M. Russell Ballard

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Former V.P. Gore meets with LDS Church leaders today

Gore, now an environmental activist who shared the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on global warming, is believed to have requested the meeting with the LDS Church’s First Presidency. It is not known what he wants to discuss.

I’d say it’s a safe bet that he wants to enlist the Church in his global warming crusade. Responsible stewardship is one thing but I can’t see the Church signing on to his doom and gloom prophesying (and profiteering).

BUMPED: The Newsroom has a short report on Al Gore’s visit:

Al Gore greets Church leaders. M. Russell Ballard. Quentin L. Cook

Mr. Gore had a brief courtesy meeting with President Monson and then met with Elder M. Russell Ballard, Elder Quentin L. Cook, and others members of the Church’s Public Affairs Committee. He gave a 30 minute presentation and expressed his concerns about CO2 emissions, which was followed by several minutes of questions and answers.

2 April 2009 @ 10:27 pm | 4 comments

Pray for the President’s Success

21 January 2009 @ 4:14 pm | 8 comments

President Uchtdorf and Elder Ballard reported on their inauguration experience yesterday:

“We could feel the deep emotion around us — we were surrounded by people of all colors, of all creeds and of all languages,” said President Uchtdorf . . . “It was a great experience we had — to see a unity there that I hope will last on and continue throughout the years of this administration.”

and

“I left with a feeling that the people of America are going to unite behind this new president and his administration and that we need to pray for him,” Elder Ballard said. “We need to exercise our prayers and help him accomplish the great objectives that he has set.”

Helpful counsel to encourage all of us to support our new president. After all, we are supposed to honor our rulers.

I don’t think they mean we are supposed to necessarily sign on to the specifics of President Obama’s agenda but his overall efforts to strengthen our nation.

Some encouragement for those of us who didn’t vote for him: the Barack Obama who spoke yesterday sounded a lot different from the one of last year’s primary campaign. Plus, we have an opportunity to not return in kind the derangement syndrome that afflicted many of our fellow citizens for the past eight years.

As my father-in-law wrote in an op-ed this Sunday:

At this point let’s give Obama the benefit of the doubt. After all, his success will be our success.

I agree. I’m sure there will be plenty of issues to disagree and argue over but he is our president. We should hope at the least that he is successful in running and defending our country.

If you need more specifics on how the loyal opposition should behave (or anyone else for that matter), consult this excellent “To Don’t” list for the right.

Elder Ballard’s Call to Inform

21 April 2008 @ 5:10 pm | 3 comments

On the heels of attending a prayer service for Pope Benedict the 16th, Elder M. Russell Ballard spoke at the BYU Management Society dinner this weekend.  The dinner is an annual gathering in Washington, D.C. that includes area members as well as prominent people and dignitaries. 

Elder Ballard’s speech surveyed the church’s experience in the public eye for the last year and repeated his recent calls to engage in public and online discussions about the Church. His overall conclusion was that the past year has been a good experience, saying “I’d much rather have people talking about us than ignoring us.”  Most of the confusion results from those caught between two extremes of critics: conservative Christians who try to marginalize the Church as a cult and those opposed to the Church’s political stands on moral issues.
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“LDS Church sends leaders to greet the Pope”

The Church is sending Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Gene R. Cook to represent the Church as the Pope visits the U.S. . .

The Church says it doesn’t expect to have a face-to-face meeting with the Pope. But [Robert] Millet says there have been many meetings with Church leaders and Catholic cardinals over the years.

16 April 2008 @ 3:20 pm | 4 comments

At BYU-I graduation, Elder Ballard renews call to participate in new media:

With all the falsehoods and misconceptions about the Church found online, Elder Ballard urged the graduates to use their knowledge and testimony of the gospel to influence seekers of truth. “Today I want to encourage you to reach out to others in the world to help change the perception and even the hearts of millions of our Heavenly Father’s children by correcting misunderstandings by sharing with them the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Elder Ballard suggested that graduates join in conversations on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain the message of the Restoration in simple, clear terms. As they participate in these new media, Elder Ballard continued, the graduates should remember first and foremost that they are followers of the Savior Jesus Christ.

[via Latter-day Commentary]

14 April 2008 @ 6:37 pm | No comments

Michelle Obama meets with Elders Ballard and Cook

4 February 2008 @ 6:02 pm | 7 comments

Barack Obama’s Saturday Utah visit may have been thwarted due to President Hinckley’s funeral, but the Obama campaign has not given up on Utah.  Michele Obama met today with Elders Ballard and Cook.

Although the Church is neutral in party politics, it is common for political and government leaders to pay brief calls on Church leadership. The half-hour meeting focused mostly on family values.

A busy day at temple sqaure. Plus, Elders Ballard and Cook seem to be the politics/Church public affairs duo of the Twelve.

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YouTube – Elder Ballard Invites Mormons to Join Internet Conversation

17 January 2008 @ 6:17 pm | No comments

Not surprisingly, Mormons have mixed feelings about the media scrutiny the Romney campaign has brought upon the Church.

A good characterization of Romney’s campaign:

Despite Romney’s attempts to keep the campaign focused on issues, questions about Mormons and their religious practices such as wearing sacred undergarments and conducting secret ceremonies inside their temples have dogged the candidate and, by extension, the 178-year-old Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A fair question:

“At what point does a religion attain the status of just being accepted generally?” Parker asked. “I don’t know, but Mormonism isn’t there. It’s kind of opened my eyes, really about the rest of the country.”

The long view:

“I think over the long term this is going to be a very, very positive thing for us,” said Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ballard and others have been visiting the editorial boards at newspapers and magazines to discuss Mormonism.

“We’re wanting to be a part of the conversation because we do not want people defining us,” he said. “Whether we clear up all the misunderstandings is something else, but we certainly had the chance to talk to them about real issues.”

16 January 2008 @ 4:07 pm | No comments

How to start a (Mormon) Blog

8 January 2008 @ 7:47 pm | 5 comments

Dave’s right.  Since Elder Ballard’s call for Latter-day Saints to get more involved in new media, there has been an uptick in LDS blogs and Mormon bloggers.  And LDS and Mormon Blogs has definitely received more submissions for LDS-themed,  particularly for missionary and doctrine-oriented blogs

Like Jeff Lindsay, I have received some questions on how to start a blog and I thought I’d post this here for future reference . 

1.  Before you start a blog, read a lot of different blogs and decide for yourself what makes a successful blog.
Blogging may sound interesting and it’s commendable to want to follow Elder Ballard’s suggestion.  But unless you have already read blogs for awhile, I would suggest that you hold off starting your own and read many different blogs first. 

Check out the Bloggernacle at LDS and Mormon Blogs and  Mormon Archipelago.  Also, look at non-LDS blogs to get some ideas.

As Jeff suggests, the best thing you can do may be to not start a blog but instead contribute in the comments of other blogs, forums, or other websites.  It may be more useful to engage bloggers who are uninformed about the church and post respectful comments, giving them further light and knowledge rather than the heat that so many generate. Participating in thoughtful discussions or civilly correcting someone in error may be preferable to just being another voice in the wilderness.

On the other hand, one of the great things about blogging is that it is so easy to start, you may just want to disregard the above advice and just dive in and learn by doing.

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Why Do So Few Journalists Know Mormons?

21 December 2007 @ 11:21 am | 1 comment

A BYU communications professor, Joel Campbell, (and “LDS Newsline blogger”-  see, it is a blog!) comments on some of the good and bad examples of journalsim covering Mormons.

Unfortunately, much of the national media resides in the eastern United States, where Mormons are as exotic as tropical birds and journalists do little more than parrot long-held stereotypes and misinformation. Frankly, I think journalists either don’t want to talk to Mormons or don’t know where to find them. At least one media critic recognizes the problems and suggests that the lack of Mormons in journalism could be a factor. Even so, there are some examples of the good and bad.

But first, let me point out that when I say “good” here I am talking about professional standards of fairness, objectivity and going to Mormons or those who understand us well as sources to provide balance and context. Even better, reporters draw upon first-hand experiences. I don’t expect puff pieces, but I do expect thorough reporting, good sourcing and fair play. Even in opinion columns, pundits shouldn’t be content with lazy research on the Web or with convenient sources.

This journalistic laziness has been  evident in the coverage of the Romney campaign.  Gov. Romney’s message for much of the year has been swamped by demands to answer for and explain his religion. 

Although he finally did so in the dramatic fashion that was required of him, Gov. Huckabee has been more than happy to pick up the religion baton.  And so far, it seems that the media is more charmed by it than threatened.  

Hopefully, as Campbell suggests, with time and more exposure, Mormons won’t be the rarity and oddity that we have been this year. 

An audio version of Elder Ballard’s recent talk “Using New Media to Support the Work of the Church” is now available in the Church’s Newsroom podcast feed or can be directly downloaded as an mp3.

21 December 2007 @ 9:27 am | No comments

Why Should Mormons Participate in the Political Process

18 December 2007 @ 12:48 am | No comments

Andrew at Burning Bosom was a little prescient by posting last week on Elder Ballard’s urging advancements in Mormon culture.

17 December 2007 @ 7:08 pm | No comments

Elder Ballard Gives his Blessing to the Bloggernacle

17 December 2007 @ 11:53 am | 3 comments

Yes, Elder M. Russell Ballard is encouraging members to blog and use the internet as positive resprentatives of the Church.

Not only did Elder Ballard say the (ugly) word “blog,” the 79-year old Apostle invoked iTunes (with correct capitalization), podcasts, Facebook, and text-messaging. Kudos to Bookslinger of Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon for specifically being mentioned as a great example of the good a blog can do. 

Much of his talk focused on how we can responsibly use the tools of the new media and to worthily represent the Church.  I thought his comments served as an excellent reminder of how to be a good blogger:

Every disciple of Christ will be most effective, and do the most good by adopting a demeanor worthy of a follower of the Savior. Discussions focused on questioning, debating and doubting gospel principles do little to build the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul has admonished us to not be “ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ: for it is the power of God unto Salvation” (Romans 1:16). Let us all stand firmly and speak with faith in sharing our message with the world. Many of you are returned missionaries and can carry on meaningful conversation in the language you learned on your mission. Your outreach can be international.

As you participate in this conversation and utilize the tools of New Media, remember who you are–Latter-day Saints. Remember as the Proverb states that “a soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). And remember that “contention is of the devil.” There is no need to argue or contend with others regarding our beliefs. There is no need to become defensive or belligerent. Our position is solid; the Church is true. We simply need to have a conversation, as friends in the same room would have, always guided by the prompting of the Spirit and constantly remembering the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ which reminds us of how precious are the children of our Father in Heaven.

It’s a little chastising for me too, as this blog gets too mired in the crude politics of the day, it is too easy to get defensive and perhaps belligerent.  He even quotes the scripture from which this blog takes its title but fails to live up to.

While the Bloggernacle has its good and bad, I think it serves the Church well for the most part.  It’s exciting to see the Church recognize church blogs and to encourage members to join the effort.  But also, good for those who have already started the conversation in the Bloggernacle and did not wait to be “command[ed] in all things.”

Elder Ballard responds to Evangelicals:

“They’re locked into the Nicene Creed . . . We’re locked into the restoration and the experiences of Joseph Smith,” said Elder M. Russell Ballard, a senior leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “And that will undoubtedly be an issue until God himself comes.”

6 December 2007 @ 9:53 am | No comments

Elders Ballard and Cook meet with the editorial boards of USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal,the New Republic, and (my favorite) the National Review.   U.S. News published something but I wonder of anything else will directly result from any of the other publications.

7 November 2007 @ 7:20 pm | No comments