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

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.

How Deaf Viewers Can Watch April 2014 General Conference

A Novel Understanding Of Gender Roles in The Proclamation on the Family

I was reluctant to write this blog post but I have been encouraged to do so by certain individuals because they find my reading of the Proclamation on the Family (PoF) fascinating and original.  So, I am taking the plunge and adding this blog article to the current and ongoing discussion about equality and gender roles within the LDS Church.

My intent and hope in writing this post is not to provide a solution to issues revolving around equality and gender roles in the Church. This isn't meant to support the conservative or progressive view on these issues. It isn't intended to increase tension among men, women and Church leaders. This is only to get people to see this issue in a new light (hopefully) and to open up a new avenue of discussion on these matters. Finally, what I am about to share is NOT the official doctrine of the LDS Church nor should it ever be taken as such. It is strictly and absolutely MY opinion and reading of the Proclamation of the Family.

With that being said, here's how I read the Proclamation on the Family. In my eyes, the basic and simple point of the PoF is that men and women don't have any gender roles until they are married and have children. That's what I believe the essential message of the Proclamation on the Family to be. 

Let me walk you through how I came to that perspective on the Proclamation on the Family. 

The Proclamation on the Family starts out with a statement that gender is eternal. 

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life."

Not only do we learn that gender is eternal, but that we were not genderless in the preexistence. We were male and female before we came to earth. Although God created gender, creating gender is not the same as creating roles. These two concepts are separate and should not be conflated together. 

Unfortunately, LDS culture and society society have been commingled with LDS doctrine to such a degree that LDS practices are assumed to be LDS doctrine despite no doctrinal foundation or justification for such beliefs and it is now almost difficult to tease these two concepts apart because they are so embedded in LDS thinking and behavior because people have mingled these two things together as if they are LDS doctrine.

A careful reading of the PoF and other sources does not and cannot support that when God  spiritually and physically created men and women, He also created the roles that would accompany each gender. God merely created gender, humans created most of the roles. Almost all gender roles are arbitrary because they were created by society and culture with the exception that men and women don't have any gender roles until they are married and have children.

"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan."

In my reading of the PoF, we learn a few things. First, the first commandment to get married is an obligation that falls equally on both genders. The obligation must be fulfilled by men and women. It appears from the PoF (as well as other scriptural sources) that the Lord’s doctrine that men and women are to both be active players in finding a spouse.

Secondly, we also learn there is something unique about the "First Commandment" that is different from almost all the other commandments the Lord has given. In order for the commandment to get married to be satisfied, it requires a man and a woman to come together in marriage. In other words, it takes two people to obey this one commandment whereas almost all other commandments require each individual to obey them on their own. Men and women are both needed to create a marriage. A man can't be married unto himself and a woman can't do that either. Men and women need each other to satisfy that obligation. That's why if you read the entire PoF, there's no mention of gender roles when it comes to dating. It isn't a man's job to find a spouse and it isn't a woman's job to find a spouse. Its an equal obligation. 

Additionally, we learn that God actually gave two distinct and separate commandments to men and women instead of one. If you read the PoF carefully and read the scriptures carefully, you realize that men and women must satisfy the "First Commandment" (marriage) to satisfy the "Second Commandment" (be fruitful and multiply/procreate).  In other words, God intended that men and women must be husband and wife before (condition precedent) they can be fathers and mothers. This concept is affirmed in the passage below:

"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."

From the paragraph above we learn that men and woman as husband and wives are both under the same obligation to have children. Again, the commandment to have children is another one of those rare instances where it takes two people (men and women) to obey a single commandment. It is an obligation that both men and women are equally required to obey although women carry the heavier burden than men do in this instance. 

It is worth pointing out that men and women can become mothers and fathers without having to be husband and wife. Thus, the PoF recognizes that " Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers"  will "be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations" of rearing "their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live." Thus, even if you haven't satisfied the first commandment of getting married, you are still under the commandment as fathers and mothers to raise and provide for their children.

We also learned that children are "entitled" to having parents. This is the first and only time in the PoF where any "right" is mentioned.

Finally, we learn that marriage is essential to God's plan for His Children. Children can only be created within the confines or parameters of marriage so that they can relocate from the preexistence to earth and arrive in a safe and healthy environment for them to begin their life on earth.

So far, we haven't seen any gender roles described or proscribed to men and women. We have only seen that gender is eternal, that both genders must be married before they can be parents. That's what the PoF teaches so far. 

But if you read the PoF carefully, you will find that there the gender roles for both men and woman are very simple and there is only one role for men and women. 

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed."

In the way I read the LDS Church's Proclamation on the Family, there is on only one gender role that men and women each have. For men, "fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families." For women, "Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." We also learn that men and women are to help each other in the one roles that each gender has. Men and women are to assist each other in these roles as equal partners.

I don't see any other assigned gender role for men and women in the PoF. That's all there is.

If you notice, there is no gender roles when it comes to house hold chores, dating, employment, church callings. Its not there. Also notice that the gender roles for men and women aren't trigged until they have been (1) married and (2) have children. Gender roles don't happen until both requirements are satisfied. That means that according to the PoF, there are no gender roles for men and women prior to marriage. It also implies that there are no gender roles for married couples either. Only when they have children do the the simple gender roles assigned to men and women kick in.

The Proclamation on the Family (PoF) doesn't mention the gender roles and the Priesthood either. (an omission I find fascinating). You would have to look else where for why women can't or shouldn't (or why they can or should) hold the Priesthood (an argument I am intentionally avoiding here). But if you are looking strictly at the PoF, it does seem to imply that the unmarried women (or women with full-grown children) could hold the priesthood. However, you are free to have that debate in the comments section of this article although I encourage (and prefer) you talk about gender roles in the Church.

That, dear readers, is how came to the idea that the only gender role men and women have according to the Proclamation. These roles are only triggered upon the event of lawful marriage and procreation of children within that marriage. Men and women simly don't have any gender roles until they are married and have children.  Society through various means get boys and girls to do certain things in preparation as husband and wives and mother and fathers. However, they should not be assumed that they are the inherent and permanent gender roles for men and women. Women and men like to do certain things but again, these things should not be conflated with actual gender roles of women. They are merely preferences.

Biology and genetics are the only natural limitations on men and women. However, again, they are not to be conflated with gender roles. They are merely to be understood as natural and normal physical limitations just as being Deaf or blind are natural physical limitations. Sometimes my Deafness will naturally limit me to doing certain things and other times it won't. Or I can get around these physical barriers through technology and/or pure determination.

I understand that for some people, they may find my interpretation of the PoF to be patriarchal. I don't think it is and it was never intended to be that way. It was simply to challenge the current understanding of gender roles and to present a novel and unique way of understanding gender roles as outlined in the PoF.

To me, I find the PoF to be traditional/conservative and progressive at the same time. LDS Doctrines can be viewed as being the most liberal theology in the world and it applies here on the issue of gender roles. 

The gender roles as I read in the PoF are realistic and simple. The only gender roles men and women have occur only in marriage and it only relates to the raising of children in the home. That's it. That means all other gender roles are not eternal, doctrinal or important or essential. Anything outside of that is rather subjective and arbitrary which are based on unsound justifications.

I think that's fairly liberating for both men and women because it escapes the inherent double standards and double binds that men and women place on one other and amongst each other (as in internal and external pressures) while having a more simpler (and less stifling) roles for both men and women.

To me it implies that God is only concerned with the eternal truths and obligations that transcend time, geography, culture, tradition and society and that at the end of the day, we find the truth to be simple in its concept and execution. Only humans can muck up a concept so simple and elegant.

It was humans who added unnecessary layers of complexity onto a simple doctrine through media, entertainment, culture, society, tradition, history and (yes) religion. Also, we have made unwarranted connections, assumptions and leaps in logic about gender roles merely because a person does "A" it necessarily follows that they do "X, Y, or Z." 

But at the same time, humans created these additional roles because of survival or because it was practical or because it saved time and energy.  There was some need for it, for some reason, in the past that was useful for men and women. Many of these roles weren't done to oppress but out of some necessity. However, some roles eventually became a tool for oppression.  Finally, we can’t assume that all past social practice is beneficial in the future. It is good for society and in the Church to reevaluate these things from time to time. 

This brings me to the current discussion on gender roles. The additional gender roles that humans have placed on top of the one, single, assigned role for men and women as outlined in the PoF, can be stifling and choking at times. There are lots of things that men and women have to do because they are culturally or societally or religiously induced rigid expectations. Women aren't the only ones who have issues with gender roles. Men do too.  Both have men and women legitimate complaints about the roles and duties the Church places on us and whether or not they are equal. 

But there is one scriptural passage that I gives me hope for both men and women with regards to gender roles in the future. The prophet Isaiah explained that during the millennial reign of Christ, the roles and behaviors of animals will radically change:

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 

“And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

“And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:6–9.)

If the natural behaviors and roles of animals (predator and prey) can be radically changed, there is a strong but subtle implication that the behavior of humans beings will radically change as well. I don't think that the roles that men and women have within the parameters of a lawful marriage and procreation of children within that marriage will change. I think that the behaviors of men and women will change which will affect how the genders interact with one another.

I hope this article was enlightening as well as entertaining and thought provoking. 

I look forward to hearing your insights and ideas on this subject in the comments section.

Elder Tad R. Callister's CES Broadcast Available In ASL Or Closed Captioned Tonight

Elder Tad R. Calister, who is in the Presidency of the Seventy, will be giving the first CES devotional of the year. The CES devotional will be broadcasted tonight from the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Within three weeks of the devotional, this broadcast will be archived online at cesdevotionals.lds.org and can be watched in ASL or with Closed Captioning. 

Below is instructions on how Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals may be able to watch the programing in real time tonight either with Closed Captions or in American Sign Language. See the chart below:

The LDS Church Is A Global Church

The LDS Church has created an infographic to help people understand that it is a world wide religion that is practiced by people around the world. The Mormon Church started with six members in a small log home owned by Peter Whitmer, Sr., in Fayette, Seneca County, New York on April 6, 1830 and now has grown to 15 million members world wide.

See the graph below to learn all about world's 4th largest religion:

What is General Conference?

In the next few weeks, you will see an increase in social media from member of the LDS Church and members of the press talking about General Conference. 

What Is General Conference?

It is a semiannual meeting for members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) that meets every April and October.  When people speak of General Conference, they are talking about two day long meetings consisting of four main sessions of the Conference starting on Saturday morning and ending Sunday afternoon. Each of these four main sessions are two hours long starting with a two hour meeting in the morning followed by a lunch break and another two hour meeting afterwards. On Saturday night, a special two hour meeting is held specifically for male priesthood holders. 

For women, a special meeting is held for all young women on the on the Saturday a week prior to the April conference while women in the Relief Society have their meeting on the Saturday a week prior to the October conference. 

In total, there are of six two-hour sessions: four general sessions, one Priesthood session, and a session for either women or teenage girls. 

What Happens During General Conference? 

Each two hour session begins with a prayer offered by someone in the LDS Church leadership. Then there will be a series of sermons, known as "talks", given by members of the Church leadership with hymns sung during the selected breaks in the two hour session. At the end of that session, a closing prayer is given at the end of the session.  

Throughout the two hour session, a member of the Church leadership who will conduct the meeting which consists of introducing the people who will be giving the prayers and talks and which hymn will be sung. Almost always, a member of the First Presidency will conduct the meeting. Typically, the Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the first speaker of the first session on Saturday evening and last speaker of the fourth and final session on Sunday evening. 

After the first two hour session, a lunch break is given in which members of the Church will have dinner at home, or at a meeting house or at a restaurant. After the lunch break is over, the next two hour session begins again with the same format of prayer, talks and hymns. Hymns are usually sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. However, LDS missionaries who are living at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) and have not left to the areas where they will proselyte have frequently sung at General Conference. Sometimes, youth or young adults will sing as a choir.

Typically, during the second session of the General Conference, Members of the Church who are present at the Conference Center or watching it being broadcasted are asked to raise their hand to either support or oppose the Church Leadership. This begins with introducing the Prophet of the Church, followed by the counselors in the First Presidency, then the Members of the Quorum of the 12 and then other Church leaders. A vote is requested after each introduction. After this, an auditor will speak to give a short accounting of the Church's finances followed by another person who will explain give a statistical report of the Church such as many members are in the Church, how many church buildings there are and other important statistics. After that, the speeches and hymns begin.

Where Is General Conference Held?

Currently, General Conference is held at the LDS Conference Center where all sessions of the conferences are held. It is located in downtown Salt Lake City across from Temple Square.

When Does General Conference Begin?

General sessions commence at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Mountain Time) on Saturday and Sunday. Priesthood Sessions begin at 6 p.m. and are only viewed at local LDS Church meeting houses and are only available to male Priesthood holders. Sessions for either young women or Relief Society Women are also only viewed at local LDS Church meeting houses.

How Can I Attend General Conference?

You do not have to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to Attend General Conference. Anyone can attend. The tickets are free of charge. If you plan on physically attending the General Conference, you can obtain tickets by your local ecclesiastical LDS Church leader known as a Bishop. You can also obtain tickets by writing to church headquarters. Standby tickets are also available by waiting in line at the the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square many hours before the Conference begins. You may not be able to make it into the LDS Conference Center itself but may be seated to watch it in overflow rooms on screens in various places such as Temple Square, including the Tabernacle, Assembly Hall and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. 

Can I Watch It On Television Or The Internet?

You can also watch it on television, on the Internet, by radio or by watching at your local LDS meetinghouse. 

If you plan on watching it on television Check your local cable provider.You can also watch them on either Dish, DirecTV, and C-band in some markets on the BYU TV station. To be very specific, it is viewed live on BYU Television on the Dish Network, Channel 9403 and DirecTV, Channel 374. If you are in the United States and wants to get BYU Television, go to the BYUTV website. Also, BYU Television International also broadcasts General Conference on man Cable systems in Latin America in Spanish and Portuguese. If you are in Latin American and want to watch General Conference on BYUTV, go to the BYUTV international website. Also,  The conference usually airs on the LDS-owned media outlets KSL-TV and KBYU-TV.

If you have other devices to watch television such as Roku, you can watch it on the Mormon Channel.

If you plan on watching it on the Internet, the LDS Church has a website where you can watch it online in multiple languages. 

You can also listen to it on the Church's own official radio station, Mormon Channel or at online on the Church's radio system and at KSL (AM) or KBYU (FM) which broadcasts the four general sessions of General Conference live. So, if you are on the road or don't have television or the Internet, check your local radio listings or find the Mormon Channel on your radio.

If you want to watch it online, you can watch it on the Church's official General Conference page in which you can watch it being streamed live in various languages including American Sign Language. You can also watch previous General Conferences either on the LDS Church's YouTube page or purchase them from the LDS Church. You can also watch it on Facebook at Facebook.com/LDS. 

You can also watch them at your local LDS Church meeting house which is broadcast by satellite around the world either simultaneously or time delayed to accommodate for differing time zones.

The cool thing about having a variety of options to watch or listen to these General Conferences is that the Mormon Church makes these meetings available to 83 countries, transmitting to over 7450 church facilities worldwide and airing over 20 television and 2177 cable stations. 

Can I Watch Or Listen To The Conference In My Langauge? 

The LDS Church has volunteer language professionals translate the talks into over 90 languages live during the Conference. For Church members, this means that 98% of church members can listen to general conference in their native language.

What Does The Inside and Outside of LDS General Conference Center Look Like?  

See below for some photos I found on the Internet. I have added captions to the photos to help explain what you are looking at.

Bird's eye view of the Conference Center

Inside the Conference Center

This what the Conference Center looks like during a session

Church leaders and Choir sits on the stage facing towards the audience

Any other Interesting Facts About General Conference? 

Yes. See the infographics below: 

New ASL Branch Created In Mesa Arizona

Last Sunday, on March 17th, 2013, exciting changes occurred for Deaf and Hard of Hearing members of the LDS Church in Arizona. Due to the growth of Deaf members of the LDS Church, the Phoenix 34th Branch grew so big that it had to be divided which created a new Deaf branch in Mesa, Arizona.

The Phoenix 34th Branch will now be known as the Phoenix Branch.  The new branch will be called the Mesa, Arizona branch. They will also be known informally as the ASL Phoenix Branch and the ASL Mesa Arizona Branch. The LDS Church no longer calls these congregations "Deaf" wards or branches and prefer to call them ASL wards and branches because people who know ASL or are CODAs can also be members of that congregation. 

See below for more details about this exciting news for Deaf members of the LDS Church: 

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.

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: 

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.

LDS Church Declares That Coke and Pepsi Do Not Violate The Word Of Wisdom

For as long as I can remember, there has been a long standing debate over whether or not cafinated drinks like Coke and Pepsi violate the Word of Wisdom. The LDS Church sought to correct a public misconception that Mormons cannot drink caffeinated soda after that myth was mentioned on MSNBC's television show called "The Rock Center" in which they did a report on the LDS Church titled "Mormon in America":  

The Church's Mormon Newsroom blog had this to say about these kinds of drinks: 

Despite what was reported, the Church revelation spelling out health practices (Doctrine and Covenants 89) does not mention the use of caffeine.  The Church’s health guidelines prohibit alcoholic drinks, smoking or chewing of tobacco, and “hot drinks” — taught by Church leaders to refer specifically to tea and coffee. 

This statement will hopefully correct the misconception (both inside and outside LDS Church) that Mormon's cannot drink Pepsi and Coke. Despite the clarification, the debate among Mormons will never end. Reading the comments from various news sites show that many Mormons still think we should not be allowed to drink it even if it doesn't violate the Word of Wisdom because its unhealthy even if its not banned under the Word of Wisdom. 

Personally, I have always believed that drinking these kinds of sodas doesn't violate the Word of Wisdom based on the history behind the revelation, the language of the revelation and what it specifically banned. While drinking these drinks may be unhealthy (not because of the caffeine, but because of the amount of sugar in each drink) its up to each individual to make a personal choice to drink these drinks or not.

What do you think? Does Pepsi  and Coke violate the Word of Wisdom or not? Post your thoughts in the comment section. I'll read the comments with a Cherry coke in hand. 

The LDS Church Reaching Out To People Who Have A Hearing Loss

The LDS Church is being aggressive in spreading the gospel online by creating a lot of new websites. The LDS Church is also being very proactive to meeting the needs of those who have some kind of hearing loss and would like to view Church videos online. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has announced that all videos posted online will be closed captioned: 

In the past, closed captioning has been offered for the live broadcast on television and satellite, but not on the Church’s website. Archived general conference content on LDS.org has included conference videos in American Sign Language (available by selecting ASL from the language drop-down menu), but not everyone who is Deaf or hard of hearing knows or uses ASL, said Christopher Phillips, manager of Disabilities Services for the Church.

Closed captioning, on the other hand, is more widely accessible and can be helpful to those without hearing disabilities as well. Captions also can help make video content more searchable online.

“This improvement will be a benefit to many who struggle with hearing loss, including those who might have lost their hearing later in life and haven’t had the opportunity to learn sign language,” said Karen Staley, a member of the Church who lives in Maryland and is Deaf. “The captioned videos will help make the gospel more accessible to a large group of people.”

The LDS Church has also posted the entire ASL translation of the Book of Mormon is now online for viewing by LDS members who communicate in American Sign Language. It also realize that this also great for Deaf members that belong to any Restorationist branch that would like to have access to the Book of Mormon in their language online. 

To go behind the scenes on what it took to create the ASL translation of the Book of Mormon, I highly recommend watching this interview between Richard Sutton and Minnie-Mae Wilding Diaz: 

How To Sing "I'm A Child Of God"...In Klingon!?

I enjoy hearing Gospel hymns in different languages since I always feel the spirit regardless of what language the song is sung in. However, I have never heard a Church song sung in Klingon....until now.

Watch the awesome video below:

Who Are The Mormons?

In effort to help people understand the basic facts about the LDS Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has released a simple FAQ page summarizing the beliefs of the Church. They have also released a nifty infographic that provides some neat information about the Mormon Church. Take a look at it below:

 

Book of Mormon Broadway Musical Scores Grammy Nomination

Matt Stone and Trey Parker's Broadway musical, "The Book of Mormon" has been very successful for them. The won nine awards at the Tony Awards last year. for Today, they were nominated for a Grammy award for best musical theater album:  

 "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are competing against timeless composers Cole Porter and Frank Loesser for a 2012 Grammy Award. In the category of musical theater album, their new Broadway blockbuster "The Book of Mormon" was nominated Wednesday along with the albums for revivals of Porter's "Anything Goes" and Loesser's "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

The musical theater category honors the composers and lyricists for a show, as well as the producers and principal cast members.

"The Book of Mormon," released by Ghostlight Records, features songs by Stone, Parker and Robert Lopez. Cast members Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells also were included in the nomination. The hit comedy won nine Tony Awards this year, including the award for new musical.

Not only has the "Book of Mormon" been success musically, but also financially since they have recouped all the cost of making the play and are now generating a profit from the play:

The critically acclaimed Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon” has recouped its roughly $11.4 million capitalization after just nine months of performances, its producers said on Tuesday. “Mormon” is the first commercially successful musical from the 2010-11 season, which had an unusually large number of original musicals open, including the still-running “Sister Act” and “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” and flops like “Catch Me If You Can” and “Wonderland.”

Since starting preview performances in mid-February, “Mormon” has broken the weekly box-office record at the Eugene O’Neill Theater 22 times. The show is regularly among the five highest-grossing productions on Broadway in spite of running in a theater with hundreds of fewer seats than most major musical theaters.

The producers make up for a small house by charging premium ticket prices of up to $477; as a result, theatergoers pay far more on average to see “Mormon” – about $170 during Thanksgiving week – than for other Broadway shows.

Given that people are willing to shell out money to pay premium to see this show, people obviously like the work of Matt Stone and Trey Parker and were confident that they would get their money's worth in seeing this play. But it was also a risk for them to be charging such high prices but the gamble paid off for them handsomely. 

Many LDS people are unhappy with this play because its disrespectful to our religion. I say, let them poke fun at us. We are a unique religion and there's no denying that. Rather than getting our feathers ruffled over it, let them laugh at us. Its ok. Some people will not want to learn about our Church because of this play. Perhaps a few people will. Overall, I think the result of this play is a positive one for the LDS Church and its members. 

Lawsuit Seeks To Ban LDS Church From Giving Its Input On Utah Alcohol Laws

A lawsuit has been filed in Utah to prevent The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints from giving its input on new or proposed alchol laws:

A trade group for bars and restaurants is asking a federal judge to block Utah legislators from considering input from the Mormon church when drafting future liquor laws.

The Utah Hospitality Association contends that considering the views of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is unconstitutional under federal laws separating church and state.

The claim is part of an amended lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City.

"We know the LDS church wields a lot of influence with the Legislature, especially as to liquor policies in this state," association board spokesman Kenneth Wynn said on Tuesday. "I think we've felt this for a long time. The church ought to butt out of state business ... we're just bringing it to the forefront."

Hospitality association attorneys originally filed the lawsuit in June. It targets Senate Bill 314, which bans daily drink specials and ties the number of liquor licenses to population totals and the number of state-employed police officers.

Association attorneys say eliminating discount pricing for alcohol amounts to price-fixing that harms both consumers and businesses. They contend such limits on competition in liquor sales and distribution places an unfair restraint on trade that violates federal antitrust laws.

Passed by lawmakers earlier this year, most of the new laws became effective in July. The portion of the so-called "quota system" tied to the number of law enforcement officers takes effect July 1, 2012.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the state of Utah, the governor and the Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control Commission.

The Mormon church is not a defendant, but the lawsuit cites examples of the Utah-based church's influence with lawmakers, including remarks from Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, who sponsored SB314, about the church's support for the bill.

The lawsuit also contends that a pair of church lobbyists had "warned" lawmakers that "there would be repercussions" if they disagreed with the church's position on the legislation. Court papers don't specify what those repercussions would be.

This is an interesting lawsuit and I'm interested in the outcome of this case. The LDS Church is free to give its opinion on laws and to lobby in support or opposition of a law just as much as any other organization is free to do. However, they are alleging that the LDS Church has a greater influence on laws crafted in Utah than most regular lobbying groups do. It will be interesting to see how the Plaintiffs prove that given that most of the members of Utah Legislature is LDS.

Evangelical Christian Realizes Mormons Are Christians After Attending Insitutite

One of the most fascinating stories I have come across on the internet is an interview with an Evangelical named "David" who attended the LDS Institute for four years while working on obtaining a PhD in Molecular Biology. 

I'd like to share a portion of that interview with you (and I encourage you to read the entire interview at the link above) in which he discusses how Institute helped him see that Mormons really are Christians:

"How has your interaction changed your views of Mormons and Mormonism?

At the same time I started attending Institute classes, I made a point to read several books on Mormonism written from conservative evangelical perspectives or by individuals who had left the LDS Church.  Those texts reinforced many of my early LDS preconceptions and argued adamantly that Mormons were not Christians.  I believed as I read those books that I was preparing to enter a mission field, and during the first couple years of attending LDS classes and conversing with Mormons, proselytizing was always at the back of mind.  I couldn't envision Mormons receiving an evangelical version of salvation without first accepting conventional Christian doctrine.   My current perception of Mormonism is quite different.  As I befriended more Mormons, I discovered that some of the most contentious issues that were the focus of anti-Mormon literature were simply irrelevant or ancillary to modern LDS beliefs and practices.   The practical application of their faith and understanding in LDS doctrine was actually similar to that of other Christians with respect to purely biblical doctrine.  Consequently, I no longer believe I am in a position to say the biblical salvation of Mormons is more in question than members of other Christian denominations.   My current practice, which has contributed to the most productive and meaningful of my inter-faith relationships, is to treat Mormons as Christian brothers and sisters as opposed to members of a non-Christian cult.  

I was recently given a book by Stephen E. Robinson that makes several compelling arguments in favor of Mormons being Christians.  I'm in agreement with him on many of his arguments, so I will limit the explanation of my change in heart and mind to one simple conclusion.  To deny someone who accepts the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ the title of Christian is to deny the sufficiency of that sacrifice, as you surely can't be saved by grace through Christ and not be a Christian.  I no longer argue, as I once did, that a precondition for that salvation is a proper understanding of its heavenly manifestation and the sufficiency of the grace that makes it possible.  I still disagree with LDS doctrine as it pertains to grace, works and exaltation, but denying salvation to Mormons on those grounds requires passing judgment on the motive of their works.   As a Christian and a witness to many apparently humble acts of Mormon service, I'm personally reluctant to pass judgment.

Evangelical Christians sometimes acknowledge the promptings or the perceived presence of the Holy Spirit in their life, and I specifically remember attending a large LDS social event during the first year of my studies where I really felt the absence of the Holy Spirit.  I never mentioned this feeling to any of my Mormon friends, but I share it now as an example of a subjective experience that I used to substantiate my academic rationale at the time for why Mormons should not be considered Christian.  It's also relevant in that my current acceptance of Mormons as fellow Christians is the result of both intellectual argument and the accumulative effect of more recent subjective experiences.  Shortly before my graduation from the LDS Institute, I was invited to attend a Mormon baptism, at which a moving testimony was given by the LDS friend of the woman being baptized.  I could not have denied the profound influence of the Holy Spirit in that woman's life or in the lives of others who shared their testimony at an LDS church service I attended on a different occasion.  The Spirit could also be felt in many of the prayers offered at Institute gatherings.  Such spiritual fellowship is common amongst Christian brothers and sisters and I can't deny the significance of experiencing it amongst Mormons."

While David acknowledges that he still has doctrinal disagreements with the doctrines of the LDS Church, he at least sees that we are Christians.

David's statement that Mormons are Christians because "to deny someone who accepts the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ the title of Christian is to deny the sufficiency of that sacrifice, as you surely can't be saved by grace through Christ and not be a Christian" applies equally to all other denominations who accept the atoning sacrifice of Christ. 

Christians will always have doctrinal disagreements with one another, but its time to put an end to the debate over who is a Christian and who isn't. No one except Christ is in a position to determine who is a Christian and who isn't.