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WASHINGTON - Mitt Romney is a shrewd businessman, known for his cautious approach to the nerve-rattling takeover business. Romney's colleagues even came up for a name for what happened when Romney's inner worries began to ruffle his carefully groomed appearance - "pitting," for when the armpits of his expensive blue shirts would start to darken from perspiration.

Critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often seek to point out differences between the various accounts which Joseph Smith gave of his First Vision. In defense of their position that the Prophet changed his story over a six year period (1832 to 1838) they claim that the earliest followers of Joseph Smith either didn’t know about the First Vision, or seem to have been confused about it. Comparison to Paul's vision Paul the apostle gave several accounts of his vision of the resurrected Lord while on the road to Damascus. Like Joseph Smith's account of the...

My dear brothers, sisters, and friends, the responsibility of speaking to all of you is a matter of great concern to me. I pray for your understanding. My baptism into this Church was one of the highlights of my life. I was eight years of age. My parents taught me and my brothers the significance of this great ordinance. My mother told me that after my baptism I would be held accountable for the things I did that were not right. I remember the day of my baptism very vividly. I was baptized in the baptismal font in the Tabernacle...

ELDORADO - A Schleicher County grand jury issued indictments today against Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leader Warren Jeffs and five other sect members, alleging sexual assault, bigamy and related charges. Jeffs was charged with sexually assaulting a child, a first-degree felony, and the four others were indicted on allegations of sexually assaulting girls younger than 17. Each of those four face one felony count of sexual assault, and one faces an additional charge of bigamy.Jeffs was identified because he was served with the indictment in jail. The other four remain unidentified until they are served....

Brethren, before I begin my talk I want to congratulate very warmly this Melchizedek Priesthood choir, composed of men from many walks of life, all singing together out of their hearts filled with testimony of the hymns of Zion. Brethren, thank you very, very much. Now, I seek the inspiration of the Lord as I speak briefly on what I consider to be a very important subject. I begin by taking you back 150 years and more. In 1849 our forebears faced a serious problem. Our people had then been in the Salt Lake Valley for two years. Missionaries in...

Warren Jeffs married his underage daughter to the 34-year-old son of his chief deputy, one day after she turned 15, according to pictures, diaries and a marriage record kept by Jeffs' polygamist sect obtained Friday by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News. The documents were attached to a report filed Friday by Court-Appointed Special Advocates in San Angelo, the girl's guardian, in a battle over who represents her in court. The CASA report contradicts both interviews the girl and members of her church, The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, have given denying that she...

Mormons focus on accessible, social aspects of their religion. Although the Mormon system of doctrine is genuinely attractive to many of its members, many have argued that the primary "glue" of Mormonism is the heritage, culture, and family ties, not the doctrine and theology. In other words, the typical allegiance to the Mormon organization primarily stems from something other than doctrinal concerns. The average Mormon sitting in a pew does not care how or why their religion works, they only care that it works for them. They are not concerned with the real character of Joseph Smith or how the...

Elder L. Tom Perry Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles We all have life events that, when we recall them years later, acquire new and important meaning. When I was in junior high, I was honored by the school administration when I was asked to become a member of the student hall patrol. On the days we were assigned to be on hall patrol, we were instructed to bring our lunch to school and eat it together. It was always a special treat, and there was always a lot of competition to see whose mother had prepared the...

Becoming a Witness of Christ By Elder D. Todd Christofferson Apostles, by virtue of their priesthood office, are commissioned as special witnesses of Christ in all the world (see D&C 107:23). Their testimony is vital in the Lord’s work of salvation. Yet the Apostles must not and do not stand alone. All of us who are baptized and confirmed have taken upon us the name of Jesus Christ with a commitment “to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9). It is within the capacity of each of us to...

Elder Russell M. Nelson Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Under President Gordon B. Hinckley's inspired direction, temples are now more accessible than ever. Inscribed on each temple are the words "Holiness to the Lord."1 That statement designates both the temple and its purposes as holy. Those who enter the temple are also to bear the attribute of holiness.2 It may be easier to ascribe holiness to a building than it is to a people. We can acquire holiness only by enduring and persistent personal effort. Through the ages, servants of the Lord have warned against unholiness. Jacob,...

We of the Seventy would like to extend a hearty welcome to the brethren who this day were sustained to the five quorums of Seventy. We are blessed, brothers and sisters, to live in a world filled with almost daily announcements of progress against disease and other threats to mankind. There seems to be a never-ending march of man's accomplishments in overcoming impediments to a long and healthy life. Most of us have become accustomed to a constant flow of wonders. Yet, with it all, we are also faced with a relentless onslaught of soul-destroying distractions such as pornography, illegal...

On the 20th and 21st, last week, Ryan and I drove down to Salt Lake City in Utah to stay with Bill McKeever of mrm.org. Bill, with several of his friends, along with Ryan and I, attended the Manti pageant. It is an event were Mormons gather to watch a pageant put on by the Mormon church. Basically, it is a public play where actors recount the means by which the "gospel was restored." I watched it and it is a blatant misrepresentation of the state of the Christian church in the early 1800s. The play represents Christianity as a...

Posted: 6:51 PM- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will take his quest for a federal investigation of a polygamous sect before the Judiciary Committee next week. The Nevada Democrat requested and received the July 24 hearing before the committee, during which he will present evidence to support a federal crime investigation of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a spokesman said. Jon Summers, who works in Reid's Washington, D.C., office, said Reid and others are set to testify. "He is trying to step up federal enforcement against abuses that often occur in these polygamous sects," Summers...

It is my purpose to ease the pain of those who suffer from the very unpleasant feeling of guilt. I feel like the doctor who begins his treatment by saying, "Now, this may hurt a little. . . ." Every one of us has at least tasted the pain of conscience which follows our mistakes. John said that "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."2 Then he said it more strongly, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make [the Lord] a liar, and his word is...

Custer County's sheriff is taking a stand. "We don't want them here," Fred Jobe says of the polygamists who quietly are settling onto his turf. "I just don't want them to think they're gonna move in and take over the county." As Jobe tells it, followers of Warren Jeffs' Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have moved into four compounds in Custer County and two in Fremont County. The extent of their influx into south-central Colorado is unclear because few outsiders have been let inside the sect's secrecy fences. Many locals are wondering why they don't see...

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a most interesting place. In company with Elders Richard G. Scott, Rex D. Pinegar, and Larry W. Gibbons, I presided at a regional conference there just a short time ago. The facility in which we met was packed with members of the Church and other interested persons. The singing by the choir was heavenly, the spoken word inspiring, and the sweet spirit which prevailed during the conference will long be remembered. I reflected on my previous visits to this location, the beauty of the state song—"Oklahoma," from the musical production of Rodgers and Hammerstein—and the wonderful...

Sydney S. Reynolds First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency"I believe that all of us can bear witness to these small miracles."With Moroni of old, I believe in a God of miracles. Moroni wrote to the people of our dispensation, "Behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, . . . and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are" (Morm. 9:11). Moroni proclaimed that Jesus Christ did many mighty miracles, that many mighty miracles were wrought by the hands of the Apostles, and that a God who is the same...

A Washington County judge on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order and injunction sought by a polygamous sect spokesman, who is accusing a Cedar City investigator of harassment. Fifth District Judge G. Rand Beacham set a hearing for July 23 on the action sought by Willie Jessop. Jessop, a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, filed the request against private investigator Sam Brower on Tuesday. He claims Brower has a "long history of following and photographing FLDS members," often leading to confrontations, and has engaged in a "pattern of continual harassment" that includes making...

One of the memorable themes of last October's general conference was that, in addition to being concerned about what we do, we Latter-day Saints ought also to pay attention to what we are and are striving to become.1 With that principle in mind, I listened attentively last November to President Gordon B. Hinckley's address to the youth of the Church. I was touched by the six priceless bits of wisdom he shared describing what youth ought to be. One of the six—"be humble"—was of special interest to me. When I suggested to my wife several weeks ago that because of...

A coalition that represents fundamentalist Mormons has issued a statement objecting to the LDS Church's attempts to deny their claim to a shared Mormon heritage. The Principle Voices Coalition, based in Salt Lake City, said that members "strenuously object to any efforts to deprive us and others of the freedom to name and describe ourselves by terms of our own choosing." Two weeks ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints launched a media campaign aimed at distinguishing itself from the breakaway sects. The church said its effort was primarily aimed at clarifying the difference between the LDS Church...

President Gordon B. Hinckley What a wonderful conference this has been, my brothers and sisters. As we return to our homes and to our daily activities, each of us should be a better individual than we were when the conference opened. All who have spoken have done very well. The prayers have been inspirational. The music has been magnificent. But what matters most is what may have occurred within each of us as a result of our experience. I, for one, have made a stronger resolution within myself to be a better person than I have been in the past....

The bloodshed in the late 1500s had a decidedly sobering effect on England. The outrageous spectacle of Protestants being martyred under one regime, and Catholics under another, helped prepare the way eventually for greater religious tolerance. Under James, who became king in 1603, a major move in that direction took place.James faced a nation badly in need of religious unification. The Puritans had grown strong in numbers and also in determination to make their numbers felt, and they petitioned James for reforms.Though he was not sympathetic to the Puritan cause, James felt it politically wise to hold a conference to...

Some Mormons are rejecting their prophet's call to campaign for a ban on same-sex marriage in California, suggesting the church leadership's sway over the issue of homosexuality may be weakening. In a letter circulated to all the state's congregations June 29, President and Prophet Thomas Monson called on Mormons to "do all you can" to support the November ballot measure "by donating of your means and time." The church strongly supported a successful 2000 California proposition that prohibited same-sex unions. The state Supreme Court struck down the measure May 15, opening the door for same-sex marriages. The intervening years have...

A short while ago, Elder Pace, Elder Condie, and I met with the First Presidency. As we entered the room, President Hinckley looked carefully at us and then with a smile on his face said, "How can three white-headed, old men be the Young Men presidency of this Church?" Our only response was, "Because you called us to be, President."Young men, we hope that you are excited about the Aaronic Priesthood: Fulfilling Our Duty to God program. It has been introduced to all of the Aaronic Priesthood throughout the world. It is designed to bless you spiritually, physically, socially, and...

Members of the LDS Church often make a big issue of the fact that their ancestors faced terrible persecutions during the early years of the LDS movement. To most people, Missourian sites like Independence, Liberty, Far West, and Caldwell County mean very little. Yet to the faithful Latter-day Saint, these places carry a great amount of significance. It is true that the Mormons were driven from several states before finally arriving in what is known today as the state of Utah, and this violence can never be condoned. However, with all of the talk of the persecution early Mormons faced,...

Elder Claudio R. M. Costa of the Seventy About four months ago, I received the assignment to serve in Bogotá, Colombia, and moved there. One day, as I was trying to find the way to my new ward's meetinghouse, I stopped at a park to ask for directions.I could see many families enjoying a pleasant sunny morning. I stood there for a while watching the children as they cheerfully played in the park. They had a special glow in their countenances; their cheeks were flushed from the sun and from the effort they made to run and play together....

I was raised by caring parents in a home where the values taught and practiced prepared the way for my introduction to the Church and an acceptance of gospel principles. I was baptized in the month of August 1959, shortly after my 19th birthday. As I ponder the events that preceded my conversion, my thoughts go back to a childhood experience.Close to the home where I lived as a child was a large house. It was located on beautiful grounds enclosed by what was to me a towering fence made of wood paneling, probably six feet in height. I recall...

The Divinely Inspired Constitution Apostle Dallin H. Oaks, The Ensign, Feb 1992 Photograph by Eldon K. Linschoten Not long after I began to teach law, an older professor asked me a challenging question about Latter-day Saints’ belief in the United States Constitution. Earlier in his career he had taught at the University of Utah College of Law. There he met many Latter-day Saint law students. “They all seemed to believe that the Constitution was divinely inspired,” he said, “but none of them could ever tell me what this meant or how it affected their interpretation of the Constitution.” I...

Many of you suffer needlessly from carrying heavy burdens because you do not open your hearts to the healing power of the Lord. May this message encourage you to feel the prompting of the Holy Ghost to make those changes that will lead you to be free of oppressive burdens. The Savior has promised, "I will . . . ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that . . . you cannot feel them . . . ; and this will I do . . . that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."1 I will first speak to you who suffer because of...

Today I ask a question the Savior asked nearly 2,000 years ago: "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"1 First Principle of the GospelWhat is true faith? Faith is defined as "belief and trust in and loyalty to God; . . . firm belief in something for which there is no proof."2 We believe that "faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true . . . , and must be centered in Jesus Christ." In fact, we believe that "faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel."3 A Widow's FaithThere are those who...

Wedding customs of the faithful range from solemn to colorful In the big picture of life, all weddings are the same — they're about two people joining their lives (and families) together. But, of course, all weddings are a little bit different, too, based on the couple's background and preferences. Those who opt for a civil ceremony might want a simple exchange of vows at the county courthouse or an elaborate gathering with the wedding party dressed in period costumes. Protestant weddings also can vary, depending on the denomination, church and officiating clergy. Some faiths (Catholic) have a lot of...

My dear brothers and sisters, I seek the inspiration of the Lord in addressing you. I never get over the tremendous responsibility of speaking to the Latter-day Saints. I am grateful for your kindness and for your forbearance. I constantly pray that I may be worthy of the confidence of the people.I have recently come from a very long journey. It has been wearisome, but it has been wonderful to be out among the Saints. If it were possible I would turn all of the day-to-day administrative matters of the Church over to others, and then I would spend...

It should be obvious that all the writings which now make up the New Testament did not jump from men’s pens into leather-bound books. As with the Old Testament, the process was slow and piecemeal. Each part was written separately, and those who were fortunate enough to privately possess any scriptures probably, like Paul, would have had separate parchments or scrolls.Precisely what was accepted as authoritative scriptures by the early Christians A.D. is uncertain. Just as the early Christians A.D. accepted as authoritative far more Hebrew records than appear in our current Old Testament, so these church members drew upon...

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was named as Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on February 4, 2008. He was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 2. 2004. He has served as a General Authority since April 1994, and served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from August 2002 until his call to the Twelve. Elder Uchtdorf was born on November 6, 1940 in then Mährisch-Ostrau, Czechoslovakia, to Karl Albert and Hildegard Else...

SAN ANGELO, Texas — A court-appointed attorney for a 16-year-old FLDS girl caught up in a grand jury investigation will go to court today under armed guard. Natalie Malonis confirmed to the Deseret News she has received death threats since she sought a restraining order against a high-profile member of the Fundamentalist LDS Church to prevent him from contacting her client. "I've been getting death threats and I am being provided a security detail," she said this morning. "That was not even at my request. Law enforcement recognized the need for it." Malonis said she did not know who has...

Viewers of tonight's season premiere of "History Detectives" will learn that a book about the horrors of "Female Life Among the Mormons" is a work of fiction. And the woman who owns the 1856 volume will be "disappointed" by that news. "History Detectives" (8 p.m., Ch. 7) is a fascinating series in which historical objects are examined to determine if they're authentic. (Tonight's other two segments feature a World War II diary and a coin shot by Annie Oakley.) In the case of the 1856 book about the horrors of Mormon polygamy, Marcie Waterman Murray of Stanfordville, N.Y., bought it...

The recent attacks from a number of sources on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) reek of the same prejudice that, in the past, we have often seen used against Jews, Catholics, Muslims, and many others. This kind of behavior needs to be identified and condemned for what it is: religious intolerance and blatant bigotry. These attacks on the Mormon Church have come in three forms: preaching, publications, and video presentations. Honoring the freedom to speak and preach from the heart, the National Conference takes issue with using the pulpit, any pulpit, to promote misleading, distorted,...

Not long ago, a young man I did not know approached me in a crowded place. He said quietly but with great intensity: "Elder Eyring, I have just been called as the president of my elders quorum. What advice do you have for me?" I was sure that what he needed to know and to feel I couldn't give him there, with the people rushing past us. And so I said, "I will give you my counsel in general conference."That young man is not alone in wanting help. Thousands of members of the Church across the earth are called every...

I love the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church, which has been restored to the earth in our day. I treasure the teachings of His holy life from newborn infant to resurrected man, Son of God.As I have read from the pages of the Bible, in my mind's eye I have watched Him as He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."1 In my reading, I was there when He raised the dead. He healed the sick, fed the 5,000, brought comfort and hope and a process for peace into the world that He had...

SALT LAKE CITY 26 June 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took steps today to better inform the public about differences between the Salt Lake City-based church and the polygamous group in Texas that calls itself the FLDS. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - whose members are often called "Mormons" - placed a series of video interviews on its web site to illustrate the differences between its own members in Texas and members of the isolated polygamous group. The Texas Mormons featured on the video interviews include a director of community theater, an orthopedic...

As His mortal ministry drew to a close, knowing "that his hour was come" (John 13:1), Jesus gathered His Apostles in an upper room in Jerusalem. Following their supper and after He had washed their feet and taught them, Jesus offered a sublime Intercessory Prayer on behalf of these Apostles and all who would believe in Him. He supplicated the Father in these words:"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may...

My text comes from a hymn that has inspired faithful servants of the Lord for many generations: It may not be on the mountain heightOr over the stormy sea,It may not be at the battle's frontMy Lord will have need of me.But if, by a still, small voice he callsTo paths that I do not know,I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:I'll go where you want me to go.("I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," Hymns, no. 270) Penned by a poetess who was not a Latter-day Saint, these words express the commitment of the faithful children...

An FLDS teenager is taking a dispute with her attorney public, claiming the attorney is making her life "harder" and asking the lawyer to "please leave me alone." Teresa Jeffs, 16, a daughter of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs, gave The Salt Lake Tribune on Sunday a copy of an e-mail she sent Natalie Malonis of Flower Mound, Texas, after seeing news reports about her case. On Friday, Malonis won a court order banning contact between an FLDS spokesman and the girl. "The most help you will be to me now is for you to step aside and let...

"LDS Church officials are urging California Mormons to "do all you can" to support a constitutional amendment to recognize only marriages between a man and a woman. The call to action came from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a letter that is scheduled to be read to local California congregations, church spokesman Scott Trotter said. "The church's teachings and position on this moral issue are unequivocal," the letter reads. "Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained or God, and the formation of families is central to the creator's plan for...

Many years ago I marveled at the cover of one of our Church publications which featured a magnificent reproduction of a Carl Bloch painting. The scene which the artist captured in his mind and then—with a touch of the Master's hand—transferred to canvas depicted Elisabeth, wife of Zacharias, welcoming Mary, the mother of Jesus. Both were to bear sons—miracle births.The son born of Elisabeth became known as John the Baptist. As with Jesus, son of Mary, so with John—precious little is recorded of their years of youth. A single sentence tells us all that we know of John's life from...

Common consent is a fundamental principle of decision making at all levels in THE CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints. In selecting new officers and making administrative decisions, Church leaders are instructed to seek the will of God. Once the Lord makes his will known and a decision is reached, the matter is brought before the appropriate quorum or body of Church members, who are asked to sustain or oppose the action. This process provides for direction of the Church by revelation, while protecting the agency of the members to verify in their own minds whether decisions have...

Just in time for the study of the Book of Mormon in the 2008 churchwide Sunday School courses, the Maxwell Institute recently released an updated and expanded edition of Donald W. Parry’s "Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon: The Complete Text". This new edition seeks to enhance study of the Book of Mormon and features many improvements upon the first edition, which was released in 1992 under the title "The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted". In this edition, Parry observes, “new examples of chiasmus, parallelisms, and figures of speech have been added to the volume,” and it also...

Among the most memorable of all our family activities have been trips to the Holy Land. For us, visits to that part of the world have been life changing. But now the Holy Land is a cauldron of turmoil and off-limits to those who would like to go there for spiritual enrichment. Virtually all parts of the world are plagued by acts of terror previously unknown. Confusion comes to many who pray for peace but fearfully face this foe of terror. Peace versus ContentionThe perilous times in which we live have been prophesied in the scriptures. Our day has been...

Ancient Methods of Keeping Records Lenet H. Read, “How the Bible Came to Be: Part 2, The Word Is Preserved,” Ensign, Feb. 1982, 32 There were several ways to record and preserve records anciently—none of them easy. The most common was to use papyrus, made from pith scraped from the papyrus plant, then wetted and pressed together. Scribes could write on both the front and back. (See Ezek. 2:10.) For more space, additional scrolls could be pasted at the bottom, the whole being rolled around rods. Some rolls may have reached as long as thirty-five feet, though such length would...