mission, it was really frustrating that we could not use these technologies as part of our missionary work. 

Financial Preparation

Like any other young individual, Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals should also prepare financially for a mission by finding a way to earn and save money for their mission. They can also prepare by paying tithing.

What If a Deaf Person is Not Eligible to Serve a LDS Mission?

A Deaf or Hearing who desires to serve a mission but cannot serve a full time mission can still serve as a Young Church-Service Missionary. If you feel that it would be better for them to serve as a youth service missionary, they must meet the following requirements:

Be worthy to hold a temple recommend.
Meet the standard mission age requirements (18-25 for young men, 19-25 for young women).
Be honorably excused from a full-time proselyting mission (applies to young men only).
Be physically, mentally, and emotionally able to fulfill the specific call and its related duties.
Provide their own transportation.
Be responsible for their own financial support, including living expenses and insurance.
Be responsible for their own medical and dental needs, including eye care and prescription drug expenses.
Be endorsed by bishop and stake president.

If you have questions about Church Service Missions, you can contact the Church Service Mission Office.

ASL Translation of the Book of Mormon Now Available on the Gospel Library App

The LDS Church has made the Gospel Library a lot more awesome by putting up the ASL translation of the Book of Mormon in the App. Here's how you access the ASL translation:

1. Open the Gospel Library app on your mobile devise
(or download it if you don’t already have it)
2. Go to “settings”
3. Under “content,” select “American Sign Language”
4. Click on “scriptures”
5. Download “Book of Mormon”
6. Enjoy!

Additionally, the LDS Church has also made available ASL translations of other Church resources such as the Ezra Taft Benson manual on the App. For example if you wanted to see the Ezra Taft Benson manual in ASL, then after completing steps 1-3 above, click on “Teachings of the Presidents” and download “Ezra Taft Benson.”

You can switch back and forth between your ASL materials and your English materials any time you want by going to "settings" and switching the language.

You can also view the General Conference videos in ASL on your smart phone, tablet or other device.

NOTE: Several users have been reporting difficulties in accessing ASL translated materials on Android. The LDS Church has already recieved feedback on this problem and are currently reviewing the issue to fix it.

Some Memes On The Dissenting Votes During General Conference

After the a group of LDS members vocally made their dissent known during the afternoon session of The 185th Annual General Conference, things got heated on the Internet with members creating memes about the event. Almost all of the memes created were in support of Church leadership or expressed disapproval at the dissenters.

One meme was particularly powerful that generated a counter response from those who supported the dissenters. View both memes below: 

What do you think of these memes?

April 185th Annual General Conference Broadcast Scheduale For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

2015 ASL Calendar For LDS Church Events

The entire calendar for ASL interpreted events for the LDS Church is now available. Click on the photo for a larger view of the calendar.

Limited Showing Of Open Captioned "Meet The Mormons" Now Available In Utah

For those of you who live in the Provo, Salt Lake or even the Ogden area, The film Meet The Mormons will available Open Captioned for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the Cinemark Movie Theater located at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. The Open Caption showing will be on Thursday October 30th at 3:45 pm.

The reason why it is significant that the film is being shown Open Captioned is because this is the only time the film (that I am aware of) will be presented this way in the United States. Almost all movie theaters offer most films in closed caption for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  With Open Captioning, the dialogue will appear on the screen for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing individual to view. This eliminates the need for the viewer to rely on closed caption devices such as CaptiView, Rear Window Captioning System or the Sony Entertainment System to enjoy the film. With Open Caption, viewers can enjoy the film with the words on the screen. 

It is my hope that by spreading the news about the Open Caption showing of Meet The Mormons here in Utah, that other people will request that this film be offered at a movie theater in Open Caption. Furthermore, it is my hope that by raising awareness of this single Open Caption showing of Meet The Mormons, the LDS Church will start making future films that will be presented to the public in movie theaters or at the Church's visitor's center sites in Open Caption.

If you wish to see the film either in Closed or Open caption, you can contact your local movie theater, please contact your local theater to ensure that they offer these capabilities in their facilities. If you desire that the LDS Church make all their visual media (including those shown in the temple) to be available in Closed Captions, you can make your voice heard by contacting the Church via the following email address: deafsupport@ldschurch.org They forward the emails to various departments. Be specific as to which DVD, Youtube video or other Church film you saw when providing feedback at that email address.

Is The LDS Church Paying LDS Members To See "Meet The Mormons?"

Recently, a blog called "nearing kolob" posted an article that raised the question of whether or not the LDS Church is paying its own members to see the film. They even posted a screen shot of an email they feel is evidence that the LDS Church is paying members to go see this film. See below: 

In looking at this screenshot of this alleged letter that was sent out, I find it interesting that the show times of the film is blacked out and the location of the theater is blacked out. And we can't see the name of the person who drafted the letter. To me, that seems odd. That information isn't confidential or private. It is public information. Yet it is blacked out. Another thing that is odd about the photo above is the cost of the movie theater tickets. I have never heard of a theater where the cost of a film is $15.00.

But lets get back to the question. Is the LDS Church paying its own members to go to the film? I don't think so. I saw the film last night. The Stake provided the tickets to the film for free. That means that the Church paid for the tickets. However, they're providing free tickets to anyone who accepted their offer of free tickets.  I will post a screen shot of the email I got from my stake regarding this offer to see the film for free. See below:

Here's the screen shot of the email I received when I requested tickets for the film:

The reason why there is a "controversy"over about the LDS Church either paying for a portion of the cost of a ticket or paying for the entire ticket because they feel that the LDS Church is doing something similar to what a record company sometimes do in buying their own records just to get the music on the best  seller list.

However, I don't think this is what the LDS Church is doing. I don't think they are intentionally trying to inflate the box office numbers just to get more media attention. Is it possible that the Church is doing this? Yes. But local Wards and Stakes encourage people to participate in Church sponsored activities such as youth conference, scout camp, girls camp and other activities and depending on the activity, sometimes the members will either pay the entire cost or part of the cost of participating in the activity. Sometimes the local branch, ward or stake will pay for the entire cost of the activity. In the event where members are to pay for cost of the activity, there are members of the ward who may not be able to afford the cost of the activity. In that case, those that don't feel they can afford it have their share paid by the ward. 

Is it right to use "tithing funds" to for Church sponsored activities? I think so. This happens all of the time. The Church would not be using fast offering funds to subsidize or provide free tickets for this film. However, tithing funds, at best, are being used to pay for the tickets indirectly since wards are given a budget each quarter, and the budget is supplied by tithing funds. To pay for the cost of these tickets would probably come from the ward's budget, which is used with the bishop's or stake president's approval.

I'd like to point out that other religions use funds that they have received from their members to pay for Church sponsored events. It happens in other faiths too.

For me, the fact that the LDS Church is helping people afford the cost of the movie ticket or providing free tickets is not an issue for me. I assume it is not an issue for a large majority of Church members.

Making The LDS Church Enjoyable For People With A Hearing Loss

Going to church isn't easy if you have a hearing loss. I know because I have a hearing loss myself. It is a challenge that most people aren't aware of unless you have a friend or a relative who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing or if you have served an Sign Language Mission for the LDS Church. 

For many people, hearing loss can keep someone from enjoying church or from being fully active. Why? It can be a challenge to enjoy what is being said during Sacrament meeting or to participate in Church activities. If a person with a hearing loss attends General Conference, they will have a hard time hearing the General Authorities speak unless they are sitting in an area reserved for Deaf and Hard of Hearing members. Even going to the Temple can be a challenge despite the fact that it is very peaceful and quiet inside.

People think that wearing hearing aids will help improve the person's ability to hear. Actually, hearing aids can only do so much because there are other factors that an affect a person's ability to hear. Such factors are sound quality, distance from the sound source and the person, ambient noise and reverberation, the quality of the hearing aids and the percentage of hearing loss are just some of the many factors that can affect a person who is wearing a hearing loss ability to hear. 

However, there is technology that eliminates all of these different factors that affect a deaf person's ability to hear. Its called hearing loops.

What Are Hearing Loops? 

A Hearing Loop, (also known as a T-Loop or Induction Loops), takes the desired speech or sound signal signal straight from the basic source (microphone, television set, music speakers) and broadcast directly to the listener’s hearing aids. The signal at the listener’s ears is free from distance issues, reverberation and ambient noise interference. Thus, it provides a person with a hearing loss with the ability to enjoy what is being said at Sacrament meeting or General Conference without any interference of any kind. 

How do Hearing Loops Work? 

How the LDS Church Would Benefit From This Technology?

Although many LDS meetinghouses offer Assisted Listening System devices, there are many drawbacks that hearing loops don't have. The LDS Church would benefit tremendously from installing T- Loops at LDS Chapels, Temples and the Conference Center. Interestingly enough, there are Mormon Churches in Europe that have been installed with Induction Loops. However, this technology is not common in LDS places of worship in the United States and other parts of the world.

The biggest benefit is that Church would become more enjoyable for people because they will get alot more out of Church meetings because they are able to understand what is being said. This will bring many members back to Church who have gone inactive due to their hearing loss or who have left the Church because they cannot hear. When other Churches have installed hearing loops, they see increase in membership both from inactive and new members. People have been known to drive miles to a different Church if they know it has hearing loops.

How Do I Get My LDS Meetinghouse Installed With A Hearing Loop?

If you wish to have your LDS Meetinghouse installed with a hearing loop, the best way to start is to send a letter to your Bishop and to request that your letter be sent up the chain of authority until it reaches Church Headquarters. Your Stake President should also contact the Area Facilities Management Department to make the request. If that is not successful, he could also go directly to the Facilities Management located at the Church Headquarters.

I also advise talking to other people within the Church about your hearing loss and talking about how you would enjoy Church more if only you could hear better at our meetings. Getting the word out about the challenges you face will help you find people who want to advocate on your behalf. They too, will want to write letters to their bishop and ask that it be passed along the proper channels or will want to talk to their Church leaders about why their friend or relative is having a hard time at Church because of their hearing loss. 

I suggest people with hearing loss find other people within your ward or stake who have a hearing loss. It is very common for people who have a hearing loss to be unaware that there are people with similar challenges. Once you find each other, you can then work together to share your concern with your Bishop or Stake President who will pass these concerns on to the proper authorities until it reaches back to Church Headquarters. 

Another idea is to share informative articles with other people.  For a handout on how to procure a hearing loop for your facility, read this article. If you want to learn more about the benefits of having hearing loops in a house of worship, I strongly suggest reading the an article in the May 2010 and September 2013 issue of Technologies for Worship Magazine.

There's also this short informative video that explains the benefit of installing hearing loops that you can share with friends, family members and Church leaders. Watch below: 

I also suggest using social media like Facebook and Twitter to initiate the conversation with other members that you know. Many wards and stakes now have Facebook pages.  LDS Church is on Twitter along with various General Authorities who now have a twitter account. I strongly encourage you to pass this blog article to others or share it on social media. 

How Do I Get The Conference Center Looped? 

The LDS Church might loop a certain section of the Conference Center. But they need to know if members would really want to have the Conference Center looped. The best way let the Church know about your desire is to send a letter to your Bishop and to request that your letter be sent up the chain of authority until it reaches Church Headquarters.

Conclusion

The various challenges that come with being a member of the Church with a hearing hearing loss can be easily remedied if induction loops become a standard feature in LDS Meetinghouses, Temples and the Conference Center.

However, in order for the LDS Church to begin making hearing loops a standard feature of Church buildings, there has to be a need for it. However, the Church won't install this technology unless they hear from a lot of members regarding this issue. Right now, there isn't enough awareness about Hearing Loops or a demand to justify installing the hearing loops. However, you can let the Church know about this issue by following the proper steps of making your Bishop or Branch President aware of this matter who will pass the request up the line of authority. The more people share their concerns, the more LDS meetinghouses will have hearing loops in the future.

If you would like to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to install a hearing loop at your local ward meeting house or at your favorite Temple or at the Conference Center, please politely share your thoughts and requests at the following email address: DeafSupport@ldschurch.org.