The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its 194th Annual General Conference, summarizing key points from the Sunday afternoon session, including messages from President Russell M. Nelson on rejoicing in the gift of priesthood keys, Mark L. Pace on the wisdom of having the Book of Mormon, and discussions on temples, opposition, and bridging the two great commandments.
The Bible and the Book of Mormon have been challenged under a Utah law prohibiting "pornographic or indecent" materials in public school settings. A person filed a complaint with the Davis School District asking that the Book of Mormon be removed from its libraries, echoing a similar challenge against the King James Version of the Bible in December. The district committee decided that the Bible should remain available in high school libraries, but not for younger grades. The complaints against religious texts were criticized by the American Library Association, which said that censorship is not the answer.
A school district in Utah that recently banned the Bible from school libraries is now considering removing the Book of Mormon after a complaint was made. The district will assess the book for "all elements of the definitions of pornographic or indecent materials" as defined under a Utah law concerning sensitive materials. The removal of books from public schools in several states has caused a national furore, often driven by conservatives targeting material that contains references to gender identity or sexuality.
The Davis School District in Utah has removed the Bible from its elementary and middle schools after a parental complaint that some verses were too vulgar or violent for younger children. The district has also removed other titles following a 2022 state law requiring districts to include parents in decisions over what constitutes “sensitive material.” A complaint has also been submitted about the Book of Mormon. Conservative parent activists are sowing alarm about how sex and violence are talked about in schools, and the number of attempts to ban or restrict books across the US in 2022 was the highest in 20 years, according to the American Library Association.
The Davis School District in Utah has removed the Bible from its elementary and middle schools after a parental complaint that some verses were too vulgar or violent for younger children. The district has also removed other titles following a 2022 state law requiring districts to include parents in decisions over what constitutes “sensitive material.” A complaint was also submitted about the Book of Mormon, the signature scripture of the predominant faith in Utah. Conservative parent activists are sowing alarm about how sex and violence are talked about in schools, leading to an increase in attempts to ban or restrict books across the US.
Davis School District in Utah, which recently banned the Bible in elementary and middle schools, has received a request to review the Book of Mormon for containing violence. This is the latest in a series of book challenges in the state, which began after a law was passed allowing parents to request removal of books containing "pornographic or indecent material." The district will form a committee to review the Book of Mormon to determine if it violates the law. The district has not received complaints about other religious texts, such as the Quran.
