This is quite a story. Five siblings — the Faylor quintuplets — received their “mission calls” (assignments to serve as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) at the same time.

Young people who choose to serve a mission fill out paperwork, get a doctor’s okay to serve, and wait to find out where they will spend the next 18-24 months of their lives. Missionary service can range from local service opportunities in one’s home community to assignments around the world. In this case, the siblings are serving in different places around the United States.

This appears to be the first time in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that five siblings have received mission calls on the same day. But then again, it’s not every day that quintuplets are born!

1 day, 1 family, 5 mission calls: The Faylor quintuplets prepare for missionary service

You can see a video of the Faylor siblings talking about their baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints below.

And for fun, here’s a video of triplets opening their mission calls a few years ago. According to the article linked above, “Three sets of quadruplets have served missions concurrently, while 57 sets of triplets have served simultaneously, according to the Church’s Missionary Department.”

The post Called to teach about Jesus Christ: Quintuplets receive missionary assignments on the same day appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Event #3 Live the Book (June 24)

Explain how the Book of Mormon influences the way you live.

Event #4 Share the Book (July 1)

Invite your friends to learn more about the Book of Mormon and specifically invite someone to be taught about the Book of Mormon by missionaries online or in person!

The end goal is to share the Book of Mormon, not just with the masses, but with specific people. Their purpose is to create teaching opportunities online for missionaries through you!

How to Participate

Go to the Called to Share Facebook page.  Basically, you are invited to post a sentence or two about your Book of Mormon experiences, and add a photo with a particular hashtag.  Here’s a sample post on the page:

Don’t Miss the Chat with David Archuleta!

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that the public will have the opportunity to participate in a live Facebook chat with American pop-star, David Archuleta.

On June 24 at 7 pm (EDT), Archuleta will have the opportunity to discuss with youth around the world about his decision to put his music career on hold and serve a 2-year mission for the Church. The chat will enable youth to ask Archuleta questions and hear stories from his mission. The statement on LDS.org reports that Bonnie L. Oscarson, the Young Women General President, and David L. Beck, the Young Men’s General President, will moderate the discussion (from LDS.net).

The post Coming Events You Should Know About — David Archuleta Open Chat and Book of Mormon Share appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

An Interview with the PA Manager of the Church

Ally Isom, Senior Manager of Public Affairs with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was interviewed by Doug Fabrizio of Radio West. They discussed the details of the church disciplinary process as described by the Church.

During the interview, Isom states that the church defines apostasy as when “members turn away from the principles of the gospel, or corrupt principles of the gospel, or make unauthorized changes in Church organizations or priesthood ordinances.” She continues to say that expressing personal views is one thing, but it’s a completely different situation when an individual begins to actively draw others away from clear gospel doctrine. She explains the dangers of this by quoting President Gordon B. Hinckley: “Small aberrations in doctrinal teaching can lead to large and evil falsehoods” (from LDS.net).

A Thorough and Thoughtful Article at Patheos.com

Latter-day Saint convert, Karen Trifiletti, also posted a thoughtful article at Patheos called John Dehlin and Kate Kelly: Reflections on Church Discipline. In it, Karen discusses “loving disciplinary action,” calling failure to discipline a less-loving choice:

Today, professing Christians—as well as progressive parents—are almost afraid to practice discipline out of fear of appearing uncaring. But actually choosing not to discipline, in the case of grievances of Church doctrine or behavior, is the uncaring, least merciful course, for the offender and for the body of Christ.

Church discipline invites a change of heart, and keeps “the body of Christ free from influences that weaken others’ faith in Jesus Christ and his teachings,” Karen says.

Of particular concern to Karen and all the members of the Church is an understanding of the use and nature of “priesthood,” which we define as the power and authority to act in God’s name. The priesthood is a blessing that comes with membership in the “true and living” Church, and the idea that it is somehow limited to men in administrative callings is a wrong idea.  Says Karen,

The priesthood is infinite, and is continually poured out and its powers and blessings are shared as the Lord has designated. There is no scarcity of it, nor does it need to be re-distributed according to secular versions of functional equality. All women have access to the power of the priesthood and equal access to God.

Read more about the infinite blessings of the priesthood on LDS.net.  If you are confused by the claims of the Ordain Women group and wondering about their ‘grievances,” this is a must-read, shared by the same author.

An Experienced Mormon Leader Reflects on Church Disciplinary Councils

Also a very worthwhile read on the subject of church discipline in Mormonism is a piece called Middle Aged Mormon Man — Why I Love Church Disciplinary Councils.

My views regarding church disciplinary councils come from almost a decade of actively participating in them as a bishop, and a member of Stake councils. I have had the privilege and responsibility to participate in dozens of councils over that time.

MMM comments on the palpable feeling of the presence of the Holy Ghost at these councils, perhaps more profoundly felt than in any other process of service.

I have witnessed the power of the Atonement of Christ heal broken hearts and darkened spirits. I have seen the very real change of countenance in the face and eyes of many repentant souls who sought, and found, forgiveness.

In the midst of this controversy, these three articles can give you a clear picture of the purpose, context, and content of Mormon disciplinary councils and show how church discipline is guided by a loving Heavenly Father through the presence of the Holy Ghost.

The post Three Great Articles on Church Discipline appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

For years I have watched people discuss women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have heard people talk unceasingly about Mormon women and priesthood. And I have ached for people to see that — as critical as priesthood keys and authority are to the message we proclaim to the world and to the functioning of the Savior’s church — priesthood ordination is not the only determinant of leadership, influence, or inspiration.

In fact, the power that flows through and from being set apart for callings under those who hold priesthood keys is evident in the leadership of women at all levels in the Church.

That power was shown again in an announcement that was made this week about visionary changes that continue to happen about how to meet the needs of women and young women in the Church.

You can read more about those changes in this Mormon Newsroom article, which include international board members for the Young Women leadership, and online training for auxiliary organizations that will be available for Mormon women worldwide.

One of the things that is reiterated in this article is that in the Church of Jesus Christ, the council system is at the heart of how decisions are made. Decisions are also made carefully, patiently, and deliberately. I’ve witnessed these patterns for decades now, and it thrills me to see the continued fruits of such inspired processes. Again, through these processes the power of God is channeled and divine guidance unfolds.

Lastly, I love the celebration of the energy and potential of children and the realization that even at young ages our girls have something to bring to the Lord’s work. Where else in the world can you see such unified, focused efforts to channel and combine the gifts and power of girls, young women, and women all at once? I am excited about the first semiannual women’s meeting that will be held on March 29 — made available through technology to Mormon girls and women throughout the world.

Yes, I love being a Mormon woman.

The post Mormon Women Leaders Share an International, Tech-savvy vision appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

A new Young Women General Presidency was called today in the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

President – Bonnie Lee Green Oscarson

1^st Counselor – Carol Louise Foley McConkie

2^nd Counselor – Evelyn Neill Foote Marriott

You can read a little about each of these women at the LDS Newsroom site.

The post New Young Women General Presidency appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

With only three years of training under her belt, however, 21-year-old Mormon woman Rebecca Pedersen recently was named one of six winners of the Metropolitan Opera competition. She’s the second-youngest person to ever win in the 60 years the competition has been running. She competed against 1800 other singers in this competition.

Even with the many offers she has received from opera companies and agents, Rebecca plans to finish her education at BYU (Brigham Young University). You can hear her winning performance in the video below.

Read more in this BYU Newsnet story or in the story linked above.

The post Mormon woman wins Metropolitan Opera Competition appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

The post David Archuleta Christmas Concert with Mormon Tabernacle Choir appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

In his article at the Washington Post entitled, “What Lies Ahead for Mormons,” Michael Otterson summed the video up as a summary “Mormon core values – close families, hard work, clean living and helping others.”

President Ned Hill, former dean of the BYU Marriott School of Management is quoted rather extensively in the video (with Romanian subtitles).

Another video below features President Ned Hill and Michael Hicks in a “Mormonism and Music” concert in Romania’s George Enesco Concert Hall, National University of Music (Bucharest, Romania).

The post REPORTERII REALITĂŢII: Secretele mormonilor (Romanian TV report on Mormonism) appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

No, he’s not running for president in the United States. Yeah Samake is running for president in the country of Mali.

Brother Samake and his family are the only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this country, which is about 90% Muslim. He says that his faith is not something that is a divider in his country. What people are talking about is his service and desire to stamp out corruption in the government.

Hear more about him and his passion for education, service, honesty, integrity and faith in this video.

You can find out more about Yeah Samake and his life, professional and political background, and faith in the following articles/podcasts:

BYU Alumnus to Run for President in Mali at Deseret News

Yeah Samake Runs for President in Mali at LDS Mag

The Other Mormon President at Slate

Radio Interview: Latter-day Saint Mayor runs for President in Mali

Mormon from Mali interview at PRI

Note: This story is meant for informational purposes only (it is not meant to be a political post). 

The post Black Mormon Running for President appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Jenny Oaks Baker, a Mormon woman (member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has been nominated for a Grammy. This is her first music video, a fun take on “A Whole New World.”

Fast facts about Jenny Oaks Baker:

• She’s a wife and dedicated mother of four. In this Washington Post article, she says: “I’ll drop everything to be there  for my kids. Being a good mother is my number one priority.” (See this article for more about her life.)
• Was performing with a symphony at age eight
• Received her bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and a master’s degree from the Juilliard School in New York City
• Retired from her seven-year position as first-chair violinist of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. to be more available for her family
• Has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress and with the National Symphony, Jerusalem Symphony, the San Diego Symphony, and the Utah Symphony Orchestra
• In addition to her Grammy-nominated album, she’s had another album (Then Sings My Soul) that got to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts.
• Music plays a significant part in her family life (all of her children are musicians) and in her faith.
• Daughter of Elder Dallin H. Oaks, who is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Her violin is over 200 years old. (See this interview with Jenny Oaks Baker.

The post Grammy Nominee Jenny Oaks Baker – Music Video appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.