Religion

Frances Monson, Wife of LDS President, Passes Away

Dan Bammes — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:17:01 +0000

Frances Monson, the wife of President Thomas S. Monson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away early this morning at the age of 85.

Park City Synagogue Saying Goodbye to Rabbi Josh Aaronson

Dan Bammes — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:54:27 +0000

When Rabbi Joshua Aaronson arrived in Utah eleven years ago, Temple Har Shalom was a small Reform Jewish congregation meeting in rented space in Park City. Today, it’s in a beautiful new building with three times the attendance and a vacancy to fill. Rabbi Aaronson is moving on to Temple Judea in a suburb of Los Angeles – and leaving behind a lot of people who will miss him.

LDS Church Endorses Boy Scouts Policy Proposal

Dan Bammes — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:33:30 +0000

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is endorsing a proposed policy change by the Boy Scouts of America that would let young gay men participate as members, but would still exclude gay adults from leade

LDS Women Seek Ordination

Dan Bammes — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:36:35 +0000

The prayer offered by Jean Stevens at the end of the Saturday morning session of the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was unprecedented – no woman has ever been asked to pray in a General Conference session.

The change could be seen as part of an effort to draw attention to the leadership roles Mormon women already serve in their church – and a way of countering pressure from some members to ordain women to the LDS priesthood.

Utah's Catholic Bishop on the Pope, Immigration and Medicaid

Dan Bammes — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:40:00 +0000

Utah's Catholic bishop, John Wester, was out of town when the church elected a new pope earlier this month. He's had a lot of people ask about it since, and that also offered the opportunity to talk about a number of other issues involving the Catholic church in Utah. On Friday March 22nd, I asked Bishop Wester what he's learned about Pope Francis since the conclave.

Clearfield Community Church Recovering from Fire

Dan Bammes — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:39:34 +0000

Members of Clearfield Community Church are working to keep their church going after a fire almost destroyed their building yesterday.

Utah Catholics Welcome New Pope

Dan Bammes — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:08:18 +0000

Utah Catholics are welcoming Pope Francis I with high expectations.

The bells at the Cathedral of the Madeleine were ringing this afternoon as Utah Catholics welcomed the news of the selection of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina as pope.

Utah Reaction to Benedict XVI Resignation

Dan Bammes — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:20:15 +0000

Utah's Roman Catholic bishop, as well as some non-Catholic religious leaders, were stunned by today's announcement that Pope Benedict the 16th will resign at the end of February.

Bishop John Wester met Benedict the 16th on a couple of occasions during his eight-year papacy and said he was always impressed by Benedict's kindness. Wester says he was also impressed by the pope's commitment to speaking the truth and by the way he confronted the most difficult issues facing the church.

Legal Question Could Affect Scouts' Decision

Dan Bammes — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:00:51 +0000

The national leadership of the Boy Scouts of America has put off a decision on allowing gays as Scout members or leaders, and a legal question could be part of what's holding that up.

Shoshone Mark 150 Years Since Bear River Massacre

Dan Bammes — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:40:00 +0000

The story of the Bear River Massacre isn’t well known outside Utah and Idaho. For many years, the complete story was only told by the descendants of the few who survived the attack on a Shoshone camp in 1863. Members of the Northwest Band of the Shoshone Nation gathered at the site January 29th to mark the 150th anniversary.

Peter Cooke Called as LDS Mission President

Dan Bammes — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:08:38 +0000

Retired U.S. Army Major General Peter Cooke was the Democratic Party nominee for governor of Utah in the 2012 election, but lost to the Republican incumbent, Gary Herbert. He says it was a surprise when church leaders asked him to be a mission president a few days ago. He doesn't yet know where he'll be assigned among the church's 350 missions worldwide, but he says his wife Heather and their four children are delighted with the opportunity to serve.

House Could Help Families Escaping Polygamy

Dan Bammes — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:48:26 +0000

A group that helps families leaving polygamist communities is hoping to buy a big house to help their effort, and they're asking for donations to make it happen.

Utah Buddhist Congregation Celebrates Bodhi Day

Dan Bammes — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 15:42:08 +0000

When we say, “Happy Holidays,” Utahns typically mean Christmas and Chanuka or the winter solstice for some folks. For Utah’s oldest Buddhist congregation, the winter holiday they’re celebrating this weekend is called Bodhi Day.

The sound of the daikin begins the Sunday service at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple. Reverend Jerry Hirano leads the congregation through the chants and hymns that make up the Jodo Shinshu or Pure Land Buddhist service.

LDS Democrats Call for Day of Prayer

Andrea Smardon — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:46:47 +0000

In his concession speech, Governor Mitt Romney prayed that the president will be successful in guiding the nation. Shortly after that, LDS Church leaders invited Americans - whatever their political persuasion - to pray for the President and the new Congress. Now LDS Democrats are calling for a day of prayer. Caucus chair Steve Olsen told KUER the prayers are directed at leaders on both sides of the aisle.

LGBT Mormons Try to Bridge Divide through Music

Andrea Smardon — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:01:00 +0000

Hundreds of Mormons in Utah participated in gay pride parades across the country this summer. Now some LGBT Mormons and their supporters have formed a choir in Salt Lake City. Organizers say they are not pushing a political agenda. They say they simply want to create a space where all are welcome to sing in praise of God. But the choir has not been completely welcomed by some Mormon communities.

On a Wednesday evening at a historic LDS Church in downtown Salt Lake City, about 20 people gather to sing.

LGBT Mormon Conference Brings Controversy but also Unity

Andrea Smardon — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:59:02 +0000

Circling the Wagons held its 2^nd annual conference over the weekend for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Mormons in Salt Lake City. The event is intended to be a supportive place for LGBT Mormons and their families, but some were offended by some of the invited speakers, and chose not to attend.

Tabernacle Choir Launches YouTube Channel

Dan Bammes — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 23:11:10 +0000

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir launched its new YouTube channel on Tuesday, October 30th. The new channel includes performances of traditional hymns that you'd expect from the Tabernacle Choir, but also a new music video featuring soloist Alex Boyé, shot in what was once a slave trade fortress on the coast of Ghana.

Minimum Age Reduced for LDS Missionaries

Dan Bammes — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 20:09:38 +0000

The president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a change in the minimum age for missionary service Saturday morning in the opening session of the church’s General Conference. President Thomas S. Monson says young men will now be eligible to serve at age 18, provided they’ve graduated from high school. The previous minimum age for missionaries from the United States was 19, but Monson says the church has had good experience with younger men from 48 other countries.

New LDS Temple Reflects Brigham City History

Dan Bammes — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:23:00 +0000

Brigham City's Main Street is shaded by dozens of huge sycamore trees that are close to a century old. But as you approach 300 South and Main, the trees suddenly open up to reveal a spectacular three-story white building with towers on either end -- and a statue of Moroni on the tallest one.

LDS Volunteers Join Navy Humanitarian Mission

Dan Bammes — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:50:53 +0000

The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy is wrapping up a four-month tour through Southeast Asia called Pacific Partnership. Among the 1200 military and civilians aboard the ship there are eight volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They include Nate Leishman, the church's manager of humanitarian disaster response, who says the opportunity to participate began several years ago when the Navy called to say the church could add volunteers to the humanitarian supplies it had donated on previous missions.

Utah Sikhs Invite Public to Mourn Wisconsin Shooting Victims

Whittney Evans — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:24:04 +0000

Members of the Sikh faith held an interfaith candlelight vigil Wednesday evening at the Sikh Temple of Utah to honor the victims of the Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting that took place Sunday.

Italian Government Grants LDS Church Official Status

Brian Grimmett — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 22:30:00 +0000

After decades of negotiations the Italian Government has finally granted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints official status as a church and partner of the state.

Sunstone Documentary Looks at First Mormon Candidate

Dan Bammes — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 21:17:30 +0000

Mitt Romney is the first Mormon to win a major party presidential nomination, but he's certainly not the first Mormon candidate. A documentary at this year's Sunstone Symposium looks at Joseph Smith's candidacy in 1844.

Pioneer Day: Stripling Warriors

Dan Bammes — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 11:29:56 +0000

The Bountiful Handcart Days parade included more than the standard handcarts and covered wagons this year. More than two thousand young men recreated a story from the Book of Mormon.

Church Asks Members to "Sustain" MTC Project

Dan Bammes — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:42:38 +0000

Some of the neighbors around the Missionary Training Center in Provo opposed plans to build a nine-story addition, saying a building that tall doesn't fit the neighborhood. It's been a planning and zoning issue with the city of Provo. But now they're being asked to support it based on their commitment to the church.