November 2003

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As dp has noticed, I have been off of late (that is, more than usual). I hope to have more time to blog later but for the next few weeks it will be sparse at best (for the two or three out there who care). I have been fortunate enough to have been offered a position at the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and will be moving back homeward to the D.C. region in the next week or so.

It will be quite the adventure as we decide how to our family of two sons (three and one years old) and my seven month pregnant wife out there but I am looking forward to entering the fray. I thought I missed out on the fun of last week’s marathon floor session but it’s looking to get real interesting right now to say the least. Let’s hope things take a turn for the better.

As I tinker with the blog I am just curious if anyone has any suggestions for modifications and plugins they like with Movable Type. Stuff they like in their own blog or that they like to see in others. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks.

Local Russian churches have cried foul over the Church making copies of local archives for genealogical purposes. Some have accused the Church of “buying souls” as it pays ten cents for each page it copies. The money goes towards much-needed preservation of the archives.

Father Igor Pchelintsov, spokesman for the local Orthodox Church, said: ‘The teaching of the Mormons about the conversion of the dead contradicts reason and naturally causes concern among the faithful and creates a tense situation.

I can understand how this may weird some people out, but it seems to beg the question: how harmful can it be if they don’t believe in it it anyway? One response:

‘Any Christian will tell you that these rituals do not harm the soul of the dead. But it hurts the feelings of the believers who see these rituals with the names of the deceased as equal to the desecration of graves by Satanists.’

But Yevgeny Smirnov, from the Nizhni Novgorod Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and adviser to the Moscow Mormon region, said: ‘Our church aims to create a database permitting people to look for their ancestors. Our ceremony is not rebaptism; it only gives the soul of the deceased person the freedom of choice to accept our belief or to reject it.’

For right now, the copying of records has been suspended until further review by local “mainstream” churches. That may not bode well, but at least they didn’t react like when a Russian Orthodox priest married a gay couple:

The bishops defrocked the priest, bulldozed the church and burned the wreckage.

I have posted that Utah may have unusual alcohol laws, but we’re not the only state. Among several states, Massachusetts has had some “non-progressive” laws. And a Mormon is changing that.

After a 200-year ban based in Puritan tradition, Massachusetts liquor stores will gain the freedom to remain open seven days a week year-round starting next week, when Governor Mitt Romney plans to sign into law a measure ending the longtime state prohibition on Sunday alcohol sales. . .

Romney’s spokeswoman said significant revenue gains are not expected from the provision, and that its approval “was more of a question of fairness.” She said the moral question of Sunday alcohol sales was not a consideration for Romney, who is a Mormon and does not drink.

Plus, National Review’s Rick Brookhiser finds it ironic that a Mormon is presiding over the state that may give us gay marriage.

To Brent from We Win, They Lose and Southern Appeal for the birth of his son last Tuesday.

Sorry for the belated well wishing.

Not only was President John F. Kennedy assassinated that say but C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley died that day as well.

Sorry it’s a little late. Thought that was interesting

Maybe Utahns aren’t exactly generous but just loose with their money - be it a charity or scam artist.

In light of a recent scam that one of its agents perpetrated on several Utah residents, the president of the mortgage company said, “there is plenty of blame to go around. He believes the scandal involving his company is in part an outgrowth of Utah culture.”

    “I don’t know whether we have more crooks in Utah, but we do have a more trusting society,” said Condie, a University of Utah College of Law graduate and a “very devout” LDS Church member who moved from Utah to Denver in 1995. “Utahns, especially Mormons, tend to be trusting, naively so sometimes. If you have the same religious affiliation, you get a level of trust that maybe you don’t deserve. Utahns are an easier mark for people who want to take advantage.”

I’ve heard this before about Mormons, but isn’t this like blaming the victim?

(Plus score one for us “devout” LDS U of U law graduates!)

Human Events has a photo essay of examples of religious symbols in government buildings. The examples are predominantly of federal buildings in Washington, D.C. including, the Supreme Court, Congress, and excerpts from various speeches. The article also asks:

If the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) or some other plaintiff decides to sue to remove any or all of these images, what would be the result?

If the courts are consistent, these images — and countless more like them — could be removed by a judicial elite hostile to all forms of religious expression in public.

Another great LDS Blog, Times and Seasons, is a collective of some of my favorite bloggers, starring Kaimi, Nate (already of A Good Oman, The Metaphysical Elders, and The Kolob Network), , Adam, Gordon, and Matt, and Greg.

In less than one week they have already have several interesting discussions ranging from tithing to environmentalism, all within the LDS context. It’s a great idea. Something I have thought about as well, as some of my favorite blogs are done by groups (National Review’s The Corner and The Volokh Conspiracy).

It’s a shame that the name “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” is already taken. That would have been perfect. Perhaps, if they want another provocative name, they can model their name after another collective of extremely bright lawyers and be “The Mormon Conspiracy” or “The Kolob Konspiracy.” Okay, maybe not. I like Times and Seasons.

And thanks for the link.

Doctrinal.net is a recently started LDS blog from
‘dp’ in Australia.

Unfortunately, I have found access to the site to be quite sporadic. It may require some patience, but keep trying until you get it.

Update: Sorry for getting the name wrong originally.

Silver Singing - Rebecca’s Blog: Art posts, and rambles about my life and thoughts.

Rebecca is a recently returned missionary attending BYU.

The past year has seen some controversy regarding DNA studies that purport to show that Native Americans are not descended from the Middle East, therefore disproving the Book of Mormon’s veracity.

The Church responded last week on its sadly, yet necessarily titled page, “Mistakes In The News.”

Recent attacks on the veracity of the Book of Mormon based on DNA evidence are ill considered. Nothing in the Book of Mormon precludes migration into the Americas by peoples of Asiatic origin. The scientific issues relating to DNA, however, are numerous and complex.

Included are several PDF files of articles from the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies.

As a follow up to my post on charitable giving state-by-state, fellow Mormon bloggers have also made some comments.

First, Geoff was kind enough to pick apart the study and then some. He comes to the conclusion that while there may be some weaknesses to the study, the red states are more generous while blue states are more wealthy.

Second, other Mormon bloggers debate the value of Utah’s number 2 giving ranking because of the tithing factor. Kaimi Wenger of Seeking for Righteousness seems a little dismissive as there is a lot of social and institutional pressure within the community to be a worthy, tithe-paying member. This certainly may be a factor but as Matt Evans of The Buck Stops here notes, this isn’t any different than any other voluntary membership in a community. Furthermore, the Church is a highly generous organization which should reflect the intent of its members who make it so. Geoff also makes similar observations in his analysis.

Regarding tithing specifically, it is not the rigid, demanding requirement for Church income that some seem to make it. A law professor of mine thought that the Church audited every member to verify that they were temple-worthy, rather than the “honor” system that it essentially is. According to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 1481:

A 1970 letter from the First Presidency stated that notwithstanding the fact that members should pay one-tenth of their income, “every member of the Church is entitled to make his own decision as to what he thinks he owes the Lord and to make payment accordingly” (citations omitted). Hence, the exact amount paid is not as important as that each member feels that he or she has paid an honest tenth.

There may be many faults to this study, there are many other ways to make charitable contributions other than what is recorded by tax forms. Of course, tax returns should not be a conclusive means to gauge a community’s “true” charitable state of mind. Still, it should not be overlooked that Utahns make significant charitable contributions. [edited to clarify late night musings]

Ultimately, Kaimi is right in that the intent of our heart is what is important rather than the amount given.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall areap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
?

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

The Church’s press release for their upcoming Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. temple. Always a big draw for the locals and the Church - as always - uses its excellent diplomacy skills by having a foreign diplomat turn on the lights for the opening ceremony. This year is no exception as the Church has made an extremely magnanimous gesture:

The lights will be turned on at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, 3 December, by His Excellency Jean-David Levitte, ambassador of France, and by Elder J. Willard Marriott Jr., of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ambassadors and diplomats from over 30 countries as well as several members of Congress are expected to attend this gala lighting ceremony. The Festival of Lights does not open to the public until 5 December.

There are some nice pictures included in the press package as well.

It’s very likely that today decided what THE issue of the 2004 elections will be.

Not that this wasn’t expected. As has been noted here before and as Case Lawrence of LDS Citizen has been tracking (as recent as the 7th of this month), the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts (their version of a Supreme Court) has finally issued their overdue ruling which ostensibly grants marriage rights to homosexuals.

While the court gave the Massachusetts legislature 180 days to enable their decision, Governor Mitt Romney - who is LDS - has unequivocally stated that he opposes gay marriage and will seek a state constitutional amendment to nullify today’s ruling.

“I disagree with the Supreme Judicial Court.  Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman.  I will support an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution to make that expressly clear.  Of course, we must provide basic civil rights and appropriate benefits to nontraditional couples, but marriage is a special institution that should be reserved for a man and a woman.”

President Bush similarly stated that he opposes gay marriage.

Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman. Today’s decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court violates this important principle. I will work with congressional leaders and others to do what is legally necessary to defend the sanctity of marriage.

The Church apparently issued a statement late in the day that reiterated its opposition to gay marriage but with differing opinions all must be respected as children of our Heavenly Father. Hopefully it will be posted tomorrow.

BYU law professor, Richard Wilkins, (who may or may not be the Church’s point man on this issue) testified before Congress recently on the Federal Marriage Amendment. He was on local radio this morning and expressed concerns that the Defense of Marriage Act - which was purported to prevent other states from having to recognize another state’s gay marriages- may be unconstitutional due to the Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit clause. He has established a web site with many of his articles and related materials at, DefendMarriage.org.

It remains to be seen how this will play out. Initial news accounts and analyses seem to differ about the exact meaning of the decision and whether the legislature has any other option other than codify gay marriage. On PBS tonight it sounded like a state constitutional marriage would take some time as it had to endure two state legislative sessions before being brought to a vote by the people which wouldn’t be until 2006. And of course, it will be interesting to see how this issue will affect nest year’s campaigns.

UPDATE: The Deseret Morning News has posted the brief “LDS statement on gay marriage issue”

“We are unable to comment directly upon the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, having only received information from media reports. However, we have repeatedly made clear the position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that marriage is a union between one man and one woman, and that we are opposed to so-called same-gender marriage. We hope that the local and national debate on this and other such important issues will be characterized by sound judgment and respect for all people as sons and daughters of God.”

“Cult” is a loaded word (Oakland Tribune)

We’re a “new religious movement.” Cult isn’t a nice word, even after 25 years after the Jonestown incident. Especially when cult is used to imply that a group is not Christian or sinister and different. “New religious movement” is now the politically correct label for religions that may not be “mainstream.” I guess to be mainstream a religion has to be older than a couple of centuries and maybe abide by certain ancient creeds. I would have thought the Church is better established than to be considered a “new religious movement.” Overall though, we seem to give a good impression.

Miller said no other new group has had greater influence, or staying power, than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, a religion founded in upstate New York on the basis of a series of revelations that founder Joseph Smith said he received in the 1820s.

The Mormons have been attacked since their inception - so much so that they were forced to move from New York to Ohio to Missouri to Illinois and finally, to Utah. There are about 80,000 Mormons now living in the Bay Area, said Jay Pimentel, spokesman for the LDS church. Despite the controversy that once surrounded the church, including its endorsement of polygamy until the early 20th century, Pimentel said things have changed.

The 2002 Olympics in Utah, he said, was a kind of litmus test for many Mormons to see how they would be received and treated.

“That confirmed to me that the church is treated and viewed much more in the mainstream than not,” he said

.

In response to recent attempts to allow “hotter” nuclear waste to be stored in Utah, the Alliance for Unity issued a statement against such proposals. I believe the Alliance for Unity was formed two years ago in response to some of the Main Street Plaza divisions. I’ll have to research that though.

Alliance fights N-waste plan: Group says taking Ohio tailings would be risky for Utah (Deseret Morning News)

In a statement released Monday, the Alliance for Unity called the prospect of Utah accepting hotter levels of nuclear waste a danger to the community.
     

With such notable members as Jon M. Huntsman, Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Spencer F. Eccles, Catholic Bishop George Niederauer, Episcopal Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish and other civic and religious leaders, the vote on the stand was unanimous.

“This is a major public issue now,” said Elder Alexander Morrison, Alliance for Unity executive director and emeritus member of the Quorums of the Seventy of the LDS Church. “We are particularly concerned about the chance of accidents.”

“Set in stone”

Like the Church’s granite vaults that hold genealogical records, a private company offers the same service in Little Cottonwood canyon.

The idea for commercial storage came from the Mormon church, which opened its six tunnel vaults in 1964, four years earlier than Perpetual Storage. The church rarely opens its vaults to outsiders and turned down an AP request to visit. . .

It wasn’t until computers came into widespread use that companies began looking for places safe from disaster to store backup copies of electronic records. Perpetual Storage is banking on this niche business to secure its future. It also keeps computer records for hospitals, government agencies and universities.

“We figure computers are not going to go away,” Nowa said. . .

In recent years, Perpetual Storage has turned away a Utah Jazz basketball player who wanted to store an antique car because it’s not a garage, a research group that wanted to store cryogenic cells because it wasn’t equipped for human storage, and a Utah-based religion, Summum, that wanted to store mummies.

“I thought they were talking about Egyptian mummies,” said Nowa, whose curiosity turned to horror when he learned local people would be mummified.

UPDATE: The Deseret Morning News picked up this AP story but included some photos, one which might be recognizable and helpful to those familiar with Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Our new governor, Olene Walker, is not the first women trailbalzer in Utah politics. “Women have a proud tradition in Utah politics”

Seraph Young, Brigham Young’s niece, became the first American woman to vote when she voted in an 1870 Salt Lake City municipal election.

The article also recounts the very interesting life of Martha Hughes Cannon.

Cannon won a Senate seat as a Democrat in Utah’s first state election in 1895, running as one of 10 “at-large” candidates. One of the five Republicans in the race was her husband. The Salt Lake Tribune endorsed Angus but the Herald, the Mormon-Democratic newspaper, said Mattie Cannon was “the better man of the two” and suggested Angus Cannon could “remain at home to manage home industry.”  

Mattie Cannon out-polled her husband by 2,671 votes to become the first woman state senator in U.S. history.

And you should read what she did before that.

Controversy: Read, Write and Scout

Newsweek has a little blurb this week that seems to suggest that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is some sinister influence behind the Boy Scouts of America. Using BYU’s introduction of “scouting” as a major, Newsweek allows gay-rights groups to brush the Church as “the moving force behind the Boy Scouts of America’s policy not to permit ‘avowed homosexuals.’

This is portrayed as a controversy. But why isn’t the controversy that gay-rights groups are forcing the Boy Scouts to deal with sexuality rather than focus on developing good men? Why isn’t the controversy that private organizations are being destroyed in the name of political correctness? Why isn’t the controversy that every institution that deals with youth, public or private, is being coerced to publicly deal with private sexual issues. What happened to having the government stay out of the bedroom?

“Law firms join battle for religious displays” (Salt Lake Tribune)

Both the American Center for Law and Justice and the Thomas More Center will be defending Pleasant Grove’s Ten Commandments Monument which resides on public property. If it wasn’t for the pro bono services, Pleasant Grove would have likely been forced to move the monument to avoid costly litigation.

This time however, it is not the ACLU, but the Society of Separatists (based in Maryland - hooray for my homestate!) who are seeking to remove the Ten Commandments. However, noted “civil-rights” attorney Brain Barnard - who does work all the time for the state ACLU - is representing the Separationists. Fortunately, he has some words of advice for the town, do what he says or face his legal fees.

  “Assuming we win, I’ll be submitting a bill for $30,000 to $50,000,” Barnard said. “If I were a resident of Pleasant Grove, my feeling is that money would be much better spent doing something constructive in the city of Pleasant Grove rather than lining Brian Barnard’s pockets.”

Clealry, he is very concerned for the welfare of the city of Pleasant Grove. But thank you to the ACLJ and the Thomas More Center for helping a small town stand up to some big legal bullies.

The role religion plays is one of the most interesting parts of politics. Nicholas Kristoff, columnist for the New York Times, examines the further political polarization of the U.S. and believes it is largely happening across religious and secular lines.

“Hold The Vitriol”

The most striking cleavage is the God Gulf, and it should terrify the Democrats. Put simply, liberals are becoming more secular at a time when America is becoming increasingly religious, the consequence of a new Great Awakening. Americans, for example, are significantly more likely now than in 1987 to say they “completely agree” that “prayer is an important part of my daily life” and that “we all will be called before God on Judgment Day to answer for our sins.”

The Pew survey found that white evangelicals are leaving the Democratic Party in droves. Fifteen years ago, white evangelicals were split equally between the two parties; now they’re twice as likely to be Republicans. Likewise, white Catholics who attend Mass regularly used to be strongly Democratic; now they are more likely to be Republican.

Since Americans are three times as likely to believe in the virgin birth of Jesus as in evolution, liberal derision for President Bush’s religious beliefs risks marginalizing the left.

“Hughes elected in Ascension: Parish President Marchand falls to newcomer” (Channel 2 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Like last year’s gubernatorial race in Arizona, a candidate’s Mormon faith was used against him in a political campaign. Fortunately, however, the smear didn’t work.

Hughes’ religion surfaced as an issue in the campaign. “I guess being a Mormon bishop isn’t that bad,” Hughes said Saturday night. “It’s a nonissue in a political campaign, or should have been, but it was made an issue.”

During the latter days of the campaign, a letter attacking Mormonism was sent to some voters, and a radio talk show discussed the letter. A number of non-Mormons in Ascension Parish expressed disapproval of making Hughes’ religion an issue in a political campaign.

“Mormon musicians dedicated to quality, not just religion“

I’m sure KZION will comment on this but another interesting piece from BYU NewsNet.

President Spencer W. Kimball’s address in the 1978 titled “The Gospel Vision of the Arts,” “In our world, there have risen brilliant stars in drama, music, literature, sculpture, painting, science, and all the fields of excellence. For long years I have had a vision of members of the church greatly increasing their already strong positions of excellence till the eyes of all the world will be upon us.” . . .

“The people putting out the wrong records and movies are brilliant, well-trained, and hugely paid,” Simpson said. “If we start thinking that the only valid, positive alternative should be the work of amateurs who aren’t paid, then the equation doesn’t benefit the Lord’s side.”

BYU NewsNet discusses, “Opinions flare over LDS commercialization.”

This is something that I have wondered about, especially since moving to Utah. It makes sense to create a market for those of a certain interest, in particular when the rest of the world ignores, or even markets against their interests. On the other hand, when is the line crossed into crass exploitation of spiritual matters best left untouched? Some say it can even be a missionary device, but I’m skeptical. I imagine it’s a personal matter that the market can best decide.

But it is interesting to see all the commercials that come out for books, music, movies, trips, etc - especially during Conference time.

“I have a problem with selling church items,” said Jessica Peterson, a BYU Bookstore employee. “The church has asked people not to do it. Yet, we still carry it.”

I’m not sure what instruction she’s referring to but that’s interesting.

Also interesting: