It’s 3 a.m. and I have been up with a killer headache and power puking the remnants of Sunday’s dinner of Tilapia and cucumbers. Let’s just say it hasn’t been a fun night/morning for me!

One thing about excruciating pain is that it helps us appreciate the painless moments that we take for granted. I think that these moments are even more apparent (and appreciated) after the throbbing noise and nausea is a distant (but vibrant) memory of the past.

I wish I was at this point with my headache, but even in my current state of misery I can’t help associate my experience to that of being Mormon. Or more accurately: being a Mormon in today’s excitement over the media’s dubbed “Mormon Moment.”

For quite sometime we have plugged along, with the occasional annoyance from adversaries who felt it was their duty to yell at the rooftops their opinion. Yet, overall these rantings were largely ignored by the world and quite painless to us.

However, with the conclusion of 2011, being Mormon has been a lot more uncomfortable than before. Not to say it has been excruciatingly painful, but the abundant exposure of the media has stripped away the comfort of being devouted to the faith, but largely unknown (and unbothered).

With two LDS hopeful presidential nominees; faithful members headlining the cover of Newsweek, Forbes, Harper’s and other publications; Prophet and President of the Church Thomas S. Monson making the list of the Top Ten Most Admired Men currently living; and much, much more, the anonymity of being Mormon is no longer a luxury.

There is no doubt, as a whole, the Church is pleased with this exposure, even if is not exactly in the manner we want it. Yet, being a faithful member during this time of media ecstasy hasn’t been exactly agreeable.

The unpleasantries come when what is considered deeply important to us, the Latter-day Saints, is belittled. Moments like the infamous popularity of the Book of Mormon play; Robert Jeffress unenlightening theological commentary; and Deadspin’s take on racism at BYU—are all examples of what happens when the world takes notice of you.

Yet, I don’t want to come across complaining about the around-the-clock coverage we are receiving. If we didn’t want the attention than there would be no point to our missionary efforts.

However, I think the bigger question is how we react personally to all this attention, particularly the negative. Are we like David Archuleta or Charlie Sheen when it comes to the spotlight?

I only know both celebrities by how they have individually reacted to their time with the media. I was introduced to Archuleta when I saw him graciously lose to David Cook on American Idol. His humility that night set the stage for his courtship with the media, and each time he makes an appearance you get the sense that he is grateful just to be there.

I tried to find an obnoxious Mormon celebrity to be the antithesis to Archuleta, but I don’t think there are enough Mormon celebrities  yet who can truly compete against Charlie Sheen. I don’t need to say much when it comes to how poorly Sheen has responded to his 12 minutes and 7 seconds of notorious fame—he has said more than enough on his own.

He gives a classic example of how badly one can respond to their media moment. As individual members it is easy to get caught up in the rage of not being understood. We can try Charlie Sheen’s method of screaming at what we feel are injustices or follow the Church’s Archuleta approach when addressing negative exposure.

In 2008, I was given the opportunity to make such a choice. I am strong advocate for defining marriage between a man and a woman, and most of 2008 was spent volunteering my time in helping pass proposition 8.

When the amendment passed I attended, as opposition, a rally in Salt Lake City that called into question prop 8. I was surprised upon reaching Temple Square on just how large the protest was. There were thousands of people who angrily marched down E. South Temple Street to show their displeasure.

In addition to the rally, there were two groups who were there supporting the passing of proposition 8. One group stood on a corner and with bull horns venomously shouted at anyone passing by who disagreed with their stance. The other group (and significantly smaller) quietly stood on the street as a protest to the march.

I chose to be with the latter group and our quiet passiveness was in stark contrast to the chanting and screaming of both the rally supporters and the bull horn agitators. Due to our approach I was interviewed by a local television station.

At the end of the night, all sides of this conflict were heard, but personally, I feel my message received a stronger voice due to our willingness to not engage in the rage of the moment.

As the presidential elections intensify this year, it is very likely that we have only seen the dawn of awareness concerning Mormonism. However, no matter how intense the media might be, how we treat this attention will be an indicator of whether this Mormon Moment is a miserable headache or just simple growing pains.

The Ford Interfaith group promotes unity by sharing information about all faiths and features these types of articles about various religions and faiths.

Quick Facts & Interesting Tidbits about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

OVERVIEW

• Named “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”; informal nicknames are “LDS” or “Mormon” -named after the prophet-historian
• Believes it is the Lord’s restoration of original Christianity as foretold to occur before Christ’s Second Coming.
• Core focus is that Christ and His teachings bring happiness in this life and exaltation in the next.

HISTORY

• In 1820 14-yr-old Joseph Smith told of a vision of God and Christ foretelling a church restoration.
•  Organized in New York in 1830, the church moved to near Cleveland, then near Kansas City, then Illinois.
• Fleeing continued mob attacks 158 years ago, the first Mormon pioneers desperately started their Westward trek from Illinois in the dead of winter. Of the 70,000 who began this 1300-mile journey, 6,000 were buried along the way, including many children.
• Mormon pioneers founded Salt Lake City in Utah and over 600 other Western communities after fleeing Illinois.

SALT LAKE CITY

• Temple Square in Salt Lake has over 5 million annual visitors, more than the Grand Canyon.
• The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is the world’s most famous choir and has the world’s oldest radio program.
• The Salt Lake Temple is the most famous, but there are 128 other temples built here and around the world while others are under construction.
• Home of the world’s largest genealogy database; visit it online or through 3,700 free branch libraries.

ACTIVE CONGREGATIONS

• Sunday services entail a three-hour block of three meetings; about 27,000 congregations exist worldwide.
• Highly vibrant programs exist for youth, children, singles, men, and women; very strong family focus.
• Everyone has a calling; some surveys show LDS have the highest U.S. attendance and service rates.
• Families receive personal fellowship visits at home from other members on a monthly basis.

FINANCES

• Members tithe 10 percent, plus donate generously to the needy the first Sunday of each month.
• Clergy and all other congregational positions are unpaid (however, much of the janitorial is paid).
• The church has no debt; all buildings are paid for in cash (average of two new congregations a day).
• The paid positions in Salt Lake are famously low-salaried; funds are frugally used and tightly audited.

HEALTH CODE

• With a health code from 1833, LDS avoid alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, coffee, and tea (herbal tea is ok).
• This 1833 code also teaches grains (especially wheat), fresh fruits and vegetables, and sparing use of meat.
• A UCLA study showed that active LDS live longer than most Americans, men by 11 years, women by 8.
• Utah is 50th in smoking, alcohol consumption, drunk driving, heart disease, cancer, and sick days.

EDUCATION

• With four colleges, Utah ‘s BYU with 30,000 students is the largest single-campus private college.
• BYU Independent Study with 130,000 students is North America (340 web courses, 530 via mail).
• Seminary, a daily class usually held around 6:00 A.M., serves 376,000 high school students.
• There are Institutes of Religion at 1,950 colleges worldwide that serve 367,000 college students.
• The church operates schools in parts of the Pacific Ocean and Mexico for 10,000 students.
• Utah is 50th in spending per pupil, but first in adults that graduated from high school and attended college.

WOMEN

• In 1842 the “Relief Society” was organized; it’s the largest women’s organization in the world.
• Wyoming was first to allow women to vote; Utah was second, two months later, in 1870.
• Women preach from the pulpit and serve as organization presidents, teachers, committee chairs, etc.

SHARING CHRIST’S GOOD NEWS

• 61,000 missionaries serve in 165 countries; 93 percent are college-age; 22 percent are female.
• Unpaid and paying their own way, most work 65 hours a week for two years, often in a new language.

MEMBERSHIP DISTRIBUTION

• LDS are 70 percent of Utah, 30 percent of Idaho; after Catholics, LDS are the largest sect in 10 states.
• The church has 5.5 million members in the U.S., making it the fourth largest individual U.S. denomination.
• Some memberships: New Zealand 95k, Japan 115k, UK 175k, Philippines 500k, Brazil 900k, Mexico 925k.
• Worldwide 51 percent are female; about 55 percent are not Caucasian; about 70 percent are converts.

MEMBERSHIP GROWTH

• For the last 15 years, every day an average of 800+ people worldwide joined the LDS church.
• Half of the growth is in Latin America, but the rate of growth is highest in Africa and the former Soviet bloc.
• Worldwide membership just passed 12 million, a tenfold increase in 50 years.
• In 1984 a non-LDS professor estimated 265 million members by 2080; so far growth has been faster.
• As this growth has been steady, it will be the next major world religion since Islam.

CHARITY/SERVICE

• Members in need obtain welfare from the LDS Church (thus Utah government welfare spending is very low).
• LDS donate time at 220 welfare storehouses or canneries and about 400 farms.
• There are 210 employment centers placing over 175,000 people annually, and 64 family service centers.
• The church operates 46 thrift stores, in part to provide employment for the disadvantaged.
• The 61,000 missionaries spend half a day each week doing

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

• Over 200 million pounds of food, clothing, and medicine were donated in the last 20 years in 147 countries.
• Almost all of this help is to non-LDS; LDS charities also work with and donate to many non-LDS charities.
• Very rapid disaster relief has been given in 144 major disasters since 1986.
• Almost 3,000 welfare “missionaries” work without pay in 55 countries (farm instructors, doctors, teachers, etc…).
• LDS charities fund a wide variety of projects like drilling water wells or funding small business startup loans.
• New in 2001, members in poor areas can get low-rate college loans; 10,000 loans have been made to date.

GRAB BAG

• Utah is first in: charitable giving, producing scientists, household computers, children with two parents, and birth rate.
• Noted LDS included five senators, and other famous dignitaries (click on link), the Osmonds, Gladys Knight, Steve Young, and the inventor of TV – Philo T. Farnsworth.
• LDS played a key role in the 2002 Winter Olympics; the chair was the former governor of Massachusetts.
• Hawaii ‘s #1 tourist site is the LDS Polynesian Cultural Center ( Tonga and the Samoas are one-third LDS).
• LDS have sponsored Boy Scout troops since 1913; 23 percent of all Scout troops are LDS.
• The BYU Women’s Cross Country were national champions or in second place each of the last seven years.

DETROIT AREA

• The Detroit metro area has 30 congregations; the Dearborn chapel is on Rotunda by Ford’s Building #5.
• Detroit has a temple, storehouse, cannery, employment and family service office, and family history libraries.
• LDS include former Governor Romney, three former Lions quarterbacks, and hundreds of Ford employees.

A member of Ford’s Interfaith Network, the author of this note sends out monthly interfaith notes to thousands of Ford employees who have asked to receive them.

These blunt words by the Prophet underscore the importance of understanding God’s purpose for our mortal existence. However, we cannot even come to an understanding if we do not ask the most basic question: “Does God Exist?”

There are several ways in unearthing an answer to this question. One approach is a philosophical method.

Alma, a prophet from the Book of Mormon, wrote, “All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44).

Gazing into the night sky illuminates exactly what Alma was teaching. We can see millions of dazzling stars and planets organized in such a manner that allows for life on Earth. Even the existence of our beautiful moon offers heavenly proof of God’s existence. Without the moon the ebb and flow of ocean tides would cease and oceanic life, an essential element in sustaining existence on earth, would quickly die. A plant’s transition of carbon dioxide to oxygen, known as photosynthesis, not only keeps carbon dioxide at healthy levels, but also gives us the needed oxygen to survive. This earthly balance and order did not happen by simple chance—truly “All things denote there is a God.”

When we see an airplane, automobile, or locomotive, we do not believe that it was created by a random act of nature. Instead, we understand that a pocket watch has a designer; a painting has a painter; and that order—such as ten paperclips lined up on a desk—has an “order-er.”

When we look at the earth and out into the universe we see creation, design, art, and order. It is not difficult to see that if all things temporal are associated to a creator, designer, artist, and order-er, than behind this incredibly complex universe all things eternal would also have a marvelous Creator, Designer, Artist, and Order-er.

The lack of being able to see the divine Creator doesn’t negate His existence. Just as the fact of not being able to see gravity, energy, or even love negates that these forces exist. It is the evidence of these phenomenas that make us aware of their existence (as an apple falling helped Newton formulate the law of gravity). The old adage “seeing is believing” is still true even if the seeing comes from beholding the created instead of the creator.

This philosophical approach on deciding whether God exists offers a logical base but, simply deducing that God exists doesn’t mean He cares. Utilizing the example of the painting can show that just because the artist exists doesn’t mean he has tender feelings for his painting. In fact, he may very well hate it.

Therefore, it is more important to not only know God exists, but to also know He loves and cares for us. If there was a means in discovering the existence of an all caring and loving God than this method would be superior to the philosophical approach. In order for this to happen though, we must go beyond the question of God’s existence and examine His evidence.

In speaking about faith and works the apostle James wrote, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” James sarcastically points out that even the devils believe, so how does our belief make us any different from them.

Having more than just a superficial knowledge of God requires us to know His promises and to prove the validity of them. The apostle Paul teaches in Hebrews 11:1 that, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

The last part of this verse, “…the evidence of things not seen,” shows that faith in God is built by receiving evidence of unseen things. Much like we know when we turn a light switch on that we receive light. Obviously though, we do not see the electricity surging from the light switch to the light bulb.

This same principle is true with God and His promises. He gives promises, and then the fulfillment of these promises are evidence of His existence. He remains unseen, but His actions—evidence–pulls into focus His existence.

Woven through the scriptures are promises that God has given to us. Promises that offer evidence of His existence. Promises such as:

• Exodus 20:12 – Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
• Proverbs 3:5–8 – Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
• Malachi 3:10 – Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
• Matthew 7:8 – For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
• Matthew 6:30;33 – Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
• Mark 9:23 – Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
• John 14:12 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
• Romans 8:6 – For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
• 1 Peter 4:13–14 – But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
• 1 Nephi 1:20 – …I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.
• 2 Nephi 31:12–13 – And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.
• Jacob 3:1 – But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.
• Mosiah 7:33 – But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.
• Alma 15:8 – …If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed.
• Moroni 10:4–5 – And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
• D&C 9:8 – But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
• D&C 89:18–21 [In reference to keeping the Word of the Wisdom] – And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

An important aspect to all of these promises is an obligation on our side. To have the light bulb turn on we must move the switch. Entering a dark room and saying light doesn’t exist because the light doesn’t instantaneously come on is ridiculous.

The significance of this effort on our part cannot be underscored. D&C 82:10 shows why this is the case when it states, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” The Lord is clear, no promises are in place when we choose not to follow His direction.

Alma offers the analogy of a seed, which shows how we should begin to exert our efforts in testing the promises of the Lord, “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28).

What a simple but beautiful example. If we are promised that a tree will sprout from a rock, we simply need to plant, cultivate, and watch the rock to see what transpires. When nothing happens, we can know that the rock was not a good seed. However, if, like Alma shares, we plant, cultivate and watch a seed of faith, and if it “is a good seed” we quickly learn of its goodness. We begin to feel how it enlarges and enlightens our soul.

Notice how with this analogy we are required to plant and cultivate the seed. To know if God exists requires work on our end. Work which must be continual exertion and not just a one time, wait-and-see approach. Planting the seed, but not cultivating brings less than an optimal outcome. The seed may possibly sprout but it would be thwarted in its potential.

Our efforts in proving God’s promises translate into obedience to His commandments. The more we obey what He has promised the more we are able to see fruition of these promises. In turn, His existence becomes known. From this we learn that strict obedience to God’s commandments is not blind obedience, but rather enlightened obedience.

Adam’s diligence in Moses 5:5–6 shows his understanding of enlightened obedience, “And he [the Lord] gave unto them [Adam and Eve] commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord. And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.”

Adam not understanding a commandment didn’t stop him from obeying it. What Adam knew made what he didn’t know insignificant. He had sound evidence that God existed and that God fulfilled His promises—no matter the outcome.

It is not enough for us to know if there is a God. Simple logic can give us a shallow assurance of His reality. Rather we must have an intimate understanding of God’s existence. Such an understanding comes only when we know His promises can stand the scrutiny of our obedience. If we do this we will quickly learn that “…this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 John 2:25).

Right now there’s a frenzy of fun over at twitter on just how Mormon Mitt Romney really is. Many people believe Brother Romney is a died in the wool, true blue Latter-day Saint, and there are hundreds of tweets showing how right this notion may be.

You can get the political background on this new Internet fad over at Religion Dispatches. Joanna Brooks has done a great article on this ongoing Mormon meme.

Basically, many people are throwing in their two cents on Mitt’s un/orthodox beliefs. Of course, we here at LDSFriends.com normally have more than two cents to offer by creating our famous fun posters (which we have decided to call funovators, playing off of the popular demotivators you see all over the web).

We did this with the Smiling Guy at General Conference and it was amazing how far and wide our funovators went (rumor has it that people at Church Headquarters were passing them along). Who knows whether this will happens for good ol’ Mitt, but in any event we had a blast creating them.

Like last time, feel free to share your creative additions in the comments and we will make them into funovators. Also, at the end of the article is a long list of our favorite sayings that are being shared on twitter. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

MORE OF OUR FAVORITES

• Mitt is so Mormon, he will add the phrases “every fiber of my being” and “beyond a shadow of a doubt” to the presidential oath of office.
• Mitt is so Mormon he’d do an ad for the LDS Church: “I’m a husband, father, and leader of the free world. And I’m a Mormon.”
• Mitt is so Mormon he’d ask the Chief Justice to use a quad at his inauguration.
• Mitt is so Mormon he’ll make the income tax a flat 10% and collect fast offerings to fund Medicaid.
• Mitt is so Mormon that his campaign “oppo” team has done all the other candidates’ genealogy.
• Mitt is so Mormon he’s organizing his precinct walkers in pairs to knock doors with a very special message.
• Mitt is so Mormon he’d make the Book of Mormon required reading at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
• Mitt is so Mormon he’ll start the State of the Union with the words: “I wasn’t going to get up, but the Spirit just carried me up here.”
• Mitt is so Mormon that his first act will be to make July 24th a national holiday.
• Mitt is so Mormon, he asks donors to stack chairs after fundraising dinners.
• Mitt is so Mormon he’ll award Ty Detmer, Steve Young, and Jimmer Fredette Congressional Medal of Honor.
• Mitt is so Mormon he refers to expatriates as “apostates” and non-U.S. citizens as “Gentiles.”
• Mitt is so Mormon that his campaign slogan is “What do you know about Mitt Romney? Would you like to know more?”
• Mitt is so Mormon he’ll rename the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms the Word of Wisdom squad.
• Mitt is so Mormon he’ll assign a friend to every new member of Congress.
• Mitt is so Mormon he’s already picked out a room in the White House for his year’s supply of wheat and beans.
• Mitt is so Mormon that he’ll change the name of “Cabinet Meeting” to “Correlation Meeting.”
• Mitt is so Mormon that late last night he snuck out to put 5000 plastic forks in the lawn of Jon Huntsman. And after that, he heart attacked Rick Perry.
• Mitt is so Mormon that he’s going to rename the 101st Airborne as “The Stripling Warriors.”
• Mitt is so Mormon, he won’t deport illegal aliens, he’ll just disfellowship them.
• Mitt is so Mormon that if elected he’ll require every state to have an Official Casserole.
• Mitt is so Mormon that the Marine Band will play “Praise to the Man” when he enters a room.
• Mitt is so Mormon that he’ll appoint Lavell Edwards head of the Department of Defense.
• Mitt is so Mormon he has volunteers combing through old G.O.P. voter rolls for less actives he can reactivate.
• Mitt is so Mormon he’d commission a Mod Bod undershirt to be engraved under the sleeveless dress of the Statue of Liberty.

Nephi:
Of goodly parents I was born
I’ve never drunk, I’ve never sworn
This is Lehi, he’s my dad
Laman, Lemuel, they are bad
And who is this? Why this is Sam.

Sam:
Yes, this is Sam; Sam I am

Laman:
That Sam I am, that Sam I am
I do not like that Sam I am

Sam:
In a tent, my father dwelt

Laman:
And it’s so hot, I think I’ll melt

Lemuel:
Our father’s brain is out of whack

Laman:
Yeah, it’s too hot, I’m going back

Lehi:
Then go and get the plates, my dear

Laman:
On second thought, I’m staying here

Nephi:
You said you’d leave and go away
Now all you want to do is stay?

Lemuel:
That Nephi always gets his way

Laman:
Here we are in this damp cave

Sam:
We would not be here if you’d behave

Nephi:
I will go and I will do
There’s the angel, that’s my cue
Laban’s had too much to drink
Now he’ll lose his head, I think

Nephi:
Look what I found, a brother from the quorum

Sam:
We will take him home, we will call him Zoram

Laman:
Our gold and silver we have spent
I do not like it in this tent

Lemuel:
I cannot read the Liahona
I must have drunk too much Corona

Laman:
We hate it here, we have no lives

Lehi:
Then go back to the city and get some wives

Lehi:
A tree, a tree, I see a tree!
The fruit is white, the fruit is free!
A floating building, could it be?
Why do they laugh and stare at me?
Laman, Lemuel, come and see!

Laman:
We will not eat your precious fruit

Lemuel:
We will not wear a tie and suit

Laman:
We will not help you build your boat

Lemuel:
We do not think that it will float

Laman:
No not this boat, it will not float
Not even in a shallow moat
I do not care what Nephi wrote

Lemuel:
We will not eat your fruit I say

Laman:
We will not eat it on a tray

Lemuel:
And we won’t eat it in a tent
Not even if your clothes you rent

Laman:
We’d rather have a can of spam

L&L:
We will not eat it, Sam I am

Sam:
You do not like it, so you say
Try it, try it, and you may
Try it and you may I say

Laman:
Sam, if you will let us be,
We will try it, you will see

L&L:
Say, we like this fruit of life
Sorry that we caused such strife
You’ve saved us from an awful jam
Thank you, thank you, Sam I am!

As stated in the last post we relied on a random generator to choose the winner of our giveaway. This made it completely objective and a lot easier than the original plan of throwing all the names in a hat to decide who would be the lucky owner of the album.

So, without further ado the winner of the new Nashville Tribute Band Album is…….

Congrats Tina. We thank you for your conversion story and we hope you like the album.

Keep an eye out for next weeks giveaway (or sign-up to be notified with our Contest & Giveaway Newsletter). You are definitely going to like the free LDS item we have for you.

Thanks everyone for participating! It was faith building to read your missionary stories and quotes.

Sincere regards,
The LDS Friends Team

P.S. If you want the CD you can still buy it 10% off at LatterDayLightBooks.com by entering the promo code THEWORKS.

You may have read Tyler’s review on the Nashville Tribute Band: The Work. The band thanked us for the review by giving us a free copy of their latest album to give away. We thought of several different ways in giving the album away, but we felt the best way was to promote missionary work.

So here are the guidelines to win the Nashville Tribute Band: The Work.

1. Be a member of LDSFriends.com – We require each participant to be a free member of LDSFriends.com. If you are new to LDS Friends than feel free to learn more about us. Once you become a member it doesn’t matter to us where in the world you live. If you are the winner of the contest and you can get mail from the United States than we will ship you the album.

2. Share your favorite missionary story or quote – The best way to get fired up about missionary work is to hear the success of others. We have created a missionary group for you to share your missionary stories or quotes. To be considered, you must post your entry (or multiple entries) in this group. It doesn’t matter if you were a full time missionary or not (every member a missionary, remember). If you have a story or quote about missionary work than share it and you will be entered in contest. It would be great if your entry was in English, but it is not required. There are several RMs on our team and we will do our best to translate your entry.

3. Share your story before Friday August 19, 2011 – We are giving you a little over a week to share your contest entry. We will choose the winner randomly by using random.org (we decided to use a different software). You are welcome to share as many stories or quotes as you like, but only three will be accepted as official entries. It is up to our discretion on what we consider a valid entry. Saying, “I like missionary work” or “Thanks for sharing your story” probably won’t be considered.

That’s all you have to do. However, if you just want to get the album now (and we don’t blame you) you can buy it over at LatterDayLightBooks.com. The nice folks over there are offering our members a 10% discount on anything in the store when you use the promo code: THEWORK.

We look forward to reading everyone’s faith building missionary entries. Contact us if you have any questions. ~The LDS Friends Team

I recently was asked to review on  LDSFriends.com a new LDS based album. I am always up to hear new music and agreed without asking for much details. Imagine my surprise when I opened the mail to see a CD I have been anticipating for some time!

The Nashville Tribute Band has been a part of my music library for years. The first two albums had a very clear purpose. One was to remember the Prophet Joseph Smith and the other the Trek that lead the Saints to the Salt Lake Valley.

Both albums had defining stories. These stories followed events and situations poignant to the growth of the people experiencing them and to those who read and believed. Yet, I wondered how Jason Deere and his Band could pull off a new album following the same style?

Would the band follow a similar path portraying the historic beginnings of sharing the Gospel? The experiences of missionaries are so numerous it would be difficult to create a small collection of songs portraying this vast thing we call missionary work.

But they did it.

The new Tribute Bands Album entitled “The Work” gives a powerful example of what “The Work” is through a wide variety of music styles, and situations exampling the spirit of modern day missionary work. With collaborations on reverent songs like “Someone” by the established LDS group the Jets and a soulful “Knock” by Ryan Innes, I got the feeling that is what missionary work is about.

This is not a country album; this is a missionary album. Just as missionary work cannot be cornered into a spot and told it must be done this way, the music shows that the work is so diverse that it cannot be contained in a country album.

Missing from this go around are the quotes and scriptures thrown in from time to time, replaced by different viewpoints of the modern missionary told in song. From the Mother concerned about her son, to the senior missionary; “The Work” adds another testimony to the importance of missionary work.

This album reminds the hearts of those who have served in His service. It shows the anxiety of the person investigating the gospel, the prayers said on the missionary’s behalf, and the zeal a young person has embarking on the journey of service.

Although this is a very different Tribute album, it is a welcome addition to the collection. It gives a gentle push to the listener to gain a desire to serve the Lord, thus calling them to do “The Work”!

Joseph shared his dream with W. W. Phelps a couple days before he was martyred. It took Brother Phelps until 1862, eighteen years after Joseph’s murder, to publish the account. He titled the Prophet’s dream as, “Joseph Smith’s Last Dream.”

Few members are familiar with this story. Thankfully, Seth Adam Smith, a talented video artist, spent the last eight months working on a video that adequately shows this dream. Below you can watch his work of art.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When it comes to paying tribute to motherhood we feel Elder Holland states it best. We hope you enjoy the below video. Happy Mother’s Day! ~LDSFriends.com

Click here to view the embedded video.