knowyourneighbor

Miss California Stands for Something

Miss California wanted to be Miss USA, but she had to make a choice. 

Amidst cheers, and especially jeers, she said 'I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman.'

It cost her the crown, but she stayed true to her conviction.

Elder M. Russell Ballard said, "For the most part, our neighbors not of our faith are good, honorable people—every bit as good and honorable as we strive to be. They care about their families, just like we do. They want to make the world a better place, just like we do."

Indeed.

When was the last time we thanked someone not of our faith for standing up -- for taking the bullet, as it were? 

Learning from our Jewish neighbors

04.13.2009 1:03 pm

Latter-day Saints observe Passover

 

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

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

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

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

PROVO — It looked like a traditional celebration of the Jewish Passover on Friday evening at the Scenic View Academy, complete with men wearing yamalkas.

But most of the 200 people at this Passover dinner were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“A Seder for Judah and Joseph” was held as a means for attendees to “learn about the Jewish Passover and its rich symbolism from an LDS perspective,” according to the event’s sponsor, the Isaiah Institute.

“One of the things that we’re trying to do is build those bridges so that both Judah, as well as LDS, and others of different faiths, can come together and begin to really understand that they have a common heritage,” said Robert Kay, who co-narrated the program along with Avraham Gileadi.

Read the entire story at Deseret News: click here

 

 

 

Boston Globe's Michael Paulson Keynotes "Mormonism in the Public Mind"

Having now covered the controversy over the Boston Temple, and Mitt Romney's faith, Michael Paulson, a Pulitzer-prize winning reporter, proffered some interesting insights as the keynote speaker at Utah Valley University's April 2-3 conference titled Mormonism in the Public Mind.

In particular, note his second point which predicts that I would blog about what he's written.  Click here to get to the second of three posts.