Mormonism, in its very short history, has a rich tradition of theological speculation. The foundations of the Church were based on burning desires to know concrete answers about the great mysteries. The existing answers in the early 19th century felt stale or unsatisfying as the world was changing and new frontiers opened up. Formerly settled religious questions were thrown back into the ring for debate. This happened within a frontier tradition attempting to interpret and combine ideas from the newly forming materialistic sciences with the long-established magical world view held in western culture.
Blog Archives
The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times
A discussion about the concept of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times and the Information Age.
Doing Right for the Wrong Reason
Should we still do good things, even if our motives are not perfect and pure?
God is an Ocean
Yanna the prophetess was sitting under a tree praying and meditating for days and a vision surges over her like a tidal wave of overwhelming, transcendent, divine love and connection to the infinite. A mighty voice of thunder like crashing surf declares to her “I am … that I am. You will declare this message to the world.” There are no words to describe it. She does her best and proclaims loudly “God is an ocean! Hear these my words and seek after God.”
Vote for #1 Funniest Reason to be Mormon
Here is the poll based based on last week’s post. I’m picking the top 5 funny reasons to be Mormon. I picked 5 that I thought really expressed the humorous side of our religion. It was hard. There were many great responses. It’s therapeutic to have a nice laugh at ourselves. So pick your favorite and crown the winner!
Mormon Mythology: Sons of Perdition
From a mythological perspective, why does our religion have such a powerful and detailed “Sons of Perdition” element? I asked myself this recently after observing other members talk about this theme in length during separate conversations. They were so passionate about discussing this state of being, going on and on about it, even though it was only tangential to the conversation at hand. I watched them go deep within themselves as they pulled out all the information they knew about Sons of Perdition and reviewed it out loud. It prompted me to ask myself “why is this important to them?” …
My first time at Young Womens Camp
This week I volunteered to help as the “priesthood” on staff for a couple days at Young Women Camp. Perhaps this is all old hat to a lot of you, but it was my first experience. I was very impressed. It was both fun and tiring. I never knew girls could be so crazy!
Temple ceremony, the stabilizer for mystical enthusiasm
I’ve been thinking lately about the differences between the LDS Church we participate in today compared to what attracted and retained early members in the days of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was a religious mystic, recognized as a founding “prophet” of our modern church. The core of the story of Joseph and the restoration is a number of intense, other-worldly, divine encounters. He seemed to be ever concerned with bringing the Church into the presence of God. This took a worldly form in the cause of gathering to Zion, a utopian society perhaps like the City of Enoch. It also…
Big Love, Season 3. Finally Here!
Big Love Season 3 is set to start on January 18th. HURRAY! Here’s a link to the official HBO website: Big Love at HBO Tired of the same old emergency room and police dramas? Sitcoms telling the same old jokes? Starting to wonder how real that reality TV show really is? Big Love! The most unusual family drama ever produced.
Are Mormons Better Christians?
A friend of mine pointed out this blog article to me: http://timwade.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/are-mormons-better-christians/
Some MormonStories Interviews available at StayLDS site
StayLDS.com is now hosting some of the material formerly available at MormonStories. Among these are:
The Good News!
. You dropped down into this crazy, frenetic, gloomy world; stumble and trip in the darkness, trying to feel your way through the valley of shadows. Nothing seems to work right. . . .
Everything you can do, I can do better!
I’ve had this song stuck in my mind for a week or so now. Don’t you hate that? To make matters worse, I keep picturing a 19th century cast of early Church leaders singing this song on a vaudeville stage. You know, the kind with oil lantern stage lights on the floor shaped like clam shells. It would also need a warped plank or two on the stage. It would be full of smoke, the audience would be drinking pints of ale while whooping and yelling — a boisterous crowd representing the world.
MormonStories: Thank you John Dehlin
http://www.mormonstories.org/ 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. …
FacesEast, an Interview with Prairie Chuck
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.
Article of Faith 12: Obey the Government. Always?
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
The Gospel and Gasoline
So in case you haven’t heard, we are at the tail end of a gasoline shortage in Atlanta. Stations were empty for days at a time. The few that received a shipment would be out within an hour or two. People were watching traffic cameras on the internet to spot tanker trucks. I personally spent up to 2 hours one day trying to find gasoline at any price. I almost ran out a couple times. [display_podcast]
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