BYU Professor Daniel Peterson and Scott Gordon FAIR have launched a new website with the testimonies of Mormon scholars: Mormon Scholars Testify. Bro. Peterson explained his rationale to the Church News:
“I hope to gather up testimonies from, well, Mormon scholars,” Brother Peterson said. “I’m trying, thereby, to comply with a request made about a year ago by Elder M. Russell Ballard and reiterated by other authors in the October Ensign that we use the Internet as a way of sharing our testimonies of the gospel.” (via LDS Church News)
Bro. Peterson suggested this could be one of many “vertical” websites highlighting the testimonies of Church members:
“I think there ought to be similar on-line collections of testimonies from athletes, executives, farmers, housewives, morticians, retirees, chess players, stamp collectors, everybody. The possibilities are endless, and I hope many others will take to the Web with their expressions of faith.” (ibid.)
More Good Foundation’s website Mormons Believe, or the yet-to-be-built Why I Believe, announced at the Boston singles conference, could be the home for these many testimonies, organized by profession, location, interest, or some other attribute.
Mormon.org itself has a few select testimonies and could conceivably offer a repository of testimonies someday.
24 Hour Fitness has a website with the stories of members whose lives have improved through fitness. It includes categories such as life improvement, recovery, athletic, and social. Imagine a similar website for the stories of people whose lives have been blessed by the Gospel in even broader and more lasting ways.
CORRECTION (Jan 18, 2010): As Daniel Peterson mentions in the comment below, this website is not affiliated with FAIR.
This is more general, but we are trying to do something like that with Mormon women.
I’m really pleased to hear it. A site for testimonies from Mormon women is enormously important and much needed.
I should have begun my comment by saying that we are happy to hear about the site you have started. Elder Ballard’s talks have been a huge motivating factor for us, too. In fact, his first talk was what spurred me to create Mormon Women.
We’ll be linking to your site, to be sure.
Thank you for all you are doing.
p.s. We’ll try to send some people your way to contribute to the site as well.
~Michelle, editor at MW
Thanks. I’m very interested in including women’s voices on “Mormon Scholars Testify.” And I’ll suggest to my cohorts that we link to “Mormon Women.”
Incidentally, I hadn’t even noticed the article’s suggestion that
“Mormon Scholars Testify” is affiliated with FAIR.
This is incorrect. Although I’m affiliated with FAIR, as is Scott Gordon, “Mormon Scholars Testify” is an independent, private venture. It belongs to no organization.
Dr. Peterson, my mistake. I’ve corrected the post to indicate the independence from FAIR.
What is the possibility of creating such a site for Spanish speakers (native & non-native)? Portuguese speakers (native & non-native)? German speakers (n & n-n)? French? Italian? For those who use Japanese, while English might be acceptable, it might also be a good idea to make Japanese available in Roman alphabet. I wish I could offer a suggestion for Korean (I understand that Korean is the 5th most important language in the Church!). Tagolog is the fourth most important language in the church. What about a website or blog for that language too?
I do not have the computer expertise to set up such websites or blogs. But my heart aches that so many of us (in the Church) are still so English-centric. Please help us become more international!
I would like to receive an answer to my questions. Pleae send your answer to me at my email: gs.giauque@gmail.com
The Church is made up of many people who don’t speak English! Sure, using the web might help them learn English (which would probably be a good thing), but let’s not act as if other languages simply do not exist!
Gerry, I’ll forward your email address to both the folks at whywebelieve.com and More Good Foundation. More Good operates mormonsbelieve.org in several of the languages you mentioned (see http://www.moregoodfoundation.org/our_websites under “MormonsBelieve.org”) though the success of each language site is probably dependent on having a strong steward and advocate for it. They’d probably love your help if you can.