This Week in Mormons

Welcome to our Latin American bonanza! Scientists have figured out that Jesus was a short man with curly hair. Find out why. Facebook is mad at Elder Oaks for apparently knocking folks' Christmas cards. But is that really what it's all about? Mormons and Muslims have shared a lot of news space this week. It's interesting, no? What do the two share? And why so much cross-news traffic? Ken Niumatalolo is reportedly taking meetings with BYU to replace Bronco Mendenhall. If so, we demand his segment from Meet the Mormons be removed. We have lots of temple news, including the dedication of the Tijuana Mexico Temple and groundbreaking dates for the Barranquilla Colombia Temple and the Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple. The DRC temple, in particular, is quite interesting and breaks with tradition. Did you know the Church is against dowries? This is the sort of stuff we don't hear about much in the US, but these are real issues that face Mormonism in other parts of the world. Peggy Fletcher Stack really stretches to publish an Ordain Women article, but would "most" Mormons really get behind such a radical change if it came from the Prophet?  

It's Christmas time! And what better way to commemorate it than to talk about the Church not-so-opaquely pushing out a press release on religious freedom in the wake of Donald Trump's ridiculous remarks about Muslims. Yep. The Church's Twelve Days of Social campaign keeps going, with Alex Boyé continuing to refuse to write his own music and Lindsey Stirling dancing around the New York Subway while the public looks on unawares. A visitor to the Beehive House alleges the guides claimed Brigham Young only had two wives, and this is CLEARLY an indicator of the evil conspiracy in Salt Lake. Clearly. Or just poorly trained guides. It might be that, Rolly. It might be that. Also, lots of Word of Wisdom talk. BYU Broadcasting wins 10 Emmys. TEN! Bronco Mendenhall, if that's really his name, is leaving BYU for the bucolic hills of Charlottesville, VA to coach at University of Virginia. Will you miss him? Other news: the Church is now redeveloping Riverton. No suburb unturned. A Zombie nativity. Jon McNaughton on submissions. Elder Holland tours the Middle East. Women in combat roles: what does it mean for Mormons?

Can you be "loyally opposed" to stuff in Church? There are key differences between doctrine and policy, and it's also important that we define what it means to sustain our leaders. So how do we navigate the turbulent waters of disagreement with stuff that happens sometimes in church? Even famed Jeopardy contestant and apparent official analyst of Mormon issues Ken Jennings has something to say about it. With the Church's push to make the Sabbath a delight comes the inevitable judgment and oneupmanship with trying to gauge how "well" we keep the Sabbath vs others. But the Sabbath will be different for all of us, no? Should it? Pope Francis is aggressively opening up the Vatican's finances but Salt Lake continues to keep the Church's finances on lockdown. Why is that? What risks are there in revealing the LDS Church's finances? LDS Living asks how it would be if we treated our Book of Mormon like our cell phone. Our answers are sarcastic and glib. After a hiatus much shorter than we anticipated or hoped, end-of-days-er Julie Rowe is back with a new book. Help us get her on the show! Other news: Donald Trump's spokeswoman is a naif on Mormonism; Utah has dirty soda wars; the AV Club covers Mormon Cinema; MTC missionaries prepare 350,000 Thanksgiving dinners; and don't forget the First Presidency Christmas Devotional this Sunday!

A Boston stake decided to toy with a two hour, forty-five minute block, but backed off after consulting with Salt Lake. Why do we have three-hour blocks and if we were to modify and/or shorten the Sunday block, what's the best approach? There's a new Christmas campaign being pushed out by the Church, #ASaviorIsBorn. Get your hashtaggery ready, folks. Thanks for your comments on refugees last week. As luck would have it, Elder M. Russell Ballard visited refugee camps in Germany and Greece last week, stressing how important it is for we, as Latter-day Saints, to take care of the less fortunate. All politics aside, that is our charge. A Satanic group wants you to have the chance to put your name on a list so the Church can't perform proxy baptisms on you and your beloved when you die. But we think that this is all a front for something bigger! Other news: Tijuana Temple photos; Montréal Temple rededicated; Bryce Harper is MVP, and general ennui.

Mormons are being decidedly uncharitable toward Syrian and other refugees. What gives? What is driving this in the wake of the Paris attacks? It seems oddly un-Christian of Mormons even when taking into account completely valid concerns about national security. So sound off, listeners. Tell us why we're wrong. We've also had some Handbook clarification after last week's fiasco. Not every child with a gay parent will be temporarily blocked from baptism. It's more complex than that, but at least there's a bit more hope involved. An enterprising author on Forbes tries to explain why BYU students use Snapchat, a service hithertofore only known ostensibly for sexting. Yep. It's great stuff. Over 100 years ago, a disgruntled former Mormon snuck into the Salt Lake Temple to take pictures of the interior, hoping to blackmail the Church into paying him off in order to prevent the photos from going public. But the Church's response? Listen in to find out. A porn company want to sponsor a professional soccer team. It's come to this, folks. The Los Angeles Galaxy, brought to you by Porn. We have a dynamite list of 11 religiously undeclared actors who starred in Mormon films. WHAT? THIS CAN HAPPEN??!

Recent changes to Handbook 1 that define same-sex marriage as apostasy and delay the baptism of children from same-sex marriages have caused confusion, sorrow, and even anger among many members of the LDS Church. In this special episode, we seek greater understanding of these changes, dissecting what's been said by the Church, what's been said by pundits, and what's been said on social media, and how we can get our head around the whole thing and move forward in faith. Author and former Mormon bishop Steve Westover and founder of LeadingLDS, stake presidency member, and former bishop Kurt Francom join us for a robust panel discussion. *Note that no one is speaking in an official capacity based on one's calling.

Thanks for being with us for the past 300 straight weeks! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourages its membership to help refugees, but how? That's where our own Dustin Homer comes in and helps us know what we can do abroad and in our own communities. Geoff and Al appeared on the LeadingLDS podcast over the weekend to talk about leadership in the Church. Give it a listen. Mormons are 50% more likely to accept homosexuality now than in 2007, but we're basically the least in favor of women in the workplace and most in favor of religion guiding society. Do you reconcile your political beliefs with Mormon beliefs or shape your religious beliefs to your political ones? We have a great discussion on this. Other news: Ted Koppel loves Mormons; being single continues; the history of Charles Shulz and Mormonism; Mormon coins; Al's future wife wins a car! Links: * Listen to us on LeadingLDS * How to help refugees * Mormons 50% more likely to accept homosexuality * Being single is amazeballs! * Provo prepares for the City Center Temple open house * Montreal Temple open house * Ted Koppel loves Mormons * BYU students gets a car on Ellen * LDS connections to Peanuts creator * Mormon coins * Political beliefs and Mormon beliefs * Harry Reid shocked to learn he's Mormon

We go through the two new essays on LDS.org, one on Heavenly Mother and the other one the priesthood and women. Both are full of nuggets of wisdom and great sources, and we're excited to have more wonderful essays to discuss. Elder Ballard encourages women to "put on a little lipstick" and woo the men, and the ladies are upset. Should they be upset? Even as a seemingly innocuous comment, is it enough to warrant derision? Are the First and Second Quorum of the Seventy gone? The new roster of General Authorities suggest this may be the case. Other news: BYU-I students upset over Halloween costumes, the Lisbon Temple design is eh, guests announced for MoTab's Christmas concert, the Church should do more to help refugees, and Vivint continues to steamroll utah. Links: * Joseph Smith's Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, and Women * Mother in Heaven * Elder Ballard angers the masses * What happened to the Quorums of the Seventy? * Vivint takes over Energy Solutions Arena * Church encourages helping refugees * BYU-I students protest Halloween costumes * Lisbon Temple design * Guests for MoTab Christmas concert // Elder M. Russell Ballard: "Put on a little lipstick."Here's the little "lipstick" video of Elder M Russell Ballard that has some in a kerfuffle. Thankfully, the video is long enough to provide a bit more context. What's your take? Posted by This Week in Mormons on Tuesday, October 27, 2015

How do you balance your religious convictions with the requirements of running a business or having a job? Should you sell wine at your restaurant, cigarettes at the Wal-Mart you manage, or require workers to put in a shift on Sunday to keep the factory moving? This is our internal debate this week, and we'd love your thoughts on it. In other news, Emma Smith's original copy of the Book of Mormon has been discovered in Massachusetts, and the oldest version of the King James Version of the Bible has been discovered in Cambridge, England. It's a big week for scriptural history! Is Mormon cinema making a comeback? Jana Riess says yes. We say The Home Teachers should have won an Oscar. Thirty years later, we reminisce on how Mark Hofmann changed the Church's approach to history. After the Salamander affair duped many Mormon scholars, Hofmann wouldn't have been able to pull things off today. Elder Dallin H. Oaks straight-up condemns Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Elder Oaks is preaching finding a middle ground between religious freedom and obligation to the state. Apparently Kate Kelly now holds the Catholic priesthood and believes in transubstantiation, because she spent the weekend ordaining women as Catholic priests, a move which the Salt Lake diocese does not recognize. In other news, Marriott Hotels is actively courting gay couples through its #LoveTravels campaign, Lego temples are worthy of a Church gallery, the Tucson Arizon and Concepcion Chile Temples break ground, the Church's plans for its Florida property hit opposition, and make sure to use the correct and full name of the Church in all you do! * Emma Smith's Book of Mormon * Oldest King James Bible found * Kim Davis is wrong, per Elder Oaks * Kate Kelly ordains Catholics * Church development in Florida not without its critics * Use the correct name of the Church * The rebirth of Mormon cinema? * How Mark Hofmann changed everything * Lego temples * Marriott is pro-gay *

United at last, we join you from Washington to bring you the best in Mormon news! We got a new Presiding Bishop, Bishop Gerald Causse (accents omitted), and a new counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, W. Christopher Waddell, former president of the best mission on earth. Keeping with the gallic theme, the Deseret News has a nifty history of the Book of Mormon in French. And keeping with the portfolio of the Presiding Bishopric, a Philadelphia man allegedly swipes a check made out to the Church from a local electricity company worth nearly $184,000 and cashes it. All the king's politicians want to win Mitt Romney's old Mormon vote in Nevada, but can anyone pull it off. McKay Coppins offers a great rundown of the different approaches taken by GOP candidates in the Silver State. Does BYU violate religious freedom? Many say yes. BYU says no. How? A sweet and smart woman starts a campaign to help early returned missionaries (ERMs), except we find the truth of the matter deep in her materials! All is not as it seems! The daughter of Sister Wives stars wants to be baptized and live an LDS lifestyle, but she's banned from doing so because of her parents' polygamous relationship. Where is the line on "supporting apostate groups"? The Church organizes a new district in Crimea and labels it Russian, and we are displeased. Slate runs a hit piece on healthcare within Mormon missions, and it is mostly garbage. Even Jana Riess says so. Links: * New Presiding Bishopric * History of Book of Mormon in French * Campaign to help ERMs * Sister Wives daughter cannot get baptized * Angels supported a wavering President Monson * New district in Crimea is Russian * Sick Mormon missionaries * Jana Riess defends missionary healthcare * Philadelphia man steals $184K * The GOP courts Nevada Mormons * BYU violates religious freedom * MoTab supports the U?

Our General Conference recap is here! We have surely been blessed. So join us to discuss our favorite talks, bits of inspiration we received, and our response to the happenings of the weekend, notably the calling of three new members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, and Elder Dale G. Renlund. There was surely some news around #ldsconf as well, so check out the links below, eh? * Elder Renlund brings more diversity than you think * Mocking the Lord's Anointed * Ponderizing for money * Jana Riess is unhappy with white men * No Conference talks in native languages * Tie Tracker!

General Conference is upon us! And what an #LDSCONF it'll be. Per usual, we have our topic and temple predictions, but given the three vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve, we, with the help of the interwebs, also have some thoughts on potential callings to the Twelve; all in jest, of course. We know how that stuff is actually handled. What the heck went on with this blood moon stuff? October is here and we are alive. Julie Rowe has basically called it quits. The Church was forced to call her out. Crazy things are happening. Rapture4Eva. The great Tom Mon Jovi was mostly well received, yet many of you do not seem to understand what we are about. So let's work through this together while we mock your emails. Links: * President Nelson reflects on his time as apostle * Temple predictions! * Elder Scott funeral * October Madness! * The deep bench for new apostles * General Conference Mirth Index * Church History Museum reopens * Julie Rowe gives up * Jesus the Christ turns 100

Elder Richard G. Scott passes away at 86. We remember one of our favorite apostles and celebrate his reunion with his dear wife. In other news, the Church releases a Portuguese language Bible, bringing the total number of LDS Church-produced Bibles to three. It's also the 30th anniversary of the current LDS hymnal. Four more years, or should we be pushing for Michael McLean and Kurt Bestor to go to TOWN on this thing? Everyone loves Tanner Mangum until they realize BYU's first two wins were flukes. Our boy Jamesthemormon releases a sweet song that is aptly titled "Dreamin'," which is what BYU fans are currently doing. Bwa ha and ha. The Priesthood Restoration Site is dedicated by President Russell M. Nelson. It's pretty cool and we hope to get up there. Assorted news: Elder Ronald Rasband and religious freedom; Mormonism chose me; #EmbraceYourAND hashtag grates Al; a hot Muslim goes to church; and the Manti tabernacle returns! Show links: * 30th anniversary of hymnal * Elder Richard G. Scott passes away * Portuguese Bible * Jamesthemormon goes mainstream * Rasband on religious freedom * Mormonism chose me * Priesthood site dedicated * Manti tabernacle * EmbraceYourAND * Muslim BYU student goes to church

Lots to talk about this week, and Al's audio doesn't seem like a disaster. What is up with all of this apocalyptic stuff and Julie Rowe? Seriously, who is she? Where did this come from? Why do Mormons buy into it? "Thug Mormons" has to stop, according to one blogger. Al is amused. Geoff is concerned! Senator and presidential hopeful Marco Rubio is chasing the Mormon vote in Nevada, but will anyone care? Do you? We talk about Mormonism and politics. We also bring back our Rants segment in which Geoff chastises the "uncorrelated" Mormon world for freaking out about Elder M. Russell Ballard's adulatory remarks toward Utah and Utahns during a regional conference this weekend. The Church's Sabbath push is getting stronger, with some new articles about keeping our phones stowed away during sacrament meeting. But some wonder whether phones will be outright banned during Church services and if not using a phone at Church will become analogous to President Hinckley's "suggestion" that women only have one piercing per ear. Other stuff: Mormon men are leaving Church and Mormon women are flooding BYU; Jews in Orange County, California use a Mormon meetinghouse after they let Mormons use their synagogue. And lots of exciting new stuff. Links: * Thug Mormons has to stop * It's the end of the world!!! * Tons of babes return to BYU * Marco Rubio chases Mormons * Stop phoning it in on Sunday * Will phones become evil? * Mormon men are leaving the Church more than women * Jews use Mormon church

It's sort of a BYU-centric episode this week. Al celebrates BYU's stunning win over Nebraska. BYU disappoints us by opting out of the Affordable Care Act, pushing the penalty on students, and a BYU religion professor argues that BYU itself has ruined ancient Book of Mormon studies. Online tithing is here for Americans. We give it a test drive. A mission president in Mexico gets shot at a Subway. Thankfully, he'll be OK. Elder M. Russell Ballard is to offer the keynote at the World Congress of Families, but not everyone is thrilled about it. Why? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland visits Vietnam. Apparently we have Mormons in Vietnam. Other stuff: Who deserves the Mormon vote? Atlanta offers a great single parent Sunday school class; and the Bern Temple turns 60. Also, Geoff visits a sex shop for the first time. Show links. Read them, (we'll know if you did): * Online tithing is here * BYU ruins ancient Book of Mormon studies * BYU opts out of ACA * Elder Holland goes to Vietnam * Elder Ballard offers keynote * Single parent class * 60th anniversary of Bern Switzerland Temple * Who will get the Mormon vote? * Mission president in Mexico shot