Everyone loves a good villain…the bellowing laugh with hands thrown up in the air utter triumph. As a child, I found Dr. Claw of Inspector Gadget fame to be wildly amusing. The Joker has quickly reached pop-culture stardom as people would practice their Joker impressions of “Why So Serious?” Good cartoonish villainy makes for good parties. Continue reading…
Archive for October, 2008
This post is another installment in my “5 Cool Things” series. Today I’m giving a list, again in no particular order, of some things I think are really cool about our prairie cousins, the Community of Christ (formerly RLDS Church). Continue reading…
Here is a quote from a dusty, forgotten, once-official Church manual. Who said this and why wouldn’t this get past the brethren and sistren at Correlation?:
Inequality of inheritance and opportunity among the children of men leads many people to question the Creator’s impartiality and justice, and, therefore, his very existence… Continue reading…
MormonStories, the site that hosted dozens of audio and video podcast interviews, was retired this weekend. John Dehlin announced he is taking the opportunity to focus his energizes on his family and pursue new opportunities in life. It sounds like it was a complex and difficult decision for him. Many people involved in Mormonism on the internet are familiar with his work. He interviewed prominent Mormon scholars, activist Mormons on the internet, and just everyday members about their beliefs. The result was a sampling of the colorful rainbow of faith, doubts and hopes in the world of Mormon religion. He was also noted for his candid treatment of historical topics and issues. This last part is what a lot of people appreciated — the liberating sense of openness. Continue reading…
Joseph Smith was a money digger, like others in rural upstate New York (and unsuccessful like pretty much all of them were). Obviously, there wasn’t a lot on TV back then. Was his money-digging activity a parable to teach him (and all of us) how to find the real treasures of the gospel? Continue reading…
John 15:13 is quoted often throughout Christianity as the great example of Jesus’ willingness to die for his disciples and all who would accept him as their Lord and Savior, but I believe this singular perspective robs that verse of much of its power and actual message. I think there is a huge difference between “laying down his life” and “dying” – and I think it is fundamental and deeply important difference in how people view Jesus and the concept of the Atonement. Continue reading…
While I was much more than casually aware of church history previously, since becoming president of the church I have engaged in an extensive study of our story. I have explored books and articles from a wide spectrum of scholars, authors, and publishers, ranging from the faithful to the skeptical and in between. Truth has nothing to fear from scrutiny.
Continue reading…
by Guest Poster Dr. B.
Last Sunday in church I spoke with four missionaries who told me of a strange ritual that used to be practiced in their mission. One missionary assured me that he had personally been involved in this questionable practice. When I was a missionary we really didn’t have any missionaries that would do something so wasteful. But somewhere in the 1980s there developed a strange folk practice among missionaries throughout the world where they ignited parts of their clothing in a huge bonfire. Some people would consider it a harmless practice as they would burn off parts of their clothing as a ritual sign of passage. I am not certain myself if it is a good or bad thing since this week I attended a conference about green issues. Only a wealthy society could consider the incineration of a tie, a shirt, a pair of pants, and a suit jacket as an item of inconsequence. Continue reading…
A few months ago, Bruce hosted a discussion about the word and concept of the Trinity. It seems that most Mormons associate the idea of Trinity with false doctrine, and substitute any reference to it with the term “Godhead.” I have been in many Sunday school and quorum lessons in which the nature of God is discussed, and usually the teacher says something along the lines of “In other churches, they believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are all the same person.” Then, they turn to the scriptures of Jesus’ baptism, point out the distinctness of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and consider it case-closed. Or, they will turn to a scripture of Jesus praying, and, in a semi-mocking tone, say “So, is Jesus praying to himself here?” trying to show how ridiculous the idea is that they could all be the same. Continue reading…
So methinks that we have a few clairvoyants on-board. That said, behold the top four “Righteous Gentiles.”
A few caveats…
A) No, C.S. Lewis fans…he did not make the list and for good reasons–primarily because his spot is being reserved a future, top-10 list that Arthur and I will co-arthur, I mean, author (*drum riff for comedic effect*).
B) I must give Howard Hughes a hat-tip…while he doesn’t make the official list (his contribution wasn’t wide-reaching enough to really lodge himself in the Mormon mind beyond esoterica), he fits well within the tradition of businessmen appreciating Mormons for their discipline and hard work. This also intersects some with the fourth Continue reading…
Are you ever nervous about turning your friends over to the missionaries? Do you fear you may be subjecting them to a high-pressure time-share sales presentation? Continue reading…
Our quote this week is from another church manual predating Correlation. Who wrote this, and why would the Correlation Committee disapprove?:
Just what is the function and role of religion in one’s life? Let us suggest an experiment. Take a piece of paper, divide it into two columns, place a plus sign above one and a negative sign above the other. On the basis of your experience with life to-date list in these two columns respectively a) those things which have brought you most satisfaction in life and b) those things which are frustrating and destructive to fine living. Continue reading…
In my ward in a very LDS-heavy area of Arizona, I’ve been noticing a pattern in the sacrament meeting talks. I’m not sure how far back it has been going, but at least for this year every talk has been based on a talk from a General Authority at the most recent General Conference. Continue reading…
In this series of posts on The Cross (not sure how many yet), I will try to examine this Christian symbol from a few different angles. In Part 1, I will look at the scriptures that deal with “Taking up your cross.” Continue reading…
This article is an interview with a woman who goes by the online alias “Prairie Chuck.” Prairie Chuck is the leader of a support group called FacesEast.org. This post is a lot longer than my usual ones, but it was a great conversation we had together. I want to take some space here at MormonMatters to shine the internet spotlight on the important work Prairie Chuck does. She is an inspirational woman, who rolled up her sleeves and got down into the trenches of life to provide service, help, love and support to others. Continue reading…
As the LDS church continues to grow, the art that its members create continue to fill new and different niches. Most of us are familiar with LDS music, the kind of music you’d see at Deseret Book, etc., and praise-type music like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I’ve focused quite a bit on members of the church who write non-LDS music, or music that doesn’t necessarily have LDS themes. I interview these musicians on Linescratchers.
However, I’ve stumbled upon artists that don’t really fit either way. Mark Hansen has quite an online presence, and his music is a mix. It sounds like classic rock, or just mainstream rock, but the themes are more heavily LDS. However, it doesn’t really fit in to the average LDS CD either. My guess is that in the future we will see more of these artists in the future as well.
Mark has agreed to an online interview to discuss the LDS music scene, his own music, and the future of LDS music. Special thanks to Mark for the trouble!
I had an interesting insight during a prayer a few months ago. In all my years as a member of the Church – in all the countless meetings I have attended and all the countless times I have read the scriptures – and in all my pondering over the years, I have not had the same thought in quite the same way. I’m sure it’s not earth shatteringly profound, but it was powerful and thought-provoking for me. I also am sure it is a direct result of the contemplation I have been doing concerning the Lord’s yoke, His grace and our gratitude for His matchless mercy.
Continue reading…
This week’s lesson is an interesting compilation of horrifying stories of persecution and suffering from the life of Joseph Smith. Read on if you dare . . . Continue reading…
Don’t run away!! Bear with me for just a moment, because this isn’t going to be another of “THOSE” discussions on the topic of Proposition 8. In the course of the past few months, I’ve had some unexpected insights in connection with the initiative, and I flatter myself enough to think they just might be useful.
No matter how much frustration I may sometimes be feeling in the Proposition 8 dispute, I need to be aware of what I’ll call “the compassionate ones.” I recently read Carol Lynn Pearson’s book, No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagons Around Our Gay Loved Ones. Among the stories Ms. Pearson shared was the short account of an LDS woman who found herself calling 911 to intervene in her closeted gay husband’s suicide attempt. Continue reading…
Article of Faith 12:
“We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”
“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in obeying the laws of the country in which they live. Members of the Church are counseled to be good citizens, to participate in civil government and the political process, and to render community service as concerned citizens.” reference: Mormon.org
So, in honor of the broad-mindedness that is Mormon Matters, I would like to suggest a list of the top ten “Righteous Gentiles.” In orthodox Judaism, these are known as gerim toshavim, “resident aliens.” These are Gentiles who either formally or informally have associated themselves with the people of the Jews by agreeing to abide by the mitzvot or Noachian laws.
What great men/women among our people have demonstrated similar affinity for our cause, while they themselves remain outside the fray of the Mormon center? Continue reading…
This post is another installment in my “5 Cool Things” series. Today I’m giving a list, again in no particular order, of some things I would love to see happen in the LDS Church (which I attend actively). I’m not presenting this list as a set of demands or to declare what is wrong with the church. Its just a handful of things I think would be pretty cool.
Another week, another great uncorrelated quote from an LDS Church manual that would never see the light of day in today’s church:
Every discussion of faith must distinguish it from its caricatures. Faith is not credulity. It is not “believing things you know ain’t so.” Continue reading…
