Category: The Buzzz

3 Friends Visited 22 Countries in 90 Days to Test Mormon Hospitality

Let’s be honest: we here at Mormon Buzzz are suckers for a good story about millennials sharing goodness, and the story of best friends Brandon C.W. Johnson, Wendall Strong, and Cody Myers definitely fits into this category. They took a 90 day trip visiting 22 countries in Europe and relying purely on the hospitality of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Following their travels, they created a documentary film about their experience called the Mormon Connection. The documentary follows their epic trip and showcases how vast and accommodating the Mormon network really is.

The three met at BYU – Hawaii, and after comparing experiences they had all had road-tripping and staying with members of the Church, they had an idea to create a documentary film highlighting the global network of the Church. With limited experience traveling, filmmaking, and even more limited funds, the friends looked to the Internet to support them in their new venture. They started a Kickstarter campaign, bought some filming equipment, and began networking with the members they were planning to stay with.

Johnson said, “A documentary should test an idea or theme, and this documentary went out to test the Mormon network.” It took about four months of work and planning to make the trip possible. Social media helped them get in touch with potential contacts in Europe, including a website called Mormon Explorers that connects LDS travelers with member hosts all around the world. They all had experience with the hospitality of members before, but the opportunity to show that to the world was too good for them to pass up. “The question we asked was, ‘Do we as members of the Church really treat each other as brother and sisters?’ We think members are aware that the answer is yes, but what we were hoping to document was that if people treat others like brother and sister, like the Mormons do, the world would be a more connected place,” Johnson added.

Johnson talked about how members use this network without even being aware of it. Having only joined the Church three years ago, he provides a unique perspective on the global influence the Church has that members often take for granted. “I was baptized 30 days after coming to BYU-Hawaii as a non-member, and as a convert to the Church I quickly became aware of how amazing this network is.” He said that out of all the other churches and organizations he has been a part of, just from a networking standpoint, the “Mormon network” is the most amazing and far reaching network on the planet. Myers said, “We had people helping us out for no reason, just because we were from the same church…a lot of members don’t recognize the amazing community they are a part of.” The three can’t wait to help them recognize that.

This month marks a year since Johnson, Myers, and Strong left to Europe to film, and the documentary is set to be released this month.

For updates on the films release be sure to follow the Mormon Connection on Facebook.

The Mormon Connection

June 4, 2016
Popular Mormon Ads Reimagined with Marvel Characters

This is what happens when Avengers assemble…in your favorite Mormon Ads! Comic book fan Sean Leslie has recreated popular Mormon Ads with a superhero twist. The results are, dare we say it, super.

1. Put it on

2. Some assembly required

3. Rock solid

4. Just once won’t hurt

5. Rise above the blues

6. You’re never big enough

7. Temper your temper

To see more Marvel Mormon Ads, follow Sean on Twitter and stay tuned for his upcoming website, mormoncereal.com.

All images © Sean Leslie.

May 28, 2016
New Mormon Message Discusses Returning Home Early From Mission, Depression

The Mormon Channel released a powerful new video today about a man named Jake, who was called to serve a two-year mission in South Carolina and returned home early due to depression. It’s an incredible testament of the power of the Atonement and something we think you should know about.

Watch the video below:

We encourage you to share this video on social media to uplift friends and family members who may be going through a similar trial.

Do you have a story similar to Jake’s? We want to hear from you. Please email us at mormonbuzzz@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

May 23, 2016
A Simple Trick to Automatically Mute Your Phone at Church

If you’re anything like me you’ve probably forgotten once or twice to silence your phone at Church. There are worse sins to be certain, and after all, nothing really punctuates the sacrament like a few bars of Hello Dolly’s It Takes a Woman. But if your ward members don’t appreciate egregiously sexist show tunes quite as much as yourself, then you may want to consider following these instructions to automatically silence your phone whenever you’re at church.

Yes, you heard me correctly, with a simple app available for both Android and IOS, you can save yourself the embarrassment of explaining away your Backstreet Boys ringtone. It’s called IFTTT which stands for “If This, Then That”.

Get the App

The first step is obviously to download the app for your respective device (Sorry Windows phone users, you’re out of luck).

Initial Setup

The initial setup is easy, just download the app, and make an account. IFTTT is useful for more than just muting your phone. The app works by using “recipes”, which are just simple instructions for how to link together your favorite apps and services. If you think about the name, “If This Then That”, you’ll get an idea of how it works. We’re going to install a recipe that will let your phone figure out when it’s in a church building and then tell it to silence your phone, or in other words, if your phone is in a church building then silence your phone. Once you’ve got the app setup skip down to the instructions for your device.

Instructions for Android

If you’re using an Android phone, congratulations, this is going to be much easier for you. Unlike Apple, Android allows apps to control the volume of your phone. Now in your case what we’re going to do is watch for when your phone connects to the Church’s wifi network, “LDSAccess”. Like the Gospel, the Church’s wifi name and password is the same everywhere, so this recipe should work for you in any church building. The only requirement is that you’ve connected to the Church’s wifi at least once before. Since you’ve probably already done that at some point, I’ve taken the liberty of creating this recipe for you. To install it just click the “add” button below on your phone.

That’s it! Pretty easy right? Now just a caveat, Android devices vary greatly; there’s no guarantee that this recipe will work reliably on your phone, so you might want to monitor it the first time just to make sure it actually works for you. In my experience I’ve found that while all Android phones will silence the ringtone, not all will silence the media volume, so if you’re planning to scroll through Vine in-between sacrament meeting and Sunday school, you might want to make sure it actually is silenced.

Instructions for Apple

Alright Apple users, I have two pieces of bad news. First, Apple doesn’t allow apps on iOS to change the phone’s volume so the process isn’t quite as automatic. What we can do instead is have it send you a notification when you get to church to remind you to turn it down. Second, unlike Android, iOS can’t tell when you’re in a specific wifi network, namely, “LDSAccess”. What we can do instead, however, is use your phone’s location to accomplish the same thing. To get started just click the “Add” button below. For this recipe to work just change the address to your local church building and you’ll get a friendly reminder when you get to church to silence your phone.

//ifttt.com/assets/embed_recipe.js

That’s it! You’re all set, please don’t forget to check out more tips at Salesforce! You can repeat this process to add more church buildings or other places like Institutes, or Temples.

You’re all done!

See, that was pretty easy. IFTTT is great for all kinds of similar uses. For example, you can have it remind you once a month to get your home/visiting teaching done, or have it log to a spreadsheet when you read your scriptures to track your reading habits. The possibilities are almost limitless. If you have any ideas for other Mormon IFTTT recipes, or maybe just need some help getting this one setup, just let me know in the comments below. Be sure to share this tip with your friends so you can all keep your embarrassing ringtones a secret.

Did you enjoy this Mormon tech tip? Check out How to use #hashtags to Share the Gospel Online

//ifttt.com/assets/embed_recipe.js

May 21, 2016
Sister Missionaries in Disease-Impacted Areas Now Able to Wear Pants

In response to the wide spread of mosquito-borne diseases throughout the world, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has revised missionary dress standards to allow sister missionaries in select areas to wear pants.

The guideline adjustment, announced Friday, May 20, 2016, is unique for sisters and comes at a time when viral diseases such as Dengue Fever, Zika, and Chikungunya are rampant throughout the world. Roughly half of the Church’s missions (230) worldwide have a significant risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Missionaries in these areas are highly encouraged to wear clothing that covers exposed skin, especially arms and legs. Sisters serving in affected missions are now encouraged to wear full-length dress slacks during proselyting activities. Skirts and dresses will continue to be required at the temple or during worship services. These new guidelines apply only during wet seasons when the risk for mosquito-carried illnesses is high.

The Church also announced today that it will now pay for insecticide solution and repellent containing DEET for all missionaries worldwide.

“We are encouraging and training our missionary force to implement these preventative measures and would also encourage the general membership to consider these measures for themselves and their families,” stated Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer, assistant executive director in the Missionary Department and chairperson of the Missionary Medical Health Services Division.

The First Presidency further recommended that missionaries avoid stagnant and standing water, particularly around residential areas and in their apartments.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently 544 reported U.S. cases of the Zika virus alone, you can read more at the latest outbreak news, which has received recent and widespread media attention.

May 20, 2016
Jamesthemormon Just Dropped a New Music Video to Let Everyone Know They’re Treasure

James Curran, who just recently hit number one on the Billboard new artist chart, just released his newest video entitled Treasure. The video features Yahosh Bonner and was written to help the world see that we are all Treasure in God’s eyes. While we may be imperfect and we all struggle with different trials, we are all equal in God’s eyes. Curran never fails to create uplifting beats that make us feel the feels.

Curran said that he wanted to help elevate the negative stereotype that the Church is non-inclusive or homophobic. He said, “No matter what your age, race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, or handicaps may be.. I KNOW God thinks you are TREASURE.” After receiving backlash for the song and video, James concluded with; “I will never apologize for believing wholeheartedly that all people on this earth are equal in God’s eyes.” James, keep doing what you’re doing!

Want to hear more uplifting music from James? Check out: JamesTheMormon Raps Up the Holidays With An Amazing Service Project or LDS Rap? This Mormon Is Proving It Has A Place

May 16, 2016
10 Times General Conference Gave Us All the Feels

We don’t know about you, but we’re a little [read: a lotta] emotional after this weekend’s general conference. Here are ten times conference made us feel all of the feels:

1. When members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir wept through “Come Thou Fount,” especially this man:

*Cue sudden and unexpected sobbing.

2. When new apostle Elder Rasband’s voice wavered as he expressed his deepest gratitude for those praying for and sustaining him.

3. When the camera panned to Sister Wixom’s tear-filled eyes as the Primary Presidency got released.

We’re okay…we’re…not okay. *cry*

4. When President Monson and Elder Hales had to be helped by security/other apostles to the pulpit and we were all emotionally them.

5. When Elder Kearon shared his experiences with refugees and you could see the love pouring from his tender British eyes.

*sniff* We’re not crying! *sniff*

6. When President Uchtdorf, visibly touched by Elder Kearon’s remarks, was barely able to conduct the rest of the meeting through his tears.

CAN’T. EMOTIONALLY. HANDLE.

7. When President Eyring choked up during his opening comments as he pleaded with us to listen to the prophet; again, when Elder Arnold talked about rescuing those who have gone astray. Pretty much during every single talk. #RealTalk

8. When Elder Johnson spoke about the death of his daughter and read an excerpt from her journal about the hope the resurrection brings.

We’re done. Just…so done. *hiccuping sob*

9. When Elder Holland spoke to our souls and asked us if we knew how much Church leaders love us.

10. When conference ended far too quickly.

What conference moments stirred your soul this weekend? Tell us in the comments below!

Revisit your favorite talks now!

April 5, 2016
Jamesthemormon and American Idol Jenn Blosil Have Unbelievable Missionary Moment While Making Easter Video

What better way to kick off the Easter season than with a quick reminder of the true meaning of the holiday. James Curran wanted to do just that with this video he made with some of our favorite Mormon Celebs! The Sistas in Zion: Tamu Smith and Zandra Vranes, and Jenn Blosil: former contestant of the 15th season of American Idol, teamed up with James to spread some Easter cheer.

Curran shared with us an amazing missionary moment he and Jenn had while filming the video;
“The best part about this experience was when Jenn and I were able to do some missionary work. There was a young but very tall African american looking gentleman who walked past us a few times as we were filming. So Jenn and I walked over to him and asked him if he was LDS and if he would like to be in our video. He said that he “was” LDS but had since fallen away since moving here from New York. Jenn just happened to be a missionary in New York and guess what? She served in his home branch. I felt prompted to ask him if he did music and guess what? He raps! I quickly informed him that I was not a rapper, but that I love to rap as a hobby. We all exchanged numbers and have plans to hang out this week. He actually invited Jenn and I to come down to Salt Lake to freestyle with him.”

What a beautiful example of the right people being in the right place at the right time. But what really made the difference was them reaching out and opening their mouths. The perfect way to celebrate Easter is to make sure our brothers and sisters are partaking of the joys of the Atonement. Let’s reach out a little further, Thanks James and Jenn for the awesome example!

March 22, 2016
Same-Sex Policy Changes Discussed Over Pulpit for 1st Time During YA Devotional

For the first time since November, the new church policy postponing the age of baptism for children of same-sex couples was addressed over the pulpit by Russell M. Nelson, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In Sunday’s LDS Devotional for young adults. Nelson, rather than discussing the specifics of the new policy, instead addressed how the decision was made to enact it.

“Filled with compassion for all, and especially for the children, we wrestled at length to understand the Lord’s will in this matter, ever mindful of God’s plan of salvation and of his hope for eternal life for each of his children,” Nelson said.

Nelson remarked that the decision to enact the policy, which requires children of same-sex couples to wait until the age of 18 for baptism and renounce same-sex relationships, was made the same way the 2012 decision to lower the age of missionary service was made.

“We considered countless permutations and combinations of possible scenarios that could arise. We met repeatedly in the temple in fasting and prayer and sought further direction and inspiration,” he said. “When the Lord inspired his prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, to declare the mind of the Lord and the will of the Lord, each of us during that sacred moment felt a spiritual confirmation.”

Nelson noted that the decision to sustain the prophet in this matter was made by each individual after diligently seeking to hear the voice of the Lord and personally wrestling with the issue.

Speaking to young members of the church affected by this decision and others made my the Quorum of the Twelve, Nelson said that some may question why the church does what it does. He added that asking these questions and seeking answers at an individual level is critical to spiritual progression.

“Seeking to learn, understand, and recognize truth is a vital part of our mortal experience,” he said. “Revelation from the Lord to his servants is a sacred process, and so is your privilege of receiving personal revelation. You have as much access to the mind and will of the Lord for your own life as we apostles do for his church. Just as the Lord requires us to seek, ponder, fast pray, and wrestle with difficult questions, he requires you to do the same as you seek answers to your own questions.”

Nelson’s remarks to millennial members of the church included encouragement to spend more time in sacred places, seek answers from the Lord rather than social media, follow the prophets, and accomplish challenging obstacles in life. He also urged them to be true to the millennial they were born to be.

His talk was preceded by a talk given by his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, who encouraged young single adults to desperately seek the will and guidance of the Lord and apply the Atonement of the Savior in their lives.

Both President and Sister Nelson’s talks can be accessed on lds.org.

January 10, 2016
Jamesthemormon Raps Up the Holidays With An Amazing Service Project

James Curran, also known as Jamesthemormon on social media, decided to ‘rap’ his christmas gift this year with a brand new song and video. His latest project, entitled “Angels We Have Heard On High,” is less about Christ-centered rap and more about Christ-centered Christmas, and it’s one you need to see.

The music video was filmed in downtown Salt Lake City, where Curran and his collaborators passed out free food and clothing to the homeless. The song is an arrangement of “Angels We Have Heard On High,” featuring Junior Maile, Yahosh Bonner, Jay Warren, and Curran leading with an original rap. While the vocals are impressive and the rap inspiring, the arrangement was quickly thrown together to simply act as a backdrop for the video (beautifully produced by Cameron Gade from Catchlight Productions), made to inspire Christlike charity this holiday season.

Curran teamed up with local businesses Bam Bams BBQ, Catchlight Productions, Traeger Grills and Stay Clothing, who donated clothing and food to create an unforgettable afternoon for over 300 people. He told Mormon Buzzz, “My purpose is to bring charity to Christmas, because that is the pure love of Christ.” Curran had the opportunity of doing a similar service project last year (you can watch that video here), where he bought dozens of pizzas and passed out clothing. This year, however, he knew he could go a little bit bigger. “I would love to go bigger and bigger in the coming years,” he said. Some ideas Curran has are to invite every food truck in Provo to donate food and to involve even more businesses to make that much more of an impact.

Jamesthemormon’s willingness to share his talents as well as his example of Christlike charity are a call for all of us to do more for others this holiday season. Let’s think a little more outside of ourselves this Christmas and share the pure love of Christ through simple or big acts of charity. We never know what lives we’ll touch for good.

December 24, 2015