Fostering a Dialogue

More old news, but I was browsing the Mormon Newsroom, and found this gem from LDS Public Affairs.

I'd love to see more interfaith dialogue between the LDS church and other religions, especially the Catholic church. Despite several theological differences, there are several similarities between Mormons and other Christian faiths. Even beyond that, there is too much good that needs to be done in this world — by people of all beliefs and creeds, even Christians and non-Christians.

Good on you, Bishop Wester. Well done.

First Temple in Indiana Breaks Ground

I've got some friends from Indiana. This one's for you, @NephiJay.

LDS Church breaks ground on a temple in Indianapolis. It's a great day for Saints in the Midwest.

Mormon Blogger in Hot Water

I'm not sure what to think of this next story, but it may be credible enough.

Apparently, a Mormon blogger in Florida is claiming he's been summoned to an LDS church disciplinary council because of posting "his right to free speech" online.

David Twede is the managing editor of MormonThink.com, had a date to appear before his Stake President and High Council (the local lay leaders of the church who generally president during disciplinary hearings). The blogger has been in hot water with some Mormons because of his website, which advocates "historical accuracy in our church and how it is being taught to its members and perceived by the media."

Twede has been in hot water before, according to the article, presumably for discussion of non-doctrinal topics and potential flirtations with apostate notions. The fifth-generation Mormon recently returned to full church activity, but he has said his position as editor of the MormonThink.com depends on his activity as an active Mormon.

Twede later posted on his website that his disciplinary hearing was cancelled at the final minute, but is expected to be rescheduled soon.

He has also apparently been in trouble before for posting information related to LDS temple ordinances on his site. Official statements from LDS church public affairs are adamant that Twede is not being investigated in council for his political beliefs, which include several anti-Romney sentiments.

Just in time for October Conference: New Pass-Along Cards

It's almost General Conference time, so I think that means it's time for another post.
In conjunction with this October's "fall Mormon classic," the LDS Church is introducing a special section in its October 2012 issue of the Ensign and English Liahona magazines — FREE QR-CODE CARDS.
The supplemental section will include a series of recently redesigned "I'm a Mormon" pass-along cards, with a special QR Code to take smartphone users to specialized Web sites at mormon.org, including sections on Jesus Christ and families.
It's a great way to share the gospel, and extremely unobtrusive. Use them however the Spirit may inspire you to do so.
"We encourage you to be as creative as you wish in using these new cards," said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the church's Quorum of 12 Apostles.
You can also buy these new pass-along cards in bulk at store.lds.org, or here.

Drinking from the Fire Hose of Spiritual Knowledge

It's finally General Conference weekend.

I've been needing this week for a long time. It's a week when members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spend 10 hours over the course of two days to drink from the firehose that is continuing revelation on Earth.

Imagine you live in ancient biblical times. Now imagine that Moses was coming into town. Moses, like all prophets of the Lord anciently, spoke with God face to face to receive guidance, instruction and authority to relay to the rest of God's children of the era.

Now image that you have the chance to meet Moses. It may be direct interaction. Or it may just be a handshake. Perhaps a wave. He might even nod at your, or tip his staff to you. But there will assuredly be some small morsel of special direction just to you, a sign that you are not forgotten by a loving Heavenly Father. Would you not drop all your appointments so you could go meet him?

That's what General Conference is.

What was good for God's children in ancient Israel is still good for his children now. We have prophets, seers and revelators on the Earth today. Should we not rush out and proclaim the words these prophets speak to us? General Conference gives us the incentive to do just that.

What better time do we have to share what makes Mormons so special than now? We are fast approaching an election year, with two GOP hopefuls from within our own faith. There's a Broadway musical based (sort of ... OK, not really) on a holy volume of scripture from which our nickname is derived. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are everywhere — in politics, television, movies, media, pop culture, sports and anywhere in between.

But most important, they are all around you. They might live next door. They certainly live on the same block. They definitely live in your hometown. So get to know them. I promise, we're not as weird as you think.

Elder L. Tom Perry said, "The growing visibility and reputation of the church presents a remarkable opportunity to as its members ... More importantly, we can share who we are."

Elder Perry, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, also shared several tips to help Mormons in their gospel and belief sharing habits. If you're a Mormon, review this list and make sure you know it, for it is inspired by God. If you're not a member, know these tips so that you can remind us if we stray from it.

1. We must be bold in our declaration of Jesus Christ. We believe in Christ as our Lord, our Redeemer, our Savior. There is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved.

2. Be righteous examples to others. Mormons are taught higher standards than many professed by the world. It's not because we are better; it's because we are striving to be like God.

3. Speak up about the church. Others invite us to share more than we know. Accept those invitations.

If you're not a member but want to know more about what we believe, just ask. It's not hard. And we'll appreciate it, I promise. If you are a member, don't run in shame and fear if somebody asks you about your beliefs (even if the questions range from obscure to uncomfortable). We cannot hide our light forever. Testify of what you know; it can always make a difference.

I'll be back with more tomorrow from the final two sessions of Conference. In the mean time, follow me on the Twitter widget in the column of this blog. Or check in with me on any other social networking site you used to navigate here (Who uses search engines anymore, right?)

NEW MEDIA

Here's an example of something one of the Apostles taught us at this most recent session. Elder David A. Bednar spoke on a subject that is incredibly special to me, because it was once a university major of mine: Family History and Genealogy. I hope you learn from it as much as I did.

Why the World Needs More LDS Journalists. And Why It Probably Won't Get Them.

Some things are perfect for each other. Peas come in pods. Roses come in bouquets (and with thorns). Bees come from hives that make delicious honey.

Add Mormonism and journalism to that list.

Journalism is an essential branch of society, often dubbed The Fourth Estate by those in government and other political positions. It's a watchdog that alerts us when government is running amok, when society is on the verge of anarchy, when dishonesty is the norm and morals are decaying.

It provides us a safety valve so that we, the valued system, can stand up and make a change.

It's a warning voice. It was so important that, even as early Saints in the modern era of the church were driven from state to state, the prophet Joseph Smith established a printing press in several cities — stressing an ability to communicate the church's message to the masses.

Theology inherent to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has as an essential tenant of its faith, the need to rise up and raise a voice of warning to the masses. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, the true gospel of our Lord and Savior, the kingdom of the true and living God.

Journalists who have a sense of purpose, a clear distinction between right and wrong and a desire to effect change in a broken system are essential to the process of the Fourth Estate. Watchdog journalists work best when they are constantly alert to the dangers and moral ills of society, ready to alert the spread of contagious malfeasances so that medicine can be prescribed in an efficient and timely manner.

Such ethics in journalism are being replacing by a moral relativism like few other fields in the world.

John C. Merrill has stated, "Most journalists view ethics as relative, varying from press system to press system, ideology to ideology, culture to culture, and country to country. In fact, many journalists see ethics as relative to news medium, time and situation even within the United States. It is easy to succumb to what has been called in philosophy the 'naturalistic fallacy' — the idea that whatever is, should be. The fact that journalistic ethics vary from place to place and time to time does not prove that such ethics should so vary."

The world of journalism is changing. Declining circulation, loss of advertising revenue and more readers who prefer to consume their news for free from online news aggregators and blogging sites have led to dramatic cuts and changes in the news world as we know it today. Not only have those changes shaped the modern newsroom, but it's also shaping the modern journalist and his view on society. A 9-5 news reporter is no longer viable. A watchdog journalist must be ever-vigilant, ready to break a story wide open at a moment's notice, and willing to drop everything to pursue a scoop — even if at an inconvenient time of day.

Why is that a problem with Mormonism?

Mormons are taught to prioritize life. God, family and an effort to perfect oneself individually are dominant factors in that life. This takes time. And it's time that many journalists don't have. In the new journalism of 60-hour work weeks and erratic schedules, there is little room for three-hour worship every Sunday, a weekly family night to teach gospel principles to children, and an active involvement in the lives of children.

It's driven many practicing journalists away from the industry. And it's pushing active Latter-day Saints away faster. The excuses are tolerable, even noble, and cannot be discounted as "petty:" the need to raise and provide for a family is too great; the desire to enhance one's relationship with diety, a loving Father in Heaven; the priority on marriage and exaltation (as well as the heavy investment required in achieving the above-mentioned goal). All are priorities that should come before an employer, because they matter much more than keeping an employer or publisher content in his pocketbook in one's eternal progression.

I'm a journalist. I'm a Mormon. And despite my brief career in the industry, I find it increasingly harder to rationalize myself as both. The world in which I work is negatory — often downright derisive — of values espoused by most religions, but especially those of the Latter-day Saints. Meanwhile, members of the church to which I belong are often toothless — and yes, even derisive — of the values espoused by working members of the media.It's created a duo-persona in my life, with one side that reflects journalism and objectivity and another that reflects service to God and man, as taught by my religious dogma.

But no man can serve two masters. One will eventually wear down over time, and leave a relationship devoid of personality, defunct of values and difficult to maintain.

The only question is: which falls first?

Never Look Back. Never Forget.

I celebrated 9/11 today.

But I didn't hang a wreath on a soldier's tomb. I didn't visit Ground Zero in New York City. I didn't salute the troops at the VA home, or take a moment of silence at halftime of a live football game.

Instead, I continued my life.

And I don't think that's a bad thing.

I've been away from home a lot on Sunday. Between calling duties (second one received last week!), family history, firesides, missionary work and other appointments, the Sabbath day is also one of my busiest days.

Today was no different. I left my house at 10:30 a.m., and returned at nearly 9 p.m. It was a day filled with amazing talks, fabulous music, Sept. 11 inspiration and remembrances, football (well, a little bit) and CES Firesides.

Those who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as those who have given their lives in defending freedom in the decade since wouldn't have it any other way. They died so that we could live. And not just go on with life — but truly live. They want us to experience the best of life, to be anxiously engaged in building the kingdom of God, to foster love and faith in our families, to show love and forgiveness to our neighbors, to give service to a stranger, to say 'I love you' to the honey as he crawls into bed after midnight, and to spend a day playing with your children.

If we don't live, but only live after 9/11, then we haven't lived up to our potential. I will never, ever forget, but I also don't want to live so much in the past that I become afraid to face the future. My life is not an ever-increasing number of pasts with a dwindling supply of futures, but a constant number of presents. That's where I want to live my life.

We must never forget where we were on that fateful day, Sept. 11, 2001. Ten years later, and the United States of America has not forgotten. But we have moved forward. Like the constant streams of light that sit where two towers in NYC once did, we will continue to shoot onward and upward, stretching into infinity until the day when every tear shall be wiped away, every knee bowed, and every tongue confessing that Jesus is the Christ. Until that day.

"I would hope that we can never forget the principles of freedom that we enjoy here," a source on BYUtv said. Let us be grateful for all we've been given, and all we have. Remember those who were lost on that fateful day a decade ago.

But do it while keeping an eye on the future. It is what has made America great to this point. And it's what will keep making us a leader in the world.