http://meetmormonmissionaries-org.en.elds.org/?p=1267

By Amy Choate-Nielsen

Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 7:00 p.m. MST

David Letterman knows how to get a laugh.Like most comics, he riffs on the day’s news, deadpans the camera and revels in audacity.”Oh, did you hear about this?” the host of CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman asked his audience recently. “A campaign staffer on the Newt Gingrich campaign was fired because he was making negative comments about Mormons. I thought, now, wait a minute — isn’t Newt in favor of multiple wives?”
Laughter rumbled from the audience followed by applause. The polygamy punch line is a familiar one when it comes to poking fun at Mormons — as though Mormons and polygamy are synonymous in mainstream media. Ironically, the practice that’s most linked to Mormons is a practice most Mormons oppose, according to a groundbreaking new study of Mormons in America released Thursday by the Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion and Public Life.

According to the study, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unequivocally reject polygamy — only 2 percent said the practice is morally acceptable — evidence of a yawning gap in what Mormons believe and how they are perceived. Mormons’ opinions are overwhelmingly conservative, the study shows, but in many ways, their views are also surprising — especially when it comes to opinions on moral issues, divorce, homosexuality and polygamy.

Morality

Mormons also take a significant stance on moral issues in other areas, such as divorce, sex outside of marriage and consumption of alcohol.

Although teachings from the LDS Church emphasize the importance and eternal nature of the family, only 25 percent of Mormons surveyed said divorce is morally wrong, according to the study. That means Mormons are slightly less morally opposed to divorce than the general public.

“For Catholics, divorce does not exist. They think it is not only wrong but it is impossible,” said Matthew Bowman, member of a board of expert advisers to the Pew Research Center for the study and author of “The Mormon People,” a book on the history of the LDS Church. “That has not been true for Mormons. There is theological space for divorce within Mormonism. It is undesirable, but Mormons recognize it is sometimes necessary and sometimes the right thing to do.”

Other moral views revealed in the survey — 54 percent said drinking alcohol was morally wrong, compared with 15 percent of the general public — set Mormons apart, Bowman says. The assumption on the part of non-Mormons is that if Mormons think drinking alcohol is wrong, then they must think everyone who imbibes is morally flawed. That apprehension can make people suspicious of Mormons, and wary of an elitist attitude, he says.

Differences in moral viewpoints can create a stumbling block for Mormon acceptance — not only in high-profile arenas, such as a presidential election, but also in communities.
“What you find throughout the report is a tension,” said David Campbell, assistant professor at Notre Dame and an adviser on the study. “Mormons like to use the phrase, ‘Be in the world but not of the world.’ They are certainly living their lives in the world. They are active and involved in their communities, but they have these beliefs and practices that set them apart a little bit, and sometimes there is conflict.”

Homosexuality

Mormons have some of the most conservative opinions when it comes to homosexuality. The survey asked Mormons if homosexuality should be accepted by society or discouraged by society, with an option for neither, both or “don’t know.” The response — 26 percent said homosexuality should be accepted, 65 percent said it should be discouraged — puts Mormons as the least likely to say homosexuality should be accepted by society. But a 26 percent acceptance rate, with roughly 1 in 4 Mormons saying homosexuality should be accepted, might be surprisingly high to some.

Of particular interest is the fact that only 8 percent of Mormons surveyed identified themselves as liberal, and 66 percent said they were conservative. That means some of those who said homosexuality should be accepted also identify themselves as politically conservative, Bowman says. That distinction illustrates the complexity of Mormons’ opinion on sexuality — that it is rooted more in religious precepts than politics.
Still, it’s difficult to draw a conclusion about Mormons‘ views on homosexuality based on the study, says Pew Research Center adviser Terryl Givens, professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond.

“Results need to be viewed cautiously,” Givens says. “Official LDS pronouncements insist there is a distinction between (sexual) orientation and behavior, but the survey blurs that difference, probably leaving many Mormons unsure how to answer that question. What is clear, however, is that Mormons are trending toward greater acceptance of same-sex relationships, just as society as a whole is, although by a much smaller percentage.”

Polygamy

At one point 120 years ago, some Mormons practiced plural marriage, hence the association between Mormons and polygamy. The practice was discontinued in 1890, but the cultural association persists, perhaps in part because Mormons are sometimes confused with members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, a polygamist group not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the October-November 2011 study of a national sample of 1,019 Mormons, 86 percent said polygamy is morally wrong. That’s a number that surprises Bowman.

Were it not for the confusion surrounding Mormons and the FLDS Church practice of plural marriage, Bowman says that statistic might not be as high.

“It’s my experience that Mormons have a fraught relationship with polygamy,” Bowman said of the study results. “There is a sense that rejecting polygamy identifies a member of the LDS Church and distinguishes us from the fundamentalists. That is a cultural signifier as much as a theological statement.”

Some who responded to the survey, 11 percent, said polygamy is not a moral issue.
Email: achoate@desnews.com

A recent The Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted an in-depth survey of Mormons in the United States. Mormon is a nickname sometimes used to describe members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fourth article in a series that appears in Deseret News is evaluating the results of this survey and providing context for the results.

Immigration is a controversial topic in the United States. The survey asked one question on this topic. They were asked which of two statements most closely matched their view, even if they didn’t completely agree. They were asked whether immigrants strengthen or burden the nation. No distinction was made between legal and illegal immigration, leaving those polled to decide for themselves what the question meant.

In the general U.S. population, 45 percent of Americans feel that immigrants strengthen the country, while 44 percent burden it. 12 percent feel that neither or both are true or they have no opinion on the subject. Mormon views closely mirror these statistics. 45 percent of Mormons also believe immigrants strengthen the nation, although a smaller number, 41 percent, consider them a burden on society. The number of Mormons who accept both or neither or who have no opinion is higher, at 14 percent.

These numbers put them at odds with evangelical Christians, one of the few political areas in which they disagree. Within the white evangelical population, 59 percent believe immigrants are a burden, and 27 percent believe they strengthen the country. Like Mormons, 14 percent answered both, neither, or no opinion.

The statistics for Mormons shows a strong divide based on age, income, and education, as well as on religious commitment. Only 36 percent of highly committed Mormons see immigrants as a burden, while 50 percent of those who are less committed see them as a burden. This largely correlates with economic status. 84 percent of Mormons who are highly committed to their religion are college graduates. (The church strongly encourages education, which may be a factor in this.) Only 50 percent of those with high school educations are strongly committed to their faith. This statistic is very unusual in the religious world. For most religions, the least educated are the most religious.

49 percent of Mormons under age 50 see immigrants as a strength. 39 percent of Mormons over 50 see it as a strength.

Beyond the study’s statistics, several other factors influence the Mormon view of immigration. Many Mormons serve missions for their church. For two years, they live wherever they are sent, learning the language and living as the people in that community live. They go into the homes, attend the churches, and do service work in addition to their missionary work. Many of those serve in Spanish countries and have a realistic view of the hardships faced by those people. They come home with a compassionate view of the world and an understanding that Americans have much easier lives than most. The love missionaries almost invariably develop for the people they served influences their views on immigration.

Finally, the church has taken very specific stands on the subject of illegal immigration in recent years. Mormons believe God has sent a prophet to lead His church, just as He has always done in ancient times, and so, Mormons are asked to sustain the prophet as the leader of the Church. Official statements from the prophet or the Church are considered to be from God.

The Church officially endorsed the basic principles of the Utah Compact, a law working to create a balanced legal approach to immigration. In November, 2011, L. Whitney Clayton gave an official statement from the church in honor of the first anniversary of the bill. The statement said in part:

The Utah Compact is consistent with three principles we believe should be carefully balanced when considering immigration:

• We follow Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors. The meaning of neighbor includes all of God’s children, in all places and in all times.
• We recognize an ever-present need to strengthen families. Families are meant to be together. Forced separation of working parents from their children weakens families and damages society.
• We acknowledge that every nation has the right to enforce its laws and secure its borders.

We continue to encourage lawmakers everywhere to consider laws that properly balance love of neighbors and the importance of keeping families together, within the framework of just and enforceable laws.” (See Utah Compact One-Year Anniversary Marked by Utah Community Leaders.)

The official Mormon position is to encourage its members to stay in their homelands or to immigrate legally, but once they are here, however they came, they are to be treated with love, dignity, and respect, and laws should not separate families.

For a more in-depth look at the issue of Mormons and immigration, read the Deseret News article: Mormons’ immigration attitudes set them apart, by Eric Schulzke, Deseret News, published: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012 8:12 p.m. MST.

SMITHFIELD — After dinner, three baths, four bedtime stories and a half-a-dozen goodnight kisses for 2-year-old twins Brock and Isaac and 6-year-old Ellie, Erin and Brian Thompson finally sink into the couch with weary smiles.

Being parents is just what they always wanted. And they love it.

“Of course we have our crazy moments,” Thompson says, “but for the most part we just try to find the good things in the day and remember that they’re only going to be little for so long.”

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Thompsons believe that maintaining a strong marriage and raising and teaching children are essential keys to happiness and their most important responsibilities on earth.

In fact, 81 percent of Mormons say being a good parent is “one of the most important things in life,” according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion & Public Life — the first survey of Mormons about Mormons, by a non-LDS research organization.

The survey of more than 1,000 self-identified Latter-day Saints from across the country asked how accepted Mormons feel in American culture, as well as their thoughts on religious practices, political issues and family roles.

The survey showed that Mormons are more likely to be married than the general population, 67 percent of the sample size compared to 52 percent of the general public.

And 85 percent of married Mormons married other Mormons. Protestants marry other Protestants 81 percent of the time and Catholics marry each other 78 percent of the time.

With an emphasis on marriage, it should come as no surprise that the Mormons surveyed also had, on average, more children (2.6) than the general U.S. population (1.8).

Thompson grew up wanting to have a large family and be a good mother, but she and her husband have struggled with infertility for nearly nine years — a trial punctuated by the joys of two different adoptions, Ellie, then the twins.

“We said when we finally get to be parents, we’re going to actually sit down and take a little more time to focus on our kids,” Thompson said, who lives in northern Utah. “I’m not saying that other people don’t do that — the perspective we have is just a little different.”

Other Latter-day Saints share the Thompson’s enthusiasm to put family first.

“Family is at the core of our faith,” says Jane Clayson Johnson, a Latter-day Saint and former anchor of CBS’s “The Early Show” who prefers the title of mom to two young children and stepmom to three older ones. “There are so many distractions today that all force us outward, away from core relationships. What our faith does is turn us back toward deep, rich, meaningful relationships in families.”

“It teaches us that families are where we find meaning,” continued Clayson from her home in Boston. “The work I do in my family is the most important work that I’ll ever do.”

Among the general public, 50 percent list being a good parent as “one of the most important things in life,” with 44 percent listing it as “very important but not most important.”

That shouldn’t be taken to mean that the average American doesn’t value marriage or family, just that they don’t “go to church every week and get told that’s what they’re supposed to do,” says Marie Cornwall, a professor of sociology at Brigham Young University. Cornwall advised the Pew Center for this survey.

“There’s nothing to suggest that family life is less valued in the United States over time,” she said, “but there’s more that suggests that people are feeling like it’s not possible for them to attain that.”

The pressure comes when a “successful” marriage is defined as having a good job, a hefty retirement account and a lovely home with a white picket fence, Cornwall said. So when people can’t achieve that in today’s tough economy, many feel like they’ve failed.

“For Mormons, there’s a spiritual aspect brought to that (definition of success),” she said, “an effort, in terms of sermons, to try and downplay the material and place more emphasis on the relationships.”

When the survey asked Mormons about working arrangements in families, nearly six out of 10 Mormons indicated they would prefer a marriage where the man works and the woman stays home to care for the home and the children.

LDS college graduates liked this marital structure more than any other subgroup, with 71 percent of them preferring the man to work and the woman to stay home.

In the general population, only 30 percent of Americans would prefer a marriage where the husband works and the wife stays home. Among religiously unaffiliated Americans, it drops to 15 percent who would pick such a scenario.

Almost four-in-10 Mormons would prefer that both parents work and both parents help with child rearing and housework.

For American Fork mom Ruth Ann Dupaix, 37, it’s not a black-or-white decision. Throughout her marriage she has both worked and stayed at home.

“The way we look at it, we try to make it a partnership,” Dupaix says. “It’s more who’s able at the time to do it best. It’s working together, a give and take.”

When she and her husband, Geoff, were first married, her job helped pay for his school. When he finished, she kept working because her employer would pay for her to complete her degree, and education was important to both of them.

Dupaix stopped working when her sixth child was born but has recently gone back to work at a local grocery store three nights a week to help fulfill a family goal to reduce their debt load.

It’s a big pay cut from the job she used to have at a bank, but it’s a more family friendly schedule.

“As part of a family you make sacrifices,” she said. “I’m gone when the kids are asleep, but I’m still here during the day when they need me.”

Additional Resources:

For original source Deseret News article: Mormon family marriage focus Pew.

As the “Mormon moment” extends into 2012, the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life today released a groundbreaking new survey, the first ever published by a non-LDS research organization to focus exclusively on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their beliefs, values, perceptions and political preferences.

Entitled “Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society,” the survey was conducted between Oct. 25 and Nov. 16, 2011 among a national sample of 1,019 respondents who identified themselves as Mormons. The results validate a number of long-held stereotypes (most American Mormons are white, well-educated, politically conservative and religiously observant) while providing a few interesting surprises (care for the poor and needy is high on the list of LDS priorities, while drinking coffee and watching R-rated movies aren’t as taboo among the rank and file as you might think).

“While this survey comes amid a contentious election campaign, it is not solely or even chiefly about politics,” said Luis Lugo, Pew Research Center director, in the published survey’s preface. “Rather, we hope that it will contribute to a broader public understanding of Mormons and Mormonism at a time of great interest in both.”

For example, in one very interesting section of the new survey, respondents were asked several questions about what is essential to being a good Mormon. According to the survey, 80 percent said “believing Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ” is essential to being a good Mormon, 73 percent said “working to help the poor,” 51 percent said “regular Family Home Evenings,” 49 percent said “not drinking coffee and tea” and 32 percent said “not watching R-rated movies.

“To be honest, I found the strong sentiment that ‘working to help the poor’ is essential to being a good Mormon refreshing and a little surprising,” said David Campbell, an LDS Church member who is an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame and who consulted with the Pew Research Center on the new survey. “As a Mormon, I would hope it would be that way, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s good to see the church’s genuine compassion for the poor and needy reflected in these numbers.”

People outside the church may or may not be aware of the LDS propensity for compassionate service and other . According to the survey, 62 percent of Mormons think that Americans are generally uninformed about Mormonism, and 68 percent feel that they are not viewed as part of mainstream American society. But they remain optimistic, with 63 percent expressing the belief that Mormonism will eventually become part of mainstream society and 56 percent saying that the American people are ready for a Mormon president.

In fact, optimism is one of the themes to emerge from the survey relative to Latter-day Saints. Some 87 percent say they are satisfied with the way things are going in their own life, and 92 percent say their respective communities are excellent (52 percent) or good (40 percent) places to live (this is especially true among Mormons in Utah, of whom 71 percent say their communities are excellent).

But evidently, optimism only goes so far with Mormons.

“I think it is interesting that the respondents are overwhelmingly positive about their communities. They love their communities and everything’s fine there,” said Marie Cornwall, professor of sociology at Brigham Young University and another advisor to the Pew Research Center on this study. “But when you ask them about the way things are going in the country today, they are overwhelmingly (75 percent) dissatisfied. You would think that their satisfaction with their personal lives would factor into their feelings about how things are going in the country, but there seems to be a total disconnect there.”

It should be noted that the Mormon view of how things are going in the country today closely resembles the view of the American public as a whole, among whom 78 percent said they were dissatisfied in an October 2011 Pew Research Center survey.

Generally speaking, the new survey looks at Mormons and their perspectives in four key areas: politics and ideology, religious beliefs and practices, cultural and moral issues and family life.

Politically, there are few surprises. Most Mormons (66 percent) describe themselves as politically conservative, and 74 percent of Mormon voters identify with or lean toward the Republican Party. Philosophically, 75 percent of respondents said they prefer a smaller government providing fewer services to a bigger government providing more services.

Among a number of politicians currently in the spotlight, Mitt Romney is a favorite, being viewed favorably by 86 percent of all Mormons and 94 percent of Mormon Republicans. Even among Mormon Democrats, 62 percent rate Romney favorably.

The other Mormon running for president, Jon Huntsman, is viewed favorably by 50 percent of Mormon voters, while President Barack Obama is viewed favorably by 25 percent — slightly ahead of the rating Mormons bestowed upon another one of their own: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (22 percent).

Interestingly, Latter-day Saints seem to be somewhat divided on the issue of immigration. They are fairly evenly split on whether immigrants strengthen the U.S. because of their hard work and talents (45 percent) or burden the U.S. by taking American jobs, housing and health care (41 percent).

Campbell, who is an expert in the field of religion, politics and civic engagement, said he wasn’t surprised by that result.

“Although Mormons are caricatured as being really right wing, on the issue of immigration they are not,” he said. “The church itself has been quite a voice of moderation on this issue, and that has resulted in Mormons being more positive toward immigrants than other conservative religious groups tend to be.”

Campbell suggests that the LDS Church’s missionary program has something to do with that, with Latter-day Saints tending to develop a broader worldview as a result of their missionary service around the world. In any event, he said, “this result really does cut against the stereotype.”

In terms of religious beliefs and practices, the survey makes it clear that Mormons are highly religious — again, not a big surprise. Eighty-two percent say that religion is very important in their lives, and 77 percent say they believe wholeheartedly in all of the church’s teachings. Fully 83 percent say they pray every day, 79 percent say they donate 10 percent of their earnings to the church in tithing and 77 percent say they attend church at least once a week. According to Pew, “Mormons exhibit higher levels of religious commitment than many other religious groups, including white evangelical Protestants.”

Looking at basic, core religious beliefs, 98 percent say they believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 94 percent believe the president of the LDS Church is a prophet of God, 95 percent believe that families can be bound together eternally in temple ceremonies, 94 percent believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate, physical beings and 91 percent believe that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets.

Clearly, Mormons are believers.

But are they Christian? Ninety-seven percent of Mormons think so. And when asked to volunteer the one word that best describes Mormons, the most common responses were “Christian” and “Christ-centered.” By way of contrast, a November Pew Research Center survey found that nearly half (49 percent) of non-Mormon U.S. adults say that Mormonism is NOT Christian or that they are unsure whether or not it is Christian. In that same survey, when respondents were asked for one word that best describes the LDS Church, the most commonly offered response was “cult.”

Culturally, Mormon conservatism extends to a wide variety of moral issues. Polygamy (86 percent), sex between unmarried adults (79 percent), abortion (74 percent) and drinking alcohol (54 percent) are viewed as morally wrong. Divorce, on the other hand, is largely considered “not a moral issue” by respondents (46 percent).

Similarly, 65 percent of respondents said that homosexuality should be discouraged by society, compared with 58 percent of the general public who say homosexuality should be accepted by society.

“Mormons like to use the phrase, ‘Be in the world but not of the world,’” Campbell noted. “They are active and involved in their communities, but they have these beliefs and practices that set them apart a little bit, and sometimes that creates conflict or tension. [Homosexuality] is one of those issues where, rightly or wrongly, Mormons just have a different position than most of the rest of America.”

The survey also illustrates how important family life is to most members of the LDS Church. Among life’s priorities, being a good parent (81 percent) and having a successful marriage (73 percent) place higher than career concerns, having free time or even living a religious life. Some 67 percent of Mormon adults are married (compared with 52 percent of the general public), and 85 percent of them are married to another Mormon.

“As the Church and its members are increasingly the focus of media attention, we’re eager to participate in conversations that help the public get to know us better,” said LDS Church spokesman Michael Purdy. “Even though the recent Pew study did not survey any of the Church’s eight million members who live outside the U.S., it highlights some important aspects regarding who we are and what we believe.

“For example,” Purdy continued, “the study found that Church members subscribe to traditional Christian beliefs, have high moral standards, are overwhelmingly satisfied with their lives and communities, are active in serving others and have a profound dedication to family. These results reflect the Church’s message that a deep commitment to the teachings of Jesus Christ brings lasting happiness.”

Speaking for the Pew Research Center, Lugo said the idea for the survey was born last summer, “around the time that a Newsweek cover story and a New York Times article declared that the United States was experiencing a ‘Mormon moment.’”

“That got us thinking,” Lugo said in the survey’s preface.

Over the years, numerous polls have gauged public attitudes toward Mormons, who make up about 2 percent of all U.S. adults. But what do Mormons think about their place in American life? With the rising prominence of members of the LDS Church in politics, popular culture and the media, do Mormons feel more secure and accepted in American society? What do they think about other religions? What do they believe, how do they practice their faith and what do they see as essential to being a good Mormon and to leading a good life?

An advisory panel was recruited to help the Pew Forum staff create the survey. The panel featured a number of Latter-day Saints who have professional experience in Mormon studies and research, including Campbell, Cornwall, Matthew Bowman of Hampden-Sydney College, Terryl Givens of the University of Richmond and Allison Pond of the Deseret News.

“We helped them to formulate the questions, and to frame them in the kind of language that Mormons use,” Campbell said.

After a period of testing, the survey was conducted among respondents who identified themselves as Mormons (it also included qualifying questions that made it clear that respondents were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as opposed to other churches whose members may refer to themselves as Mormons).

“Since Mormons represent about 2 percent of the population, you’d have to call 98 people before you’d get a Mormon, and that would be very expensive,” said Cornwall, who is also editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. “But they had a fancy way of finding Mormons, including going back to Mormons they had found in the course of doing previous surveys, so they were able to get their sample in a cost-effective way.”

Care was also taken to make sure the survey included those who had land lines as well as those who have only cell phones — a growing area of concern among those who conduct public opinion research today.

Among other interesting findings of the Pew Forum’s survey of Mormons:

• 71 percent of respondents reside in the American West, including 53 percent who live in the Mountain states and 34 percent who live in Utah;

• 88 percent are white, 7 percent Hispanic, 1 percent black and 4 percent other racial and ethnic backgrounds;

• 50 percent say that evangelical Christians are generally unfriendly to Mormons;

• 54 percent say that the way their religion is portrayed on television and in movies hurts society’s image of Mormons;

• 57 percent of Mormons said that most or all of their close friends are other Mormons (this number was significantly higher in Utah, where the number climbed to 73 percent);

Pew Study on Mormons in America

• 65 percent of respondents say they hold a current temple recommend;

• 27 percent say they believe in yoga not just as exercise but as a spiritual practice;

• 11 percent say they believe in reincarnation;

• 74 percent were raised in the LDS Church;

• 59 percent of converts cite the church’s beliefs as the main reason they joined the church;

• 59 percent of converts joined the church between the ages of 18 and 35;

• 27 percent have served a full-time mission, including 43 percent of men and 11 percent of women;

• 82 percent say they have a supply of food in storage, and 58 percent keep at least a three-month supply.

The margin of error for the survey is =/- 4.5 percentage points.

“I think this survey is a really good summary of the hyper-committed Mormon community that shows up at church every week,” Cornwall said. “I’m not sure it captures Mormons on the margins very well, but that’s OK — hopefully we can do that the next time. Meanwhile, this is a pretty good picture — and an interesting picture — of Mormons.

By Joseph Walker, Deseret News

Additional Resources:

Full original source Deseret News article: Pew Study on Mormons in America.

Learn more about the results of this survey of Mormons in America.

See infographic from the Deseret News article.

Pew Mormon Study Highlights Christianity.

Two missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, the “Mormon Church“) were killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident while riding their bikes in Donna, Texas. Elder Trevor R. Strong, and Elder Derek Jason Walker were killed. Elder Strong had extended his mission and only had about 3 weeks left before he was coming home from his mission. The two missionaries were faithfully serving the Lord and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the McAllen, Texas Mission . Elder Russel M. Nelson, an apostle of Jesus Christ for the Church, was in attendance at Elder Strong’s funeral. Elder Nelson said that Elder Walker “has been transferred — he is still a missionary.” He spoke words of comfort to the family.

Elder Nelson said that Elder Strong “was dutifully and completely on his errand from the Lord. He was a missionary in the loftiest sense of the word.”

For Elder Strong, missionary work continues on the other side of the veil, Elder Nelson said. Still, the Lord understands the pain of those mourning the loss of Elder Strong. “Our tears testify of our love for this wonderful, exemplary elder,” Elder Nelson said. “Your Redeemer knows exactly how you feel.”

Although Elder Strong was killed a week after he was originally scheduled to return home from his mission, Elder Nelson urged the Strong family to “not torture yourself with ‘what if’ questions.”

“To get through this,” he said, “we need to couple forgiveness with faith … be faithful … live our religion … and one day you will see Trevor as he is: a brother, a saint, and a son of the living God.”

The knowledge that death is not the end of this life, and that families can be united together in the next life, gave both families of the tragedy much comfort. Elder Strong’s oldest brother David Strong said, “Because of our Heavenly Father’s plan, we haven’t lost anything. It will be just a little while longer before we see Trevor again. But we know where he is, and what he is doing.” Mormons believe that through Jesus Christ and His gospel, we all will be resurrected and have the opportunity to live with our families again in the next life in an eternal relationship. This doctrine brings peace to many saints who mourn. It is a message that Mormons wish to share with all the world.

Elder Walker’s funeral was on the same day in Fairfield, Idaho. Again the spirit of the funeral was focused on the hope of God’s plan of happiness for all of us. Elder Cardon a member of theSeventy, which is a group Mormon leaders who oversee different areas of the Church in the world, expressed love and appreciation for the plan of salvation of our Heavenly Father that allows families to be together again. Elder Walker’s father:

expressed his gratitude for all the people who had reached out to his family. “There are not words enough to express the peace that I feel,” he said. “We know that you grieve with us, but we also want you to rejoice with us.”

He said that there was peace in knowing his son had given his life while doing God’s work. “We know he was doing what he was supposed to be doing, where he was supposed to be doing it, in the way that it was supposed to be done,” he said. 

For a full report on this story, please visit Deseret News.

Please visit the Mormon news official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to read the Church’s statement on the deaths of the missionaries.

By Jessica.

A Priesthood Blessing to me is best described as strength in the slightest touch, a whisper too loud to ignore, the voice of God through his worthy son’s lips.

 In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the men are able to obtain a certain right of power and authority called the Priesthood. When they reach a certain age and have met certain requirements, they are bestowed this right, to become a messenger (or mouthpiece) for God the Eternal Father. There are two levels of the Priesthood; from lowest to highest they are the Aaronic, and the Melchizedek.

There are different levels and ordinations in each, which are explained in more detail in other articles. The Melchizedek Priesthood is the one I’m going to talk about though. In order to give a Priesthood blessing, the men must have obtained this authority.

Priesthood blessings have influenced my life in more ways than I can ever express to anyone. From the age of seven to the age of about twenty, I suffered with very intense panic attacks that were triggered very easily. My attacks kept me from many things that I wanted to do or see, because I was afraid that the subject of death or eternity (triggers for a panic attack — fear of the unknown, or the limitless) would be talked about and I would go into a bout. I walked out of movies, refused to go to church at times, walked out of classes, and even on discussions with my family.

Fearing that there was something wrong with me, I did not tell my parents about these attacks until I was eleven or twelve years old. They had always wondered why I was walking out of movies or why I would randomly start to cry or why I seemed to be up in the middle of the night. Once my father learned of my attacks, he started to help me to control them and to help me with them. My father is a great and worthy man of the Church. He holds a strong testimony and has been granted the power of the Melchizedek Priesthood. I remember from my childhood, that there would be many times when I had a panic attack, that I was unable to calm myself. At those times, my dad would sit me down and very gently give me a Priesthood Blessing.

A Priesthood Blessing is given through the laying on of hands upon the head of the person needing healing or comfort. It is a way for Heavenly Father to communicate directly to us when needed. It can be a blessing for health, for peace, or for guidance. The ones that my father would give me on those dark and shaky nights, when my body would refuse to quit moving and my heart would not beat at any rhythm but a rapid one, were blessings of peace. The second that my father would gently lay his hands on my head, I felt a surge of peace run through my body and I would sleep soundly the rest of the night.

Through the years, he would give me periodic blessings, letting me know that my attacks are there for a reason and that the more I learned from them, the better I’d get. Finally, with my father’s priesthood blessings and my faith in his authority and in God’s power, I understood the message that I was being taught and have remained calm as I sleep. Though, in times of stress, I do have mild attacks. But when that happens, I close my eyes, take a deep breath and remember my father’s warm hands on my head —His love and God’s love running through my body, setting my soul at peace.

By Kim W. Nelson.

Every Mormon missionary gains an appreciation for the areas where they serve. For most, their mission, no matter where it is, becomes a new adoptive home. I was in awe of the beauty, the culture, and history of my new homeland, Germany. I gained an even greater appreciation, however, for the German people. In particular, the members of the church had a remarkable influence on me. I reserve a special place in my heart for those good people to this day. One member comes to mind that instilled this love for the German saints in a very different way.

While serving in Nürnberg, I was the junior companion to Dave Williams the Zone Leader. We met regularly with the local district in their weekly meeting, which was under the direction of District Leader, Alan Hackney. I enjoyed listening to Brother Hackney because his thick Kentucky southern drawl had a way of softening the German language in an almost melodic way. Each agenda included assignments for dinner invitations from the local members. Of course the prospect of an authentic German home cooked meal was always welcomed by any missionary.

There was one invitation, however, that was always filled more out of a sense of duty than pleasure. Brother Jurowatti was an octogenarian war pensioner and widower of very simple means. He had a standing monthly lunch date that the missionaries were invited to.

President and Sister Gunther had thoroughly instructed us on many do’s and don’ts. One of the ultimate insults (beleidigung) we were told, would be to turn down a German’s invitation to eat when they offer or to leave food on your plate.

Brother Jurowatti was not just old school… he was closer to Old Testament,  and as such, any seasoned missionary knew that he would have this beleidigung thing notched up to an art form if the missionaries didn’t show up. Brother Hackney understood the gravity of the situation and, as the District Leader, made double sure that someone would always take a turn to be there even though what was served would not be the most appetizing.

The Jurowatti menu was simple and very predictable. As such, the missionaries had affectionately given the limited menu items fancy names. For example; one standard fair was titled: ‘Reis Ueberlauf’. I was told this consisted of steamed rice that had been portioned out on a serving plate early in the morning to allow it to cool. At meal time, Brother Jurowatti would pour canned (woody) peaches over the rice and then sprinkle hard crusty raisins over the top. Missionaries would also be served a single glass of room temperature apfel saft (apple juice) to wash it all down. As the missionaries consumed this epicurean delight there would be expressions of ‘bitte’, ‘das schmecht gut!’, ‘wunderbar!’ etc. Sincerity was generally the one thing a good elder could fake the best. When the missionaries cleaned their plates the host, as was the custom, would offer a second helping. The missionaries would graciously but insistently decline the offer.

Brother  Hackney, was  very adept at making sure that each missionary received the opportunity to dine with Brother Jurowatti. I had become very skilled at avoiding the opportunity…until one particular day there was a back room deal that madesure I would be Brother Jurowatti’s next guest. The calendar had mysteriously been altered. Everyone had obligations on the day in question except me and a poor unsuspecting green elder, Bruder Watts, who would be doing splits with me.

I was told that because of my perceived importance (I was the junior companion to the Zone Leader, Dave Williams) I would probably receive Brother Jurowatti’s ‘best dish’, ‘Fett’.

‘What’s that?’ I inquired.

‘You’ll know it when you see it’ I was told.

We arrived at Bruder Jurowatti’s at the appointed hour, knocked once, and were enthusiastically greeted by our host. Bruder Jurowatti was much more animated and outgoing than at church…even the most casual observer could tell he was sincerely honored to have us in his home. As we were invited into the simple three room apartment, our gaze fell upon the linen draped table with three place settings. We were directed to our chairs, I was asked to give a blessing on the food then Bruder Jurowatti rose, declining our offers to help, and gingerly hobbled into the kitchen to get the food. He reappeared with two plates which he placed in front of each of us. Boiled pig knuckles, with bristles of hair protruding from the skin somehow looked out of place on a plate for human consumption. The cold congealed grease at the base of the grisly meat added to the effect. Yes, I knew ‘Fett’ when I saw it.  As he made his next trip to the kitchen he told us he had cooked it the night before and had kept it in the Kuhlschrank overnight. “Bitte, bitte, essen.”, he motioned admonishing us to start without him, as he returned with his plate. He placed his serving of ‘fett’ on the table, returned again to the kitchen, explaining as he went back and forth, that the Metzger gives him a good deal on the meat. I noted with some chagrin that our portions were more generous than our host’s.

I did not want to be the poor Elder that tested the long standing beleidigung tradition…so I proceeded with what I was obliged to do. The ‘fett’ jiggled slightly as I sank my fork into it, and… I started to eat. I remember thinking that somewhere in my short life I’d had worse…I just couldn’t recall what or when it was. One glance at Bruder Watts, who was waiting on my lead, spoke volumes. His complexion’s color wheel was dialed back several shades but he followed my lead and began to eat. As Bruder Jurowatti went back to the kitchen for apfel saft I waited for him to turn the corner. With him out of my plane of view, I quickly bare handed the biggest piece of ‘fett’ and stuffed it into my jacket pocket. Bruder Watts’ eyes grew to the size of saucers, he quickly glanced toward the kitchen, saw he was clear, and followed suit. Returning, Bruder Jurowatti  poured the apfel saft as we each chewed vigorously and commenced with the obligatory ‘danke’, ‘das schmecht gut’, and ‘wundershoerns’. Our host noticed how we seemed to be enjoying the main plate as each trip back from the kitchen, first with steamed kartoffeln (potatoes) then with steamed kohl (cabbage) our portions were noticeably smaller.

All the food was now on the table and our host sat down to enjoy the meal with us. Our servings of ‘fett’ had diminished appreciably, due in large part, to secreting what we could into our pockets. It was now obvious, however, with our host seated at the table, the plates would have to be cleaned up by a more traditional means: We were going to have to eat what remained.

Between mouthfuls we talked about missionary work, our families and other related matters the entire time interlacing our conversation with compliments to the chef. I soon discovered that if I had more  kartoffeln or kohl in my mouth than ‘fett’ it would neutralize the effects of the offending food.  Bruder Watts proved to be a quick study as it became apparent that he had made the same discovery and a subtle battle ensued over who could get more kartoffeln and kohl to help diffuse the gastronomic disaster we were experiencing.  One glass of apfel saft couldn’t wash this down but we knew better than to ask for more so we sipped it carefully. I don’t believe I’ve had more satisfaction from any single glass of refreshment before or since.

Midway through the meal it dawned on me that ‘fett’ and suit coats weren’t the best combination. Sister Gunther always instructed us on proper decorum and manners and had told us we were to carry a clean handkerchief with us at all times. ‘I need to wrap my handkerchief around the ‘fett’, I thought. I pulled the handkerchief from my pants pocket and in one smooth motion, touched my nose, lightly brushed the beads of perspiration from my brow, and deftly wrapped it around the ‘fett’ in my jacket pocket. I doubt that Sister Gunther’s admonition to always carry a clean handkerchief ever anticipated such utility.

Finally, we were done. As always, we were asked if we would like more. When I said I couldn’t eat another bite, it was the absolute truth! We thanked our host and with all the dignity and grace we could muster and made a hasty departure.

When we got far enough away to not be seen or heard we both shared a common concern that our queasiness could violently erupt at any moment. We agreed that anything that unpleasant going down would certainly be worse coming up. I briefly thought there could be potential for losing the respect of a new missionary but the fear of losing my lunch overrode that moment of valor. We decided that too much activity was not a good thing so we returned to the wohnung (apartment) for some much needed ‘scripture study’. Later in the day, our stomachs had settled down enough for limited activity. We un-wrapped the ‘fett’ and took a picture of it.

I will never forget that meal….but not for the obvious reasons.

This humble Saint, of simple means honored us with his best offering…he couldn’t afford even the most modestly priced cuts of meat. Our meal stretched his meager means.

Brother Jurowatti saw us as those servants spoken of by Isaiah: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith to Zion, Thy God reigneth!” (Isaiah 52:7) He consecrated what little he had to the Lord and the Lord’s servants. Brother Jurowatti saw us as special witnesses of Jesus Christ and was honored to have us in his home. He loved the missionaries….they had brought him that wonderful message that had changed his life and had given him hope in the poorest of circumstances. Brother Jurowatti held us at a level of esteem I could only hope to be worthy of. No magistrate or dignitary was ever served a finer meal with more pomp or circumstance. I only hope to see him again. I owe that good brother a heart-felt sincere thanks for such a magnificent feast.

As a missionary, I learned that the German Saints have a deep love of Christ, an enduring love of His message and a profound love for His messengers. I will be forever grateful for the way they opened their hearts and lives to me while I served my mission.

By Kyle.

I grew up hearing great things about serving a Mormon mission. I had heard the amazing stories and experiences of friends who had gone before me. Almost everyone who had served described it as one of the best experiences of their lives. I just expected that if I went I was going to have those same things to say afterward.

I was assigned to serve in the England Birmingham Mission, and unlike some of my friends who had to learn new languages, I simply had to adjust to some new accents and a couple new words. I thought it would be easy. I had become quite skilled at public speaking while growing up and felt I also had a solid knowledge of the scriputres and the Church. I was confident that I could teach and open the eyes of anyone.

Wrong.
I was humbled faster than you can imagine. I quickly realized my weaknesses, as they were made known in almost every situation I was placed in during the first few days. I can remember coming home one night after spending all day talking to people who did not want to listen to me and who seemed to not like me before even meeting me. I was frustrated and wondered how I was going to keep this up for two years. I thought about all the great stories I had heard and wondered why things weren’t exactly like I had heard.

I knelt down in prayer and pleaded for help. I finally recognized that if I was going to make any kind of difference, that I was not going to be able to do this alone. The skills I thought I had and my knowledge was not enough. This was a turning point not just on my mission but in my life.

The relationship I currently share with my Father in Heaven is much different than it once was. Serving a mission helped me to understand that I need to rely heavily on Him for strength and for the ability to do those things required of me in all aspects of my life. I know that He loves me and wants me to be happy. I feel that those humbling experiences on my mission helped me to develop a much deeper relationship with God. All those great experiences I had on my mission I attribute to my willingness to finally turn my life over to Him.

“HIS THOUGHTS ARE NOT OUR THOUGHTS, HIS WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS”

By Karisna.

We can’t really fathom what our Father in Heaven is thinking, because His thoughts are not our thoughts; His ways are not our ways.”

When I was a child, I loved to dream. Having been brought up by a father who was deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, my first dream was to become a Catholic nun. I always loved seeing nuns in their habits and loved seeing how people reverenced them. Another reason I wanted to be a nun is simple: I love God. I wanted to offer my life to Him for all the goodness He had given me, for the family He gave me, and the lists goes on and on.

When I told my older sister about my dream, she told me that if I became a nun, I would be locked up in a convent and would never be able to see my father or mother again! Imagine the horror that brought to my six-year-old mind. So, becoming a nun was taken off of my dream list. I am the youngest in my family, which is why I am particularly attached to my parents, especially to my father. My young mind could not fathom never seeing them again.

My father was in the military, so I grew up on military bases with the sound of men jogging in the wee hours of the morning serving as our alarm clock. Men in military uniforms was a normal sight for me, and Hummers were like school buses to all the children of the men in service. The soldiers became my instant heroes, because they fought hard for the security and the safety of the Filipino people. I admired their valor and courage. I admired them because their leader was my own father. I said to myself, “I want to become a soldier too, like my father. I want to follow his footsteps. I want to enter and study at the prestigious Philippine Military Academy, where my father graduated. I want to defend my friends and family.” However, when I verbalized my dream to others, I was bombarded with negative responses. So becoming a soldier was crossed off of my dream list.

Finally I said to myself, “This time I am sure; I am going to be a doctor.” I wanted to become a doctor because when I saw those kids in Africa on the television, my heart just went out to them. I wanted to help them. I wanted to find the cure for AIDS and make many people’s lives better. My family finally approved of my dream.

Everything was going great. I was in my senior year of high school, excited to finish so that I could start my pre-med courses. I had already envisioned myself attending my dream college, excelling in my program. Then I received the most devastating news of my life: my father had cancer. The news broke me to pieces. I received this news shortly after the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. America lamented over the loss of thousands of lives, and I felt the same despair and loss in my own life.

My mother asked me, for practical reasons, to forgo medical school and just take up nursing, because becoming a doctor was extremely expensive, and my parents simply couldn’t afford it with my father having colon cancer. I cried buckets of tears that night. For so many years I had held on to that dream; then it was simply fading away from me.

My father passed away in May 2003. The one thing he taught me that I will never ever forget is to never ask God why this happened to our family and to never ask why, of all people, my father had cancer. My father taught me to be faithful to the end. His teaching me this faith was the very reason it was so easy for me to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ as it was taught to me by Mormon missionaries in December 2004. I was baptized March 20, 2005, and was confirmed the following week.

I never really thought about my past dreams until I became a full-time missionary, for which I patiently waited, fasted, and prayed about for three years, when my mother finally allowed me to go.

During the last weeks of my mission, I remembered my dreams, and I cried again because I realized I had become what I had always wanted to become. God does answer prayers.

For eighteen months,  I became a “nun.” I was called Sister Sesante, and  I wore skirt-and-blouse combinations which became my “habit.” I became a soldier of truth, defending truth and righteousness for Jesus Christ every day. I did not have the weapons of a soldier, but rather my complete set of scriptures and my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Though I did not become a doctor like I always wanted, I became a nurse, and for eighteen months as I was an assistant to the greatest Physician in the world, Jesus Christ.

This is why I truly believe that we have a living God, our dear Father in Heaven, who loves us so much. I testify of His goodness. I know everything happens for a reason. I know that better understanding His Plan of Salvation will help each and everyone of us look at trials and adversities with a brighter hope. I know for a surety that we really can not comprehend what the Lord can comprehend.