California SC appears likely to uphold gay marriage ban

Excerpts from  California Supreme Court appears likely to uphold gay marriage ban by Howard Mintz of the Mercury News

The California Supreme Court today appeared inclined to uphold Proposition 8, but showed obvious reluctance to void thousands of same-sex marriages already in place when voters restored a ban on gay marriage last fall.

During three hours of arguments in San Francisco, the justices peppered lawyers opposing Proposition 8 with questions that suggested they do no believe they have the authority to trump the will of the voters.

At the same time, even justices who voted against striking down's California's previous ban on gay marriage, indicated that Proposition 8 should not wipe out an estimated 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place last year.

"Is that really fair to people who depended on what this court said was the law?" Justice Ming Chin asked Ken Starr, the former Clinton impeachment prosecutor who argued that same-sex marriages shouldn't be recognized under Proposition 8.

The justices are considering a high stakes legal challenge to the validity of the measure, which was approved by voters last fall and restored California's ban on gay marriage. The ballot measure, enacted by a 52 to 48 percent vote, erased last May's historic state Supreme Court ruling finding California's prior ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional because it deprived gay couples of the equal right to wed.

Attorney General Jerry Brown also has refused to defend the law, saying it is unconstitutional and conflicts with last year's state Supreme Court ruling.

If the court upholds Proposition 8, the justices must still determine whether existing gay marriages are valid across the state. The justices agreed to review the case in November, producing an avalanche of legal arguments from all sides of the gay marriage debate. The Supreme Court now has 90 days to rule in the case, ensuring the fate of Proposition 8 will be determined before summer begins.

Church anti-Civil Union activity in Illinois

Apparently a Bishop from Nauvoo Ill. had a letter sent out encouraging his ward members to work against a civil union bill.   LDS church headquarters has stated that this was not directed by them, but that this Bishop was not acting improperly (he used his position as a church representative "Bishop" and his ward roster).  The church has repeatedly stated that church meeting houses and ward rosters are not to be used for political purposes.  Also note that earlier while the church was engaged in rhetoric regarding Prop 8, they stated they supported full civil rights for same sex couples, except for marriage.  The sincerity of this has been questioned by gay rights advocates.

Here is the text of the letter.  A followup letter by the Bishop stated the church did not take any official position on the matter.

From: Kristy Combs <kristyc@mchsi.com>
Date: March 3, 2009 12:27:59 PM CST
Subject: Civil Union bill scheduled for a hearing Thursday - calls needed

This message has been authorized for sending by Bishop Church.
The Civil Union Bill (HB 2234) has been scheduled for a hearing in the Youth and Family Committee this week on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield. If the bill is voted out of committee, it becomes eligible for a vote before the full Illinois House of Representatives. This bill will legalize civil unions in the state of Illinois, and will treat such civil unions with the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as are afforded within marriage. In other words, civil unions will be different in name only from marriage. As has already been seen in Massachusetts, this will empower the public schools to begin teaching this lifestyle to our young children regardless of parental requests otherwise. It will also create grounds for rewriting all social mores; the current push in Massachusetts is to recognize and legalize all transgender rights (An individual in Massachusetts can now change their drivers license to the gender they believe themselves to be, regardless of actual gender, which means that confused men and women are now legally entering one another’s bathrooms and locker rooms. What kind of a safety issue is this for our children?). Furthermore, while the bill legalizes civil unions, it will be used in the courts to show discrimination and will ultimately lead to court mandated same-sex marriages.

To help defeat this bill, please call your state representative and state senator and ask that they support traditional marriage and vote against the civil unions bill. If you are unsure who your legislators are, please see the link at the end of this email.

Also, please take a moment and call the following members of the Youth and Family Committee to encourage them to vote no on this bill. We need 4 votes to keep it from passing out of the committee. And - as always, please pass this on to all who believe in protecting our families and our children. If you are interested in attending the hearing, it will be held on Thursday, March 5th at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield in Room 122B of the Capitol Building (I can give you directions to the Capitol Building if needed).

Members of the Youth and Family Committee:
Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) (Greg Harris is also the sponsor of this bill, but he needs to hear your opposition to this bill)
Chairperson
217-782-3835

Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago)
Vice-Chairperson
217-782-5962

Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago)
Republican Spokesperson
217-782-1653

Rep. William D. Burns (D-Chicago)
217-782-2023

Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe (R-Chicago)
217-782-8182

Rep. Al Riley (D-Matteson)
217-558-1007

Rep. Dave Winters (R-Rockford)
217-782-0455

Directions for identifying your legislators:
You can use the following link to identify your state legislators and their contact information: http://www.elections.il.gov/ DistrictLocator/ SelectSearchType.aspx? NavLink=1 (and enter your 9 digit zip code). If this link doesn’t work, you can use the general link www.ilga.gov and then click on ” legislator lookup” near the bottom of the page, then click on “by zip+4″. Type in your zip code, and you’ll see a list of your legislators. You want your state senator and state representative as they will be the ones voting on the bill.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sister Combs.

LDS Ward boundary maps

Here is a handy tool to locate LDS meetinghouses, or determine what ward a particular address belongs to.

https://maps.lds.org/


.

Even one drink per day increases womens' cancer risk

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2009/02/25/health-buzz-alcohol-use-and-cancer-risk-and-other-health-news.html

Health Buzz: Alcohol Use and Cancer Risk and Other Health News
Posted February 25, 2009

A Drink a Day May Increase Your Cancer Risk

Consuming as little as one alcoholic drink per day may increase the risk of several types of cancer in middle-aged women, according to a new study published online yesterday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study involved more than 1.2 million British women, making it the largest study ever to look into the role of alcohol use in women's cancer risk. During the seven-year follow-up period, 68,775 women in the study were diagnosed with cancer. Cancer risk increased as the consumption of alcohol rose, and the kind of alcohol the women drank didn't seem to make a difference. Moderate drinking, the study suggests, accounts for about 13 percent of cancers of the breast, liver, rectum, and upper respiratory/digestive tract in women, HealthDay reports.

Alcohol consumption affects more than cancer risk; in fact, in some women, alcohol may protect against heart disease and fractures—if it's not abused. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis reported last year that alcohol use and alcoholism are on the rise in women, though not in men.

Kirby: Sorry Sen. Buttars, gay rights won't destroy us

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11774334

Kirby: Sorry Sen. Buttars, gay rights won't destroy us

By Robert Kirby
Tribune Columnist
Salt Lake Tribune

Last week, Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, reportedly announced proof that the gay rights movement posed "the greatest threat to America."

According to Buttars, homosexuals lack morals, engage in abominable behavior, are as dangerous as radical Islam, and -- I apologize in advance for saying this, but it's time someone in the media did -- actually fail to floss after every meal.

I consider myself one of the most intolerant people I know, but gays aren't even on my "Top 500 People Whose Guts I Hate" list. I checked it this morning.

Under "H," the list goes from "Happy Birthday Songs in Restaurants" to "Hitler, Adolf" without any mention of "Homosexuals." Nothing under "F" or "Q" either.

Perhaps I fail to appreciate what makes gays so dangerous. Tell me. Is there something else I should be adding to my 72-hour emergency kit? If society collapses -- and it's gays who caused it -- I want to be prepared.

Then again, maybe this is just another of those phony "America is doomed" scares, like giving women the vote. Nearly 90 years ago, people hollered that suffrage was an utter calamity to the American family. When the 19th Amendment passed, just look what happened.

Well, OK, there's really nothing to see except that the lines at the polls got longer. That's pretty bad but it didn't exactly ruin us.

And what about the dreaded Negro? Back when it was all white, didn't America once court disaster by giving blacks the vote, property rights, civil rights and anything else?

People -- idiots mainly -- absolutely guaranteed that doing away with racial barriers would destroy the country. Today, nobody's even wearing a hard hat over it.

It could be that gays are more insidiously evil. The ones I know don't look it, but I've been wrong about appearances before. I was about Bigfoot. Still, let's see what happens when we're nice or even just grudgingly fair to gays.

In 1998, the federal government made it illegal to fire federal employees just for being gay. It's tough to fire federal employees anyway, but this was different. We held our breath and the Dow immediately stayed where it was.

There's always some horrible threat poised to destroy America, something we're doing that reactionaries say will cause God to unleash his wrath upon us. My grandfather thought it was tampon commercials.

Maybe it takes a long time for America's "greatest threats" to destroy it. It could be that we're actually being destroyed as we sit here talking about it. I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

With even a casual glance at our history, it's easy to see that the America people feared seeing destroyed has always been an outdated version that catered almost entirely to them.

Robert Kirby can be reached at rkirby@sltrib.com

Lucy Mack's copy of Book of Mormon

Excerpts of Church acquisition likely belonged to Prophet's mother by R. Scott Lloyd

A rare 1841 copy of the Book of Mormon that likely belonged to Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, is now owned by the Church, the gift of a Church member who wishes to remain anonymous.

Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy, Church Historian and Recorder, displayed the book during a recent Church News interview in his office.

At the same time, he displayed a portrait of the Prophet's mother by Sutcliffe Maudsley, a Nauvoo, Ill., artist, likely done in 1842 ,in which she is holding a Book of Mormon copy virtually identical to the recent acquisition by the Church.

"The provenance indicates that it's Lucy's book," Elder Jensen said, "and it's likely this is the very Book of Mormon that she was holding in this painting."

It was the fourth edition of the Book of Mormon, the previous ones being the original, published in Palmyra, N.Y., in 1830, the 1837 edition published in Kirtland, Ohio, and the 1840 edition published in Nauvoo.

Of such historical artifacts, Elder Jensen said, "They help promote faith, and they preserve a record. There is something spiritually beneficial about having that memory. There's no church for which history is more important than ours, because we rise or fall with it. And with that history comes the development of our doctrine, comes our authority and the authenticity of it."

Read the entire article here.

Primary Song based on the Proclamation on the Family

"The Family Is Of God"

1. Our Father has a family. It's me!
It's you, all others too: we are His children.
He sent each one of us to earth, through birth,
To live and learn here in fam'lies.

2. A father's place is to preside, provide,
To love and teach the gospel to his children.
A father leads in fam'ly prayer to share
Their love for Father in Heaven.

3. A mother's purpose is to care, prepare,
To nurture and to strengthen all her children.
She teaches children to obey, to pray,
To love and serve in the fam'ly.

4. I'll love and serve my family and be
A good example to each fam'ly member.
And when I am a mom or dad, so glad,
I'll help my fam'ly remember:

[Chorus]
God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—
This is how He shares His love, for the fam'ly is of God.

HT: Mormon Mentality by Devyn S.

Mormonism in the Public Mind, Perceptions of an Emerging World Faith

The UVU Religious Studies Program presents the Ninth Annual Mormon Studies Conference: Mormonism in the Public Mind, Perceptions of an Emerging World Faith

Friday, April 3, 2009
Lakeview Room, UVU Library (fourth floor)

The past few years have seen an unprecedented public discussion of Mormonism. From the 2007 PBS documentary "The Mormons" to Mitt Romney's run for the White House, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Mormon groups have been the subject of nearly unceasing scrutiny.

2008 was a year in which we witnessed the raid of an FLDS compound in Eldorado, Texas and the tumultuous debate over Proposition 8 in California. From its earliest beginnings, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has struggled with public image. This challenge has persisted from early confrontations in Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, and territorial Utah to the ongoing attempt to gain acceptance within the broader streams of American culture. Media attention on the peculiarities of Mormonism has shown that, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emerges as a world faith, the challenges of understanding and respectability are far from over.

This conference will address perceptions of Mormonism in public discourse and examine the strategies involved in the Latter-day Saint response to skepticism and prejudice. Pertinent questions include: What are the current perceptions of Mormonism? What is the extent of misinformation? Have the attempts by Latter-day Saints to shape their image been successful? To what extent is media coverage accurate and fair? How has the Internet and impacted public discussion of Mormonism?

Co-Sponsors
Religious Studies Program, Utah Valley University
College of Humanities and Social Sciences, UVU
Department of Communication, UVU
Utah Democracy Project, Center for the Study of Ethics

For more information
Contact Boyd Petersen at boyd.petersen@uvu.edu, (801) 863-6181
or Brian Birch at brian.birch@uvu.edu, (801) 863-8759
or visit http://www.uvu.edu/philhum/religious/index.html

The Perspectives on a Massacre: A Panel Discussion on Mountain Meadows

The UVU Religious Studies Program presents:

The Perspectives on a Massacre: A Panel Discussion on Mountain Meadows

Thursday, March 5, 2009
Lakeview Room, UVU Library (fourth floor)
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

The Mountain Meadows Massacre is among the most tragic events in Utah and Mormon history. On September 11, 1857, over one hundred California-bound emigrants were killed by Mormon settlers near Cedar City, Utah with the aid of local Indians. Events surrounding the massacre have been among the most hotly debated topics for scholars, church leaders, and descendents of the victims and perpetrators. The UVU Religious Studies Program and Happenings in Humanities are bringing together scholars from various perspectives to address public interest and to promote civil dialogue on this important topic.

Panel Participants:

Richard E. Turley, Jr.
Assistant Church Historian and Recorder, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Co-author of Massacre at Mountain Meadows (Oxford University Press, 2008)

Will Bagley
Independent historian and columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune
Author of Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows (University of Oklahoma Press, 2004)

Forrest Cuch
Executive Director, Utah Division of Indian Affairs
Editor of A History of Utah's American Indians (Utah State University Press, 2000).

Moderated by Alex Caldiero, Poet and Scholar in Residence, UVU Department of Philosophy and Humanities

Co-Sponsors:

UVU Religious Studies Program
UVU College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Utah Democracy Project, Center for the Study of Ethics

For more information, contact Alex Caldiero at acaldiero@uvu.edu (801) 863-8038, Brian Birch at brian.birch@uvu.edu or (801) 863-8759, or visit
http://www.uvu.edu/philhum/religious/index.html

Preserving the History of the Latter-day Saints

---

Preserving the History of the Latter-day Saints

Church Historians, the Church Historian's Office, and the Recording and Publication of the Latter-day Saint Past

Friday, February 27, 2009
Conference Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah

The publication of the Joseph Smith Papers and the construction of a new Church History Library provide the occasion for an academic symposium to examine the process of recording, collecting, compiling, and publishing the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Proposals are welcome in any of these areas and on related topics—the Church Historian's office, the writing of Joseph Smith's diaries and histories,  the compilation of the seven-volume History of the Church, the preparation of the Joseph Smith Papers, and the work of official or unofficial diarists, clerks, and editors who recorded or compiled historical events and early discourses or who oversaw the manuscript collections of the Church: William Clayton, Willard Richards, George A. Smith, Martha and Howard Coray, Thomas Bullock, Wilford Woodruff, Andrew Jenson, Joseph Fielding Smith, and others.

 

More info here

Buttars punished for anti-gay statements

Excerpts of Deseret News article Buttars loses chairmanships over remarks  by Lisa Riley Roche

To a packed room of reporters, Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, announced he was stripping Buttars of his chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, because that's where gay rights bills would be heard.

Buttars had no comment from the Senate floor when asked about the Senate president's actions today. He said he did not know what had been done.

Told that the gay community wanted an apology for his comments, he said, "Well, they ain't gonna get one."

Waddoups stressed during the press conference that Buttars continues to have the support of his Senate colleagues.

"This frees Sen. Buttars to feel more at ease in saying how he personally feels," the Senate president said, calling Buttars a "stalwart" whose views — or at least some of them — are shared by many senators.

Later, Waddoups told the Deseret News that the decision also means Buttars will lose his chairmanship of the Senate Judicial Confirmation Commission, which decides whether to recommend the full Senate consent to judicial appointments by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

But Waddoups said he did not ask Buttars to resign. Waddoups said he spoke to Buttars before Friday morning's press conference "to assess what his mental attitude was and to express the support of his colleagues," and that the senator did not offer to resign.

"As I spoke to him this morning, he had no inclination whatsoever to do that, and I was not encouraging him to do that," Waddoups said.

Senate Democrats said they would push for new legislation this session to mandate cultural and diversity training for both House and Senate members.

Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake, said he wasn't necessarily asserting what Buttars said was hate speech. "Understanding why words matter is an important part of this dialog going forward," Romero said.

Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake, said the action against Buttars seemed to be "a repeat of history."

"This will mar Utah's reputation further," she said.

Regarding Buttars staying on the Rules committee, she said, "Getting to committee is half the battle. Getting out of Rules is half the battle. If Pres. Waddoups felt that way he should have removed him from Rules."

On Thursday evening, after a closed caucus with senators, there were multiple senators who thought that Buttars may resign his seat.

The three-term senator is the focus of criticism for comments he made to a documentary filmmaker, in which he compared gay activists to Muslim terrorists and said they are "the great threat to America." The comments were made public Wednesday night.

Utah Senator Buttars calls gay rights the greatest threat to America

Excerpts from Buttars: Gays 'greatest threat to America' by Rosemary Winters of The Salt Lake Tribune

He called the gay-rights movement "probably the greatest threat to America," likened gay activists to Muslim radicals and dubbed same-sex relationships "abominations."

Last year, the NAACP called for Buttars to resign after comments he made on the Senate floor about a complex school-funding bill, saying, "This baby is black . . . It's a dark, ugly thing."

Buttars' latest remarks come from an interview with documentary filmmaker Reed Cowan that aired on ABC 4 this week. Buttars told Cowan the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community doesn't want "equality, they want superiority."

"It's the beginning of the end," the West Jordan Republican said. "Oh, it's worse than that. Sure. Sodom and Gomorrah was localized. This is worldwide."

On Wednesday, gay-rights activist Jacob Whipple, founder of the All For One Initiative, called for Buttars' resignation from the Senate, urging supporters of the LGBT community to e-mail Buttars and Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville.

"He basically labeled my community as virtually the devil incarnate," Whipple said. "I don't think that he represents Utah any more. … Saying something so hurtful has no place on the Hill."

But Waddoups defended Buttars, saying the anti-gay comments did not violate any Senate rules. He suggested that Cowan, a former ABC 4 reporter, has a "vendetta" against Buttars.

"It's just unfortunate in my mind that someone wants to continue to [hurt] someone by virtue of a person's position on the issues," Waddoups said.

Cowan, who is openly gay, countered Waddoups' accusation.

"That is a cowardly attempt to direct attention away from what was actually said," the filmmaker and Miami TV anchor said. "I believe the world that is now hearing the words of Senator Buttars will judge it the way they will."

For his part, Buttars used a Senate blog to post his response to the latest outcry, reiterating his belief that "traditional marriage is the foundation of our civilization." He also said he was "disappointed" in the manner Cowan released the interview.

Cowan conducted his interview with Buttars on Jan. 30, days after Buttars helped defeat the initial bill in the Common Ground Initiative, a legislative effort that would have expanded legal protections for gay and transgender Utahns. The Legislature has stopped the initiative for 2009, with a House committee voting down the final bill Wednesday.

Of that first bill, Buttars boasted to Cowan, "It lost 4-2, and I killed it. I've killed every one they've brought for eight years."

Cowan says he sought out Buttars for the Jan. 30 interview in his Senate office since the Utah senator has long been "the wall" between gay people and legal rights as well as a former LDS bishop who played a role in excommunicating gay Mormons.

Mormons and rejecting evolution

From Which religious groups are Creationist?  by Razib at scienceblogs.com runs some numbers from Pew Research.

After a chart showing Mormons having the 2nd lowest acceptance of evolution among major religious groups, Razib states:

The main surprise here are Mormons. I knew that they had become much more Creationist over the past 3 generations due to their identification with conservative Protestants, but I didn't know that it went this far. In The Creationists Ronald L Numbers states:

In 1935 only 36 percent of the students at the Mormons' Brigham Young University denied that humans had been "created in a process of evolution from lower forms." By 1973 the figure had risen sharply to 81 percent.

A series of charts compare members of religions' rejection of evolution with the following:

• rate of conservativism
  
• percentage of post-graduates
  
• importance of religion
• acceptance of scripture as the word of God

Mormons are at or near the far end of the charts, in each instance showing both a high rejection of evolution while at the same time a high rate of conservatism, low percentage of post-graduates, consider religion important in one's life, and a high acceptance of scripture as the word of God.

The charts can be viewed here.

Death Threats Follow Web Map of Donors

Death Threats Follow Web Map of Donors

Visitors to EightMaps.com can see markers indicating a contributor's
name, approximate location, amount donated and, if the donor listed
it, employer. That is often enough information for interested parties
to find the rest -- like an e-mail or home address. The identity of
the site's creators, meanwhile, is unknown; they have maintained
anonymity.

Article continued here:
http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=64555&full_skip=1

A glimpse at The Book of Commandments and Revelations

Excerpts from  Lecture Notes: Underwood on the Book of Commandments and Revelations (New Manuscript Volume)  at The Junenile Instructor by Ben.

Underwood began his lecture by discussing the overall agenda of the Joseph Smith Papers Project: to gather "all materials pertaining to Joseph Smith." As part of this, they sent a request through the Church Archives to hand over any Joseph-related document—a request that also included the First Presidency Vault. As a result, the Vault was catalogued and an interesting document was found: an early manuscript that served as a basis for the 1833 Book of Commandments. This volume contains the earliest manuscripts for literally dozens of the earliest revelations.

It appears that JS would dictate a revelation, they would write it down, soon afterward copy it into the Book of Commandments and Revelations (BCR). It is obvious that this volume was taken to Missouri by John Whitmer and used as a printer's copy for the Book of Commandments.

Though the discovery of this volume comes as a tremendous shock, we have had hints that such a collection exists. For starters, the Community of Christ has had in their possession several sheets that were torn out of the BCR, and many thought that they were a part of a much larger collection of revelations. Also, Ezra Booth wrote in 1831 about "the 27th commandment to Emma," hinting to the idea that there was a collection of revelations that he was speaking of. 

So, what's new in the volume? First, it contains the revelation to Oliver, Hyrum, and Josiah Stohl to "go to Kingston…I grant unto my servant the privilege that he may sell a copyright through you"—the much sought after Canadian copyright revelation. It also includes the revelation, given after the section we know as D&C 77 and following the question & answer style, that Orson Pratt later referred to when speaking about the Adamic names for God, Christ, and man; it begins: "What is the name of God in pure language? Awman."

Another interesting insight in the volume is how it demonstrates the "composition" of several revelations. Many smaller revelations received on the same day would be combined together in the printed edition, and the manuscript would have something like "connected" written between them to show as much. This is especially the case with D&C 42, though Underwood gave many more examples.

According to Underwood, the most significant thing that can be learned from this volume is how the revelations were edited and revised. A great example of this is D&C 6, a revelation given to Oliver Cowdery. This section is known for its reference to Oliver's "rod," but it was not originally recorded that way. Instead of "rod," it was written "sprout." Instead of "rod of nature," it was written "this thing of nature." Another instance includes changing the phrase that Joseph had "right to translate" to Joseph had "sight and power to translate."

The entire article can be read here.

Darwin Week at BYU

With Charles Darwin's 200th birthday later this week, ongoing tensions at BYU may resurface. Beginning in the early 20th century when a majority of students protested the firing of two professors who refused to stop teaching evolution, tensions have continued up to the present. That tension is most noted between members of the religion and biology departments.

For example, religion department faculty member Joseph Fielding McConkie has stated: "Is the theory of evolution compatible with the doctrine of the Fall? Answer: No. We can tug, twist, contort, and sell our birthright, but we cannot overcome the irreconcilable differences between the theory of organic evolution and the doctrine of the Fall" The BYU Biology department, on the other hand, is a leading research institution in genetic evolution and has received more government grants on the topic than any other university. BYU biology professor Duane Jeffery has championed the idea that the church has no official position on the topic and that evolution is not incompatible with the gospel.

Amidst this tension, members of both deparments will deliver lectures on the topic this week as reported by the Deseret News:

• Monday, Feb. 9, BYU biologists Keith Crandall, Byron Adams and Jerry Johnson will present "How Darwin's Big Idea Has Improved the Human Condition: Three Vignettes for Discussion" at 6 p.m. in Room 455 of the Thomas L. Martin Building. They will discuss evolution in modern medicine, forensics and behavior.
• On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Daniel Fairbanks, professor and head of the Department of Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, will present "The Many Faces of Charles Darwin" at noon in Room 321 of the Karl G. Maeser Building Auditorium.
• On Wednesday, Feb. 11, BYU Dean of Religious Education Terry Ball will present "An Approach to Understanding the Creation" at 3 p.m. in Room 455 of the Martin Building. At 7 p.m., BYU biologist Riley Nelson will discuss "On Knowing: The Times and Seasons of Joseph Smith, Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin" in the same room.
• On Thursday, Feb. 12, BYU biologist Michael Whiting will present "The Legacy of Charles Darwin: Seeking Grandeur in the View of Life" at 7 p.m. in Room 3220 of the Wilkinson Student Center. Birthday cake will be served following the lecture.
• Also Thursday, Feb. 12, Scott Ritter, chair of BYU's Department of Geological Sciences, will present "The Evolution of Charles Darwin: A Bicentennial Celebration" at 7 p.m. in Room 377 of the Clyde Building. The lecture will be preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m.
• On Friday, Feb. 13, "Darwin and the Human Fossil Record" will be presented by Duane Jeffery, professor emeritus from BYU's Department of Biology, at 3 p.m. in Room 445 of the Martin Building.

For more information, call 801-422-4502.

Focus on the Family out-spent LDS 3-to-1 on Prop. 8 fight

This article compares the amounts spent by the two institutions.  I suspect the church would have preferred that this was the only story on LDS financial contribution towards Prop8, rather than the attention received on mobilizing its California members to raise about half of all Prop8 proceeds.

-----

The Associated Press

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. » A Colorado Springs-based evangelical group spent more than three times the amount spent by the Mormon church to support a California ballot initiative that outlawed gay marriage.

Data released this week by the California secretary of state's office show Focus on the Family donated $657,000 in money and services to ProtectMarriage.com, a California coalition that supported Proposition 8.

A September report indicated Focus on the Family had contributed $448,406. Focus vice president of media relations Gary Schneeberger says the most recent figure includes the value of non-cash contributions such as mailing costs and time on radio programs.

The data also indicate Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated $189,000 to support Proposition 8.

Mormons reverse plans to build temple near Marian shrine in Honduras

http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14984

Tegucigalpa, Feb 4, 2009 / 06:40 pm (CNA).- The Honduran press last week that the Mormon Church has decided to abandon plans to build a new temple near the Shrine of Our Lady of Suyapa in Honduras.

The mayor's office of Tegucigalpa denied the Mormons a permit to build the temple, which would have blocked the view of the Basilica of Suyapa.

The news came as thousands of Hondurans are making their way to the famous shrine this week to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Suyapa, the patroness of Honduras. Officials expect some two million to visit the shrine during the festivities.

During a Mass on Tuesday, Cardinal Andres Rodriguez of Tegucigalpa said, "Veneration of Holy Mary of Suyapa should fill the heart of each Catholic with joy. Together with Mary we should remain united."

Pius XII declared Our Lady of Suyapa patroness of Honduras in 1925.

Church clarifies Prop8 disclosure

SALT LAKE CITY 2 February 2009 Today The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints clarified erroneous news reports following the
filing of its final report on donations to the ProtectMarriage.com
coalition.

On Friday, 30 January, the Church filed the final report of its
contributions (all of which were non-monetary) to the
ProtectMarriage.com coalition. The report, submitted in advance of the
31 January deadline, details in-kind donations totaling $189,903.58.

The value of the Church's in-kind (non-monetary) contribution is less
than one half of one percent of the total funds (approximately $40
million) raised for the "Yes on 8" campaign. The Church did not make
any cash contribution.

Because media coverage about this filing ran without a comment from
the Church, the following statements of fact from the Church add
context to this story and should help correct the record:

Fox13 (Utah): "The documents show the amount spent by the Mormon
Church is greater than what was initially stated."

Fact: The Church, like other organizations on both sides of the ballot
issue, was required to publicly file these donations by the 31 January
deadline. The Church has been filing required contribution reports
throughout the campaign. Those earlier donations "initially stated"
were filed for specific time periods prior to this last reporting
period, as required by law. Other groups are also filing their final
contribution reports to meet the same deadline.


San Francisco Chronicle : "Mormon church officials, facing an ongoing
investigation by the state Fair Political Practices Commission, Friday
reported nearly $190,000 in previously unlisted assistance to the
successful campaign for Prop. 8, which banned same-sex marriage in
California."
Sacramento Bee : "The disclosure comes amid an investigation by the
state's campaign watchdog agency into whether the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints violated state laws by not fully
disclosing its involvement during the campaign."

Fact: This filing is in no way prompted by an investigation by the
California Fair Political Practices Commission. Many organizations are
filing this week to meet the deadline required by law. We believe we
have complied with California law.


KFMB 760 AM (San Diego) :
"Mormon Church Misstated How Much It Spent in Prop 8 Fight."
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints previously claimed
only about $2,000 was spent in support of the measure."
365Ga y : "Mormon Church admits it spent 100 times more for Prop 8
than reported"

Fact: Again, the previous disclosure of an in-kind donation was to
meet an earlier deadline. In fact, previous filings detailed over
$50,000 out of the total non-monetary contribution of $189,903.58.This
week's filing reported donations that fell within a different time
period and required reporting by the 31 January deadline. Other groups
also made their final contributions reports this week.


Understanding the extent of donations from other organizations may
help the media and the public better understand the context in which
the Church's donations were made.

Judge refuses to shield Prop 8 donors

Excerpts of Prop. 8 campaign can't hide donors' names  by Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Proposition 8 proponents' complaint that a California campaign-finance disclosure law has led to harassment of same-sex marriage opponents failed to sway a federal judge, who refused Thursday to throw out the law or shield donors' names.

"If there ever needs to be sunshine on a particular issue, it's a ballot measure," U.S. District Judge Morrison England said after a one-hour hearing in his Sacramento courtroom.

A lawyer for the Prop. 8 campaign said it would ask an appeals court to modify or overturn the law, which requires disclosure of all contributors of $100 or more.


The federal lawsuit, unrelated to the validity of Prop. 8, was filed Jan. 8 by the ballot measure's sponsoring committee, Protect Marriage. The suit said Internet disclosure of donors' names and other identifying information in state-mandated reports has led to consumer boycotts, picketing and even death threats.

By requiring disclosure, "The government is getting in the middle (of the issue) and saying, 'Here are the people to go after,' " Richard Coleson, a lawyer for the committee, told England.

He argued that the $100 disclosure requirement - adopted by California voters in 1974 - should be struck down, modified to raise the dollar limits, or at least not applied to Prop. 8's contributors. As a first step, Coleson said, the campaign should be exempted from the state's post-election contribution report, due Monday.

Otherwise, he said, in future initiative campaigns "you will have donations dry up, and one side will be able to overcome another by intimidation and not by persuasion."

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld campaign disclosure laws in 1976 but ruled in 1982 that the Socialist Workers Party in Ohio could shield its donors' names because of a history of attacks and reprisals.

Protect Marriage argued that it was entitled to the same exemption because of retaliation against some of its contributors, but lawyers for the state said the two cases weren't comparable. They noted that the Prop. 8 campaign raised nearly $30 million from 36,000 donors.

If the Prop. 8 campaign was exempted from disclosure because of reports of harassments of individual donors, said Deputy Attorney General Zackery Morazzini, the same case could be made for any controversial initiative. Courts would have to "keep the entire California electorate in the dark as to who was funding these ballot measures," he said.

England agreed.

He noted that some of the reprisals reported by the Prop. 8 committee involve legal activities such as boycotts and picketing. Other alleged actions, such as death threats, mailings of white powder and vandalism, may constitute "repugnant and despicable acts" but can be reported to law enforcement, the judge said.

Even if there have been illegal reprisals, that would be insufficient reason to grant a wholesale exemption for a multimillion-dollar initiative campaign, England said. He also rejected the Prop. 8 campaign's argument that the $100 disclosure limit established in 1974 should be increased for inflation, saying some states require reports of contributions as low as $25 and the Supreme Court has never invalidated them.