6/24 – Preach My Gospel Update, Cancel the Cornerstone, & Coughing COVID Choir

Become a TWiM Patron in order to get early-release episodes and bonus content. Final volume of Joseph Smith Papers to release on day of the Prophet’s martyrdom (Related: Forensic images: New research provides fresh evidence this really is a photo of Mormon founder Joseph Smith) MATT Updated version of Preach My Gospel now out, Pres. Nelson on this MELISSA TabCats Covid outbreak after tour in Mexico - more on the Mexico tour MATT Mormon crickets are going to be abundant this year. In some places, they are using snowplows to get rid of them. MELISSA LDS Church celebrates Juneteenth with gift to NAACP branch MATT Meet Sarah Sun, Miss Utah 2023 and a Latter-day Saint convert committed to serving others. The returned missionary is the first Asian American to wear the Miss Utah crown MATT News for Three Temples in the USA Famous Mormons: Which actor who was in a lot of Info-mercial style commercials is Mormon-Adjacent? George Foreman Wilford Brimley (Diabetes) Ron Popeil (RonCo Products) Big/Little/No Deal MATT No more cornerstone ceremonies at temple dedications. Is this a change in doctrine? MELISSA Members of the church in the US are becoming a little less Republican. MATT Former FLDS members fear their children's disappearance is part of Warren Jeffs' prophecy MELISSA AI to answer faith questions? MATT What 18 years of research tells us about the mental health of Latter-day Saints MELISSA Bible Ban in Davis County Schools, related: Book of Mormon up for ban discussion Mormons Doing Goodly: Raymond Stevens is working to provide educational opportunities for students in his home country of Sierra Leone This Week in Mormon History: 90 years ago today - Jun 22, 1933 The First Presidency and apostles decide that "the Church as an organization could not take part in the campaign for the repeal of the 18th Amendment since this [is] a partisan political question. It [is] hoped however that all L.D.S. would vote against repeal [of national Prohibition]." Thirty-five years later, the LDS hierarchy reverses this decision and participates actively in a campaign against liquor-by-the-drink in Utah as a "moral issue." 40 years ago today - Jun 20, 1983 FORBES magazine notes that in recent years at least ten separate swindles have been uncovered in Utah involving more than 9,000 people (1 percent of Utah's adults) and losses are estimated at more than $200 million. In asking itself "why?" the magazine described Utah as "fertile soil for swindles" because of excessive trust among LDS members: "Most of those bilked are Mormons, and the bilkers, too, profess to be upstanding members of the church and use church connections"