quarta-feira, 31 de outubro de 2012

About this ad LDS Church releases statement about Hurricane Sandy

Published: Monday, Oct. 29 2012 1:18 p.m. MDT









The New York City skyline and Hudson River are seen from Hoboken, NJ, as Hurricane Sandy approaches on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain.
Charles Sykes, Associated Press
As Hurricane Sandy moves across the East Coast Monday and Tuesday, nine states have declared a state of emergency and as many as 60 million people could be affected, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the following statement about the storm.
"The church continues to monitor the situation and is prepared to respond as needed. Prior to the storm, local leaders were in contact with church members to encourage necessary preparations. Mission presidents are taking precautions to protect the safety and well-being of missionaries," said Scott Trotter, a spokesman for the LDS Church.
Mormons in the affected areas have shared comments on Facebook about their preparations.
"We are in an area that is not an evacuation zone so we don't have to leave, but we have food, water in bottles and the bathtub filled, flashlights and candles ready to go. We actually got prepared during Hurricane Irene last year, so we were set to go. It shouldn't be too bad here, just waiting for it to end and for the city to get up and running again," said Jolinda Hall, who lives in Brooklyn, New York.
LDS Church members who live outside the affected areas are also expressing their concern and support on Facebook.
"I'm praying for the safety for all those in that area where the hurricane is. May God blessed all them all," said Rose Serna Cariaga, who lives in Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Additional updates will be posted as information becomes available.
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sexta-feira, 26 de outubro de 2012

David Osmond: Arise And Shine





 
About
David Osmond has music running through his veins, literally. He’s the 4th son of Alan Osmond, oldest of the performing Osmond Brothers, and began performing as the lead singer with his own brothers when he was only four years old.
They were known as The Osmond Boys and were discovered by the late Bob Hope, appearing on his 1986 Christmas show for their national television debut. By the 1980s, they evolved into The Osmond 2nd Generation, signed with both Curb Records in the U.S. and Epic/Sony in Europe, had four songs in the Top 40 in the U.K., and played to sold-out stadiums and arenas in the U.S., Europe and Asia., making appearances on MTV, Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee, CBS This Morning, CNN and Entertainment Tonight, as well as other major shows and networks. Eventually as a group they settled in Branson, Missouri, as featured performers at the Osmond Family Theater.
David became his Uncle Donny’s understudy in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, actually taking over the lead role and continuing as JOSEPH in regional and national touring companies of the musical for many years.
He was forced to put music on hold for several years however, due to a physical battle with Multiple Sclerosis. He has passionately dedicated himself to raising awareness and resources for the MS community through speaking and performing nationwide with a hopeful and positive message of overcoming adversity. David was the 2010 recipient of The National MS Society’s Spirit of Life Award.
Recent improvements in his health have allowed him to place his focus back on music. David was featured on the FOX hit TV show American Idol in 2009, he reprised the role of JOSEPH at the CLO Theater in Pittsburgh, and also had the chance to recently perform alongside artists such as David Archuleta, Take 6, The Jonas Bros, Michelle Branch, and The Eagles.
David has had some incredible highlights in his career as an entertainer, from performing onstage at Wembley Arena to singing at Harpo Studios for Oprah. But all of that has been leading him up to this point in his career, with so much more determination and appreciation. He just completed his debut solo album, REFLECTED, as well as his debut inspirational album, ROAD LESS TRAVELED, which was just released.


 
David served a two year Mormon mission in Spain, and then attended Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University, and New York University. During this time, he battled with the West Nile Virus, which led to his Multiple Sclerosis. (His father also suffers from the disorder.) He pushed forward, despite his illness, to champion the causes of several MS charities. He continues to support MS charities, such as his appearance at the 16th Annual Race to Erase MS event in L.A. in May of 2009.
David auditioned for American Idol Season 8, and was picked to be a favorite in the competition by many viewers, but fell ill after making it to Hollywood Week.
April of 2007, he married Valerie, the love of his life. Two years later, on April 28th, David and Valerie welcomed their baby girl, Saffron, into the world.