One aspect of the church that makes me nervous at times is the alliances we form when our interests coincide with other groups, whether this is in the political realm (as is often the case), or even at times in interfaith work we undertake.
mitt romney
President looks at church history with fresh eyes
While I was much more than casually aware of church history previously, since becoming president of the church I have engaged in an extensive study of our story. I have explored books and articles from a wide spectrum of scholars, authors, and publishers, ranging from the faithful to the skeptical and in between. Truth has nothing to fear from scrutiny.
A California Mormon visits the other Zion
By Joe Geisner (guest blogger) No I am not talking about Utah. I left Sam Brannan’s Zion for Joseph Smith’s Zion on April 11, 2008. I arrived at about 4 pm in Kansas City airport and almost froze to death waiting for the rental car shuttle. I had left 80 degree weather for 40 degree weather and began to wonder who really was the prophet? Obviously it was Brannan. The temperature never rose above 45 degrees, and we had snow in April!
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 his candidacy. The argument is that a large percentage of Republican primary voters have anti-Mormon sentiments that kept them from supporting the candidate who, by the numbers, shared all the values positions that mattered to them most. The comparison has specifically been drawn with Log Cabin Republicans: Are Mormons a second group in the GOP’s big tent that find themselves despised by their fellow Republicans? If that’s where Mormons find themselves, we should ask: ...
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 for the story. Romney is quoted saying: This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters … many of you right here in this room … have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming president. If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I...
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 fascinating story of 9 Mormons who ran for president prior to Mitt Romney’s bid and I thought I’d briefly share their stories while Mitt’s fate is being decided today… 1844 Joseph Smith Jr. (no party) — In an era when the separation of church and state were still absolute, Smith was the first clergyman to run for president. As such, he did not emphasize his role as a prophet or as president of the...
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 Romney is a terribly weak candidate. He comes off as a phony, primarily because he is a phony. The charge of being a “flip-flopper” has stuck to him (because it’s true) and Romney’s counter message — that he’s legitimately changed his mind and become a true believer in regressionism — has gone no where because it’s not genuine. Ultimately, even if Romney eventually is the last man standing in the Republican primary season and...
The Delbert Stapley / George Romney / Negro Letter, and Modern Applications
A friend just forwarded to me this letter written by LDS Apostle Delbert Stapley to then Michigan Governor George Romney dealing with Negroes, race, the LDS Church, Joseph Smith, civil rights, etc. I know that Delbert Stapley was a very good man — so I’m not interested in piling on (now that we all have the benefit of hindsight). My questions are the following: Do you find it interesting that so much importance was placed on exact obedience to the teachings of Joseph Smith by Apostle Stapley? It seems like today we’re much more willing to discount a past...
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 on the right with Evangelicals who call Mormonism “non-Christian” (and who cost Mitt Romney the Iowa Republican Caucus) and on the left with secularists and atheists decrying Mormonism’s foundational stories as an obvious “fraud.” DIAGNOSIS: Mormons are “persecuted” by non-Mormons for their “weird” beliefs. RECOMMENDED TREATMENT: De-emphasize (or eliminate) weird beliefs. Explain Mormonism using highly-nuanced language, which we (as Mormons) believe will satisfy non-Mormon ears (“milk before meat”). We keep going back to the...
Episode 7 Part 1: The Other “One True Church” and the Obama/Mitt Romney Scuttle over Sex Education
In part 1 of this episode, we discuss: The Pope’s recent statement that says, “other Christian communities are either defective or not true churches and Catholicism provides the only true path to salvation.” The recent Barak Obama / Mitt Romney Scuttle over Sex Education Panelists include: Ann Porter David King Landrith John Crawford Today’s Moderator: John Dehlin
Episode 5: Mormon Feminism, Women, and Claudia Bushman Part 2
A continuation from Episode 4. Thanks again to Dr. Bushman, Taryn and Rosalynde!!!! And of course, to hear more of (and to purchase!!!) the wonderful music included in the podcast, please check out: claytonpixton.com and skyepixton.com Enjoy!
Episode 4: Mormon Feminism, Women, and Claudia Bushman Part 1
Today we release part 1 of a 2-part conversation reviewing the recent Mormon Stories series on Women in the LDS Church (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5). This includes a discussion of my introduction, the 3 waves of Feminism in the USA, and a 3 part interview w/ Claudia Bushman. Today’s brilliant panelists are: Taryn Nelson-Seawright: Taryn lives in the Chicago area with her husband. She is a researcher in the medical social sciences. She is a passionate amateur scholar of the Book of Mormon. In her spare time, she blogs for By Common...
Episode 3: The Mountain Meadows Massacre
Note: Mormon Matters podcast is now available through iTunes. You can subscribe to the podcast by clicking on the iTunes button at the top right of this site. “This September marks the 150th anniversary of a terrible episode in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On September 11, 1857, some 50 to 60 local militiamen in southern Utah, aided by American Indian allies, massacred about 120 emigrants who were traveling by wagon to California. The horrific crime, which spared only 17 children age six and under, occurred in a highland valley called the Mountain...
Episode 2: Mitt Romney, Mormonism and Recent Coverage in the New York Times and on Good Morning America
The topic for today is Mitt Romney, Mormonism, and the Recent Coverage in both the New York Times and Good Morning America. We had 3 more EXCELLENT panelists for Mormon Matters podcast. They included: John Fowles: John is a lawyer living in London with his wife and three children. He is interested in Mormonism and Mormon blogs and has participated for several years in Mormon blogging (or bloggernacle). Tom Grover: Tom is a lifetime resident of Cache Valley, producer and co-host of KVNU’s For the People. Ronan James Head: Ronan is from Malvern, England (home of the Wilford Woodruff...