As we start the new cycle of scripture study this coming Sunday, just how should we study the Old Testament? As was pointed out in comments made in Part 1, we cannot really study the Old Testament in one year. In fact, two years is not nearly enough time. If you really wanted to study, let’s say, Isaiah in great detail, it could take a whole year by itself with its 66 chapters! So what do we do?
This is a question I just had for everyone…because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all this blogging, it’s that people have such widely differing relationships with Mormonism. I’ve taken for granted that people are looking for the same “things” from it as I was/am, but that is not the case. So, my question is: what is (or was) your relationship with the church and Mormonism? (I asked this question on my blog too, and there were a few answers.) What purpose did it/does it serve…what do you look for (or what did you look for) from it?...
Obedience to the Word of Wisdom, it is commonly known, was not always a requirement for entering the Temple or advancement in the Priesthood. What is less clear from the historicl record is when this principle moved to become a requirement. President Joseph Fielding Smith believed the change occurred in 1851, but an excellent article by McCue has shown this cannot be the case . Others have argued that it occurred under the Joseph F. Smith administration (he seems to have been the first to have said it was a commandment – but it was only made a test of fellowship...
I was inspired by jmb275′s recent post on the Mormon Cultural Articles of Faith, so I thought I’d post an oldie but a personal favorite. Hope you enjoy!
I would like to introduce Madam Curie which many of you know her by on her replies at Mormon Matters she also has her own blog Third Wave Mormon . She has shared with us what I think is a very interesting and thought provoking article. Is a “believing heart” really a positive attribute? “Blessed are those that have not seen, and yet have believed.” – John 20:29 “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1 Having a “faithful” or “believing” heart is greatly prized among the...
I was asked to teach the lesson in Elder’s Quorum on Elder Eyring’s General Conference talk from October: Our Perfect Example (click here for video.) Inspired by Hawkgrrrl’s Virtual RS/PH lessons, I thought I’d give it a try again. I’m not sure if everyone is supposed to review this talk, but I believe this is the talk our stake has chosen. I think Elder Eyring’s talk is a perfect lead-in to New Year’s Resolutions. Shouldn’t we all resolve to be more like Christ? So, before I get to Elder Eyring’s talk, I want to discuss the History of New...
May this day be one that is devoid of contention, anger, hard feelings and condemnation. May we commit to make it such within our own spheres of influence. May love fill our hearts to overflowing this day. May we commit to allow it to be so on other days. May our differences matter less than our common status as children of God. May we commit to see it as so no matter with whom we associate. May all of us appreciate and respect those with whom we disagree – in word as well as in deed. May we commit...
I have to apologize for the lateness of this post. I traveled to Europe a 3 times since before Thanksgiving and just couldn’t find the time to finish this installment until I finally got home. In this part 3, I wanted to discuss how the Old Testament was transmitted, translated and how those things affect how the Old Testament is portrayed in the New Testament.
(This post has been updated) Just saw this blurb in the Deseret News this morning: When Josh and Susan Powell were first married, both were very active in the LDS Church, Petersen said. They were sealed in the temple. But once they moved to Utah, Josh Powell stopped attending church. Petersen said the Powells’ marriage counselor instructed Susan Powell to set specific goals. Susan Powell told her husband that her goal was for him to become active in the church again by the end of 2009 and to have his temple recommend again by their anniversary in the spring....
A close friend of mine who wishes to remain anonymous recently saw in the shadow of the temple his story follows In October, I was fortunate to attend the Portland, Oregon, screening of the movie, In the Shadow of the Temple. http://www.intheshadowofthetemple.com The screening was hosted by the producers, Karen Di Millia and Dennis Lavery. Prior to the screening Dennis and Karen spoke for 10 minutes and explained how they started this project. After the screening they took questions and answers for roughly 30 minutes. Lavery and DeMillia, who are not–and never have been–LDS, originally planned to make a...
Which is more effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies: abstinence education or conception education?
A few weeks ago I wrote a post on suffering. Resulting from a thoughtful critique of that post, by Andrew S, and a recommendation (in the following discussion) to read Emmanuel Levinas’ essay on ‘Useless Suffering’, I have decided to present a re-formulated version of my comments; because my thinking has moved on. I hope that this is not redundant, it certainly has not been for me. I actually hope to write a third post based on a more detailed survey of Levinas’ arguments but that will be in the future.
Many lament that Christmas has turned into a commercial gift-giving holiday. However, the Bible shows that gift-giving happened right after the birth of Christ. The Book of Matthew tells of 3 gifts the Wise Men gave: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Prof Deirdre Good of the General Theological Seminary in New York tells us the meaning of these particular gifts in Mystery of the 3 Kings: “The gift of gold is for royalty. The gift of frankincense is for divinity. The gift of myrrh is for death.”
My only regret is that I cannot take credit for this wonderful bit of humor! They were originally posted by an author found here. Please enjoy!
Wow. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Beck – Not So Mellow Gold www.thedailyshow.com Listen for Moroni’s promise at the end. Crazy….almost scary stuff. Only one question: Are the brethren worried? (about Glenn Beck generally, not about gold specifically)
I’ve delayed publishing this essay for several months due to the fact that, the more I seem to learn about this subject, the more I know that I don’t know. I suppose it’s that way with anything. However, it’s a subject that I think is absolutely remarkable in its implications. You’ve seen them on talk shows, the radio, best-selling books, and now the Internet: people who claim to have had a near-death experience (NDE). We’ve known about NDEs for years now, and, though they were once seen as “fringe science,” due to sheer numbers of experiencers, psychologists, neurologists, and...
Whether you are 18 or 88, married, single, widowed, or divorced, with or without kids, and regardless of your socio-economic status, if you are an active LDS woman, you are in Relief Society. Not so for the men.
There’s been a lot of buzz about Senator Hatch’s Hanukkah Song, and The Tonight Show’s Mormon Song. I don’t think either one of them can beat Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah Song for sheer chutzpah! I also love versions two and three, and the Mormon Fireside Song which parodies it. That’s why Mormon Matters presents, for your enjoyment, THE BLOGGERNACLE SONG (complete with guitar chords), sung to the tune of Adam Sandler’s. Now, we’re sure we’ve missed a lot of you, so following Adam’s tradition, feel free to write additional couplets about yourself or your favorite bloggernacler in the comments!
A Christmas message, by today’s guest poster, mormongandhi. A child is born in Bukavu A child is born in Bukavu, and sadness fills his mother’s heart… Bukavu is not the city of David. It is a town in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. War has been ravaging the country for years. Ever since Kabila invaded the former Zaire with military support from the US. It is a war that no one speaks of – but it has cost the lives of millions of people and caused unimaginable suffering.
This must be the the third year that I have heard people bemoan government plans to change the name of Christmas to ‘Winter Festival’ or some such other variant. A little research shows that this is unfounded, in most cases, and seems linked to a gentleman named Bill O’Reilly, but there has been some rumours bubbling in the UK. But is this really a big deal?