Bloggernacle

FacesEast, an Interview with Prairie Chuck

October 21, 2008
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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.

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Witch-Hunting

October 13, 2008
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Witch-Hunting

Halloween is just around the corner!  Have you ever been on a witch hunt?  Or have you been singled out by a witch hunter?  Here are some tips for all the witch hunters and witches out there.

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Superman vs. Spiderman

September 18, 2008
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Superman vs. Spiderman

What do Superman and Spiderman have to do with Mormon history?  Nothing at all.  But maybe something about the two characters relates to the way people look at historical figures.

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In Defense of Apologists

August 26, 2008
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In Defense of Apologists

The term “apologist” is often used derisively like the terms “lawyer,” “statistician,” or “telemarketer.”  Why are apologists so derided?  Is it warranted or just a bum rap?

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Lessons Learned (aka Thanks, Bloggernacle!)

August 1, 2008
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Unfortunately, a confluence of factors — vacation, increased tasks at work trying to make up for said vacation, shuttling daughters to and from various summer activities — has kept me out of the Mormon Matters community over the past few weeks. This isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened to me. In every long-distance friendship, I’m the one who forgets to make the phone call, who doesn’t return the e-mail, and who eventually drops out of communication altogether, leaving the other party to the friendship wondering, “I wonder what happened to that dude.” Long story, short:...

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Becoming a Moderate Mormon

July 23, 2008
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Becoming a Moderate Mormon

We’ve established that there are conservative Mormons (obviously) and there are liberal or “new order” Mormons.  Taking the politico-religious rhetoric to its next logical conclusion, I’d like to make a case for moderate (or independent) Mormonism.

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Something the Southern Baptist Convention Can Learn from the Mormons

July 16, 2008
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The following article highlights something that the Mormon Church has been criticized by some for doing for years, but it is the Southern Baptist Convention (often the most vocal criticizers of Mormonism) that is doing it in this case.

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Obedience: Virtual RS/PH #13

July 13, 2008
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Obedience: Virtual RS/PH #13

Welcome to the second virtual co-ed 3rd hour.  This week’s lesson is a topic that is often a seething hotbed of Mormon Matters controversy:  “Obedience:  When the Lord Commands, Do It.”

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Virtual Co-Ed RS/PH: Missionary Work (Lesson 12)

July 6, 2008
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Virtual Co-Ed RS/PH: Missionary Work (Lesson 12)

Welcome to the first ever Virtual Co-ed Relief Society/Priesthood Lesson (at MM anyway)!  Here’s why you should join the discussion: Virtual – you can participate whether or not you actually attended church Co-Ed – you can hear perspectives from both men & women Spiritual + Intellectual – some would like more intellectual content at church; others would like more spiritual content at MM.  It’s like chocolate & peanut butter. Non-LDS Perspective – we may hear non-LDS commenter viewpoints (welcome to all!) Advance Lesson Prep – those who are teaching RS/PH may find some insights for their lessons.

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Why a Testimony of the Gospel is Not Enough

May 2, 2008
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I have been under the impression over the last 26 years in the Church that if one had a pretty strong testimony of the Savior, the truthfulness of the Gospel as restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith and other essential doctrines, that if would be enough for the average member to weather the storms of doubt, social rejection and, their discovery of new information that might come along from time to time.

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Liberal Mormonism III: Prognosis

April 10, 2008
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Count up all the liberal Mormons you know. Now, compare that number to the number you knew ten years ago. Now multiply the difference between the two by the number of liberal General Authorities, then subtract from that number the number of anti-intellectual General Conference addresses you have heard in the last three years.

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Why Eugene England Still Matters

April 9, 2008
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Why Eugene England Still Matters

If you spend any time here in the Bloggernacle, or leafing through the pages of any number of “alternate voices,” you are bound to encounter Eugene England. A founder of Dialogue, England — a former Bishop, LDS missionary, and BYU Professor — is a patron saint of the Mormon intellectual community, oft-revered as “our greatest essayist.” But for all of our lip service, we — as a Church and as an Internet community — could still learn a thing or two by actually putting his more challenging philosophies into practice.

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“What Children Know”: A Children’s Rebuttal to Elder Ballard’s Conference Talk

April 7, 2008
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“What Children Know”: A Children’s Rebuttal to Elder Ballard’s Conference Talk

Late last night as I was putting the finishing touches on my Monday morning blog post, I heard a faint knocking on the front door of my home. When I opened the door I saw no one there, but heard the pitter-patter of little feet fading off in the distance. Something caught my eye on the doorstep. It appeared to be a manifesto of sorts, scrawled on the blank insides of a flattened cereal box with crayons of assorted colors. I have no idea who wrote the message, but whoever did was pretty upset about the talk that Elder...

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