Fifteen videos recently were posted on YouTube of high-level briefings within the Mormon church.
In them, apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discussed a range of topics — from gay rights to religious freedom, marriage to morality, politics to preparedness, even piracy.
Here are summaries of those meetings, with short video clips from each:
Church and Islam
Date: Feb. 15, 2012
Summary: Leaders discuss a working group that will focus on preparing to spread the Mormon message to the Islamic world.
Science and morality
Date: June 11, 2008
Summary: LDS leaders are briefed on emerging scientific advances and their possible effect on moral questions.
Mormons marrying later
Date: Feb. 21, 2007
Summary: Mormon leaders are reassured that marriage — despite earlier media reports — remains a desire of the vast majority of adults, but are warned that Latter-day Saints, like the general populace, are delaying nuptials and having fewer children.
Church's young single adults
Date: Nov. 12, 2008
Summary: LDS leaders hear about the difficulty keeping young single adults committed to the faith. The activity rate in North America at the time was 30 percent; internationally it was 20 percent. This is one of the few videos in which a female LDS leader speaks. Julie B. Beck, then president of the women's Relief Society, questions the need for single adult wads (or congregations), stating that this is mostly a Utah issue for the faith.
Piracy
Date: Dec. 3, 2008
Summary: LDS leaders are briefed about the increasing threat of piracy on the high seas and view a short clip from Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean."
Emergency preparedness
Date: May 15, 2008
Summary: LDS leaders discuss the faith's welfare services and the effectiveness of its push for members to have at least a three-month, if not a year, supply of food. In 2007, 18 percent to 20 percent of U.S. Mormons had a three-month supply, while 10 percent to 15 percent had a full year. Fewer than 3 percent of international members had either.
Housing crisis
Date: Sept. 17, 2008
Summary: LDS leaders hear about what led to the housing crisis and how financial institutions took on too much risk.
Cybersecurity and WikiLeaks
Date: Jan. 12, 2011
Summary: What was intended as a conversation about the LDS Church's cybersecurity measures, turns into a conversation about Chelsea Manning's sexual orientation.
Reaching out to Kurds
Date: June 13, 2012
Summary: General authorities hear a presentation on the history of Kurds and discuss ways to bring their faith to these people in northern Iraq.
Value of LDS lawmakers
Date: Feb. 18, 2009
Summary: Former Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., explains how valuable it is to the church to have active members in the Senate, who can help facilitate meetings with foreign leaders.
Marijuana
Date: Nov. 11, 2010
Summary: With medical marijuana making inroads, LDS officials discuss their stance on the drug and how to talk about it with their members.
Religious freedom
Date: May 16, 2012
Summary: Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt presents a plan for the LDS Church to work with other faiths to create a nationwide network to fight for religious freedom and against abortion and gay marriage.
Retirement savings
Date: Oct. 29, 2008
Summary: The discussion focuses on the economic collapse and how it might lead to fewer older Mormons being able to serve missions.
2008 elections
Date: Nov. 19, 2008
Summary: David Magleby, a political scientist from Brigham Young University, walks the general authorities through an analysis of the 2008 election, with a major focus on gay-marriage initiatives.
Church History Department
Date: Unclear
Summary: Church leaders discuss changes to its history department.
Source: Mormon Leaks videos found at http://bit.ly/2dSlQVt
Courtesy image A screenshot from a leaked video shows Mormon apostles discussing science and morality.
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