Book series to highlight LDS women
A new series titled "Women of Faith in Latter Days" aims to enhance awareness of women from all walks of life through inspirational vignettes. Each volume in the series will contain 50 10-page chapters on different women. Each chapter will contain a photograph or portrait of the woman (if available), a very brief biography (one page or less), an experience from her life (in her own words or the author's) that will uplift and inspire, and a brief bibliography, according to a news release from the series editors, Richard E. Turley Jr. and Brittany A. Chapman.
The first volume is scheduled for publication in 2011, and focus on women born in or before 1820. Subsequent volumes follow at about one-year intervals. Volume 2 includes women born between 1821 and 1845; Volume 3 from 1846 to 1870; Volume 4 from 1871 to 1895; Volume 5 from 1896 to 1920; Volume 6 between 1921 and 1945 and Volume 7 from 1946 to 1970.
Those interested in contributing should submit a proposal to lds.women.of.faith@gmail.com or 2914 Ivory Way, Taylorsville, UT 84084. Selected authors will receive a modest honorarium and two copies of each volume in which their chapter appears.
For information, see www.ldswomenoffaith.org.
LDS sisters head to 'Talent' finals
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Christina and Ali Christensen will be singing in finals for NBC's "America's Got Talent."
The Mormon sisters from Idaho Falls, Idaho, ended up vying for the fifth spot with kite-flying Connor Doran in the last moments of the show Wednesday, Aug. 25.
The trio of judges did a tie-breaker of sorts with Piers Morgan and Sharon Osborne voting to move the sisters to the finals and Howie Mandell supporting Connor, a high school student who has epilepsy.
Ali, 20, and Christina, 13, both have cystic fibrosis and were told early in life they would never sing in public because the disease would restrict their breathing. Their sister passed away last summer.
On Tuesday, Aug. 24, they competed with 12 of the 24 acts in the show's semifinals for five spots in the finals. The other 12 acts will be narrowed to five in the Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 shows. The sisters performed "When You Believe" by Mariah Carey on Aug. 24.
Ali, who is also Miss Idaho Falls, said before the judging that they have worked hard and improved with each performance.
Morgan said that they haven't had performers on the show with a story quite like theirs and even they have good (but not great) voices, they are incredible people.
The show's winner receives a $1 million prize and headlines a show in Las Vegas.
The other four to make it to the finals are ballroom dancers, two male singers and an opera singer.