As usual, Palestinians in the West Bank city of Bethlehem are hosting Christmas festivities for thousands of visitors to the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born. But this year, US President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has caused tensions and dampened the holiday mood.
A 19th-century fresco of Jesus Christ has hung in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church in northeastern Spain for more than 100 years. But parishioners are reeling after the beloved painting was found defaced. What was first called a case of vandalism has since been identified as one of the worst art restoration projects ever.
In the 1960s, Poland was short on funds to digitize and maintain its paper archives. They approached the Mormon Church and got its help in doing just that. But somewhere in the intervening years, the Momon Church used those archives and other to posthumously baptize Holocaust victims. That’s caused a rift between the Mormons and the Jewish community.
As the Republican Party prepares to nominate its first Mormon candidate for president next week, there’s growing interest in Mormon practice — especially young Mormons serving missions around the world. Though numbers are down from the 1990s, many young Church members are still going abroad.
As Mitt Romney moves forward in the political campaign, it’s been an opportunity for Americans to learn about the Mormon church. In a recent article in The New York Times, some Mormons wondered whether the Romneys would have a food storage supply in the White House, in keeping with a practice encouraged by the church.