Here’s an article from a recent Mormon Times: http://mormontimes.com/studies_doctrine/research_discoveries/?id=11607 I was intrigued by this story. John L. Sorenson has lots of books in print. He’s never had a problem finding a publisher before. If the book is all he says it is, why isn’t Deseret Book jumping on it? Why isn’t the Neal A. Maxwell Institute publishing it? I’m really curious.
Monthly Archives: November 2009
Time to Study the Old Testament……..Again – Part 1 – Introduction
As part of the four-year LDS Sunday School study cycle, it is time to open up that voluminous book known as the Old Testament. Many in the Christian community, including LDS, question the value of even studying the Old Testament. After all, they say, “we have the New Testament, which is Christ’s teachings to us.” And, the LDS have additional scripture that have Christ’s teachings as well. Is that true? Is the Old Testament “Old,” and thus not as relevant as other scriptures?
The Gay Rights Paradox
Today’s guest post is by John G-W. LDS Church spokesman, Michael Otterson, downplayed the significance of the LDS Church’s public backing of gay rights legislation passed recently in Salt Lake City. He emphasized that the Church has already gone on record in support of civil rights legislation protecting gay individuals from discrimination. He also made it clear that the Church’s support for the specific municipal legislation in question – banning discrimination in housing and employment – should not be taken as a signal that the Church is shifting its position in relation to the question of gay relationships. The...
Whether by my own voice …
My word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. I always read that to say that it did not matter if God fulfilled his words directly, or through his servants, it was the same.
Carthage Conspiracy
*Note–This was posted this morning. Due to a technical glitch, it was erased. Some comments may have been erased from this morning as well. I am re-posting it this evening. As you search across the bloggernacle, sometimes you’ll find antagonists who take great issue with the fact that a gun was smuggled to Joseph Smith at the Carthage Jail. These antagonists often act as if the church is covering up this fact. For years I’ve known a gun was smuggled to Joseph from personal visits to the Carthage Jail in Illinois. Tour guides do not try to hide this...
Levi Savage, William Kimball and the Mystery of Redemption
At the outset I should state that I do not think this is a very good title, but it is the only thing I could come up with. So forgive me if it is mis-leading. The Willie Handcart Company has rightfully become one of the scenes from early Mormon history that speaks to the tradegy and difficulty that followed the Saints in their search for Zion. Levi Savage and William Kimball were both members of that party, but whose relationship to these early Saints raises important questions about my own relationship with my spiritual community. The following narrative is drawn from...
Freedom and Honesty
I was reading and I came across the following, years ago, and then again recently. We need complete freedom to express our honest feelings … Freedom is an essential factor in the healing process because recovery is based on the practice of honest with ourselves and with .
Women’s Studies at BYU: Parity or Parody?
When I first discovered that BYU had announced the closing of their Women’s Research Institute, I was appalled, as were many interested parties both on campus and off. I sat down immediately to write a post on the subject, but soon I was brought up short. On Tuesday, when I heard the news, there were exactly two sources of information on the subject. One was a short article at “Square Two,” written by anonymous parties connected with the WRI. The other was the terse news release on the BYU website. Neither of these sources gave enough information for me...
Eternal Progression and The Evolution of God
As part of a discussion group, I have been reading Robert Wright’s The Evolution of God. My group isn’t anywhere near finished (the “heart” of the book focuses on the three major Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — yet we’ve only finished through the part on Judaism that sets the stage for Christianity), but as I blogged about on my personal blog, I already have concerns about the arguments that Wright presents. Some of my comments, however, may not necessarily apply to Mormonism. For example, Wright seems to rely on this idea of a God that can...
The Whole Enchilada
Guest post by Paul Swenson So what? So, what if I’m one of those cafeteria Mormons?
Similarities between Lehi and the Lemba
The History Channel has a show called “Digging for the Truth.” In season 1, they did an episode called “The Lost Tribe of Israel”, which highlighted the Lemba Tribe in South Africa. This group claims to be a Hebrew people who were displaced around 700 BC, about 100 years before Lehi left Jerusalem. I couldn’t help but notice many similarities between their story, and the story of Lehi. (This is a short version of my post. The longer version can be found here.)
“Knowing” It All
Mormons love to use the word “know.” We say we know God lives. We say we know that Jesus is the Christ. We say we know that families can be together forever. Some say that they know the church is true or that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet (the middle initial makes him truer somehow). People say they “know” a lot of things. What does “know” mean in Mormonism? Has it been overused to the point that its meaning has changed or that is has become meaningless?
Secular Learning and ‘Correlation’
In a 1926 Improvement Era the M.I.A. reading course included four books: ‘The Book of Mormon, 50c; by mail, 60c. Prophecies of Joseph Smith and Their Fulfilment, by Nephi L. Morris, $1.50; by mail, $1.50. Hugh Wynne, a novel, by S. Weir Mitchell, $1.25; by mail, $1.35. Wild Life in the Rockies, Enos A. Mills, $2.50; by mail, $2.60.’ (Priesthood Quorums, Improvement Era, 1926, Vol. Xxix. July, 1926 No. 9 .) The ’Joint Advance Senior Class’ had two manuals to choose from ’1. Heroes of Science, by Dr. F. S. Harris and N. I. Butt. 2. Rational Theology, by Dr....
How to Support
