In the July issue of the Ensign and Liahona magazines (official magazines for adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Church leaders are encouraging members to make use of ‘new media’ in helping to publicise the Church.

The issue of Church members using blogs, comments on news stories, media sharing sites and other forms of communicatory media has received massive attention since a graduation ceremony address to Brigham Young University-Hawaii students by Elder M. Russel Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

In his statement, he urged students to ‘join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration’.

But Elder Ballard warned that heated arguments about our and others’ beliefs must be avoided, as ‘contention is of the devil.’

His talk has now been published in this month’s edition of Ensign and Liahona, increasing the scope of his counsel to the entire adult membership of the Church.

Clearly, Elder Ballard was not speaking for himself, but this admonition is coming from the Church leadership and bearing one’s testimony seems to be one of the things the leaders want us to do: ‘Most of you already know that if you have access to the Internet you can start a blog in minutes and begin sharing what you know to be true.’

Leaders also wish members to prudently respond to incorrect reporting and questions posed by non-members.

The Church’s Newsroom site (newsroom.lds.org) has added features which help members to become blogging news agents.  They give members rights to use information from the Newsroom:

‘Newsroom.lds.org is the Church’s official Website for the news media, opinion leaders and the public, including bloggers and others using new media. The Newsroom Website is a great resource to find content that you can reuse in your own blog, video, social networking page, etc.’

And Church members will doubtless begin heeding their leaders’ words.

See:

• Ensign Article
• Newsroom Guidelines

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has once again increased its public relations effort in helping the public correct misconceptions about the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints) and LDS (Latter-day Saints), according to the Church’s official Newsroom (http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/church-seeks-to-address-public-confusion-over-texas-polygamy-group).

Church members are used to members of the public incorrectly identifying them as polygamous.  Indeed, the Church officially stopped polygamy in 1890 and now, members who involve themselves in such marriages are excommunicated.

The view of the Church concerning this is very strict.  In South Africa, many native African people still practise polygamy as part of their culture.  Jacob Zuma, the President of the African National Congress and soon-to-be President of South Africa, has multiple wives.  Notwithstanding the cultural condoning polygamy has in this country and the previous condoning of it in the Church over a century ago, those already involved in polygamous relationships may not join the Church until only one wife is married to the investigator.

According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLDS), the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formed when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints renounced polygamy.  Through a series of defections and rivalries, splinter fundamentalist movements were formed.  Crime, racism and power struggles have riddled the sect.

The LDS Church, of which I am a member, is the largest of what is apparently known as the LDS Movement.  I bear my testimony that it is the true Church on the face of this Earth, a fact I know.

The Temple is the crown jewel of any active Latter-day Saint’s life.  There, the most blissful and spiritual experiences are had.  For those who are not members — or who do not know much about temple work — here is a basic guide.

Allow me to deviate somewhat first.  Latter-day Saints are, like Israel was during Old and New Testament times, a covenant-making people.  Our spiritual progression is largely determined by the making of covenants, or sacred promises to the Lord, in return for which we are promised glorious blessings.

The first covenant a member of the Church makes is known as the baptismal covenant, or the covenant made at baptism.  Members promise to take the name of Jesus Christ upon them, to always remember Him and to keep His commandments.  Basically, they promise to try their utmost to follow the Lord’s will and be like Him.

Male members who are worthy will then make the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood when they have the Melchizedek Priesthood conferred upon them.  Essentially, they covenant to discharge their duties to the greatest degree possible and to (again) follow all the commandments given to them.

The preceding two ordinances are performed in meeting houses, homes or wherever they can be.  The covenants they next take out are so sacred that they can only be performed in temples.

The Temple is the House of the Lord.  It is an intensely sacred place, where the Saviour Himself walks the corridors and where His servants go to perform the most sacred acts of Mormonism.

Only the worthy Latter-day Saint may enter the Temple.  For that purpose, Bishops and Branch Presidents (leaders of congregations) must interview a prospective visitor before he or she may enter.  A recommend is then issued, which is valid for two years and which is used as a qualifying ticket to enter any temple in the world.

There are five essential ordinances (of which I am aware, at least) that occur in the Temple. 

The Johannesburg Temple is to Go Live with New FamilySearch on 8 July 2008

A number of sources have confirmed to me that the Johannesburg Temple has received this, the date of its going live with New FamilySearch.  It appears that family history staff in our temple district have been informed; family history blogs have obtained the information as well and are reporting it.

Concerning going ‘live’, the Ancestry Insider (ancestryinsider.blogspot.com)says:

‘Registered family history consultants and leaders are notified when their temple districts are about to change to NFS [New FamilySearch]. … The initial notification usually gives an approximate time frame of 3 or 4 months for the NFS release, but not a specific date. A final notification gives the date to stop using TempleReady, the date all temple district members can access NFS and the date the temple will begin using NFS.’

The same blog provides information that on 8 July, members will be able to print cards for temple ordinances using a Family Ordinance Request.  This system makes use of the New FamilySearch website, available at new.familysearch.org.  Apparently, members will be able to register on and access the site about three days prior to the activation (about 5 July 2008), early in the morning.

With this announcement, Renee Zamora, on her blog ‘Renee’s Genealogy Blog’ (rzamor1.blogspot.com), says that 56 temples are now live and 34 are in the process of going live.  That leaves only 37 which have not been announced.

This is a most exciting development for members in our region.

For those of you who know are thoroughly confused by the above, the Church has been introducing an incredible new system called New FamilySearch.  The website’s predecessor, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org), is one of the largest family history research websites in the world.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints very rarely involves itself in the political arena, but, on the position of same-sex marriage, it has been vehement in its campaigning.

News agencies across the United States, including Mormon Times, are reporting that the First Presidency has sent a letter to all units in California, urging members to ‘do all [they] can’ to support a constitutional amendment that would prohibit gay marriage in California indefinitely.

This is not the first time the Church has entered the political arena in support of the sanctity marriage.  Now, Church members will be galvanised into voting for this amendment.

The admendment is in response to a Supreme Court ruling that overturned a referendum on the subject.  Gay marriage is now legal, but the amendment would define marriage in the Constitution as between a man and a woman.

The letter states: ‘Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage.’