Before the world was, so say the prophets and prophetesses, our spirits dwelt in a heavenly sphere. As the world was to be made, the …
Your posterity shall “avenge the blood of the Prophets and Patriarchs” with the help of savage Indian warriors
I’ve finally finished my review of Michael Marquardt’s Early Patriarchal Blessings volume for the next JWHA Journal. This fascinating new resource is a compilation of …
The Next MHA
A number of the bloggernacle’s luminaries descended on the party town of Sacramento, California, last weekend for the 2008 conference of the Mormon History Association …
Laymen = Clergy: The Genius of Mormonism?
When the Church of Christ was organized on April 6, 1830, none of its members were professional clergy, but all its adult male members were …
The Greek and Roman Testaments: A Scriptural Analogy
One of the interesting panel discussions at last weekend’s Restoration Studies Symposium was entitled “The Future Status and Use of the Book of Mormon in …
Deep in the Heart of Mormondom
Outside of my own library and the virtual community I’m connected to through the internet, Mormondom has very little impact on my immediate environment in …
What If They’d Put Nauvoo in Iowa?
Nauvoo was a mistake. At the close of the Missouri Mormon War in the winter of 1838-39, the Saints crossed the icy Mississippi. The people …
Mark Your Calendars — 2 Upcoming Conferences IRL
Meeting together in person to exchange ideas, you ask? Haven’t you heard of the “internets” John Hamer? Hasn’t the awesome nature of the MormonMatters Blog …
What Comes Next for the FLDS Church?
Since news first broke that the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or FLDS church) was building a new Zionic city in …
Clinton Comes to Kirtland
I was in the offices of the new Kirtland Temple Visitor Center last Thursday when the call came through. According to the mayor’s office, Bill …
A Veil Runs Through It: A Mormon Cosmogony
The Earth we perceive with our physical eyes is billions of years in age. Life began to inhabit this sphere eons ago and evolved to …
Lost Hemisphere: A Traditional Book of Mormon Geography
When I was 6 and my sisters were 5 and 3, we read the Book of Mormon with my parents as a family. I was …
The First Black Apostle of the Restoration: A Black History Month Story
I think we’ve now achieved consensus in the United States that without regard to race, everyone should have an equal opportunity to enjoy life, liberty …
Can Mormons Be Savvy Voters?
There’s a lot of talk in the media and across the ’nacle to the effect that Romney’s Mormon identity was the critical factor that torpedoed …
Breaking News: Romney Dropping Out
The wires are alive with the story that Romney is dropping out of the race. More as the story develops. See Breitbart, TIME and CNN …
9 Mormons Who Ran for President
During this campaign season I’ve been helping Newell Bringhurst and Craig Foster edit their forthcoming book, The Mormon Quest for the Presidency. The book tells …
The Power to Move Mountains and More!
I’ve been reading through a new compilation of early patriarchal blessings, given by the first Mormon Presiding Patriarchs: Joseph Smith Sr., Hyrum Smith and William …
LDS Myths about Reorganized Latter Day Saints
My uncle emailed me the other day. The bishop in his ward gave a talk about the Kirtland Temple and explained how the LDS church …
Why I Voted for Mitt in Today’s Michigan Primary
I just got back from my neighborhood polling place, where I voted for Mitt Romney in the Michigan primary. Let me tell you why… Mitt …
Planet Kolob to Mormons: It’s not our weird beliefs, it’s our credibility
We know there’s a problem. Here’s how the bulk of us as Mormons see the problem: SYMPTOMS: Americans have an anti-Mormon bias which manifests itself …