Tithing (the practice of giving a tenth of one’s income),[1] has been around since at least the time of Abraham (see Genesis 14:18-20). Ancient Israel was constantly reminded of the necessity to pay a tithe, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:8). On 8 July 1838, Joseph Smith, the first Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,...

By Amy Choate-Nielsen Deseret News Published: Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 7:00 p.m. MST David Letterman knows how to get a laugh.Like most comics, he riffs on the day’s news, deadpans the camera and revels in audacity.”Oh, did you hear about this?” the host of CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman asked his audience recently. “A campaign staffer on the Newt Gingrich campaign was fired because he was making negative...

The Pew Foundation survey of Mormons released this past week confirms that U.S. Mormons are more conservative (66 percent) compared to the general public (37 percent), and on most issues, they closely track white evangelicals. But immigration is one issue that sets Mormons apart from their evangelical counterparts. Asked whether immigrants are a strength or a burden, 59 percent of white evangelicals said they were a burden, while only 41...

Of all the numbers in the Pew Research Center’s recently released survey of “Mormons in America,” the highest, most overwhelming numbers are these: 98 percent of respondents said they believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 97 percent say their church is a Christian religion. This comes on the heels of earlier surveys indicating that 32 percent of non-LDS U.S. adults say the LDS Church is not a Christian religion,...

I Believe in Jesus Christ–and Santa Clause By Nicole Carpenter   Christmas was a big deal at my house growing up. My dad was quite the jolly ol’ elf. As soon as the first snow fell (often in October), his Christmas cassette tapes began playing everything from “Silver Bells” to “Silent Night.” Christmas lights covered our home-inside and out, second only to Clark Griswold. As children, we never missed a clay-mation...

Samantha Murphey is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Woman) and has interned with the New York Daily News My Thanksgiving memories are a blur of ordinary things — family gatherings, fall leaves, cozy fires, parades, touch football, pumpkin pie, turkey and trimmings. Flickers and flurries and fun. My memories are dotted with the classic elementary school holiday crafts — tracings of tiny hands made to...