Members of the Iowa City stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered on a brisk Saturday morning to assist in the restoration effort at the Secrest octagonal barn. The barn was built in 1883 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It joins an elite, and shortening, list of existing round barns in Iowa.

Located a few minutes outside Iowa City, the barn showcases incredible architecture, topped by a Gothic-style roof and a ven...

Are Mormons Christian? This is a question we are often asked, and our response is sometimes, "Christ's name is in the name of our Church."  That's not always helpful because most people know us from media references as "the Mormon Church."  And most members happily refer to themselves as Mormons.  This website is even called "IowaMormons."  So, it is not obvious to many people that we follow Jesus Christ. We want to make that clearer.

Why have we used "...

I had the amazing opportunity to attend an Interfaith Leadership Camp at Drake University. This camp not only opened my eyes to other religions in Iowa, but it also helped me to understand how we relate to them in unexpected ways. We talked a little about our own faith, had pretty fun activities, and created digital stories to share. My favorite part by far was visiting the different religious sites including the Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, and Greek Orthodox co...

As the hour approaches noon, a line forms outside of the kitchen.  People of all ages, races, and backgrounds gather to take part in a meal provided by volunteers working with the Free Lunch Program (FLP) of Iowa City and its surrounding communities.

On this day, local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) have provided the food and are serving those who are gathered.   There’s a flurry of activity as the meal begins and peo...

Rain can bring many well-planned outdoor service projects to a screeching halt. But for the 150 or so volunteers from southern Iowa, western Illinois, and northern Missouri, an hour of steady rain just required some adjustments and patience.  Otherwise, a dozen projects received much needed and appreciated attention from enthusiastic families hoping to go "about doing good" as the Savior did.  From painting marina railings and roadway posts or gazebos, to cleaning at a pet...

The first public discourse preached by  female Mormon missionaries was in England in 1898. Historian Orson F. Whitney reported what happened when Inez Knight and Jennie Brimhall addressed an audience curious about what real Mormon women were like: "The hall was crowded, and their remarks were listened to with rapt attention. The novel spectacle of two young and innocent girls--whose appearance alone betokened modesty and virtue, as their utterances showed intelligence and...