Free Music Album from Brigham Young University’s Men’s Chorus

PROVO — Brigham Young University’s Men’s Chorus has raised its voice in a tribute to the increased missionary effort by recording a new album for Mormon missionaries, "Set Apart: Beloved Missionary Hymns."

“The album (was) created as a gift to all who share in the love of missionary work,” according to a press release from BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications.

The choir, the largest collegiate men’s choir in the nation, worked with arrangers of original compositions of well-loved missionary hymns who agreed to wave royalty fees so the album could be downloaded for free at setapartalbum.byu.edu/download.

Due to the unique composition of the choir, many members felt fit for the task of creating a missionary-themed album. Of the 180-member choir, 60 percent have served missions with many others preparing to serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“You feel that tremendous power coming from them when they sing and the enormous collective goodness that they emanate,” according to the press release. “There’s nothing in the world that could be a stronger power for good than that.”

The album was released online April 5.
In addition to recording and giving service, the choir spends time performing concerts on the BYU campus and abroad.
The choir was established in 1958 and for the past 12 years has been under the direction of Rosalind Hall.

Emmilie Buchanan is an intern for the Deseret News with Mormon Times. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of BYU. Her email is at ebuchanan@deseretnews.com.

Funeral Service

The funeral service for Brother Jerry Haptonstall will be held Thursday April 25 at the Zion Road Church. The viewing will be at 1pm in the Relief Society room. There will be a flag ceremony to start the viewing at that time by the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Funeral Service will begin at 2pm in the Chapel.

FamilySearch.org Redesign

Digital technologies have progressively made family history work easier and more accessible. A new version of FamilySearch.org, which launched today, makes family history research more interactive and conveniently collaborative, with added social media, photo and story elements that create a more personal family history experience for each user.


 FamilySearch.org is boasting many new features including:
 Family Tree
Photos and Stories
Interactive Fan Chart
Family Tree Wizard
Live Help Page

Read more HERE

LDS missionaries now allowed to email friends, priesthood leaders and new converts

Keeping in touch with friends just got easier for full-time missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For years, the church's Missionary Handbook limited email correspondence for young single missionaries to weekly communication with their respective families and mission presidents. But church spokesman Scott Trotter said this week that missionaries now "can also communicate by email with friends, priesthood leaders and new converts."

While in the mission field, Trotter noted, "missionaries should get permission from the mission president before communicating with converts and others of the opposite gender within the mission."

Other handbook policies regarding missionaries and email remain in place, including:

•Missionaries should only use MyLDSMail.net, the filtered service established by the church;

•Email should only be used on the missionary's preparation day;

•Email should be accessed on computers in public places, and never in a place where the missionary's companion can't see the computer screen;

•Missionaries should not use members' computers.

"As your call letter states, you are 'expected to devote all your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs," the Missionary Handbook indicates. "Do not become preoccupied with communicating with family and friends."

Source

Top Mormon Women Leaders Provide Their Insights into Church Leadership

The general presidents of the Relief Society, Young Women and Primary organizations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently participated in a conversation covering a number of topics relating to women in the Church. In the video, Sister Linda K. Burton, Sister Elaine S. Dalton and Sister Rosemary M. Wixom provide insights into their roles in Church leadership, describe the power of the priesthood in people’s lives and provide answers to questions of interest.


Source

Church Adjusts Mission Organization to Implement "Mission Leadership Council"

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is making adjustments to the way its 405 missions are organized, to better utilize the skills and abilities of all missionaries in training and leadership. The change is due in part to the influx of thousands of young missionaries who are responding to the lowering of age requirements for mission service, announced by Church President Thomas S. Monson last October.

Each mission in the Church will organize a mission leadership council that will include both elder (male) and sister (female) as missionary leaders. The new mission leadership council will consist of the mission president and his wife, assistants to the president, zone leaders and sister training leaders — a newly created role.

"We are very excited about the new mission leadership council and this role for sister missionaries,” said Elder David F. Evans, executive director of the Missionary Department. “It will be a blessing to both missions and missionaries throughout the world, and better employ the remarkable faith, talents and abilities of all missionaries."

The role of sister training leader has been created as more female missionaries serve in missions around the world. Sister training leaders will be responsible for the training and welfare of female missionaries assigned to them and will be members of and participate in, the new mission leadership council. Assistants to the president and zone leaders will also participate in the council, and those roles will remain unchanged. Missions will continue to be organized by zones and districts, with district leaders being responsible for baptismal interviews, but the mission leadership council will replace the zone leader council.

Sister training leaders will continue to proselytise and will also spend time each week training and evaluating the needs of female missionaries. They will report directly to the mission president on the needs of sister missionaries. Additionally, the wives of mission presidents are now being asked to play an enhanced role in training and caring for sister missionaries, subject to their individual and family circumstances.

Councils assist in Church governance at every level. In councils, assigned members meet to discuss individual, family and organizational needs and work together to determine how to respond to those needs effectively. Full expression from all participants is invited in council settings, unifying the efforts of both male and female council members.

The changes were announced to general Church leaders (General Authorities and Area Seventies) on Friday morning and will be mailed to mission and other leaders shortly. The changes will be implemented in each mission as soon as is practical.

Source

Stake Pinewood Derby

It was race day! Cars were polished and wheels were greased. It was the day
to see whose car would beat them all. Many contestants showed up for the
event, and the cars were burning some rubber as they flew down the track.
Some speeds exceeded 200 mph, but thankfully none of the cars jumped the
track. Fred Anderson kept track of the racers and lanes and made sure it all
flowed smoothly. Barbara Smith and her counselors organized the event and
made sure it was enjoyable for everyone who attended. Sam Palmer and Chris
Carlson announced the event and interviewed many of the racers. There was
quite a crowd cheering and clapping, and some fantastic sportsmanship!
Horray for ALL of the incredible cars and fantastic racers, and
congratulations to those who received awards.

Aaronic Priesthood Encampment

First Presidency Easter Message

The following is an Easter message from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 

Of all the tests we face, none hurts more than the death of a loved one. Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ all are delivered from death, and all will rise in the resurrection. And by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all may gain peace in this life washed clean from the sorrows of sin and have hope of a glorious resurrection with the just.

At this Easter season we give our sure witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of all mankind. Because of His atoning sacrifice, He stands as our Advocate and Savior. Though He was crucified, He rose triumphant from the tomb to our everlasting blessing and benefit.

Thomas S. Monson
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Henry B. Eyring

Source

Mormon Children Bare Testimonies on YouTube

"Many adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have participated in the"I'm a Mormon" campaign or other online outreach efforts in order to share their beliefs. Young adults have also recently taken to Facebook and YouTube to share their mission calls and testimonies.

"While the world has begun to learn about Latter-day Saints through these outlets, the Mormon Channel and The Friend magazine have provided a way to share the voices and beliefs of Mormon children.

"It's a program titled "One in a Million," which first started in 2011 on The Friend magazine's website on LDS.org. Children from all over the world were contacted and asked to send in photos and a recording. Each video is usually around two minutes long and contains a simple testimony."

(Full Article)

General Young Women Meeting

Recap of the General Young Women Meeting on March 30th. 

President Monson and his counselors, Dieter F. Uchtdorf and Henry B. Eyering all attended the meeting where President Uchdorf and the Gereal Young Women's Presidency addressed the young women of the Church.

Click here to watch the 2013 General Young Women Meeting broadcast.