Mormon Images Available for Use

July 28, 2010

Posted By Kim Schuenman

Looking for images to help illustrate stories about Mormons or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? The following images may be used by bloggers,news media or anyone needing images that describe the Church.

	Jesus Christ — Jesus Christ is central to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which bears His name. Every prayer in the home and every sermon in a chapel closes in the name of Jesus Christ. The emblems of the sacrament (communion) that are taken weekly in worship services are symbols of His Atonement.
	Mormon Family — The concept of a united family that lives and progresses forever is at the core of Latter-day Saint doctrine. Within families led by a father and a mother, children develop virtues such as love, trust, loyalty, cooperation and service.
	Temple Square — Temple Square is one of Utah's most visited attractions, drawing millions of visitors a year. Temple Square consists of the Salt Lake Temple, the Tabernacle (home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir), the Assembly Hall and two visitors' centers.
	The Book of Mormon — Since it was first published in English in 1830, the Book of Mormon has been fully translated into 72 languages, and printed copies have totaled over 140 million. It has been described as the "keystone" of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From the beginning, Church members have accepted it as scripture.
	Mormon Volunteer Charity — The objective of the welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to care for the needy while teaching principles that will allow needy persons to become self-reliant and retain their self-respect.
	Mormon Temple Marriage — Members of the Church believe that marriages performed in temples are "sealed," or blessed to last for eternity. The concept that the family unit can continue beyond the grave as a conscious, loving entity, with the marriage partnership and parent-child relationships intact, is a core belief of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
	Mormon General Conference — Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worldwide gather twice yearly for what they call "general conference." This is in addition to their weekly worship services each Sunday.
	Mormon Helping Hands — Mormon Helping Hands volunteers have been major contributors in relief efforts to help people whose lives have been devastated by natural disasters. Dressed in their trademark yellow T-shirts, the volunteers can be found giving needed service in countries throughout the world.
	Thomas S. Monson — President Thomas S. Monson has served as the 16th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 3 February 2008.
	Thomas S. Monson — Frances Monson, wife of President Thomas S. Monson, waves to congregation at the end of a general conference session.
	Mormon Leaders — The Church is led by 15 apostles. The most senior apostle is the president of the Church, and he selects two other apostles as counselors. These three function as the First Presidency, which is the highest governing body of the Church.
	Mormon Leaders Quorum of the Twelve — The Church is led by 15 apostles. The most senior apostle is the president of the Church, and he selects two other apostles as counselors. These three function as the First Presidency, which is the highest governing body of the Church. Twelve others form the Quorum of the Twelve — the second-highest governing body of the Church.
	Mormon Missionaries — The Church's missionary program is one of its most recognized characteristics. Mormon missionaries can be seen on the streets of hundreds of major cities in the world as well as in thousands of smaller communities.
	Christus — The North Visitors' Center on Temple Square has an 11-foot replica of Thorvaldsen's Christus on display.
	Joseph Smith — The church that Joseph Smith established in 1830 is today a global faith of close to 14 million members, and Joseph Smith himself is regarded by Latter-day Saints as the pre-eminent prophet of modern times.
	Mormon Missionaries — The Church's missionary program is one of its most recognized characteristics. Mormon missionaries can be seen on the streets of hundreds of major cities in the world as well as in thousands of smaller communities.
	Mormon Missionaries — The Church's missionary program is one of its most recognized characteristics. Mormon missionaries can be seen on the streets of hundreds of major cities in the world as well as in thousands of smaller communities.
	Mormon Baptism — Baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requires full immersion in water by a person who holds the priesthood authority to baptize. It is the means by which people join the Church. Those who are baptized into the Church are cleansed of their previous sins and placed under covenant to live the principles of the gospel.
	Mormon Helping Hands — Mormon Helping Hands volunteers have been major contributors in relief efforts to help people whose lives have been devastated by natural disasters. Dressed in their trademark yellow T-shirts, the volunteers can be found giving needed service in countries throughout the world.
	Mormon Tabernacle Choir — The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, one of the oldest and largest choirs in the world, has performed before U.S. presidents, sold millions of records, won scores of awards and enthralled audiences in dozens of countries.
	Mormon Aid — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides relief and development projects for humanitarian purposes in countries all over the world. Projects operate without regard to the nationality or religion of the recipients.
	Mormon Temple — Temples are considered houses of God, places of holiness and peace separate from the preoccupations of the world. They provide a place where Church members make formal promises and commitments to God. They are also the place where the highest sacraments of the faith occur — the marriage of couples and the "sealing" of families for eternity.
	Mormon Temple — Temples are considered houses of God, places of holiness and peace separate from the preoccupations of the world. They provide a place where Church members make formal promises and commitments to God. They are also the place where the highest sacraments of the faith occur — the marriage of couples and the "sealing" of families for eternity.
	Mormon Family — The concept of a united family that lives and progresses forever is at the core of Latter-day Saint doctrine. Within families led by a father and a mother, children develop virtues such as love, trust, loyalty, cooperation and service.
	Mormon Missionaries — The Church's missionary program is one of its most recognized characteristics. Mormon missionaries can be seen on the streets of hundreds of major cities in the world as well as in thousands of smaller communities.
	The Book of Mormon — Since it was first published in English in 1830, the Book of Mormon has been fully translated into 72 languages, and printed copies have totaled nearly 120 million. It has been described as the "keystone" of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From the beginning, Church members have accepted it as scripture.
	Mormon Missionaries — The Church's missionary program is one of its most recognized characteristics. Mormon missionaries can be seen on the streets of hundreds of major cities in the world as well as in thousands of smaller communities.

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Mormon.org Shows Who Mormons Are

July 22, 2010

Posted By Doug Andersen

Eighteen months in the making, mormon.org 4.0 is now online and being used by thousands of people interested in gaining greater understanding and insight into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Media coverage of the launch includes the Deseret Morning News, KSL-TV and the Salt Lake Tribune.

Additional online interviews from department staff give context to the reason for the redesign.

More than a Web site, mormon.org facilitates more effective person-to-person connection modeled after unique qualities found in face-to-face communication. Today, those conversations have been brought online.

Conversations include people like Keenan and Camille, Mormons, each with a unique way they live their faith. Keenan is a native Hawaiian, speaks Dutch and joined the Church at age 18. Camille teaches math and is a foster mom, grandmother and collector of nearly two thousand neckties.

"The goal here is for people to understand that any institution, any collection of people, is really just a manifestation of the beliefs of its members," said Scott Swofford, director of media in the Church's Missionary Department.

Gabriel studies languages and is preparing to be a chaplain in the U.S. Army. One of the languages he speaks is Haitian -- a language he learned and a people he came to love during a two-year mission to Florida.

Cindi is a blogger whose grandparents joined the Mormon Church in Switzerland. She is a mother of five who believes there is value in having dinner as a family every night.

Thousands of Mormons have completed online profiles with biographical information, personal interests and individual testimonies. In addition, doctrinal questions are answered by members of the Church, not for the Church, but representative of the Church's worldwide membership.

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Portable New Testament Available

July 15, 2010

Posted By Doug Andersen

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has taken another step to make the scriptures more accessible to Church members. The Church recently released a more portable stand-alone version of the New Testament in English.

This new version has the standard size (5¼" x 7¼"), print and footnotes that Church members are accustomed to. However, this smaller book is 404 pages (compared to the 2,000-plus pages of the Church's current LDS edition of the King James Version of the Bible), is one-fourth inch thick and does not include the Topical Guide, Bible Dictionary, Joseph Smith Translation, Bible maps, or photographs.

This book was released in advance of next year's study of the New Testament in Church Sunday School Gospel Doctrine classes, which have a four-year rotating curriculum. The Old Testament is this year's book of study, followed by the New Testament in 2011, the Book of Mormon in 2012 and the Doctrine and Covenants in 2013. On Sundays Church members attend congregations for three consecutive hours -- one of which is dedicated to learning the scriptures.

The portable New Testament is currently available in Church distribution stores from Logan to Spanish Fork, Utah, as well as by phone (1-800-537-5001) or Internet in the United States and Canada. The stand-alone New Testament will be under evaluation between now and the end of the year to determine if the Church should distribute the book worldwide.

The Church has done a number of things over the years to make scriptures more accessible to its members. For example, chapter summaries, footnotes, an introduction, an index and other information -- all of which are not considered scripture -- were added or expanded in 1981 to help the reader navigate through the book and compare scriptures in the Old and New Testaments. And most recently, the Church published a Latter-day Saint edition of the Holy Bible in Spanish to benefit an estimated four and a half million Latter-day Saints whose native language is Spanish.

Mormons regard the Bible as scripture, along with the Book of Mormon and other sacred texts. The Church's eighth article of faith states, "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."

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Commentaries on Newsroom

July 9, 2010

Posted By Lyman Kirkland

One of the features of newsroom.lds.org that journalists, bloggers, opinion leaders and others may find helpful is the commentary section, where the Church has posted explanatory, contextual and background information addressing a number of important topics and issues. These pieces are meant to increase understanding of the Church and are written in language familiar to various audiences.

Below are just a few examples:

Approaching Mormon Doctrine

Approaching Mormon History

The Mormon Ethic of Civility

A Mormon Worldview

Publicizing Good Works

The Religious Experience of Mormonism

Reverence for the Bible

Respect for Diversity of Faiths

The Divine Institution of Marriage

"A Record Kept": Constructing Collective Memory

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Neighbors Helping Neighbors

July 8, 2010

Posted By David Porter

Youth from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Renton, Washington, worked in partnership with Catholic Community Services (CCS) recently to help better the lives of many elderly and disabled people.

The youth, ages 12 through 18, completed more than 1,400 hours of service on 13 different projects throughout the city of Renton. Working with CCS's Kizzie Funkhouser, youth and their adult leaders weeded, cleared and hauled away over 7,500 pounds of yard waste and debris. They painted four homes, a large deck and more than 60 yards of fence. They also repaired plumbing fixtures, cleaned and repaired roofs and cleaned inside several homes.

The service was part of what is called youth conference, where Latter-day Saint youth have the opportunity to serve others and learn through workshops and speakers how to better follow Jesus Christ's example. The conference was focused around the theme Live Strong; Serve Strong; Be Strong.

The youth's actions touched both the youth and the recipients of the service. Any apprehension from those receiving assistance was soon replaced with smiles, laughter, hugs of appreciation and friendship. One recipient, Betty Chapman, wrote a note to the youth: "To my new-found friends and good neighbors. I am at a loss for words to express my deep appreciation and gratitude for the wonderful transition you have brought into my life."

Commenting on the partnership between CCS and the Church, Kizzie said, "All my co-workers expressed how wonderful your group was to work with. We are excited for the next opportunity to work together."

Conferences like this one in Renton, Washington, are not rare. Latter-day Saint youth gather throughout the world in thousands of locations to render service in their community and to help those who need a helping hand. Youth are taught to follow Jesus Christ and do as He did when He was on the earth.

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Maintaining Accurate Public Perceptions of Mormonism

June 30, 2010

Posted By Lyman Kirkland

The Mormon Channel recently interviewed Church Public Affairs managing director Michael Otterson about current public perceptions of the Church, as well as what more can be done to help the public better understand Church beliefs and practices.

A recent study from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life shows that over half of Americans know little or nothing about Mormons, 47 percent have an unfavorable view of Mormons and one-third say Mormons are not Christians.

Otterson told the Mormon Channel that the purpose of the Church Public Affairs Department is to help the public see the Church as it really is. However, Otterson added that the burden to accomplish that goal does not rest solely on the Church as an organization. Rather, public perceptions are influenced just as much -- if not more so -- by interactions with individual Church members.

"The body of research in public relations practice emphasizes very strongly that you cannot change people's perceptions of an organization by simply sending out messages," Otterson said. "You only change people's perceptions of an organization by that organization's behavior or actions, or by the actions of the people that represent it."

Those familiar with Mormon theology know that Mormon Church leaders teach members about Jesus Christ and to live a Christ-centered life.

"What I would hope people would respond to when they hear the word 'Mormon' is that they think first of all, these are people whose beliefs, whose doctrines, whose practices are rooted in Christ," Otterson said. "And secondly, right behind that would be the idea that these are people who live their religion."

Listen to or download the full interview from the Mormon Channel.

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