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 …
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 …
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). …
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] …
Kudos to the Church!
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 …
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 …
Top 10 Reasons for and Alternatives to Viewing Porn
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 …
A Marital Confession
A recent visit at FMH and John Dehlin’s Mormon Stories interview with fmhLisa (Butterworth) has made me realise something about myself that I am not …
Interfaith Marriages by guest Madam Curie
A recent post by Cr@ig on Main Street Plaza caused me to reflect on the strength of interfaith marriages. I had hoped to generate a …
Obedience or Natural Law?
There is an interesting character on Youtube who calls herself “The Non-Muslim Hijabi”. She wears a head scarf even though she’s not Muslim. I felt …
Is a “believing heart” really a positive attribute?
I would like to introduce Madam Curie which many of you know her by on her replies at Mormon Matters she also has her own …
Temple Wedding Petition
A temple wedding petition to is being circulated to promote love and happiness in the family by changing the church’s stance on civil marriages preceding temple …
What is the Final Destination for Apostates and Ex-Mormons?
I’ve always taken it as a given that Mormonism’s view of the afterlife shuffle has always been more universalizing than most of the other alternatives. …
Vagueness as a Gospel Principle
“For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a …
Liken All Scriptures: Matthew 7:1-2
[poll id=”59″] Please explain your answer.
On Agency and Accountability: An Inter-dependent View
Jeff Spector wrote a post on Agency a few months ago which I enjoyed alot. The discussion led me down a slightly different path and I …
How Our Families Can Help Families Around the World Escape Poverty
A year ago my wife and I were struggling to find ways to teach our children the importance of helping those in need, and lamented …
Mormons Doing Nasty Things
Are Mormons more often criminals than members of other similar religions? This is a question we will never answer with precision. After all, one’s religion …
The Grand Council in Heaven: Re-interpreting an Archetype
As a fan of Mormon Studies I value the opportunity to discuss and, sometimes, disagree. In this regard, I have been particularly inspired by the …
Apostate = someone who fails to honor his own conscience
The third ward verses the seventh ward. Us verses them. Insiders verses outsiders. My buddies and I were third warders. We were full of ourselves. …
The Institutionally Unforgivable?
The message of the Gospel of Christ could be encapsulated in a few adjectives, such as: love (Charity), repentance, forgiveness and service. But how should …
Heroes Are Hard to Find
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 …
Adam and Eve: the First TBM & NOM
There have been several attempts over the years to categorize Mormon “belief-styles”: Orthodox Mormon versus Liberal Mormon, Iron Rod Mormon versus Liahona Mormon, and so …
When the Spirit leaves……
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 …
The Power of Choice
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 …
Learning and Understanding Vs. Winning Arguments
Why do you read and comment on blogs? What is your goal? Do you want to make points and debate with others? Is it more …
The Facade of Activity
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …