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	<title>Mormon Matters</title>
	<link>http://mormonmatters.org</link>
	<description>Exploring Mormon culture in a balanced way</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:13:52 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>The Word made Flesh: Poetry, Spirituality and Scripture</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I find some poetry immensely moving and even spiritually satisfying.  Even though I am not ‘well read’ I still sense that there is a vast reservoir of literature that could provide other channels of communication with God.  For me poetry has been one of those channels, especially when it comes to considering my fear of death, I have found it helpful and liberating (check out ‘Aubade’ by Philip Larkin).  In addition I have discovered a changing relationship with God through poetry.]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/07/05/the-word-made-flesh-poetry-spirituality-and-scripture/</link>
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		<title>Who is a Cultural Mormon?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[First, Happy Independence Day (yay)!
&#8230;so I was digging through classic Mormon Matters and found Clay&#8217;s discussion asking: how much does church activity has to do with being Mormon anyway? He opened with something interesting:
Not so long ago, when I would hear about someone who didn’t go to church at all or have any interest in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/07/04/who-is-a-cultural-mormon/</link>
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		<title>Joseph Smith is a Ute!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I posted this on my blog, but wanted to share with more people.
I always got a kick out of the signs in the student body section proclaiming, &#8220;The Prophet is a Ute!&#8221;  After all, so many Mormons proclaim that BYU is the &#8220;Lord&#8217;s University&#8221;, that it was really nice to point out that President Hinckley [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/07/03/joseph-smith-is-a-ute/</link>
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		<title>Five Funniest Reasons to be Mormon</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Contest to find the top funniest reasons to be Mormon.]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/07/03/five-funniest-reasons-to-be-mormon/</link>
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		<title>Last Chance for Niblet Nominations</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Niblet Nominations are now CLOSED.
Enjoy perusing these links over the weekend, and the voting will commence on Monday!
Best big blog:
By Common Consent
Feminist Mormon Housewives
Millennial Star
Mormon Matters
Seriously So Blessed
Times &#38; Seasons
Best group blog:
The Exponent
Faith Promoting Rumor
Juvenile Instructor
Mormon Mentality
Mormon Metaphysics
New Cool Thang
PoliticaLDS
Segullah
Zelophehad’s Daughters
Best solo blog:
Green Mormon Architect
Hieing to Kolob
Keep A Pitchinin
Life on Gold Plates
Mormon Insights
My Religious Blog
Mormon [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/07/02/last-chance-for-niblet-nominations/</link>
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		<title>David Foster Wallace</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Totally worth the read if you haven&#8217;t read it before.
http://www.moreintelligentlife.com/story/david-foster-wallace-in-his-own-words
It&#8217;s a commencement speech given a few years back by a famously gifted author (who has since taken his own life).  His name is David Foster Walalce.
My favorite part:
&#8220;Not that that mystical stuff is necessarily true. The only thing that&#8217;s capital-T True is that you get [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/07/02/david-foster-wallace/</link>
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		<title>Heroes Are Hard to Find</title>
		<description><![CDATA[With the recent revelation of unfaithfulness of some of our politicians (not that this is all that surprising), it seems that the circle of people that we can look up to is getting smaller and smaller.
I was wondering who your heroes are these days?
We glorify celebrity and sports figures, who make millions of dollars with [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/07/02/heroes-are-hard-to-find/</link>
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		<title>Book of Abraham and Gospel of Judas</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Ok, comparing these two books might seem a bit odd, but let me explain.  First of all, I&#8217;ve already done a few posts on Abraham.  In the first, I compared the Book of Abraham to the Koran, and wondered if Joseph might have translated an Islamic text, because the story found in the Book of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/07/01/book-of-abraham-and-gospel-of-judas/</link>
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		<title>No More Strangers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The church in California is initiating a Young Single Adult conference of unprecedented proportions.  On August 7th and 8th, all of the YSA’s in the state will gather by temple district for 2 days of doctrinal workshops, sports activities, a humanitarian project, a variety show, dancing, and a special sacrament meeting . As part [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/30/no-more-strangers/</link>
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		<title>Groupthink</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Groupthink&#8221; is what naturally happens when a group becomes sedentary and sluggish.  When change is introduced or new people are introduced, they challenge the &#8220;groupthink.&#8221; I&#8217;ve never seen the word groupthink (when used correctly) as a positive.  Does the church suffer from groupthink or just unity (&#8221;being one,&#8221; and &#8220;if ye are not one, ye [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/30/groupthink/</link>
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		<title>Adam and Eve: the First TBM &amp; NOM</title>
		<description><![CDATA[There have been several attempts over the years to categorize Mormon &#8220;belief-styles&#8221;: Orthodox Mormon versus Liberal Mormon, Iron Rod Mormon versus Liahona Mormon, and so on.  In the online world of LDS blogs commonly called &#8220;the Bloggernacle&#8221;, Mormons are often categorized as being TBMs (True Believing Mormons) or NOMs (New Order Mormons).
One evening when [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/29/what-adam-eve-teach-us-about-tbms-and-noms/</link>
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		<title>Welcome to the Niblets Nominations!!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Mormon Matters introduces the 2008 Niblets Awards!
Comments are now closed.  If you have further nominations, click HERE.




The opportunity to honor the unique and talented Mormon bloggers was sorely missed this year. So we decided to give you a chance to look back on 2008 and remember the great things that happened in the Bloggernacle. Mormon [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/28/welcome-to-the-niblets-nominations/</link>
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		<title>Japanese: A Modern Case for Reformed Egyptian</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the common complaints about and arguments against the Book of Mormon is the claim that it was written in &#8220;Reformed Egyptian&#8221; &#8211; a unique and obsolete language that was peculiar to the Nephites and could not be read by anyone else.  There have been many things written about this issue over the years, some [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/27/japanese-a-modern-case-for-reformed-egyptian/</link>
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		<title>Mormon Mythology: Sons of Perdition</title>
		<description><![CDATA[From a mythological perspective, why does our religion have such a powerful and detailed &#8220;Sons of Perdition&#8221; element?  I asked myself this recently after observing other members talk about this theme in length during separate conversations.  They were so passionate about discussing this state of being, going on and on about it, even though it [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/26/mormon-mythology-sons-of-perdition/</link>
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		<title>Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson: Tributes are in order</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Two pop icons are gone on the same day. 
A clingy swimsuit; multiple noses &#8211; that hair; the moonwalk - Angels; Demons. 
So much to mourn; so much to lampoon.
]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/25/farrah-fawcett-and-michael-jackson-tributes-are-in-order/</link>
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		<title>When the Spirit leaves&#8230;&#8230;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Articles of Faith 1:4)
Another of the unique doctrines of the Church of Jesus [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/25/when-the-spirit-leaves/</link>
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		<title>The Disillusionment Phase</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s guest post is by Kate from Myriad Mormon Musings.  Here is a brief introduction, in her own words, followed by her post:
&#8220;My name is Kate. I was raised Catholic, but converted to the Mormon church in 1999 in a hippy branch at Cornell University. Since leaving that branch, I have struggled to find my [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/24/the-disillusionment-phase/</link>
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		<title>Bloggernacle Rankings:  BCC is #1!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[According to alexa.com, By Common Consent is currently the top ranked site in the Bloggernacle.  Congratulations to our esteemed colleagues; you have earned the distinction of &#8220;top blog&#8221;!  Not to toot our own horn, but Mormon Matters is also on the rise in the Bloggernacle (at #3), coming in behind #2 bloggernacle perennial favorite Times [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/23/bloggernacle-rankings-bcc-is-1/</link>
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		<title>WHAT THE WORLD THINKS OF GOD</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
The ICM poll of 10,000 people in the USA, UK, Israel, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, Mexico and Lebanon was carried out for the BBC

It reveals that only       46% of respondents in the UK said they have always believed in God &#8211; 27% less than the average. Only [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/23/what-the-world-thinks-of-god/</link>
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		<title>The Genius of Mormonism:  Missions</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I wanted to do a series of posts on aspects of the LDS church that I consider to be sheer religious genius.  These are religous practices or concepts that have given Mormonism its staying power, and when compared to other religions are &#8220;best-in-class&#8221; (to borrow a term from business).  The first practice I will address [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/22/the-genius-of-mormonism-missions/</link>
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		<title>Spirituality, Rationality, Mentality, Duality</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Today&#8217;s guest post is by jmb275.  In my first guest post, I talked about intellectualism and faith. A few of the commenters pointed out that I had somewhat assumed that we had dual natures &#8211; spiritual and rational. The point was mentioned that the term &#8220;spirituality&#8221; could be loosely defined to be many things &#8211; [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/21/spirituality-rationality-mentality-duality/</link>
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		<title>Bushman&#8217;s Take on Polygamy</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A few weeks ago, here at Mormon Matters, I posted on My Perspective on Polygamy (with a longer version found on my blog.)  I hinted that I wanted to talk about it some more, and this time I thought I would try a more &#8220;faithful&#8221; perspective.  A commenter on my blog took exception to some [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/20/bushmans-take-on-polygamy/</link>
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		<title>My first time at Young Womens Camp</title>
		<description><![CDATA[This week I volunteered to help as the “priesthood” on staff for a couple days at Young Women Camp.  Perhaps this is all old hat to a lot of you, but it was my first experience.  I was very impressed.  It was both fun and tiring.  I never knew girls could be so crazy!
The Young [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/19/my-first-time-at-young-womens-camp/</link>
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		<title>Looking Forward to the Good Life</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve spent some time over the years thinking about questions that remain in regards to the logistics of the afterlife.As I was pondering upon this topic and watching, &#8216;So You Think You Can Dance,&#8217; I realized that no matter what it&#8217;s like in the celestial realm, there will most certainly be some positive changes:

Home teaching.  [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/18/looking-forward-to-the-good-life/</link>
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		<title>The Power of Choice</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the most important doctrinal points of the LDS Church is the power of choice, called agency or free agency in the Church.  In many ways, the entire Plan of Salvation hinges on the power of choice.
“That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://mormonmatters.org/2009/06/18/the-power-of-choice/</link>
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