You see them every week at Church, attending their meetings, performing their callings, shuttling their children to this or that activity. They are active in …
Sacred Space
Today’s guest post is by Joe Geisner. Over on Juvenile Instructor, Jared T. and Ben have done a wonderful job of reporting on the “Sacred …
Even Kung Fu Masters Eventually Leave Us
David Carradine died today in a hotel in Thailand. Go with God, Grasshopper.
What Bothers Me, and Why I Still Believe
I am an active member of the church, and a believer. I am well aware of most of the controversial issues (Book of Abraham, DNA, …
Taking the Fun Out of Funerals
What do you want your funeral to be like? Do you care or do you figure you’ll be dead anyway? How do you feel about …
A South American Setting for Book of Mormon
A few weeks ago, we had quite a discussion on the Malay Theory. While I heartily acknowledge that Mesoamerica is the most widely believed setting, …
Dancing through the Sidebar
There are only two new articles in the sidebar this week, but they are important ones. Comment on either of them – or any other …
The consumer model of religion — A look at a BCC post
I was reading BCC the other day, and I came across this post that just seemed like this tremendous threat to me. I know John …
Intellectualism and Faith: A Would-Be Marriage!
It is easy to think yourself out of a testimony. It’s as simple as saying “well I can’t prove God exists, or doesn’t exist, therefore …
Is Mormon Matters Balanced?
Over the last week, we’ve received quite a few critical comments, ranging from a pro-mormon commenter about “another blog better left unwritten” to an anti-mormon’s …
Women are from Venus, Men are from Kolob
Based on my experience, I would guess that the majority of LDS women under age 65 would say that polygamy is NOT an eternal principle …
CA Supreme Court Upholds Prop 8; Gay Couples Remain Married
The link to the article summarizing the CA Supreme Court decision is in the sidebar to the left. In summary, the court allowed Prop 8 …
Can Love Be A Bad Thing?
The following must not be interpreted as petition to the Church. It’s simply a summary of some thoughts I have had that I would like …
Please Respect the Rules of Common Decency
This is an administrative post that is irrelevant to most of you. For that, I apologize. However, we have had a surge recently in comments …
Adversity as a form of the love of God
“For whom the Lord loveth, he chaseneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Hebrews 12:6; 6-8, 11)”
A Memorial Day Jack Mormon
With Memorial Day upon us, I wanted to highlight a person that people know a little about, Alexander Doniphan, who was known as one of …
Dancing through the Sidebar
Comment on any of the following articles – or anything else from the sidebar – or any other article of interest to this forum that …
Our Soldiers Need FAR MORE Than Tribute
This post is from S.Faux: On this upcoming Memorial Day it will be easy to post flags outside our homes and then just enjoy the …
Bloggernacle Personality Survey
The bloggernacle seems to attract a specific subset of Mormon culture, and as a result, opinions and comments are often different from those we hear …
Best and Worst of Mormonism: Quotes!
A Zen Buddhist/Freemason friend of mine has put together some great posts of “Best and Worst Bible Verses.” I have been trying to convince him …
Good Man Gone
A week ago, I attended the viewing and funeral of a man in our stake who died of an unexpected heart attack. He was in …
Freedom of Religion vs. Death
Some of you may be following the story of Colleen Hauser and her 13 year-old son, Daniel, who has Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and needs chemotherapy in order …
What’s My Age Again?
Today’s guest post is from Bishop Mike Young of the Spanish Ford 401st Ward. He writes: I was reading Mark Twain‘s, “Captain Stormfield’s Visit to …
MM Poll: Your Favorite Scriptures
Mormon Matters has installed a new polling feature, so thought I’d get the ball rolling with a fairly simple one, so here goes.
The Problem with Tolerance
The church has a history of high level leaders making sweeping pronouncements that are later deemed incorrect, speculative, or unauthorized, yet in each case, church …
My Perspective on Polygamy
I have long avoided talking about polygamy on my blog. It is a source of tremendous discomfort for me, but it keeps coming up, so …
LDS worship skills
Today’s post is by The Chorister. I just read a book called In the land of invisible women: A female doctor’s journey in the Saudi …
An Explanation of My Reduction in Participation
[Please pardon the personal nature of this post, but I want to take the opportunity to write this personally.] For the past two years (almost), …
Interfaith International British DJ
OK Paul technically isn’t exactly an international DJ, not unless you consider that you can listen to his interviews on line.
Worship or Whine?
This post was inspired by David Stout’s series of posts on LDS Worship, Part II and Part III as well as HawkGrrrl’s post entitled “More …
Mormon Masks
Often people have a hard time with intimacy (intimacy = “into me see”) because they feel vulnerable. They would rather deal with ideas than people, …
Mother’s Day
As you know by know, I often like to talk about history. So, I thought I would try to learn a little about Mother’s Day. …
Why do we act?
So, the church has a lot of commandments, pieces of advice, laws, words of wisdom (both the specific one and ones more generic). You might …
When the Ward Splits
Since I have lived in Colorado Springs (almost 6 years), I have witnessed a phenomena at Church I hadn’t experienced before while living in San …
Botched Hymns
We are all familiar with this phenomenon. You’re listening to a song you’ve heard many times, and you think you know the lyrics, but you …
That We Could All Be Like – Satan?
Today we have a guest post from Bishop Mike T. Young of the Spanish Fork 401st Ward.
Resentment and Gratitude
Resentment and gratitude both have a role in our faith in Christ. Together they teach us a great deal. Not only is “resentment like taking …
Barack Obama’s Mother Has Been Baptized into the LDS Church! No joke!!!
I’m not kidding. Here’s the link to FamilySearch.org (Update: It appears as though the church has taken the record down…but you can find a screenshot …
Marie Osmond Supports Gay Marriage
Wow. Marie Osmond openly supports gay marriage. First Steve Young’s wife. Now this. Will announcements like this eventually impact broader LDS opinion going forward (at …
Defining Lust and Chastity
Matthew 5:27-28 includes the statement: “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Rather than …
Debunking the Spaulding Theory
In my previous post about Unconventional Book of Mormon Geography Theories, Doug G made a comment claiming that the Book of Mormon is related to …
Dancing Through the Sidebar
Comment on any of the following articles – or anything else from the sidebar – or any other article of interest to this forum that …
April 2009 General Conference – Word Stats
Based on word count, what was the focus of April 2009 General Conference? Before you scroll down, see if you can guess the top 3 …
Who Should Go to Church, Anyway?
So over at T&S they’ve been having this discussion about the recent media report about the majority of America’s drifiting faith issues. And I know, …
Why are the 12 tribes of Israel important?
The LDS Church has a list of 13 general beliefs, which was composed by Joseph Smith in the 1830’s. It does not cover everything the …
More Christ At Church
The mission of the church is to bring people to Christ (it is not the tri-fold mission of proclaim the gospel, perfect the saints and …
Temples Unbuilt
I happen to be cruising around the LDS Temple website the other day and I was looking at the Temples under construction. I was wondering …
Why Faith Needs Reason
The tragedy of 9/11 had a big impact on my views about the relationship between faith and reason. As I watched the video footage of …
Is Accountability a Good or Bad Thing?
I am struck regularly by how many members fail to focus on the life of Jesus and, thus, fail to realize that there are incredible …
Are we going to be Eunuchs after this life?
My home teacher (who is very cool) came by yesterday to drop off some starter cables for my car and as one does in that …
Reflections on a Thought Experiment
I saw a recent thought experiment. The author asked: what if you had to chose between a doctrine you disliked and results you liked (lets …
Deconstructing Christian chain mails
I know my mother has better things to do at work than to forward generic Christian chain mails to everyone in her address book…my problem …
History of Baptism/Mikvah
Since my last post was quite speculative and controversial, I thought I’d go for a change of pace and talk about something we’re all familiar …
Joseph Smith and Wealth Redistribution
This article by a guest blogger originally appeared at Gospel Doctrine Underground. We want to thank the author for allowing us to re-post it here. …
Scripture Study: The Joy of My Countenance
There is a strange parable in D&C 88 about workers digging in a field and their boss giving them the joy of his countenance for …
Does the LDS Church claim to be “an exclusive conduit to God”?
Recently, a veritable Icon of the Bloggernacle, who for purposes of anonymity we shall call “Aloysius Miller”, published a post stating: “I don’t see the …
Nepotism in the Church: 2009 Update
Last time, I did a lengthy post on Nepotism in the Church, which you can find here. This is an update for this year so …
Unconventional Book of Mormon Geography Theories
It’s been over a year since someone posted something on Book of Mormon geography, so I think it’s about time. Most of you believe that …
Surprising Speculations — where can practice and theology take us?
There are some speculations I learned about by all the sermons to the contrary. When I was much, much younger, I read a lot of …
Dancing Through the Sidebar
Comment on any of the following articles – or anything else from the sidebar – or any other article of interest to this forum that …
What If You Weren’t A Mormon?
“What if you weren’t a Mormon?” For some reason, this is something that I often wonder to myself. And this post is about how I …
LDS Worship – Part III
David Stout is a Disciples of Christ minister. This is the third and final installment of his insightful commentary on LDS Sacrament Meeting Worship. To …
What Else Did God Say To Joseph?
Not too long ago, I sat through an Elders Quorum lesson about the First Vision. The teacher, who I like and who generally does a …
“Out-of-Wedlock” Is No Longer “Illegitimate”
In a recent CNN.com/living article (“Out-of-wedlock births hit record high”), the discussion centered on the fact that the birth rate outside of marriage in the …
Scripture Study: What’s Expedient?
I’d like to start a new feature showcasing stuff I read in the scriptures and getting your opinions on what the heck you think it means. …
LDS Worship – Part II
The following is the second part of the series written for us by David Stout, Disciples of Christ minister, about his perception of LDS worship. …
Mainstream acceptance of the Mormons’ Easter Story?
Around Easter 2004, National Geographic produced a documentary titled In Search of Easter. The producers interviewed a wide range of scholars about the Resurrection story …
Interesting Observation: Nephi the Socialist
Ever since reading Believing History, I’ve been looking at the Book of Mormon and relating what it says to what it is closest to. Which …
Symbolism Of the Passover Points to Jesus Christ
The traditional Jewish celebration of the Passover, which started Thursday night, can illustrate the rich symbolism found in the Old Testament and show how the …
Quals or quants?
Today’s post is by The Chorister. I’m an education professor. In academic research, we talk about quantitative research and qualitative research. In order to avoid …
Is the Gospel really good news?
I receive a daily mailing from a fundie Protestant pastor that details every story that day that he feels is important for Christians to know …
Faith vs. Doubt
“Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.”
Could Life be Inherently Just? The Significance of the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man
It seems like a silly question. We all know life isn’t fair. Its cliché, isn’t it? There is a long time “proof” that God does …
LDS Worship
David Stout, Disciples of Christ minister who wrote a very thought-provoking post for us a few weeks ago, has agreed to write a short series …
Families Forver Naked and Not Ashamed
Mormon Matters Motto is Exploring Mormon culture in a balanced way- so bare with me on this one (excuse the pun).
What’s your position on Euthanasia?
First, we need to go over some definitions, because different organizations have different definitions. The 2 most interesting definitions for me are the LDS church’s …
General Conference Open Thread
Impressions and reactions welcome. Just keep it civil.
The Untold Story of Black Mormons by Guest
When I served a mission in eastern Canada in the early 90s, there were many things I was grateful for (warm boots, wool suits, fairly …
Memo To YW Leaders: Thanks, But No Thanks
In our current callings, my wife and I spend a lot of time digging through Church instruction manuals. I teach both the 12/13 year old …
Help Wanted: Predicting the Next Apostle
This Thursday or Friday, someone at the Church Office building will get a phone call and make the long walk to President Monson’s office. By …
Speculation and Testimonies: The good, the bad, the unique …
Recently heard, and not necessarily in order: Logic tells us that Jesus Christ really lived. Think about it. The calendar. B.C. Before Christ. How could …
The Problem with Whistleblowers
A whistleblower is someone internal to an organization who alleges misconduct. So, what if the organization is the church? Does the church handle whistleblowers effectively …
Why B,B-S-W A-As Who Support Extension of the Priesthood to W-w-l-P are Depressed
I decided to spare everyone the full title of this article: Why Bearded, Blue-Shirt-Wearing African-Americans Who Support Extension of the Priesthood to Women who love …
What do you think about Evolution?
I know the LDS church has no official views on evolution. I had someone ask me what I thought about it, and frankly, I haven’t …
What Advice Would You Give Our Bishops? (“Missionary Work”)
I am on the Stake Missionary Committee, and Wednesday night we had a fascinating set of meetings. I couldn’t help but think as the meetings …
Coming out of the closet
A while back I was reading an article by Seth Payne (and I blogged about it on my personal blog from a slightly different perspective)…and …
Murder: As Bad As We Think?
I’ve always been under the impression that premeditated murder is an unforgivable sin. Is it?
Peace and Depression: Lessons on Accountability
I am struck regularly by how many members fail to focus on Jesus’ life and realize that there are incredible lessons (particularly in the Gospels) …
How do you interpret another’s faith?
The following are four approaches one can take when addressing another’s faith.* Exclusivist – Believe in “the only true church.” Exclusivists may see the church …
The Difference Between Persians and Arabs
This is a post from my blog I did previously, with some updates. I will confess that I love learning about the Middle East. …
Battlestar Galactica Series Finale Review: SPOILER ALERT
OK, I realize that the majority of our regular readership are probably not BSG watchers; however, since the reimagined series is based on the original …
My Son’s Mission Details
My son received a large white envelope from SLC yesterday, and he had to wait four hours to open it, so that his mother and …
Strange Bedfellows
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 …
Consecrating our Illness
I was sick over the bitterest month of the winter. It was just one grueling, annoying, or depressing illness after another. First it was a …
In Praise Of Good Bishops
Here’s the one lesson I learned from my 3.5 year stint as an Elders Quorum President: never, ever aspire to be a Bishop. Seriously, it …
St Patrick, a Wonderful Missionary
Since today is St Patrick’s Day, I wanted to write a quick post about St Patrick. Few people know his story. I know that Mormons …
What all can we do, anyway?
One of my fencing coaches often relates a story about how she despises the parents of little fencing kids. And this is not isolated. Soccer …
When Evil-Speaking Creeps Unawares Among Us
Last week, there was some heated debate here about More Open Mormon History. I don’t want to open that exact same discussion all over again, …
Soliciting Opinions for a Marriage Sunday School Class
In the next month or so I will be teaching a six-week Sunday School course based on “Strengthening Marriage: A Resource Guide for Couples” from …
Why Mormon Doctrine Is NOT Mormon Doctrine
Many people both within the Church and outside the Church think that Bruce R. McConkie’s book, Mormon Doctrine, is the official declaration of LDS church …
Positive Black History in the Church
Much has been made of the LDS Church’s unflattering history regarding the priesthood ban. But there are some positive stories. I’d like to address some …
International Ignorance
Someone mentioned in a blog post that I read recently about how accessible materials and information about the Church are for us these days: blogs, …
A So-Called Case Study
So-called: 1. called or designated thus 2. incorrectly called or styled thus Two definitions: one is fairly generic, the other carries with a challenge towards …
Moving along on both tracks
Well, my latest ponderings. Your feedback will be welcome.
There’s more than one way to (not) abide it . . .
Today’s post is by The Chorister. Sometimes I get really frustrated with my relationship with the church and find myself increasingly feeling like I don’t …
The Bloggernacle: The Church’s Unofficial Complaint Department
Since I began using the Internet, I discovered both the positive and negative aspects of it. One can find a wealth of information heretofore unattainable …
Does Tom Hanks Hate Mormons?
Tom Hanks is a beloved actor to many Mormons for his family-friendly roles and everyman quality. Yet, his recent negative remarks (and hasty retraction) calling …
Soliciting Advice for My Son
My oldest son has finished all of the preparation that is required to submit his mission papers, and our Stake President has formally submitted his …
From Black Panther to Mormon: The Case of Eldridge Cleaver
He’s the stuff of kitschy seminary teachers who like to make the Church hip to their edgy adolescents: Eldridge Cleaver. A real Alma the Younger …
Is Mormon Culture Depressing Utahns?
Ever since I read the MHA study ranking Utah as the #1 most depressed state in the U.S., I’ve been asking my Mormon friends and …
Dancing through the Sidebar
Feel free to comment on any of the following links – or any others in the sidebar: Hat night at Mesa Temple Wow, could these …
The “Doctrine of the Family”
I was disturbed as I read the Visiting Teaching Message for the month of March. It is titled “Uphold, Nourish, and Protect the Family,” and …
More Open Mormon History
I attended a few Mormon History Conferences last weekend. I gave a more detailed account on my blog, but wanted to see how Mormon Matters …
Mormon Art – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
From the misguided and ill-conceived to the hurl-worthy, why is there so much bad Mormon Art? Do Mormons have worse artistic taste than non-Mormons? Or just …
The Larger-Than-Life Relics of Heritage, Part I: The Sweetwater Rescue
I’m not one of those “let’s prove popular stories incorrect so we can watch the orthodox-squirm” kind of fellows. You know the kind…they start …
Would This Gay Marriage Compromise Work?
David Blankenhorn and Jonathan Rauch co-wrote an article recently in the New York Times called, “A Reconciliation on Gay Marriage”. I have linked the full …
Dissecting Porn: A look at some interesting statistics.
Today’s post is by Orchard. First off an introduction of myself is in order as this is my first actual post! I’ve been around for …
Faith and Logic: Finding and Navigating an Individual Balance
NOTE: This is a guest post by David Stout, Disciples of Christ minister. I write from the perspective of a Disciples of Christ minister whose …
Filtered Visions by guest Reuben Collins
I’ve been thinking about Levi Peterson’s The Backslider lately (SPOILERS AHEAD).
Go to Church or Die!
A recent article in Time discusses several studies about the correlation between faith and health. Does church attendance contribute to a healthier, longer life? Is …
RS/PH #28: Missionary Service: A Holy Calling, a Glorious Work
Missionary Work—When I first saw the topic, I thought “Ugh, what a boring topic.” But I was pleasantly surprised, and learned some things about early …
Shipbuilding: Tasks or Vision?
Spending a week in the Pacific Northwest on vacation, surrounded by boats and the vastness of the sea, when I read this quote from Antoine …
Interview with David Murphy
The chance to do an interview like this doesn’t happen too often. David Murphy is a kind, energetic young man who does promotions for Simeon …
Every exmember a missionary
And now, dear friends at Mormon Matters, is your regular report from the Dark Side of the Moon. I was reading a comment in another …
My Struggle with Formal Prayer
NOTE: This post is a combination (with minor edits) of two posts that I wrote on my own blog this month, as I contemplated Matthew …
Brigham Young: Prophet, Pioneer . . . Radical Environmentalist?
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 …
The Stories We Tell
Joseph Campbell said: Read myths. Read other people’s myths, not those of your own religion, because you tend to interpret your own religion in terms …
The Almost-Right Place: Joseph Smith and the Texas Republic
By the time my FHE activity was over, I had the counselor in the bishopric grumbling about how I was on the high road to …
Dancing through the Sidebar
There are some fascinating articles we find occasionally and post in the sidebar, and then there are others that simply are too funny to ignore. …
On the perfect smile
I really don’t know if it’s just me, but have you ever noticed that there are a lot of LDS dentists? I mean, sure, we’ve …
What is the Holy Ghost?
One of my favorite parts about BYU-Idaho, or rather, one thing I actually liked about BYU-Idaho, was the religion classes. Systematic, academic study of the …
Virtual RS/PH Lesson #27: Beware the Bitter Fruits of Apostasy.
Since Hawkgrrrl does not offer Virtual RS/PH lessons anymore, I thought I’d try my hand at it this one time. My wife was preparing Lesson …
Born To Believe
A while back, some of us had an interesting discussion on my blog called “The Faith Gene.” We were examining the possibility that certain people were …
Bad Apologetics, Meet Bad Polemics
polemics: The art or practice of disputation or controversy, especially on religious subjects; that branch of theological science which pertains to the history or conduct …
Jesus for President!
Many view the Second Coming as a time when Jesus will personally and politically reign, not just host lamb & lion mixers. So what do …
Baptism Rant
Today’s post is by guest blogger The Teacher.
More Unbridled Speculation — the Priesthood Ban
It seems like everyone likes to speculate about the priesthood. Who can resist?
Temple Recommend Questions? By Guest Aaron Reeves
This morning I was listening to one of the Mormon Stories podcast and there was a brief comment in it about some of the old Temple Recommend …
Why Would God Create Ordinances?
LDS Church leaders have made it abundantly clear that the Church’s claim to be the “only true and living Church” does not mean Mormons have …
The Porter Rockwell Effect: Mormonism’s Soft Spot for Bad Boys
At BYU, I was a bit of a dabbler, at times, bordering on dilletantism.
What is Truth?
When it comes to religion – can everyone know truth? Can anyone? Today’s guest post is from Justin Perry.
Creeds of the Creedless
The restoration was essentially based on a rejection of the creeds of Christendom which were declared “an abomination” and “those professors were all corrupt; that: …
How much truth is too much?
It may be that some of you caught the excellent article in Monday’s USA Today titled “How Much Truth Is Too Much?” It can be …
The Role of the Church in the Pursuit of Righteousness: Why It Works for Some and Not for Others
Last April, as I was contemplating my monthly New Year’s resolution (Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness), something struck me quite forcefully – something I had …
Revelation & Things
Today’s post comes from The Teacher. Section 8 of the Doctrine & Covenants refers to “another gift” Olivery Cowdery had, called at different times “the …
Where would you go?
A few posts on MormonMatters got me thinking once about my relationship with other faith groups. For instance, a recent post on why it seems …
The Purposes of God Cannot Be Frustrated
The title is from DC3:1. Today’s guest post is from Bouvet and is in reference to this year’s Doctrine & Covenants manual, Lesson 4 is Remember …
A Truth-Seeker’s Guide to the Bloggernacle and Beyond
Several months ago I received a telephone call from Armand Mauss, who is a member of my Stake. He was calling on official Church business, …
Zero Population is the Answer, My Friend . . .
Thought I’d catch your attention with that line from “Saturday’s Warrior,” the bane (or bastion, if you don’t know what you’re talking about) of Mormon doctrine.* …
Celibacy and Sexuality
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 …
Why Faith Needs Doubt
The very existence of what is commonly called the “veil” seems to tell us at least two things about what God intended real faith to …
Unbridled Speculation, the Series Begins
Thought I’d start with one by Hyrum Smith
Joshua’s Unholy War
Admin Note: This is our first guest post from Mormon Heretic. When most of us hear the word “jihad” or “holy war”, we immediately know …
What Darwin Could Teach Richard Dawkins and the Mormons
Man with all his noble qualities, with sympathy which feels for the most debased, with benevolence which extends not only to other men but to …
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 …
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 …
Upon What Rock?
There’s a difference in interpretation between how LDS and non-LDS view the statement by Jesus to Peter when he says “Thou art Peter, and upon …
Gender: A State of Mind
This is a post written initially on my own blog. It was reprinted on Feminist Mormon Housewives a while back. It created a very lively …
President Thomas S. Monson: First Year in Review
Today, February 3, 2009 is the 1-year anniversary of the calling of President Thomas S. Monson as the 16th President of the Church of Jesus …
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 …
Who needs false doctrines when you can have unbridled speculation (a new series)
“Say nothing but repentance unto this generation” D&C 11:9. How much fun is that?
The Curious Case of Solomon Spaulding
For years now I’ve heard people offhandedly dismiss the Book of Mormon as a known plagiarism of “the Solomon Spaulding manuscript.” I’ve finally gotten around …
The Symbolic Image of Christ
Much has been said in church magazines and the Bloggernacle about the image of Joseph Smith. Do we know what Joseph Smith really looked like? …
Gospel Euphemisms
Exodus 20:7: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh …
Are We Cross at the Cross?
As I was getting ready for church one Sunday, I went to put on a necklace. I looked at the cross that a non-LDS family …
Authority Problem? Why not morality?
About a week ago (if I’ve got this newfangled blog software system set up and can submit this article correctly this time, that is [what’s …
Why Is It So Hard for Many Ex-Mormons to Join Another (Traditional) Christian Denomination?
I had a job a long time ago as the Training Manager at a company that was going through the ISO 9000 certification process. For …
Why I Like the Correlation Committee
I am going to state what is bound to be a wildly unpopular opinion: I really like the Correlation Committee.
False Doctrine, the Neverending Story
I’ll get back to folk doctrines and unsubstantiated rumors in a little bit. Right now I’m going to write about one of the most enduring …
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 …
Sunday School As Ritual
“Read your scriptures” “Go to Church” “Watch Saturday’s Warrior” (heaven help the Sunday School who has a Saturday’s Warrior faction) “Sunday School answers” generally do …
Is God a Mormon?
NOTE: This is another post from our newest author – Faithful Dissident. Whether we’re Mormon, Baptist, Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim, we all believe that God …
Glorifying “The Good Old Days”
I think it’s fascinating to watch people justify their angst over prophets by pointing out all the “weird” stuff about which prophets used to speculate, …
The Problem with Authority
Mormons are sometimes criticized for their unquestioning obedience to authority. Statements like “When the prophet has spoken, the thinking is done,” and the Primary song …
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 …
The Age of (Un)Accountability
NOTE: This is the first post for a new Guest Author – The Faithful Dissident. We look forward to many more to come. Growing up …
Why I Almost Went on a Mission
I hear there’s a Primary song — “I hope they call me on a mission.” I’ve never actually heard it sung, but I vaguely know …
In Search of the Historical Joseph…
If you think the title tips my hand, hold onto your hats. Indeed, I am consciously borrowing from Albert Schweitzer’s famed work, In Search of …
Conservative Evangelicals & Liberal Mormons: Are They Really Similar In Ways?
The following quotes are excerpted from an article written in 1989 and quoted by the Fundamental Evangelists Association. (The entire article is an interesting look into …
Stop Baptizing Our Dead!
The LDS doctrine of Baptism for the Dead is unique within Christianity. The explanation for the doctrine and additional references on the LDS Church website …
Abstinence= Don’t think the colour red! Don’t think the colour red!
“The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health” (Add Health), Found that conservative and evangelical Christian teenagers are more sexually active than mainline Protestants, Jews, and …
Peace, Be Still: And There Was a Great Calm (Mark 4:36-39)
In trying to understand more deeply what it means to be a peacemaker, I was struck by the way that the following account is worded: …
How Hitchens, Dawkins and Harris Got it Wrong — And Right
Man I love this article. It’s an interview with a Harvard Psychiatrist and Director of Harvard’s “Study of Adult Development” — discussing the importance and …
Obnoxious Folk Doctrines — the unstoppable force
There were several complaints about the false doctrine thread — about how I was slighting folk doctrines. I’ll be back to the false doctrine series …
Guest Post: How Would You Have Reacted?
Introduction: The following is from a post by Reuben at SingleSpeed titled “Harmonica at Church”. He has agreed to let us post it here, with …
Nipples, Sexism and Racism
There was an interesting article in Time recently about Facebook’s censorship of pics with nips, specifically eliminating pictures of breastfeeding moms (and, in their defense, a few …
The Ghosts of Modernity in a Rural Mormon Town
The land of Star Valley is an almost mystical one, surreal in its environs and mystical in its origin. The last of the Mormon settlements, …
The Difference Between Mercy and Kindness:How Does It Apply Here?
I was struck last year, as I worked to understand mercy better, by the difference between mercy and kindness. If I had not focused on …
New Year’s Resolutions I Might Actually Try to Keep
First of all, Happy New Year to all our bloggers and participants here at Mormon Matters. I hope that 2009 brings peace and greater insight …
Spiritual Resolutions: My Practical Plan
This year, I am instituting only one New Year’s Resolution. It is the same resolution I made at the end of last year. That resolution …
Does Religion Devalue Human Life?
Answer: Yes. Any questions?
“Never Lead Us Astray.” And Dissonance.
“So powerful is the need for congruence that when people are forced to look at disconfirming evidence, they will find a way to criticize, distort, …
Can you be a Unitarian and a Mormon at the Same Time?
We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons. Joseph …
What is Good Church Leadership?
What is good leadership? How did Joseph Smith envision church leadership? How does that differ from the church today and how is it the same? …