A MORMON MATTERS RETREAT! “Understanding and Navigating Healthy Perspectives and Journeys within Mormonism” Led by Dan Wotherspoon, Ph.D. and Natasha Helfer Parker, LCMFT, CST With …
Psychology a legitimate field?
My brother studies psychology at the University of Buenos Aires. Some members of the church told us that a member of the church should not …
How do I help my wife overcome sexual trauma?
I am a 50+ year old life-long member who is eternally committed to a talented and caring LDS woman and our 30+ year temple marriage. …
Why is no one addressing women watching porn?
The only time porn is brought up is in the Priesthood session. I’m positive a lot of girls grow up not even realizing that some …
How forthright should parents be about their past transgressions with their children?
How forthright do you think parents should be about their past transgressions with their children? What about when a teenager or young adult is struggling …
Richard Dutcher’s Spiritual Journey
Mormon Stories podcast just published a 4-part interview with filmmaker Richard Dutcher, conducted by Dan Wotherspoon. This is the final portion, where Richard discusses his …
Sexual Naivete – pros and cons?
The following question is one I recently received on my blog that I have not answered yet. Who wants to help me out? What advice …
Erotica versus Pornography…
Seeing as how we are doing some restructuring at Mormon Matters, I am going to take advantage of this “space” to encourage communication around issues …
Looking for a Few New Collaborators/Writers/Podcasters
Mormon Matters is looking for a few new collaborators to re-work the design and purpose/mission of the blog. We are basically considering 2 things: Bringing …
Mormon Therapist on Stress Affecting Marriage
My husband and I have been married for 15 years and we have 7 children. We obviously have had a healthy sexual relationship and we …
What do you think of a Mosque at Ground Zero?
I posted this at my blog, but wanted to see reactions here at MM. Over the past few weeks, I have driven by a billboard …
Mormon.org FAQ: Modesty & Chastity
We’ve explored some of the answers members have posted on the mormon.org site in the church’s new profiles campaign. So far, we’ve discussed member answers …
God is a What?! Part Two
When you think of God, do you envision? a proper English gentleman a modernized Biblical patriarch an erudite English professor at a Ivy league university …
Best & Worst of Mormonism: Mission Experiences
Right up there with primary, this is a sacred cow for me – perfect for this series. I’ll list off my own best and worst …
Teaching From the Manuals
Mormon Heretic’s blog post this week, Comparing Correlation with the Supreme Court, inspired me to find out, or try to find, exactly what the manuals …
6 Interpretations of Isaiah that Should Not be Perpetuated
OT SS Lesson #36 LDS Sunday School students will soon take a quick leap through 66 chapters of Isaiah in five forty-minute lessons. All too …
Am I my brother’s keeper? Undocumented workers and illegal aliens
My general experience with illegal aliens is similar to the one called to mind by George Bush: people who at great risk and significant hardship …
Mormon Therapist on Sexless Marriage
My wife never touches me… I am quite frustrated in my marriage and it stems from issues of sex and intimacy. I have been married …
Comparing Correlation with the Supreme Court
As I mentioned before, I am enjoying Greg Prince’s biography of David O McKay. Under the McKay Administration, correlation of LDS church materials made a …
Mormon.org FAQ: Race Restrictions
We’ve explored some of the answers members have posted on the mormon.org site in the church’s new profiles campaign. So far, we’ve discussed member answers …
What if somebody is watching me?
Firetag has brought up some things that are dual** — that is they are contradictory things at the same time. The classic example is that …
The Blog that Ate Religion
“The Blob” was one of those horror movies from the 1950’s that I, as a young boy, found right on the boundary of “too scary …
Your Opinion is Wrong!
Since I was a teenager, I noticed when people discussed an issue or topic that was contentious and heated, the typical style was to attack …
Renee Olson just died
Her death was sudden and unexpected. For more about her: http://www.blacklds.org/renee-olson-full-testimony Her Facebook memorial page here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Renee-Olson-memorial/158092054201230 She will be missed.
Even beyond idle speculation — the worst things you’ve ever heard at Church?
I still remember a meeting where the speaker said “I was never part of your organization and knew nothing about it until I was called …
Mormon Therapist on “Are two parents better for kids?”
I’d like to see your reply to this: http://www.cupblog.org/?p=742 Are two parents better for kids?
Mental Illness and Suicide
My sister recommended that I should listen to John L Lund’s three-talk set called How to Hug a Teenage Porcupine. This isn’t the normal type …
Mormon.org FAQ: Homosexuality
We’ve explored some of the answers members have posted on the mormon.org site in the church’s new profiles campaign. So far, we’ve discussed member answers …
Sorrowing for Korihor
Mormon Heretic’s post on forgiveness from a few weeks ago touched me deeply, but I needed time to get my thoughts together about it before …
all decisions are emotional
I always have to laugh when people claim we Mormons (or even believers in general) make our decisions based on “feelings.” What they don’t realize, …
the Authority of Paul
For some reason, I was thinking about the structure of the New Testament Church after the ascension of the Savior. What is clear is that …
Duality, Doctrine and When Less is More
D&C Section 77 and its companion section 113 have an interesting history. An “older” high priest was publicly debating with local ministers about doctrine and …
Mormon Therapist on “My husband is homosexual.”
Several years ago, my husband confirmed my worst nightmare. He sat down and said that he is homosexual and receiving counseling. He has suffered from …
Coke, Rum Cake, and President McKay
I just started reading Greg Prince’s book, David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. It’s been a great read so far. Prince tells …
Mormon.org FAQ: Prophets
We’ve explored some of the answers members have posted on the mormon.org site in the church’s new profiles campaign. So far, we’ve discussed member answers …
Duality and Divinity
In both theology and religion, there is a concept called “dualism”, which — to avoid confusion later — I’ll note now has nothing much to …
Job, Healing and Elder Oaks
Elder Oaks General Conference talk on healing has ended up as one of the talks widely used for an alternate week priesthood and relief society …
Mormon Therapist on Cutting Self
I first noticed signs of depression and anxiety when I was in Jr. High School. I am now happily married with two young children. With …
Mormon Bishop Killed at Church
There was very sad news from Visalia, California on Sunday. A mentally ill man named Kenneth Ward walked into a church looking for a leader. …
Mormon.org FAQ: Role of Husbands & Wives
We’ve explored some of the answers members have posted on the mormon.org site in the church’s new profiles campaign. So far, we’ve discussed member answers …
Unsolved Puzzle
A few years ago I wondered what it means to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I wondered: is …
Book of Mormon Geophysics
When most people use their rational faculties to test their testimonies about their religious scriptures, they tend to concentrate on things like history, archeology, or …
What kind of “Mormon” are you?
TBM? NOM? Ex? Post? Orthoprax & Unorthodox? Deist? Liberal? Conservative? Orthodox? Fundamentalist? Faithful? I’m not sure what category, if any, I fit in. Sometimes I …
Favorite and Most Difficult Church Callings
What have been your favorite and most difficult Callings you’ve had at Church? In some cases, they may be one and the same, but likely, …
Ok, time to speculate on gender essentialism
There are lots of ways to start this off. I could start with the more than forty sexes of slime molds (why stop at 4 …
Yom Kippur and the Symbolism of Jonah’s Spiritual Journey
OT SS Lesson #33 If your ward happens to be just a little bit behind on the Sunday School lessons, you might experience the synchronicity …
Mormon Therapist on Internet Infidelity
I have been happily married for 7 years. I recently came across this anonymous chat website that lets you chat with a random stranger at …
If They Tarry…
D&C 137 records a vision of Joseph Smith “in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, January 21, 1836. HC 2: 380–381. The occasion was the administration …
Mormon.org FAQ: Political Parties
We’ve explored a few of the mormon.org profiles’ answers to tough questions on polygamy and women & the priesthood. Today let’s take a look at …
Our Day of Rest
The seventh commandment, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8) seems like a fairly simple statement on the surface. But, in practice, …
Where Have All the Revelations Gone?
Lesson 17 of the Gospel Principles manual in use today for Priesthood and Relief Society is entitled “The Church of Jesus Christ Today.” Under the …
Viewpoints, Part Two
A viewpoint can change things. Consider Sir Thomas More, famous as a model of honesty, integrity and virtue. A man for all seasons and a …
Adversity: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
OT SS Lesson #32 After the Satan figure is given permission to afflict Job as a test of his faithfulness, three of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, …
The Mormon Therapist on Teen Suicide
Recently a 16-year-old young man from our ward hung himself. It was a horrendous shock for everyone, as this was a handsome, well-liked boy. The …
Sunstone 2010 – A Feminist Recap
I really enjoyed the last day of Sunstone, since I was able to attend all day, rather than a session here or there. Don Bradley …
Mormon.org FAQ: Women & Priesthood
Last week we looked at some of the cool profiles on mormon.org that are part of a new effort to make members real and accessible …
The Mormon Therapist on Confession
The following is part of an answer I gave to a woman in response to a question dealing with “Do I need to tell the …
Sophia of the Proverbs and the Feminine Divine
OT SS Lesson #31 Feminist readers of the scriptures are well aware of the passages in Proverbs 8 which personify Wisdom (GK Sophia, HEB Hokhmah). …
WHY our meetings are dull for some, and great for others
Okay, so our meetings are dull. Complaining about it is dull. I’ve been wondering though, what about the wards that have better meetings? What makes …
I Admire Faith
I admire faith
Resolving the Conflict between the TBM and the ExMo
Today’s guest post comes from Ulysseus, a frequent commenter at Mormon Matters and elsewhere in the b’nacle. His website can be found here. To take …
Presiding in marriage and otherwise
Let me start with a true story, I recently observed and that resulted in this post: It is obviously a vacation weekend. The only member …
The Mormon Therapist on Sexual Education
We have reached the point where we need to begin having discussions with our child about sex. Our child is 9. One of the major …
Religious Archaeology and Evidence
I’d like to discuss both Biblical and Book of Mormon archaeology. Most people believe the Bible is on solid archaeological footing, but that isn’t actually …
Mormon.org FAQ: Polygamy
The church has initiated a new online profile campaign on mormon.org in which those interested in the church can “meet” actual members who’ve posted pictures …
A New Church? — The New Mormon.org PR/Marketing Campaign
Hey. If you haven’t seen it yet….a new Mormon.org PR campaign is upon us…and all I can say is…”Wow.” Seriously. Wow. An “independently minded wom[a]n”. …
Viewpoints, part one
It is delightful, some times, to see how the LDS Church is seen from the outside. For example, you might be surprised that one thing …
Rules, Principles, Seeds & Shells: Part II
Last week, I began to sketch out the relationship between rules and principles. For the CliffNotes: faith is a process of applying correct beliefs that …
Hanging Out with Apostles at Sunstone
Sunstone has been going on since Wednesday here in Salt Lake City. It ends tomorrow, and I thought I would give a few words about …
The Latest in the Prop 8 Fight
This past week, Judge Vaughn R. Walker in a U.S. District Court ruled California’s Proposition 8 was unconstitutional because it violated the Equal Protection Clause …
Commenting Styles, Posting Styles (and you expected a Sunstone Post, didn’t you?)
Ok, I actually have my entire presentation written down, and I could have posted it, so you could read it at Mormon Matters if you …
Discussing the Temple Initiatory from a Faithful Feminist Perspective
I recently had my temple recommend renewed and I’ve been thinking about the temple initiatory for women and wishing I could discuss it from a …
The Mormon Therapist on Making Kids go to Seminary
I am looking for some advice. I have 3 children. My oldest is a freshman in high school. We are an active LDS Family. My …
Elder Brown Defines Political Extremism
There are a large majority of Mormons (especially here in Utah) that think the Church is wedded to the Republican Party. A very interesting letter …
Why Do People Struggle? (With Poll!)
Through my time in the church, I’ve known many who have left the church, many others who have seemingly never had an issue, and a …
Why Mormon History is Not What They Say
Our controversial guest post today is from Rock Waterman. Check out the original unabridged post at his blog, Pure Mormonism, so titled from his observation …
things that scare you
The best advice I ever received was about a month into my mission. I was naturally struggling to learn the first few principles of the …
Pyramids-R-US
Last week I spent a supper hour (it took that long) reading an article called “America’s Ruling Class – And the Perils of Revolution” by …
Rules, Principles, Seeds & Shells, Part I
I sometimes wonder where the 32nd chapter of Alma would rank in a list of most iconic scriptures in the entire Book of Mormon. It …
Marriage Counseling: Waste of Money or Balm of Gilead?
I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that most of you could use some good marriage counseling. Yes, you. “…do ye …
The Dullness of Complaining that LDS Church Meetings are Dull: A Rebuttal
I recently read a piece by Jana Riess on Beliefnet.com “Why Are Mormon Church Meetings So Dull?”. I intended to write an extensive rebuttal on …
Higher Criticism, my viewpoint and the Church
I first learned about higher criticism in the context of the archeological excavation of Jericho. The German higher criticism read was that Jericho never existed …
Passing the Mantle
OT SS Lesson #29 The prophet Elisha is introduced for the first time in 1 Kings 19. Elijah has recently had his encounter with the …
The Moral Panic Causes Trouble in Zion
Kenny Ballantine is in the process of producing a documentary called Trouble in Zion. The documentary discusses the events leading up to the 1838 Mormon War …
Facebook and Marital Fidelity
A Salt Lake City news report in early 2009 shared some troubling statistics. One in 5 divorces in Great Britain cited Facebook in the contributing factors that …
Songs That Touch Our Hearts
Since yesterday was Pioneer Day, I thought I’d share my thoughts on one of my favorite Pioneer Hymns. Most of you are probably familiar with …
Should Mormons in the Diaspora Celebrate Pioneer Day?
It has only been in recent years that I have slowly become aware that not every convert to the Church shares my deep identification with …
Doubting My Doubts
I’ve occasionally heard a curious phrase…”Doubt your doubts.” “Be skeptical of your skepticism.” I have wondered what these phrases could mean and of what import …
Date Night: When your arguments are always the same…
Do you ever feel like you and your spouse fight the same way every time? Almost like, “here we go again?” Can you predict how …
Ergo the White Shirt and Conformity
A lot has been written about the oppressive symbol of the white shirt in the Church. I wish to offer a more positive view of …
Find heroes
I worked for a time on a project involving heroquests and myth structures. I analyzed historic, legendary and fictional stories and texts, rituals, narratives and …
Uplifting Non-LDS Music
I really like music. I like just about every kind of music. I like to choose it according to my mood to help me achieve …
Mormon Therapist on Marital Differences with living the Word of Wisdom
When one spouse does not follow the Word of Wisdom but is not being irresponsible (e.g. drinks alcohol responsibly, drinks coffee or tea), what can …
Tackling the Mormon Myth about Alice Cooper
If you’re Mormon, you’ve probably heard the myth that Alice Cooper was a Mormon. Most of you have probably dismissed the myth as complete hogwash. …
Spiritual Guidance: A GC Talk Review
I wanted to try a new feature – going through some of the previous GC talks to discuss some of the ideas put forth. I …
Come to….Sunstone, Come to….Sun….stone.
The wonderfully splendid Salt Lake Sunstone symposium is upon us, once again. When? August 4-7 Where? Salt Lake City Sheraton What? Lots of thoughtful Mormon goodness, …
The New Mormon.org
Do you ever visit the church’s website for members (at lds.org)? I must confess, I rarely do. It seems so…austere. And somewhat…inorganic. So, I have …
Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost
Guest Post by Jared The objective of all who are baptized by water should be to receive the baptism of the Spirit. Otherwise, our baptism …
Date Night: What is your couple sexual style?
I was going to law school. Coming home from a mission in Japan, I was going to get a law degree and take Japanese business …
Impressions of Martin’s Cove and Other Places
***Updated with Pictures*** This week, my wife and I took a short road trip while my youngest son was at Boy Scout Camp. We went …
Deconstructing Solomon
We tend to remember Solomon as either magically wise or the one who fell from grace with too many wives. Of his acts of wisdom, …
The Divided Kingdom Today
OT SS Lesson #27 “Take an old piece of clothing,” our SS lesson advises, “or a piece of paper that is cut in the shape …
The Mormon Therapist on Appropriate Sexual Intimacy in Marriage
Is anal sex wrong? I asked my husband to do it once because I was curious and he was more than willing to oblige. We’ve …
Strangite Q&A
As I mentioned previously, I really enjoyed the Strangite session of the Mormon History Association meetings a few weeks ago. Vickie Speek, John Hamer, and Mike …
Understanding the Atonement
The atonement is to Christianity what enlightenment is to Buddhism: the foundational concept. How do you feel about the atonement? I admit to some mixed …
Mormon Law: The First Half of 2010
By Jeff Breinholt On the East Coast this past 4th of July weekend, it was hotter than blazes. In addition, to heat, the arrival of …
Lessons from Old Testament Harshness
Deuteronomy 6:10-12 seems incredibly harsh. As the Lord’s people enter into Canaan, they are given cities that they haven’t built, produce they haven’t grown, and …
The Question Solomon Couldn’t Answer
OT SS Lesson #26 Our Sunday School lesson this week attempts to deal with the conundrum with which we are faced when considering that Israel’s …
The constraints of agency: Your neighbor and your neighborhood
Albert Bandura defines agency is “the capacity to exercise control over the nature and quality of one’s life.” We have freedom to make choices, and …
Cookie Cutter Church Buildings
There was a time that each Church building, Meetinghouse, Stake Center and Temple was a unique structure, and, in many cases, very distinctive. For a …
Saw me in prison and came unto me …
The Dallas District Attorney’s office preserved DNA evidence. When advances in science occurred, they were able to retest many samples in cases where people claimed …
Latter-Day Morality
You may not be aware of this if you grew up Mormon, but the LDS definition of morality is rather different than that which is …
Free Will vs. Determinism…FIGHT!
One of the most basic and fundamental premises of Mormonism is the idea of free will. While we take this for granted in Mormonism, in …
The Mormon Therapist on Interracial Marriage
Recently I’ve been in contact with a girl by means of the internet. We haven’t met but plan to soon. I like her a lot. …
Eastern Orthodoxy: Theosis/Deification
Covenant Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian Seminary. They have online courses that you can listen to for free! If you pay tuition, you can get …
Ward Cliques
Does your ward have cliques? Are cliques a good or bad thing?
When the Fourth of July Falls on the Sabbath
Yesterday’s activities began with a Pancake Breakfast over at the Church, followed by a softball game. We loaded up several of the kids from the …
Song Practice: Not Music to Our Ears
“We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all Song Practice Ladies, as soon as they get a …
The Next Victim
This post is by our guest, Leah. He is getting his temple recommend renewed. He has his humble face on. He has paid up his …
Best and Worst: Bible Verses!
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you… and ye shall …
Have You Ever Wondered…..
A set of random questions to aimlessly ponder on a Friday.
“As a new religion it is too bad you don’t have a theory of …
.. war” a friend of mine said. ” Once your theology develops, it should be interesting to see what kind of nuanced debates you have.” …
Approaches to Psalms
OT SS Lesson #25 The Book of Psalms is one of the most beautiful and meaningful books of the Bible, and it is agonizing to …
Faith, Knowledge, Belief, and Stochastic Theory Part 4: Finding Truth – An Optimization Problem
In part two of this series I discussed Bayesian inference. Specifically, I discussed how Bayesian inference provided us with a mechanism for deciding in what …
The Mormon Therapist on “Honoring” our parents.
I have been depressed off and on for the thirty years since I joined the Church and almost ten years before that when I wanted …
A Horrific Tale of Forgiveness
I really miss my book club, but I am participating in the Stay LDS Book Club. The first book that we have decided to read is Left …
Priesthood as a Puberty Rite
A unique aspect of Mormonism is that all males over age 12 can hold an office of the priesthood, and that they are expected to …
Wandering Mormons as Nephites
More than two years ago, the Holy Spirit began insisting that I re-read the Book of Mormon. Of course, I didn’t immediately recognize the impulse …
Writing a Life
“It’s the people who write, who last. If any woman out there has any inclination to to remembered in the future, the next few generations, …
Mormon Marriage Ref: Bikinis, Garments, & Facebook
WARNING: Sophisticated readers have described The Mormon Marriage Ref as a painfully artificial and repellent reality TV way of solving arguments, as using incredibly silly …
The Fallibility of Infallibility
The Prophet Joseph Smith said “ … a prophet was a prophet only when he was acting as such.” (History of the Church, Volume 5:265). …
So what is a Mormon? What is a Feminist?
To answer the question “what is a Mormon?” I found myself asking the question “what is a Feminist?” I was at a lunch. I was …
King David and the Doctrine of Blood Atonement
OT SS Lesson #24 The following statement was made by the LDS Church last Wednesday in conjunction with the execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner by …
Faith, Knowledge, Belief and Stochastic Theory Part 3: Putting It All Together
In part one I introduced the problem I see with our current understanding of faith, introduced some basic statistics, and weakly drew a comparison to …
The Mormon Therapist on Parental Concerns re Toddler Masturbation
Natasha Helfer Parker is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and a member of the Church with 13 years of experience working with LDS …
Joseph and Sidney: A Strained Friendship
The friendship between Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith is very fascinating. Sidney was one of the earliest, and most impressive converts, joining the church in …
Mormonism: Nature Religion or Social Religion?
“God against Man. Man against God. Man against Nature. Nature against man. Nature against God. God against nature–very funny religion!” ~Dr. D. T. Suzuki. Is …
Official Doctrine vs. Personal Speculation
Mormonism, in its very short history, has a rich tradition of theological speculation. The foundations of the Church were based on burning desires to know …
Father’s Day Reflections
Stop to capture your answers as you read through the scenario. Imagine . . . You have set off to climb a mountain, in search …
How Many Mormons Does It Take to Screw in a Lightbulb?
Today’s post is by Matt Workman. I waited backstage with my small troupe of comedians. One more act to go, then it was our turn …
Faith & Doubt
Today’s guest post is by Glenn. When I was at BYU, I got interested in the study of folklore – the way that traditional culture …
Faith, Knowledge, Belief, and Stochastic Theory Part 2: Inductive Reasoning
Deductive reasoning is a form of reasoning in which the conclusion can be drawn directly from the premises. The idea is to show that the …
Time to Study the Old Testament…Again – Part 8 – The Names
One thing that has always intrigued me about the English version of the Old Testament were how the names, the Hebrew names, were modified away …
Being heard when you complain
I came home one day from Sacrament meeting and my wife had a sheet of paper, on official church stationary, titled “First Presidency Statement on …
Homosociality and the Friendship Between David and Jonathan
OT SS Lesson #23 The story of David and Jonathan is one of the most inspiring examples of true friendship anywhere. Our LDS SS manual …
Home-teaching and motivation: A view from an organizational psychologist
Today’s guest post is by Benjamin O. I’ve wanted to write this for a long time. First I need to make a few disclaimers–one, to …
The Mormon Therapist on “I don’t feel safe talking to my husband about sex.”
Natasha Helfer Parker is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and a member of the Church with 13 years of experience working with LDS …
United Order vs Consecration
I always thought the United Order and Consecration were the same thing. I’ve been reading a book called Great Basin Kingdom by Leonard Arrington (former church …
Equal Parenting: Feasible or Not?
There was an interesting article in NYT about the parenting equality in Sweden. Sweden’s practices are probably the most advanced in terms of creating parental equality, …
The Mormon Therapist on the Color Gray
Natasha Helfer Parker is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and a member of the Church with 13 years of experience working with LDS …
Choice Seer, Spokesman, and Scribe
Guest Post by Christopher C. Smith Chris has a BA from Fresno Pacific University in Biblical Studies, an MA from Wheaton College in History of …
How tech-savvy is your faith?
I understand that we cannot text message faith. I remember hearing a lesson (at least a couple times over the course of six years of …
Mormon Marriage Ref: The Johansen’s Daughter is Cohabitating!
While the situation described may be common, the names, events, and dialogue etc. are all fictional. Here’s the situation: David and Sue Johansen have been …
The Release
With every calling in the Church, a release comes at some point. With the exception of Apostles and Prophets, death is usually not the circumstance …
Of course [fill in the blank] isn’t worth trying to save
We all know some groups are not redeemable. Democrats, heretics who think Christ can be your friend, those who abuse children. If they aren’t redeemable, …
You Can’t Ride Two Donkeys With One Ass: Saul and Spiritual Rebirth
OT SS Lesson #22 Ever since I was introduced to the word “liminal,” I have claimed it as my own. This word describes a threshold …
Faith, Knowledge, Belief, and Stochastic Theory Part 1
Faith has always been a perplexing topic for me. The definitions we hear in church, and in the scriptures seem to come up short. Furthermore, …
The Mormon Therapist on Sex Talk
Natasha Helfer Parker is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and a member of the Church with 13 years of experience working with LDS …
Are you sure you’d like to live the United Order?
We had an interesting discussion on my Prayer and Politics post. (Unfortunately, we talked more about politics than prayer.) The discussion focused on economic policies. …
Mixed Belief Marriages
What should a church member do if their spouse is a non-believer? This is something that many couples encounter, either because one spouse ceases to …
Absolute Truth, Inclusivism, Lumen Gentium, and Emeth
Guest post by Thomas In C.S. Lewis’ final Narnia book The Last Battle, there is a powerful scene of an encounter between the Christ-symbolizing lion Aslan …
Then I Will Believe
Our guest post today is by SilverRain, who blogs at The Rains Came Down. When Jesus was suffering on the cross at Calvary, those who …
Facebook Declarations
Today’s guest post is by Matthew Workman. I lived a few blocks from Venice Beach for many years, so I thought I’d seen quite a …
Bloggernacle Performance Art
As an outsider and newcomer, I must admit that there are just some things about the Bloggernacle that I cannot even begin to grasp. One …
Best and Worst of Mormonism: Primary Songs!
*Note: For my Best and Worst series, my intent is not to be negative for its own sake. Rather, I believe in balance, moderation, and …
The Doctrine of Grace: After all we can Do?
The doctrine of grace is one of those things not very well understood within Christianity. While most traditional Christian denominations accept the doctrine of “Salvation …
The Paradox of Organized Charity
Experimental ethics is an area that teaches lessons we may not expect. Some of the lessons make sense. Panhandlers working in front of a bakery …
Patriarchal Hierarchy and the Kingship Model
OT SS Lesson #21 When we lived in Saudi Arabia a few years ago, I obtained a faculty position in the fairly newly-formed department of …
A Control Freak’s Lament
I’m a control freak. Yep, both professionally, by training, and naturally. I like to be in control of machines, robots, airplanes, my life, my spirituality, …
Mormon Therapist on Empty Nesting
Natasha Helfer Parker is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and a member of the Church with 13 years of experience working with LDS …
A Schismatic End to the Mormon History Association meetings.
I attended the Mormon History Association meetings in Independence, Missouri this past week. I thought I’d share some pictures. If you’d like to read more …
Eternal Progress vs. Eternal Increase: A Poll
One of the distinct LDS doctrines is that of eternal progression: the idea that we continue to grow and develop as individuals throughout eternity unless …
A Memorial to Peace
“War, rather than any foreign state, is the supreme enemy of country and mankind. One day citizens will covet for this nation the prestige of …
Prayer and Politics
A few years ago, I read a book by Larry King (yes–the one you are familiar with), called Powerful Prayers. It is one of my …
Does God Squash ETs: How Human is Human?
Distinctly Mormon doctrines relating the physical appearance of humanity to God’s own “preferred” form grew gradually in early Restoration history rather than springing forth in …
Church history and our quest for the Great Mormon Novel
About two years ago, Carter Hall wrote an article on this very site comparing and contrasting the types of heroes that Superman and Spiderman represent, …
How Being a LOST Fan and a Church Member is Pretty Much the Same
New Convert: “I watched them all back to back this year on DVD. And I’m very glad I did. And I’d do it again.” Dogmatic: …
Toting to Church
I remember when I starting attending Church that many members, mostly woman carried around large white cardboard tote boxes filled with materials, usually for primary …
On becoming a [p]rophet (small “p”)
I often meet two kinds of people. The first has a voice that others hear. The other has a desire to be heard, but they …
A Closer Look at that Virtuous Woman
OT SS Lesson #20 Sometimes I wonder how women in the Judeo-Christian tradition got stuck with the gender role identifications they have. The Old Testament …
The JST of the Bible and Early Christianity
Early Christian Theological Differences I recently read Misquoting Jesus by Bart D. Ehrman. One of the interesting realities on which Ehrman elaborates is that early …
The Mormon Therapist on Kids Talking Anatomy
Natasha Helfer Parker is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and a member of the Church with 13 years of experience working with LDS …
Joseph Smith’s Presidential Platform
So, I came across an interview of Richard Bushman at the Pew Research Forum, about both early and modern Mormon politics. I’ve also been reading a …
AZ Immigration Law vs. LDS Interests?
A recent article in the Arizona Republic highlights the negative impacts to the LDS church of the new Arizona law that steps up enforcement of …
Binding the Broken-Hearted
Nothing is more painful than a broken heart. When this kind of sorrow gets deep into a person’s soul, all troubles are magnified, blessings are …
Politicization of the Church
Today’s guest post is by David H. Bailey. I am concerned about the increasing politicization of the Church in the U.S. during past two or …
Reflections on Mormon May Day
by Jason B. (Mormon May Day was an international response to recent statements by latter-day McCarthyist Glenn Beck that social justice was a code word …
Truths that are powerful, essential, yet not always helpful
I once knew a woman who complained of her new therapist (she had been in therapy for years) that after thirty minutes he had interrupted …
The Death of McConkie’s Mormon Doctrine
Last night on KUTV in Utah, an announcement was made which signals the end of an era. It was reported that Bruce R. McConkie’s Mormon …
Feminist Musings on the story of Jephthah
OT SS Lesson #19 You are going to talk about the Biblical Judges in this week’s Sunday School class, and the lesson’s got it pretty …
The Mormon Therapist on Effects of Pornography Use on the Spouse
Natasha Helfer Parker is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist and a member of the Church with 13 years of experience working with LDS …
Church History: Principles
There has been a lot of discussion in the b’nacle about what the church can do from a practical standpoint to address the thorny issues …
Sets, Meta-Sets and an Incomplete World
We know we live in a fallen and imperfect world, that God has light and knowledge for us, both individually and as a church that …
Questions About the Exodus
For more than 1700 years, Christians have been looking for Mount Sinai, the place where Moses received the 10 Commandments. Constantine’s mother, Helena was probably …
A Non-Historical View of the Book of Mormon
Perhaps the time has come in the church to recognize that some members want to openly espouse a non historical view of the Book of …
The Repentant Sinner – Extreme Edition! (aka too many rules)
Suzy: Dad, I’m sorry I scratched the couch! Dad: It’s okay, just don’t do it again. 2 minutes later Suzy: Dad, I’m sorry I picked …
Circumcision Rock & Roll
OT SS Lesson #18 The advantage of blogging the SS lessons instead of teaching them is that I get to cover the chapters that are totally skipped …
Should truth be simple, easy to comprehend?
OK, friends and pals of MormonMatters…let’s play a game. (You just can’t get this at any of the other blogs, btw.) Some of you may …
Tapping into the genius of youth in a church run by old men by Chris Jones
Chris Jones is a 6th generation Mormon and graduate of Brigham Young University where he studied journalism. He served a mission in the Sweden Stockholm …