Meet John Chen

This story is really inspiring. Please check it out here. The new Mormon.org website is full of amazing stories of people who are examples of strength and faith.

CNBC reports on Mormons, missionaries, and LDS business leaders

CNBC's Erin Burnett traveled to Taiwan, Utah, China, and Brazil to explore the world of LDS missionaries and former missionaries who have become international business leaders. Overall a pretty good report - one of the most favorable we've seen from the mainstream media in a long while. Watch the report in this video:

The Church in China

I just read an old speech by Elder Dallin Oaks about the Church in China. Mormons have been in and out of China for decades and there has been a lot of progress for the Church in that region of the world. This talk was given in 1991 at BYU and should be re-given with the amazingly positive developments that have happened in the past 18 years!

The speech is available for free at:

http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=7070

I reflect on the improved religious liberties granted to the Chinese during recent years. Chinese leaders have been increasingly willing to support their people's rights to pursue faith and religious beliefs.

President Carter established official diplomatic ties with China in 1979, just a year after LDS Church President Spencer Kimball issued very prophetic remarks about the opening of the Church and the spread of the restored gospel in China. It is remarkable that President Obama has appointed a Mormon fluent in Mandarin, Jon Huntsman, to serve as the bridge between the U.S. and China. What a great opportunity for the LDS community globally and especially in Asia!

Please take a few minutes to read this. It really inspired me and I believe that the time will come for the LDS Church to truly grow and flourish throughout China.

Mormons leading Beijing Olympic Committee's legal team

Two LDS attorneys are heading legal operations on behalf of the BOC (Beijing Olympic Committee).    

They are based out of both Beijing and Los Angeles.

The full article here.

BYU = Language Capital of the world

Watch this ad about BYU's Language programs... it is done by Philadelphia Eagles player Chad Lewis, who is a Mormon and graduate of BYU.  

In 1975, LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball said BYU should become the acknowledged language capital of the world  

On a personal note: I watched this at least a year ago and could understand nearly nothing of the Chinese spoken in the video. Now, because of my exposure to the Chinese language, I watch this and understand a lot of it!

BYU has one of the world's most extensive foreign language programs.  I was an active participant of that program, and am very thankful for the wonderful resources available to students.  

Latter-day Saint to swim on Hong Kong Olympic team

Rachel Grant, a swimmer at Brigham Young University, plans to swim on behalf of the Hong Kong Olympic swim team.  She is a dual U.S.-H.K. citizen, Grant's mother being Chinese, and her father American.

You can read an entire article in today's Salt Lake Tribune here.

Fire at LDS Chapel in Finland, according to Chinese

I rarely like to use Xinhua News Agency (mouthpiece for the PRC government), but I will just this one  time.  I found this article about a Mormon chapel in Tempere, Finland.

All I can say is that at least the Chinese government considers Mormons Christians. At least that is what is implied there.