Supreme Court Ruling Keeps LDS Scouting Intact

In a 5-4 decision the US Supreme Court ruled today that the Boy Scouts of America can exclude homosexuals from serving as troop leaders, in effect preserving the LDS Church's relationship with Scouting. The Church, which had supported the Boy Scouts of America in the lawsuit, had told the Court that it would withdraw from the Scouting program if homosexual leaders were permitted, taking 400,000 scouts with it.

Controversial LDS Congressman Merrill Cook Loses Primary

Controversial two-term LDS Congressman Merrill Cook was defeated in yesterday's Utah primary, losing his bid to represent the Republicans in the US Congress for a third term. Cook lost to political newcomer and LDS Church member Derek Smith, an Internet entrepreneur. Smith will face a tough challenge from well-connected Democrat Jim Matheson, also an LDS Church member, which could become more difficult if Cook tries an independent run for his seat in the US Congress as he hinted at following his concession speech last night.

Mormons Pessimistic About America's 'Direction'

A new national survey released by the Scripps Howard News Service indicates that Mormons are generally pessimistic about the direction of America. Just one third of Mormons believe that America is "basically headed in the 'right direction.'" These results come from a series of 10 national polls taken by the Scripps Howard News Service over the past five years.

Associated Press Recognizes Hinckley Birthday & Celebration

LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley's Birthday part was recognized in newspapers across the US that carried a report of Friday nights's "Evening of Celebration" in the LDS Church's Conference Center. Noting that the audience and performers joined to sing "Happy Birthday" to President Hinckley at the end of the performance, the Associated Press wrote, "'Happy Birthday' sounds pretty impressive when sung by 21,000 people and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir."

Times of India Profiles LDS Church Efforts There

The LDS Church is still relatively small in India, with 2,700 members spread among 20 branches. The Times of India looked at the Church on Saturday, interviewing mission president Ebenezer Solomon about the "little-known Christian denomination" and the 51 missionaries in the country.

LDS Church's Growth Under Hinckley Noticed in Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gordon Hinckley, the self-effacing and well-respected leader of Mormonism, is determined to lead his church into the mainstream. His followers consider him the latest in a succession of prophets since Joseph Smith formed the church 170 years ago. During his tenure as prophet, Hinckley has set a course guiding the church into the spotlight.

Martyrdom Remembered

The Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith was recognized in the New York Times' Today in History page and has also been included on similar lists distributed by Reuters and by the Associated Press. The Smith brothers will killed by a mob that attacked the Carthage, Illinois jail that they were staying in.

No Article Available

[an error occurred while processing this directive]