40c - Within the Sacred Pages of the Book of Mormon are Promises of Great Blessings to Those Who Choose to Live Righteously.

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TODAY'S THEME

 
Here is a promise made regarding persons such as Danny Osmond and other persons who set examples of living righteously given in this Holy Book:

2 Nephi 9: 18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever. (emphasis added)

Of course, the Lord's words given above through his ancient Israelite prophet, Nephi, apply to each of the righteous of our day, which even includes a number of the righteous who may have also achieved unusually high success in the entertainment business! I give you an example:

I copied the following article from The Mormon Times Section of the Morning Deseret News (of Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.) dated April 14, 2010.

Photo: Scott G. Winterton



For Donny Osmond the church is more than religion, it's life
By Lynn Arave

Deseret News
Wednesday, Apr. 14, 2010


Entertainment can be a troubling profession these days, with temptation, pornography and immorality more rampant than ever before. Probably few members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints know that better than Donny Osmond.

However, his membership in the Mormon church isn't just his religion, it's his very lifestyle, he told the Deseret News during a recent 30-minute telephone interview from Las Vegas.

"I would never do anything that would compromise my membership or standing in the church. Because it's more than just a religion to me. It's my way of life. In my opinion, it's what's been able to keep my family stable in this crazy business called show business."

"Donny" is at a pinnacle in his lifelong entertainment career, having just come off a victory late last year in "Dancing With the Stars." He also boasts a regular Las Vegas show with his sister, Marie, and is a guest host on some TV magazine entertainment programs.















After 10 weeks of surprises and dazzling performances, Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson were crowned champions of "Dancing With the Stars." Photo: Adam Larkey, ABC

He also has a new syndicated radio show that airs on more than 60 U.S. radio stations, including weekdays, 3-7 p.m., on KBEE (FM-98.7) in Salt Lake City.

"We're so fortunate," Donny said of his family's blessings.

However, he said not all his life has been smooth sailing.

When Donny was 25 years old, newly married and with two children, he said he was very confused what to do with his life.

The "Donny and Marie Show" had just ended and he said his career was "in the toilet" and on a downward spiral.

"I didn't know where to go. Everybody and their dog were giving me advice and information on what I should do."

He traveled to Hawaii, where his parents were on a full-time church mission.
He told his father, "I need a father's blessing and I need direction basically," as he recounted some very personal experiences.

"We fasted and prayed for a couple of weeks prior to that moment." He keeps that father's blessing, as well as his patriarchal blessing, in his BlackBerry.

"It's my road map. It's my guideline ... that's what I live by," Donny said.
When questionable offers in show business come along, he said he regularly consults the two blessings for advice.

One of the most relevant parts in that father's blessing regarding show business is this:

"Never do a show or an appearance that you wouldn't do in front of a (L.D.S.) general authority. That's my guideline,"

Donny said of one of the cornerstones of his entertainment standards:
"There are certain things I won't endorse."

He said his parents' wisdom and examples still live on in his life, too.
"My parents, they walked the walk and talked the talk," he said. "They were great examples of what a marriage should be like, what membership in the church should be like, what commitment should be like, integrity and honesty."

Photo:
Craig Sjodin, ABC
Donny ponders on how much he wanted to quit "Dancing With the Stars," before he eventually became its oldest winner ever.

His father used to say, "If there's anything worth doing, it's worth doing well."

His mother also had a common saying: "In tough times, this, too, shall pass."

And Donny said, "That is the only thing that got me through 'Dancing With the Stars,'" he said, laughing. "Because I wanted to quit so many times ... My body ached so bad. ... Those two sayings got me through the whole ordeal."

His Las Vegas show has been going on almost 18 months now, and Donny said there's talk of it being renewed into October 2012, or beyond. (The show was originally only going to be a six-month run.)

"I love this gig in Vegas. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it's fulfilling."

He says the show's success is proof that good, clean entertainment can thrive -- even in racy Las Vegas.

What about the undesirable aspects of Vegas?

"Yeah, they call it 'Sin City' for a reason, but it's not all sin city," he said, stressing that there's great entertainment there; and that it is not just the "Strip," there are great neighborhoods there, too.

"The church is very, very strong here in Vegas, a lot of LDS people. So, it's really a slanted or skewed view on Vegas, if that's what you think Vegas is, is just the Strip, because it's not." (This was added by Neil Birch: "there is an LDS Temple in Las Vegas.")

He said he has a long history with Vegas.

"When I was 7, I started working Vegas, so I've been here since the '60s and I've seen so many different incarnations of this city. ... If you let your guard down, I mean there's pornography everywhere you look, if you walk down the street on the Strip. You just don't go there. You don't indulge."

Donny said he strives to avoid being judgmental and mingles freely with others.
"Don't put yourself above anyone else," he stressed. "We as Latter-day Saints need to be very careful. ... Yes, we have the truth. We have the restored gospel. But what you don't want to do is condemn anybody for not believing."

He noted, too, that pride was a recurring problem for the ancient residents of the Americas, which the Book of Mormon chronicles. (emphasis added by Neil Birch)

Yet, Donny also stressed not being too serious.

"Sometimes Mormons need to lighten up," he said. "Enjoy life, put a smile on your face and just represent the fact that Mormons are happy people. And sometimes we as LDS people get so caught up in the seriousness of our religion that we forget to enjoy life."
He said there's a fine line there, being in the world, but not of the world, but if you are committed to the gospel, he believes you can walk that fine line without any problem.

Donny paraphrased what President Gordon B. Hinckley said just before the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake: "Be yourself, don't try to convert everybody. Just be who you are."

Donny said he still hears of some church conversion stories, where he, or his family, were a part of the introduction process.

"I don't force it," he said of missionary opportunities.

He said President Hinckley's TV interview with Mike Wallace was a great example to him of how to act, too.

Donny also said he realizes church membership alone won't necessarily create a better life -- "Yeah, you can be Mormon and still screw your life up big time."

He stressed that his official Web site, www.donny.com, contains a "My beliefs" section and that one portion of his Web site itself attracts millions of hits a year. Questions about the church can be asked there, and Donny said he gets help from another person to answer the questions raised.


"It is amazing how many inquiries I have received over the years as to what is a Mormon," he said. "... There's been some very inspiring conversion stories that I've read over the years, But I don't force it. ... I get a lot of inquiries about the church," he said, explaining that he always reiterates what the prophets have said.

Despite all his fame, Donny still prefers to see himself as a regular person who just happens to mingle with celebrities.

He said like many others, he's a husband, father, grandfather, brother, a regular person.

"I'm not just not a show business person," Donny said. "I'm a real guy ... I do everyday things ... yet I mingle right there in Hollywood."

Donny comes home to Utah many weekends to be with his family and to attend his own ward.

"I love this gig in Vegas. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it's fulfilling."

"I got a plane so I can be home early Sunday morning, and thank goodness we went to the 1 o'clock sacrament schedule earlier this year."

While he's been serving as an alternate instructor in his ward's priests quorum, he's now switching to be a secretary in the Young Men organization, as his youngest son is becoming a deacon. Donny is also a home teacher.

He recently took his wife to Hawaii for a vacation. He has one son in the MTC, headed for Belgium. Once the last two sons are on their own, he and his wife will be empty nesters.

Regarding the late Elvis Presley's keen interest in the Book of Mormon, Donny said that definitely happened. (emphasis added by Neil Birch)

"He was very interested in the Mormon faith, at the very end there before he passed away, not that he was going to join the church, but he was extremely intrigued by the whole concept of a restoration."

Donny has his own copy of the Book of Mormon that Elvis read and marked.
"It's very fun to read through, because you read all of his hand-written notes on each page and things that he underlined or marked down."

"My mom used to talk to him all the time about religion, because he was going to be a preacher, instead of a singer, at one time," Donny said.

E-mail: mailto:lynn@desnews.com

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The Book of Mormon scripture used as part of TODAY'S THEME and Donny Osmond's own words speak for themselves.

However, allow me to just mention a personal experience I, along with my wife, Melva, had several years ago as Donny Osmond played the starring role in the musical entitled:

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat"

At that time my wife and I saw that musical live in the Salt Lake City, Utah area Hale Center Theater which is only about three miles from where we live. I really enjoyed the way Donny portrayed Joseph, son of Isaac, and grandson of Father Abraham.

Joseph (who was sold into Egypt) is one of my most favorite individuals told about in the Old Testament. Donny, in my opinion, really brought the real spirit of Joseph into his portrayal of him. And in my opinion, Donny could do that because of the kind of Gospel Oriented life which he lives.
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For your further enlightenment and spiritual strengthening Please view this:

Mormon Messages
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