Latest news with #TheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Religion, finances and violence: Latter-day Saint leaders provide answers to key questions
This article was first published in the ChurchBeat newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Wednesday night. Latter-day Saint leaders recently released new resources providing additional transparency through answers to important questions. The information can be found in three new Gospel Topics and Questions pages on The pages on church finances, religion vs. violence and temples provide a broad look at important issues ranging from the use of tithing funds and other donations, doctrines and policies about violence and what happens inside temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here's what is new and how the information can help church members and others. A new Gospel Topics page called Church Financial Administration will be of keen interest to many people, as much for the graphics included as for the information provided. Nearly all of the financial information has been reported in the past by the Deseret News, from the fact that the church annually spends $1 billion on education to its different reserve funds where it sets aside money for future needs. The page answers 10 questions like: Do church leaders receive financial support? Answer: Yes, members of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the General Authority Seventies and the Presiding Bishopric receive a modest living allowance and insurance benefits so they can devote all their time to serving the Lord. Does the church pay taxes? Answer: Yes, the church and its affiliated entities pay various income, property, sales and value-added taxes. Why does the church spend so much on temples? Answer: Because they are houses of the Lord and the only places where people can make and receive covenants and ordinances that bind them and their families to God. So what is new in the finance Gospel Topics page? What is most visible are the new and easy to share graphics. Also, a news release that accompanied the release of the pages shared a graphic about the 19,000 locations where the church's 31,000 congregations worship each Sunday. 'The church spends hundreds of millions of dollars for meetinghouses each year,' the graphic says, representing the first time the church has provided a ballpark figure for meetinghouse costs. The news release also shared eight other graphics about church finances. A new page titled Religion vs. Violence openly discusses the Mountain Meadows Massacre ('the most tragic event in Latter-day Saint history') and blood atonement ('not a doctrine of the church'). The page poses and answers 11 questions, including: Are religious people more likely to be violent? Answer: No, 'most often, religious beliefs lead people to behave unselfishly and promote peaceful solutions to the world's problems.' How do we make sense of instances of violence in the scriptures? Answer: 'They should never be used to justify violence in the present.' The overall message of the page mirrors the peacemaking teachings of Jesus Christ, President Russell M. Nelson and others, including President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, who called violence 'a terrible and inexcusable departure from Christian teaching and conduct.' The new Gospel Topics page about temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also answers 11 questions. The page could be helpful both to church members trying to answer questions about temples, temple worship and temple ordinances and to those unfamiliar with them. It provides a good, one-stop location for information on the covenants made in temples and much more. Other questions include: Why have there been some adjustments to temple procedures and ceremonies over time? Answer: Joseph Smith made adjustments to temple ceremonies from the church's beginnings and that has continued over the 195-year history 'as prophets have sought the Lord's guidance about the best way to explain and take the blessings of the temple to the Lord's children.' How does the temple endowment ceremony compare to Masonic rituals? Answer: 'There are some similarities between the teaching style and outward forms of Masonic ritual and the endowment, the substance and purpose of the two ceremonies are completely different.' That answer includes a link to the Church History Topics page on Masonry, and such links are provided in several places in all three of the new Gospel Topics pages. 'We're a partner to the cause': Church of Jesus Christ donates to center for child abuse survivors (May 23) Elder Ronald A. Rasband dedicated the Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple on Sunday. It is the first temple in the country and the church's 205th temple overall. Read the dedicatory prayer here. Elder Quentin L. Cook is on an eight-day ministry in the church's Europe North Area. In England, he said 'The Savior accomplished everything we need.' Elder Patrick Kearon joined a Catholic cardinal in ministering to parolees in the Philippines. Church leaders broke ground for the Benin City Nigeria Temple. The First Presidency announced the groundbreaking for the Vancouver Washington Temple, which isn't far from where I graduated from high school. Latter-day Saints now can choose between a mobile or printed temple recommend. The church used solar-powered desalination plants to provide clean drinking water to villages on five islands in Kiribati, with help to additional islands planned. A new sign honors the people of Quincy, Illinois, for sheltering Latter-day Saint pioneers expelled from Missouri in the winter of 1838-39. We're in the middle of a historic upheaval in sports. A new article shows how Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals are changing both the NFL and NBA, as well as college sports. Last month, only 69 underclassmen took part in the NFL Draft, down from 128 in 2021. Next month, only 106 players will be part of the NBA draft, down from 363 in 2021. More are staying in college because NIL money is more stable than draft position. While Provo, Rexburg, Laie and Salt Lake City — homes to BYU, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Hawaii and Ensign College — are all booming along with the enrollments at those schools, falling student enrollment at many public schools is busting many American towns. Demographics are part of the problem, as U.S. births peaked at 4.3 million in 2007 and have been falling almost every year since. The doors have closed at 242 institutions that issue college degrees in the past decade, according to the Hechinger Report. Also, more students are calculating that tuition prices and the opportunity cost of lost work years aren't it. The phenomenon is mostly striking regional state colleges and universities, according to the Wall Street Journal (paywall). It's pretty stats-heavy, but I enjoyed this look at whether Mike Trout or Mookie Betts is the best player of their generation.
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Health
- Borneo Post
Kuching's Hospital Sentosa receives RM946,000 equipment donation
Dr Sim (seated centre) and other guests (from left) Wee, Yevette, Larry, Dr Rosliwati, Yap in a photo call with the hospital staff members at the handover ceremony today. – Photo by Jude Toyat KUCHING (May 29): Hospital Sentosa here today received a donation of medical and non-medical equipment worth RM946,000 from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, facilitated by the Rotary Club of Urban Kuching. The handover ceremony, held at the hospital, was officiated by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, who is also Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister. In his keynote address, Dr Sim expressed appreciation to both organisations for their generous contribution, which he said would significantly enhance mental healthcare services in the state. 'This morning, we are coming together not just to deliver love, but actually deliver with patience and enthusiasm,' he said. The donation is part of a broader initiative totalling RM1.9 million, which also saw Hospital Bau receiving RM511,000 worth of equipment on May 26, and Hospital Lundu receiving RM395,000 on May 27. Dr Sim commended Elder Larry and Sister Yevette Hathaway of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, for their dedication and contributions. He said the contribution is aimed at strengthening hospital operations by equipping healthcare professionals with essential tools, especially in the field of mental health. 'Even though Hospital Sentosa is the only major specialist hospital institute to focus on mental health in Sarawak, this shows how inclusive it is. 'It's always very hard in our community when you say mental hospitals, everybody has this stigma, but they forget that mental health now is really quite common and crying for help in the community,' he said. Dr Sim also highlighted the pressing need for healthcare development in Sarawak, stating that 70 per cent of the state's healthcare facilities are currently in a dilapidated state. He reiterated Sarawak's call for greater autonomy in healthcare management under Article 95C of the Federal Constitution, in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963. He noted that the Sarawak government remains committed to improving healthcare infrastructure, citing the state's RM1 billion allocation for the upcoming cancer hospital in Kuching. He further emphasised the importance of collaboration between local and international partners to enhance public health services, stating that the impact of current efforts will be felt for years to come. 'What you do today, in 20 years, may be very different. You have to sow the seed. Whether through government efforts or other initiatives, we will continue to evolve and transform,' he said. Also present were Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap, Hospital Sentosa director Dr Rosliwati Mohd Yusoff and Nigel Wee, who represented the President of the Rotary Club of Urban Kuching.
Local Sweden
6 days ago
- General
- Local Sweden
Swedish word of the day: Kristi himmelsfärdsdag
The Swedish word for Ascension Day, the day Jesus is believed to have ascended to heaven, is 'Kristi himmelfärdsdag'. Here's the background behind the Swedish name for the holiday. Advertisement Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag literally translates as Christ's heaven travel day, which pretty accurately describes why the day is celebrated. You might also hear it jokingly referred to as Kristi flygare, or Christ the flyer. It always falls 40 days after Easter, which also means that it's always on a Thursday – it used to be known as helgetorsdag or Sacred Thursday. Like Easter, the date is decided based on the cycle of the moon, so the date varies each year. The etymology behind the name of the holiday is interesting, as the word Kristi is actually a unique genitive form of the Swedish word for Christ, Kristus. Don't miss any of our Swedish words and expressions of the day by downloading our app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the Swedish Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button. Speakers of languages with cases, like German or most Slavic languages, will know that the genitive case is used when talking about possession. In English and in Swedish this is expressed by adding an -s to the end of the person or thing who the object belongs to (e.g. the man's house, or mannens hus) – so Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag should be written literally as Christ's journey to heaven day or Kristus Himmelsfärdsdag. In Latin, however, the genitive form of Christus is Christi. In religious contexts, Swedish has imported this form of the word as Kristi, meaning that you'll often see it in religious phrases and names like Jesu Kristi Kyrka av Sista Dagars Heliga (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormon Church), Kristi brud (the bride of Christ) and Kristi kropp (the body of Christ). Himmel, the second bit of the word, is the Swedish word for sky and heaven, while färd is the word for travel – it has the same root as the fare in English farewell, which was originally a way of wishing for someone to have a safe journey. Finally, dag is the word for day. Unlike many Swedish holidays, Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag is celebrated on the actual day of the holiday rather than the evening or afton before. Advertisement Example sentences: Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag firas den 29 maj i år. Ascension Day is celebrated on May 29th this year. De flesta svenskar gör inget särskilt på Kristi Himmelsfärd. Most Swedes don't do anything in particular on Ascension Day.
Toronto Star
6 days ago
- General
- Toronto Star
Members of Latter-day Saints turn to yoga for its physical and spiritual benefits
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Wendy Cullum lay flat on her back completely relaxed in 'shavasana' or 'corpse pose,' a common closing position in a yoga class. She and several other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were finishing up a 90-minute session in the sanctuary of the only Hindu temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, a bucolic community about 55 miles (88 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.
San Francisco Chronicle
7 days ago
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
Members of Latter-day Saints turn to yoga for its physical and spiritual benefits
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Wendy Cullum lay flat on her back completely relaxed in 'shavasana' or 'corpse pose,' a common closing position in a yoga class. She and several other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were finishing up a 90-minute session in the sanctuary of the only Hindu temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, a bucolic community about 55 miles (88 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. This small Thursday evening yoga class at Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple in the heart of Mormon country is an example of the embrace of yoga and meditation among members of the faith, widely known as the Mormon church. Yoga in Sanskrit means 'union with the divine." For Cullum, her practice helps deepen her connection to her Mormon faith and God, though yoga originated as an ancient spiritual practice in India rooted in Hindu philosophy. 'When I close my eyes and focus on him during shavasana, it helps me leave all my worries behind and trust in God more,' said Cullum, who has been practicing for five years. She's not alone. Many Latter-day Saints who do yoga and other contemplative practices — mindfulness, breath work, meditation and more — say they are able to seamlessly integrate their faith into the process. This is not a new phenomenon either. A 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center found 27% of members of the church believe in yoga not just as exercise, but as a spiritual practice, compared with 23% of the general public who share this belief. Philip McLemore, a former U.S. Air Force and hospice chaplain, taught other members of his faith how to meditate for more than a decade. His yoga practice started earlier than that following a spinal injury. Yoga not only helped him heal physically, he said, but it also made him more compassionate. Unable to achieve this positive change with his faith alone, McLemore questioned his spiritual identity. 'I had to ask: Who am I?' McLemore said. 'Am I a Mormon guy, a Christian? Or am I this yogi guy?' He found his answer in Matthew 11:28-30: 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.' McLemore emphasized the word 'yoke,' which shares the same Indo-European root word — yeug or yuj — as 'yoga.' It means to join or unite. He determined that Christ's teachings are consistent with the classic yogas in the Bhagvad Gita, the main Hindu sacred text, which speaks to the eternal nature of the soul. McLemore's struggle ended there and his two worlds merged. His practice now takes place in front of a small shrine in his study, with a figurine of Christ in a meditative pose flanked by those of Hindu gods Krishna bearing a flute and Shiva performing his cosmic dance. The body-mind connection Like McLemore, LeAnne Tolley's yoga practice began with an injury that left her unable to do her typical gym workouts. Tolley, a Latter-day Saint and a yoga teacher, uses yoga therapy to help her clients with eating disorders and other behavioral issues. Tolley said when she started practicing yoga, she met with resistance from some Christians outside her faith, even though she saw no conflict. She said yoga changed her life by helping her overcome 'exercise addiction' and understand that the mind and body are connected. 'Most Western spirituality sometimes places excessive focus on the spirit and leads people to believe that the body doesn't matter,' she said. 'My faith teaches that God has a physical body — an exalted, celestial, perfected body. What it means to become like God is to get to a point where my body is just as important as my spirit, that they are all perfectly aligned.' It's dismaying, she says, for her to hear some people tell her she cannot do yoga and be a Latter-day Saint. 'What I've learned from yoga only fortifies, enhances and deepens my personal faith,' she said. 'The pieces in yoga that don't fit in with my faith practice, I just leave them out. I just take those pieces that help me and make sense for me.' While many Latter-day Saints have adopted yoga for health and fitness, the church took the intentional step of recommending yoga as a way for its missionaries to stay physically fit, said Matthew Bowman, chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University. He said some church members, particularly women, have talked about how yoga helped them get in touch with their own divine identity and their identity as women. It has also helped some unpack a contradiction within the church's theology, where there is sometimes shaming around the body while also insisting that bodies are divine, Bowman said. Spiritual practice in lieu of religion For Naomi Watkins, who says she left the Latter-day Saints after experiencing a disconnect between her body and mind about eight years ago, yoga offered a spiritual lifeline. 'Being a woman in Mormonism, I felt very cut off from my body because of the garments I had to wear and having seen how women were treated differently,' she said, adding that breathing exercises, or breath work, in yoga helped her make that vital body-mind connection and quiet the constant inner chatter. Above all, Watkins said, yoga gave her the freedom to take cues from her body and move in ways that felt right and good. Now, yoga is her spiritual practice. 'It's about reclaiming my own inner voice, my wisdom,' Watkins said. 'Our cells carry generations of practices and stories and knowledge. Yoga has helped me tap into those things for myself in a way my faith did not. I know how my body talks to me now. My body often knows things before my brain does.' Synthesizing yogic practices with Mormonism For some like Thomas McConkie, delving deeper into 'yogic meditative paths' led him back to his Mormon roots. He had left the faith at 13 and stayed away for two decades. 'I realized there were resonances in the depths of that practice that were calling me back home to my native tradition, to my ancestry,' he said. As he re-embraced the faith of his childhood, McConkie said he began to see a path unfold before him forged by contemplatives, such as the early Christian hermits who traversed the Egyptian desert in the 4th and 5th centuries. Eight years ago, McConkie founded Lower Lights in Salt Lake City, a community of meditators, many of whom, like him, synthesize their contemplative faith with their Mormon faith. 'In Latter-day Saint theology, all matter is spirit and all creation is actually composed of divine light," McConkie said. "Yogic and meditative practices help us bring forth that light and live our lives in a way that glorifies the divine.'
