Associated Press drama writer Mark Kennedy reports:

"The Book of Mormon" nabbed a leading 14 Tony Award nominations Tuesday, earning the profane musical one nod short of the record for most nominations and putting it in the driver's seat when the awards are handed out next month.

An unlikely hit about two Mormon missionaries who find more than they bargained for in Africa, the musical was written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of Comedy Central's irreverent "South Park," and Robert Lopez, co-creator of the equally irreverent Tony Award-winning musical "Avenue Q." All got nominations.

"The Book of Mormon" has been a critical and box-office darling even without big-name stars and has tapped into a decidedly un-Broadway vein with songs about AIDS and one man's loud lament about having maggots in his scrotum.

"This is a brand of humor that very much existed in our culture — on television and films," said Andrew Rannells, who won a best leading actor in a musical nomination. "It was just not reflected on Broadway. Obviously, there's a huge audience for this so why shouldn't it be a musical?"

On the animated series "South Park," about a group of potty-mouthed school kids in Colorado, Parker and Stone have lampooned everything and everybody from Jesus to Saddam Hussein to Barbra Streisand to Scientology to Tiger Woods to New Jersey. And they've mocked The Church of Latter-day Saints on the Comedy Central TV show, too, mostly by showing Mormons as relentlessly cheery.

"This is dangerous in the best sense. People are excited when they sit down in those seats because they don't know what's going to happen," said Rory O'Malley, who won a nomination for best actor in a featured role for "Mormon."

As for the Mormons, the church would not add to the comment they first issued when the musical opened: "The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening, but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people's lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ."

Continue reading "'Book of Mormon' picks up 14 Tony nominations" »

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Associated Press correspondent Jennifer Dobner reports:

The Mormon Church urged its members Tuesday to consider whether their attitudes toward all people — including gays — followed Christian principles, responding to activists' demand that a church leader withdraw anti-gay statements.

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay civil rights organization, delivered a petition letter carrying 150,000 signatures to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' headquarters, asking leader Boyd K. Packer to retract his statements in an Oct. 3 sermon that same-sex relationships are unnatural and can be overcome.

Packer, 86, is the second-highest ranking Mormon church leader and the next in line for the presidency of the 13.5 million-member faith.

Activists said such rhetoric is harmful, factually inaccurate and can result in the kind of bullying that leads some lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth to attempt suicide. At least four gay teens killed themselves last month across the country after reportedly experiencing anti-gay bullying and harassment.

In an official church statement about an hour after the activists delivered their petition, spokesman Michael Otterson called those deaths tragic.

"We join our voice with others in unreserved condemnation of acts of cruelty, or attempts to belittle or mock any group or individual that is different — whether those difference arise from race, religion, mental challenge, social status, sexual orientation, or for any other reason," Otterson said. "Such actions simply have no place in our society."

Otterson said church history is replete with examples of discrimination against Mormons and that members should be "especially sensitive to the vulnerable in society," including gays.

The statement also reiterated the faith's belief that all sexual relations outside of marriage are wrong and said the church defines marriage as being only between a man and a woman. Since the 1990s, the church has worked to prevent the passage of laws legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide and helped generate millions to fund California's Proposition 8 in 2008.

The three-page statement fell short for activists seeking a reversal and an acknowledgment that same-sex attraction is an immutable human characteristic that cannot be changed.

"Unfortunately, the church did not use this golden opportunity to correct the record about their inaccurate and dangerous statements," HRC Vice President of Communications Fred Sainz, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "Every human being deserves the God given right to love and be loved. It's simply not reasonable to say 'don't act on temptations.'"

Continue reading "Mormon Church: Anti-gay cruelty wrong" »

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Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo might seem like an unlikely person to be pushing a bill to cut federal taxes on small beer-makers: A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he abstains from alcohol.

But Crapo's effort, with senators from Oregon, Massachusetts and Maine, illustrates the deep bond between Idaho Mormons and the beer industry, the Associated Press reports.

Mormon farmers raise barley for Budweiser and Negra Modelo beers, and last year, Mormons in the Idaho Legislature helped kill a plan to raise beer and wine taxes to fund drug treatment, fearing it could hurt farmers.

Crapo touted the tax cut for brewers during a recent appearance at the Portneuf Valley Brewing Co. in Pocatello and said his position is simple: He won't impose his own religious beliefs on others, especially when it could affect a growing industry.

"The (Idaho) wine industry is growing, too," he told the AP. "I'll probably get asked to help the wine growers out. And I probably will."

Continue reading "Teetotalling Mormons grow barley for beer" »

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The Mormon church says it has changed its genealogical database to better prevent the names of Jews killed in Nazi concentration camps from being submitted for posthumous baptism by proxy, the Associated Press reports.

In a joint statement issued Wednesday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a coalition of Jewish leaders said a new computer system and policy changes related to the practice should resolve a yearslong disagreement over the baptisms.

Mormons believe posthumous baptism by proxy provides an opportunity for deceased persons to receive the Gospel in the afterlife. Baptisms are performed in Mormon temples with members immersing themselves in a baptismal pool as proxies for others. The names used in the ceremonies are drawn from a church-run genealogical database.

Faithful Mormons use the practice primarily to have their ancestors baptized into the 180-year-old church and believe the ceremonies reunite families in the afterlife.

But the practice also includes proxy rites for others around the world from all faith traditions. The church also believes departed souls can accept or reject the baptismal rites in the afterlife and contends the offerings are not intended to offend anyone.

Jews are offended by the idea that Mormons are trying to alter the religion of Holocaust victims, who were murdered because of their religion.

Continue reading "Mormons, Jews tackle proxy baptisms" »

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The Mormon church is in talks with the People's Republic of China to improve relations for church members living in mainland China, the Associated Press reports.

The discussions are aimed at ensuring that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says are practicing their faith within the boundaries of Chinese law, the church said. The talks were initiated by a senior Chinese government official, who was not identified by name in the statement.

Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the church's senior leadership circle, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, who both oversee church operations in Asia attended meetings in Beijing in February and May.

A third meeting was held Aug. 24 in Salt Lake City between a Chinese official and the 13 million-member faith's First Presidency.

"No U.S. government official or diplomat has been involved in any way in these discussions," said Mike Otterson, who runs the church's public affairs department. "This is purely between the leadership in Salt Lake City and the leadership in Beijing."

None of the discussions have addressed the possibility of church missionaries proselytizing in China, Otterson said.

"That issue is not even under consideration," Otterson said.

Continue reading "Mormon church, China in talks" »

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Authorities say the man suspected of fatally shooting a Mormon church official in a central California church was later shot to death in a confrontation with police, the Associated Press reports.

Police say 42-year-old Mormon lay bishop Clay Sannar was shot Sunday in his office at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Visalia, southeast of Fresno.

Visalia police chief Colleen Mestas says minutes later, a caller identified himself to police as the shooter. Police responded. The suspect was shot and died at a local hospital. No officers were injured.

Mestas says they've handed over the investigation of the officer-involved shooting to Tulare County sheriff's deputies.

Visalia police continue to investigate Sannar's shooting but haven't identified a motive. As far as police know, the shooter wasn't part of the church.

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, seen as a key player in the passage of California's 2008 ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage, says it regrets a federal judge's ruling Wednesday to overturn it.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker agreed with two gay couples that the ballot initiative, known as Proposition 8, violated their civil rights.

In a statement, the church says it "regrets" the ruling:

"California voters have twice been given the opportunity to vote on the definition of marriage in their state and both times have determined that marriage should be recognized as only between a man and a woman. We agree. Marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of society.

“We recognize that this decision represents only the opening of a vigorous debate in the courts over the rights of the people to define and protect this most fundamental institution—marriage.

“There is no doubt that today’s ruling will add to the marriage debate in this country, and we urge people on all sides of this issue to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility toward those with a different opinion.”

The church urged followers to give their time and money to support Proposition 8, which passed with 52 percent of the vote.

According to the Associated Press, church members were among the campaign's most vigorous volunteers and by some estimates contributed tens of millions of dollars to the effort. In a statement, the church said the decision reopens a vigorous debate about over the right of the people to define marriage.

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A Utah Supreme Court decision that overturns polygamous church leader Warren Jeffs' 2007 criminal conviction won't automatically make him a free man, the Associated Press reports. Even if Utah doesn't retry him, Texas and federal prosecutors are waiting to move forward with their own cases.

Justices on Tuesday unanimously said Jeffs should get a new trial because state attorneys overreached in their argument that performing the marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her 19-year-old cousin amounted to facilitating a rape.

Utah officials now have two weeks to seek a rehearing before the state's high court and then a month to decide if they'll retry the 54-year-old head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on charges of first-degree felony rape as an accomplice.

A judge Wednesday set an Aug. 18 date for a hearing on a motion from Jeffs' defense attorneys seeking a "speedy trial before a jury of his peers."

Meanwhile, authorities in Texas are trying to get Jeffs sent there to face charges in connection with his own alleged marriages to underage girls in 2005. A federal indictment stemming from Jeffs' stint as a fugitive on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list is also pending.

"He would not go free," said Melodie Rydalch, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Utah.

Continue reading "Texas, feds in line to try polygamist leader Jeffs" »

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The Utah Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed the convictions of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs and ordered a new trial, saying a jury received incorrect instructions before considering his role in the 2001 nuptials of a 14-year-old girl to her 19-year-old cousin, the Associated Press reports.

Jeffs, 54, was convicted in 2007 of two counts of first-degree felony rape as an accomplice. He is serving two consecutive terms of five years to life in the Utah State Prison.

A telephone call seeking comment from the Washington County attorney's office and the Utah attorney was not immediately returned Tuesday. Jeffs' lawyers scheduled a news conference later Tuesday.

Jeffs is head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The group, based on the Utah-Arizona state line, practices polygamy in marriages arranged by church leaders.

Jeffs performed the religious marriage of Elissa Wall and Allen Steed in a Caliente, Nev., motel and later counseled Wall to be obedient and give her "mind, body and soul" to her husband in an effort to make an unhappy marriage work.

During the trial and later in her book, "Stolen Innocence," Wall said she objected to the marriage and was forced into sexual relations with her husband.

Continue reading "Utah Supreme Court reverses Jeffs convictions" »

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Mormon church leaders have restated the faith's unequivocal position against gay marriage in a letter to members in Argentina, where the government is debating whether to legalize gay unions, the Associated Press reports.

"The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is absolutely clear: Marriage is between one man and woman and is ordained of God," said the July 6 letter from church President Thomas S. Monson.

A copy of the letter and its English translation began circulating over the weekend on websites for former Mormons.

Church spokeswoman Kim Farah on Monday confirmed the letter was sent to local leaders in Argentina, where the faith has more than 371,000 members, according to a 2010 church almanac. The country's population is more than 41 million.

Argentina's Senate is debating whether to approve either gay marriage or a civil union law. The country's other legislative body — the House of Deputies — approved same-sex marriage legislation in May. President Cristina Fernandez has promised not to veto the measure if it reaches her desk.

The letter falls short of calling for political activism by members in Argentina, but is an echo of a 2008 letter from Monson to Latter-day Saints in California. Monson had called for Mormons to give their time and money to help pass Proposition 8, a state ballot initiative to ban gay marriage.

The church was seen as a driving force behind that initiative's success, with members donating tens of millions of dollars to the campaign.

In a statement, Farah said "the church has taken no official position on the legislation being considered" in Argentina.

Still, Mormon historian D. Michael Quinn, said the letter is a significant step in political activism for the church outside the United States.

Continue reading "Mormon church restates opposition to gay marriage" »

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California's political watchdog agency will fine the Mormon church for contributions to help pass the state's gay-marriage ban two years ago, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Roman Porter, executive director of California’s Fair Political Practices Commission, tells Bee reporter Jim Sanders that the church has agreed to the $5,539 fine, which is scheduled for agency aciton on Thursday. Sanders continues:

The fine stems from 17 non-monetary contributions totaling $36,928 that were made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within about two weeks of the November 2008 election, an FPPC report said.

The watchdog agency concluded that timely disclosure was not made of the Proposition 8 contributions as required by state elections law.

In a written statement Tuesday, the Mormon church said it had not misrepresented contributions but had erred in timeliness of reporting.

Read more at sacbee.com.

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In the months since we started In Good Faith, we've attracted readers and commenters from all over the world. Ties to the Baltimore area will be helpful in spotting some familiar faces in the video above (the list appears at the end).

I wanted to take a moment to say a sincere thank you to all who have stopped by, and particularly to those who have joined in the spirited debate taking shape on these pages. During this holiday season, we wish the very best to everyone of every faith, and no faith at all.

I expect to be posting only lightly over the next few days as I take time off to spend with my family. As my father would say: Talk amongst yourselves.

Best,
Matt

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Over at Alternet, Joanna Brooks is crediting the rise and persona of Fox News personality Glenn Beck to the Mormonism to which the former Catholic converted in 1999. She begins the critical piece with Beck’s own description of the experience:

"I was friendless, working in the smallest radio market I had ever worked in... a hopeless alcoholic, abusing drugs every day," Beck said in an interview taped last fall. "I was trying to find a job and nobody would hire me … couldn’t get an agent to represent me. …"

"I was baptized on a Sunday, and on Monday" -- Beck’s throat tightens again; he wipes tears from his eyes with his index fingers -- "an agent called me out of the blue." Three days later, Beck was offered his own political talk radio show at WFLA-AM in Tampa, Florida, the job that put him on the road from "morning zoo" radio prankster to conservative media heavyweight.

Brooks says Beck’s reverence for the founders, his devotion to the writings of Freeman Society founder Cleon Skousen, even what she calls his “oft-ridiculed penchant for punctuating his tirades with tears” all derive from his Mormonism:

As sociologist David Knowlton has written, "Mormonism praises the man who is able to shed tears as a manifestation of spirituality." Crying and choking up are understood by Mormons as manifestations of the Holy Spirit. For men at every rank of Mormon culture and visibility, appropriately-timed displays of tender emotion are displays of power.

Not typical of Mormon masculinity, Brooks writes, are “Beck’s high-decibel swings between bombast and self-deprecation.”

Such demonstrative excesses are socialized out of most Mormon men during a regimented process of masculine formation that begins with entry into the lowest ranks of Mormonism’s lay priesthood at age 12, intensifies during compulsory missionary service from age 19 through 21, and continues throughout a lifetime of service within hierarchical priesthood quorums. A textbook example of the traditional Mormon “man of steel and velvet” whose inability to connect with the Republican base may have as much to do with his lack of familiar jocularity and chest-thumping outrage as it does with the perceived weirdness of his Mormon beliefs. As a convert, Beck missed out on crucial early years of Mormon male socialization. Consequently, his renegade persona may endear him even more to his Mormon male fans who might like to comport themselves as he does, but feel they cannot.

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When we launched this blog a few months back, we assembled a list of categories we thought we might fill with posts. We have filled most of them, and over time, we've added new categories. But if you look at the list below and to the right, there remain four original categories that we haven't touched.

This is an invitation to anyone aware of interesting news, developments or trends involving the Baha'i, Mormon, Sikh or Wiccan faiths, particularly with links to Baltimore or Maryland, to let us know about it.

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