What Is Happening with Birthright Citizenship?

The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns birthright citizenship, a topic that is once again in the news. President Donald Trump is trying to do all that he can to stop foreigners from coming to America and particularly those who are coming only to have a baby on American soil

Trump lost his first case at the Supreme Court when the court ruled in June that babies born on American soil have birthright citizenship. The loss did not stop Trump, who “issued two new executive orders seeking to limit avenues for birthright citizenship in the United States.” In her article in the Deseret News, Lauren Irwin explained the new orders as follows. 

The two orders appeared to try to find a way around the court’s ruling that struck down his previous executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship all together.

After receiving the setback from the justices, Trump vowed to change the constitutional guarantee another way.

He was accompanied by White House deputy chief of staff for policy Steven Miller in the Oval Office as he signed the new executive orders: one that puts limits on birthright citizenship for children of embassy employees and another on birth tourism.

Scholars are divided about whether his orders will be allowed to go into effect and advocates are questioning the legality, just as they did in January 2025.

But what do Trump’s orders actually say, and will they fail legal scrutiny like the last one?

The birthright citizenship executive orders

The first order, titled “Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” looks to exclude babies born to employees working for foreign governments, meaning embassy or consulate staff who aren’t U.S. citizens.

The long-standing rule was that children born in the U.S. to accredited ambassadors or diplomats didn’t receive birthright citizenship because their parents are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction – which was the key question before the Supreme Court. However, Trump’s order covers a broader number of people, not just diplomats.

Trump’s new order expands the ban on birthright citizenship to all foreign government employees living in the United States.

The order raises legal questions because the Trump administration argues those people aren’t “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States under the 14^th Amendment, but others argue that the diplomatic exception was a very narrow avenue to deny birthright citizenship to begin with and cannot be expanded.

The order also targets children of members of foreign terrorist groups and babies whose parents are engaged in “fraudulent activity” to gain citizenship in the country.

The second executive order, titled “Ending Birth Tourism,” directs the secretary of state and the secretary of homeland security to deny visas to anyone suspected of engaging in birth tourism.

While the exact scale of birth tourism is unclear and the number of children born to foreign nationals in the United States was less than 10,000 in 2024, the order is looking to end or limit the practice of pregnant women who say they’re coming to the U.S. for another reason in order to give birth so their child can receive U.S. citizenship under the constitutional guarantee….

Trump’s order will likely face legal challenges, but still, it targets a very small number of children born in the U.S. annually, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 3.6 million babies were born in 2024.

Trump said when signing the orders that people were building businesses around birth tourism and birthright citizenship.

“They’re buying their way in, and we’re not going to let it happen,” he said, adding, “We look very heavily at denying visas to people that we have reason to believe are coming here for that purpose.” …

Scholars are divided over whether the courts will allow Trump to amend birthright citizenship and birth tourism.

It’s potentially legal to expand the category of foreign diplomats not being included but it also would give them significant immunity from U.S. law, Amanda Frost, a University of Virginia law professor, told Reuters….

The American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups filed a motion last week asking a federal judge to block the enforcement of the two orders.

They argue Trump can’t circumvent the Supreme Court’s ruling since the justices already confirmed the 14^th Amendment guarantees and the specific “subject to the jurisdiction” language.

Since the administration deliberately narrowed the language of the birthright executive order, courts will have to decide if the foreign government employees and birth tourists fit within the historical framework of the jurisdiction clause.

 

 

Who Is Sophie Cunningham?

My VIP for this week is Sophie Cunningham, the WNBA guard who stood up to defend Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark. According to Jennifer Graham at the Deseret News, a Vanity Fair article says Cunningham has become a “MAGA fixation.” The article noted that Vice President JD Vance praised Cunningham for “speaking her mind” about transgender athletes in women’s sports. The article also noted that Cunningham has “retweeted and like social posts supporting conservative viewpoints,” some by Riley Gaines were included. They claim that Cunningham is MAGA by association. Cunningham claims that she is neither Republican nor Democrat. 

“I’m very much in the middle. I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume,” Cunningham recently said in an interview with ESPN.

But she does hold views that are more identified with the political right than the left, including remarks she has made about what she wants in a family.

Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham (8) talks to teammate Caitlin Clark (22) during the first half of an WNBA basketball game against the Chicago Sky in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. [Paul Beaty, Associated Press]

Basketball Network reported that not only does Cunningham want to find a man who is taller than she is (she’s 6-foot-1), but she said recently on a podcast that she wants a husband who can “push me towards Christ.”

“If you’re not about it, and you don’t talk about it, then don’t even talk to me. I have my blinders on…. But my No. 1 thing is I want you to lead our house, lead me, lead our future kids to serve and love a good, good God,” she said.

That statement doesn’t make her MAGA, but it might make her even more controversial than she already is … if the word gets out. Religion writer Terry Mattingly recently pointed out that for all the headlines that Cunningham is making these days, few of the articles mention her religious faith.

Cunningham, who just turned 30 this week, is single and still looking; any interested man who is 6-foot-2 or taller and has a strong Christian faith might want to go to a Fever game with a friendship bracelet for her, a strategy that worked out great for Travis Kelce.

What Does It Mean for the Earth to Be full of the Goodness of God?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to the first third of the book of Psalms in a lesson titled “The Lord Is My Shepherd” (Psalms 1-2; 8; 19-33; 40; 46). The following information introduced the lesson. 

We don’t know for certain who wrote the Psalms. Some are attributed to King David, but for most of them, the writers remain anonymous. Yet after reading the Psalms, we feel as if we know the hearts of the psalmists, even if we don’t know their names. We do know that the Psalms were an important part of worship among the Israelites, and we know that the Savior quoted them often. In the Psalms, we get a window into the soul of God’s ancient people. We see how they about God, what they worried about, and how they found peace. As believers today, all over the world, we still use these words in our worship of God. It’s almost like the writers of the Psalms had a window into our souls, because they expressed how we feel about God, what we worry about, and how we find peace.

The scripture block teaches several principles, including: (1) “I have trusted … in the Lord” (Psalms 1; 23; 26-28; 46). (2) Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah (Psalms 2; 22). (3) “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (Psalms 8; 19; 33). (4) The word of the Lord is powerful, “rejoicing the heart” (Psalms 19:7-11; 29). (5) The Savior can help me be pure so I can enter God’s presence (Psalms 24; 26-27). This essay will discuss principle #3 about the earth being full of God’s goodness.

Reading Psalms 8; 19; 33 might inspire you to consider the Lord’s many wonderful creations. I love to be outside where I can enjoy God’s creations, whether I am in my backyard, in the mountains, or at the beach. There is nothing like nature to show us the greatness of God and our smallness.

Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared a personal experience in the April 2026 general conference that reminded him of Psalm 8 (“Love All; Love Each,” Liahona , May 2026, 44). 

Years ago, while spending peaceful time in the beautiful countryside, I stepped outside after sunset to rest on a lounge chair. The night was so dark that I could hardly see anything. Instinctively, I looked up and noticed a tiny flickering point of light, then another. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the sky filled with stars.

I thought, “This is like our relationship with God.” Some think He is distant, and life feels heavy as a result. But if they pause to reflect on His presence in their lives, they will find that He is near—quietly present, far closer than they imagine.

As I pondered this idea, a question from one of David’s psalms came to mind:

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars …;

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”

The answer that follows is deeply comforting: “Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”

This is the miracle of God’s relationship with us: The universe is vast beyond comprehension, yet every soul carries infinite worth in the eyes of our Creator. Though we may seem small in a physical sense, each of us is personally known, remembered, and loved by our Eternal Father and by His Son, Jesus Christ.

What experiences have led you to ponder “the miracle of God’s relationship with us”? You might have an experience with music as President Dallin H. Oaks suggested: 

The singing of hymns is one of the best ways to put ourselves in tune with the Spirit of the Lord…. Sacred music has a unique capacity to communicate our feelings of love for the Lord. This kind of communication is a wonderful aid to our worship…. Our hymns contain matchless doctrinal sermons, surpassed only by the scriptures in their truth and poetic impact (“Worship through Music,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 10, 11).

What hymns related to the Psalms could you listen to or sing to enhance your worship this week? Some suggested hymns are:

·       Psalm 23: “The Lord Is My Shepherd” (Hymns, no. 108)

·       Psalms 23:6; 150: “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” (Hymns, no. 72)

·       Psalm 26:8: “We Love Thy House, O God” (Hymns, no. 247)

·       Psalm 27:1: “The Lord Is My Light” (Hymns, no. 89)

·       Psalm 33:1-6; 95:1-6: “For the Beauty of the Earth” (Hymns, no. 92)

·       Psalm 37:3-9: “Be Still, My Soul” (Hymns, no. 124)

·       Psalm 148: “All Creatures of Our God and King” (Hymns, no. 62)

Why Should Americans Choose Capitalism Over Socialism and Communism?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is that capitalism supports freedom, while socialism and communism destroy freedom. Yet, many young Americans believe the hype that socialism in America would be a good thing. They are part of the reason that communists are being elected to state and federal office.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is campaigning with House Republicans to help Republicans retain majority in the House. On Monday, he was campaigning with Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA). This was just one of the stops as he toured 34 districts in 18 states in 30 days. He calls the mid-term election the choice between “common sense vs. communism.” Virginia Grace McKinnon at The Daily News reported the following information. 

With the rise of Democratic Socialists of America candidates across the country and the divide in the Democratic Party, Republicans believe that if they can communicate the threat of socialism and communism to Americans, it will be winning messaging for the GOP come November. Johnson laid out the threat and what DSA candidates will do if they assume office.

“They want to abolish the border. They want to abolish all prisons in America. They would have abolished the U.S. Senate. They would have removed the president,” Johnson told reporters. “They want to expand the House and make it a unicameral governing body over the entire country because they believe that over two or three cycles, they’ll be able to bring a wave of the Marxist communists into the Congress and take it over.”

These are all policies of the DSA, according to the group’s Workers Deserve More plan. Johnson continued, explaining that if this happens, they will take away and assume the means of production to the government. “That means no more private property ownership. That means the small business owners across America, who provide jobs and opportunity for people, will be taken over by the government. It’s a dangerous game,” he said.

Over the weekend, Johnson published a new website, Contrast for America, to “educate people, especially young voters,” on the long-term threat of communism.

The website lays out the history of socialism, arguing that every attempt led to communism – from famine beginning in Soviet Russia in 1918 to China’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, which led to famine, the government closing schools, and silencing free speech. It also mentions North Korea and Venezuela, where food shortages continue today.

“The government that promises everything for free will almost certainly take it away in short order. Definitely in the long term,” Johnson said, highlighting the tens of millions of people killed by communism in the 20^th century. He warned this could soon be America if the Democratic Party accommodates DSA members….

 

 

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Fall of Adam 4?

Article of Faith 2

   We believe that men will be punished for their own sins,

                    and not for Adam’s transgression.

This essay is the fourth in teaching about the Fall of Adam and Eve as stated in the second Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first thesis discussed moral agency, or the freedom to choose good or evil. The second treatise discussed sin and punishment for sin. The third essay discussed Satan. This paper will begin a discussion of The Fall, starting with the creation of Adam and Eve and Satan’s great temptation, using the words of Elder James E. Talmage (The Articles of Faith [1890], 63-65).

Our First Parents in Eden – The crowning scene of the great drama of creation was the forming of man in the image of his spiritual Father, God. For the reception of the first man the Creator had especially prepared a choice region of earth, and had embellished it with natural beauties to gladden the heart of its possessor. “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed” [Gen. 2:8, 9]. Soon after man’s advent upon the earth the Lord created a companion or help meet for him, declaring that it was not good that man should be alone. Thus, male and female, Adam and his wife /eve were placed in the garden. They had been given dominion “over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” [Gen. 2:18]. With this great power were associated certain commandments, the first of which in point of importance was that they “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it”; then, that they refrain from eating or even touching the fruit of a certain tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which grew in the midst of the garden; though of all other fruits they were at liberty to freely partake. The words of God concerning this command and the penalty for its violation are: “And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” [P. of G.P., Moses 3:16, 17].

The Temptation to disobey this injunction soon came. Satan presented himself before Eve in the garden, and, speaking by the mouth of the serpent, questioned her about the commandments that God had given respecting the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eve answered that they were forbidden even to touch the fruit of that tree, under penalty of death. Satan then sought to beguile the woman, contradicting the Lord’s statement and declaring that death would not follow a violation of the divine injunction; but that, on the other hand, by doing that which the Lord had forbidden she and her husband would become like unto the gods, knowing good and evil for themselves. The woman was captivated by these representations; and, being eager to possess the advantages pictured by Satan, she disobeyed the command of the Lord, and partook of the fruit forbidden. She feared no evil, for she knew it not. Then, telling Adam what she had done, she urged him to eat of the fruit also.

Adam found himself in a position that made it impossible for him to obey both of the specific commandments given by the Lord. He and his wife had been commanded to multiply and replenish the earth. Adam had not yet fallen to the state of mortality, but Eve already had; and in such dissimilar conditions the two could not remain together, and therefore could not fulfil the divine requirement as to procreation. On the other hand, Adam would be disobeying another commandment by yielding to Eve’s request. He deliberately and wisely decided to stand by the first and greater commandment; and, therefore, with understanding of the nature of his act, he also partook of the fruit that grew on the tree of knowledge. The fact that Adam acted understandingly in this matter is affirmed by scripture. Paul in writing to Timothy, explained that “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” [1 Tim. 2:14].

Some women take offense when they understand that Eve was deceived but Adam was not. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes that mortality would not have happened without the decision of Eve. However, there were consequences to her transgression.

 

 

 

How Should School Districts Motivate Students to Attend School?

 Families are stronger when parents help their children to seek and appreciate education. Strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations.

School is starting in numerous areas in the United States. Schools opened this week in Anchorage. Some schools in other states started last week.

What happens when parents fail to get their children excited about school? According to Jennifer Graham at the Deseret News compared schools in Detroit with those in Iowa and declared, “Detroit schools are paying kids for showing up. Iowa took another approach.” The question is, “Should students be rewarded for going to school?” A better question might be: “What kind of awards should be given to students?” 

The week before the first day of school in Detroit, Mayor Mary Sheffield penned an op-ed for the Detroit Free Press, urging parents to take their children’s attendance in school seriously. With a chronic absentee rate around 60% last year, the city has one of the highest rates of absenteeism in the country.

But in case the mayor’s urging doesn’t work, Detroit schools have another strategy to improve attendance: awarding gift cards for every week [that] students show up.

The program, called “Perfect Attendance Pays,” has drawn the ire of some conservatives who see it as a ploy that coddles children at taxpayer expense. (The district has said that the money for the gift cards, which students in middle and high school can earn, comes from interest earnings on money set aside for capital projects.)

Getting an education is a privilege, the program’s critics say. And the lessons of school aren’t just about math, science, reading and writing, but also about learning to be responsible and punctual, and learning that life involves doing things you might not feel like doing at the time for benefits that come later.

Detroit school officials, however, are happy with the program, which launched in January of 2025, and say it’s paying off in increased attendance.

High school students have to attend every class during the school day for an entire week to qualify. But they can get a $100 Visa gift card for every week they have perfect attendance over 10 weeks, with the possibility of earning $1,000 in rewards….

The district’s chronic absenteeism rate – defined as missing 18 days of class within a school year – had been 70% before the program launched, WXYZ reported.

Absenteeism isn’t just a problem for Detroit. Educators have been wringing their hands over the problem since it peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic. And although the number has been coming down, it hasn’t come down enough….

Nationwide, the chronic absenteeism rate before the pandemic was 15%, according to a recent report form the American Enterprise Institute. It peaked at 28.5% in 2022 and has come down every year since then, now hovering at about 23%. But the rate of improvement has slowed….

Iowa’s approach

Iowa has taken a different approach to the attendance problem. Per The 74, a nonprofit news site about education, Iowa cracked down on absenteeism with a three-pronged plan: When a child misses 10% of days in a grading period, parents will be notified; at 15%, the school will work with parents and the student to create a plan on improving attendance; and at 20%, the case will be referred to the county attorney for possible charges….

A blend of a serious approach with consequences, plus support for families, is likely a combination that will lower absentee rates….

Could a Visa gift card be such a support? For some families, maybe.

Detroit doesn’t provide school bus service for high school students, and a principal told WXYZ, that one student told her it took him a half-hour to get to school on a bike, and an hour and a half on a city bus. Buying a bike with that gift card, or a good backpack, and school supplies, might indeed improve educational outcomes. Buying video games, not so much.

At this point, Detroit’s program is too new and too novel to tell how it will work over time, and whether educational outcomes will be improved, not just attendance. It’s possible that the rewards will motivate only students who were already motivated, and that those with the highest rates of absenteeism will see perfect attendance as out of reach….

At least the city is trying to solve a problem that, left unchecked, will have serious consequences, not just for individual students but for all of society….

 

Should the US Take Dramatic Action in Iran?

Victor Davis Hanson has a theory that Iran has a dangerous strategy for America’s midterm election. The Trump administration has said seven or eight times that a deal with Iran is close. Each time, Iran denies that there is a deal, lied about being close to an agreement, or start launching missiles at their Middle East neighbors. 

However, “this time, people like [Treasury Secretary] Scott Bessent and [State Secretary] Marco Rubio confirmed [President] Donald Trump’s optimism.” Why are we doing this over and over again? Because “Each side has a position.”

America wants to get the unpopular war over before the midterm election, so Iran wants to talk, talk, talk and negotiate, negotiate, negotiate but continue to launch missiles. They are willing to do anything to prolong the war because they think that the war will give them (Iran) leverage in the negotiations.

The Iranian actions make Trump and his administration angry, so they start launching missiles and dropping bombs. The Iranians get paranoid about being hit hard and want to talk, negotiate, and continue going through cycles, hoping to gain more leverage.

And what is our strategy? Why does Donald Trump put up with it? He has a strategy too, that while they’re talk, talk, talking and they’re breaking their talk, they’re getting poorer. We did not lift the sanctions. We did not lift the embargo. We did not cancel their bank accounts. We have de-banked them, and they have a blockade around them every day. They’re losing $400 million to $500 million a day. They talk all they want, but the facts on the ground show that they’re going broke.

So, the Trump administration’s attitude is, as long as we’re not conducting a full-scale war, and the American people don’t think we’re at war, and as long as we’re negotiating, we’ll negotiate till hell freezes over.

And we don’t really care because we’re winning every single day. They are getting poorer and poorer to the point where they’re either going to implode, there’s going to be a revolution in the streets, or they’re going to collapse and agree to it.

Now, that strategy is pretty smart, but it depends, from the American point of view, on one important thing. As they get to the midterms and Iran sees that while it has increased the unpopularity of the war, and as it has raised the price of gas and it has created global uncertainty, it still has not been able to ensure that Donald Trump will lose the midterms.

So, they need some dramatic event to remind the American people they’re still at war and the price of gas will get higher and the Europeans and our Asian friends will be angrier at us. What will that mean?

I would imagine that we will have a late October surprise. Right before the elections, they will try to do something dramatic. Empty their last missiles, hit the Gulf, attack Israel, try to go after a carrier. Anything that would remind the Americans that the war was not winding down, but with this last gasp, sort of like the German Battle of the Bulge, the Ardennes Offensive, where they marshaled all of their final resources and tried to stage a dramatic counteroffensive to remind the Allies they still could lose this war and they should negotiate, or something to that effect.

So, what does that leave us? I think the Trump administration should keep talking, keep all the sanctions and blockades, keep them on. But because Iran will probably do something dramatic, they should do something dramatic. In other words, if they have a list of targets, command and control, dual-use facilities, missile inventories and caches, and they think Pickaxe Mountain might be vulnerable, they could actually do some damage there, they should do it all and keep talking and get this dramatic element out of the way before the midterms so that Iran would be substantially reduced in its nuclear industrial military capability.

It already is, but try to preempt them and hit them very, very hard, and then keep talking. And then the American people will see they’re getting more and more desperate. But don’t be reactive because, trust us, they are going to try something dramatic to bring home the idea [that] the war is not over, and they’re not defeated, and gas will go up.

            But if you do something dramatic now and keep talking, you may hasten or accelerate the pace                 of negotiations, i.e., the pace at which Iran is losing and is going absolutely broke. And that                     could happen faster than we anticipate, and there’s at least an outside chance that they will be in             a far, far weaker place by the midterm elections in 83 days than they are now.