Bloggin' 'bout Books: Mormon Mentions: Libby Copeland

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Mormon Mentions: Libby Copeland

6:30 PM

If you're not sure what a Mormon is, let alone a Mormon Mention, allow me to explain: My name is Susan and I'm a Mormon (you've seen the commercials, right?). As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon or LDS Church), I'm naturally concerned with how my religion is portrayed in the media. Because this blog is about books, every time I see a reference to Mormonism in a book written by someone who is not a member of my church, I highlight it here. Then, I offer my opinion—my insider's view—of what the author is saying. It's my chance to correct misconceptions, expound on principles of the Gospel, and even to laugh at my (sometimes) crazy Mormon culture.

(Note: In 2018, Russell M. Nelson—president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—made an impassioned plea to members of the Church and to the media to always use the full and correct name of the Church instead of referring to it by its various nicknames. This led to the renaming of many Church entities, including its famous choir, which is now The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Although I have been trying to think up a clever new name for this feature that is more in line with President Nelson's request, for the moment it remains "Mormon Mentions.")

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is well known for its long-held interest in genealogy/family history, so it's no surprise that the Church is mentioned several times in The Lost Family by Libby Copeland:

"It matters deeply to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who their ancestors are because this knowledge allows them to carry out a grave responsibility, to save souls and ensure the sanctity of the family unit in the afterlife" (29).

- One of the most comforting doctrines taught by the Church is that families are forever, bound together both in this life and the next. Building temples, in which familial bonds are cemented through sacred covenants, is a priority because this eternal binding is of utmost importance to the leadership and membership of the Church. I love this video, which explains this better than I can:

"FamilySearch, though, is not a business. It is a massive project free to everyone, dedicated to the idea that we're all better off if we know our ancestors...[The Church] also runs the website FamilySearch.org, where you can search more than five billion records" (29).

- If you have any interest in family history, I strongly recommend visiting FamilySearch. It's run by the Church, but anyone can use its abundant free resources. If you need help navigating the site, let me know. I'm happy to help.

2 comments:

Sam 30 April, 2021 13:51
I second your endorsement of FamilySearch. It's been a while since I've used it, but some of my best results (especially before I gave Ancestory.com my money) came from that resource. In fact, I found the "missing link" there for one branch of the family that opened up over 150 years of family links - with some surprising results.
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