knowyourneighbor

Public Affairs Project: "Mormonism 101: A Secular Discussion" presented in town libraries

For those of our readers involved in Public Affairs, below is the first in a series of ideas for stake Public Affairs directors. Thank you to Jamie Larsen, the Boston Stake Director of Public Affairs, for her work on this project, as well as her willingness to share this best practice with other stakes and wards around the world.


Photo courtesy tilsonburg, istockphoto

Overview:
The Boston Massachusetts Stake is in the process of conducting informational meetings on Mormonism in our libraries. The goal is not to proselytize but put forth correct information about the faith in a neutral community setting that allows people to see Mormons up-close and ask questions. Our ward bishoprics have asked a husband and wife that live in the town of the library to prepare a Powerpoint presentation that gives an overview of the faith, our history and beliefs, and then conduct a Q & A at the end of the presentation. This is also not in anyway a political event, but with Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, it has thrust Mormonism into the public spotlight in a way that has generated numerous questions from friends and neighbors. We are simply seeking to answer those questions.

Publicity:
Publicity is a challenging aspect of this project. We have put event information in the town newspapers, posted information on town event list-serves, posted flyers and asked members to hand out flyers or invite people who might be interested. We also contacted and invited local clergy and interfaith groups and asked, where appropriate, for them to pass along the information.

Outcomes so far:
We have conducted these discussions in two libraries so far. In Maynard , Massachusetts ten people from the community attended. Two were invited by members and the other eight came because of other publicity. One couple came because they like Mitt Romney and plan to vote for him and can’t figure out why his Mormonism is such as issue. They also said that everywhere they turn lately it feels like Mormonism keeps coming up: with Mitt, with this library seminar and the missionaries knocked on their door this week. They wondered if we were stalking them? Our presenter confirmed that we were (smile). Two years ago we also did a library presentation in Brookline , Massachusetts . Eight people from the community came.

The Goals:
1. Advertise the event widely. From a marketing perspective, maybe the biggest bang from this event is the hundreds of people that read about it in the newspaper.
2. It provides an opportunity to reach out to clergy groups in many towns to just introduce ourselves and begin taking part in community discussions on religion and participating in community service. We have let the PA representative find the contact information for clergy groups then pass it to the bishop to make the call introducing himself, explaining our goal with this library program, asking for suggestions and volunteering to help in future community programs.
3. It provides an opportunity to distribute correct information about the church and allows people to meet a real Mormon and hopefully begin to build relationships of trust.

The Big Obstacle:
We advertise that this is not a proselytizing event and we must keep our word. We have felt this is not the right event to have missionaries attend. We also don’t ask people for their contact information or pass out literature. We do think that giving out the presenters’ contact information if anyone has further questions is a good idea and announcing that our church meetings are open to the public is a good idea. In Maynard, some members who attended asked people for contact information so they could send the missionaries, we are going to try to avoid this in the future.

Feedback:
The Maynard presentation focused on living a contemporary Mormon life, reviewed various programs, and gave an overview of a typical day for a Mormon family. The presenters did an excellent job of using humor and keeping the presentation very lighthearted (very much their personalities). They did talk about polygamy and some of our beliefs and history. One gentleman said he wanted to hear much more about the church’s history.

Event Description:
We think this event description worked very well and advise using something similar:
Contemporary Mormonism 101 at Maynard Public Library

Phil and Julie Berry of Maynard will present “Contemporary Mormonism 101: A Secular Discussion” Thursday, January 31, at 7 pm at the Maynard Public Library, 77 Nason Street .

A frank discussion of what it means to be a Mormon – and raise a Mormon family – in the 21st Century, and how to separate fact from fiction in the national conversation about the LDS Church . Do Mormons think and vote alike? Why the restrictive dietary rules? Do Mormons still practice polygamy? How do Mormons explain their Christianity?

Neither a proselytizing nor political event; all questions welcome.

Phil Berry, software entrepreneur, and Julie Berry, children’s book author, have lived in Maynard for nearly seven years, and are the parents of four school-age sons. For more information, email Jamie Larsen at [email protected].

President Thomas S. Monson -- on working with others

Here is a KYN gem from the new President of the Church, Thomas S. Monson, as seen on lds.org:

Responding to a reporter’s question about the Church’s openness in working with other churches and groups, President Monson said:

“We should not be sequestered in a little cage. We should eliminate the weakness of the one standing alone and substitute it with the strength of working together to make this a better world.”

“I believe in that spirit,” he said.

I believe it too.

Related posts:

Do we Need the Community?

Think Outside the Cultural Hall

Tabernacle on Trial

I read a very thorough and searching piece in the Wall Street Journal tackling Latter-day Saints' feelings about being in the spotlight because of Mitt Romney's run for president.

Read it here: Tabernacle on Trial

Do you feel like Marvin Perkins, quoted in the article, who says, "It seems like open season on Mormons"?

The good, bad and ugly has come out on us.

Some truths, half truth and out right lies -- so much, it can seem overwhelming.

With Romney's suspension of his campaign, does the spotlight dim down, even turn off?

Personally, I think perceptions remain unchanged, regardless.

Every good public relations professional will tell you:

Negative perceptions are driven by hearsay;

positive perceptions by experience.

We know that studies back this up. Overwhelmingly people who know Latter-day Saints have a favorable opinion.

Has this season been for Latter-day Saints a wake-up call?

If so, how do we respond? Is "know your neighbor" the right response?

How do we want people to come to know us?  Through hearsay or experience? What is the way to drive home our story, to tell who we are?

We want to hear your opinions.

Boston Globe Op-Ed: Romney, Mormons and Me

As I watched Romney's candidacy, I found myself alternately thrilled and not. The below op-ed is an attempt to sort and sift through my two minds. Some of you will no doubt disagree. I would love to hear why. Regardless, after you read (or skim) the piece, will you ask yourselves the questions below?

If we were to become better at combining our secular and spiritual lives, would Noah Feldman's NY Times article have been written? Would people have been so deeply uncomfortable with Romney's Mormon-ness? Would we have needed Romney to be so perfect?

As we practice marrying our two lives, I would look to kids in high school. Though this is a terribly difficult time as they daily ask themselves the question 'assimilate - de-assimilate?', I think you'll find that they maintain this balance remarkably well.

In fact why not put my hypothesis to a test.

Next time you are in a meeting with adults and youth (like Bishop's Youth Council), take the Know Your Neighbor quiz: Of the last five people you interacted with socially, how many in 5 do you have something in common with other than religion?

Though there are bound to be exceptions, especially within the Mormon corridor, odds are that the youth will score higher than the adults.

What are your thoughts?

President Gordon B. Hinckley -- Friend of the Media

Moregood Foundation has encouraged us to take opportunities in blogs and in chat rooms to talk about President Gordon B. Hinckley.

His passing is creating interest on the web.

So here is my remembrance about how he taught me to reach out to my neighbors:

You may remember President Hinckley’s announcement at General Conference in April 1996 that he would be on the CBS's 60 Minutes.

This was quite a big deal. Not too many Presidents of the Church have been on such a high profile show. Especially significant is that the reporter, Mike Wallace, was not known for being soft on those he interviews.

President Hinckley expressed his trepidation about being interviewed. He weighed carefully the invitation and decided to lean into the stiff winds of opportunity, as he put it, rather than hunker down and do nothing.

This was perfect timing for me. At the time, I was directing the media effort for an event for Bangkok, Thailand stake. I was not a media relations veteran in any sense of the word, and felt very inadequate. One press release I had sent was maliciously edited to poke fun at and malign our missionaries serving in Thailand.

It hurt.

I never wanted to work with the press again, because I feared doing more harm than good for the church. I feared being mis-quoted or caught off-guard. I felt particularly vulnerable because of my lack of experience.  Since I couldn’t control the outcome, I didn’t want to try anymore.

When I saw that President Hinckley was willing to take a risk to work with the media despite some concern for the outcome, I took great comfort. I decided I would not let a bad experience keep me from taking the opportunity to tell our story.

Good thing.

Since that time I have had wonderful experiences with the media. Many editors and reporters have become close friends of mine. We know that Mike Wallace became a close friend of President Hinckley.

President Hinckley reminded me that reporters and editors are real people too. We can tend to paint them with a broad brush, characterizing them as only wanting to create a sensational story without interest for the truth. I have found this is most often not the case.

President Hinckley taught me not to fear my neighbor, but to take a risk and reach out.

So many people confirm that President Hinckley was by nature a shy man. I believe he overcame any natural shyness, in part, by his love and devotion to God and His children.

I have been blessed a hundred fold for his example.

My heart is full, I will miss this great leader, but his example will be my beacon forever.

(photo at right: President Hinckley was often interviewed by CNN's Larry King)

Treasure Hunting with Friends

Photo from Flickr.com

I heard a touching testimony in sacrament meeting a couple months ago, and I'd like to share it with you.

Nick Miller is a first-year graduate student in the English department of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.  He has felt left out of opportunities to network with his colleagues, because he doesn’t join them when they go out to bars and engage in other activities which would make him uncomfortable.

He also bemoaned the fact that his life has many more demands than many of his single colleagues, since he is married with young children.

In an effort to reach out to his colleagues, he invited one of his colleagues and her husband to his home for dinner. His guests expressed that they sympathize with his dislike of social activities that take them away from their family. They explored ways they would like to network, and this led to an invitation to attend a family home evening in the Miller’s home.

Nick said the experience taught him that, while he does not have the time or freedom his colleagues have, he does have things of value that can build common ground.   

Do you sometimes feel like Nick did? What do you have of value that others might also be looking for and treasure?

Inviting someone to dinner, as Nick did, is a wonderful way to get to know your neighbour.

NY Times article "Where the votes are..."

Did you happen to see this article in the NY Times -- Where the Votes Are, So are All Those Calories?

A couple of paragraphs from the article were particularly relevant to Know Your Neighbor:

Those wanting to be president must never, ever refuse or fumble the local specialties, lest they repeat the sins of John Kerry (dismissed as effete when he ordered a Philly cheese steak with Swiss in 2004) or Gerald R. Ford (on a 1976 swing through Texas, he bit into a tamale with the corn husk still on).

Downing a regional delicacy with aplomb, Mr. Scheib said, tells voters: “I’m one of you. I’m part of this area. Vote for me.”

“There are few things more personal than eating,” he said, “and if you reject someone’s food, you kind of reject them.”

Which is why inviting people into our homes (and accepting invitations to others' homes) to share a meal is such an integral aspect of Know Your Neighbor.

Consider this for a moment -- of all the people that you are really close to -- are there any with whom you haven't shared a meal?

Related posts:

Sharing a meal
Finding common ground
Disney's Pass the Plate
A Casserole is a Neighborly Gift

Romney's 'Faith in America' speech

In the context of Know Your Neighbor, there are two passages from Romney's Faith in America speech worth noting:

I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God. And in every faith I have come to know, there are features I wish were in my own: I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims. As I travel across the country and see our towns and cities, I am always moved by the many houses of worship with their steeples, all pointing to heaven, reminding us of the source of life's blessings.

Do you remember Stendahl's Rules, three rules for dealing with and understanding other religions. Krister Stendahl, the man who crafted these rules, is the former Lutheran Bishop of Stockholm, emeritus dean of Harvard Divinity School, and a long-time friend of the Mormon church. Specifically, his third rule is: Leave room for "holy envy" -- meaning leave room for true admiration of something in another person's religious tradition.

***

Recall the early days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, during the fall of 1774. With Boston occupied by British troops, there were rumors of imminent hostilities and fears of an impending war. In this time of peril, someone suggested that they pray. But there were objections. 'They were too divided in religious sentiments', what with Episcopalians and Quakers, Anabaptists and Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot.

And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God ... they founded this great nation.

Elder M. Russell Ballard has said, "For the most part, our neighbors want to make the world a better place, just like we do. They are kind and loving and generous and faithful, just like we seek to be." It was true 200 plus years ago, isn't it also true today?

Any passages that you'd highlight?

Angels in our Community

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." Luke 2: 13-14

It’s Christmas Eve, so I thought I’d share highlights and snapshots of this year’s St. Louis Crèches and Carols event, hosted by the St. Louis Missouri stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the cooperation of other area stakes and community organizations.

Now in its fourth year, Crèches and Carols has blossomed into an annual event that finds common ground, not only amongst Christians, but people of all faiths and traditions.

Because this year’s theme featured a tribute to the angels mentioned in the scriptural account of Christ’s birth (Luke 2:13-14), Patrons were greeted by the heavenly host in the foyer.

Special Partners and Friends Give to the Exhibit

Contributing to the diversity of angels and reflecting the diversity of our community, Lois Conley, founder of the Blackworld History Museum in St. Louis, shared her personal collection of dozens of black angels.

 

Because of Lois Conley’s contribution and that of Latter-day Saint member Janet Rice (pictured above next to the black angel tree), organizers were able to put together a tree with a whole host of black angels.  Black angels were also to be found in the Africa, whimsical, porcelain, and Americana themed displays.

Photo courtesy of Ben Munson

Another contributing friend is a Catholic woman, Yvonne Von Der Ahe (pictured above), who was so taken by the event the first year that she offered to contribute her entire Fontanni collection (pictured behind Yvonne) – an Italian scene depicting not only the nativity, but Bethlehem and all the sights and sounds of a bustling village anticipating the Christ child’s birth.

Yvonne has every Fontanni piece ever made and keeps the scene set up in her basement all year long to remind her of Christ’s sacrifice for her. 

Yvonne demonstrated her commitment to the exhibit when, during the second year of set-up day, she drove up in her mobile home stuffed full of her collection. Yvonne’s collection takes an entire quarter of the gym space.

We kicked off the event by hosting a private tour that welcomes community leaders including dignitaries of government, civic and religious organizations. 

Over 30 community leaders came to this year’s special evening. Nekisha Rhodes and Bryant Brookes (pictured on right) sang a gospel-style version of Silent Night for the guests.

Inviting Friends

In addition to helping the Church to bridge with community leaders, the event helps members to reach out to their neighbors.

Brother and Sister Bankhead brought 15 families to the event. Each year they invite friends and each year the list grows.

They don’t just hand out a flyer for the event and encourage their friends to “go”, rather they invite their friends to come “with” them, inviting them on Sunday evening, because most Christmas parties are not held on Sunday and people are usually free to come.

The Bankheads start the evening with a light dinner, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., served appetizer-style in several rooms of their home. They find this makes it easy to serve and mingle and to accommodate more guests than their dining table could seat.

At 5 p.m. they hand each guest a map and an itinerary to explain how the rest of the evening will go. By 5:30 p.m. the group meets at the exhibit to take in the displays and the children’s crafts. At 7 p.m they meet in the chapel to listen to the Christmas message broadcast from leaders of the Church.

Though their large family is so busy and can hardly think of taking the time to do this, they make the commitment, regardless if they feel their home is decorated or perfectly clean and ready to greet people.

Brother Bankhead said, “If we don’t plan it, it just won’t happen. We can always think of a number of excuses, and for our family it just seems so hard to schedule the time.”

The Bankhead family demonstrates that reaching out to others is not something that just happens, but it takes deliberate action. The payback is worth it, so they do it each year.

Brother Bankhead says that the evening opens and re-opens a dialogue each year with his friends about faith. Though one neighbor has expressed interest in reading the Book of Mormon, and another neighbor decided to involve their sons in the church scout program, the experience of bringing their community of friends closer together makes the effort worth it.

Pictured are John Welch and daughter Elena. Photo courtesy of Susan Heimman

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Each year this event grows. Key to its success has been the involvement of our community friends who offer elements to the event we might otherwise not have if we relied only on our church members’ resources.

This event is our church’s gift to the community, yes, but we receive so much more in return.

Each year I volunteer for hours on end greeting and meeting people in the community. The hours go by quickly and I go away fed by the fellowship of our community. I can’t think of a better way to begin the Christmas season than to open our hearts with our friends and share the common ground of hope for “peace on earth, good will towards men”.

May we keep this spirit throughout the year and forever working with our neighbors and friends.

Whitney and I wish you a very Merry Christmas all year long!

Dana

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All Men....

A press release appeared at the LDS Newsroom yesterday titled Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All Men -- Not Just Those Who Share My Beliefs.

It appears in its entirety below; all I can add is 'Amen.'

There is a spiritual maturity demonstrated by those who can accept religious common ground with others and also respectfully acknowledge differences. This comes from spending time with each other and by taking an approach that puts a desire to seek mutual understanding and goodwill above pride and self-interest.

Currently, many media and other discussions in the United States and elsewhere are raising questions about what it means to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how Mormons fit into neighborhood and national social mosaics. Some of these questions and comments are dispassionate, dignified and thoughtful. However, many others come across either as misguided utterances or as deliberate attacks. The latter type of comment is often underpinned by a tone of expertise and authority that baffles those who know Latter-day Saint beliefs best — Mormons themselves.

Ill-informed comments can be easily forgiven, and chances to engage in discussion to develop mutual, accurate understanding and respect are often seized upon — as they should be. But when a person starts excluding someone of a different faith as a legitimate participant in society because there are theological differences — then a line has been crossed.

It is bewildering to a Mormon to hear or read that some others feel that she or he is not a Christian. To a Mormon, any person who worships, loves and honestly tries to live by the teachings of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God and Savior of Mankind, is a fellow Christian. Theological differences unquestionably exist, but genuine, reverent love for and sincere striving to emulate the Savior qualify any person to call her- or himself a Christian.

Joseph Smith, the Mormons’ first prophet, said: “I want the liberty of thinking and believing as I please. It feels so good not to be trammeled.”

Speaking more recently, Latter-day Saint Apostle, Elder M. Russell Ballard said: “Just as we claim the right to worship as we choose, we believe [others] have the right to worship—or to not worship—as [they] see fit. All of our interpersonal relationships should be built on a foundation of mutual respect, trust, and appreciation. But that shouldn’t prevent us from sharing deeply held religious feelings with each other. Indeed, we may find that our [religious and] philosophical differences add flavor and perspective to our relationships, especially if those relationships are built on true values, openness, respect, trust, and understanding.”

Cynicism and distrust are tainting much of the discussion about faith and values, and their influence on social systems. And this is causing us to miss the opportunity to engage with each other, through media and face to face, on more important issues — such as how we can get along so we can work together to do good in our homes, communities and nations.

Truly effective collaboration, for the good of our families and societies, is not possible until we have the will and the maturity to listen to, understand and respect each other. When the intolerance hurdle has been successfully jumped, all sorts of wonderful things can happen, as individuals rub shoulders while working toward common community objectives.

Muslims, Catholics, Evangelicals, Mormons and many others, working side by side to help rebuild parts of Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami, provided a powerful example of what is possible. Political, ethnic and faith lines were washed away by the flooding as individuals temporarily put aside differences to focus on more pressing, shared imperatives.

During this Christmas season and at all times, a true showing of our depth of devotion and faith will be how we talk about and engage with others — others of our own faith and, even more significant, those who may have some differing religious beliefs. The way we talk and write about others says a lot more about ourselves than it does about those we seek to describe.