This Week in Mormons

Image: Wikimedia Commons/Needpix [dropcap]G[/dropcap]reetings, earthlings. We are us, the hosts of This Week in Mormons! Jared and Geoff sit down to hash out some excellent (and late-breaking) news this week. Let's get into it. FamilySearch is in our crosshairs! The venerable family history portal sent one of its usual email campaigns over the weekend to drive traffic, but this one said something peculiar and specific - that our ancestor crossed the ocean specifically for religious freedom. Clicking the button revealed a login page that change the wording to say the family member "might" have crossed for the sake of religious freedom. And then it turns out there is no evidence at all of that family member crossing the Atlantic in search of religious freedom. So what gives? It turns out, this was to promote a new "Saints By the Sea" initiative, which is a completely cool cross-indexing effort on its own! Why was it labeled as an exercise in religious freedom instead of simply promoted as the cool effort that it is? We can only speculate (more on speculation in a bit), but it seems someone involved in marketing for FamilySearch either received direction from higher up or assumed higher ups would appreciate an effort to keep the religious freedom campaign hot in our minds. But your ancestor coming to America—even to join the Saints in Zion—is not exactly an exercise in religious freedom in the way the Church discusses it now. Our friendly neighborhood COVID-19 continues to chew away at little bits of Mormondom, this time quite closer to that "M" word than you might think. Because of complications with the virus, production has shut down on the Book of Mormon film series, with some sections now being pushed to filming in 2022. Those not in favor of wearing masks—for some, inexplicable, hackneyed attempt at fighting for "freedom"—are also the reason "we can't have nice things," according to blogger Jana Riess. The article is particularly interesting in that it has little to do with Latter-day Saints specifically, and everything to do with mask deniers. Hi, deniers. I also have a book on birtherism and a pamphlet on vaccines that might interest you. But every cloud has a silver lining, and when God closes a door he opens a window. In this case the window, double-paned, is that of Geoff Openshaw being interviewed by KUER, Utah's NPR affiliate, about the pushback against masks in Utah, even in the wake of the Area Presidency asking saints to wear them. Geoff's wisdom will change your life. This is the greatest Latter-day Saint meme of all time: Oh yeah, about that speculation. The First Presidency has announced some changes to the endowment ceremony as 12 temples enter the much coveted, perennially ballyhooed, forever elusive Phase 2, which opens up a temple for all typical ordinan...

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] fun grab bag of Latter-day Saint News for you this week, led by the indomitable, unsurpassed TWiM Sisters, Tiffany and Arianne. Plus, Tiffany gets to welcome her daughter home from her mission in the near future! Starting with temple news, the Church quietly renamed the erstwhile Washington County Utah Temple last week, merely updating the listing in its database. The new temple, dubbed Red Cliffs Utah, is the same building as before! Just a name change! And sadly, the exterior will not be clad in said red cliffs. In addition, Deseret News ran an article with a fascinating insight into the work going on at the Salt Lake Temple. The temple is currently closed for a four-year renovation, and crews are still very much in the demolition phase. Great pains are being taken to ensure the structural and artistic integrity of the building, particularly during a hot Utah summer. The United States Supreme Court issued a win for defenders of religious freedom last week, ruling that a faith-based exemption in the Affordable Care Act allows employers not to be required to offer birth control, for example, as part of a health care plan. Writing for the consensus, justice Samuel Alito cited Doctrine and Covenants. Guys! The Supreme Court! They know us! Masks! The Church's Utah Area Presidency encouraged Latter-day Saints to wear masks in public, sparking outrage! How dare they infringe upon our liberty! Who are these fools! Lord's anointed? WHAT? What is that? Why am I listening to them? What does Elder Craig C. Christensen know? Nothing! NOTHING. Elder Uchtdorf used the mask fun to pen a thoughtful article about not "masking" your heart. It's great! Remember our blessings, everyone! Remember that we can still be Latter-day Saints even under temporary restrictions for the sake of public health! Meanwhile, Elder Soares, one of the newest apostles, blessed us with his insights on how home church and COVID have helped him appreciate the sabbath more. Yay! Youth in the Caribbean region attended the first-ever virtual FSY conference, which is cool! Good on them for making it work, regardless. The saints have barely switched from EFY to FSY, and now they have been forced to adopt new techniques to continue to hold the meeting. Great job! Jana Riess has some thoughts on how to treat those who have left the Church or those who might be leaving. Her article is anecdotal, but it provides some valuable insights for leaders as we assess how to engage in outreach and ministering efforts.

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat a week! Geoff watches Hamilton! Josie starts a new podcast! Saints in New Zealand go on an indexing barrage! Let's get into it! Exclamation points! First of all, give Josie and her husband, Jeremy, some love for their new podcast, Careering, in which they interview people about what their jobs actually re. Not what the job description says. Not what the industry says. What is real. Stream it below! Authorities at Dixie State University have announced they are considering changing the university's name. This initial announcement comes a few weeks after we discussed an op-ed that encouraged this very action. Author W. Paul Reeve also has an insightful new article up trying to make sense of the Church's history on race. If the priesthood ban was divine, why haven't we seen the revelation around it? Why don't we tell more stories about our black members, who have been here since the very beginning, as Russell Stevenson suggested on our show last week? http://www.thisweekinmormons.com/2020/06/ep-483-racism-in-the-church-conversation-with-historian-russell-stevenson/ In some of our favorite satire, The Daily Frick alleges that a statue of Lilburn Boggs, the infamous governor of Missouri responsible for the extermination order against Latter-day Saints, will be erected on Temple Square! Do you like temples? Do you like temples in Orem even more? The Church has released a rendering of the upcoming temple in Utah County's second-greatest city (after Woodland Hills, obvi) along with a groundbreaking date. http://www.thisweekinmormons.com/2020/06/groundbreaking-announced-rendering-released-for-orem-utah-temple/ The Church has also announced the reopening of a few more temples. We're still in Phase One here, folks, but now the saints in Los Angeles can get sealed, so yay. Hey, it was the 4th of July in the United States, and despite racial unrest all around, emeritus Church leader Tad Callister thought this a good time to remind us that it was totally okay and necessary for the Founding Fathers to own slaves and deny women the right to vote. Meridian Magazine is not happy with Jana Riess's piece from a few weeks ago alleging that focusing so much on "de-Mormoning" everything is tantamount to idol worship. The op-ed is fine and has some good points, but it also paints an untrue picture about some aspects of Church history, notably that the term "Mormon" has always been used as a pejorative. In quick news: Utah religious leaders encourage...

We have covered social unrest in the United States due to systemic racism and police brutality quite a bit in recent podcasts. It's been difficult to avoid and has caused Latter-day Saints to reckon with our own history of racism within our ranks, including all the way up to former Church leaders. Enter Latter-day Saint historian Russell Stevenson. Russell has spent his academic and professional career studying racial issues within the Church. He is the author of two books on race and the Latter-day Saint, Black Mormon: The Story of Elijah Ables and For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830-2013, and the recipient of the Mormon History Association best book award. During our discussion, we discuss topics such as: * Was Brigham Young truly a racist? * What drove beliefs such as interracial marriage being "inadvisable" or sinful? * Why don't we receive an apology for the priesthood ban? * How do we "otherize" black identities in Church and how can we normalize them? * How is racism manifest today among Latter-day Saints? * What can we do to combat racism within our ranks? * Should statues or monuments of individuals with some component of racism in their past be allowed to stand? We're very grateful to Russell for joining us again (as he has in the past) for a discussion on these issues. Please consider picking up his books! Hey, we'd love some support on Patreon!

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat a week! So much has happened! Let's work through it with Jared Gillins as we understand our little place as Latter-day Saints in a complicated world. Elder David A. Bendar just goes all-in on the battle for religious freedom, effectively arguing that the government overstepped its bounds as religious meetings have been curtailed as a result of COVID-19. However, the Church aggressively curtailed its own meetings before the government forced it to do so. And is Elder Bednar arguing that religious groups, in particular were targeted? All this does it solidify the anti-government mentality of so many Church members. Brigham Young University has founds itself part of the discussion on America's reckoning with racism. The Abraham Smoot building, the university's administration building, was defaced due to Smoot having once been a slave owner. Just in front of that building, a statue of Brigham Young was tagged on with the word "racist" due to the fact that Brigham Young was a racist, you see. But are violence and destruction of property the answer? Too often we invalidate the concerns of those who commit violent acts in the name of protest and fail to remember that we can be against senseless destruction while also being open to a discussion about the deeper issue. We can do both! We can walk and chew gum! Good things are happening at BYU, though. The university established a committee to evaluate race and inequality, and it is composed largely of people of color! Great job, BYU! Other universities have responded to racism. Southern Virginia University, a private university that holds LDS values but is not affiliated with the Church, renamed one of its buildings after its namesake was found to hold white supremacist views. Since leaders of the Church will not apologize for racism in the past, some Church members are taking it upon themselves to do so for the Church, but it's kinda goofy. Hey, so Elder Holland was admitted to the hospital last week, but now he's out! He's OK! But this speaks to a larger issue: why isn't the Church more transparent about leadership's health? Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the open house and rededication of the Washington DC temple have been postponed indefinitely. Also, more temples have reopened, including those in Mexico! A temple in Brazil has been

Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News [dropcap]K[/dropcap]urt Francom, the veritable legend of Leading Saints is back with us to discuss leadership, having children the same as as your noble host, and, uh, Utah politics. Yay, Kurt! Young male missionaries may now, in some circumstances, wear no tie or even a blue shirt! What is this?! The Brand, folks! What about THE BRAND?! Anyway, it's cool for them. Soon they'll have beards. And leave their wives for four years. The video below is everything. EVERYTHING. NEPHITES. IN. EUROPE. Because all of world history must revolve around us. Also a fun area where we make everything about us: BYU-Idaho's Performing and Visual Arts Facebook page published a bafflingly tone deaf article trying to equate the Latter-day Saint experience, particularly early pioneer history, to the Black Lives Matter one, even finishing the remarks with the note that one may simply choose to rise up! Should Dixie State University be renamed? A letter to the editor to the Salt Lake Tribune suggests—though does not make explicit—that the term "Dixie" used to describe southern Utah carries racist roots. Likewise, should we rename Brigham Young University? Black Mormon lives matter. And we should know that and make sure others know it. This article helps. The Daily Herald interviews Joseph Freeman, described in the headline as the "First black to receive LDS priesthood." All erroneous headlines aside, it's a good interview! Last week we mentioned Mitt Romney marching with Black Lives Matter supporters. Our friend (and former guest), Ben Park, published an op-ed in the Washington Post contrasting Mitt's march with similar ones undertaken by his father, George, in the 1960s. Were you wondering what Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has learned about himself during the pandemic? Wonder no more! He spills the beans! A new study argues that Utah Latter-day Saints who self identify as "active" support Donald Trump's reelection less than their peers. Read the data. Face the music. Draft Evan McMullin! Mentions: we nearly evacuated the Tucson Arizona Temple because of a big ol' fire;

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ivil unrest continues to engulf the United States over police brutality and systemic racism. It's been a week of deeper introspection for many Latter-day Saints, including prominent bloggers, politicians, and a certain Russell M. Nelson. Dustin Homer is with us to work through it. Do white Latter-day Saints enjoy white privilege? Yes. We like to paint a picture of happily unified, pluralistic wards, but we forget that paternalism remains at play, and many minorities in our communities lead different lives during the week. It's not easy being a black Mormon. Indeed, Alex Boyé's wife, Julie, wrote an op-ed for the Deseret News about her experience as a white woman married to a black man, seeing how Alex, a famous entertainer, still shuts down around police. It's systemic. Racism also abounds at Brigham Young University. It's true! And credit to the Daily Universe for publishing a deep dive into the demographic disparities at play at the Provo campus, and discussing what should be done in response. One such step might be heeding a petition to make race and ethnicity classes a graduation requirement. Great work here. Mitt Romney became the first (and so far only) Republican senator to march with Black Lives Matter protesters. When asked why he was doing it, he replied succinctly that we have to recognize that black lives matter. McKay Coppins wrote a piece about what drives Mitt to be Mitt. President Russell M. Nelson is super great friends with the NAACP. So much so, that he published a joint op-ed (and the Church's first post on Medium) about racial injustice. Hey, so October General Conference will be like April General Conference in that it will be virtual. We aren't complaining! CNN, famous for its fake news, publishes a terrific deep dive into the Church in China. Did you know in the expat congregations, one person is tasked with sitting by the door and barring entry for locals? Yep. It's just one of many requirements for the Church to function in China. So, the Church has combined some of its news outlets. OK. In temple news, we now have a groundbreaking date for the Salta Argentina Temple. A bevy of new temples have also reopened in phase 1.

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]eorge Floyd. The death of one man at the hands of law enforcement officials—who take an oath to serve and protect—sends the United States into a spiral of violence and mayhem. How do Latter-day Saints react to this? How do we respond? As those of us in more culturally and racially homogeneous parts of the country, like Utah, assess the situation, do we understand privilege? Do we understand what is behind systemic racism? Are we looking inside ourselves to see how we can check our own biases? This is a crucial moment for all of us. While we decry violence, are we asking where the violence comes from? Are we wondering why these issues continue to flare up without resolution? President Russell M. Nelson finally chimed in with some counsel, days after waves of violence rocked many of America's larger cities. We join with many throughout this nation and around the world who are deeply saddened at recent evidences of racism and a blatant disregard for human life. We abhor the reality that some would deny others respect and the most basic of freedoms because of the color of his or her skin. We are also saddened when these assaults on human dignity lead to escalating violence and unrest. The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent! During the Savior’s earthly mission, He constantly ministered to those who were excluded, marginalized, judged, overlooked, abused, and discounted. As His followers, can we do anything less? The answer is no! We believe in freedom, kindness, and fairness for all of God’s children! Let us be clear. We are brothers and sisters, each of us the child of a loving Father in Heaven. His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, invites all to come unto Him—“black and white, bond and free, male and female,” (2 Nephi 26:33). It behooves each of us to do whatever we can in our spheres of influence to preserve the dignity and respect every son and daughter of God deserves. Any nation can only be as great as its people. That requires citizens to cultivate a moral compass that helps them distinguish between right and wrong. Illegal acts such as looting, defacing, or destroying public or private property cannot be tolerated. Never has one wrong been corrected by a second wrong. Evil has never been resolved by more evil. We need to foster our faith in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. We need to foster a fundamental respect for the human dignity of every human soul, regardless of their color, creed, or cause. And we need to work tirelessly to build bridges of understanding rather than creating walls of segregation. I plead with us to work together for peace, for mutual respect, and for an outpouring of love for all of God’s children. Racism is real. It exists in our Latter-day Saint communities. Make sure it doesn't. COVID-19, of course, hasn't gone away, and many wards and branches were back in action last weekend. If you were among those, what was it like for you? How are missionaries in the field responding to the pandemic? Those in Europe are finding creative ways to stay active preaching the gospel. Missionaries in South Korea were able to

Photo by Arvid Knutsen [dropcap]N[/dropcap]one other than the great, the majestic, the kind, the brilliant Jared Gillins is with us this week to talk the news, and the goofiness of both his and Geoff's last names! As society moves toward reopening from the COVID-19 lockdown, Latter-day Saints have plenty to consider. The Church released broad guidelines last week on the necessary steps to reach phase 1 of reopening, followed later by phase 2. They are thoughtful and give local leaders plenty of freedom in deciding how and when to take certain steps. However, they are lacking concrete guidance in a few crucial areas, notably the fact that we need professional cleaners back in our buildings. Also, it would be wise for there to be an outright ban on singing, as opening our mouths and forcing out air is a pretty great way to spread the virus. Unfortunately, this isn't covered by Church guidance. Do you miss Church? Mormon Women Stand argues that discipleship is entirely insular and we don't need one another. That's not true. Along with a return to church services, more temples are phasing into activity. The Church added a few more to the list, bringing the total number of temples open at phase 1—meaning living sealings and nothing else—to 66. There's other fun temple news! First off, Salt Lake has been nice enough to release renderings of upcoming temples in Guatemala and Japan, and we have some thoughts! In addition, over the weekend, leaders held a groundbreaking for the Layton Utah Temple, and they brought in a bunch of chintzy chairs. In a field. It was awesome. Missionary work is no longer in the hands of bishops. That's the takeaway from a new letter to stake presidents and ward leaders. Instead, elders quorum and Relief Society presidents will work directly with stake leadership on their missionary and temple and family history efforts. In addition, youth are being asked to participate in coordination meetings. In other areas of administrative organization, the Church has added additional Quorums of the Seventy, bringing the total to 12. 12! The only quorums contaiing general authorities remain the first two. How do you count missionaries who came home because of COVID-19? The Census Bureau has the

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]osie is with us this week, and she has a new job! She also has a fantastic international roundup of news ready to go. As you might imagine, there's plenty of COVID content there, but much of it is good news! The Italian government is set to allow the Church to reopen. Because in Italy, there is no freedom and the government can tell you what to do. Socialists! But how will it be when we do reopen, either in Italy or anywhere else? Will congregants return? Will the Church be forced to issue a letter from the First Presidency rescinding the authority to hold meetings and bless the sacrament at home? Some have done data analyses to predict this, but the most we can do at present is speculate. Will you be returning? How has it been for women during the lockdown, particularly those without a priesthood holder in the home? Jana Riess offers up some useful research on the plight of women who simply haven't had access to the sacrament or priesthood blessings during this lockdown, a fact that calls into question—at least notionally—the idea that women might not be priesthood holders, but they have full access to the power of the priesthood. More temple are also reopening, as the Church adds to its ever-expanding list of "Phase 1" buildings - those that are open in a limited capacity. We've yet to figure out the geographical choices. Other COVID news: * We've also had an interfaith day of prayer and hope to combat COVID. * Brisbane Australia Stake organized care packages for 115 quarantined missionaries before they could be reassigned/sent home * Macarthur Stake in Sydney, Australia hosted a Zoom-based self-reliance course. * Area presidencies have had series of meetings with Cambodian government to organize humanitarian support and healthcare improvement projects, including CPR training for police officers and assisting hospitals with cleanliness. * A London mission president couple host monthly devotional from the mission home, most recently including some interfaith influence from Revd Dr Andrew Teal, chaplain, fellow, and lecturer at Pembroke College Oxford. These devotionals supposedly reaching +32,000 viewers from 45 countries including South Africa, Japan, Thailand, Tonga, and others. How did they hear about this? * The Cardiff Wales Stake made and delivered

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]mall in stature but huge in spirit, Devin Thorpe, our beloved "resident communist," is in the studio to break down the news. He also has some updates on his experience campaigning in Utah's 3rd Congressional District. Before inevitably dipping into COVID-19 news, let's talk about how the Church is now mandating that only approved imagery of the Savior be used in meetinghouse entrances and foyers. To be clear, this means that anything that is not Jesus in this places must be removed, including any bulletins, tables, easels, etc., that might have other information on them. It is all Jesus and furniture. That's it. Utah is the second-most religiously biased state in the country against irreligious people, a study funded by atheists says. Are you in Utah? Are you a random atheist who follows this podcast? Let us know your thoughts! Props to Mississippi for being #1 in so many bad ways. It is probably also the leader in floating casinos. Famed Church historian Richard Turley is retiring. He came to the Church right after the Mark Hofmann scandals and has played an enormous role in opening up archives and facing our history. You can listen to the godless and evil Salt Lake Tribune's interview with him below. Alright, coronavirus! Week 543. In the wake of dumb Latter-day Saints flouting social distancing guidelines to welcome Mikaeyluh and Janathhyn home from their missions, the Church issued a very clear reminder not to be dumb when dropping off these missionaries as they head out for their new assignments. The limited reopening of some temples represents the first phase of returning to some sense of normalcy after coronavirus. The Church announced last week 17 temples would open solely for living sealings, then a few days ago added 17 more to the list. How "phased" can an approach be if we don't take time between phases to gather and analyze data before taking next steps? In other temples news, shocking the region - nay, the world - the Orem City Council approved the site plans for the upcoming Orem Utah Temple. Devin claims this temple will also lack a statue of the angel Moroni, and he also doesn't like that Moroni was actually added to some temples that originally didn't have one. Site work is also underway at the Washington County Utah Temple. This means dirt is being moved around. And the plans for one of our favorite upcoming temples, that of

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]fter a few weeks of bearing kids and delving into Church history, we're back with the news! And who better to guide us through the items of the week than our resident Idaho experts, the TWiM Sisters, Arianne Smith and Tiffany Hales. What do you think of the Church's new logo? Or what about what we have editorialized as the Tabernacle Choir's "bad" new logo? A graphic designer sounds off on the Church's latest branding efforts in an interesting discussion with the Daily Herald. The Salt Lake Tribune exposes corruption at the highest levels of temple planning! OK, not quite, but it does reveal that the upcoming Shanghai China Temple is not quite as planned or approved as we might have supposed. Worth a read. Also worth a read: BYU Magazine published fascinating research about the roles of women, and notably, how women are not listened to and what to do to enable women in your ward, social circle, or business. You'd be forgiven if you thought this had already happened, but due to coronavirus, the Church has canceled all youth treks and other gatherings in 2020. As erstwhile Young Women's advisers who have ample experience with trek, Tiffany and Arianne have some thoughts! Perhaps this is a good time to cover other COVID news. Church welfare farms are having a productive year and expect to thrive in the COVID climate. The First Presidency released updated administrative guidelines during our home-at-church saga. There's nothing terribly earth shattering here, but it does give specifics where specifics have been needed. How have aspirants husbands and wives responded to temple closures and the inconvenience of a small, socially safe gathering at a courthouse or elsewhere in order to be married civilly? KSL has you covered with the scoop! Being forced to return early from your mission because of coronavirus is a drag, but many are finding rich blessings in the experience. Also, the April 30 deadline to decide whether to return to th...

In this week's episode, Jared Gillins and I have the opportunity to interview Benjamin E. Park, author of Kingdom of Nauvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier, which explores the evolution of Nauvoo as a city and a religious experiment.  Nauvoo means many things to many people. To Latter-day Saints in the 1840s, it represented a reprieve, a salvation from the troubles that befell them in Missouri. At first, the locals in Illinois were warm and accommodating toward the Saints. But as the Mormons grew in size and political influence, so too did animosity toward what, to many outsiders, appeared to be a theocracy at odds with American democracy, particularly as the practice of polygamy quietly grew and Nauvoo’s municipal courts shielded Joseph Smith from extradition and other legal action. It is a fascinating take on a landmark period of Latter-day Saint history, made possible by newly available resources. What lessons do we learn from this period? How do we react to uncomfortable truths about venerated Latter-day Saint leaders? How can we apply this knowledge going forward? Benjamin E. Park received his BA in English and history from Brigham Young University, a MSc in historical theology from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Divinity, and his MPhil in political thought and PhD in history from the University of Cambridge.  After serving as the inaugural postdoctoral fellow at the University of Missouri’s Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, he has been an assistant professor of history at Sam Houston State University. His scholarly articles have been published by over a dozen academic journals, including Church History, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Journal of the Early Republic, Early American Studies, and Journal of American Studies, and his popular essays have appeared in national venues ranging from Washington Post to Newsweek.  He has served on the executive boards for the Mormon History Association and Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, and is currently the co-editor of Mormon Studies Review. Park’s first book, American Nationalisms: Imagining Union in the Age of Revolutions, 1783-1833, was published by Cambridge University Press and was a finalist for the Lasky Prize in Political History, and he is the editor of the forthcoming textbook A Companion to American Religious History, published by Wiley-Blackwell. His most recent monograph, Kingdom of Nauvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier, appeared in February with W. W. Norton/Liveright, and has been featured in, among other venues, The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal.

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat better way to commemorate 10 years of This Week in Mormons by making you suffer through our very first episode? An episode so green and amateurish, and yet we still had to rerecord the entire thing because we didn't know what we were doing! So our first show, dubbed "The Thirty-Foot Temple" after some design tweaks to the then-in-progress Phoenix Arizona Temple, dabbled in only a few topics, including the Mormon Battalion Visitors Center, technology in the Church, obese Mormons, and so many other topics discussed with our signature maturity and sensitivity! Those years ago, we had no idea what TWiM would become, and we're thankful to all of you for being part of the community.

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e'll try to keep the COVID-19 news to a minimum this week as we come down from our General Conference recap high. Josie Gleave has kindly hopped into the hot seat, which means great international news! How was your global fast on Good Friday? Did it work? Is coronavirus over? In all seriousness, it was cool to see everyone come together to fight this thing, but it's also worth noting that other Christians have been fasting on Good Friday for centuries. Latter-day Saints did not invent the Good Friday fast! We are not leaders here! Blogger and author Jana Riess, herself a convert to the Church, has her own thoughts on how to Make Fasting Great Again, including to bring a more somber contemplative approach to it, rather than a transactional one. You can also learn about five times a prophet has called for a global fast, but it was only done by three men. Tricky! The Church is busy helping with the COVID-19 relief effort in many ways around the world: * Since its initial donation of medical masks, goggles and gowns to China, the Church has received numerous requests for similar assistance. Those requests are being evaluated and addressed as the Church is able to do so, although our ability to supply and deliver those products is limited by a global demand for such resources. * Support via donations to LDS Charities is providing supplies and raw materials for medical care in hospitals and emergency rooms for medical personnel and patient care.For now, the Church of Jesus Christ, through Latter-day Saint Charitable Services, has managed to provide aid in Cambodia, China, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Italy, Iran, Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, Singapore , South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. * Church donates use of official building in San Antonio, Chile to be used as a hospital for patients with mild virus symptoms. Estimated 48 beds are being installed. (Same building was similarly provided to be converted into a hospital during the 1985 earthquake). * Food and supplies from Bishop's Central Storehouse sent to Navajo reservations in SW area. Volunteers dropped off 100 boxes of food to help out. * First Presidency approves massive relief campaigns in 57 countries. Coronavirus has affected the youth of the Church in different ways. The Church was forced to