The Lonely Polygamist: MM Book Review

May 8, 2010
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The Lonely Polygamist: MM Book Review

At the tender age of 19, a sister missionary handed me a Book of Mormon and challenged me to read it. The only thing I’d ever heard about the Mormons is that they were somehow connected with polygamy.  My interest was piqued.  I figured I could find out more by reading this book that they had given me — but though I read it straight through in the next 3 days, it took me longer than that before I discovered any evidence of polygamy!  Brady Udall’s new novel “The Lonely Polygamist” promises in the first sentence: “This is a story…

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Nepotism in the Church – 2010 Update

May 7, 2010
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To follow on with my post for the past two years, here is this year’s Nepotism in the Church installment.  To find the original post, click here. The 2009 update is here.

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Looking for an Apologist to Discuss Book of Mormon for Podcast

May 7, 2010
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MM Community, I’m looking to do a podcast series for Mormon Stories on Book of Mormon Historicity and DNA.  I’ve approached Mike Ash to participate, and he has politely declined (I’m waiting to hear back on his reasons).  I’ve also approach FAIR, and am waiting to hear back. In case FAIR/FARMS decide not participate, do any of you know anyone who is a believer in Book of Mormon authenticity, who is able AND willing to discuss Book of Mormon historicity and DNA issues on a podcast?  I offered Mike Ash and FAIR the questions in advance, and an opportunity to…

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Church Vernacular and the Magical Worldview

May 7, 2010
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It is Sunday, and Mike and his new bride, Valerie, are up visiting Mike’s family for the weekend. Mike is a physics major and has just finished finals. He is looking forward to some much needed freedom, as well as catching up on neglected chores. Although Mike’s parents typically plant a garden each year, this time Valerie is particularly interested in harvesting her own set of vegetables. The ground was prepared last weekend, but rain has prevented them from planting, and even more rain is in the forecast for the coming week. Now is the time to plant! Unfortunately, contrary…

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The Angel and the Ass

May 6, 2010
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The Angel and the Ass

OT SS Lesson #16 The story of Balak and Balaam is a study in the marvelous complexity and richness of Biblical literature.  The pericope includes five narrative sections, four poetic prophecies, and a fable (the tale of the angel and the ass).  It also includes commentaries found elsewhere in the scriptures.

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Mormonism and Catholicism: Who Can Mock This Church?

May 4, 2010
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Mormonism and Catholicism: Who Can Mock This Church?

There was a great article in the New York Times this week:  Who Can Mock This Church?  While it was about Catholicism reeling in the wake of the pedophilia scandal, it raised a few points relevant to critics of any church.

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Reform Mormonism a Poll

May 4, 2010
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Reform Mormonism a Poll

I have recently come across a group called Reform Mormonisim. I thought their views were interesting and as I mentally answered some of their questions here I was surprised how much of it resonated with me.

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Book of Mormon on the Baja

May 2, 2010
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Book of Mormon on the Baja

When I think  of the Baja California Peninsula, I think of the Baja 1000 off-road race where people take lots of vehicles and cross the deserts in all sorts of vehicles.  However, the father-son team of David and Lynn Rosenvall believe the Baja Peninsula (south of California in Mexico–its most famous city you may recognize is Tijuana) could be the location of Book of Mormon lands.  I’ve been promising to do a post on this theory, and it is time to review it in more detail.

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Inoculation, a success story? by Heidi

May 1, 2010
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Inoculation, a success story? by Heidi

I’d like to introduce a good friend of our family —  Heidi. She has written the following thoughtful post. I spent most of my first three decades in the church by subscribing to the mantra that “the gospel is true, but the people aren’t.” What I really meant by “the gospel” is anybody’s guess. In the beginning, I’m sure I identified it closely with the prophet and the church itself. Yet, even in my believing days, the gospel was always something beyond the leaders and beyond the bricks and mortar of daily Mormon life. The gospel was transcendent, it was…

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A Rational Theology Part 2: The First Four Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel

April 30, 2010
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A Rational Theology Part 2: The First Four Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel

In my previous discussion of “A Rational Theology” by John Widstoe, I discussed two methodologies of deriving a full LDS theology in use during the time Widstoe was writing this book.  We then compared such strategies with modern church apologists. In this installment, I’d like to discuss the first four principles and ordinances as we view them today, and contrast them with what Widstoe lays out in his rational theology.

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Putting Things on a Shelf

April 29, 2010
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Putting Things on a Shelf

People like to talk about putting things that bother them about the church on a shelf.  Of course, the problem is that for some, the shelf gets pretty full and comes crashing down like Fibber McGee’s closet.  So what’s on your shelf, and is there a better model for dealing with problematic church doctrines?

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What the Golden Rule Does NOT Say: or, “Jesus wouldn’t recognize that rationalization.”

April 28, 2010
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One of my monthly New Year’s Resolutions last year was taken from Matthew 7:9-12, a slight change in my original plan. (See here.) These verses state: Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,…

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Limiting Revelation: The LDS Concept of Stewardship

April 28, 2010
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Limiting Revelation: The LDS Concept of Stewardship

OT SS Lesson #15 A scripture in the Doctrine & Covenants encourages us to “be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of [our] own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.”  But I’ve noticed that there is a concept that is widespread in the LDS Church which tends to limit our engagement in good causes and even, on occasion, the righteous seeking of revelation.  This is the idea of stewardship.

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Raising the Bar: The Honorably Excused

April 27, 2010
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Raising the Bar: The Honorably Excused

The church decided to “raise the bar” in 2002 on entry requirements for missionaries, effectively preventing those with a history of serious sin from repenting and enter the mission field.  This reduced the number of missionaries serving (down from a peak of 62K to approximately 51K at a time) and the number of convert baptisms (initially maintaining a rate of 4.7 or 4.8 baptisms per missionary, which rose to 5.5 in 2009), but another trend has also emerged in the last few years.  A higher percentage of missionaries are returning home early than before the change.  Is there a correlation between high worthiness…

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Casting Joseph Smith

April 26, 2010
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Casting Joseph Smith

Telling the story of Joseph Smith on film has been the ambition of many artists for a long time.  Joseph’s place and influence in the tapestry of American and World history is undeniably significant, and his story is certainly one worth sharing on the screen. Each filmmaker who undertakes telling his story by dramatic medium is faced with the challenge of finding a suitable actor to play the part of the prophet; to cast Joseph Smith. Many actors have played the part of Joseph, some more convincingly than others.  I’ve compiled a photographic list of many of these actors, so…

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Is prayer a form of “deity panhandling”?

April 25, 2010
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I’m teaching the Priesthood lesson today.  You may have had this lesson already; we may be a week behind you.  Before I get into the lesson, I thought it might it might be nice to get some quotes on prayer. “There are two kinds of people: those that say to God ‘Thy will be done.’  And those to whom God says ‘Ok, have it your way.’  C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters. “Under certain circumstances profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.”  Mark Twain.

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Speculation: Adam and Eve, Evolution and the new lesson manual; where did you go?

April 24, 2010
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Speculation: Adam and Eve, Evolution and the new lesson manual; where did you go?

In our group someone asked about evolution, the fossil record and Adam and Eve. Of course we began to speculate.

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Top 10 Reasons Why This Mormon is Excited About the South Park “Book of Mormon” Broadway Musical

April 23, 2010
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Top 10 Reasons Why This Mormon is Excited About the South Park “Book of Mormon” Broadway Musical

Yep.  Those wacky, irreverent South Park guys (Trey Parker and Matt Stone) are up to their old shenanigans.  They’re bringing down the irreverence anvil once again with a mighty blow to the head of organized religion — and (yet again) Mormons are the target.  As if this and this and this and this were not enough Mormon mischief, Parker and Stone have announced the pending release of their newly penned Broadway musical to be titled: “The Book of Mormon” (LDS Church lawyers permitting, of course).  As we read from the New York Post: “The Book of Mormon” will juxtapose a tale…

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Buttprints in the Sand

April 23, 2010
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Buttprints in the Sand

Today’s guest post is from Glenn.  Some of you may have seen this before. I wish I could claim authorship, but no – it belongs to the impressive work of Anonymous. I came across this a few years ago when I was collecting material for my dissertation on Mormon Humor (which I never finished, by the way). It’s not uniquely “Mormon” in its message or application, but I love the way it critiques the traditional “Footprints In The Sand” poem, which has always left me with that uncomfortable feeling that I should have a little more sand between my toes. …

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Brigham Young: Prophet, Pioneer . . . Environmentalist?

April 22, 2010
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Although Brigham Young is one of the most well-known Presidents of the LDS Church, perhaps second only to Joseph Smith, it seems most Mormons are completely unaware of his passionate beliefs about caring for the Environment. We owe Hugh Nibley an enormous debt of gratitude for collecting Brigham’s teachings about the Environment and publishing them in his 1972 essay, “Brigham Young on the Environment”. When a home teacher shared the essay with me several years ago, I was shocked to read statement after statement by Brigham Young that one would expect to hear from a radical environmentalist, and I quickly…

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What if the “Sunday School Answers” were:

April 22, 2010
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What if the “Sunday School Answers” were:

First, do no harm Be kind Help others I see nothing but good coming from praying, reading the scriptures, and keeping the commandments. But it seems to me that these things give us an inner focus, while a main thrust of Jesus’ message as Messiah was how we treat others. Since our primary concentration during Church instructional periods often centers around improvement of the self, we groom our members to become paragons of personal righteousness who may be lacking in their living of the social gospel.

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After Action Report: The Community of Christ Did WHAT?

April 21, 2010
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Headline in the Independence Examiner for Thursday, April 15, 2010: “Delegation Takes No Action on Human Sexuality Issues: Church Will Continue Dialogue.” Headline  by John Hamer on BCC on Thursday, April 15, 2010: “Gay Rights Revelation Added to The Community of Christ D&C” ———- The two headlines above generally cover the spectrum of opinion about what happened at the Community of Christ World Conference as it completed the process of canonization of a new Section 164 for its D&C. The spectrum of opinions about whether what happened was a good thing or bad thing, of course, runs even more broadly.…

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Kudos to the Church!

April 21, 2010
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We spend a lot of time in the bloggernacle analyzing, critiquing, and otherwise discussing the church and its culture. I think there is value in this for those of us who need this type of engagement. However, Mormonism (like many other religions) is a topic that few are able to dispassionately discuss. Some of us lean toward criticism, others toward apologizing. I do not know how those in the b’nacle (those who actually read what I write) perceive me, but my posts are not exactly oozing with praise most of the time!

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The Gospel of Mammon – Chapter 2: [SEALED]

April 20, 2010
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A translation. Of an ancient record. Written by the hand of its author. [For an explanatory introduction to the Gospel of Mammon, click thou on the profile of the author: Lord of Mammon.] 1. And it came to pass that on that day which the Gentiles called April 20, 2010, the translation of Chapter Two of the Gospel of Mammon was published for all the world to see. 2. And behold, those who were pure in heart were able to receive it, and did rejoice in its truth. 3. But behold, many there were who did despise it, and did…

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White and Delightsome or Pure and Delightsome? (Cognitive dissonance 2)

April 20, 2010
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White and Delightsome or Pure and Delightsome? (Cognitive dissonance 2)

I’m 1/16 th Chippewa and don’t even look a little Indian! I figure from my knee down is pure Chippewa and  for whatever reason  I am pretty proud of that. In the afterlife if possible I would like that section preserved if God sees fit.  Below is my Great Grandmother and Grandmother — you can see even from one generation to the next how things change.

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God and Mammon

April 18, 2010
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We are conflicted about wealth in the Church.  A goodly portion of members are neo-Calvinists, certain that fore-ordination and inherent grace are both manifested by wealth.  There is no conflict between God and Mammon because Mammon is God’s delivery man. There are also many who assert that all wealth is really theft or luck.  Any spending that is not wealth transfer is an accession to Babylon.  C.S. Lewis has a great discussion of this mindset in The Great Divorce. So, which group is right in their denunciation of the other as unholy? Both, obviously.

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The Top 10 LDS Musicians You’ve Never Heard Of: Roxy Rawson

April 17, 2010
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The Top 10 LDS Musicians You’ve Never Heard Of: Roxy Rawson

When I created Linescratchers, I began with a desperate hope that I wasn’t commencing on a long wild goose chase. After all, the idea that I could create a website featuring talented LDS musicians who don’t write LDS music was based wholly on two premises: 1) that they exist somewhere, and 2) they are easier to find than, at minimum, Bigfoot. The next two years of hard work have completely paid off. I’ve been tirelessly scouring the Internet for musicians who happen to be LDS, and I’ve been surprised to find out that LDS musicians are EVERYWHERE. They’re just not…

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Symonds Ryder and a Crisis of Faith

April 15, 2010
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Symonds Ryder and a Crisis of Faith

Once again, the story of Symonds Ryder has been misused to illustrate a point about leaving the Church over something inconsequential.  Undoubtedly there have been Latter-day Saints who have apostatized from the Church over a small slight.  However, the two tales which are often cited when warning of this danger, the Thomas B. Marsh strippings of milk story and the Symonds Ryder misspelled name story, are likely inappropriate in this context.

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Top 10 Reasons for and Alternatives to Viewing Porn

April 14, 2010
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Porn is a subject that irritates many members.  Some wish it didn’t have to be discussed as much as it is, while others think it doesn’t have to be discussed as much as it is.  (Maybe there are some who wish it was discussed more than it is, but that’s a completely separate issue.)  I want to take a very different look at it by explaining the Top Ten Reasons I can think of to view it – and the Top Ten alternatives for me personally.  This post is not primarily a religious one; rather, it is a practical one.

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A Rational Theology Part 1: Scientists and Apologists

April 14, 2010
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A Rational Theology Part 1: Scientists and Apologists

While looking through the bookshelves of a close relative, I discovered a rather significant library of old Mormon books. Most of these books were published from around 1900-1950. As one who loves to read about all things Mormon related, I was the proverbial “kid in a candy shop.” One book that jumped out at me was “A Rational Theology” by John A. Widstoe. The full text of the book can be found here. I’d like to do a series of posts pulling interesting gems from this book and contrasting them with our modern conceptions in the church. Some of this…

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Giving Back His Name

April 13, 2010
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Giving Back His Name

“Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day; And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day.” (3 Nephi 27:5-6)

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