As they say, sex sells. The church has had a lot to say about sex and sexuality. It’s been on a winding path, but over time it has developed a rather comprehensive universe-view to back its positions. I like to think, even if some people vehemently disagree with the church position, or think that the church has become bland on certain doctrinal points in relationship to its past, LDS doctrines concerning the family have been consistently unique, fresh, and vitalic (even though that’s not a word, no other word sounds right to me…so hush up!)
spirituality
Oliver Cowdery Was Punk’d!
When you hear the name Oliver Cowdery, you probably think of the story that culminates in the revelation that became Section 9 of the Doctrine & Covenants. This section uses Oliver as a (bad) example of how to seek and receive personal revelation. Today’s guest post is from The Teacher. Come visit The Teacher here.
Story Time: A Thought Experiment
Names and identities have been invented and caricatured as necessary. Miller is a member of the church. He magnifies all of his callings, does all of the so-called “standard primary answers” (reads the scriptures, prays, attends his meetings, fasts, etc.,) He is seen around his ward as a beacon for what youth should be doing. Sure, he might have a few rough edges; no one’s perfect and certainly not Miller. But it might seem, to the unseeing eye, that Miller is generally on the “right track.” Miller has a problem, though.
Modern-Day Swearing: Will Our Bastardized Words Damn Us to Hell?
I believe we need to take responsibility for understanding and choosing what we say and do – not allowing others to make those decisions for us. With that in mind, I am addressing the “what”, “why” and “so what” of “swearing and cursing”. The best Biblical statements regarding swearing and cursing include the following: “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.” (Deut. 6:13) “But I say unto you, Swear not at all;” (Matthew 5:34) “And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.” (Exodus...
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)
There Are Too Many Books about the Church
As I sit at the computer in my office, my back is to the 400 or so books I have about the Church in my library.
Virtual RS/PH #22: Gaining Knowledge of Eternal Truths
Mormonism has a focus on gaining knowledge that is unique in Christendom, largely due to the emphasis that Joseph Smith placed on learning. Joseph’s total open-mindedness to both revelation and all forms of learning are central to the Mormon religion; this open-mindedness had potential for both good and bad outcomes. The lesson discusses two main concepts: what is “knowledge,” and how do we gain it?
Half-way Mormons: A lesson from the Puritans
I hope everyone enjoyed their turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving last week. One thing I appreciate about the Puritans, other than their fondness for a good feast, burning witches, cool hats, repression of normal sexual desires, and providing the grist for great dramas like The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible, is the good sense of their descendants in religious matters. They decided you could be a half-Puritan, which technically sounds like you’re half dirty today, but hear me out.
My First Visit to an Orthodox Christian Church
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the familiar Mormon claim that we are the “one true Church” is as much a statement about other churches as it is about our own. And I’ve been thinking about how ignorant and uninformed I feel about other churches because I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve visited one. So recently I decided to start visiting other churches a lot more often in hopes that I can develop some personal, first-hand knowledge about them. And it seemed fitting to start by paying my first visit to the...
When Is Your Ox in the Mire?
You probably know the Primary song about Sunday observance by heart: Saturday is a special day It’s the day we get ready for Sunday We brush our teeth and we go to the bathroom So we don’t have to do it ’til Monday Well, that’s how my sister and I used to sing it anyway. So, how liberal or orthodox is your interpretation of Sunday observance?
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...
This Won’t Get Past Correlation!
Here is a quote from a dusty, forgotten, once-official Church manual. Who said this and why wouldn’t this get past the brethren and sistren at Correlation?: Inequality of inheritance and opportunity among the children of men leads many people to question the Creator’s impartiality and justice, and, therefore, his very existence…
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Our quote this week is from another church manual predating Correlation. Who wrote this, and why would the Correlation Committee disapprove?: Just what is the function and role of religion in one’s life? Let us suggest an experiment. Take a piece of paper, divide it into two columns, place a plus sign above one and a negative sign above the other. On the basis of your experience with life to-date list in these two columns respectively a) those things which have brought you most satisfaction in life and b) those things which are frustrating and destructive to fine living.
5 Cool Things I Wish the LDS Church Were Doing
This post is another installment in my “5 Cool Things” series. Today I’m giving a list, again in no particular order, of some things I would love to see happen in the LDS Church (which I attend actively). I’m not presenting this list as a set of demands or to declare what is wrong with the church. Its just a handful of things I think would be pretty cool.
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Another week, another great uncorrelated quote from an LDS Church manual that would never see the light of day in today’s church: Every discussion of faith must distinguish it from its caricatures. Faith is not credulity. It is not “believing things you know ain’t so.”
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Hi everyone, Welcome to my new series where I provide you, the reader, with an excerpt from an LDS church manual, uncited, which I LIKE. That means no Journal of Discourses nonsense like blood atonement, racism, or Adam-God for starters. (Sorry to disappoint some of our readers with that caveat). You can guess if you want, such things as the author (the Church used to have individual authors stand behind their words), the title, the era, or which church program the lesson was used in. But that’s all trivia, really, compared to this: You get to list ALL THE...
5 Cool Expressions of Spirituality Which Might Seem Weird To Mormons
I’m starting a series which I’m calling “5 Cool Things”. It will basically be a list of 5 things, not in any order, that follow a particular theme. Here’s the first edition, on the topic of methods of spiritual expression that fall outside the typical Mormon repertoire which I have found to be pretty cool, and not incompatible with Mormonism at all.
How to Support
