fear
The “Doctrine of the Family”
I was disturbed as I read the Visiting Teaching Message for the month of March. It is titled “Uphold, Nourish, and Protect the Family,” and begins with the question, “Why must I defend the doctrine of the family?”
Go to Church or Die!
A recent article in Time discusses several studies about the correlation between faith and health. Does church attendance contribute to a healthier, longer life? Is Mormon culture more or less health-promoting than other faiths?
Shipbuilding: Tasks or Vision?
Spending a week in the Pacific Northwest on vacation, surrounded by boats and the vastness of the sea, when I read this quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery on my way home, I couldn’t get it out of my head: If you want to build a ship, don’t herd people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.
Horus Bible Parallels
Recently I saw Religulous here and he touched on Horus here and a few of the parallels between the story of Horus and Jesus. Many Mormons when they start delving and unravelling events in our history also delve into what they can find out about (possible origins)
The Problem with Authority
Mormons are sometimes criticized for their unquestioning obedience to authority. Statements like “When the prophet has spoken, the thinking is done,” and the Primary song “Follow the prophet” come to mind as well as the belief that even if leaders are mistaken, we should follow them. Do Mormons have an unhealthy respect for authority?
Nipples, Sexism and Racism
There was an interesting article in Time recently about Facebook’s censorship of pics with nips, specifically eliminating pictures of breastfeeding moms (and, in their defense, a few of topless women who just happened to be holding babies). But, this brought up an age-old question of Mormondom: why are there no nipples on the Nephites in the BOM vids?
Can you be a Unitarian and a Mormon at the Same Time?
We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons. Joseph Smith
Temperance Movement and The Word of Wisdom
For almost two centuries the Word of Wisdom is solid proven evidence to many members that the Church is true.
Twilight and “The Great Mormon Novel”
Many consider The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene to be the quintessential Great Catholic Novel: a book written about faith and doubt with great courage. So far, no one has written what one would call “The Great Mormon Novel.”
Virtual RS/PH #21: The Second Coming & The Millenium
To the teachers out there, sorry if this one is coming a day late and a dollar short. Our ward is a month behind on these due to Stake & Ward Conferences. Mea culpa. Sometimes we forget that the early restored church focused a lot on the millenium, which many of them believed was imminent. As if they didn’t have enough stress!
What is a Testimony?
Ironically, some of you with “strong testimonies” may think that those struggling with their testimony make only a small percentage of us here today. The converse is also true; many of you who are “struggling” yourselves may believe that you are the only one in the ward that thinks or feels what you do or that there are only a few of you at best. The truth, however, is that most of us, if not all of us, are struggling to some degree—(admittedly, some more than others). For although many of us stand at this pulpit once a month...
The Church as a Tool
What is the church to you? A family you must learn to love? A path you must follow? A checklist of items you must do to be saved? Today’s post talks about the church as a tool and is from guest poster Jordan Turner.
Homosexuality, Politics, and Looking to November 5th
On the eve of another election in the United States of America, many historic events are looming, both encouraging and daunting; Whatever happens, we will either elect our first person of color as President, or our first female as Vice President. We may see a 60-vote majority in the Senate for the Democratic party. But offsetting these historic events is great uncertainty and fear about an ongoing economic crisis unseen since the Great Depression, alarm due to serious conflicts with various nations overseas, even apprehension about possible irreversible changes in our environment. Yet, here we are again looking at...
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.
The Eleventh Commandment: Honor Thy Children
I had occasion recently to re-visit a song I heard for the first time a few years ago, performed live in a college theater auditorium. The setting was relatively intimate for a “big name” concert, and I remember well the generally raucous and festive mood of the concert. Until this song started. As soon as the first words were vocalized, there was an immediate and intense hush over the entire auditorium. It was absolutely silent for the duration of the song, except for the muffled sobs of those who heard it – and that silence lasted an unimaginably long...
Hedging Your Bets: Refusing to Leave the Church
Two men pull up to a house they’ve never been to before. It’s dark, but a few lights appear on. They slowly get out, not saying much and walk up the walk to the door. One reaches out and rings the doorbell. Soon, a woman appears and opens the door. One says: “Are you Sister Smith?”
An Act of Violence
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and another book was opened, which is the book of life And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. -Revelation Ch. 20 (vs. 12-15) Love is a burning thing and it makes a fiery ring. Bound by wild desire, I fell into a ring of fire. -Johnny Cash In the LDS church, members are written into the book of life with their baptism and confirmation. For some, the love affair with the gospel can truly become a fiery...
Fear
I am acquainted with physical fear. A friend and I, two women of a certain age, accompanied our children to an amusement park on a weekday. The children were allowed complete freedom, with an admonition to return to the meeting place at 5 pm. My friend and I found myself with several hours to fill, and we decided to be daring. Instead of finding a shady spot and chatting, eating several hundred dollars worth of funnel cakes, we thought we would recall our youth by riding the most scary rides in the park. I had not been on one...
How to Support
