1. Utah Membership - News Release

The net growth in Utah among members of the Church is growing steadily, approaching 1.8 million or 72 percent of the population according to end-of-year 2006 statistics.Full Story

2. Chatting With a Prophet 'Round the Spit 'n' Shine - News Story

SALT LAKE CITY 22 July 2008 CBS Television’s Utah affiliate, KUTV 2, reported yesterday on an informal meeting between world leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Thomas S. Monson, and reporter Ron Bird. Their conversation took place as they had their shoes shined.Full Story

3. Free Access to Censuses Makes Family History Research Easier - News Release

SALT LAKE CITY 21 July 2008 FamilySearch announced today that it is joining forces with other major online historical records Web sites — including Ancestry.com and Findmypast.com — to make significant U.S., English and Welsh census record collections more freely available online.Full Story

4. Church Family History Records Lead to Groundbreaking Genetic Research - News Release

SALT LAKE CITY 18 July 2008 Utah is leading the world in genetic research because of the Utah Population Data Base (UPDB), a unique combination of state vital statistics, other medical profiles and genealogical records from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“More human disease genes have been discovered in Utah than in any other place in the world,” explained Ray Gesteland, vice president for research and a genetics professor at the University of Utah.

That’s because the Church’s family history records provide invaluable information to a host of University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute researchers involved in genetic data studies.  The records tying one family to another and yet another provide a resource to medical personnel attempting to tie a genetic marker or cluster of markers to another generation.

5. Taiwan’s President Recognizes Mormons' Contributions to Society - News Story

TAIPEI, Taiwan 17 July 2008 Taiwan’s president, Ma Ying-jeou,recently lauded the contributions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, saying that its missionaries have helped instill positive values in society. Ma said, "I was moved by church founder Joseph Smith striving to spread his faith despite opposition and persecution in the early days of the church development." Ma added that religious freedom should be upheld.Full Story

6. It's One of the Best Kept Secrets - News Story

VALENCIA, California 16 July 2008 As part of theBlack in America series airing on 23-24July, CNN has launched an online series titled I Am which seeks to break through stereotypes by highlighting individuals who have ignored racial barriers and injustices. Marvin Perkins, an AfricanAmerican member of the Church, participated in this series.Full Story

7. Mormons Mentor in Many Fields - News Release

SALT LAKE CITY 15 July 2008 The faces that sit across from Joseph Kelly are all too familiar.  The heavy eyes, frustrated facial expressions and clenched jaws can only mean one thing — a new semester has started at Brigham Young University, and each student opposite of Kelly is taking Chemistry 105. Full Story

8. Missionaries Help Save Life - News Story

NOLLAMARRA, Australia 14 July 2008 Two missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assisted in saving a pregnant woman’s life when she was being attacked by a man in Nollamarra, Australia. After getting the attacker away, the missionaries were able to get the victim to safety as the police retrieved the man. One of the missionaries said they are not trained for such situations but are always looking for ways to render service.Full Story

9. Spanish Speakers Have Greater Access to Records on FamilySearch - News Release

SALT LAKE CITY 11 July 2008 FamilySearch’s indexing system is now available in the Spanish language, giving Spanish speakers easier access to an enormous collection of family history resources.  Familysearch, a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, contains the world’s largest repository of genealogical records. Full Story

10. BYU Ballroom Dancers to Participate in Olympic Cultural Festival in China - News Release

SALT LAKE CITY 11 July 2008 The championship Brigham Young University Ballroom Dance Company recently returned from a three-week performing tour in China, including an invitation to participate in the Olympic Cultural Festival, an international celebration prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.Full Story

1. Utah Membership

The net growth in Utah among members of the Church is growing steadily, approaching 1.8 million or 72 percent of the population according to end-of-year 2006 statistics.Full Story

2. Free Access to Censuses Makes Family History Research Easier

SALT LAKE CITY 21 July 2008 FamilySearch announced today that it is joining forces with other major online historical records Web sites — including Ancestry.com and Findmypast.com — to make significant U.S., English and Welsh census record collections more freely available online.Full Story

3. Church Family History Records Lead to Groundbreaking Genetic Research

SALT LAKE CITY 18 July 2008 Utah is leading the world in genetic research because of the Utah Population Data Base (UPDB), a unique combination of state vital statistics, other medical profiles and genealogical records from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“More human disease genes have been discovered in Utah than in any other place in the world,” explained Ray Gesteland, vice president for research and a genetics professor at the University of Utah.

That’s because the Church’s family history records provide invaluable information to a host of University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute researchers involved in genetic data studies.  The records tying one family to another and yet another provide a resource to medical personnel attempting to tie a genetic marker or cluster of markers to another generation.

4. Mormons Mentor in Many Fields

SALT LAKE CITY 15 July 2008 The faces that sit across from Joseph Kelly are all too familiar.  The heavy eyes, frustrated facial expressions and clenched jaws can only mean one thing — a new semester has started at Brigham Young University, and each student opposite of Kelly is taking Chemistry 105. Full Story

5. Spanish Speakers Have Greater Access to Records on FamilySearch

SALT LAKE CITY 11 July 2008 FamilySearch’s indexing system is now available in the Spanish language, giving Spanish speakers easier access to an enormous collection of family history resources.  Familysearch, a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, contains the world’s largest repository of genealogical records. Full Story

6. BYU Ballroom Dancers to Participate in Olympic Cultural Festival in China

SALT LAKE CITY 11 July 2008 The championship Brigham Young University Ballroom Dance Company recently returned from a three-week performing tour in China, including an invitation to participate in the Olympic Cultural Festival, an international celebration prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.Full Story

7. New Temples Open in Panama and Idaho

SALT LAKE CITY 8 July 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will dedicate new temples in Panama City, Panama, and Twin Falls, Idaho, this summer bringing the number of operating temples worldwide to 128.Full Story

8. Mormons Encouraged to Share Personal Perspectives Online to Explain Their Faith

SALT LAKE CITY 3 July 2008 The July edition of the Ensign, a monthly magazine distributed to English-speaking Church members, features an address given by Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles. Elder Ballard encourages Church members to participate in the growing online discussion about the Church.Full Story

9. Church Seeks to Address Public Confusion Over Texas Polygamy Group

SALT LAKE CITY 26 June 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took steps today to better inform the public about differences between the Salt Lake City-based church and the polygamous group in Texas that calls itself the FLDS.Full Story

10. Faith Matters to NBA Champions’ General Manager

BOSTON 25 June 2008 The fairy tale season for Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics ended last week in the best possible way — a drubbing of the Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA championship, Boston’s 17th overall, ending a 20-plus-year championship drought.Full Story

1. Chatting With a Prophet 'Round the Spit 'n' Shine

SALT LAKE CITY 22 July 2008 CBS Television’s Utah affiliate, KUTV 2, reported yesterday on an informal meeting between world leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Thomas S. Monson, and reporter Ron Bird. Their conversation took place as they had their shoes shined.Full Story

2. Taiwan’s President Recognizes Mormons' Contributions to Society

TAIPEI, Taiwan 17 July 2008 Taiwan’s president, Ma Ying-jeou,recently lauded the contributions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, saying that its missionaries have helped instill positive values in society. Ma said, "I was moved by church founder Joseph Smith striving to spread his faith despite opposition and persecution in the early days of the church development." Ma added that religious freedom should be upheld.Full Story

3. It's One of the Best Kept Secrets

VALENCIA, California 16 July 2008 As part of theBlack in America series airing on 23-24July, CNN has launched an online series titled I Am which seeks to break through stereotypes by highlighting individuals who have ignored racial barriers and injustices. Marvin Perkins, an AfricanAmerican member of the Church, participated in this series.Full Story

4. Missionaries Help Save Life

NOLLAMARRA, Australia 14 July 2008 Two missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assisted in saving a pregnant woman’s life when she was being attacked by a man in Nollamarra, Australia. After getting the attacker away, the missionaries were able to get the victim to safety as the police retrieved the man. One of the missionaries said they are not trained for such situations but are always looking for ways to render service.Full Story

5. Gladys Knight Reflects on Family and Faith

OTTAWA, Canada 1 July 2008 Gladys Knight’s son Jimmy III died in his sleep nine years ago at age 36. She recently told the Ottawa Citizen newspaper: “He brought me to my church and I just grew immensely from his example. I am happy in my spirit for where I know for sure he is. That (death) is something we all have to go through, it’s not our time and place to dictate when, where or what, it’s not our business. It belongs to the Lord and that's how I've dealt with it. I know I'll see him again.” Knight joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1997.Full Story

6. Mormons Find New Ways to Engage With Others

ROCHESTER, New York 1 July 2008 The Democrat and Chronicle newspaper has profiled local members of The Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints as part of a story on how Mormons are reaching out to those of other faiths in new ways.Full Story

7. “Candy Bomber” Honored on 60th Anniversary of Berlin Airlift

WIESBADEN, Germany 1 July 2008 About 10,000 people, including U.S. soldiers, attended an open house at Wiesbaden Garrison on Sunday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift — one of the largest humanitarian undertakings of all time.Full Story

8. Men on a Mission: Far From Utah, Mormons Bring Their Faith Home to Vermont

BENNINGTON, Vermont 30 June 2008 Imagine putting on distinctively formal clothes, traveling to a place thousands of miles away you've never seen before and knocking on strangers’ doors to tell them about your faith. This is part of what Mormon missionaries do around the world in 349 mission territories. Such efforts have helped increase the size of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the church is known formally, from 2 million in 1963 to 13 million today.Full Story

9. Arkansas Mormon Women Prepare Memory Boxes for Bereaving Mothers

BENTONVILLE, Arkansas 30 June 2008 Women from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered on the weekend to assemble “memory boxes,” gifts for mothers who have lost a baby during pregnancy or at birth. The volunteers also prepared hygiene kits and quilts for victims of disasters and school bags for children.Full Story

10. Tabernacle Team Takes Its Show on the Road

SALT LAKE CITY 27 June 2008 There will be an organist transplant in downtown Salt Lake City tonight, when the Mormon Tabernacle's five official organists travel three blocks up the street to perform at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Madeleine. It's the first concert ever to feature the entire Tabernacle Organ staff, "no more, no less," senior Tabernacle organist Richard Elliott said.Full Story