Mormon Life - Anniversary tag

New youth website celebrates 100 years of Young Women Camp

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:15:00 -0600

source: news.lds.org

For Clarissa Johnson, a young woman in the Liberty Stake in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, camp was an exciting new adventure. She cooked, hiked, and swam during this weeklong activity. At the end of the camp, she wrote in her journal: “[And the girls went home] in the twilight sad and happy, sad to leave the camp and swimming, glad to be at home with loved ones, filled with joy and blissful memories, looking forward to the next year.”

The entry sounds like what any young woman today might say about camp, but Clarissa wrote her journal entry in 1912. Although much about Young Women camp has changed over the last 100 years, the same spirit Clarissa felt a century ago is still being felt by young women all over the world today.

Humility is a quality all too lacking

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:35:00 -0600

source: MormonTimes.com

Humility seems to rank fairly low among the secular virtues, but it's at the core of what it means to be religious.

"Believe in God," advises King Benjamin. "Believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend" (Mosiah 4:9).

"Hubris," extreme pride or arrogance, was a major theme in ancient Greek myth and literature, causing the failure of great heroes, and it plays a central role in the biblical story of the tower of Babel.

100 years after Titanic sinks, LDS connections still remembered

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:03:00 -0600

by Alexa Justesen - LDS Living
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, LDS Living takes a look back at the connections between the event and members of the LDS community, including a mother, a defender of LDS rights, and six missionaries who miraculously survived.

On the cold evening of April 14, 1912, the Titanic, a brand-new ocean liner carrying 2,223 people, struck an iceberg, creating a large gash on the ship’s side. Hours later, on the early morning of April 15, the massive ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Millions around the world mourned the loss of 1,517 people the night the “near unsinkable” Titanic sank on its maiden voyage from England to the United States.

One hundred years later, LDS Living looks back at those with ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their part of the story.

A Mother Who Sacrificed to Save Others

Irene Colvin Corbett, a 30 year-old mother from Provo, Utah, and cousin to President Joseph F. Smith, had taken passage on the Titanic after a six-month trip to England to study midwifery. Like twelve other women in second class, she did not survive. Though her death may have occurred because of the lifeboat shortage (one of the great controversies of the Titanic's fate), many believe that Irene did not survive because she had put her medical training to practice and helped as many as she could before the ship went down, thus making it too late for her to get on a lifeboat. Her ability to serve and look beyond her own safety most likely led her to help save many lives, even if it meant giving up her own.

As a second-class passenger, Corbett likely would have spent much of her time at the lending libraries, playing on the Squash court, or outside socializing on the open deck. While each of the class’s quarters were separate, it was common for first- and second-class passengers to mingle.

The Missionaries Who Almost Didn’t Make It

Alma Sonne and his companion, Fred, were heading home along with four other elders after they completed their mission in England. But when the time came to meet in Southampton, Fred became delayed. Elder Sonne, who had convinced Fred to serve a mission in the first place and had booked their passage on the Titanic, decided they should not leave anyone behind. Instead, he canceled the reservations so they could depart the next day, when Fred would arrive.

While a few of the elders were disappointed they would not be able to travel home on the Titanic, they thanked God after they discovered what their outcome would have been. “You saved my life,” Elder Sonne told Fred. “No,” Fred replied. “By getting me on this mission, you saved my life.”

Alma Sonne later served as a stake president and an assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A more in-depth look at Sonne, along with perspectives of his descendants, can be read at the Church's website here.

The Advocate for Religious Freedom

William Stead was another Titanic passenger worth commemorating. As the editor of the Pall Mall Gazette, a London-based newspaper, William used his words to fight the intolerance and bigotry that swarmed around England about the LDS Church.

Although Stead was not a member, he wrote articles in his paper sharing his belief that members of the Church should not be persecuted, and he debunked many of the negative rumors circulating about the Church. William, a first-class passenger, was on his way to America to attend a peace congress at Carnegie Hall, at the request of U.S. President William Howard Taft. Rudger Clawson, a former member of the Quorum of the Twelve, said of William, “Surely every Latter-day Saint whose eyes rest upon the writings of Mr. Stead . . . will ever hold [him] in honorable remembrance.”

Stead, a first-class passenger on the Titanic, would have been able to use the ship’s heated swimming pool, gymnasium, and Turkish bath. Stead would have likely eaten at the Parisian café, where most of the food was cooked by professional French chefs. First class state rooms included a private bedroom, a receiving room, and private restroom facilities. Standard first-class rooms still boasted some of the amenities of the state rooms, but on a smaller scale. All passengers could use the telephone to make phone calls to friends and family on land, and many telegrams (while expensive) were sent and received during the few days the Titanic was on the ocean.

Unfortunately, one of the luxuries not provided was enough lifeboats for all the passengers. Corbett and Stead both passed that night 100 years ago, but their legacies live on in the many memorials taking place this week.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will perform The Titanic Requiem on April 10 in London, and a hologram show depicting the ship and the iceberg will be included. The cruise ship Balmoral will also follow the original route of Titanic and - on April 15 - will briefly stop over the area where the Titanic rests.

And if you want to read more about Irene Corbett’s story, you can check out Anita Stansfield’s Passage on the Titanic, a historical fiction account of Corbett’s journey.

Celebrating Relief Society; FAQs about Mormon Women

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:38:00 -0600

source: mormonwoman.org

It’s the 170th anniversary of the organization of the Relief Society, the women’s organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We’ve had a lot of posts at Mormon Women about the Relief Society over the years. Today we wanted to feature many of them.

Mormon church celebrates relief-giving women's group

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:02:00 -0600

source: columbiamissourian.com

Birthdays often mean cake and celebration, and the case was no different for the 170th birthday of the Relief Society, the Mormon church's organization for women, on Saturday.

But the women from the 13 congregations, called wards, in the mid-Missouri stake of the church weren't opening any presents. They were giving them.

Today in the Bloggernacle: Blogger suggests ways to celebrate Relief Society

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:39:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: I really like the idea of pinning your Mormon.org profile on Pinterest! Leadership Library: I told you about the amazing Leadership Training Library, remember? Hopefully you have already taken advantage of this neat new resource, and now it’s in “11 Languages,” so this handy helper can reach a more worldwide audience. Check it out today!

Celebrating 170 years of the LDS Church's Relief Society on Mormon Times TV

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:37:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

March is the month that we celebrate 170 years of Relief Society — the LDS Church's auxiliary for women — which is the largest women's organization in the world. Its purpose is to help members ages 18 and older increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes and seek out and help those in need.

Anyone who's been a part of it knows Relief Society is a safe haven where love, service and sisterhood abound; where charity means much more than just delivering a meal or a loaf of bread — it's a way of life.

Relief Society Sisters Invited to Commemorate 170th Anniversary

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:00:00 -0700

source: news.lds.org

To honor the 170th anniversary of the organization of the Relief Society, which takes place on March 17, 2012, members of the organization around the world are invited to participate in activities that engage them in the work of Relief Society.

This anniversary is significant, said the Relief Society general presidency, because it follows the publication of Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society, and it presents a natural opportunity for sisters to reinforce in their lives the purposes taught in the book.

Landmark talk by President J. Reuben Clark set standard for church education

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:27:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: Click on the forwarding link to watch a video on the talk. After working for a year as a substitute, Brad Howell was hired as a full-time LDS seminary teacher in 1987. During summer training, he was introduced to President J. Reuben Clark’s classic 1938 address, “The Charted Course of the Church in Education,” which charged teachers to take students into the scriptures every day.

Initially, Howell balked. It sounded good on paper, but he had his doubts.

“I remember reading it for the first time and checking the date. When I saw 1938, I said, ‘This is out of date. This has no relevancy. These aren’t the kids in my classes,’” a smiling Howell said. “I just didn’t believe that the students would really want to involve themselves in the scriptures every day. I thought, ‘You don’t understand kids.’”

A Foundation of Faith: 100 Years of Seminary

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:36:00 -0700

source: youtube.com

Mormon Life says: This is an incredible video I highly recommend watching.

A jubilee year for missionary language instruction

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:22:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Three years after the Church was organized, the Lord decreed that "every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power" (Doctrine and Covenants 90:11).

Today's missionary training centers — including the first one established 37 years ago in Provo, Utah — help fulfill that prophecy and are the culmination of a modest effort that began 50 years ago this past December.

MTC celebrates 50-year anniversary with devotional

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:55:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Fifty years ago last year, newly called missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints going to two foreign-language missions began receiving preparatory language instruction in Provo prior to their departure.

"Tonight, we join in joyous jubilee to commemorate 50 years of missionary training here," said Elder Russell M. Nelson of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Tuesday evening at the regular weekly devotional at today's sprawling Missionary Training Center, located just north and east of the Brigham Young University campus.

ASL seminary classes blossom at site of original seminary class

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:13:00 -0700

source: news.lds.org

One hundred years ago, in a building adjacent to Granite High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, Thomas J. Yates served as the teacher of the first seminary class in the Church, a revolutionary undertaking for the time. Today, a century later, much has changed—Granite High School has closed, for instance. But seminary classes are still held at the site where seminary was first offered in 1912—and they are as innovative as their early predecessors.

Here Nathan Van De Graaff serves as the coordinator for American Sign Language (ASL) seminary. In this role, he teaches standard seminary curriculum in ASL to classes of up to nine students each—students who are participating from their homes across the United States.

President Packer seminary centennial: How to survive in enemy territory

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:18:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Fifty years and more than 2.5 million miles of worldwide travel later, President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve still has an ever-deepening interest in the seminary and institute programs of the Church, and more particularly in the youth of the Church.

“We invest in our youth,” President Packer said during the seminary centennial broadcast held in the Conference Center on Jan. 22. “We know of your worth and potential. I speak as one who has seen the past and would prepare you for the future.”

Mormons Celebrate 100 Years of Seminary

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:09:00 -0700

source: Newsroom.lds.org

Seminary 100th anniversary commemorated in worldwide broadcast

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:50:00 -0700

source: Newsroom.lds.org

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will speak at a broadcast on the 100-year anniversary of the Church’s seminary program, where high school age students learn about the Holy Scriptures.

The event will be held in Salt Lake City at the Conference Center 22 January 2012 at 6:00 p.m. mountain standard time and broadcast to Church meetinghouses worldwide. A rebroadcast is scheduled on 29 January. The fireside will also be streamed live on seminary.lds.org.

Seminary program celebrates century of teaching Mormon teens

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:48:00 -0700

source: Newsroom.lds.org

In 1912, adjacent to Granite High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, Thomas J. Yates assumed the challenging task of organizing and teaching the first seminary class of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). Yates, a Cornell University trained engineer and a power plant employee, rode his horse at midday from his full-time job to teach the 70 students enrolled in the fledgling program.

Yates recognized the demanding nature of the new educational pursuit. “This was a new venture,” he stated in his autobiography. “It had never been tried before. We could see wonderful possibilities; if it were successful it would mean a complete change for the Church.”

Seminary Superman

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:31:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

Editor's note: With the upcoming 100-year celebration of the LDS Church's seminary program, Mormon Times is sharing experiences and blessings from those who participated in the program.

When my dad, "Brother" Lynn Humphreys, was a new seminary teacher in the 1970s, he easily resembled Clark Kent. He occasionally wore thick-rimmed black glasses, parted his dark hair down the side and had plenty of handsome good looks; not to mention he always wore a suit to work.

Blessings come from getting up early

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:23:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Editor's note: With the upcoming 100-year celebration of the LDS Church's seminary program, Mormon Times is sharing experiences and blessings from those who participated in the program.

To put it as plainly as I possibly can, seminary truly has helped me to be where I am today. Although we may have called it "cemetery" a few times because getting up so early made you feel like you were dying, seminary is a life-changing program.

Seminary lessons learned by a teacher

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:30:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

Editor's note: With the upcoming 100-year celebration of the LDS Church's seminary program, Mormon Times is sharing experiences and blessings from those who participated in the program.

It was after I taught seminary for a year that I learned sometimes the greatest rewards in life come after the greatest struggles.

On the morning of Friday, April 17, 2009, my wife, Lisa, found me in our basement and asked if I had received the “big phone call” yet. “Any minute now,” I replied.