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Though Mitt Romney has been getting a great deal of coverage due to his presidential campaign, a lot of the media’s focus has been on his religion rather than his politics. Not much has been said, though, about the Romney family history in Arizona, which goes back a long way.
In the 1880s, Arizona became a pivotal center of religious persecution for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which church is frequently misnamed the Mormon Church). The LDS Church had made efforts to colonize Arizona, sending many of its members from Utah to establish colonies along several rivers in Arizona from 1876–1881.
Things began to spiral downward for the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in 1882, when the federal Edmunds Act was passed. This made the practice of polygamy a felony and made polygamists ineligible for public office. One local election judge refused the right to vote to at least one Mormon bishop.
Mormon polygamy is a practice which... Read the rest of this article »
On Friday, April 6, 2012, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback each presented official proclamations to Elder William R. Walker, local leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church). The governors presented these proclamations after touring the newly completed Kansas City Missouri Temple in Kansas City.
Governor Nixon said when presenting the proclamation, “On behalf of the six million people of the state of Missouri, I’d like to express our appreciation at your church’s commitment to building a place of such physical and inspirational significance. We are pleased and honored that you have done so. It’s a truly historic moment.”
Governor Brownback stated in a proclamation: “I … warmly commend the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the construction of this magnificent temple, for their dedication to religious liberty, for their deep spiritual conviction,... Read the rest of this article »
The story of the Saluda is strikingly sad, especially when one takes the perspective of William Dunbar, a Scottish convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (incorrectly referred to as the “Mormon Church” by the media). In the mid-1800s, Latter-day Saint converts were all travelling West to join the Saints in the Utah Territory. Many would arrive from Europe by ship in New Orleans, then take steamboats to St. Louis, then other steamboats up the Missouri River to Council Bluffs, Iowa (then Kanesville).
There was typically a Church representative in St. Louis to help newly arrived converts gain passage on steamboats for a fair price and get to where they needed to go. However, in 1852, the representative had left and was not replaced until the end of that year. Eli Kelsey and David J. Ross were consequently sent from Kanesville down to St. Louis to help out in the interim. They were also planning to head to the Utah Territory... Read the rest of this article »
The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as the “Mormon Church” by those of other faiths) would not be complete without recognizing the influence and support of the Relief Society and thousands of amazing women who served quietly and faithfully. This history has recently been compiled into a beautiful book called Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society. A great deal of effort went into the compilation of this book because church leaders, both male and female, felt it would be a wonderful strength for Mormon women today.
The Relief Society was organized in Nauvoo, Illinois. In 1842, the Saints were working hard to build the Nauvoo Temple, and a small group of women wanted to help in the effort. They organized to provide the men working on the temple with food, clothing, bedding, and general supplies. They organized their own set of rules and presented them to the Prophet Joseph... Read the rest of this article »
The years of 2011–2012 are being called by many in the media the “Mormon moment.” It is truly a unique time in Mormon history. Two Mormon candidates for the Presidency of the United States of America have brought a great deal of discussion to the forefront. Many other things have contributed to the discussion, such as the Book of Mormon musical on Broadway and shows on reality television claiming to depict Mormon polygamists who are really fundamentalists. Much of this discussion has been good. Though many misconceptions still exist about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the nicknamed “Mormon Church” is officially called, the discussion has begun to show some of the truth about what Latter-day Saints believe.
A lot of attention has been given to presidential-candidate Mitt Romney’s recent publication of his taxes. Romney has been the center of much attention and discussion as a Mormon candidate for president.... Read the rest of this article »
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 —... Read the rest of this article »
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... Read the rest of this article »
It has always been a part of the heritage of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormons by friends of other faiths) to remember those who have gone before them, who have suffered for the sake of building up the kingdom of God. Some of the Latter-day Saint Church’s richest legacy comes from the pioneers who crossed the plains to enter the Salt Lake Valley. Some of these people came by handcart, walking thousands of miles while pulling their belongings behind them.
Two of these handcart groups struck disaster in 1856, when they left later than they should have and got stuck in horrific winter storms in Wyoming. These two groups were the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. Many Saints died along the way, but those who survived claimed they had grown closer to God through their experience than through any other experience they had throughout their lives.
Descendants of the Saints who travelled in the Martin... Read the rest of this article »
In the early 1900s, a small, international back-to-the-soil movement of Jews affected a remote area in central Utah, and Clarion came into being. The Zionist movement was creating small communities in Israel where Jews could return and live. The idea spread and 40 such colonies were created in the United States of America, while a handful of others were founded in Canada and Argentina.
Utah Governor Spry encouraged Jews to come to Utah and participate in the venture to settle Clarion and to create their own community. One hundred fifty people, from both New York City and Philadelphia answered the call. These were mostly people from East Coast ghettos who were seeking a return to their roots and a better way of life. Backed by several wealthy Salt Lake City Jews, as well as others, the project purchased 6,000 acres in central Utah and $150,000 bond was underwritten for the participants.
Of the 150 Jews to come to Clarion, only one listed his occupation... Read the rest of this article »
Many descendants of Joseph and Emma Smith have been unaware of the significance of their ancestry for a good part of their lives. Dawn Schmith is a third-great granddaughter of Joseph and Emma who recently joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the church that Joseph organized and gave his life as a testimony of its truthfulness.
Dawn Schmith was born and raised in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia to religious parents. Though her paternal grandmother was the granddaughter of Joseph Smith, Jr., by his son Alexander Hale Smith, Dawn was raised in the Catholic faith. She actively participated in the religion her whole life and raised her two daughters in the faith. The first time Dawn heard about her ancestry was when she was 12 years old, but it was not discussed. Immediately, she wanted to learn more, but her paternal grandmother died around the same time, and she was never able to ask her any questions regarding that history.
Dawn... Read the rest of this article »
