Monthly Archives: August 2008

Chakras and the Word of Wisdom

August 31, 2008
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Chakras and the Word of Wisdom

D&C 89:1 refers to the WoW as:  A Word OF Wisdom, for the benefit of the council of high priests, assembled in Kirtland, and the church, and also the saints in Zion—To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints. Huh?  What was the point of the...

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Understanding General Authorities

August 31, 2008
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Most people who are aware of the LDS Church are aware that we have “general authorities” and that they share some characteristics, but in my experience, they don’t really understand what General Authorities are or what the term means.  I’m going to skip what the phrase means and discuss what they are. General Authorities (“G.A.”s) tend to share the following characteristics: a history of personal sacrifice much experience in delayed gratification. a set of spiritual skills and experiences. a set of social experiences and narratives.

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Reflections on BYU

August 30, 2008
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Reflections on BYU

Last week, I graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems.  In an attempt to make this post more than a self-congratulatory indulgence, I’d like to take a moment to represent myself as the “token BYU student” here at Mormon Matters, and offer my thoughts and perspectives about my BYU experience. I took a fairly typical course: I lived in the dorms (Deseret Towers) as a freshman, took two years off for a mission, came back, got serious about a Major program, and finished it up in 3 additional years (plus some spring and...

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Open Thread on McCain/Palin

August 29, 2008
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If you haven’t heard by now, Senator McCain has chosen Sarah Palin, sitting Governor of Alaska, as his VP running mate.  Her bio is linked here.  She defeated an incumbent governor in the primary and a former governor in the general election.  She currently has an 80% approval rating in Alaska.  I just like the irony of typing “she” when talking about a Republican VP candidate. Discuss, if you so choose.  Ignore, if you don’t care.

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A Remarkable Story – But is it Exaggerated?

August 29, 2008
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While reading History of the Church I came across an incredible story as told by Elder Theodore Turley which I wish to share.

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yes, Jesus loves me?

August 28, 2008
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Mosiah 3: 19 19 For the anatural bman is an cenemy to God, and has been from the dfall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he eyields to the enticings of the Holy fSpirit, and gputteth off the hnatural man and becometh a isaint through the atonement of Christ the Lord…

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Who are those Guys?- Quiz!

August 28, 2008
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Who are those Guys?- Quiz!

m Who are those Guys?- Quiz! Most of us old guys saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. A question that kept coming up as they were being chased was: “Who are those guys?” In our church I wonder “who are those guys” all the time! Anyway take the below quiz. I’m not sure the answers, but was hoping you could help me!

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Common Scriptures in Review: JSH 1:19

August 27, 2008
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Perhaps the most reviled verse among non-Mormon Christians in the entire Mormon scriptural canon is Joseph Smith History 1:19 – the words of Jesus to Joseph Smith at the beginning of the First Vision regarding why he should not join any church. This single verse encapsulates the reason why many call Mormonism arrogant and offensive and blind...

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The Universal Holy Ghost

August 26, 2008
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What is the Gift of the Holy Ghost? We have a lesson or two about this each year in our Church classes. People have lots of great ideas, but I sometimes feel it doesn’t quite pin down what I observe when I look around me in life. I’m not saying our Mormon answer is wrong, but I think there is more to it than the short answers we discuss skimming the surface of this topic.

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In Defense of Apologists

August 26, 2008
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In Defense of Apologists

The term “apologist” is often used derisively like the terms “lawyer,” “statistician,” or “telemarketer.”  Why are apologists so derided?  Is it warranted or just a bum rap?

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Prophetic Smackdown: Moses vs. Joseph Smith

August 25, 2008
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Prophetic Smackdown: Moses vs. Joseph Smith

Today’s post is from an anonymous guest blogger.  The critics of the church like to point the finger at Joseph Smith, citing polygamy, concealing polygamy, the Kirtland Bank failure, etc.  Could Moses withstand the same scrutiny?  Let’s take a look.

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Taxes = Satan?

August 25, 2008
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Do taxes rob people of their free agency and subvert the Great Plan of Happiness? Some quotes from members around the web: “ me to pay for the upkeep of another is simply the application of Satan’s plan here on earth.”

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Are you still getting those “Obama is a non-flag-saluting Muslim” emails?

August 24, 2008
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Are you still getting those “Obama is a non-flag-saluting Muslim” emails?

In a June of 2006 speech, Barak Obama spoke honestly about the uncertainties of belief. “Faith doesn’t mean that you don’t have doubts,” Obama declared. “You need to come to church in the first place precisely because you are first of this world, not apart from it.” Senator Obama laid down principles for how to discuss faith in a pluralistic society, including the need for religious people to translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values during public debate.

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Political Correctness as a Gospel Principle

August 23, 2008
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When I started attending school at BYU, political correctness was still recently taking hold in American culture. In high school my English teacher, Mrs. Summers, specifically taught us that if the gender was unknown, we were to use “he” or “his” as the pronoun as these signified both genders. For example: “Each student in the class opened his book to the page specified.” And back then we spoke of mailmen, chairmen, policemen, garbage men, etc. A person with a below average IQ was “mentally retarded” and someone that was overweight was “fat.” It was just the way things were....

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Continuing Problems with Mountain Meadows

August 22, 2008
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Continuing Problems with Mountain Meadows

Today’s guest post is by Joe Geisner.  Most bookstores in Utah have sold out of the new book on the Mountain Meadows massacre with a print run of 10,000 copies. Amazingly this happened in less than a week. The buzz is that the book answers all the questions. This new openness, scholarly approach and availability for the most controversial subject in Mormon history is quite amazing.

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The Other Half of the Circle

August 21, 2008
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The Other Half of the Circle

I am an over-analyzer. As a musician I listen to music in a different way than a lot of folks. I pick apart each instrument and criticize the cleverness of lyrics (or lack thereof). I was briefly interested in screenwriting and read some books about it, and now I pick apart the plotlines of movies. Things that many people enjoy in a simple way become an exercise in academic frustration for me. This is the blessing and curse of humanity. We think. Recently I heard Robert Kirby say, “Humans are the only species than can actually think themselves stupider.”...

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Is the Internet a Urim & Thummim?

August 20, 2008
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Is the Internet a Urim & Thummim?

What is a Urim & Thummim, and how will the earth become like one?

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Five difficult words to contemplate

August 20, 2008
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What if it isn’t true?

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Unity Within the Cafeteria

August 19, 2008
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There is regular discussion among Mormon bloggers about the term “cafeteria Mormons” – those who pick and choose what they will and will not accept – who fill their plates with what they like to eat. I usually hate those discussions, since they nearly always are directed at judging what others choose to eat – labeling others as different and highlighting those differences. I’d like to take a slightly different view of this term.

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God, Music, and the Sabbath

August 18, 2008
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2 Nephi 31:3 (emphasis added) For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding. When I was a teenager, I had an angry, liberal, bisexual friend whom I loved. Not in a romantic sense, but in a sense that I truly understood her. She was incredibly creative and I wanted her to be successful in her musical and artistic endeavors. We once had a conversation that completely...

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