LDS

  The Mormon church is pulling the remaining 158 missionaries from Nicaragua because of ongoing violence and deteriorating conditions in the Central American country.

The move announced Tuesday by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints means the religion will no longer have proselytizing church members in the country. The faith pulled another 169 missionaries from Nicaragua two weeks ago.

 The Mormon church on Friday will celebrate the 40th anniversary of reversing its ban on black people serving in the lay priesthood, going on missions or getting married in temples, rekindling debate about one of the faith's most sensitive topics.

The number of black Mormons has grown but still only accounts for an estimated 6 percent of 16 million worldwide members. Not one serves in the highest levels of global leadership.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has rededicated a temple south of Salt Lake City after completing extensive renovations.

The temple in South Jordan was rededicated Sunday after being closed for two years to update its furniture, carpet, decorative paint motifs, artwork and art glass.

Top leaders from the NAACP and Mormon church are calling for greater racial harmony and mutual respect following the first official meeting between national leaders of the civil rights organization and Utah-based religion.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the alliance should be an example for others to work in harmony and with greater civility as he read prepared remarks during a media event in Salt Lake City Thursday. Mormon church President Russell M. Nelson called for greater racial and ethnic harmony.

The Mormon church is asking a judge to toss out a lawsuit accusing leaders of brushing aside rape allegations against a former missionary training center director.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says in court documents filed Tuesday that many people who could have testified about what happened in 1984 have died or are left with only cloudy memories, leaving the faith unable to fully defend itself.

The Mormon church says a man supervising young missionaries in Puerto Rico was removed from the post and kicked out of the religion after female missionaries reported behavior that was "immoral and sinful."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' spokesman Eric Hawkins said Thursday in a statement that Philander Knox Smartt III was immediately replaced in 2014 after the women said they had been deceived and victimized.

The Mormon church is calling on national leaders to support "Dreamer" immigrants who the religion says have earned the right to continue to "contribute positively" to society.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Friday in a statement that it respects the right of nations to establish immigration laws, but called on leaders to create polices that give "hope and opportunities" for "Dreamer" immigrants. That refers to young people brought to the country as children illegally and raised here through no fault of their own.

Thousands of Mormons are paying respects to their deceased president and prophet during a public viewing in Salt Lake City that comes a day before the funeral.

Church officials said 10,000 people had come to the viewing by mid-afternoon Thursday to honor Thomas S. Monson, who died Jan. 2 at age 90. He was president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for nearly 10 years.

Thomas S. Monson, the 16th president of the LDS Church, has died after nine years in office. He was 90.

Church spokesman Eric Hawkins says Monson died Tuesday night at his home in Salt Lake City.

The Mormon church is giving a name and appointing a leader for a worldwide online college education program that has expanded to nearly 50 countries since it started several years ago at Brigham Young University-Idaho.

Officials from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have announced the church’s support for legal measures protecting certain rights of LGBT individuals.

In a rare press conference on Tuesday morning, LDS church leaders—including three of the church’s twelve apostles—presented their position as a balance between religious liberty and LGBT rights.

Neill Marriott of the LDS church’s Public Affairs Committee was first to speak. Marriott is one of the leaders of the young women's organization in the church.

A new poll measuring statewide opinions on same-sex marriage was released Monday. Some results of the survey were unexpected.

Earlier this week, the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints announced it would be reassigning missionaries stationed in two western Africa countries due to the Ebola outbreak.

Wednesday, the church announced that all missionaries have been safely removed from Sierra Leone and Liberia—two of four countries, including Guinea and more recently Nigeria, in which the deadly outbreak has surfaced.

A man who engaged in a physical dispute over saved pew space at an Ogden LDS church will be spending some time in jail.

Wayne Dodge was scheduled to report to Weber County Jail, Monday where he will spend 30 days. Media reports Dodge was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to the class B misdemeanor of assault. The 52-year-old was accused of punching another man and hitting him with his car.