Mormon News Nibbles: Hillary Seeks Utah Vote; BYU and the Big 12; and More
Hillary Designs Op-Ed to Woo Utah Voters
Hillary Clinton, Democratic 2016 presidential candidate, responded to a request for an op-ed from Deseret News. She aimed her appeal at Mormon voters, vowing to uphold religious rights.
As secretary of state, I made it a cornerstone of our foreign policy to protect the rights of religious minorities around the world — from Coptic Christians in Egypt to Buddhists in Tibet. And along with Jon Huntsman, our then-ambassador in Beijing, I stood in solidarity with Chinese Christians facing persecution from their government.
Candidate Clinton cited Donald Trump’s bigotry toward Muslims and others as proof that he is not moral enough to be president. She compared Trump’s desire to ban Muslims with Lilburn Bogg’s extermination order against the Latter-day Saints in Missouri and President Rutherford B. Hayes’ attempt to limit Mormon immigration to America in 1879. Clinton lauded Utah Governor Herbert’s desire to take in refugees from the Middle East and Africa.
Read more at the Deseret News. And a commentary on it at Religion News Service here.
And in this Deseret News article, see how Clinton has appreciated Mormon Family Home Evening in the past.
BYU’s Big 12 Bid Hits Snag with LGBT Protests
Twenty-five LGBT rights groups have protested the Big 12’s consideration of BYU for its conference. Some cite BYU’s honor code as anti-gay, while others worry how gay athletes and sports fans would be treated on BYU’s campus.
The Big 12’s process has been haphazard so far, and sports experts have had trouble discerning the conference’s motives — more money, more TV coverage?
Other religious colleges are being considered by the Big 12, as are secular schools of lesser reputation sports-wise than BYU, so what will finally happen is anyone’s guess.
Meanwhile, Fox Sports named Taysom Hill and Tanner Mangum together as college football’s #3 quarterbacks.
Read more about BYU and the Big 12.
King of Tonga Builds Monument to Early Missionaries
LDS Daily reports that His Majesty King George Tupou VI unveiled a monument in Tonga on Monday 8 August that recognizes the landing and welcome of the first Mormon missionaries to Tonga in 1891.
The unveiling marked the official start of a week-long celebration in honor of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Tonga Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The ceremony was attended by both civic and LDS leaders.
There are over 63,000 members of the Church in Tonga in 166 congregations, with one mission and one temple.
Church Announces We’ll Study Gordon B. Hinckley Next Year
The Church announced its new curriculum for 2017 for children, youth, and adults. Relief Society and Priesthood classes will study the life and teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley.
The theme for Primary sharing time will be “Choose the Right.”
The Mutual theme will be “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:5–6; emphasis added).
Adult Sunday School lessons will focus on the Doctrine and Covenants and church history, using the same manuals as in the past, with no change in the Gospel Principles curriculum.
LDS Brazilian Youth Stage their own Olympic Relay
In the spirit of the Olympics in Rio, LDS youth of Brazil staged a relay that emphasized spiritual strength.
A banner titled “Erguer-se e Brilhar” — Portuguese for “Arise and Shine Forth” — left the Church Area offices in São Paulo on July 27 and was passed through 11 Brazilian cities. After making its way through Florianópolis, Anápolis, Cuiabá, Belém, Teresina, Natal, João Pessoa, Feira de Santana, Belo Horizonte, Vitória and Birigui, the banner reached its final destination in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, July 30, during a special devotional.
The Church leaders’ messages were reinforced by musical performances of several youth including Nicole Luz, 14, who became well-known in Brazil by wearing her Young Women medallion while competing on the television show “The Voice Kids Brazil.”
Read more at Deseret News.