Home
News & People
Mormon Voices
Arts & Entertainment
Around The Church
Studies & Doctrine
Mormon Living
Emily Jensen updates “Today in the Bloggernacle” every weekday, containing the best of what we've seen from the world of LDS-oriented blog sites.
The extended “Bloggernacle Back Bench” is published Tuesdays.
Faith site: Check out the new Faith in Jesus Christ site recently launched at LDS.org. Earlier I noticed a few tweets about it and clicked in to find some beautiful videos discussing what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ and some downloadable pictures of the Savior.
Human life: Rosalynde Welch takes on the difficult and complicated topic of the morality of artificial reproductive therapies in “Human life, religious voices and the public square.” She specifically focuses on the Stansels, a Mormon couple in the news recently who refused selective reduction and had six babies prematurely, only two of which are alive. What do you think?
Free books: What’s better than books? Free books! And Deseret Book is offering a collection of pdf books, all for free! Authors include Elder Richard G. Scott, John Bytheway, Richard Holzapfel, Jack Weyand and more.
Wednesday, October 21
Conference highlights: I eagerly awaited it, and now LDS Media talk reports that "A video with highlights from the October 2009 LDS General Conference was just posted." Hooray! Watch all your favorite "General Conference highlights" by downloading the 16:16 minute video. Prepare to be spiritually touched again by the beautiful words and insightful counsel of our leaders.
Apostles testify: "Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives, I know that my Redeemer Lives" -- President Thomas S. Monson. So concludes this beautiful and inspiring video "Lifting Burdens: The Atonement of Jesus Christ" wherein the apostles each testify of the Atonement in their own powerful ways. Please watch.
Tuesday, October 20
Conference statistics: How many people viewed or listened to general conference online? "There were 587,870 unique live video streams across KBYU.tv, KSL.com, and the two video options on LDS.org during the 4 general conference sessions." Wow! And according to this blog post, the "Live Access to LDS General Conference" is growing, at least video-wise, up 16% from last April.
Honor chillings: It took me a moment to get what Jeff Lindsay was referring to in his title "A Barbaric Practice: Honor Chillings" but he explained quickly "occasionally we hear about the horrors of honor killings, but a much more widespread barbaric practice among many faiths is honor chillings--cold treatment due to religious difference." Using the scriptures as a guide, he further explains that while it sometimes may be necessary to excommunicate people, "the purpose is not to justify chilling... May we all avoid the cruelness of honor chillings, and follow the example of the Savior in loving and ministering to all around him."
California earthquake: What would it be like if a large earthquake hit near your home? Twenty years ago, this blogger and his family went through one. And in "Remembering the Loma Prieta Earthquake (1989)" they discuss what happened and provide good advice on being prepared. But it was very scary: "There are moments, even 20 years later that I cringe or my heart skips a beat when I feel the floor shake from someone walking across or sitting on an overpass when a large truck passes."
Monday, October 19
One temple: Which “Countries With The Most Members (Have) Only One Temple”? I’ll give you a clue, all of them are in Central or South America. But this blogger surmises that “Unless the Church initiates a more aggressive temple building program similar to the late 1990s, these nations will likely not receive a second temple until membership increases dramatically in number and activity.”
Being Mormon: “Can I tell you how refreshing it is to read such a positive post on Mormons from someone who is NOT? Thank you for this!” Throughout the comments you’ll find similar sentiments as well as joyous explanations for being Mormon, all sparked by this delightful post from a non-Mormon who exclaims “I love Mormons!” Why? She describes that she loves the practice of having large families, the sense of community and the wonderful family traditions.
Oquirrh Mountain: Enjoy a beautiful video depicting the “The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (HD)” to begin your Monday. And accompanying the beautiful scenery and images is both stirring music and a nice summary of the newly constructed and dedicated temple.
Building collapse: “Suddenly A Creaking Noise Was Heard, Followed By A Sound Like A Crash Of Thunder.” Wow! And read what happened next at a gathering of Saints in England in 1852: “ and immediately the lofty ceiling of exactly one-half the hall, divided in the centre of a large beam, fell almost flat upon the multitude below.” The story continues just as exciting, so click in to read the miraculous results!
Friday, Oct. 16
Understanding evangelicals: "Anti-Mormonism is not a key focus of evangelicals" and "in general, evangelicals don't know much about Mormonism, and what they do 'know' is likely wrong or incomplete." So explains Eric, an LDS member who was raised evangelical. In "What Mormons Should Know About Evangelicals," he tries to dispel some of the misunderstandings he's seen both online and in real life. He does not wish to downplay the differences, but wants people to find common ground since "we have much we can learn from each other, but we can do that only if we make efforts to understand each other." Fascinating!
Conference phrases: Warm fuzzies. Sunshine moments. Boys of the Lord. Will any of these "Conference Terms" become standard in Mormon speak? So wonders this blogger who rightly observed that "warm fuzzies" is already getting a lot of blog attention. Check out his full list, which includes definitions and references to the talk sourced.
Bitton papers: "Researchers, start your laptops," declares Ardis E. Parshall in announcing that the "Davis Bitton Papers (are) Now Available at BYU." Bitton was the assistant church historian under Leonard J. Arrington as well as a history professor, and his collection spans 40 boxes. What a treasure trove!
Thursday, Oct. 15
Great news: "'Really? Are you serious? Really?' Then I couldn't speak. I started sobbing like a baby. Right in the middle of the Hobby Lobby parking lot." Find out why this blogger is so emotional (excitedly so) in "Signed, Sealed and Delivered."
Basic workout: Been meaning to strengthen your body and/or exercise more? Then you need to check out Trainer Momma, a fun and informative blog dedicated to passing on this blogger's personal training expertise to all who will click in. Check out her newest post detailing a basic leg workout. How nice to include pictures along with the instructions!
Random talents: "Honestly, most of the time when stuff is required of me I feel like I'm scrambling through my purse-o-talents and coming up empty. Service is so hit and miss. But every once in a while I have the right tools for the challenge and it feels so satisfying." I loved this message in "Let's Make a Deal" and how one woman's talents wonderfully align to thoroughly brighten a young girl's cast and day.
Favorite links: So within my favorite link list I'm highlighting the "FHE blog favorite links" of the week. So you get a 2-fer! Check out the links to a confidence printable, some October visiting teaching kits, an activity days lesson on manners & a tea party, and a Halloween date night idea.
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Austrian cemetery: Follow Peter LLC on a virtual photo essay tour of the newly dedicated Mormon section of Vienna's massive Central Cemetery, complete with gorgeous architecture and an incredibly symbolic bronze sculpture. What a significant event for the Austrian Saints!
Stirring video: Seth Adam Smith has taken Elder Holland's recent conference address and interwoven it with music and pictures to make a stirring video testimony montage of "Joseph Smith & The Book of Mormon -- An Apostle's Testimony." Wow!
Spice season: I dare you to get through "Spice is the reason for the season" without almost smelling the glorious spices associated with fall. Photos of donuts brushed with cinnamon, crisp pumpkin patches, colored leaves and a steaming mug of herbal tea all combine for a delightful homage to autumn.
Facebook quizzes: I admit it, I quite dislike all those Facebook quizzes clogging my Facebook inbox because I like to see what people are doing and saying, not what celebrity they are most like. Well if you're like me, you'll hope that the rumor that we may soon be able to "Kill Those Quiz Apps With Facebook's New Create Applications API" becomes the reality sooner rather than later. Hopefully!
Tuesday, Oct. 13
No touching: Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord Blog reports that with the advent of the flu season there is a "No Touching Rule in Affect in MTC." This means no handshakes, no hugs and no high-fives. One missionary reports: "Instead we do air handshakes where you put your hand a couple inches away from the other person's hand and you shake your hand up and down in the air. I think it is actually pretty amusing." Hmm, I wonder if they can play sports.
Tender mercy: "I find that the Lord answers little prayers like this a lot in my life, so that when the big painful stuff comes -- the stuff that seems like it just won't end -- I know he's listening." I loved this sentiment from a commenter on the lovely post "Tender Mercies: Birthday Party Edition." A little girl loses an invitation, a mother tries various ways to find out where it is and a tender mercy occurs in a dollar store. Click to read the sweet story. Hat-tip to Times and Seasons.
On humanity: "It is easy, as a historian, to get caught up in your efforts to prove a point." So begins a nice reminder "On the Humanity of Historical Subjects," which is sparked by a small personal note, written by a 19th-century Methodist minister, lamenting the death of a nephew. From it, this blogger learns "Mormon converts, missionaries and members from yesteryear are no different from Methodist itinerants in this regard. People not only lived, worked, succeeded and failed. They also felt ... it should remind us of the humanity of all those we study."
Monday, Oct. 12
Child's death: "And then we had to go home. The house was just as we had left it, only Taleah wasn't there. Her equipment was there, her clothes were there, her toys were there, but she was gone. It was this point that our life was forever divided into before and after." In this amazingly touching post, this mother describes her beautiful daughter, and how she died. "On Surviving the Death of a Child" is heartbreaking and hopeful, all rolled into one. Please read. Thanks Mormon Matters, for the link.
Band family: "We are family." So states this blogger, who is mourning with the rest of the American Fork High School band and alumni over the death Saturday of Heather Christensen, the woodwind instructor who was killed while trying to keep a bus from crashing. This blogger relates some of her memories of being in the band and looks forward to Tuesday's "annual BYU invitational, (where the) band will be marching in memory of Heather Christensen. I can't wait to be in the stands -- and in some small way, share the moment with them." Beautiful sentiments.
Creative missionaries: One small gesture, that of the missionaries putting a greeting and their contact numbers into every hymnal in the chapel, sparked this blogger to ask how others find "Creativity in Missionary Work." Did you perhaps sing on the doorstep to bring the spirit, as one commenter remembers? Or how about using a simple game of Frisbee to start a conversation? Check out more creative missionary ideas, or add your own!
Mormon newspapers: The Evening and the Morning Star, Messenger and Advocate, Elders' Journal, Times and Seasons, Wasp, Nauvoo Neighbor, Frontier Guardian, Oracle at Crescent City, Iowa; and the Deseret News are just a few "Mormon Newspapers of the 19th Century." There was a worldwide Mormon press effort, including "the Etoile du Deseret at Paris, the Skandinaviens Stjerne and Nordstjernan at Copenhagen, Zion's Panier and the later Der Stern at Hamburg, Le Reflecteur in Geneva, Die Reform and Der Darsteller der Heiligen der Letzten Tage elsewhere in Switzerland, Prophwyd y Juvili and Udgorn Seion in Wales, Zion's Watchman in Sydney, Australia." Click to read more about many Mormon periodicals, as well as a personal account by George Q. Cannon on becoming an editor of one.
Friday, Oct. 9
Old Testament: Get ready for next year's Sunday School Course of study with these new "Old Testament Visual Resource DVDs" for use in family or class settings -- or even as a supplement to personal study. This three-DVD set includes new movies (a few of which I've previewed and loved), more than 300 visual resources to aid your study (many of these are interactive) and even a copy of the Old Testament Stories for Children. I think this would make a lovely family Christmas gift.
Conference texts: "LDS General Conference talk transcripts are now available," tweeted Bryce Haymond yesterday. You can now read your favorite general conference talk (in English) by clicking on "179th Semiannual General Conference, October 2009." Nice!
Conference FHE: With a delightful four-page printable, the Mormon Cartoonist declares that "Family Home Evening is on Me This Week." Just look at the fun puzzles and colorable graphics! What a charming way to help reinforce the lessons taught at last weekend's general conference.
Thursday, Oct. 8
A pioneer: Mormon children often get to dress up as pioneers, but few get to actually be one. Read the inspiring generational story of a special needs daughter in "Not Every Kids Gets to be a Pioneer." The climax of the post just blew me away.
Sister Dunn: "Jeanne Cheverton Dunn was not the typical spouse of a general authority, and therein was much of the reason that her husband was not the typical general authority." A few weeks ago, the widow of Paul H. Dunn passed away. And you can get a glimpse of the fascinating life of "Jeanne Cheverton Dunn" by the author working on Paul H. Dunn's biography -- Gregory A. Prince.
Kindly neighbors: "During the next few days, a parade of well-meaning Mormons will bring casseroles to their born again Christian brother -- all arranged by the Christ-like neighbors we don't always see at church." This pretty much summarizes this vignette of a post that can redefine the definition of what it means to be "Christian Neighbors."
Free arrangement: Chas Hathaway has kindly provided his new beautiful "Come Thou Fount: Original Piano Arrangement" for our listening pleasure. Or, you can even download this new version of "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" for free.
Wednesday, October 7
Great-uncle interview: What if you had a 96-year-old great-uncle who served in Germany during the 1930s, saw the German Olympics, and remembers what it was like in those crucial years as Hitler took power? You'd want to take a recorder and get his oral history down! Read (and watch) the "Uncle Al Interview" and learn about an amazing man who lived through some interesting times!
Linescratchers interview: Yesterday I highlighted Arthur Hatton's fascinating interview of Low musician Alan Sparhawk (see below) and today I'll turnaround and highlight A Motley Vision's fascinating interview of "Arthur Hatton from Linescratchers." He succinctly outlines his goal about his blog (and podcasts) featuring LDS Musicians who don't necessarily write LDS music: "The goal, hopefully, is to create a space for all these LDS musicians. For the musician, it shows that they can create art that is complex, subtle, honest, and real, and still be accepted by other Latter-day Saints." Click to read more!
Oprah interview: NieNie will be on Oprah today! She announces this and talks about how "Oh, what a year makes," musing on her son's birthday and how grateful she is to be around to enjoy his growing up. And following the Oprah broadcast, NieNie will provide a "'post-Oprah special blog' You know, like discuss things like how off the camera she called me 'Steph'...(aka, bff)." Nice!
Tuesday, October 6
Indie rock: "What advice would you give to young Latter-day Saints who want to be full-time musicians or songwriters? A: Spencer W. Kimball said it best: 'Do it.'" So advises "Alan Sparhawk" of the popular indie rockband Low in this exclusive and wonderfully insightful interview for Linescratchers.
And what role does faith play in his career? "Most everyone in the Church recognizes that the gospel touches everything. All things are ultimately spiritual, so there's really no line between faith/spirituality and everything else. We recognized the spiritual nature of the music right away when we started, and have tried to stay faithful to that. I've felt the spirit many times as we've written songs, and performed in front of people."
Meetinghouse tour: "'Like Moses Wandering in the Desert': Sacred Space On Loan In South Texas" is an intriguing title for a fascinating glimpse at the meetinghouses used by the San Benito Branch members in the last 50-plus years. And there are photos documenting each building. Cool! So where does the branch meet today? A renovated historic building, but "like all the rest, this is still rented space. (The San Benito Saints) know that this isn't home, just another stop along the way."
Monday, October 5
President Monson: One of the coolest things about following a general conference Twitter feed is the linkable resources. So, if you're listening to President Monson’s Sunday morning address and heard his story about the Volunteers in Medicine organization, you could learn more about it by clicking on the link provided by the ByCommonConsent Twitter feed -- who, by the way, did an amazing job providing links and quotes as conference progressed.
Conference audio: Guess what? The “General Conference Audio Files (are) Online” already, all of the sessions! In just a few clicks, you can be listening to your favorite talks from this weekend. And check out my Back Bench column tomorrow for a thorough general conference Bloggernacle wrap-up!
Samoan tsunami: “I called Aunty Liti tonight. Imagine my flood of excitement upon hearing her voice! But we didn’t talk for too long, nor did she revel in her apparent courage -- she’s never been one to recognize her own greatness. Besides, she was on her way out to work, busy and ready to be back out on the muddied, unsanitized streets of our unrecognizable, stunned Samoa home.”
Check out this amazingly personal glimpse of last week’s Samoan tsunami tragedy: “Guest Post: When Earth and Ocean Shook, Aunty Did Too.”
Faith site: Check out the new Faith in Jesus Christ site recently launched at LDS.org. Earlier I noticed a few tweets about it and clicked in to find some beautiful videos discussing what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ and some downloadable pictures of the Savior.
Human life: Rosalynde Welch takes on the difficult and complicated topic of the morality of artificial reproductive therapies in “Human life, religious voices and the public square.” She specifically focuses on the Stansels, a Mormon couple in the news recently who refused selective reduction and had six babies prematurely, only two of which are alive. What do you think?
Free books: What’s better than books? Free books! And Deseret Book is offering a collection of pdf books, all for free! Authors include Elder Richard G. Scott, John Bytheway, Richard Holzapfel, Jack Weyand and more.
Wednesday, October 21
Conference highlights: I eagerly awaited it, and now LDS Media talk reports that "A video with highlights from the October 2009 LDS General Conference was just posted." Hooray! Watch all your favorite "General Conference highlights" by downloading the 16:16 minute video. Prepare to be spiritually touched again by the beautiful words and insightful counsel of our leaders.
Apostles testify: "Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives, I know that my Redeemer Lives" -- President Thomas S. Monson. So concludes this beautiful and inspiring video "Lifting Burdens: The Atonement of Jesus Christ" wherein the apostles each testify of the Atonement in their own powerful ways. Please watch.
Tuesday, October 20
Conference statistics: How many people viewed or listened to general conference online? "There were 587,870 unique live video streams across KBYU.tv, KSL.com, and the two video options on LDS.org during the 4 general conference sessions." Wow! And according to this blog post, the "Live Access to LDS General Conference" is growing, at least video-wise, up 16% from last April.
Honor chillings: It took me a moment to get what Jeff Lindsay was referring to in his title "A Barbaric Practice: Honor Chillings" but he explained quickly "occasionally we hear about the horrors of honor killings, but a much more widespread barbaric practice among many faiths is honor chillings--cold treatment due to religious difference." Using the scriptures as a guide, he further explains that while it sometimes may be necessary to excommunicate people, "the purpose is not to justify chilling... May we all avoid the cruelness of honor chillings, and follow the example of the Savior in loving and ministering to all around him."
California earthquake: What would it be like if a large earthquake hit near your home? Twenty years ago, this blogger and his family went through one. And in "Remembering the Loma Prieta Earthquake (1989)" they discuss what happened and provide good advice on being prepared. But it was very scary: "There are moments, even 20 years later that I cringe or my heart skips a beat when I feel the floor shake from someone walking across or sitting on an overpass when a large truck passes."
Monday, October 19
One temple: Which “Countries With The Most Members (Have) Only One Temple”? I’ll give you a clue, all of them are in Central or South America. But this blogger surmises that “Unless the Church initiates a more aggressive temple building program similar to the late 1990s, these nations will likely not receive a second temple until membership increases dramatically in number and activity.”
Being Mormon: “Can I tell you how refreshing it is to read such a positive post on Mormons from someone who is NOT? Thank you for this!” Throughout the comments you’ll find similar sentiments as well as joyous explanations for being Mormon, all sparked by this delightful post from a non-Mormon who exclaims “I love Mormons!” Why? She describes that she loves the practice of having large families, the sense of community and the wonderful family traditions.
Oquirrh Mountain: Enjoy a beautiful video depicting the “The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (HD)” to begin your Monday. And accompanying the beautiful scenery and images is both stirring music and a nice summary of the newly constructed and dedicated temple.
Building collapse: “Suddenly A Creaking Noise Was Heard, Followed By A Sound Like A Crash Of Thunder.” Wow! And read what happened next at a gathering of Saints in England in 1852: “ and immediately the lofty ceiling of exactly one-half the hall, divided in the centre of a large beam, fell almost flat upon the multitude below.” The story continues just as exciting, so click in to read the miraculous results!
Friday, Oct. 16
Understanding evangelicals: "Anti-Mormonism is not a key focus of evangelicals" and "in general, evangelicals don't know much about Mormonism, and what they do 'know' is likely wrong or incomplete." So explains Eric, an LDS member who was raised evangelical. In "What Mormons Should Know About Evangelicals," he tries to dispel some of the misunderstandings he's seen both online and in real life. He does not wish to downplay the differences, but wants people to find common ground since "we have much we can learn from each other, but we can do that only if we make efforts to understand each other." Fascinating!
Conference phrases: Warm fuzzies. Sunshine moments. Boys of the Lord. Will any of these "Conference Terms" become standard in Mormon speak? So wonders this blogger who rightly observed that "warm fuzzies" is already getting a lot of blog attention. Check out his full list, which includes definitions and references to the talk sourced.
Bitton papers: "Researchers, start your laptops," declares Ardis E. Parshall in announcing that the "Davis Bitton Papers (are) Now Available at BYU." Bitton was the assistant church historian under Leonard J. Arrington as well as a history professor, and his collection spans 40 boxes. What a treasure trove!
Thursday, Oct. 15
Great news: "'Really? Are you serious? Really?' Then I couldn't speak. I started sobbing like a baby. Right in the middle of the Hobby Lobby parking lot." Find out why this blogger is so emotional (excitedly so) in "Signed, Sealed and Delivered."
Basic workout: Been meaning to strengthen your body and/or exercise more? Then you need to check out Trainer Momma, a fun and informative blog dedicated to passing on this blogger's personal training expertise to all who will click in. Check out her newest post detailing a basic leg workout. How nice to include pictures along with the instructions!
Random talents: "Honestly, most of the time when stuff is required of me I feel like I'm scrambling through my purse-o-talents and coming up empty. Service is so hit and miss. But every once in a while I have the right tools for the challenge and it feels so satisfying." I loved this message in "Let's Make a Deal" and how one woman's talents wonderfully align to thoroughly brighten a young girl's cast and day.
Favorite links: So within my favorite link list I'm highlighting the "FHE blog favorite links" of the week. So you get a 2-fer! Check out the links to a confidence printable, some October visiting teaching kits, an activity days lesson on manners & a tea party, and a Halloween date night idea.
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Austrian cemetery: Follow Peter LLC on a virtual photo essay tour of the newly dedicated Mormon section of Vienna's massive Central Cemetery, complete with gorgeous architecture and an incredibly symbolic bronze sculpture. What a significant event for the Austrian Saints!
Stirring video: Seth Adam Smith has taken Elder Holland's recent conference address and interwoven it with music and pictures to make a stirring video testimony montage of "Joseph Smith & The Book of Mormon -- An Apostle's Testimony." Wow!
Spice season: I dare you to get through "Spice is the reason for the season" without almost smelling the glorious spices associated with fall. Photos of donuts brushed with cinnamon, crisp pumpkin patches, colored leaves and a steaming mug of herbal tea all combine for a delightful homage to autumn.
Facebook quizzes: I admit it, I quite dislike all those Facebook quizzes clogging my Facebook inbox because I like to see what people are doing and saying, not what celebrity they are most like. Well if you're like me, you'll hope that the rumor that we may soon be able to "Kill Those Quiz Apps With Facebook's New Create Applications API" becomes the reality sooner rather than later. Hopefully!
Tuesday, Oct. 13
No touching: Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord Blog reports that with the advent of the flu season there is a "No Touching Rule in Affect in MTC." This means no handshakes, no hugs and no high-fives. One missionary reports: "Instead we do air handshakes where you put your hand a couple inches away from the other person's hand and you shake your hand up and down in the air. I think it is actually pretty amusing." Hmm, I wonder if they can play sports.
Tender mercy: "I find that the Lord answers little prayers like this a lot in my life, so that when the big painful stuff comes -- the stuff that seems like it just won't end -- I know he's listening." I loved this sentiment from a commenter on the lovely post "Tender Mercies: Birthday Party Edition." A little girl loses an invitation, a mother tries various ways to find out where it is and a tender mercy occurs in a dollar store. Click to read the sweet story. Hat-tip to Times and Seasons.
On humanity: "It is easy, as a historian, to get caught up in your efforts to prove a point." So begins a nice reminder "On the Humanity of Historical Subjects," which is sparked by a small personal note, written by a 19th-century Methodist minister, lamenting the death of a nephew. From it, this blogger learns "Mormon converts, missionaries and members from yesteryear are no different from Methodist itinerants in this regard. People not only lived, worked, succeeded and failed. They also felt ... it should remind us of the humanity of all those we study."
Monday, Oct. 12
Child's death: "And then we had to go home. The house was just as we had left it, only Taleah wasn't there. Her equipment was there, her clothes were there, her toys were there, but she was gone. It was this point that our life was forever divided into before and after." In this amazingly touching post, this mother describes her beautiful daughter, and how she died. "On Surviving the Death of a Child" is heartbreaking and hopeful, all rolled into one. Please read. Thanks Mormon Matters, for the link.
Band family: "We are family." So states this blogger, who is mourning with the rest of the American Fork High School band and alumni over the death Saturday of Heather Christensen, the woodwind instructor who was killed while trying to keep a bus from crashing. This blogger relates some of her memories of being in the band and looks forward to Tuesday's "annual BYU invitational, (where the) band will be marching in memory of Heather Christensen. I can't wait to be in the stands -- and in some small way, share the moment with them." Beautiful sentiments.
Creative missionaries: One small gesture, that of the missionaries putting a greeting and their contact numbers into every hymnal in the chapel, sparked this blogger to ask how others find "Creativity in Missionary Work." Did you perhaps sing on the doorstep to bring the spirit, as one commenter remembers? Or how about using a simple game of Frisbee to start a conversation? Check out more creative missionary ideas, or add your own!
Mormon newspapers: The Evening and the Morning Star, Messenger and Advocate, Elders' Journal, Times and Seasons, Wasp, Nauvoo Neighbor, Frontier Guardian, Oracle at Crescent City, Iowa; and the Deseret News are just a few "Mormon Newspapers of the 19th Century." There was a worldwide Mormon press effort, including "the Etoile du Deseret at Paris, the Skandinaviens Stjerne and Nordstjernan at Copenhagen, Zion's Panier and the later Der Stern at Hamburg, Le Reflecteur in Geneva, Die Reform and Der Darsteller der Heiligen der Letzten Tage elsewhere in Switzerland, Prophwyd y Juvili and Udgorn Seion in Wales, Zion's Watchman in Sydney, Australia." Click to read more about many Mormon periodicals, as well as a personal account by George Q. Cannon on becoming an editor of one.
Friday, Oct. 9
Old Testament: Get ready for next year's Sunday School Course of study with these new "Old Testament Visual Resource DVDs" for use in family or class settings -- or even as a supplement to personal study. This three-DVD set includes new movies (a few of which I've previewed and loved), more than 300 visual resources to aid your study (many of these are interactive) and even a copy of the Old Testament Stories for Children. I think this would make a lovely family Christmas gift.
Conference texts: "LDS General Conference talk transcripts are now available," tweeted Bryce Haymond yesterday. You can now read your favorite general conference talk (in English) by clicking on "179th Semiannual General Conference, October 2009." Nice!
Conference FHE: With a delightful four-page printable, the Mormon Cartoonist declares that "Family Home Evening is on Me This Week." Just look at the fun puzzles and colorable graphics! What a charming way to help reinforce the lessons taught at last weekend's general conference.
Thursday, Oct. 8
A pioneer: Mormon children often get to dress up as pioneers, but few get to actually be one. Read the inspiring generational story of a special needs daughter in "Not Every Kids Gets to be a Pioneer." The climax of the post just blew me away.
Sister Dunn: "Jeanne Cheverton Dunn was not the typical spouse of a general authority, and therein was much of the reason that her husband was not the typical general authority." A few weeks ago, the widow of Paul H. Dunn passed away. And you can get a glimpse of the fascinating life of "Jeanne Cheverton Dunn" by the author working on Paul H. Dunn's biography -- Gregory A. Prince.
Kindly neighbors: "During the next few days, a parade of well-meaning Mormons will bring casseroles to their born again Christian brother -- all arranged by the Christ-like neighbors we don't always see at church." This pretty much summarizes this vignette of a post that can redefine the definition of what it means to be "Christian Neighbors."
Free arrangement: Chas Hathaway has kindly provided his new beautiful "Come Thou Fount: Original Piano Arrangement" for our listening pleasure. Or, you can even download this new version of "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" for free.
Wednesday, October 7
Great-uncle interview: What if you had a 96-year-old great-uncle who served in Germany during the 1930s, saw the German Olympics, and remembers what it was like in those crucial years as Hitler took power? You'd want to take a recorder and get his oral history down! Read (and watch) the "Uncle Al Interview" and learn about an amazing man who lived through some interesting times!
Linescratchers interview: Yesterday I highlighted Arthur Hatton's fascinating interview of Low musician Alan Sparhawk (see below) and today I'll turnaround and highlight A Motley Vision's fascinating interview of "Arthur Hatton from Linescratchers." He succinctly outlines his goal about his blog (and podcasts) featuring LDS Musicians who don't necessarily write LDS music: "The goal, hopefully, is to create a space for all these LDS musicians. For the musician, it shows that they can create art that is complex, subtle, honest, and real, and still be accepted by other Latter-day Saints." Click to read more!
Oprah interview: NieNie will be on Oprah today! She announces this and talks about how "Oh, what a year makes," musing on her son's birthday and how grateful she is to be around to enjoy his growing up. And following the Oprah broadcast, NieNie will provide a "'post-Oprah special blog' You know, like discuss things like how off the camera she called me 'Steph'...(aka, bff)." Nice!
Tuesday, October 6
Indie rock: "What advice would you give to young Latter-day Saints who want to be full-time musicians or songwriters? A: Spencer W. Kimball said it best: 'Do it.'" So advises "Alan Sparhawk" of the popular indie rockband Low in this exclusive and wonderfully insightful interview for Linescratchers.
And what role does faith play in his career? "Most everyone in the Church recognizes that the gospel touches everything. All things are ultimately spiritual, so there's really no line between faith/spirituality and everything else. We recognized the spiritual nature of the music right away when we started, and have tried to stay faithful to that. I've felt the spirit many times as we've written songs, and performed in front of people."
Meetinghouse tour: "'Like Moses Wandering in the Desert': Sacred Space On Loan In South Texas" is an intriguing title for a fascinating glimpse at the meetinghouses used by the San Benito Branch members in the last 50-plus years. And there are photos documenting each building. Cool! So where does the branch meet today? A renovated historic building, but "like all the rest, this is still rented space. (The San Benito Saints) know that this isn't home, just another stop along the way."
Monday, October 5
President Monson: One of the coolest things about following a general conference Twitter feed is the linkable resources. So, if you're listening to President Monson’s Sunday morning address and heard his story about the Volunteers in Medicine organization, you could learn more about it by clicking on the link provided by the ByCommonConsent Twitter feed -- who, by the way, did an amazing job providing links and quotes as conference progressed.
Conference audio: Guess what? The “General Conference Audio Files (are) Online” already, all of the sessions! In just a few clicks, you can be listening to your favorite talks from this weekend. And check out my Back Bench column tomorrow for a thorough general conference Bloggernacle wrap-up!
Samoan tsunami: “I called Aunty Liti tonight. Imagine my flood of excitement upon hearing her voice! But we didn’t talk for too long, nor did she revel in her apparent courage -- she’s never been one to recognize her own greatness. Besides, she was on her way out to work, busy and ready to be back out on the muddied, unsanitized streets of our unrecognizable, stunned Samoa home.”
Check out this amazingly personal glimpse of last week’s Samoan tsunami tragedy: “Guest Post: When Earth and Ocean Shook, Aunty Did Too.”
NEW TODAY
MOST POPULAR
YESTERDAY