by M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
"1. “Mormon” is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members are often referred to as “Mormons,” “Latter-day Saints,” or “LDS.” The term “Saint” means “member.”
2. The Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president. Today it is headquartered in Salt Lake City, with President Gordon B. Hinckley as the present prophet.
3. There are now over 13 million members in 176 countries and territories. About 6 million of these are in the United States, making us the fourth largest Christian denomination in America. As one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world, we complete a new chapel every working day. Members pay a tithe, which is 10 percent of their income, making this and other programs possible.
4. Local congregations are led by volunteer, unpaid members. Both men and women serve in assigned leadership positions.
5. Mormons are well represented in politics and government. (In the United States, for example, there are 16 members in Congress, from both political parties.) Members also serve in high and trusted positions throughout the world in business, medicine, law, education, media, sports, and entertainment."
These excerpts were taken from a talk given by Elder Ballard, October 6, 2003 in the 177th Semiannual General Conference. The remained of this talk can be found at
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-775-9,00.html
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