MORMON SOPRANO

Temple Square - SLC, Utah

It’s time for “Conference Countdown“! Each April and October Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City becomes the quintessential “Mormon Mecca”. Anticipation is heightening, and many preperations have been underway to make this global Conference just as beautiful and spiritually edifying as ever. (more…)

Latter-day Saint student and film maker Seth Adam Smith has been creating and sharing poignant YouTube videos since the mid 2000′s. Many of these have been featured at Mormon Soprano. This week, Seth released The Testimony of Joseph Smith, which he says took over two years to make, and is as much a statement of his own spiritual witness, as that of the prophet. (more…)

Cardinal George greeted by LDS Authorities

There’s an old saying: “What a difference a day makes“. In the grand scheme of things, a “day” might be 24 hours, or perhaps a week, a month, a decade, a generation, or even an eon. Biblically speaking, who is to say how long a “day” needs to last for God’s six creative steps, recorded in the first chapter of Genesis? Time is an elusive illusion. A mortal encumbrance. However, once in a while the whole creative process aligns in such a way that we are allowed to glimpse a significant change, and appreciate Gods handiwork. 

Yesterday was one of those days. (more…)

Each year the Young Men and Young Women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (ages 12-18) receive a scriptural theme which will be a focal point for lessons, activities, youth camps, and firesides. The Theme for 2010 is

“Be Strong and of A Good Courage“

(more…)

Today is author J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday. He would have been 118. Born on Jan. 3, 1892 (died Sept. 2, 1973), John Ronald Reuel Tolkien became a famous English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor. He is best known as the author of the classic fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Indeed, he has been called the “Father of Modern Fantasy Literature”.

It is well known that Tolkien’s closest friend was fellow-author and Christian convert C.S. Lewis. Mormons Love C.S. Lewis. He is considered one of the most quoted non-LDS authors over an LDS pulpit – and likewise, J.R.R. Tolkien is admired no less.

Second President of the LDS Church Brigham Young said that “much … knowledge is obtained from books, which have been written by men who have contemplated deeply on various subjects, and the revelations of Jesus have opened their minds, whether they knew it or acknowledged it or not.” (Journal of Discourses 12:116, emphasis added.)

The Prophet Joseph Smith was admonished that we need to seek “out of the best books words of wisdom…seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (D&C 88:118.) The Lord further urged that we need to “study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people.” (D&C 90:15.)

A brief search on lds.org offers a few examples of Mormons honoring J.R.R. Tolkien:

1. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (July 6, 1926 – July 21, 2004), LDS Apostle:

We may not be able to fix the whole world, but we can strive to fix what may be amiss in our own families. Tolkien reminds us:

“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule” (The Return of the King [1965], 190).

From “Hope Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ“, emphasis added.

2. LDS-owned Brigham Young University holds a large annual Women’s Conference. The 1983 Conference chose a quote by Tolkien as their theme:

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost,
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
(J. R. R. Tolkien, from The Fellowship of the Ring.)

The theme was addressed thoughtfully and creatively by students, educators, and General Authorities alike in a wide variety of addresses, workshops, and opportunities for learning attended by over two thousand participants.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell was one of the conference’s speakers, and expanded the theme’s message.

“Your Tolkien theme, ‘Deep roots are not reached by the frost,’ might well have had added to it, ‘nor are they scorched by the sun.’ Jesus described the realities of that scorching sun when he talked in these terms: ‘And some fell upon the stony places, where they had not much earth, and forthwith they sprung up because they had no deepness of earth. And when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away.’ (Matt. 13:5–6.)”

“In our own lives, the heat will come—not alone in the rigors of daily life, but also in the special summer of circumstance at that point in history when the leaves of the fig trees sprout. The anticipated summer is upon us, and only those who are (to cite Peter and Paul’s adjectives) ‘grounded, rooted, established and settled’ will survive spiritually. (See Eph. 3:17; Col. 1:23; Col. 2:7.)”

As quoted in the May 1983 Ensign “News of the Church“

3. Renoun Latter-day Saint fantasy artist James C. Christensen stated his symbolic art was greatly influenced by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien:

The Pelican King

“[C.S. Lewis puts] the gospel in a nongospel context. And he’s not writing just for a religious audience. He’s accepted out there in the real world. I found the same thing with J. R. R. Tolkien. This happened while I was in college. The fact that their fantasy was considered as a viable kind of expression gave me the courage to say, “Why don’t I try to do the same sort of thing visually and see what happens?”

From the interview “Windows On Wonder: An Interview with James C. Christensen“, New Era August, 1989

And last, but not least, Mormon Soprano raises her own toast. I have always loved the following words of Tolkien wisdom:

Nearly all marriages, even happy ones, are mistakes: in the sense that almost certainly (in a more perfect world, or even with a little more care in this very imperfect one) both partners might be found more suitable mates. But the real soul-mate is the one you are actually married to.  (J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter to Michael Tolkien, March 1941)

Happy Birthday Mr. Tolkien!

Statistically speaking, the days that follow Christmas and other year-end holiday celebrations show a higher spike in depression and suicide. Today’s post is is a new 9 minute video from MormonMessages which offers some insight and solace.  Produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the message comes from a talk by LDS apostle Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, originally given at a CES Fireside at Brigham Young Univeristy on Sept. 7, 2008 - entitled “Lessons From Liberty Jail“, combined with beautiful photography, and touching movie clips.  It stands as a powerful reminder that we are never really alone, and there is always hope. I encourage you to watch!

Look To The Light: A Message of Hope

This video gives a simplified introduction to Mormon Temples. Learn the history, purpose and what takes place inside - all in just 3 minutes!

Find out more about Mormon temple worship at LDS.org/Temples

Read fun facts and see beautiful photos of Mormon temples around the world at LDSChurchTemples.com

Watch an indepth documentary about Mormon Temples

Learn more about Mormon belief at  http://mormon.org/

This 4 minute video is well worth watching, from both an historical and religious perspective.

Created by DefendingMormonism

You’ve heard the rumors about Mormons. “Polygamists”, “Not Christian”, “Utah Cult”, “No Coffee”…. etc. But are they true? This MormonsMadeSimple video separates the myths from the facts.

At the October 1981 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Elder Neal A. Maxwell gave his first talk over the pulpit as a newly ordained apostle. It was entitled: “O, Divine Redeemer“. Elder Maxwell was known for his keen intellect, and love for poetry and alliteration. Each talk became a scriptural masterpiece of literature, devotion and instruction. He served for twenty-three years as a witness of Jesus Christ before succumbing to Leukemia in 2004.

I thank SethAdam Smith for creating this beautiful video highlighting Elder Maxwell’s powerful testimony, “O Divine Redeemer“. A Mormon Witness of Christ.

Learn more about The Mormons and Jesus Christ, at www.Jesus.lds.org