Alex Haley Museum Includes a FamilySearch Center
Located in Henning, Tennessee near Memphis, The Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center is located in a home built by the maternal grandfather of Alex Haley. Haley lived there with his grandparents for eight years, as well as for many summers following. He often sat on the front porch listening to stories of his slave and African ancestors, which he later wrote about in the history making book, Roots: The Saga of An American Family. It won a Pulitzer prize and was made into a mini-series that captivated viewers, sparking a passion for genealogy among many. The museum was dedicated on August 13, 2010. Visitors can see how Haley lived and view memorabilia, as well as Alex Haley’s grave. In addition, they can visit the FamilySearch Center, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are commonly called Mormons. Mormons are noted for their genealogy work and volunteers at this center will assist visitors in tracking down their own roots. Haley’s son, William... Read the rest of this entry »
Religious Freedom
Mormons believe strongly in religious freedom. Many of the early settlers who came to the United States came because they needed the freedom to practice their religions. While some of them weren’t practitioners of freedom of religion for others, this longing for the free practice of a given religion eventually led to increased respect for other religions. By the time the Mormons were establishing the restored gospel, the world was somewhat prepared to allow such a faith to develop. Of course, there were challenges and many people attempted to block religious freedom for Mormons and for some other religions, but in general, the country was well-suited for such an enterprise. Following are thoughts from Mormon leaders on religious freedom: Separation of Church and State: “Unfortunately, good culture alone is not strong enough to cause good culture to endure in perpetuity. Additional strength is needed from the power of theistic conviction. For this reason, a policy to separate completely... Read the rest of this entry »
Do Mormons Believe in Blood Atonement?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, recently issued the following statement: Mormons believe in atonement through In the mid-19th century, when rhetorical, emotional oratory was common, some church members and leaders used strong language that included notions of people making restitution for their sins by giving up their own lives. However, so-called “blood atonement,” by which individuals would be required to shed their own blood to pay for their sins, is not a doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in and teach the infinite and all-encompassing atonement of Jesus Christ, which makes forgiveness of sin and salvation possible for all people.” (See Mormon Church Statement on Blood Atonement.) Many people do not realize that every word spoken by a prophet or other church leader is not official doctrine. Prophets, like everyone else, have agency and intelligence and, when a specific doctrine... Read the rest of this entry »
Learn About Mormons Online
Today, when people want to learn about something, they frequently turn to the Internet for information. Of course, that can be an overwhelming experience when a search engine returns thousands of places to search for that information. A responsible researcher knows that sources are not equally reliable. Anyone can post on the Internet, and while that is a wonderful thing, it also means there are more opportunities for people to intentionally or unintentionally mislead others. The best place to learn about a person or organization is to turn to the actual source. To learn about Christianity, we don’t go to an atheist website. We go to the Bible or to Christian websites. Our goal is to learn what Christians teach about themselves, both to other Christians or to non-Christians. Moral researchers aren’t interested in pursuing gossip. They want truth and knowing what the members of that church really believe—not what atheists think they believe—is how you find the truth about Christianity. The... Read the rest of this entry »
Mormon Canneries Share Food With Local Food Banks
Many areas have canneries operated privately by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often called Mormons. You won’t find their output on grocery store shelves, however, despite the extremely high quality of the food. The food canned in these canneries serve two purposes. The first is to allow church members to can large quantities of their own food for home storage. This allows them to be self-sufficient in the event of unemployment or illness, and to be able to buy only in season, on sale, and in bulk by having sufficient quantities tucked away. The second purpose is to provide food for those who are in need. Much of the food canned or created goes to what are known as Bishop’s Storehouses. These look like small grocery stores except they don’t have cash registers. Church members who are in need meet with their bishops to evaluate their budgets and learn how to live on less. They can also receive permission to fill out a food order. From a list of available... Read the rest of this entry »
Karl-Heinz Schnibbe, A Mormon Hero, Dies
In 1941, three Mormon teenagers decided it was time to do something about Hitler. They felt people needed to understand what he was really doing. Helmuth Hübener, age sixteen, and Karl-Heinz Schnibbe, age seventeen, listened regularly to an the BBC’s German broadcast, an act that was illegal because it wasn’t approved by the Nazis. They noted that what they learned from their newscasts was very different from what the BBC said, and decided the Nazi broadcasts were untrue. Hübener began writing about the differences in information and handing out the articles around town. Although nervous about this activity, Schnibbe and Rudolf Wobbe, who was only fifteen, began to help him. Hübener was captured and tortured until he gave the names of his two friends, but he saved their lives by insisting he did all the work and his friends only handed out whatever he gave them. Hübener became the youngest person murdered for resisting Hitler. He was beheaded. Wobbe was sentenced to a labor camp... Read the rest of this entry »
Mormons Build Solar-Powered Meetinghouse
On Tuesday, April 27, 2010, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often casually called Mormons, showed reporters around a new solar-powered meetinghouse. It is one of five environmentally friendly chapels serving as a test program to monitor effectiveness. The pilot program will eventually lead to environmentally friendly meetinghouses world-wide. The Mormons have a long history of environmentalism, beginning with Joseph Smith’s injunctions not to kill animals unless they are needed for food, and Brigham Young’s regular warnings to members not to waste the Lord’s natural resources. He frequently reminded members everything belonged to God and we have no right to waste it. He was very careful about reusing and recycling in his personal life, and expected others to do the same. Church buildings have frequently incorporated methods to conserve resources, from the low-tech 1950s solution of using overhangs to cut heat intake to the more sophisticated usage... Read the rest of this entry »
Mormons Update Duty to God Program for Teen Boys
The Duty to God program assists Mormon boys in learning to serve God and to live their religion. The program is currently undergoing a makeover that makes it more focused on achieving because the young man wants to rise to his full potential to serve God, and less on wanting to win awards. The program allows boys to fulfill goals that help him become a better priesthood holder and to prepare for fatherhood in the future. Mormons do not have a professional clergy. Instead, all worthy males over the age of twelve may receive the priesthood. Each level of priesthood comes with increasing responsibility. Initially, boys age twelve or older, and men who join the church as adults, serve in the Aaronic Priesthood. This is the priesthood referred to in the Old Testament. Twelve and thirteen year old boys are deacons. They are responsible for setting a good example to the church of worthy behavior. They also collect fast offerings. Each month, members of the Church are asked to go without food and... Read the rest of this entry »
A General Conference Primer
General Conference is a meeting held twice a year for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often called Mormons. The meeting is held in Salt Lake City, Utah and the speakers include the president of the Church and other church leaders. It is broadcast over television, radio, and the Internet and is watched world-wide by both Mormons and interested non-Mormons. It is broadcast by satellite into church buildings for those who want to watch the conference at church. Following is a primer for curious people who might decide to watch the broadcast in order to see what the Mormons are all about. This meeting is primarily aimed at the members themselves, although there are sometimes a few talks designed for those who are not Mormon. In general however, viewers are learning the most important information the leadership of the church wants its members to receive as guidance for the next six months. This gives non-LDS viewers an inside look at the teachings... Read the rest of this entry »
Baptism into the Mormon Church
A personal account and explanation from Keith, of Annapolis, Maryland. Walking in the Newness of Life Romans 6:4 reads, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” The fourth Article of Faith states: “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” The Savior revealed the true method of baptism to the Prophet Joseph Smith, making clear that the ordinance must be performed by one having priesthood authority and that it must be done by immersion. In Doctrine and Covenants 20:73-74, we are taught, “The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself... Read the rest of this entry »