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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 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 …
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 …
Charity: Self-Analysis Tool: Do I Vaunt Myself; Am I Puffed Up?
My New Year’s Resolution this year is taken from I Corinthians 13:4-7. In a nutshell, it is to become a little more charitable this year. …
Bednar Was Wrong About Facebook
Last year, Elder Bednar gave a talk at BYU-I on a subject that weighed deeply on his soul. At the time, I read his words …
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 …
Prophets, Seers and Bureaucrats
I listened recently to a Mormon Expression podcast with John Dehlin, in which he comments upon the difficult position the Church leaders face. He observes that their are …
Bad, Worse and Worst
I would like to use Genesis 12 (and an interesting post by Aaron B from BCC) to examine the inverse of Elder Oak’s famous talk …
Self-Esteem and Sexuality: Another approach to Chastity
I want to take a lead from Hawgrrrl, who recently posted on the value of Sex Education in trying to reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancies …
The Sacred Made Real: Mormonism, Iconography and the Passion of Christ
A few weeks ago I attended an exhibition entitled ‘The Sacred made Real’ at the National Gallery in London. The collection was focussed on Spanish …
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 …
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 …
Did Mormon Influence Increase over the Decade?
My wife brought this to my attention while reading the front page of the Deseret News: 2000s: The First Decade-Mormon Church Influence Soars. Without providing …
The Word of Wisdom and the Temple: Personal, Political and Prophetic Dimensions
Obedience to the Word of Wisdom, it is commonly known, was not always a requirement for entering the Temple or advancement in the Priesthood. What …
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 …
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 …
Really Elder McConkie? You think Education is Worship!
From an outsiders perspective, Mormon worship services may be perceived as lacking actual worship. We spend two and a half of our three hours in classes …
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 …
Anish Kapoor on Spirituality
On the BBC, there is a great series of Art documentaries entitled ‘Imagine’. Alan Yentob, a Television Executive, presents them and in the most recent, …
Hate Crimes up for Gays, Religious
So, what do you make of this? This AP article says that Hate crimes up against gays, religious groups – “Overall, the number of reported …
Utah Happiest State in Nation
Andrew Ainsworth did a post back in March wondering if Mormon Culture is Depressing Utahns? If we can blame depression on Mormon Culture, apparently it …
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 …
Pres Monson Accepts Honor From “School of the Prophets”
I saw this interesting photo in the Deseret News today, and just had to share. In the paper edition of the Deseret News, President Monson …
Egon Friedell and the Christian ‘Bad Conscience’
This photograph was taken by Sebastiao Salgado at a gold mine in Brazil. I first saw it in a room at the University I attend. As …
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 …
A Personal Interpretation of Elder Hafen’s Remarks
At the Evergreen conference held September 18-19, 2009, Elder Bruce Hafen gave a talk regarding homosexuality. The talk was reprinted on the official LDS Church …
Liken All Scriptures: Matthew 7:1-2
[poll id=”59″] Please explain your answer.
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 …
Common Scriptures in Review: Gender & the Sermon on the Mount
I absolutely LOVE the Sermon on the Mount. It is my second favorite passage in all our recorded scripture – right behind the Intercessory Prayer. …
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, …
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.
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 …
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 …
Vote for #1 Funniest Reason to be Mormon
Here is the poll based based on last week’s post. I’m picking the top 5 funny reasons to be Mormon. I picked 5 that I …
The Word made Flesh: Poetry, Spirituality and Scripture
I find some poetry immensely moving and even spiritually satisfying. Even though I am not ‘well read’ I still sense that there is a vast reservoir of literature that could provide other channels of communication with God. For me poetry has been one of those channels, especially when it comes to considering my fear of death, I have found it helpful and liberating (check out ‘Aubade’ by Philip Larkin). In addition I have discovered a changing relationship with God through poetry.
Who is a Cultural Mormon?
First, Happy Independence Day (yay)! …so I was digging through classic Mormon Matters and found Clay’s discussion asking: how much does church activity has to …
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 …
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 …
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Supreme Court Decision Poll
The US Supreme Court just announced it will not hear arguments regarding the US military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. [poll id=”10″]
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.
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 …
Even Kung Fu Masters Eventually Leave Us
David Carradine died today in a hotel in Thailand. Go with God, Grasshopper.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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. …
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.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 …
“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. …
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 …
Faith vs. Doubt
“Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.”
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).
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 …
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 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.* …
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 …
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 …
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? …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Unity, Diversity and Conformity
How do we create and maintain unity at church while valuing diversity and avoiding conformity? Do we have to embrace the diversity of those who …
Blood Brothers: Mormons, Genocide, and the Nixon Administration
Charles Radford, a Navy yeoman, present some fascinating questions about Latter-day Saints’ relationship with the government, the law, and politicians. Charles Radford was serving as …
Joy to the World…
Today’s post is by Rachel Maw. I’m the kind of person that could listen to Christmas song all year long.
If your heart is turned …
Before the fall, Eve was a “help meet” to Adam. The term means a “companion equal.” While the account is figurative as far as humanity …
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 …
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 …
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 Irony of Proposition 8
I hope you can stand at least one more post on Proposition 8 and its aftermath.
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 …
Strange LDS Missionary Clothing Ritual: Is It Eco-Friendly?
by Guest Poster Dr. B. Last Sunday in church I spoke with four missionaries who told me of a strange ritual that used to be …
The Envelope and the Message
Are you ever nervous about turning your friends over to the missionaries? Do you fear you may be subjecting them to a high-pressure time-share sales presentation?
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 …
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 …
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 …
5 Cool Expressions of Spirituality Which Might Seem Weird To Mormons
I’m starting a series which I’m calling “5 Cool Things”. It will basically be a list of 5 things, not in any order, that follow …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Bloggernacle Thought: Brainwashing
This comment is from SilverRain. I found it here. “Brainwashed” is probably ranked with the weakest possible arguments. If I say you’re brainwashed, I can …
Is Pride the Only Sin?
Can all sins be reduced to just one sin: pride? Is pride essentially the root cause of all sins?
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 …
A Remarkable Story – But is it Exaggerated?
While reading History of the Church I came across an incredible story as told by Elder Theodore Turley which I wish to share.
Who are those Guys?- Quiz!
m Who are those Guys?- Quiz! Most of us old guys saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. A question that kept coming up as …
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 …
Prophetic Smackdown: Moses vs. Joseph Smith
Today’s post is from an anonymous guest blogger. The critics of the church like to point the finger at Joseph Smith, citing polygamy, concealing polygamy, …
Is the Internet a Urim & Thummim?
What is a Urim & Thummim, and how will the earth become like one?
“God Spared My Life” or Did He?
As the tragedy and outrage of the September 11, 2001 attacks unfolded, we heard news reports about the tens of thousands of people that potentially …
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 …
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 …
Is One Date Enough?
I’m thinking about weddings a lot recently. Probably because I’ve been going to lots of them. Many friends and family members are getting married, announcing …
The other version of the Abraham story
What if Abraham had disobeyed God? Here’s the other version of the story I dug up after breaking into secret Illuminati archives and comparing translations …
News Matters
Our new news feature will present an LDS look at current events with an opportunity for our readers to interact from a Mormon viewpoint. Your …
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 …
Confessions of a Coffee Heathen
In the past, I consumed large amounts of Mountain Dew and “energy drinks.” I’m getting older now (almost 40). My insides just can’t tolerate the …
For Pioneer Day, a Prophet of Peace
Prophet of Peace This is why I love President Monson! He has the common touch and appears to love people. If you watch the video …
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, …
Dual-Membership, Dual-Priesthood
A good friend from my high school and college days contacted me a couple of months ago. He told me the news that he was …
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 …
Praise, Honor & Glory Be to God
I have been struck for a long time by the different ways that people interpret and speak of praise, honor and glory – particularly how …
Jeff Nielson’s “Open Letter to California Mormons” Encouraging Oppposition to LDS Church on Gay Marriage Issue
Professor Jeffrey Nielsen, whose op-ed two years ago against the LDS Church’s stance on gay marriage led to his demise at church-owned Brigham Young University, …
How My Wife Exercises Her Priesthood
Tired of talking about gay marriage? How about women and the Priesthood? 🙂 In all seriousness, let me share with you a recent experience that …
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 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 …
Sin and Transgression vs. Morality
[NOTE: I must be a masochist. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE read the questions asked in this post and stick to those questions when you comment. I …
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?
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 …
Gender Roles Debunked!
What can we learn about gender roles in marriage from committed gay couples? Is equity the ideal? Is it possible? With less than 24 hours …
Your posterity shall “avenge the blood of the Prophets and Patriarchs” with the help of savage Indian warriors
I’ve finally finished my review of Michael Marquardt’s Early Patriarchal Blessings volume for the next JWHA Journal. This fascinating new resource is a compilation of …
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 …
30 Years of Authorized Black Priesthood
In 1999 a church news paper surveyed its Latter Day Saint subscribers to glean what single event they thought shaped the last 100 years in …
How’s Your Mo-Dar?
We recently went to a few Native American sites near Prescott, Arizona with our kids. My husband’s “Mo-Dar” was in rare form. I must have been …
Mormon Ancestor Worship
Do Mormons practice a form of ancestor worship? What does it mean that we must be saved “with all our dead”?
Voting Mormon
In a previous post, I explored the idea of defining “political” vs. “moral” issues for purposes of deciding when (and how) the Church should get …
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 …
Certainty: Blessing or Curse?
Speaking to a group of Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith once said that if he had the lungs for it, he would preach a …
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 …
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 …
Give Said the Little Revenue Stream
Do Mormons do less charitable giving due to the commitment of paying tithing? Three months of the year, you can rest assured there will be …
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 …
Why a Testimony of the Gospel is Not Enough
I have been under the impression over the last 26 years in the Church that if one had a pretty strong testimony of the Savior, …
The Mormon Urge to Glurge
glurge (GLURJ) n. A sentimental or uplifting story, particularly one delivered via e-mail, that uses inaccurate or fabricated facts; a story that is mawkish or …
A Method to our Mormonism
As we know from JS-H 1: 8, Joseph Smith had attended various religious meetings and (in his own words) “In process of time my mind …
Men: The Weaker Sex?
There is a common belief among LDS that wonderful women are sometimes saddled with mediocre men or sometimes no man at all, which will result …
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