Humor

The Unsung Hero of the Nativity

December 16, 2008
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The Unsung Hero of the Nativity

As I was setting up our nativity scene this year, I noticed the wisdom and cultural/racial diversity of the Magi, the docile farm animals (not minding the afterbirth on their food despite being herbivores), the grace and adoration of the Madonna with outstretched arms (and nary a stretch mark) toward the cooing babe, the aloof Boticelli-like angel who frankly doesn’t look like she’s that into it, and then I noticed Joseph’s face, searching vainly for some family resemblance as he peers down at Baby Jesus.  Often pushed aside in favor of the other players, Joseph is clearly the unsung hero of...

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Virtual RS/PH #20 – A Heart Full of Love & Faith: The Prophet’s Letters to His Family

November 9, 2008
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This lesson discusses the written correspondence Joseph sent to Emma during his frequent absences.  IMO, this is a tough lesson for many reasons, so read on to see how you would make the most of it. 

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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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The Theology of “Saturday’s Warrior”

September 4, 2008
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The Theology of “Saturday’s Warrior”

Many Church members consider Johnny Lingo to be the zenith of kitschy Mormon culture (for the uninitiated, you can see it here).  When I was at BYU 15 years ago, I often ran into “wild and crazy” RMs sporting “Mahana, You Ugly” or “Wanted:  Eight-Cow Woman” T-shirts.   But for me, while Brother Lingo and his island crew hold a special place in my heart — along with that kid from the “Cipher in the Snow” — they pale in comparison to the granddaddy of all Mormon cheese:  Saturday’s Warrior.  For the sake of brevity, I will refrain from a...

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Prophetic Smackdown: Moses vs. Joseph Smith

August 25, 2008
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Prophetic Smackdown: Moses vs. Joseph Smith

Today’s post is from an anonymous guest blogger.  The critics of the church like to point the finger at Joseph Smith, citing polygamy, concealing polygamy, the Kirtland Bank failure, etc.  Could Moses withstand the same scrutiny?  Let’s take a look.

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Is the Internet a Urim & Thummim?

August 20, 2008
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Is the Internet a Urim & Thummim?

What is a Urim & Thummim, and how will the earth become like one?

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For Pioneer Day, a Prophet of Peace

July 24, 2008
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For Pioneer Day, a Prophet of Peace

Prophet of Peace This is why I love President Monson! He has the common touch and appears to love people. If you watch the video linked above, you will see the news piece on Salt Lake TV. At the very end, President Monson ends the informal report by flashing a peace sign, saying “Peace!” and chuckling. I was completely enamored of him once again.

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Paul: Apostle, Misogynist?

July 8, 2008
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Paul: Apostle, Misogynist?

“I’m not bad.  I’m just drawn that way.”  Jessica Rabbit Plenty of criticism is heaped on post-restoration church leaders.  There seems to be a tendency to hold them up against an impossible and inaccurate standard of perfection while giving a pass to figures in the Old and New Testaments.  But is that fair?  Wouldn’t OT & NT leaders have the same shortcomings when viewed from our “enlightened” modern perspective?

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A Few Choice Words on Swearing

June 19, 2008
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A Few Choice Words on Swearing

What constitutes swearing?  Is it always wrong?  If so, why?

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The Fallout Story

May 29, 2008
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The Fallout Story

The Fallout Story is a rule of etiquette (that I made up) that I hold sacred for discussing breakups.  The rule is:  the dumpee owns the fallout story.  The dumper is prohibited from making any disparaging remarks (henceforth and forever) about the dumpee, as a matter of courtesy.  As a friend put it:  “She keeps the ring; she tells the story.”  This is where we get the phrase:  “It’s not you; it’s me.”  We all know that’s not true (c’mon, if it wasn’t them, why are you dumping them?), but it is good etiquette.  The Fallout Story rule applies...

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Give Said the Little Revenue Stream

May 13, 2008
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Give Said the Little Revenue Stream

Do Mormons do less charitable giving due to the commitment of paying tithing? Three months of the year, you can rest assured there will be garage sales popping up like mushrooms all over Utah. Why do Mormons enjoy selling their own castoffs and searching for “bargains” among other castoffs rather than donating these items to charity?

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The Mormon Urge to Glurge

May 1, 2008
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The Mormon Urge to Glurge

glurge (GLURJ) n. A sentimental or uplifting story, particularly one delivered via e-mail, that uses inaccurate or fabricated facts; a story that is mawkish or maudlin; the genre consisting of such stories. 

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Mormon Coffee

April 29, 2008
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Mormon Coffee

Hi, my name is Andrew, and I’m a diet Coke-oholic.

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Men: The Weaker Sex?

April 28, 2008
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Men: The Weaker Sex?

There is a common belief among LDS that wonderful women are sometimes saddled with mediocre men or sometimes no man at all, which will result in a surplus of women in the Celestial Kingdom.  So, are Mormon women really so much better than men?

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Little Mosque on the Prairie: What Mormons Can Learn from Muslims

April 10, 2008
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Little Mosque on the Prairie: What Mormons Can Learn from Muslims

What do Mormons and Muslims have in common? A lot more than you might think. And a popular sitcom about Muslims living in a small Canadian prairie town offers Mormons good suggestions about how best to handle being misunderstood and sometimes mistreated by the “outside world”.

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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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Gathering the Good of Other Faiths

March 27, 2008
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Gathering the Good of Other Faiths

In speaking of other faiths, Joseph Smith admonished early church members to “gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up” or they would not be “true Mormons” .  Are the true principles only the ones we have in common?  Why principles (vs. doctrines or values or practices)?  What are the true principles that are unique to other faiths, not encompassed in Mormonism, that we should gather and treasure up?

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Boycott 10,000 BC The Movie

March 17, 2008
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Boycott 10,000 BC The Movie

When I saw the trailer for this movie one giant big ‘THING’ came to my mind . . . . Human Kind didn’t live in the time of the woolly mammoth! Or did we? I started to question myself, my religion, Christianity, Judaism, Creationism, etc. I started to believe that there was in fact a human evolutionary process our ancestors went through. Maybe Charles Darwin was correct in his findings at Galapagos. Maybe Sasquatch is our missing link. This movie seemed really intriguing to me. I really want to go see this movie even though it might make much...

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