Mormon beliefs sometimes get confused with the beliefs and practices of other religions. One such belief concerns the celebration of Christmas. Mormons tend to be very passionate Christmas celebrators, with many Mormon congregations hosting nativity festivals or free sing-alongs of Handel’s Messiah each year.

While Santa makes an appearance in some Mormon homes, the focus is always on the meaning of Christmas. Christmas is considered a sacred holiday and Mormon families are encouraged to simplify the secular portions of it in order to make more room for the spiritual elements of the Christmas celebration.

Mormons believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ and celebrate His birth as a pivotal moment in eternal life. The Book of Mormon, which Mormons consider a companion book to the Bible, says, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Nephi 25:26.)

Mormon beliefs state that Jesus Christ is the redeemer of all mankind and that there is no other way but through Him to achieve eternal life and be saved. The Book of Mormon contains 284 references to being saved, rather an extensive discussion on the topic. Following are some of the verses on this subject:

And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day (3 Nephi 27:6).

For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved (1 Nephi 6:4).

For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do (2 Nephi 25:23.)

Mormons believe that Christmas is meaningful because of Easter and the two holidays are intertwined in their minds and celebration. Talks given on the subject of Christmas generally include discussions of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice on our behalf and His glorious resurrection from the dead.

“When all is said and done, when all the legions of the ages have passed in review, when man’s terrible inhumanity to man has been chronicled, when God’s great love for His children has been measured, then above all stands the lone figure of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, the Savior of mankind, the living Son of the living God, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One.

Isaiah spoke of Him centuries before His coming: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). (See Gordon B. Hinckley, “First Presidency Christmas Devotional: “My Redeemer Lives””, Ensign, Feb. 2001, 70–73.)

What might a typical Mormon Christmas season look like? It will be different for each family, but common traditions include:

Service Projects: Many Mormon families do additional service throughout the Christmas season, giving gifts to those in need, volunteering at a church or community service project or helping at a food bank. Gifts are usually collected at church to assist congregation members who have little, but Mormons also often donate to community groups.

Reading of the Four Gospels: The four gospels are the four books in the New Testament that tell of Jesus’ life. Many Mormons use the Christmas season to read these accounts and to work as a family to understand them better. Even the youngest child is encouraged to listen to the stories in the King James translation, perhaps supplemented by a children’s version afterwards. However, they want their children to become familiar with the language of the Bible, even if they are too young to understand it.

Reading quality Christmas literature: Church leaders often quote from great literature that helps to remind us of the deeper meanings of Christmas. For example, the current Mormon prophet, Thomas S. Monson, reads three books every Christmas: Luke (the Biblical account of the Savior’s birth and life), A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke. Mormon families often incorporate these examples as well as their own personal favorites into their own Christmas celebrations as a distraction from the usual Santa fair.

Singing sacred Christmas hymns: Although the more commercial Christmas songs are fun, Mormons also sing and listen to a wide range of sacred Christmas hymns, many traditional throughout the Christian world. Some of these are included in their official hymn book, such as Silent Night and Away in a Manger.

Displaying nativities. Most Mormon homes will display a nativity scene throughout the holiday season and many Mormons collect nativities. Some families even keep one or more nativity sets on display all year long as a way to keep the meaning of Christmas in their hearts all year.

Of course, Christmas is also a time for families. Mormons hold weekly family nights in which they have a short lesson, games, music, and treats. These are just for the family and are designed to build a bond with family members and to allow parents to share their values with their children. It also increases leadership skills, since everyone takes turns doing the various required tasks—conducting meetings, leading music, teaching lessons and preparing treats. Even a very young child might get an opportunity to teach his older family members about Jesus Christ. In December, many families focus their lessons on Jesus Christ and the messages of Christmas. Family nights also often include planning for a family service project to be done during the Christmas season.

Mormons are encouraged to simplify their holidays to allow more time for family and for spiritual things. We don’t have to go to every party, every parade, or every show. We needn’t spend too much time or money shopping for gifts. When we bring our Christmas down to its simplest components, we find it is a more rewarding season that can strengthen our testimonies of Jesus Christ.

Barbara B. Smith died on September 13, 2010. She served as the General Relief Society President for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) from 1974 to 1984 and was the first president born in that century. As General Relief Society president, she oversaw this official women’s auxiliary for the entire world-wide church. A life as a wife and as a mother of seven might not seem to be the usual preparation to head up one of the largest women’s organizations in the world, but it taught her organization, leadership, teaching skills, and service. Over the years, she had served in a variety of volunteer positions within the Church, including serving on the governing boards of a number of official LDS auxiliaries prior to overseeing the Relief Society.

She found herself thrust into the limelight when her tenure as president coincided with a powerful political battle over women’s rights. She bravely stepped into the battle and found herself being invited to meet with both President Reagan and President Carter and also meeting with kings and other world leaders. She went on television and was interviewed by countless members of the press. She sought none of this, but accepted the responsibility when it came.

Her approach was one of balance and civility. She encouraged women to speak their minds and fight for what was right without polarizing or combating. The specific battle was over a proposed constitutional amendment called the Equal Rights Amendment. It was a vague law that essentially said that legally there would be no difference between men and women. While it sounded good in theory, many wise people realized it might take away rights women already had. It was smarter to keep control over women’s lives by passing one law at a time so you didn’t get “rights” you didn’t want.

Smith, as did the church, advocated increasing the rights women had, but in a more controlled and intelligent manner. While leading the battle against the ERA, military recruitment of women, and abortion, she also led fights to improve rights for women in areas such as employment.

In my considered judgment the Equal Rights Amendment is so broad that it is inadequate, inflexible, and vague; so all-encompassing that it is nondefinitive. The blanket approach of the Equal Rights Amendment is, in my opinion, a confused step backward in time, instead of a clear stride forward into the future. It will create endless litigation in the courts in which legal decisions are made which might create circumstances harmful to the solidarity of the family and the optimum protection of children. And because it does not define some differences between men and women, I think it might be very destructive to families.

I will always support—as I believe the Relief Society and the Church have always done—those pieces of legislation that improve and protect a woman’s right to development of her full potential as a contributing member of society.

I want women to have social, financial, and legal rights; I want each woman to be a valued individual, creative, and with many options as to how she will develop. I want to see a woman become the best woman, the best citizen, responsible and participating, both in her own country and in the kingdom of God, the best homemaker, the greatest individual she is capable of becoming. I want her to be self-confident, trained, a great participator and partner in life, but I want to be sure that the laws enacted will provide for these things to happen. The Equal Rights Amendment is not the way.” (See Barbara B. Smith, “A Conversation with Sister Barbara B. Smith, Relief Society General President,” Ensign, Mar 1976, 7

 Sister Smith celebrated the women’s movement where it did good, but cautioned against letting worldly forces become the guiding light of our lives:

 The women’s movement unfortunately has many extreme elements in it, and it’s not fair to judge the whole movement by those extremes, although some do. If women use the movement to become more self-centered and selfish, concerned only with their own needs—that’s too bad. But to the extent that the women’s movement has made women aware of their great worth, their talents and abilities, it can harmonize beautifully with the gospel. One of the dangers I’m most aware of is that the women’s movement all too often is characterized by very vocal and articulate women who have only a worldly perspective. Without an eternal perspective, there unfortunately will be misunderstandings and abuses of that power.

The Church has always provided a channel whereby women can advance and contribute. In Uruguay and Paraguay the contrast was shocking between women we saw begging for food on the streets and the clean, beautifully spiritual women we saw in the chapels. The gospel has upgraded their lives (Accept Fully This Gift from the Lord’: A Conversation with the Relief Society General Presidency,” Ensign, Jun 1978, 18–19).

Sister Smith used her ten years of influence to help women be proud of their God-given gifts and the roles women have traditionally played in the world, as well as to help them to see the ability to expand that role without undoing their divine roles. She explained that while men and women were different, those differences weren’t better or worse, just different. The gifts and roles God assigned each gender were equal in importance and value. If everyone in the world had exactly the same roles and characteristics, the world could not function. It was derogatory to presume the roles and characteristics assigned to women were not as important. Certainly it is insulting to our families to suggest that caring for them was less important than, say, making cars. She suggested women value their roles in raising those who would be in charge of the world in the future and also keep an eye to those things they can do outside the home without harming their families.

Women are taught to obtain a good education and to prepare themselves both for the challenging role of managing a home but also to take on a rewarding and demanding career. In the earliest days of the church, women were allowed to vote long before other women, losing that right only when Utah became a state with a secular governor—and heading off to Washington with Brigham Young’s approval to fight to get that right back—and were trained in careers that were restricted to men in other parts of the country, including training women to be doctors. In fact, Barbara’s birth was carried out by a female doctor—her own grandmother. Today, Mormon women serve in high positions of leadership and their leadership is respected.

Barbara Smith’s leadership over nearly a million women was real. She said, “When I was called, I was told that I was to direct the Relief Society and that if I had any questions I could go to my advisers at any time. I was told that if I wanted to change policy, they would appreciate it if I would come to them with the desired change for approval by the Council of the Twelve. I was told that we could meet with them monthly, that I was to prepare the agenda, that they would be glad to respond to anything I wanted to discuss, that they would also have items they would like to discuss. Now to me, this is quite significant. The responsibility is mine and my counselors’ The Brethren have delegated the authority. I don’t have to wonder what to do when questions come up.” (See Barbara B. Smith, “A Conversation with Sister Barbara B. Smith, Relief Society General President,” Ensign, Mar 1976, 7.) She explained they taught her it was a companion relationship, in which she would help the priesthood in their work and they would assist her in her own work.

In her time as leader, she made several critical decisions that altered various programs and policies for the women of the church and was also instrumental in the creation and funding of a monument to honor women. Her ten years of leadership demonstrate that a woman who has prepared herself throughout her life, even while caring for a home and family as her priority, can step into even the most powerful world-changing roles when called on to do so by God.

At the World Congress of Families V in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Aug. 12, 2009, Russell M. Nelson spoke to the delegates about the importance of the traditional family. Elder Nelson is an apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of

 Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes informally referred to as Mormons. He said,

“Dear friends, future happiness and even the future of nations is linked to children. Families with children need to be re-enthroned as the fundamental unit of society. We simply must value children more than we do! Without a new generation to replace the old, there is no wealth; without families, there is no future.”

The traditional family is a fundamental principle of Mormonism. Mormon beliefs center around Jesus Christ as the head of the church, and the family as the fundamental building block of society. Children learn their first values from their parents, and parents should always be the primary teachers of values. Churches and other organizations can only support the family in this process, not replace it.

Mormons have many programs to support families. Some involve practices carried out in the home. A practice that has received much attention and has been emulated by many who are not Mormon is the Family Home Evening program. Every Monday night, Mormon families turn off the telephone and close the doors to outsiders. This evening is devoted entirely to strengthening the family. Generally, the family-only meeting begins with a song and prayer and the conducting of family business. Then a lesson on an essential spiritual or moral lesson is taught. Following the lesson, families play games and enjoy treats before closing with a song and family prayer.

A unique feature of Family Home Evening is that each family member participates in the program. Most families have a chart that rotates assignments, often pairing young children with someone older. In the security of the home, children learn to lead a meeting, conduct a song, offer a public prayer, and teach a lesson. The meeting gives parents an opportunity to share sacred beliefs with their children and for children to learn and share their own beliefs. It also serves to strengthen the family bonds, which increases the ability of the parents to influence their children over the years.

The prayers offered in this meeting are only two of many given in the home. Mormon families gather for family prayer twice a day, in addition to their personal prayers and the prayers of the husband and wife together. Generally, the morning prayer includes a brief devotional, in which family members read the scriptures together and discuss them. Once again, parents have an opportunity to demonstrate how important Jesus and His gospel are to them, and to spend time with their children.

On Sundays, families attend the main worship service together. Even babies and small children are welcome and the increase in noise and movement from the little ones is accepted without complaint by church members because they understand how critical this meeting is for children. Even though the toddlers and babies do not understand much of what is said, they are experiencing church snuggled in a parent’s arms or playing quietly beside them, making their first memories of church pleasant. As they become a little older parents are able to begin training their children to be reverent in the church setting, rather than leaving it to teachers. All learning begins in the home.

The Mormons value their children. They have worked to create programs that support parents in the challenging work of training children to live the gospel. Organizational leaders and teachers understand they do not replace or come first before the parent, but only support them in their efforts by being an additional witness of the truth.

Formal classes begin at eighteen months. After attending the main worship service, known as Sacrament Meeting, as a family, families split up for various classes. The toddlers, ages eighteen months to three years of age, attend the Nursery Class. Here, although there is some playtime, children learn in age-appropriate and fun ways about Jesus Christ and His teachings. Older children have more structured classes, but which also teach through activities and music. Children ages eight to twelve have a weekday program as well. In most areas, boys belong to the Cub Scouting program through the church and girls belong to Activity Days. In areas where Boy Scouting isn’t approved, the boys use the girls’ program.

In these programs, children learn to set and achieve goals, to put gospel principles into action in the real world, master practical life skills, and serve others. For instance, girls might learn to hand sew and then make hand-sewn toys for needy children after learning that Christ taught us to serve others. A group of young boys might learn to cook simple meals for themselves and then make cookies to take to a retirement home. The gospel taught on Sunday is put into practice during their weeknight activities.

Mormon families are regularly counseled to put their families first, making certain employment and civic activities don’t get out of balance and deprive children of active parents. The Church offers parenting classes and many lessons include help for parents. Church men and women can turn to other parents for support and mentoring on an informal basis as well, because congregations are assigned by geographical boundaries and normally include a wide range of ages and experiences.

These support systems are one reason Mormon families are noted for their lower divorce rate. Both marriage and parenting are considered priorities in a Mormon home. Because marriage that takes place in a Mormon temple is forever, and not just until death, Mormons have a strong motivation to create strong loving families that can continue into eternal life. Husbands and wives can continue to be married after death, and children can continue to belong to their parents.

Society has a vested interest in the well-being of its families. At the same conference, Sheri L. Dew, also a Mormon, said, “We all know that every nation is ultimately at the mercy of its families. If families are riddled with problems, society eventually collapses under the weight of problems too vast for any government to meet. If families are strong, society is strong.” (See Sheri L. Dew: The Power of Virtue.)

In order for our society to succeed, we must begin to put families first and value the work of the parents who care for children. We must treat the children as if they matter.

Those who read the Bible remember that there was a day when Jesus had been working long, hard hours. A group of parents showed up late in the day with their children, but the apostles turned them away. However, the Savior summoned the children to Him, instructing His apostles to never turn away children. He demonstrated for His followers that day that He made children a priority, even during times of exhaustion. He understood that what children learn as children they generally take into adulthood. For this reason, we can’t wait until we have time to take care of the children of our world. As Elder Nelson said in the statement at the start of this article, “Families with children need to be re-enthroned as the fundamental unit of society.”

The Mormons are sometimes seen as having a great many restrictive rules. Mormons themselves know that within the rules are many opportunities for freedom, and that these rules actually make them freer than those with no rules.

An often-used example of freedom within structure is the sonnet. A sonnet is a poem with very strict rules.

Shakespeare’s sonnets each contained fourteen lines. Every line had ten syllables written in iambic pentameter. Despite this very strict structure, Shakespeare managed to come up with 154 sonnets, all different, and many other people have also created sonnets based on this formula. The structure does not prevent people from being creative and writing something close to their heart. Rather, it actually frees the author. By having the structure in place, the poet is free to focus all his attention on the message and wording of the poem, which, after all, is the point of a poem.

In the same way, a Mormon is free to live a life of great variety without breaking any  commandments. Mormons are found in many different careers living very different lifestyles and fitting well into the good parts of their cultures and neighborhoods. They do have similarities, because they have certain values and practices in common, but there are thousands of life patterns within that structure.

The structure provided them by the teachings of the church allow them a greater freedom than is possible for most people. It is a great deal of work to have to decide for oneself what is right or wrong, studying it out, analyzing, and researching and then constantly making course corrections to fit into society’s changing norms. Mormons, although taught to study issues for themselves, know they can turn to God for a final answer, rather than constantly, throughout their lives, having to monitor their choices against the priorities of ever-changing fads and values found in the world.

Truth is unchanging, and once a Mormon has determined what is true, he is free to move on and focus on other aspects of his life, such as building a strong family and serving others. The priorities have been set and they can then structure their lives accordingly. This may be one reason Mormons are often in the forefront of many important movements and services. They have time to do them because they aren’t constantly rebuilding their foundations.

N. Eldon Tanner said:

We must know and understand the doctrines in order to be obedient, and we must be obedient in order to be free. This applies to the laws of God and the laws of the land. Too often we think of freedom only as the quality or state of being free from external restraint or compulsion, and not subject to the will of another, where we have the power of choice with every person free to “do his own thing,” regardless of its effect on him or others.

Brigham Young made this statement:

“There is not a man of us but what is willing to acknowledge at once that God demands strict obedience to his requirements. But in rendering that strict obedience, are we made slaves? No, it is the only way on the face of the earth for you and me to become free, and we shall become slaves of our own passions, and of the wicked one, … and servants to the devil, if we take any other course.” (Journal of Discourses, 18:246.)

N. Eldon Tanner, “‘Ye Shall Know the Truth’,” Ensign, May 1978, 14

A Mormon makes one important choice and that allows some other choices to fall into place. At some point in their lives, whether they are converts or have been attending church all their lives, they each take the time to decide for themselves that the church is true and that God has restored his gospel and provided a prophet to guide us. This is not blind faith, because they have gone to the only source of truth to learn whether or not they are following someone who is receiving his instructions from God. They need not trust the prophet’s word that he is the prophet until God has agreed. At any time in the future, a Mormon may pray about a specific doctrine he isn’t sure about, but he generally finds it unnecessary to pray about each teaching. This is much like when a child learns a hot stove will burn his hand if he touches it. He may test it out a few more times, but after that, he has no need to test it every time he encounters a hot stove, or even a different type of hot item. He simply acts according to the knowledge he has already received and takes precautions each time he encounters heat.

Sheri Dew, a prominent Mormon, said:

I personally know tens of thousands of youth and young adults who are living morally clean lives. They are happy, productive, and anxiously engaged in becoming engaged. Moral purity is not outdated. Admittedly, it is also not easy. But I submit that it is easier than the alternative. Virtuous men and women never worry about a surprise pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease. Never agonize over confessing unfaithfulness. Have no emptiness after a one-night stand. No pain in losing one’s family to infidelity. No haunting memories of indiscretions. Quoting C. S. Lewis, “Virtue—even attempted virtue—brings light; indulgence brings fog.”¹⁰  (See Sheri L. Dew: The Power of Virtue)

It is this freedom from fear, negative consequences, and uncertainty that gives Mormons assurance and peace, and the freedom to live a life that is meaningful and joyful.

The Pew Forum, which is not affiliated with the Church in any way, did a study of Mormons in the United States. One aspect of Mormons in their personal lives involved their feelings about and relationships with God.

The study found that every Mormon surveyed believed in God, which was higher than any other religion previously

surveyed. In addition, nine out of ten were absolutely certain of God’s existence. Ninety-one percent of Mormons believe God is someone you can have a relationship with. All these figures are well above the normal for other groups.

What is it about the Mormons that makes them so likely to believe in God in a very personal way? One reason Mormons have a high rate of belief in God is that much time is spent teaching children and investigators of the church about God, and about how to find out if He is real. Those new to the faith, whether due to age or experience, are taught that they can pray to God and receive an answer to their sincere questions. They are taught to recognize how God communicates with His children.

Mormons teach that prayer is an intensely personal experience. Although prayers are offered in public and family settings, each member is also encouraged to have individual conversations with God several times a day. No recited prayers are taught; members are instructed to use their own words and to speak the deepest, most personal thoughts of their hearts. They greet God by name, thank Him for specific named blessings, and ask for those things they need. They close in the name of Jesus Christ. However, within the basic pattern of prayer, they are also taught to make prayer a conversation. There are many times when a Mormon simply wants to talk to God about an experience or a concern, and this too is encouraged. With practice, a person who prays soon becomes familiar with the ways God communicates with His children and learns to trust what he is experiencing.

This emphasis on prayer is one reason ninety-one percent of Mormons feel they can have a relationship with God. Another reason is based on the specific ways Mormons view God. They believe God knows them personally because He created their spirits and then, before the earth was created, they lived with Him for a time. During this time, everyone was becoming a real person, with talents, personality, and interests. Each person was deciding who they were and how obedient they were. God was there, as our literal Father, watching over us and guiding us. For this reason, His love for us is very personal.

Mormons view God as a literal Father, loving but strict. Good fathers understand they must make rules with rewards and consequences, and God is always a good Father. Mormons accept the rules and the natural consequences because they see them in the light of a loving Father, not a strict, uncaring, and distant ruler.

With this information in mind, it is easy to understand why Mormons who have a strong testimony of the principles of their religion have a nearly perfect rate of belief in God and a personal relationship with Him.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is touring the central United States this summer. Named America’s Choir by Ronald Reagan, they are considered an important part of American culture.

Brigham Young, the second president and prophet of the church, knew the Saints, as Mormons are often called, would need to keep their spirits up as they moved west after being forced from their homes in Illinois. When he put together the small group of people who would make the initial trek to Utah, he included musicians. In fact, every wagon company included at least one musician. Twenty-nine days after the first Mormons settled in Utah, a conference was held on August 22, 1847. A small choir sang at this conference, and the church has actually had a standing choir even before this, since the earliest days of the church in Ohio and Illinois. The first large choir was organized in 1829 under conductor George Careless.

In 1987, the church built a beautiful tabernacle that required four years to construct. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir took its name from the building and has performed there since it was built. This popular attraction has been named both a historic landmark and an engineering landmark, due to its amazing acoustics.

When at home, the choir is accompanied by the world-renowned Tabernacle organ. This amazing creation has more than 11,000 pipes. The original organ was built in Australia and shipped to California. It was then carried by twelve mules to Utah. When the Tabernacle was built, Joseph Ridges, who had built that first organ, built a new one that was even larger. It has been enlarged five times since then. Five organists, three men and two women, currently play this organ.

Since the choir’s beginnings as a local group, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has become popular around the world, and is loved by both Mormons and non-Mormons. They have won an Emmy and a Grammy, and have performed for ten American presidents, including four inaugurations. They have five gold records and two platinum records.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this choir is that it, and the orchestra that accompanies it, are entirely made up of volunteers. The audition process is arduous, and only the most talented and dedicated performers are accepted. They rehearse one or two evenings each week and perform each Sunday morning during the broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word. Every other summer, they go on tour somewhere in the world for a few weeks. Most have full-time jobs with companies willing to accommodate the demands of the choir and all must live within 100 miles of Salt Lake City.

The audition process consists of a lengthy set of tests which are sometimes daunting even to trained singers. It includes a questionnaire concerning moral worthiness, age, body size (due to costuming needs), health, and church membership. Applicants must also submit a very complex audition tape. Those accepted for the next step are brought in for a music skills inventory test and a music theory exam which is very challenging, but does not necessarily require formal training if one prepares at home and has innate musical talent. Passing this leads to an in-person audition. At this audition, they sing—alone—a hymn of their choice and a complicated choral piece assigned in advance. They are also required to do some sight reading. If a student is rejected at this point, he is given advice about how to train for the next year’s audition.

If a student makes it this far, he is accepted not into the choir, but into The Temple Square Chorale and Choir Training School. For three months, he will receive formal musical training. Established members of the choir also participate in this choral in rotation, to upgrade their skills and renew their formal training. They will do a concert and participate in a television broadcast. This allows staff to see if a candidate can cope with the pace, schedule, and pressure, and is able to perform well as a disciplined member of a choir. Most people accepted into this stage become members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but some do not. This strenuous process is the reason the choir is so highly respected.

It may be difficult to imagine in this day of glitzy, immoral celebrities, that a church choir could win the hearts of Americans who may know little of the choir’s faith. However, in 2007, they filled Denver’s Pepsi Stadium to capacity—15,000 seats. Three days later, the Rolling Stones sold only 13,000 tickets to the concert they played in the same stadium. Certainly that’s a statistic that would surprise most people, but testifies to the power of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to capture America’s attention and respect.