Tom Hanks issues apology to Mormon community

From this morning's Chicago Tribune:

Tom Hanks is rethinking his comments about Mormons who supported Proposition 8, People.com reported Thursday.

Last week he spoke out about the religious group's involvement in passing the California law, which bans same-sex marriage. Referring to the group's financial support of the law, Hanks said, "There are a lot of people who feel that is un-American, and I am one of them."

Kim Farah, speaking for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, told Fox News, "Expressing an opinion in a free and democratic society is as American as it gets."

Now Hanks says, "Everyone has a right to vote their conscience—nothing could be more American. ... No one should use 'un-American' lightly."

The top 10 most famous Mormons in 2008:

1. Mitt Romney
2. Harry Reid
3. David Archuleta
4. Glenn Beck
5. Aaron Eckhart
6. Thomas S. Monson
   
7. Orrin Hatch
8. Gordon Smith
9. Bob Bennett
10. David Neeleman

Mia Michaels issues a statement on Mormons and Utah

World famous choreographer and judge on FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance", Mia Michaels (pictured above to the right), issued the following statement yesterday:

First of all, I have tons of friends who are from Utah and who are Mormons. I love them. I respect their choices and their belief system. And the fact that they don’t have the same vices that we do is great. They’re so focused in their lives. They’re so clear. And they are workhorses. Their work ethic is just amazing. Any dancers that I’ve worked with in Utah? Oh my god, they do not stop.

And it’s not just the dancers. There are so many great choreographers and teachers out there. More than a handful. A double handful. Whenever anybody talks about Utah, it’s about how it’s a really strong dance capitol. They have even better dancers than New York, sometimes. In New York, we get really strong Broadway dancers, theater dancers, concert dancers. But the dancers who come from a really solid dance state usually come out of Florida or Utah. Their dancers are trained at the highest level. I think it’s because there’s so much support there and it’s so family based. I think it’s really cool.

So I totally apologize if what I said came out wrong because putting down their way of life is NOT what I meant, at all. I think it’s so admirable, what they do. I respect their way of life. I should take their advice. My sister and her husband are going to build a home and retire in Deer Valley, Utah. It’s gorgeous there.

The bottom line is: Any dancer who came to me and said they came out of Utah? I’d say: Come on in.

Courtesy WISC, NBC affiliate in South Carolina

Latter-day Saint is Mr. Hong Kong 2008

Returned Mormon missionary and BYU student, Michael Tsu, has won the 2008 Mr. Hong Kong competition. Michael studies at Brigham Young University and served a full-time LDS mission in Hong Kong.

The 23-year-old winner had not caught the eye of the media as a potential winner, but he seemed to adopt an additional sparkle in his glance on the night and led in the mature group from the beginning, eventually taking top spot with a total score of 574 points.

Michael is a student from the USA, lists snowboarding, singing and wakeboarding as his hobbies and says his ambition is one day to be a good father.

For video footage of Michael's victory: http://tvcity.tvb.com/special/mrhk2008/news/index.html?20080802/20080802230720975-01h3g_900k.flv&20080802/20080802230720975-01h3g_900k-0001.jpg&0

Gladys Knight and her Mormon faith

Gladys Knight shares her testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music and the spoken word as she tours the world.  A Canadian newspaper takes a look at Ms. Knight's music and work on behalf of the LDS Church.  

She was recently in southern California with her Las Vegas-based multicultural Mormon choir.  The show was fantastic!

Dr. Keith Finlayson, M.D. of the Mormon Tabernacle Choice

This article in the Deseret News is about my medical doctor (ENT) in Salt Lake City, Dr. Keith Finlayson.  He also served a mission in Brazil, and he sings in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!

LDS women win first place in international film festival

(courtesy Rodger L. Hardy, Deseret News)

Two LDS women, Anne Bradshaw of Mapleton, Utah, and Jeanne McKinney of San Diego, Calif., joined forces via e-mail to write a screenplay that took first place at the recent International Family Film Festival.

The festival took place at Raleigh Studios in the Charlie Chaplin Theater in Hollywood.

The women drew from the history of politico-religious strife to create a tale of time travel that brings about change in today's world. The screenplay, "The Ardanea Pendant," was entered in the science fiction category and competed against hundreds of others from 17 countries, McKinney said.

Latter-day Saints among finalists on American Idol

David Archuleta and Brooke White are going all the way and David is favored in some polls to win the entire competition.

Snoop Dogg becomes member of the LDS Church

The musician, Snoop Dogg, has joined the Mormon Church in the Los Angeles area.

For more information, read this article from CNN.

Mormons Polynesian dancers at Washington DC visitors' center

An acquaintance posted this on youtube:

Live from DC . . . . 

Southern California Mormon Choir schedule

The 2008 schedule of the Mormon Choir of Southern California is available here.

Mormon musical performances in Southern California

Father and son will unite in song next week in two Poway performances of Handel's "Messiah" oratorio.

Steve Blinco and his son, Michael Blinco, will be two of the four featured soloists in an Easter-themed concert presented at 7 p.m. March 19 and 20 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road in Poway. The concert will feature the Poway Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' 70-member choir and soloists Anna Bjarnson-Carson and Jan Jensen.

Bass Steve Blinco has performed as a "Messiah" soloist all over Southern California and performed with the Southern California Mormon Choir. Baritone Michael Blinco, a recent vocal performance graduate from Chapman University Conservatory of Music and graduate of Rancho Bernardo High School, has performed in numerous operas in Orange County.

Call (858) 675-9870.

(Story provided by the North County Times, California)

Trailer to American Mormon

A fun film made a few years ago to see what people think about/know about Mormons:

So people confuse Mormons with Amish?  Lots of interesting opinions about Latter-day Saints, even in the U.S. where there are nearly 6 million of us!

(The guy in the white t-shirt on Venice Beach in Los Angeles is my favorite.)

Mormons have a thing for dancing: Dancesport USA at BYU

Each year Brigham Young University is host to the annual Dancesport USA event, featuring professional and amateur ballroom dancers from around the United States, and some from abroad.  BYU is chosen each year to host the event due to its impressive dance facilities and department.  BYU boasts the largest collegiate dance department in the United States!

I have attended the Dancesport competition numerous times while I studied at BYU, and enjoyed the wonderful performances by children, teens, college students, and young professional dancers.

(Photo courtesy the Deseret Morning News)

BYU Young Ambassadors in Long Beach, California

I attended the Young Ambassadors performance last night.

The BYU Young Ambassadors is a group of students from my alma mater, Brigham Young University.  They are talented singers, musicians, dancers, actors, and performers in general.  They travel the world sharing musical theater, dance, and the gospel with everyone.

The group is currently on a Nevada/California tour, and last night we saw them in Long Beach, California.

Mormons in Hollywood's "Bonneville"

Viewers of the film "Bonneville" will hear the LDS Church and related topics mentioned several times in the film. I want to share this NY Times review of the film.  (Overall, the film has received poor ratings.)

David Archuleta exceeds on American Idol

A Latter-day Saint youth named David Archuleta has taken American television waves by fire.  Archuleta is a Mormon, and is posed as the favorite in this season of American Idol.

Remembering the São Paulo Temple Rededication & Celebration

I was going through some old photos and decided to share some on this blog.  Click here for photos to the album.  The pictures are some shots from the massive LDS celebration held by the Church in 2004 in São Paulo, Brazil.  It was attended by over 60,000 people, and thousands participated as singers, dancers, producers, etc.  I was there to assist with all the props and floats. Great experience!  The football stadium Pacaembu was filled to capacity for the exciting event, even despite the heavy rainfall that lasted nearly all afternoon and evening!

No 2008 Grammy for MoTab

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir was nominated this year for Grammys in the best classical crossover album and best engineered classical album categories. In neither category did the Choir win this year.

Above is a recent photo of the Choir performing in the LDS Church Conference Center in Salt Lake City, featuring one of the largest pipe organs in the world.

Also, the second photo was taken on the Tabernacle Choir's 1955 tour of Western Europe.