We know you’ll enjoy this dynamic discussion (so good we had to double our normal podcast length!) between Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists George Handley, Duane Jeffery, and Joanna Brooks. We encourage you to also visit and contribute to this episode’s blog discussion.

1. The LDS Church’s recent reaffirmation of the King James Version as is its official Bible translation and
2. The changes it has made to chapter headings in the online version of the Book of Mormon (changes that will be carried forward in future printings) that de-emphasize the idea of darker skin as a curse from God.

What is the significance of this renewed commitment to the KJV instead of switching to newer, more scholarly Bible versions based on older manuscripts, translated into more modern English, and increasingly the Bibles of choice for other Christians? What are the possible positive and negative impacts of the Church’s continued use of this translation–on missionary efforts, scriptural literacy among the rising generation, and so forth? What do the new Book of Mormon chapter headings say about the continued fading of Mormonism’s history of equating skin color with God’s blessing or cursing? What steps might be next? What steps should be next?

Joining host Dan Wotherspoon today are Joanna Brooks, Tom Grover, and Ashley Sanders.

• Sex
  • Nicole Hardy’s NY Times piece entitled: Single, Female, Mormon, Alone
  • The SL Tribune’s response, entitled: Sex and the Single Mormon
  • LDS mother re-releases short video on her Prop 8 opposition and becomes leading trending topic on Reddit
  • The father of the 5 Browns, Keith Brown, admits to sexually abusing 3 of his daughters.
• Immigration
  • Activist delivers petition urging Mexico to curb LDS missionary visas
  • LDS on illegal immigration: Don’t split families
  • Doctrinal divide confronts Mormons on immigration
  • Have compassion for immigrants, lawmakers urged

Please support Richard’s lastest film Triptych by donating here, and by purchasing his DVD collection here.

When? August 4-7

Where? Salt Lake City Sheraton

What? Lots of thoughtful Mormon goodness, including:

• A plenary with Mr. Deity himself!
• Our own AskMormonGirl Joanna Brooks on several panels
  • The Book of Job
  • Our Voices, Our Visions: A mormon women’s literary tour encore performance
  • Glenn Beck: Likely mormon or unlikely mormon?
• Our own BiV (Cheryl) in a panel entitled: “Seeing as Believing”
• Our own Stephen Marsh, in a panel entitled: “The stories we tell: How an unpleasant truth can be more inspirational
  than a pleasant fiction”
• Our own John Dehlin and Natasha Parker (Mormon Therapist) collaborating on 2 workshops:


• “How to navigate an LDS crisis of faith in or out of the church”
• “How to navigate an LDS marriage when one of you loses their testimony”

….and much, much more!

Don’t delay!  Register today!!!!

Given the fact that questions about Book of Mormon archeology and historicity will likely never cease — can you ever see a Book of Mormon, or even an LDS version of the Bible being released like this?  Even 100 or 200 years from now?

Before you answer, remember that Jews 50 years ago probably could never have imagined this either.  Yet SOMEHOW they still retain 1.5 million church members.  Amazing.

Thoughts?  Dreams?

Join us one week from today to view Ziff’s professional summary!!

Niblets winners 2009 are cordially invited to use this button:

View Winners below——-

Best Big Blog

• BCC

Best group blog

• Segullah

Best Humorous Blog

• My Religious Blog

Best Solo Blog

• Keepapitchinin

Best New Blog

• As Sistas in Zion

Best Blog Layout/Graphics

• Times & Seasons

Best Overall Blogger

• Tracy M.

Best Commenter

• MikeinWeHo

Most Memorable Comment

• Bridget Jack Meyers’ comment #16 at Like a Virgin

Funniest Thread

• Come ye Poets of the Bloggernacle by Karen H.

Best Post Title

• How Wide the Divide…and can we ever Bridget? by Kaimi

Best Humorous Post

• BCC’s Police Beat #14-19

Best Historical Post

• The Milk Strippings Story by John Hamer

Best Personal Post

• A Study in Contrasts: The Dole by Tracy M.

Best Spiritual Post

• Tears in Heaven by JA Benson

Best Doctrinal Post

• There is an end to Race by Brad

Best Current Events Post

• Captain Moroni is not a man of God by Brad

Best Mormon-Themed Podcast

• BCC’s Zeitcast

Best Book/Article Review

• Amri Brown’s review of The NY Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker

Best Contribution to or Post about the Bloggernacle

• Tracy M. for sharing her life publicly

Best Contribution to Interfaith Dialogue

• Bridget Jack Meyers at Clobberblog

Write-in Category (Top 3)

• Best Community: FMH
• Most heartbreaking-wrenching-joyous-all-mixed-into-one: John Remy’s excommunication
• Coolest Maps and Diagrams: John Hamer

Voting for the 2009 Niblets has begun.  You may click the selections to view the links as many times as you wish. Then make your final selection and click the “vote” button. Once you click the “vote” button on each category, you cannot change your vote.  You may make one selection for each poll except the last one; for the write-in category, you may choose up to three selections.  Each person may vote one time. Polls will close at the stroke of midnight on January 31st.

Here we go . . .

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A few more nominations have come in by email and will be added as soon as possible.

Voting will start on Monday. Until then, enjoy perusing these Bloggernacle favorites for 2009 and let us know if there are any problems, questions, missing or wonky links, etc.

Best Big Blog

• BCC
• Mormon Matters
• T&S
• FMH

Best group blog

• Feast Upon the Word
• Segullah
• The Exponent
• Red Brick Store
• Faith Promoting Rumor
• Juvenile Instructor
• Millennial Star
• Mormon Mentality
• New Cool Thang
• Nine Moons
• Zelophehad’s Daughters

Best Humorous Blog

• Bishop Gerald Higgins
• Overheard in the Ward
• Spanish Fork 401st Ward
• My Religious Blog

Best Solo Blog

• Clean Cut
• LDS Science Review
• Mormon Heretic
• Dave’s Mormon Inquiry
• Mormon Insights
• The Mormon Therapist
• The Faithful Dissident
• Keepapitchinin
• Mormon Metaphysics

Best New Blog

• Cultural Mormon Cafeteria
• Mormon Church History
• Latter-Day Satyagraha
• The Fire Still Burning
• The Pierian Spring
• Third Wave Mormon
• Junior Ganymede
• As Sistas in Zion

Best Blog Layout/Graphics

• Hieing To Kolob
• Latter-Day Satyagraha
• Dave’s Mormon Inquiry
• Times & Seasons
• Nine Moons
• Sunstone Blog

Best Overall Blogger

• Reese Dixon
• Kevin Barney
• Natalie B.
• Rebecca J.
• J. Nelson Seawright
• J. Stapley
• Tracy M.
• John Hamer
• DMI Dave
• S. Faux
• Andrew Ainsworth
• Rico
• John Williams
• Kathryn Soper
• Jessawhy
• Julie M. Smith
• Kaimi
• ECS
• Ardis Parshall
• MCQ
• Kiskilili
• Lynnette
• Ziff

Best Commenter

• Annegb
• Ardis Parshall
• BBell
• Brian Duffin
• Bridget Jack Meyers
• Chris H.
• CrazyWomanCreek
• Derek
• Douglas Hunter
• Hawkgrrl
• Jacob J.
• Kaimi
• Kristine
• Mark B.
• MFranti
• MikeinWeHo
• Naismith
• Queuno
• Ray
• Steve Evans
• Tatiana

Most Memorable Comment

• Ardis Parshall’s comment #5 on 5 is the Loneliest Number
• Brad’s comment #95 on Are Right-Wing Mormons More Likely
• Bridget Jack Meyers’ comment #16 at Like a Virgin
• Margaret Young’s comment #3 on They Fought as they were Taught

Funniest Thread

• Loving Hitler by Kevin Barney (esp. DKL’s #63)
• Come ye Poets of the Bloggernacle by Karen H.
• The Bloggernacle Song by Bored in Vernal
• Dear Utah by CJ Douglass

Best Post Title

• Adam & Eve: The First TBM and NOM by Andrew Ainsworth
• Like a Virgin by Bored in Vernal
• Enos Envy and Psychospiritual Development by Trailer Trash
• My God is Clean-Shaven by ESO
• So Take the Photographs and Still Frames in Your Mind… by David
• How Wide the Divide…and can we ever Bridget? by Kaimi

Best Humorous Post

• Each Life that Touches Ours (or not) by Rebecca J.
• Comparative Charts by John Hamer
• BCC’s Police Beat #14-19
• We Thank Thee O God for a Profit by Loydo
• Deserving Charity by LaJauna
• A Screwtape Letter on Mormon Politics by John Matos
• Rough Dawn Breaking by Kaimi
• Grounds Crew by Burgess
• 9 Moons Backlist Drama Revealed! by Tom
• A Note to my Buddy, the R-Rated Movie by Rusty

Best Historical Post

• The Milk Strippings Story by John Hamer
• Excommunication as a Function of Rebaptism by J. Stapley
• Toward a General Theory of Apostasy by Brad
• Joseph Smith’s Seeker Uncle by Christopher Smith
• Joseph Smith’s Cane by Mike Reed
• Positive Black History by Mormon Heretic
• Suspending Relief Society by Runtu
• The Evolution of Excommunication by Nate Oman
• Patriarch series by Clair Barrus
• 2 part exploration of Community of Christ historians and historiography by David Howlett
• It Fell to my Lot to Guide the Little Branch by Ardis Parshall
• The Wall Fell by Joyce Brinton Anderson
• Predicting Who Will Be Church President by Ziff

Best Personal Post

• A Study in Contrasts: The Dole by Tracy M.
• Of Sons and Fathers by J. Stapley
• MHA with Darius by Margaret Young
• Parents are People by Kaimi
• Temple by Annegb
• Being that kind of Woman by Heather O.
• Yellow Paper and Red Tape by David
• Finding Optimism by Lamonte
• Thoughts on Death a few days Before Christmas by Susan M.

Best Spiritual Post

• Of Healings, Canes, and Gardens by J. Stapley
• Brothers: A Speculative Drama in One Act by Brad
• How They Eat in Heaven by Kathryn Lynard Soper
• Tesserae of my Faith by Steve Evans
• Circling the Wagons by Tracy M.
• Do We Let the Church Get in the Way of the Gospel? by Andrew Ainsworth
• Gold-Plated Enigma by G.
• My Articles of Faith by Jessawhy
• Blessing My Daughter by Margaret Young
• Tears in Heaven by JA Benson
• The Weight of Heritage by Ben Pratt

Best Doctrinal Post

• There is an end to Race by Brad
• Why Do We Redeem the Dead? by J. Nelson Seawright
• I the Lord am Bound by Sam MB
• Belief Vs. Action by Hawkgrrl
• Compassion for the Unworthy by Kent Larsen
• Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful by Kaimi
• The Revisionist Reformation by James Olsen
• Noah’s Nakedness and the Curse of Canaan: Gen 9:18-27 by David G.
• Determining Doctrine Using Excell by Dan Ellsworth
• Is Satan Really all that Bad? by Seth
• Inspired Leadership and the Priesthood Ban by MCQ

Best Current Events Post

• Tradeoff: Gay Marriage and Women’s Rights? by J. Nelson Seawright
• Captain Moroni is not a man of God by Brad
• Mormon Hero by Russell Arben Fox
• Church Exempted From SLC Gay Rights Ordinance by Matt Evans
• Gender Roles and Acquaintance Rape by Kaimi
• Cleon Skousen/Ezra Taft Benson/Glenn Beck series by Christopher Jones
• The Conservative Perspective on Glenn Beck by Geoff B.
• Thoughts From Sunstone by MCQ
• Wanna Know What Women Want? (Twilight) by Tracie Lamb

Best Mormon-Themed Podcast

• BCC’s Zeitcast
• Mormon Expression
• A Totally Gay Podcast Silus Grok

Best Book/Article Review

• Amri Brown’s review of The NY Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
• Ben’s 12-author series on Parley P. Pratt’s Autobiography
• Charles L. Cohen’s review of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s legacy and scholarship
• Geoff B’s review of On Being Ill at Ease in the World by Bushman
• Matt B’s review of Lance Allred’s Longshot (scroll down)
• MCQ’s A New Perspective on the Chosen
• Nick Literski’s review of Mormons and Masons by Brown

Best Contribution to or Post about the Bloggernacle

• DKL’s My Hope for the Bloggernacle
• Edje’s Bug Series — see All God’s Creatures Including Mormos
• Kaimi’s Mormon Studies on a Budget
• Kristine’s Music Posts
• MFranti’s tending comments and answering questions and community building at FMH
• MCQ’s The Importance of Defining Your Terms
• Steve Evans’ The Bloggernacle Won’t Save You
• Tracy M. for sharing her life publicly

Best Contribution to Interfaith Dialogue

• Heart Issues for LDS
• I Love Mormons
• Irresistible (Dis)Grace
• Morehead’s Musings
• CleanCut
• LDS & Evangelical Conversations
• Mark Cares Weblog
• Have You Read the Sealed Portion by Rico
• Summa Theologica
• Bridget Jack Meyers at Clobberblog
• Chanson at Letters From A Broad and Main Street Plaza

Write-in Category (Choose 3)

• Best Community: FMH
• Best Doctrinal and Philosophical Speculation: New Cool Thang
• Best Intentions: Follow the Prophet
• Best Marathon Runner: Shelah
• Best Mommy Blog: Dandelion Mama
• Best New Feature: A Mormon Image & Feminist Image
• Best Philosophical Post: Musings on the Multiverse by Ben Pratt
• Best Series: Back Row Questions by J. Nelson Seawright
• Best Series: Nine Moons “5″ series, beginning with this one.
• Best Canadian Blog: Our Thoughts
• Best Visual Post: Bugged by Kaimi
• Best Weekly Feature: Sunday in Outer Blogness
• Best “Moonlighting” Post: Mormon Like Me: Black Saints, Bigots, and Beck by Margaret Young
• Coolest Maps and Diagrams: John Hamer
• Family Life: A Strict Parent by Nicholeen Peck
• Most Aesthetically Pleasing Post: Words and Music by Low by Susan M.
• Most Disturbing: Are New ‘Puritans’ Gaining? by Orson Scott Card
• Most heartbreaking-wrenching-joyous-all-mixed-into-one: John Remy’s excommunication
• Most Postitive Thread at Mormon Matters: Ten LDS Things I’m Thankful For by Hawkgrrl
• Much Ado About Nothing: Men Singing the Melody in Church

It’s back!  The opportunity to honor the unique and talented Mormon bloggers of 2009. It’s a chance to look back on the  year and remember the great things that happened in the Bloggernacle, to come together in a spirit of comaraderie and fun!  Mormon Matters will be hosting this event to highlight YOU and your favorite 2009 Mormon blogs, and we are pleased to announce our continuing collaboration with Ziff of Zelophehad’s Daughters, the mighty numbers cruncher, who will handle results presentation at the end of this event.

We’ve fine-tuned the process a little bit this year.  You’ll see that the categories are just a little bit different.   Please include a link to the 2009 blog/post/comment that you nominate if you wish it to be considered. Put your link in [brackets] so that it will get through our spam catcher.  As always, you are welcome to nominate yourself — isn’t that what blogging is all about?? Oh, and try to think of some other bloggers to recognize, too.  For-profit blogs  will not be considered.  This thread is the place to make any  thoughtful comments, concerns or suggestions on the categories or the process.  They will be duly considered by our panel.  Nominations will take place from now through Jan. 24th.  So, without further ado, here are our 2009 Niblets categories:

Best big blog:
Best group blog:
Best mommy blog:
Best humorous blog:
Best solo blog:
Best new blog: (must have put up its first post in 2009)
Best blog layout/graphics:
Best overall blogger:
Best commenter:
Most memorable comment:
Funniest thread:
Best post title:
Best humorous post:
Best historical post:
Best spiritual post:
Best doctrinal post:
Best personal post:
Best current events post:
Best book/article review:
Best contribution to the Bloggernacle in 2009:
Best contribution to interfaith dialogue:
Write-in category:

Thank you for your participation. It’s YOU that makes the Niblets great!

The aggregator Mormon Blogs recently quit linking to a political blog called The Spirit of the Law.  Another blog, Legally-Bankrupt, also asked to be removed as a result of this decision.  This has caused a flurry of posts about the merits of the sites in question.  See for yourself:

The Spirit of the Law (original questionable post):  Can you be a temple recommend holder and support Obama?

Legally Bankrupt:  Goodbye to mormonblogs

The Spirit of the Law:  Dear MormonBlogs Directory Site

 So, a few questions this raises:

• What constitutes a Mormon blog?  Anything that talks about Mormonism?  Everything that’s not anti-Mormon?  Anything written by a Mormon?
• When does a Mormon blog cross the line?  When it makes Mormons look bad?  When it becomes anti-Mormon?  When it misrepresents Mormon belief?  Or is everything fair game?
• What Mormon blogs make you uncomfortable as a Mormon?  I’m not referring to those you don’t choose to read here, but are there some that you dislike because of the way they reflect on you as someone affiliated with Mormons (or blogging)?

Discuss.

… It probably would have been advantageous to say nothing, to say we just don’t know, and, [as] with many religious matters, whatever was being done was done on the basis of faith at that time. But some explanations were given and had been given for a lot of years. … At the very least, there should be no effort to perpetuate those efforts to explain why that doctrine existed. I think, to the extent that I know anything about it, as one of the newer and younger ones to come along, … we simply do not know why that practice, that policy, that doctrine was in place…

[when asked to specify the folklore] Well, some of the folklore that you must be referring to are suggestions that there were decisions made in the pre-mortal councils where someone had not been as decisive in their loyalty to a Gospel plan or the procedures on earth or what was to unfold in mortality, and that therefore that opportunity and mortality was compromised. I really don’t know a lot of the details of those, because fortunately I’ve been able to live in the period where we’re not expressing or teaching them, but I think that’s the one I grew up hearing the most, was that it was something to do with the pre-mortal councils. …

But I think that’s the part that must never be taught until anybody knows a lot more than I know. … We just don’t know, in the historical context of the time, why it was practiced. …That’s my principal [concern], is that we don’t perpetuate explanations about things we don’t know. …We don’t pretend that something wasn’t taught or practice wasn’t pursued for whatever reason. But I think we can be unequivocal and we can be declarative in our current literature, in books that we reproduce, in teachings that go forward, whatever, that from this time forward, from 1978 forward, we can make sure that nothing of that is declared. That may be where we still need to make sure that we’re absolutely dutiful, that we put [a] careful eye of scrutiny on anything from earlier writings and teachings, just [to] make sure that that’s not perpetuated in the present. That’s the least, I think, of our current responsibilities on that topic. … “

LDS Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland
March 4, 2006
PBS Interview

============

OK….so this is a few years old.  But this is the first time I’ve seen this quote.

Amazing, right?  I’m sure that many would like to hear this said over the pulpit at General Conference…but spoken to a major network isn’t shabby.

If you’re concerned that this isn’t public knowledge enough within the church, then what are you waiting for!  Spread the word.  Elder Holland has your back.

Bummer.  Sad.

Our love goes out to the Remys.  AND to the local church leadership that has to deal w/ this mess.

This feels like a lose/lose situation.

(Comments closed.  Please comment on John’s blog if you desire to comment…but only in kindness.)

You’re all invited to attend the Sunstone “Un-Snacker” (Great fellowship and friends, but no food).

It will be held on Friday, August 14, 10 PM at the Sheraton SLC, 150 W 500 S.

Bloggers from all over the bloggernacle will be in attendance.  This is your chance to meet all the “greats” in person!! Hope to see you there.

Matt at the site LDS Church Growth puts forward several different theories that statisticians tend to have about church growth.  He groups these into two categories:  critical theories and false assertions by the faithful.  Here are the theories he identifies (quoted from his site):

Critics of Church Growth

• Zero Growth Theory:  Critics state that the number of those who join the Church is equal to the number which leave the Church. Oftentimes critics site other fast growing Christian groups (such as Seventh-Day Adventists, Pentecostals and Jehovah’s Witnesses) to challenge claims made by some members of the Church that it is the fastest growing Church.
• Lack of Devotion Theory: Critics claim that in areas where the Church is growing at a rapid pace both in terms of membership and activity that the devotion of the members is not strong. They believe that the Church is poorly understood and if it were properly understood growth would not occur. This theory also supposes that growth will ultimately stop and result in few active members of the Church and the weakening of the Church in the given area. Examples from Latin America are usually used to illustrate this theory.
• The Internet Slows Church Growth Theory: Many critics of the Church believe that a rise in Internet usage is correlated to a decline in the growth of the Church. These beliefs stem from the wide body of Anti-Mormon literature available on the Internet, which is available in many of the world’s languages. This theory assumes that people become uninterested in the Church as a result of negative information read online, thus becoming unreceptive to the message of the Gospel. This theory also ignores favorable information about the Church on the Internet, particularly in the form of Church owned websites, many online newspapers and personal blogs.

False Assertions by the Faithful:

• All Is Well In Zion Claim: Some members of the Church believe that the growth of the Church has nothing to do with them and just happens. As members of the Church we know that missionary work and the Church itself are in the hands of the Lord, but that does not mean that we do not have a responsibility to share the Gospel. This kind of mentality also results in dismissing important and serious challenges for growth the Church faces in certain areas of the World. When some Church members encounter large wards in the United States, many of which grow rapidly in membership from new move-ins, they justify this thinking.
• Exponential Growth Claim: Some members of the Church believe that the Church is growing exponentially and at such a fantastic rate that we as a Church cannot meet all of the needs that such growth merits. While it is true that there are many issues which challenge us with the growth the Church has seen, this claim in inflated and generalized to include the Church throughout the World with the exception of Western Europe.

The post by Matt goes on to tackle each of the above theories.  I recommend a review of his post. 

The recent Pew Forum survey (U.S. only) shows mixed indicators:

• 70% of BIC continue as Mormons throughout their life, a much higher percentage than most other denominations, with Catholicism at 68% (the next highest).  15% of those raised Mormon changed religions and 14% became unaffiliated.  Among the general population, 45% of people leave the religion of their childhood (30% to other religions, 15% to become unaffiliated).
• Mormons comprise 1.7% of the total population currently.  They used to comprise 1.8%.  This means that despite church, the U.S. numbers are fairly flat as a percentage of population.
• Religious conviction within Mormonism runs an opposite trend to other faiths.  The higher the education level, the higher the religious commitment.  However, converts to Mormonism tend to have lower education levels and possibly lower levels of commitment.  68% of converts attend weekly (vs. 79% of BIC and 39% of the general population), 46% consider their religion the one true faith (compared to 61% of BIC and 24% of the general population).  However, converts are much more likely to share their faith with others (38% share it weekly vs. 19% of BIC and 23% of the general population).

So, what do you think?  Is the church growing, shrinking, or static?  Is it possible to have a meaningful measure for growth or is it always colored by a bias?

Discuss.

Natasha:  As it says on my site, I am a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have 12 years of experience working with LDS members. I graduated from BYU-Provo with a degree in Psychology and from Friends University-Wichita with my masters in MFT. I am also fluent in Spanish.

Batman:  Can you tell us about the purpose of your site, The Mormon Therapist?  What made you start it?

Natasha:  Being a Latter-day Saint, I understand there are many issues that relate exclusively with members of our church that would be difficult to discuss with therapists not of our faith. It can also be frustrating for those who do not have access to an LDS therapist/counselor geographically close by. Or maybe the LDS therapist one knows is a close friend or someone one’s not comfortable with.

My hope through this blog is to present a venue where anonymous questions can be posted and where relevant information and resources can be shared. I review the questions or comments submitted and answer them in as timely a manner as possible.  I want to be upfront, creative, and open to discussing issues that in the LDS community can feel taboo.

In fact, the person who was most influential in getting me to start this blog is a wife of a gay man.  Both have been faithful members their entire lives and both are now feeling confused and somewhat abandoned by the church.  When she found out about her husband’s secret, she had nowhere to turn that felt safe.  She explained to me the frustration of going on the internet and finding nothing she deemed useful or relevant to her, especially being LDS.  I know that the purpose of the LDS lifestyle is to offer happiness, strong family relationships, eternal perspective and unlimited blessings.  However, it is a reality that the high expectations our religion promotes can often leave members feeling guilty, inept, depressed and frustrated. I want my site to be a safe place to go and get useful and pertinent information in these situations

Batman:  That is certainly a tough issue.  What are the limitations of offering answers on a site vs. therapy?  At what point should someone consider therapy rather than just trying to work through issues on their own?

Natasha:  Well, obviously therapy is going to be a much more personal process than getting answers on an “advice column” like mine.  The therapist will be able to ask more pertinent questions that will get to the heart of issues more quickly and efficiently.  Plus therapy is a give-and-take process with both the therapist and the client participating in a discussion that takes into account things like body language and non-verbal cues I don’t have access to.  I just hope my blog can be a place where people can begin to get some answers and then follow that up with more specific treatment if necessary.

As far as when to consider therapy, I wish more people would consider it sooner than later.  Problems are easier to solve when they are not yet set into cyclical patterns and when people are less angry, bitter, resentful, and/or hopeless.  Just as in the medical field, preventive mental health/relationship care is easier and provides better results than crisis management.

Batman:  What are some of the most common questions you get on the site?

Natasha:  Many of the questions I receive deal with sexuality.  This is not surprising really, seeing as how I am providing an avenue to discuss a very sensitive and personal topic in an anonymous yet open and direct fashion.          The second most common questions deal with the issue of how to move forward when a spouse loses their testimony, leaves the church, or is acting in ways that do not follow church teachings.

Batman:  Do Mormons have sexual hang-ups?

Natasha:  There is a tendency for any religious culture to have “hang-ups” with sex.  This is not to say that many religious people don’t have healthy sexual relationships with their spouses, because they do.  And we have an advantage in the area of seeing sexuality as a sacred endeavor that is to be treated with the utmost respect.  Where I think we falter, is in the education of our children and adolescents.  We focus so much on the “not having sex” part during these formative years that sex can become a topic correlated with shame, guilt, embarrassment, etc.  It can also be difficult for our youth to know how to discuss anything to do with sexuality, where to go for help, and how to move forward when they have made mistakes in this area.  Even minor mistakes can feel or even be treated as major.  Then all of a sudden members find themselves married and everything is supposed to magically fall into place.  Many times it doesn’t.  But nobody is normalizing this and letting couples know that it takes time, patience and a lot of communication to foster a healthy sexual relationship.  Now the issues become marital and can spiral into very difficult problems for many couples.  This is a very unfortunate process that needs to be addressed more openly within our culture.

Batman:  In one of your posts, you talk about the fact that issues tend to recur from generation to generation.  How can this knowledge help people?

Natasha:  Yes, in fact the scriptures talk about this at length.  I sometimes get resistance regarding “talking about the past.”  Many people don’t want to revisit painful or difficult memories.  Many don’t want to feel like they are blaming all of their problems on their parents or their chidhood environment.  I understand these concerns.  However, I try to explain that the main purpose of “talking about the past” is to: figure out what patterns, rules, family structure, and emotional communication (both negative and positive) were role modeled in the family of origin.

Whether we like it or not, we are all subject to and highly affected by the families we grew up in.  Statistics continually support this.  And these influences will and do inevitable affect the families we are now forming ourselves.  So it is important to do some generational work in order to recognize negative patterns we do not want to repeat, recognize positive strengths we do want to incorporate, and if there has been trauma, it is important to give voice to those memories so that they have less influence on our future.  The “past” work is only beneficial when it moves us toward the present and future.

Batman:  Do you feel that your work ever puts you at odds with any members of the church?  Are there some who resist your counsel based on their perceptions of the church’s stance?

Natasha:  Anytime religious beliefs are involved there are going to be differences of opinions and/or different interpretations.  This is just a normal part of being part of this human family.  And this does come into play within my work.  Although my intention is never to cause offense, I am sure that there are members who find my counsel or my opinions contrary to theirs.  This is perfectly normal and I welcome discussion and challenges.  I believe this is what is so important to have happen, as long as we can have these discussions in a Christlike way that elicits respect and common courtesy.

Batman:  You talk about the effects of guilt and shame on the site.  Do Mormons suffer from unhealthy guilt?

Natasha:  Yes, unfortunately many times we do.  Guilt and shame are interesting topics because there are times when it is appropriate to have these feelings and there are times when it is not.  Or even more confusing, it can be appropriate to have these feelings, but not at the intensity we attribute them. And this can be a difficult process to sift through.

I think it is important to remember that guilt has a purpose as a tool from God – it reminds us when we are doing or contemplating doing something wrong to get back on the right path.  There are some legitimate things to feel bad about.  However, it’s purpose is not to throw us into the depths of depression or low self-worth.  Because when we get to the point of feeling unnecessarily bad about ourselves, it can be very difficult to gather the energy needed to get back on the path previously mentioned.

Feelings of guilt can legitimately come from the “pricking” of the spirit.  They can also come from environmental forces that we have been subject to and taught from (i.e. the culture we were raised in, the family we were raised in, the way in which our religion was taught to us, etc.).  It is difficult, yet imperative, that we all strive to clarify these sources of guilt for ourselves through self-awareness, study, prayer and questioning.  Therapy can be useful towards this end.  It is also imperative that when dealing with guilt, sin, shame, etc., we always have at the forefront of our minds that we have a saviour Jesus Christ who loves us, has atoned for us, and wants us to succeed. He does not want us to use guilt as a wallowing place. Only as a quick state of being to get us headed in a better, healthier, and happier direction.

Batman:  Well, that is certainly a lot to think about.  One last question.  What general advice would you give church members to strengthen families and individuals’ mental health?

Natasha:  Education and Communication!  Being willing to learn about and be open to the latest psychological research and medical advancements in addition to church teachings are pivotal to many issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, marital and/or parental distress, etc., etc.  Being willing to communicate:  talk openly about issues that may feel taboo or uncomfortable and then be willing to listen is pivotal for any spousal or parental relationship.  If we can’t talk about our problems in a respectful, safe environment, we will be less able to solve the issues we are faced with.  Managing our own anxieties many times is important to this process.  My hope would be that we can approach our relationships with ourselves and with our loved ones in a way that follows Christ’s example of unconditional love and understanding.

Batman:  Thanks to Natasha, The Mormon Therapist, for answering our questions and for providing such a great service to members with the issues we all face from time to time.

I encourage everyone to visit the site (link above) and browse through some of the frank questions and answers that are of interest to you.

For our readers, what do you think of some of these topics we’ve discussed:

• the role of faith in marriage and the implications of one partner’s loss of faith to the marriage
• sexual hang-ups that are so common to religious people
• shame and guilt; that it is sometimes necessary and positive, but can be damaging if we wallow in it
• the influence of past mistakes and family on our current behavior patterns
• overcoming our own anxieties as parents and addressing things openly with our kids

How do you feel about therapy in general and advice columns?  Discuss.

There is no such thing as being normal

If Kaimi were in dire straits, he would prefer to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s

Apparently, marriage is hard work

Gayby Boomers? Silly name, interesting phenomenon

An explanation for Utah bankruptcies

I don’t think PETA would approve of this

Aren’t you glad we have calculaors?

Even Orson Scott Card realizes that Mormonism is a culture

Another reason to have more kids – Placenta Helper

The Bible & Book of Mormon don’t teach of THIS Holy Ghost

New Dehli: New gay rights in a deeply conservative country

1 – Best BIG Blog (links provided)

• By Common Consent
• Feminist Mormon Housewives
• Millennial Star
• Mormon Matters
• Seriously So Blessed
• Times & Seasons

Time to Vote!

[poll id="12"]

2 – Best GROUP Blog (links provided)

• The Exponent
• Faith Promoting Rumor
• Juvenile Instructor
• Mormon Mentality
• Mormon Metaphysics
• New Cool Thang
• PoliticaLDS
• Segullah
• Zelophehad’s Daughters

Time to vote!

[poll id="13"]

3 – Best SOLO blog:  (links provided)

• Green Mormon Architect
• Hieing to Kolob
• Keep A Pitchinin
• Life on Gold Plates
• Mormon Insights
• My Religious Blog
• Mormon Organon
• Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord
• Seriously So Blessed
• Soy Made Me Gay
• Temple Study

Time to vote!

[poll id="14"]

4 – Best NEW blog:  (links provided)

• The Apron Stage
• Clobberblog
• Depressed (but not unhappy) Mormon Mommy
• The Faithful Dissident
• Irresistible (Dis)Grace
• Keep A Pitchinin
• LDS Philosopher
• Linescratchers
• Mormon Heretic
• Mormon Insights
• My Religious Blog
• Red Brick Store
• Seriously So Blessed
• Soy Made Me Gay

Time to vote!

[poll id="15"]

5 – Best blog LAYOUT/GRAPHICS:  (links provided)

• Dave’s Mormon Inquiry (2008 version)
• Millennial Star
• Mind, Soul, and Body
• My Religious Blog
• Nine Moons
• Seriously So Blessed
• Temple Study

Time to vote!

[poll id="16"]

6 – Best COMMENTER:  (sorry, no links!)

[poll id="17"]

7 – Most memorable COMMENT:

• DKL “masturbation is like a clutch” comment #36
• DKL “taking it on the jaw for Jesus” comment #170 and #182
• Russell Arben Fox “co-dependency becomes a perverse and sad sort of self-love” comment #54
• Ruth on segregation of sexes at the “Y” comment #72
• Ryan on “if God were a woman” comment #19
• Steve Evans “BCC’s infamous ‘Y1K’ problem” comment #994
• Steve Evans “Goodbye Obama” to the tune of “Candle In the Wind” comment #23
• TStevens “Dear Missionary Companion #7” comment #18

Time to vote!

[poll id="18"]

8 – Best overall BLOGGER:  (sorry, no links!)

[poll id="19"]

9 – Best HUMOROUS post:  (links provided)

• Amri Brown’s “Serious Thoughts on the One Exception to the No Facial Hair Rule”
• Andrew Ainsworth’s “What Children Know”
• BCC’s Police Beat RoundTable #10
• Burgess “Not Your Ordinary Grounds Crew Poetry”
• Burgess “Yeah, I’m that Poet You Kind of Remember”
• Burgess “Let the Men wear Sideburns!”
• Caroline “Ways NOT To Teach About Chastity”
• David’s “If God Were A Woman”
• Eric Nielsen’s series on the Secret Life of Earl Johnson
• jamesbarjoseph’s “Nothing Wavering”
• Julie M. Smith’s “What the Smith Boys Said This Year”
• Kiskilili’s “The Legend of Patriarch Hollow”
• Mattsby’s “General Conference LOLcats ”
• M*’s April Fool’s Day pages spoofing FMH.
• Rebecca J’s posts at BCC
• Tamn’s “The Down-There Doc”
• ZD April Fools — “Renouncing the Philosophies of Women Mingled with Scripture”
• ZD Sunstone Program Parody

Time to vote!

[poll id="20"]

10 – Best HISTORICAL post:  (links provided)

• Ardis Parshall’s 3 part “Codes and Cyphers in Mormon History”
• Bored in Vernal “Populating Worlds: Joseph Smith’s Legacy”
• Bored in Vernal’s “A Mormon History Mystery”
• Christopher’s useful and important thoughts on Mormonism’s place in American historiography
• David’s “Teaching About Racism (Including the Priesthood Ban) in Sacrament Meeting”
• Dichotomy’s “LDS Gay History Timeline”
• edje’s series of posts on the Galveston Hurricane of 1900
• EmilyCC “Feminist Genealogy”
• Heidi Harris “The New Woman in Central Utah”
• Jared T’s “Millions Shall Know Brother Joseph Again”
• John Hamer “Book of Jasher”
• Mogget’s modernity and catholicism series
• Mormon Heretic’s “Was Priesthood Ban Inspired?”
• TT’s “The Terrible 90’s for Mormon Scholarship”

Time to vote!

[poll id="21"]

11 – Best SPIRITUAL post:  (some links provided)

• Andrew Ainsworth’s Dark Night of My Soul
• Andrew Ainsworth’s “Why I Am Not A Disaffected Mormon”
• Andrew Ainsworth’s “What is Heaven? What is Hell”
• Ardis “I’ll Let God Keep the Records”
• Elizabeth’s “Everything I Need to Know I’m Learning In Divinity School”
• Eve’s “To Some it is Given: Knowledge, Doubt, Mercy”
• Gay LDS Actor, “God’s Love”
• Heidi Harris “And this time there will be no Angel”
• John Hamer’s “A Veil Runs Through it”
• Kevin Barney’s “Squareboy”
• Kristine’s “When Saw We Thee an Awkward Pre-Teen”
• Lisa’s “Hollow”
• Mraynes “From Mother to Daughter”
• Russell Arben Fox’s “Auld Lang Sin”
• SMB’s “Spoken Fatherhood: Communion and Community”

Time to vote!

[poll id="22"]

12 – Best DOCTRINAL post:  (links provided)

• AdamF’s “Never Lead Us Astray. And Dissonance”
• Andrew Ainsworth’s “Elder Wirthlin’s Last Message of Love”
• Andrew Ainsworth’s “The Ammon Approach”
• Joe Spencer’s “Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer of the World”
• Julie M. Smith “Is There Another Approach”
• Kiskilili’s “Fathers are Irreplaceable”
• Kiskilili’s “Inconclusive musings on gays in eternity”
• LDS Philosophers two conflicting Paradigms series
• Lynnette’s “Repentance as a Response”
• Lynnette’s “Can Women be Exalted?”
• Secco’s “Uzzah Killed for Blind Obedience”
• TT’s “The Future of Heavenly Mother”

Time to vote!

[poll id="23"]

13 – Best CURRENT EVENTS post:  (links provided)

• Tamn’s “Tamners Goes to Washington”
• Bryce’s Wall-e post
• Jared T. “Summary of the 30th Anniversary Priesthood Commemoration”
• Jupiter’s Child’s “BYU Religion Dean on Premortal Life”
• Matt B.’s incisive piece of social analysis about Utah and the greatest sport on earth

Time to vote!

[poll id="24"]

14 – Best PROP 8/SSM post:  (links provided)

• BCC’s Police Beat RoundTable
• Blake’s “Prop 8 Comment”
• Caroline’s “What I would Say to my Bishop About Prop 8”
• Clint Martin’s “How to Support a Same Sex Marriage Ban without Coming off as a Tool”
• Clint Martin’s “My Secret Gay Agenda”
• Julie M. Smith’s “Blood on the Doorposts”
• Kaimi’s “Answers”
• Ray’s “When Moral Issues Become Political Issues”
• TT’s “Children and SSM: An Analysis of the Divine Institution of Marriage”

Time to vote!

[poll id="25"]

15 – Best MITT ROMNEY Post:  (links provided)

• Andrew S’s “Why Mitt Romney got Romney’d in the Election”
• Bruce Webster’s “Mitt Romney’s New Ward”
• Ray’s “Proposition 8 and the Presidency: A Week of Reviling”
• Scott B’s “Reasons this Mormon is Glad Mitt Quit”

Time to vote!

[poll id="26"]

16 – NICEST “EVIL VILLAIN”/Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing:  (links provided)

• Aaron Shafavoloff from “Mormon Coffee”
• Andrew from “Irresistible (Dis)Grace”
• Bridget Jack Meyers from “Clobberblog”
• Chanson from “Letters From A Broad”
• Christopher Smith from “Mild Mannered Musings”
• Todd Wood from “Heart Issues for LDS”

Time to vote!

[poll id="27"]

17 – Most blatant example of NAVEL-GAZING:  (links provided)

• Jana’s picture of her belly-button
• J. Max Wilson’s “A Critical Look at LDS Blog Portals, Parts 1-4”
• Lynnette’s “Using Human Reason to Think About God”
• Ray’s Farewell to the Bloggernacle
• Seriously So Blessed
• Nominating self for every Niblet Award: Steve Evans
• What Mormons Like
• Ziff’s Nacle numbers posts

Time to Vote!

[poll id="28"]

18 - Best CONTRIBUTION to the Bloggernacle in 2008:

• Tracy M’s intimate and candid details of her struggle with her husband’s unemployment.
• Beginnings New, intelligent and meaningful helps for YW leaders
• Today in the Bloggernacle / Bloggernacle Back Bench (Emily Jensen)
• The addition of JA Benson at M*
• John Hamer’s “The Miraculous Plates of Voree Examined”
• DKL’s political coverage
• BCC’s Police Beat RoundTable
• All the fun and laughs over at Myregisblog
• PoliticaLDS

Time to Vote!

[poll id="29"]

19 - WRITE-IN category:  (you may vote for up to 3)

• Most Missed: Mormon Stories
• Most bewildering to people with no sense of irony: Seriously So Blessed
• Who I wish would blog more often — Ashley Sanders at Project Deseret
• Funniest Thread: In the Colonies the Stormtroopers are Starting to Lay Down the Law
• Best chronicler of otherwise forgotten Mormon’s from history: Ardis Parshall at Keepapitchinin
• Most Useful Blog: LDS Science Review
• Best Numbers Crunching: Ziff
• Best doctrinal blogger – Joe Spencer @ Feast Upon the Word blog.
• Funniest post tile: “For I was an hungered, and ye shot me” (Kris Wright at BCC)
• The blog with the most humble bloggers and commentators: M*
• Best and most unique contributions to a discussion of presiding: the Three Weird Sisters, With Beards poetry
• Best Sideblog: By Common Consent
• Best sidebar linksters: Marc Bohn and Kent Larsen
• Unsung Hero: Doc

Time to vote!

[poll id="30"]

Thanks for doing your civic duty by voting, and thanks to all the contributors who made 2008 a banner year for the Bloggernacle!  We’re sure there are many more outstanding contributions than could be covered by this nomination process.  See you all again in 6-7 months for the 2009 Niblets Awards!

Comments welcome below.

Enjoy perusing these links over the weekend, and the voting will commence on Monday!

Best big blog:

By Common Consent
Feminist Mormon Housewives
Millennial Star
Mormon Matters
Seriously So Blessed
Times & Seasons

Best group blog:

The Exponent
Faith Promoting Rumor
Juvenile Instructor
Mormon Mentality
Mormon Metaphysics
New Cool Thang
PoliticaLDS
Segullah
Zelophehad’s Daughters

Best solo blog:

Green Mormon Architect
Hieing to Kolob
Keep A Pitchinin
Life on Gold Plates
Mormon Insights
My Religious Blog
Mormon Organon
Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord
Seriously So Blessed
Soy Made Me Gay
Temple Study

Best new blog:

The Apron Stage
Clobberblog
Depressed (But not unhappy) Mormon Mommy
The Faithful Dissident
Irresistible (Dis)Grace
Keep A Pitchinin
LDS Philosopher
Linescratchers
Mormon Heretic
Mormon Insights
My Religious Blog
Red Brick Store
Seriously So Blessed
Soy Made Me Gay

Best blog layout/graphics:

Dave’s Mormon Inquiry (2008 version)
Millennial Star
Mind, Soul, and Body for the striking photo by Anne Geddes, unknowingly copyrighted, which the author does not have the heart to take down from his completely and totally uncommercial blog.
My Religious Blog
Nine Moons
Seriously So Blessed
Temple Study

Best commenter:

AnneGB
Ardis
Blake
Bored in Vernal
Brian Duffin
David H.
DKL
gst
Hawkgrrl
jessawhy
Kevin Barney
Kevinf
Marc Bohn
Margaret Young
Mark IV
Ray
Roasted Tomatoes
Sister Blah 2
Starfoxy
Steve Evans
Tatiana
Thomas Parkin

Most memorable comment:

DKL comment #36
DKL speaking to a troll comment #170 and comment #182
Russell Arben Fox comment #54
Ruth comment #72
Ryan comment #19
Steve Evans comment #994 on “Police Beat Roundtable #10”
Steve Evans comment #23
TStevens comment #18

Best overall blogger:

Andrew Ainsworth
Andrew S.
Ardis Parshall
Bookslinger
Bored in Vernal
Devyn S.
ECS
Hawkgrrl
Julie M. Smith
Kaimi
Kevin Barney
Kiskilili
Lynnette
Margaret Young
Nate Oman
Steve Evans
Steve P.
Tamn

Best humorous post:

Amri Brown’s “Serious Thoughts on the One Exception to the No Facial Hair Rule”
Andrew Ainsworth’s “What Children Know”
BCC’s Police Beat RoundTable #10
Burgess “Not Your Ordinary Grounds Crew Poetry”
Burgess “Yeah, I’m that Poet You Kind of Remember”
Burgess “Let the Men wear Sideburns!”
Caroline “Ways NOT To Teach About Chastity”
David’s “If God Were A Woman”
Eric Nielsen’s series on the Secret Life of Earl Johnson
jamesbarjoseph’s “Nothing Wavering”
Julie M. Smith’s “What the Smith Boys Said This Year”
Kiskilili’s “The Legend of Patriarch Hollow”
Mattsby’s “General Conference LOLcats ”
M*’s April Fool’s Day pages spoofing FMH.
Tamn’s “The Down-There Doc”
ZD April Fools — “Renouncing the Philosophies of Women Mingled with Scripture”
ZD Sunstone Program Parody
Rebecca J’s

Best Historical post:

Ardis Parshall’s 3 part “Codes and Cyphers in Mormon History” (also nominated “The Childless Ones,” “A Utah War Primer,”
“Polynesians in the Desert.”)
Bored in Vernal “Populating Worlds: Joseph Smith’s Legacy”
Bored in Vernal’s “A Mormon History Mystery”
Christopher’s useful and important thoughts on Mormonism’s place in American historiography
David’s “Teaching About Racism (Including the Priesthood Ban) in Sacrament Meeting”
Dichotomy’s “LDS Gay History Timeline”
edje’s series of posts on the Galveston Hurricane of 1900
EmilyCC “Feminist Genealogy”
Heidi Harris “The New Woman in Central Utah”
Jared T’s “Millions Shall Know Brother Joseph Again”
John Hamer “Book of Jasher”
Mogget’s modernity and catholicism series
Mormon Heretic’s “Was Priesthood Ban Inspired?”
TT’s “The Terrible 90′s for Mormon Scholarship”

Best spiritual post:

Andrew Ainsworth’s Dark Night of My Soul
Andrew Ainsworth’s “Why I Am Not A Disaffected Mormon”
Andrew Ainsworth’s “What is Heaven? What is Hell”
Ardis “I’ll Let God Keep the Records”
Elizabeth’s “Everything I Need to Know I’m Learning In Divinity School”
Eve’s “To Some it is Given: Knowledge, Doubt, Mercy”
Gay LDS Actor, “God’s Love”
Heidi Harris “And this time there will be no Angel”
John Hamer’s “A Veil Runs Through it”
Kevin Barney’s “Squareboy”
Kristine’s “When Saw We Thee an Awkward Pre-Teen”
Lisa’s “Hollow”
Mraynes “From Mother to Daughter”
Russell Arben Fox’s “Auld Lang Sin”
SMB’s “Spoken Fatherhood: Communion and Community”

Best doctrinal post:

AdamF’s “Never Lead Us Astray. And Dissonance”
Andrew Ainsworth’s “Elder Wirthlin’s Last Message of Love”
Andrew Ainsworth’s “The Ammon Approach”
Joe Spencer’s “Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer of the World”
Julie M. Smith “Is There Another Approach”
Kiskilili’s “Fathers are Irreplaceable”
Kiskilili’s “Inconclusive musings on gays in eternity”
LDS Philosophers two conflicting Paradigms series
Lynnette’s “Repentance as a Response”
Lynnette’s “Can Women be Exalted?”
Secco’s “Uzzah Killed for Blind Obedience”
TT’s “The Future of Heavenly Mother”

Best current events post:

Tamn’s “Tamners Goes to Washington”
Bryce’s Wall-e post
Jared T. “Summary of the 30th Anniversary Priesthood Commemoration held June 8, 2008 at the Tabernacle”
Jupiter’s Child’s “BYU Religion Dean on Premortal Life”
Matt B.’s incisive piece of social analysis about Utah and the greatest sport on earth

Best Prop 8/SSM post:

BCC’s Police Beat RoundTable
Caroline’s “What I would Say to my Bishop About Prop 8”
Clint Martin’s “How to Support a Same Sex Marriage Ban without Coming off as a Tool”
Clint Martin’s “My Secret Gay Agenda”
Julie M. Smith’s “Blood on the Doorposts”
Kaimi’s “Answers”
Ray’s “When Moral Issues Become Political Issues”
TT’s “Children and SSM: An Analysis of the Divine Institution of Marriage”

Best Mitt Romney Post

Andrew S’s “Why Mitt Romney got Romney’d in the Election”
Blake’s “Prop 8 Comment”
Bruce Webster’s “Mitt Romney’s New Ward”
Ray’s “Proposition 8 and the Presidency: A Week of Reviling”
Scott B’s “Reasons this Mormon is Glad Mitt Quit”

Nicest “Evil Villain”

Aaron Shafavoloff from “Mormon Coffee”
Andrew from “Irresistible (Dis)Grace”
Bridget Jack Meyers from “Clobberblog”
Chanson from “Letters From Abroad”
Christopher Smith from “Mild Mannered Musings”
Todd Wood from “Heart Issues for LDS”

Most blatant example of navel-gazing:

Jana’s picture of her belly-button
J. Max Wilson’s “A Critical Look at LDS Blog Portals, Parts 1-4”
Lynnette’s “Using Human Reason to Think About God”
Ray’s Farewell to the Bloggernacle
Seriously So Blessed
Nominating self for every Niblet Award: Steve Evans
What Mormons Like
Ziff’s Nacle numbers posts

Best contribution to the Bloggernacle in 2008:

Tracy M’s intimate and candid details of her struggle with her husband’s unemployment.
Beginnings New, intelligent and meaningful helps for YW leaders
Today in the Bloggernacle / Bloggernacle Back Bench (Emily Jensen)
The addition of JA Benson at M*
John Hamer’s “The Miraculous Plates of Voree Examined”
DKL’s political coverage
BCC’s Police Beat RoundTable
All the fun and laughs over at Myregisblog
PoliticaLDS

Write-in category:

Most Missed: Mormon Stories
Most bewildering to people with no sense of irony: Seriously So Blessed
Who I wish would blog more often — Ashley Sanders at Project Deseret
Funniest Thread: In the Colonies the Stormtroopers are Starting to Lay Down the Law
Best chronicler of otherwise forgotten Mormon’s from history: Ardis Parshall at Keepapitchinin for her continuing stories of ordinary church members in often difficult circumstances.
Most Useful Blog: LDS Science Review
Best Numbers Crunching: Ziff
Best doctrinal blogger – Joe Spencer @ Feast Upon the Word blog.
Funniest post tile: “For I was an hungered, and ye shot me” (Kris Wright at BCC)
The blog with the most humble bloggers and commentators: M*
Best and most unique contributions to a discussion of presiding: the Three Weird Sisters, With Beards poetry (see comments #64 and #76)
Best Sideblog: By Common Consent
Best sidebar linksters: Marc Bohn and Kent Larsen
Unsung Hero: Doc

http://www.moreintelligentlife.com/story/david-foster-wallace-in-his-own-words

It’s a commencement speech given a few years back by a famously gifted author (who has since taken his own life).  His name is David Foster Walalce.

My favorite part:

“Not that that mystical stuff is necessarily true. The only thing that’s capital-T True is that you get to decide how you’re gonna try to see it.

This, I submit, is the freedom of a real education, of learning how to be well-adjusted. You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t. You get to decide what to worship.

Because here’s something else that’s weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship–be it JC or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles–is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. On one level, we all know this stuff already. It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. The whole trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness.

Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they’re evil or sinful, it’s that they’re unconscious. They are default settings.

They’re the kind of worship you just gradually slip into, day after day, getting more and more selective about what you see and how you measure value without ever being fully aware that that’s what you’re doing.

And the so-called real world will not discourage you from operating on your default settings, because the so-called real world of men and money and power hums merrily along in a pool of fear and anger and frustration and craving and worship of self. Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom all to be lords of our tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the centre of all creation. This kind of freedom has much to recommend it. But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talk about much in the great outside world of wanting and achieving…. The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day.

That is real freedom. That is being educated, and understanding how to think. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.”

Comments are now closed.  If you have further nominations, click HERE.

The opportunity to honor the unique and talented Mormon bloggers was sorely missed this year. So we decided to give you a chance to look back on 2008 and remember the great things that happened in the Bloggernacle. Mormon Matters will be hosting this event to highlight YOU and your favorite 2008 Mormon blogs, and we’ll be back again in 2009 to do the same. We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Ziff of Zelophehad’s Daughters, the mighty numbers cruncher, who will handle results presentation at the end of this event.

So without further ado, let’s announce the categories. Cut and paste this list in the comments if you would like to be part of the nominations process. As always, you are welcome to nominate yourself — isn’t that what blogging is all about?? Oh, and try to think of some other bloggers to recognize, too.  Final voting will take place after the nominations are finalized.

Best big blog:
Best group blog:
Best solo blog:
Best new blog: (must have put up its first post in 2008)
Best blog layout/graphics:

Best commenter:
Most memorable comment: (please include link)
Best overall blogger:
Best humorous post: (please include link)
Best historical post: (please include link)
Best spiritual post: (please include link)
Best doctrinal post: (please include link)
Best current events post: (please include link)

Most blatant example of navel-gazing: (please include link)
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A clingy swimsuit; multiple noses – that hair; the moonwalk - Angels; Demons. 

So much to mourn; so much to lampoon.