June 20th will go down as a historic return to St. Louis, Missouri for  Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It’s been 51 years since the 300 voice choir performed here.

The choir’s day started early in the morning, 6 a.m. sharp with a photo shoot at the Gateway Arch for a documentary film – learn more, click here.

True confession here, while I am very proud of our church’s premiere choir, I am not a groupie of the choir. I am appreciative and humbled by the way the choir brings the Christ’s spirit to our world-wide church conferences. But I don’t follow their weekly broadcasts. 

Many at the St. Louis concert, however, were groupies who have listened to the choir for years. I was tickled by their enthusiasm.  

James Dobbs, an older gentleman who was ushering at the venue, grabbed my arm to stop me and share his delight, “they sang one of my favorite songs!” Dobbs beamed. 

Dobbs explained that he has retired from his ushering duties but came back just for this…

Most of the area’s 15,000  Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormons) can’t remember a time when the Tabernacle Choir has performed here. It’s been 51 years after all.

In subsequent posts I’ll share my involvement and behind-the-scenes activities, any I experience, as well as little known trivia facts about the choir.

Here is one: National Geographic’s “USA101″ recently named the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as one of America’s top icons.

Mostly, I hope many of you will experience the concert for yourself.  We have heard them on TV at the Olympics and presidential inaugurations or weekly on the radio, but it is an amazing experience to hear the choir in person.

And the choir in recent years has embraced new styles of music with its own unique…

ATLANTA 20 April 2009 Hundreds of thousands of volunteers from community and faith-based organizations will strengthen communities and bring relief to those struggling because of the economic downturn in an unprecedented single day of service across 11 southern states on 25 April 2009.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized the project under the direction of Elder Walter F. González, who presides over church affairs in the southern United States. He challenged over 665 congregations from Florida to Indiana to join forces with other faiths and civic organizations to render significant community service in what is being called “The Helping Hands and Linking Arms Project.”

Elder González said: “It’s powerful when like-minded people join together to meet a wide spectrum of needs in diverse communities. We can bring help and hope to others no matter what their circumstances.”

“The impact of these feet on the ground during the day of service will…

Though Easter is now a week behind us, this video — linked above – posted in celebration of Easter continues to receive hits. A press release explains the popularity of this Easter message:

SALT LAKE CITY 13 April 2009 A short Easter video from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints quickly spread over the weekend to become the top “viral” video on the Internet, according to the Viral Video Chart.

The four-and-a- half-minute video was extracted from an address delivered by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, at the faith’s general conference on April 4–5, in which he spoke of the final moments in the life of Jesus Christ and talked directly to those who feel alone or abandoned.

Read more: Click here.

Seven-year-old Joseph Hofheins reacts to eating matzah with horseradish during the bitter herbs part of the Passover ceremony, which also included music and dancing. (Stuart Johnson, Deseret News)

Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS) have long felt a kinship with Jewish brothers and sisters. It’s becoming popular in recent years for Latter-day Saints (LDS) to take their feelings of kinship to a more active level. Some are participating in a Seder in addition to the traditional Easter services and remembrance observed this time of year.

I remember a few years ago a women’s activity at our local unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to make Seder plates. We spent the evening decorating the plates and learning the traditions of the Seder. I really enjoyed the activity. It gave me a great appreciation for the common heritage Christians and Jews share.

Latter-day Saints in areas of Utah are developing large activities for this special time of year. The following news-story is from Deseret…

It was reported today in the Boston Globe that LDS (Mormon) women, many moms among them, are making their mark in young adult literature – click here.

I found my husband Dan, an LDS bishop, reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I’ve never known him to be interested in young adult fiction, let alone vampires. He only scanned the Harry Potter series to know what his kids were reading. But the Twilight series captured his interest probably because many in his flock are reading it.

Dan took me to see the Twilight movie. I have to say it is probably the first time in our twenty-two year marriage he invited me to see a chick-flick!

It doesn’t surprise me that LDS mom Stephenie Meyer would write a wholesome vampire story. Well, maybe not the wholesome part, but vampires?… they seem scary. So yes, I am surprised about that. But Stephanie’s vampires are so nice that I am ashamed I had held such negative misconceptions of them.

OK, whoa, back to reality.…

I enjoyed Tim Townsend’s article, The Mormon Index, that appeared on the front page of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on January 22. Tim discussed how some economists look at the numbers of people using the Mormon welfare program to gauge the economy.

It’s an obscure index, one that was lost on me though I am a Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon). My view of the welfare system of the Church is as an insider who has been benefited by it. I don’t think too many LDS, with the exception of a few LDS economists, were aware of “The Mormon Index” until reading Tim’s article.

The Church’s welfare program is supported by a facility that typically includes a food storehouse, a cannery, an employment resource center, and a family counseling center. The Bridgeton facility in St. Louis Missouri is a central focus in Tim’s article.

My family has been benefited by the facility. In the past, when we’ve needed to stretch…

From the lds newsroom:

SALT LAKE CITY 16 January 2009 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be represented at inaugural events for President-elect Barack Obama by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Continued

The two leaders, who have been asked to represent the Church by Church President Thomas S. Monson, are scheduled to attend the swearing-in ceremony on January 20 and the National Prayer Service at Washington’s National Cathedral on January 21.

“It is always an honor for the Church to be represented at the inauguration of a new president,” said President Monson. “We send our best wishes to President-elect Obama and pray for the blessings of a loving Father in Heaven to be upon him and his administration.”

Brigham Young University’s College of Fine Arts and Communication has produced a free online video with an original musical score. The message “expresses the hope that everyone feels love, peace and joy this Christmas”.

Since a majority of Californians passed Proposition 8, Latter-day Saints (Mormons), who make up 2% of the California’s population, have been attacked by some who are upset with the outcome.  I have Latter-day Saint family and friends in California. All can share a story of the intimidation they have experienced as a result of their support for Proposition 8.

When the attacks first occurred, Latter-day Saints were stunned as some saw their employment threatened and their places of worship vandalized. Many Latter-day Saints wondered, “where is the outrage? Will no one defend us?”

The rhetoric of anti-religious bigotry surprised many on both sides of the issue.

Some community and religious leaders are now responding.

This week, The Becket Fund, a non-profit interfaith organization that defends religious liberties, posted an ad, signed by community leaders, in the New York Times to defend the right of religious people to speak out on issues with out the fear of retribution.

See ad: click here.

Learn more at the Becket Fund website: click here.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day…