FAITH
Friday, August 7, 2015
East Oregonian
Page 7A
Mormon church opens history books
By BRADY MCCOMBS
Associated Press
AP Photo/Jim Mone
Council on American-Islamic Relations-Minnesota Ex-
ecutive Director Jaylani Hussein, center with micro-
phone, speaks to growing Somali community concerns
about the proposed government-initiated Countering
Violent Extremism program during a news conference,
Thursday in Minneapolis.
Activists want more
transSarency in
counterterrorism
By PHILIP MARCELO
and AMY FORLITI
Associated Press
BOSTON — Muslim
groups and civil rights
activists across the nation
Thursday called for greater
transparency in a program by
President Barack Obama’s
administration that’s aimed
at countering homegrown
terrorism.
Organizers,
including
representatives from the
American Civil Liberties
Union and the Council on
American-Islamic Relations,
spoke out at coordinated
events in Boston, Los
Angeles and Minneapolis
— the three cities where
the Countering Violent
Extremism program is being
piloted.
Among their concerns is
that organizers still refuse
to share basic information
about what the localized
efforts will actually look like.
They also object to federal
authorities
conducting
invitation-only discussions
about the program, referred
to as CVE, to the exclusion
of dissenting groups.
Last week, more than 200
academics, terrorism experts
and government of¿cials
gathered for a conference in
Arlington, Virginia, spon-
sored by the Department of
Homeland Security and the
Department of Justice. It was
titled “Radicalization and
Violent Extremism: Lessons
Learned from Canada, the
UK and the US.”
Among the attendees and
panelists were leaders of
the CVE efforts in the pilot
cities, according to a copy of
the program provided to The
Associated Press.
“This isn’t a communi-
ty-based process,” Nadeem
Mazen, a city councilor in
Cambridge, Massachusetts,
and board member of the
local CAIR chapter, said
during a small gathering in
front of Boston City Hall.
“This is a whole different
level of federally coordinated
assault on our civil liberties.”
In Los Angeles, oppo-
nents announced Thursday
they’ve ¿led public records
requests of federal, state and
local authorities in an effort
to obtain all available infor-
mation about the operation
of the program in California.
Boston opponents said they,
too, were crafting a similar
request.
In Minnesota, opponents
speaking at a Somali market-
place delivered a message
shared by their Boston and
Los Angeles counterparts
— that Muslims are being
unfairly targeted by the pilot
programs.
&hristian schooO sued over ¿ring
Sregnant unmarried educator
EUGENE (AP) — A
private Christian university
in Eugene is being sued by
a former assistant professor
who says she was ¿red when
she became pregnant.
The lawsuit seeks $650,000
in various damages from
Northwest Christian Univer-
sity, saying Coty Richardson
told the school about her preg-
nancy in May and was given
the options of either breaking
up with her boyfriend of 12
years or marrying him, the
Register-Guard reported.
The lawsuit says Rich-
ardson was informed she was
¿red in a July 30 letter from
vice president of academic
affairs and dean of faculty
Dennis Lindsay. He wrote
that “sexual relations outside
of marriage” are “contrary to
the university’s core values.”
Lindsay has not responded
to a request for comment
from the Associated Press.
Richardson argues in the
suit ¿led Tuesday that the
school was discriminating
against “her religious views
that it is entirely appropriate
for her, as a Christian, to wait
until she and her partner are
¿nancially, practically and
emotionally ready to get
married.”
BRIEFLY
Hermiston church
¿res uS the
barbecue
HERMISTON — The
public is invited to a free
community barbecue
planned by the Hermiston
First Christian Church.
The event is Sunday at
5 p.m. at 775 W. Highland
Ave., Hermiston. In addition
to lots of food, there will be
a slip n slide and games for
kids.
For more information,
call 541-567-3013.
Redeemer church
continues rector
search
PENDLETON —
Episcopal Church of
the Redeemer is hosting
visitations as it searches for
a new rector.
Candidate visits include
Rev. Charlotte Wells,
who visited July 29-31.
Upcoming visits are planned
with Rev. Richard Stevens
from Aug. 14-16 and Rev.
Roberta Taylor from Aug.
28-30. During both visits, an
evening prayer time, meet
and greet and barbecue is
planned Saturday evenings
at 5 p.m. at 241 S.E. Second
St., Pendleton.
Burgers, lemonade, tea
and water will be provided.
Those in attendance are
asked to bring a side dish,
salad or dessert to share.
For more information,
contact 541-276-3809,
redeemerchurch1897@
gmail.com or visit www.
pendletonepiscopal.org.
Nazarene youths
head to the river
HERMISTON — Water-
skiing, inner-tubing and
water fun is planned during
a Teen River Day.
Hosted by the Hermiston
Church of the Nazarene,
youths are invited to enjoy
lunch in the ministry center
after the morning service
and then head to Warehouse
Beach for water fun and
fellowship. The church
is located at 1520 W.
Orchard Ave., Hermiston.
Participants will return at
5:30 p.m.
Those attending are
asked to bring life jackets,
modest swim wear, a towel,
change of clothes and
sunscreen.
For more information,
call 541-567-3677 or search
Facebook for “Hermiston
Church of the Nazarene.”
SALT LAKE CITY — The
Mormon church took another step
toward transparency Tuesday with
the ¿rst published pictures of a small
sacred stone it believes founder Joseph
Smith used to help translate a story that
became the basis of the religion.
The new photos peel back another
layer of secrecy for a relatively young
world religion that has come under
scrutiny for some of its beliefs as its
numbers swelled in the Internet age.
The pictures of the smooth,
egg-sized rock are part of a new book
that also contains photos of the ¿rst
printer’s manuscript of the Book of
Mormon. Of¿cials with The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
unveiled the photos at a news confer-
ence in Salt Lake City.
The religion’s drive in recent years
to open its vaults and clarify sensitive
tenets is aimed at ¿lling a void on
the Internet for accurate information
as curiosity increased while church
membership tripled to 15 million
over the past three decades, Mormon
scholars said.
Church historian Steven E. Snow
acknowledged that dynamic, saying:
“The Internet brings both challenge and
opportunities. We’re grateful for the
opportunity to share much of collection
through the use of the Internet.”
The church’s campaign seems aimed
at preventing current members from
leaving and showing non-Mormons the
faith has nothing to hide, said Terryl
Givens, professor of literature and reli-
gion and the James Bostwick chair of
English at the University of Richmond.
As an American-born religion much
younger than most world religions, the
origins of Mormonism have come under
greater scrutiny and put pressure on the
church to prove its stories, Givens said.
“The other churches’ origins are
concealed by the mist of history,”
Givens said. “Mormonism is the ¿rst
world religion in which the origins
were exposed to public view, to
documentation, to journalists and
newspaper reporting.”
AP photo by Rick Bowmer
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints historian Steven E. Snow
displays the third volume of the Joseph Smith Papers, which includes
the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon, during a news confer-
ence Tuesday in Salt Lake City.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
A picture of a smooth, brown, egg-
sized rock is shown in the printer’s
manuscript of the Book of Mor-
mon. The Mormon church for the
first time is publishing photos of
a small sacred stone it believes
founder Joseph Smith used to
help translate the story that be-
came the basis of the religion.
The pictures in the new book show
different angles of a stone that is dark
brown with lighter brown swirls. The
photos also show a weathered leather
pouch where the stone was stored that
is believed to be made by one of Joseph
Smith’s wives, Emma Smith.
The church has always possessed
the stone, which was transported
across the country during Mormon
pioneers’ trek from Illinois to Utah
in the mid-1800s. But it decided to
publish the photos to allow people who
prefer visuals to words to better under-
stand the religion’s roots, said Richard
Turley, assistant church historian. The
stone will remain in the vault.
“The picture brings a kind of
tangibility to something that has been
previously been talked about just
in words,” Turley said. “That helps
people connect with the past.”
Mormons believe that 185 years
ago, Smith found gold plates engraved
with writing in ancient Egyptian in
upstate New York. They say God
helped him translate the text using the
stone and other tools, and it became
known as the Book of Mormon.
The manuscript in the new book
belongs to the Community of Christ,
a faith that was created by early
Mormons who stayed behind when
most members of the religion moved
west to Utah. A Community of Christ
leader joined LDS of¿cials at the
press event Tuesday in what both
said demonstrated the two faiths have
moved on from past squabbles.
Church
Directory
s h i
W o r
p w i t h u s !
To share your
worship times
call
Amanda Jacobs
541-278-2683
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
OPEN HEARTS – OPEN DOOR
www.graceandmercylutheran.org
Sunday Worship 9:00 a.m.
Sunday School 10:00 a.m. (Nursery Provided)
Fellowship, Refreshments & Sunday School
Check Out our Facebook Page or Website for
More Information
541-289-4535
Scripture, Tradition
and Reason
Tom Inch, Pastor
Grace and Mercy Lutheran Church, ELCA
164 E. Main St. / P.O. Box 1108
Hermiston, Oregon 97838
Gladys Ave & 7th Hermiston
Fr. Dan Lediard, Priest. PH: 567-6672
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
FIRST SERVICE 8:30 AM
SECOND SERVICE 10:30 AM
712 SW 27 TH ST.
541-276-1894
www.fcogpendleton.com
FAITH LUTHERAN
CHURCH
Living Word
Christian Center
in Mission for Christ LCMC
Sunday Worship Service
10:00 AM
Wednesday Bible Study 7:00 PM
401 Northgate • Pendleton
278-8082
www.faithpendleton.org
www.livingwordcc.com
Community
Presbyterian Churc h
14 Martin Drive,
Umatilla, OR
922-3250
Worship: 10 AM Sunday
School at 11:30
Come meet Jesus at
PENDLETON
BAPTIST CHURCH
-Presbyterian Church (USA)-
201 SW Dorion Ave.
Pendleton
3202 S.W. Nye Avenue, Pendleton, OR
541-276-7590
Sunday Morning Worship
8:30 & 11:00 AM
Sunday Bible Classes 9:45 AM
Sunday Youth Group 6:00 PM
Awana Kids Club
Tuesdays 6:30 - 8:00 PM
K - 6th Grade (Sept-May)
Service of Worship - 10:00 am
Children’s Sunday School - 10:20 am
Fellowship - 11:00 am
www.pendletonpresbyterian.com
Open Hearted...Open Minded
P eace L utheran C hurch
210 NW 9th, Pendleton ELCA
Join us Sundays
9:30
Sunday
Worship
9:30 am am
Sunday
Worship
10:30 am Fellowship
11:00 am Sunday School & Adult Class
Sharon Miller, Pastor
( Oregon Trail Room )
Red Lion Hotel
All Are Welcome
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
Nursery provided for all services
Bible Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 AM
Sunday Worship . . . . . . . . . . . 10:30 AM
Sunday Morning Worship 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday Worship Noon
Wednesday Evening Prayer
and Pot Luck 6:00 p.m.
Family service 9am Sunday
Grace Baptist Church
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:45 AM
6:00 pm
Wed Prayer & Worship - 7:00 PM
241 SE Second St. Pendleton
(541)276-3809
www.pendletonepiscopal.org
All People
Are Welcome
~Come and be at Peace~
on 1290 KUMA noon each Sunday
Faith Center Church
Worshiping God • Loving People
108 S. Main • 276-9569
Summer Sunday
Worship 10:00 am
Sunday Worship Services:
9 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.
Wed. 7:00 pm
Praise, Prophecy & Prayer
Sr. Pastor, Ray O’Grady
pendletonfaithcenter.org
Seventh-Day
Adventist Churc h
Saturday Services
Pendleton
1401 SW Goodwin Place
276-0882
Sabbath School 9:20 am
Worship Service 10:45 am
First United
Methodist Churc h
352 SE 2nd St., Pendleton, O R
Office 276-2616
New Pastor Dr. Jim Pierce
Worship Service 9:00 AM
Fellowship 10:15 AM
Broadcast KUMA 11:00 AM
Childcare Available
Choir practice
Sundays 8:30 AM
BAHA’I FAITH
“The Unity of All
Mankind”
585 SW Birch, Pilot Rock, OR 97868
(541) 443-2500
prbconline.blogspot.com
Pendleton Baha’i Center at
1015 SE Court Place
Devotions Sundays @
11:00am; Everyone invited!
Sunday School: 9:30 am
Worship Service: 10:45 am
Wednesday Services:
Kids’ Club: 6:00 pm
Youth Group: 7:00 pm
(541) 276-9360 visit us at
www.pendletonbahais.org
3HQGOHWRQ
)5((0(7+2',67&+85&+
Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
Mid-Week Children & Youth Weekly Adult Life Groups
6:WK6WZZZSHQGIPFRUJ
