Latest news with #LatterDaySaints
The Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Who was Tanner Martin? Utah influencer who died from colon cancer aged 30
UTAH influencer Tanner Martin has died after a battle with colon cancer. After five years fighting the illness, Martin shared the news of his death in a pre-recorded video, which was posted to social media on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. 4 In the video, Martin said: 'Hey, it's me, Tanner, if you're watching this, I am dead. 'I had a heck of a life," he added. "I decided to make this video announcing my death because I saw someone did that, like, a year or so ago, and I think it's a good opportunity to get all your thoughts out and also you can be thoughtful about what your partner or spouse might need and she probably needs some time to grieve.' In the video, the 30-year-old thanked his followers with whom he had been so candid and honest over the years, sharing so many aspects of his life. Who was Tanner Martin? Martin was born on December 22, 1994, and is a Utah-based content creator. Since he started making content with his wife Shay, the influencers built a community of over 450,000 supportive followers on Instagram as of June 2025. 4 They also documented their life and struggles with fighting the illness to more than 580,000 followers on TikTok and in a regular blog written by Shay. Tanner is a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and has noted that this faith is the source of his strength during his illness. How did Tanner Martin die? After noticing regular stomach aches in 2020, it took six months for a doctor to realize this could be a symptom and recommended a colonoscopy. At the age of just 25 years old, days after Shay and Tanner's second wedding anniversary, Martin was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in November 2020 and since then documented his journey online until his death. Between November 2020 and October 2024, Tanner had to endure more than 50 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, and six major surgeries, according to People. 4 He shared with his followers the whole journey of his illness, including a video which was pre-recorded, sharing with his followers that he had died. Who is Tanner Martin's wife Shay and how many kids do they have? As part of their journey fighting colon cancer, the couple have shared details about their relationship and experiences starting a family. Shay and Tanner tied the knot in 2018 and formed their joint social media pages together. They have one daughter together called AmyLou, who was born just 41 days before Tanner died. Despite only being married for six years, the couple made use of every moment, renewing their vows in Ireland and travelling to Mexico and Italy. 4 In May the couple also hosted a living funeral for Tanner, it featured a red carpet and was held at a movie theatre so that those saying goodbye could watch a film about his life. Shay revealed to their followers that Tanner wanted to be a father, and so she opened up about her experience of IVF. She revealed that they experienced many hurdles, including sepsis and implications of Tanner's cancer treatment. However, finally, the couple shared pictures from a photo shoot in November 2024, announcing that they were expecting a baby. In the video, the couple were holding newspapers which read: "Breaking News. Baby on the Way!" Tanner witnessed the birth of their first child AmyLou on May 15. After his death, Shay shared one more video with Tanner's last wish. He asked his followers to donate to his GoFundMe to raise money for his family and provide them security.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion: Will we stand idly by as a son is torn from his Utah family and deported to one of the world's most inhumane prisons?
The story of the U.D.M.C. family of Holladay, Utah, is as compelling as any refugee story since President Trump's immigration crackdown began on January 23, 2025. That mass expulsion campaign is striking fear in the hearts of millions of immigrants — not just those who come illegally, but also families like the U.D.M.C family, who followed all the rules to enter the U.S. legally. The U.D.M.C family — a father, mother, two sons and a daughter-in-law — are Latter-day Saints from Venezuela, a failing country where living conditions are dire, marked by political instability and economic collapse; where 70% of the population lacks adequate access to food, healthcare, clean water, electricity and educational opportunity. Venezuela is also one of the most violent and corrupt countries in the world. When U.D.M.C and his family took to the streets to protest corruption and election fraud in the Maduro government, police detained them and confiscated their ID cards. Soon they began receiving death threats. A lawyer friend advised them to leave the country or face arrest and imprisonment. In 2019, they fled Venezuela hoping to emigrate to the U.S. The family's path was long and difficult. After living for a few years in neighboring Colombia, they trekked mostly on foot through Guatemala and Honduras to Mexico, reaching Mexico City last year. There, they used U.S. Customs and Border Protection's CBP One mobile app to apply for humanitarian parole and permission to enter the U.S. legally, which was approved. After crossing the Mexican border legally on August 22, 2024, the family traveled to Utah and settled in Holladay, where they were embraced by their neighborhood and local Latter-day Saint congregation. They located housing, obtained work permits, found employment and applied for asylum. They are now self-supporting and law-abiding taxpayers. The family was granted an asylum hearing date in 2028, entitling them to reside in the U.S. legally until their asylum applications are ruled on. The makings of a true American success story? It wasn't to be. Someone was left behind. As the family entered the U.S. last August, their 19-year-old son Uriel David, a young man without any criminal history who speaks no English and suffers health problems, was torn from his family, arrested and detained. He has since been swallowed up in a harrowing saga of human tragedy that is stealing national headlines and rapidly becoming a stain on our national character. Originally detained in San Diego, Uriel David's path has been traced by his family to ICE's El Valle Detention Center in Texas. There, according to the findings of a federal judge in Washington, D.C., in the early morning hours of March 15, 2025, 140 Venezuelans held by the Department of Homeland Security 'were awakened from their cells, taken to a separate room, shackled and informed they were being transferred. To where? That they were not told.' They were loaded onto planes. 'As the planes waited on the tarmac,' the court found, 'many passengers aboard reportedly began to panic and beg officials for more information, but none was provided.' The planes eventually landed in El Salvador, where the detainees were transferred into CECOT, a brutal Salvadoran mega-prison known for torture, beatings and death. Based on video from a news report, Uriel David's family identified him among the detainees transferred to CECOT. New cases are being filed every week in federal courts across the U.S. alleging similar deportations of immigrants spirited away to CECOT or other foreign prisons without notice, hearings or any other semblance of the Fifth Amendment due process rights to which every person in the U.S. is entitled, citizen or noncitizen. In every case so far, courts have found that the Trump administration stripped these detainees of their rights by not allowing them a meaningful opportunity to challenge their removal before being flown to El Salvador. Judges are ordering the government to vindicate the detainees' rights, even if it means returning them to the United States. In some cases, Trump officials blame administrative error for their actions. In other cases, they stonewall, daring the courts to punish them for contempt of court. In one case, a judge ordered a flight of detainees to turn around midair, an order which was ignored. In three other pending cases, federal judges determined that Trump officials expelled people from the country in violation of standing court orders. In one of these cases, federal appeals court judge Roger Gregory wrote, 'We are confronted again with the efforts of the executive branch to set aside the rule of law in pursuit of its goals.' Illegal deportations can never in good conscience be brushed off as mere administrative errors or excusable violations of law. They are matters of life and death. CECOT, where Uriel David is believed to be held, is the largest prison in Latin America. It houses up to 40,000 of the most violent criminals — rival gang members whose internecine wars for decades terrorized all of El Salvador, plunging it into the grip of economic and social chaos and triggering mass emigration. Prisoners in CECOT are held for life in an 'exception' to the Salvadoran constitution and without any semblance of real due process. Housed 23.5 hours per day in harsh conditions, they are crowded 80 to 100 per cell. Inmates sleep on rows of metal bunks stacked three high without mattresses, pillows or blankets. CECOT has no rehabilitation, recreation or education programs. Visits by lawyers and family members are strictly banned. No telephone calls are allowed. No cell phone service exists within two kilometers of the prison. The Salvadoran government admits that some inmates are held in CECOT without cause, claiming as an excuse that it is sometimes difficult to determine which inmates are guilty of crimes and which are innocent. In El Salvador, incarceration of innocents is considered the price of law and order. That policy suits the Trump White House fine — it pays El Salvador $6 million a year for the privilege of deporting our immigrants to CECOT. In Uriel David's case, his family has been unable to learn the reason for his detention and deportation. It is possible that a border guard misinterpreted his tattoos as gang-related? No. His tattoos are innocuous: the word 'familia,' his birthdate, his mother's signature, a crown of thorns, two wings and the lucky number '777.' None of these are gang-related. Uriel David has a constitutional right to prove this to an immigration judge before being expelled from the country. Shouldn't that matter? Apparently not to Trump officials. A federal judge recently found that 'significant evidence has come to light indicating that many of those currently entombed in CECOT have no connection to [a] gang and thus languish in a foreign prison on flimsy, even frivolous, accusations.' One thing is certain: no one, including Uriel David, would knowingly agree to be transferred to CECOT. Yet, CECOT is Uriel's life now and for its duration, absent a public outcry loud enough to secure his release. To begin with, his family, their neighbors, our Salt Lake City community and all Americans are entitled to know exactly what happened to him and why. That is not a demand — it is a necessity in a society that considers itself civilized and loyal to a constitution like ours, which protects citizens and noncitizens alike from being held in custody without due process. A nation that tramples individual rights in pursuit of political gain will not last long as a democratic republic. I ask all Utahns: Will we stand idly by while Uriel David is torn from his Utah family and deported to one of the world's most inhumane prisons? A few days ago, the Trump White House brought Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant unlawfully deported to CECOT, back to the U.S. after falsely claiming for months that this was not possible. Obviously, it is possible. The rallying cry should now be: 'YOU BROUGHT BACK KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA — NOW BRING BACK URIEL DAVID!'
BBC News
10-06-2025
- BBC News
Man in his 60s dies after crashing into Watford church wall
A man in his 60s was killed after the car he was driving crashed into a church wall. Hertfordshire Police said a black Ford Focus was travelling on the A41/M25 roundabout on Hempstead Road, Watford, at about 04:15 BST on Sunday. The car crossed over the road and hit the wall of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Russells Nursery, it added. The man, the only person in the car, was found unresponsive and died at the scene. Sgt Tim Davies from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Roads Policing Unit said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man at this difficult time."As part of our investigations into what happened, I am appealing to anyone who either witnessed the collision or was driving in the area at the time of the incident to please contact me." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Latter-day Saints turn to yoga for physical and spiritual benefits
Many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embrace yoga and other contemplative practices. Some do it purely for the health benefits, however others say yoga also deepens their spirituality and strengthens their connection with God.
Associated Press
26-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Members of Latter-day Saints turn to yoga for its physical and spiritual benefits
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Wendy Cullum lay flat on her back completely relaxed in 'shavasana' or 'corpse pose,' a common closing position in a yoga class. She and several other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were finishing up a 90-minute session in the sanctuary of the only Hindu temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, a bucolic community about 55 miles (88 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. This small Thursday evening yoga class at Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple in the heart of Mormon country is an example of the embrace of yoga and meditation among members of the faith, widely known as the Mormon church. Yoga in Sanskrit means 'union with the divine.' For Cullum, her practice helps deepen her connection to her Mormon faith and God, though yoga originated as an ancient spiritual practice in India rooted in Hindu philosophy. 'When I close my eyes and focus on him during shavasana, it helps me leave all my worries behind and trust in God more,' said Cullum, who has been practicing for five years. She's not alone. Many Latter-day Saints who do yoga and other contemplative practices — mindfulness, breath work, meditation and more — say they are able to seamlessly integrate their faith into the process. This is not a new phenomenon either. A 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center found 27% of members of the church believe in yoga not just as exercise, but as a spiritual practice, compared with 23% of the general public who share this belief. Reconciling a spiritual identity crisis Philip McLemore, a former U.S. Air Force and hospice chaplain, taught other members of his faith how to meditate for more than a decade. His yoga practice started earlier than that following a spinal injury. Yoga not only helped him heal physically, he said, but it also made him more compassionate. Unable to achieve this positive change with his faith alone, McLemore questioned his spiritual identity. 'I had to ask: Who am I?' McLemore said. 'Am I a Mormon guy, a Christian? Or am I this yogi guy?' He found his answer in Matthew 11:28-30: 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.' McLemore emphasized the word 'yoke,' which shares the same Indo-European root word — yeug or yuj — as 'yoga.' It means to join or unite. He determined that Christ's teachings are consistent with the classic yogas in the Bhagvad Gita, the main Hindu sacred text, which speaks to the eternal nature of the soul. McLemore's struggle ended there and his two worlds merged. His practice now takes place in front of a small shrine in his study, with a figurine of Christ in a meditative pose flanked by those of Hindu gods Krishna bearing a flute and Shiva performing his cosmic dance. The body-mind connection Like McLemore, LeAnne Tolley's yoga practice began with an injury that left her unable to do her typical gym workouts. Tolley, a Latter-day Saint and a yoga teacher, uses yoga therapy to help her clients with eating disorders and other behavioral issues. Tolley said when she started practicing yoga, she met with resistance from some Christians outside her faith, even though she saw no conflict. She said yoga changed her life by helping her overcome 'exercise addiction' and understand that the mind and body are connected. 'Most Western spirituality sometimes places excessive focus on the spirit and leads people to believe that the body doesn't matter,' she said. 'My faith teaches that God has a physical body — an exalted, celestial, perfected body. What it means to become like God is to get to a point where my body is just as important as my spirit, that they are all perfectly aligned.' It's dismaying, she says, for her to hear some people tell her she cannot do yoga and be a Latter-day Saint. 'What I've learned from yoga only fortifies, enhances and deepens my personal faith,' she said. 'The pieces in yoga that don't fit in with my faith practice, I just leave them out. I just take those pieces that help me and make sense for me.' While many Latter-day Saints have adopted yoga for health and fitness, the church took the intentional step of recommending yoga as a way for its missionaries to stay physically fit, said Matthew Bowman, chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University. He said some church members, particularly women, have talked about how yoga helped them get in touch with their own divine identity and their identity as women. It has also helped some unpack a contradiction within the church's theology, where there is sometimes shaming around the body while also insisting that bodies are divine, Bowman said. Spiritual practice in lieu of religion For Naomi Watkins, who says she left the Latter-day Saints after experiencing a disconnect between her body and mind about eight years ago, yoga offered a spiritual lifeline. 'Being a woman in Mormonism, I felt very cut off from my body because of the garments I had to wear and having seen how women were treated differently,' she said, adding that breathing exercises, or breath work, in yoga helped her make that vital body-mind connection and quiet the constant inner chatter. Above all, Watkins said, yoga gave her the freedom to take cues from her body and move in ways that felt right and good. Now, yoga is her spiritual practice. 'It's about reclaiming my own inner voice, my wisdom,' Watkins said. 'Our cells carry generations of practices and stories and knowledge. Yoga has helped me tap into those things for myself in a way my faith did not. I know how my body talks to me now. My body often knows things before my brain does.' Synthesizing yogic practices with Mormonism For some like Thomas McConkie, delving deeper into 'yogic meditative paths' led him back to his Mormon roots. He had left the faith at 13 and stayed away for two decades. 'I realized there were resonances in the depths of that practice that were calling me back home to my native tradition, to my ancestry,' he said. As he re-embraced the faith of his childhood, McConkie said he began to see a path unfold before him forged by contemplatives, such as the early Christian hermits who traversed the Egyptian desert in the 4th and 5th centuries. Eight years ago, McConkie founded Lower Lights in Salt Lake City, a community of meditators, many of whom, like him, synthesize their contemplative faith with their Mormon faith. 'In Latter-day Saint theology, all matter is spirit and all creation is actually composed of divine light,' McConkie said. 'Yogic and meditative practices help us bring forth that light and live our lives in a way that glorifies the divine.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
