We know it as “The Mormon Tabernacle Choir,” and have listened to its Sunday broadcasts forever–or so it seems. The choir is now called “The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.” The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell Nelson, has urged members to stop using the nickname “Mormon,” so the choir has been re-branded. On August 22, 1847–just a month after the first company of pioneers set foot in Utah–the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was formed. In... Read more
The first question people have presented after hearing about the failed coup attempt by Christian Malanga and his son, along with his son’s friend, is “WHY?” Why would a father risk not only his own life but that of his son? The answer is perhaps too simple: Hubris. Somehow, Christian Malanga thought that this attempted coup would succeed. He had brought God into the equation, and was certain that God would open the way for Malanga to become the next... Read more
I have no authority to do anything I’ll list below. I hope that some people who do have authority will discuss any of these ideas which look feasible. My biggest concern for African missionaries is that presently they finish their missions and often can’t find work. If they learned certain skills during their missionary service, they would be better prepared for the future. Missionaries – Goal: Train all for post-mission service. The LDS Church has a lot of money and... Read more
We all learned more than we wanted to about political signals over the past while. Kamala Harris had several, my favorite being: “We’re not going Back.” Trump replayed his “Make America Great Again!” slogan, and obviously, it worked. Kamala’s slogan suggests that we are a better nation now than we were in the 1950s, when birth control was restricted and racial segregation was a fact of life. Kamala was “woke”–a word which has perhaps exhausted its usefulness. The “woke” among... Read more
The most transformative experiences during my years of researching and writing about Black LDS pioneers and their descendants happened as I became friends with the Black LDS population in Utah and elsewhere. Both Darius Gray (my co-author) and I experienced miracles as we told the stories of Jane Manning James, Green Flake, and Elijah Abel. It was clear that we had divine help. But it was also clear that the racial divide hadn’t gotten much better since these pioneers were... Read more
I thought the story of my friend, Maye, was finished when I submitted my last Patheos blog in “The Judge” series. Fortunately, it did not end when I thought it had ended. Maye[s case actually ended on November 16, 2022, when the decision from the Utah Board of Pardons came down. (For background information, see my series starting with Part 1): Maye was given a unanimous and unconditional pardon by the state of Utah, and all of the charges against... Read more
In 2006, my youngest children were ages 14 and 16. I had become concerned by the ways external media was nudging their world views into concern with self. Ads showed ridiculously skinny models, ridiculously big houses, and all things glittery. It all felt like propaganda from Vanity Fair. My children were not getting a sense of how most of the world lived. They were spoiled by their privilege and unaware that for many, having a working toilet was an extravagance. I... Read more
On Instagram, coup participant Marcel Malanga had a screenshot of these verses in Deuteronomy 28, from LDS scriptures (so identified because of the footnotes): “The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. 13And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou... Read more
My first contact with Joseph Malanga, Christian Malanga’s father, was in October, 2014. He heard that we were making a film in the DR-Congo and sent me a note: “I want to be involved.” Joseph was a refugee from the Congo and the president of the African Help Line Society, which no longer exists. He sought financing from various grant makers and emphasized the great poverty and corruption in the DRC, as shown in this youtube which he liked to... Read more
I looked at my text messages on Sunday morning, May 19, 2024. I had one from a number I didn’t recognize. It was a Facebook Live video. I pushed the arrow to see it. There was Christian Malanga, a resident of Salt Lake City who is a Congolese national, dressed in Congolese military fatigues, a red beret on his head, camouflage pants. My first thought was, “Christian, where did you get those clothes? And why are you wearing them?” I... Read more
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