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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
After Action Report: The Community of Christ Did WHAT?
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 …
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 …
Mormon Myths as Transferable Charisma
Richard Bushman has recently given a presentation on ‘Joseph Smith and the Routinization of Charisma’. One of Bushman’s arguments seems to be that Charisma was …
Church Growth and the Tendency toward Liberalism
Some time ago, as a guest I wrote a post entitled ‘Academic freedom in the Church‘ which tried to explore some of liberalizing tendencies seen …
In the Shadow of the Temple by Guest
A close friend of mine who wishes to remain anonymous recently saw in the shadow of the temple his story follows: In October, I was …
‘Christmas’ or ‘Winter Festival’: I’m not sure I care!
This must be the the third year that I have heard people bemoan government plans to change the name of Christmas to ‘Winter Festival’ or some …
The Single Mormon Girl and the Priesthood
Everybody blogs, right? Why not me? Looking for my niche, my angle, and the one thing that seemed to make me stand out in my …
Brother Brigham Brother Young
Recently I drove up Little Cottonwood Canyon with my brother and nephew. This is the canyon in which many of your ancestors pulled out the …
Perspective
Everybody blogs, right? Why not me? Looking for my niche, my angle, and the one thing that seemed to make me stand out in my …
Secular Learning and ‘Correlation’
In a 1926 Improvement Era the M.I.A. reading course included four books: ‘The Book of Mormon, 50c; by mail, 60c. Prophecies of Joseph Smith and …
De-centralising the Spirit: Between Charisma and Bureaucracy
In a lecture entitled ‘A Historian’s Perspective on Joseph Smith’, Richard Bushman shows an interesting trend in religious cultures that surrounded Joseph Smith. This trend centers …
Common Consent: Democracy or Prophetocracy?
At 10:00am on a brisk August morning in 1844 Sidney Rigdon addressed the Saints. Brigham Young spoke briefly before the break and at length in the …
“Ich Bin Ein Pioneer”
This post was originally scheduled to appear on Pioneer Day, but I had a bit of an accident and had knee surgery the day before, …
Have you read the Sealed Portion of the Book of Mormon Yet?
Christopher Nemelka has published the sealed portion of the Book or Mormon and has also translated the 116 pages of missing manuscript. His website can …
The Sesame Street Approach to Primary
The children’s television series Sesame Street premiered November 10, 1969. I was just turning 10 years old, so I didn’t watch it very much as …
The Book of Mormon and the Prosperity Gospel
So, it seems that some of the other sites in the Bloggernacle have already sidebarred something about this little article from the New York Times …
What if the Brethren decided to allow gay marriage? by Justin Perry
What if the Brethren decided to allow gay marriage? They’d have to do a lot of back-peddling to explain why they were suddenly in favor …
Doing Right for the Wrong Reason
Should we still do good things, even if our motives are not perfect and pure?
How do we earn our morals?
A while back on my blog, Seth R (usually of 9 Moons fame) posted a lengthy and detailed comment about the deficiencies of liberal religion …
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 …
Why do you go to Church?
I have left messages on this and other blogs about how boring church can be. This has prompted the question, “Well, if it’s so boring, …
Alexander Doniphan and the Limits of Dissent
The Story of Alexander Doniphan is well-known and probably does not need to be recounted here (For more information see Mormon Heretics Post – A …
Obama and Elvis are cousins
President Barack Obama met with President Monson on Monday in the Oval Office, thanking President Monson for a thorough history of the first family.
Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up?
David W. Bercot, a Texas attorney and Evangelical Christian, embarked on a quest to discover what Christians believed and practiced before the Nicene Creed. What …
There is only one issue in the Bloggernacle and all other things are only appendages to it.
“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again …
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 …
WHAT THE WORLD THINKS OF GOD
The ICM poll of 10,000 people in the USA, UK, Israel, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, Mexico and Lebanon was carried out for the …
What is Revelation?
People have different opinions on what personal revelation is. Is it from God or from within us? Is it personal or universal in the scope …
Trying to Understand My Friends Who Didn’t Leave the Faith
Here is a modified excerpt from a 60-page writing that I made for close friends and family members when I decided to leave the church …
What Makes People Good?
An article in Newsweek “Adventures in Good and Evil” made a few interesting points about why some people are good and some are evil.
If someone should get only one thing out of the church, what should it be?
In an ideal world, we would like everyone to be members of the church (actually, this is just a generalization that I’m going to write …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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.
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, …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 …
Faith vs. Doubt
“Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.”
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).
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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: …
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 …
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 …
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.* …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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? …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Does Religion Devalue Human Life?
Answer: Yes. Any questions?
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? …
Temperance Movement and The Word of Wisdom
For almost two centuries the Word of Wisdom is solid proven evidence to many members that the Church is true.
Who’s Winning the War on Christmas?
Peter Brimelow, a British journalist, is credited with coining the term “War on Christmas” in 1999 to describe the politically correct movement in English-speaking countries to …
The Unsung Hero of the Nativity
As I was setting up our nativity scene this year, I noticed the wisdom and cultural/racial diversity of the Magi, the docile farm animals (not …
Are Mormons Better Christians?
A friend of mine pointed out this blog article to me: http://timwade.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/are-mormons-better-christians/
Betting on the House!
“What do Catholics, Jews and Mormons have in common?” “Catholics don’t recognize birth control, Jews don’t recognize Jesus, and Mormons don’t recognize each other in …
Half-way Mormons: A lesson from the Puritans
I hope everyone enjoyed their turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving last week. One thing I appreciate about the Puritans, other than their fondness for a …
Twilight and “The Great Mormon Novel”
Many consider The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene to be the quintessential Great Catholic Novel: a book written about faith and doubt with …
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Who wrote this, and why wouldn’t the Correlation Committee allow it to be published today? Every teacher is obligated by his responsibility to others to …
Persecution Complex
Today’s guest post is from The Captain. The urban dictionary defines the term persecution complex as follows: One of the top fifteen factors that can …
Virtual RS/PH #21: The Second Coming & The Millenium
To the teachers out there, sorry if this one is coming a day late and a dollar short. Our ward is a month behind on …
Should we have listened to BH Roberts?
BH Roberts predicted that if church leaders did not address the historical problems of church origins and possible anachronisms in the Book of Mormon, these …
When Is Your Ox in the Mire?
You probably know the Primary song about Sunday observance by heart: Saturday is a special day It’s the day we get ready for Sunday We …
What is a Testimony?
Ironically, some of you with “strong testimonies” may think that those struggling with their testimony make only a small percentage of us here today. The …
The Church as a Tool
What is the church to you? A family you must learn to love? A path you must follow? A checklist of items you must do …
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Our quote this week is from another church manual predating Correlation. Who wrote this, and why would the Correlation Committee disapprove?: Just what is the …
Are Sacrament Meeting Talks Rehashes of General Conference Talks Where You Live?
In my ward in a very LDS-heavy area of Arizona, I’ve been noticing a pattern in the sacrament meeting talks. I’m not sure how far …
The Cross, Part 1: Taking up Your Cross
In this series of posts on The Cross (not sure how many yet), I will try to examine this Christian symbol from a few different …
Virtual RS/PH: Stand Fast Through the Storms of Life
This week’s lesson is an interesting compilation of horrifying stories of persecution and suffering from the life of Joseph Smith. Read on if you dare …
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Another week, another great uncorrelated quote from an LDS Church manual that would never see the light of day in today’s church: Every discussion of …
Witch-Hunting
Halloween is just around the corner! Have you ever been on a witch hunt? Or have you been singled out by a witch hunter? Here …
Hymn #114: Come unto him
Today’s post is by The Chorister. This is one of my favorite hymns. We hardly ever sing it in Sacrament meeting, which is a real …
The Gospel and Gasoline
So in case you haven’t heard, we are at the tail end of a gasoline shortage in Atlanta. Stations were empty for days at a …
Stopping Time for the Unconverted
I had an interesting conversation with a woman today. Missionaries would call it a bash. I called it posing and answering meaningful questions. It prompted her …
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Hi everyone, Welcome to my new series where I provide you, the reader, with an excerpt from an LDS church manual, uncited, which I LIKE. …
Freak Out! Handling History
What do you do when you learn about something shocking that you did not previously know in Church History? Freak out? Retreat into a stupor …
Virtual RS/PH #18: Beyond the Veil: Life in the Eternities
This week’s lesson might sound like a repeat from the previous lesson on Plan of Salvation, but it is much more specifically focused on one …
What is the Point of Religion?
I read an interesting blog site that posed this very question from a Hindu perspective. It was thoughtfully worded, so I thought I would include …
Hedging Your Bets: Refusing to Leave the Church
Two men pull up to a house they’ve never been to before. It’s dark, but a few lights appear on. They slowly get out, not …
Meetings: Striking a Productive Balance
Mormons often joke about the 14th Article of Faith, and it often is quoted somewhat like this: We believe in holding meetings, and in asking …
How Much Does Church Activity Have To Do With ‘Being Mormon’?
Not so long ago, when I would hear about someone who didn’t go to church at all or have any interest in returning would refer …
The Book of Mormon: A 20th Century Text
There are many positions on which century the Book of Mormon originated in, but most seem to fall into two general camps: the book was …
Religious Education in the Church–It’s no School of the Prophets!
On January 23, 1833 in Kirtland Ohio, Joseph Smith met for the first time with a select group of members in what he termed the …
What’s Most Important to You?
We all attend church for various reasons, and in reality, no church can be all things to all people. Plus, what you get out of …
Feeling Guilt: Repentance or Excuse?
Here is an idea that has been kicking around in my head for many years. I thought I would see if I could really articulate …
Superman vs. Spiderman
What do Superman and Spiderman have to do with Mormon history? Nothing at all. But maybe something about the two characters relates to the way …
Using Prayer As A Weapon
Here’s how the bedtime ritual usually goes at my house. After baths are finished, hair is combed and teeth are brushed, my family gathers for …
Churches are Made for the Ninety and Nine… What About the One?
Believers and non-believers. The faithful and the doubters. Religious conservatives and religious liberals. TBMs and NOMs. These are ways we describe the differences in our …
Is Pride the Only Sin?
Can all sins be reduced to just one sin: pride? Is pride essentially the root cause of all sins?
Virtual RS/PH #17: The Great Plan of Salvation
A unique facet of Mormonism is our view of God’s plan for his children, or our purpose in life. Today’s lesson focuses on what JS …
How Active Are You? How Orthodox Are You? A Self-Assessment
Take this assessment and find out: (Taken from D. Jeff Burton’s For Those Who Wonder : forthosewhowonder.com. Similar to a Correlation Department survey on Religion …
The Theology of “Saturday’s Warrior”
Many Church members consider Johnny Lingo to be the zenith of kitschy Mormon culture (for the uninitiated, you can see it here). When I was …
What Would You Change?
What if you were given free reign and could change or remove one requirement the church makes of its members — forever? Today’s post is …
Common Scriptures in Review: JSH 1:19
[NOTE: This post is slightly longer than normal, since I am commenting on multiple phrases and words throughout the verse in question. Please pardon the …
In Defense of Apologists
The term “apologist” is often used derisively like the terms “lawyer,” “statistician,” or “telemarketer.” Why are apologists so derided? Is it warranted or just a …
The Other Half of the Circle
I am an over-analyzer. As a musician I listen to music in a different way than a lot of folks. I pick apart each instrument …
Unity Within the Cafeteria
There is regular discussion among Mormon bloggers about the term “cafeteria Mormons” – those who pick and choose what they will and will not accept …
Feeling Comfortable at Church
Recently someone noted that the covetous feel comfortable at church. Indeed, neo-Calvinists tend to embrace the doctrine that you don’t need to choose between God …
Virtual RS/PH #16: Revelation & the Living Prophet
Finally, a lesson that really makes you think! This is probably my favorite JS lesson this year (no one dies or has to move to …
Wealth & Worthiness
I have long believed that the Church’s reliance on a lay clergy is both one of its strongest selling points, as well as one of …
The Sunstone Report
I attended the Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium on Friday, August 8th. I hadn’t been to Sunstone in ten years. The last time I came, I …
Common Scriptures in Review: The Only True and Living Church
D&C 1:30 As the resident parser, here goes: First, here is verse 29: And after having received the record of the Nephites, yea, even my …
Evidences and Reconciliations 8/11/08
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat …
Virtual RS/PH #15: Establishing the Cause of Zion
Okay, last week I said the death lesson was going to be tough. Frankly, I think a Zion lesson is no picnic either. I’m looking …
Segregated Sundays
Today’s post is by Rachel Maw. I was scanning through the news stories over at cnn.com when I came across this article, “Why many Americans …
The Proper Focus of Leadership: Organizational or Individual?
This perhaps will be the only post I write that simply is a series of questions, but these questions have enormous implication for the Church …
Virtual RS/PH #14 – Words of Hope & Consolation @ Time of Death
A word to the teachers out there. I know what you are thinking. Something like, “Ugh. I got the death lesson?!” So, if you have …
Lessons Learned (aka Thanks, Bloggernacle!)
Unfortunately, a confluence of factors — vacation, increased tasks at work trying to make up for said vacation, shuttling daughters to and from various summer …
Spiritual or Just Religious?
Is your spiritual journey the same as your religious journey, or is religion just one of the facets of your spiritual life?
I’m Okay; You’re Okay
I have one component to my life that prompts little discussions from the lowliest church member to most recently the temple president and I really …
Becoming a Moderate Mormon
We’ve established that there are conservative Mormons (obviously) and there are liberal or “new order” Mormons. Taking the politico-religious rhetoric to its next logical conclusion, …
Something the Southern Baptist Convention Can Learn from the Mormons
The following article highlights something that the Mormon Church has been criticized by some for doing for years, but it is the Southern Baptist Convention …
Wearing Pastel Pantsuits
It was back in the 1980’s, and she wore a pastel pantsuit to Church. It wasn’t just any pastel pantsuit, either. This was a sophisticated lady; …
The Genetics of Sin
There is a lot being done in the medical field to help patients understand their genetic predisposition toward certain ailments. Isn’t the same true for …
Obedience: Virtual RS/PH #13
Welcome to the second virtual co-ed 3rd hour. This week’s lesson is a topic that is often a seething hotbed of Mormon Matters controversy: “Obedience: When …
Proof Texting for Fun and Prophet
Recent articles got me thinking about the practice of Prooftexting, which Wikipedia defines as follows: Prooftexting is the practice of using decontextualised quotations from a …
Our Foundation Stories Part VI: The Laying on of Hands
This is the last installment of Our Foundation Stories, I promise! As a child, I heard the story of the restoration of the Aaronic and …
Virtual Co-Ed RS/PH: Missionary Work (Lesson 12)
Welcome to the first ever Virtual Co-ed Relief Society/Priesthood Lesson (at MM anyway)! Here’s why you should join the discussion: Virtual – you can participate …
A Church of Visionary Dreamers
“You may say I’m a dreamer; but I’m not the only one.” John Lennon. Acts 2:17: “. . . your young men shall see visions, …
A Chapel Entrance Plaque
Recently, I was in a meetinghouse in our area for the first time. On the wall directly above the entrance to the chapel, there is …
Evidences and Reconciliations (6/30/08)
And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the …
A letter from my sister…
Perhaps our feelings about tomorrow’s letter were abreacted in last week’s multifarious and sporadically acerbic discussion. My purpose here is to highlight some of the feelings …
White-Washing
“Whitewashing” is an accusatory term often used against the church to describe efforts to gloss over sticky points in doctrine or history. So, does the church engage in whitewashing?
The Bright Night of My Soul
Andrew wrote a beautiful and moving post recently – “Dark Night of the Soul“. In reading that post and the subsequent comments, I had an …
A Few Choice Words on Swearing
What constitutes swearing? Is it always wrong? If so, why?
Active in the Church
My 21-year-old son, Ethan, was home from college for a couple weeks this summer. On Sunday when he came to church with us, our bishop …
God is a What?! Part One
God is the God of Sparrows God is as seen through glass, darkly, the God of Mists God is a light in darkness, the God …
Rock the Gerontocracy!
Larry King described the Mormon faith as a “gerontocracy” (Hello–Pot? Kettle here). Being led by 15 men with a median age of 76 is a …
When Moral Issues Become Political Issues
Should our political views always align with our moral views? When and if they don’t align, why not? Guest blogger Ray explores this idea in today’s …
Our Foundation Stories Part III: The Book of Mormon Comes Forth
As a child, the story of Moroni visiting Joseph Smith seemed familiar to me, but I couldn’t put my finger on just why. Only later, …
Finding the truth
Joseph Smith has always been surrounded by stories, rumors and narratives. Those who had heard of the Book of Mormon would ask him how they …
Our Foundation Stories Part II: The Meaning of the First Vision
Now that we’ve discussed the nature of the First Vision, what did it mean? There are many meanings, the most vital being those which each …
Mormon Ancestor Worship
Do Mormons practice a form of ancestor worship? What does it mean that we must be saved “with all our dead”?
The Fallout Story
The Fallout Story is a rule of etiquette (that I made up) that I hold sacred for discussing breakups. The rule is: the dumpee owns …
People Who Helped Me Stay Mormon Part II: Roger Keller
There are BYU professors, and there are BYU professors. Brother Keller is in a class by himself. His life story alone fascinates me. Converted to …
The Book of Mormon: For Our Day
Ezra Taft Benson taught that “the Book of Mormon … was written for our day. The Nephites never had the book; neither did the Lamanites …
New Same-Sex Marriage Ruling; Same Old Polygamy Stereotypes
Unless your last name is Van Winkle, you likely already know that, yesterday afternoon, the California Supreme Court concluded that the state’s law prohibiting same-sex …
A Child’s Prayer: Are we doing enough?
Are we satisfied just paying tithing and fast offerings?
People Who Helped Me Stay Mormon Part I: Jeff Burton
Before John Dehlin, there was Jeff Burton.
An Hour of Peace and Rest
I usually enjoy going to church. I look forward to it, despite talks that are occasionally less-than-dazzling, overly-perfumed women in the pew in front of …
Through the Ears of a “Gentile”
“I’m so glad I was born in this, the one true church of God.” “Please bless the party leaders tonight [of the Republican Party] that …
Mormon Miracles: Seeking for a Sign
How much does God intervene in our lives? More than we give credit to Him or less than some would like to believe? Why do some require evidence of God’s …
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