Hollywood’s Latest Hoodwink
Nationally syndicated radio host and best-selling author Michael Medved wrote up an opinion piece yesterday on USAToday’s website titled “Hollywood’s terrorists: Mormon, not Muslim”. Medved took to task those involved with the upcoming film September Dawn, a portrayal (albeit jaded and misrepresented one) of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Claiming they don’t have an axe to grind, the film’s producers show quite the opposite. Medved explains: These explorations reach no definitive conclusions on Brigham Young’s complicity in the massacre, but the movie leaves no doubt at all...
Read MoreFixing an Error
Kudos to U.S. News and World Report for acknowledging that the cover of a recent issue may have implied a connection between the LDS Church and polygamist/fundamentalist groups. Apparently the story itself was clear about the distinction, but the cover may have been unintentionally misleading: While the article makes a distinction between that polygamous sect and mainstream Mormonism’s rejection of polygamy, the reference to Mormons on the cover does not make this distinction. It was not our intention to imply that mainstream Mormonism is a secret society, sect, or cult, and we regret any...
Read MoreThe New York Times Gets It Right
As Mitt Romney continues to campaign for a presidential nomination, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is featured in the media with increasing frequency. While not all articles about the Church are accurate or well-researched, it is important to note that the overall quality of many of those articles is improving. One example of good journalism is a recent article in the New York Times that surveyed what members of the church though of the recent attention on the Mormon Church. Entitled “Romney’s Run has Mormons Wary of Scrutiny,” the article interviews several Latter-day...
Read MoreNY Times Op-Ed Piece Describes the LDS Church
An op-ed piece in the New York Times today discussed Mitt Romney’s religion in the context of his bid for presidential nomination. While the article focused mainly on political strategy, it did highlight some of the differences between Mormonism and the rest of Christianity. The article, by op-ed contributor Kenneth Woodward, was respectful and accurate. Some of the points Woodward made about the Church include: . . . Mormons speak of God, but they refer to a being who was once a man of “flesh and bone,” like us. They speak of salvation, but to them that means admittance to a...
Read MoreMisleading Statements in Canada’s Largest Newspaper
The Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper, published a book review by Alissa York that contained several false or misleading statements regarding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The article, entitled, “Books of Mormon,” carried the subtitle: “One Latter-Day Saint is being tried for rape; another’s running for president.” While the latter comment, referring to Mitt Romney, is accurate, the former statement is false. The man Ms. York refers to being tried for rape, Warren Jeffs, is not and never has been a member of the Mormon Church. Referring to...
Read MoreShoddy Journalism and Controversy Bandwagoneering
The local press has been quite excited lately with the latest Utah Valley controversy: Dick Cheney’s planned commencement speech at the upcoming BYU graduation. Hoping to garner some attention of her own, SLTrib columnist Rebecca Walsh decided to jump on the controversy bandwagon and fling mud. Her article titled “Church shows true color – red” makes a plethora of unfounded accusations and unsubstantiated explanations. In a nutshell, Walsh claims that Cheney’s invite to speak at BYU flies in the face of previous statements of political neutrality. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got...
Read MoreRomney not likely to wear religion on his sleeve
Here’s a good letter to the editor in my hometown newspaper stating that Romney wouldn’t be likely to wear his religion (Mormonism) on his sleeve. The letter points out several theological, cultural, and personal reasons why Romney would successfully “separate the public sphere of his work from the personal sphere of his church.” The Mormon church’s Articles of Faith profess a belief in “obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” The Church regularly affirms its political neutrality. Chapels and member lists cannot be used for political purposes. The Church has “acquiesced...
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