I’ve been thinking lately that perhaps the greatest difference between Mormons along all points of the spectrum is not the degree of faith they have …
Offenders for a Word, Part 2 – Do Mormons Worship Jesus?
In my last post I wrote about how we are all forced to take a thought and translate it into words and that this is …
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 …
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 …
When Obedience Doesn’t Bring Happiness
As Mormons, we are constantly taught and reminded that obedience brings happiness. So what are we to conclude when we’re obedient but still aren’t happy?
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 …
Raising the Bar
Is it just my imagination, or are more missionaries returning home early? Seems like this used to be a rare event, spoken about in the …
Mormon Coffee
Hi, my name is Andrew, and I’m a diet Coke-oholic.
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 …
The Parable of the Merciful Judge
I came up with the following parable to explain to a Born Again Christian friend why I felt his belief that our actions plays no …
The Sun Never Sets on the Mormon Empire: Cultural Colonialism
I was talking with a French colleague at dinner about the differences between European politics and American politics, and he made a statement that left …
Laymen = Clergy: The Genius of Mormonism?
When the Church of Christ was organized on April 6, 1830, none of its members were professional clergy, but all its adult male members were …
Slandering the Lost Sheep
When I talk to Mormon friends, occasionally someone will mention a mutual friend or acquaintance who claims to have left the LDS Church because of …
Why Hollywood Should Convert to Mormonism
Very few famous Hollywood actors are Mormon, even fewer are practicing Mormons. While there are some obvious disconnects (e.g. law of chastity, modesty, time commitments), there …
A California Mormon visits the other Zion
By Joe Geisner (guest blogger) No I am not talking about Utah. I left Sam Brannan’s Zion for Joseph Smith’s Zion on April 11, 2008. …
The End of Polygamy (Again)?
The raid in Texas is interesting (and differs from AZ and UT prosecutorial efforts) in that polygamy is being attacked directly. So, will this shift in approach …
A Non-Member Kirtland Experience
I recently read an interesting post by a non-member couple and their visit to Kirtland. IMO, their contrast of the Kirtland temple (Community of Christ) tour …
Putting Away Childish Things: My Evolving View of God
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a …
Drop it! Who’s Worthy to Take the Sacrament?
Is it ever appropriate to intervene when someone “unworthy” is going to take the sacrament? What level of “unworthiness” makes such intervention justified?
Little Mosque on the Prairie: What Mormons Can Learn from Muslims
What do Mormons and Muslims have in common? A lot more than you might think. And a popular sitcom about Muslims living in a small …
Mormon Persecution Complex
Are Mormons really more persecuted than other faiths or do Mormons just perceive that because the criticism is aimed at us? Are there as many …
“What Children Know”: A Children’s Rebuttal to Elder Ballard’s Conference Talk
Late last night as I was putting the finishing touches on my Monday morning blog post, I heard a faint knocking on the front door …
Mormons as Trinitarians
Mention the word “Trinity” to a group of Mormons and the response you’ll get probably will be “I don’t believe that false doctrine of Satan!” …
Deep in the Heart of Mormondom
Outside of my own library and the virtual community I’m connected to through the internet, Mormondom has very little impact on my immediate environment in …
“The Whole Church is Under Condemnation”: The Talk that Changed the Church
April 1986: President Benson presides over his first General Conference. Did anyone listening to his humble little talk, called “Cleaning the Inner Vessel,” realize that …
The Purpose of the Church
As members of the LDS Church, we recognize that the Gospel was “restored” to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that he founded …
Gathering the Good of Other Faiths
In speaking of other faiths, Joseph Smith admonished early church members to “gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them …
What If They’d Put Nauvoo in Iowa?
Nauvoo was a mistake. At the close of the Missouri Mormon War in the winter of 1838-39, the Saints crossed the icy Mississippi. The people …
Mark Your Calendars — 2 Upcoming Conferences IRL
Meeting together in person to exchange ideas, you ask? Haven’t you heard of the “internets” John Hamer? Hasn’t the awesome nature of the MormonMatters Blog …
Prophetic Counsel About Sex Within Marriage: A Brief History
Over the years, the LDS First Presidency has made various statements about sexual relations between husband and wife. Unsurprisingly then, Mormons seem to hold divergent …
How Mormons Are Buddhists & Vice Versa
A few months ago, I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting in which I discussed how studying other religious faiths and their scriptures had enriched …
What Comes Next for the FLDS Church?
Since news first broke that the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or FLDS church) was building a new Zionic city in …
Gathering God’s Words to “All Nations”: When, Where, How, and Who Cares?
At a recent General Conference, Elder Oaks reiterated the Book of Mormon prophecy that “the Lord will eventually cause the inspired teachings He has given …
My Disenchantment with Church and State—Part 2 The State
MY DISENCHANTMENT WITH THE STATE Perhaps I should blame Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Amy Goodman or John Pilger for my enlightenment. Or perhaps I should …
My Disenchantment with Church and State—Part 1 The Church
MY DISENCHANTMENT WITH CHURCH As long as I can remember, I was always rebellious against what I felt was unjust coercion, but I feel it …
The Unfinished Restoration: A Global Vision
Mormons tend to think of the Restoration as a discrete series of events that began with the First Vision and concluded with the Martyrdom. Because …
Religions in Their Own Words – Morality in Representing Other Religions
Several posts ago, I wrote about the morality of other Christians referring to Mormons as non-Christian without explaining their non-standard use of the word “Christian.” …
Clinton Comes to Kirtland
I was in the offices of the new Kirtland Temple Visitor Center last Thursday when the call came through. According to the mayor’s office, Bill …
My Open Letter to Glenn Beck
Well, I’m back after a bit of an illness. I don’t know if this post will generate any interest, but I thought I’d share it. …
The Parable of the Elephant
Sometimes I recall nuggets of spiritual wisdom but cannot remember when or where I picked them up. One in particular has increasingly taken on new …
A Baptist Point of View of Being the One True “Church”
One stumbling block to communication between Mormons and other types of Christians is our use of the word “church” — sometimes at least — as …
A style of our own
Whenever I heard about a “style of our own” I thought back to Moroni’s robe and David O McKay’s vision of the City of God. …
Why I Am Not a Disaffected Mormon
There seem to be a number of disaffected Mormons lurking the Bloggernacle these days. I am not one of them. Here is why.
A Veil Runs Through It: A Mormon Cosmogony
The Earth we perceive with our physical eyes is billions of years in age. Life began to inhabit this sphere eons ago and evolved to …
The Ammon Approach: Redefining Missionary Work
When it comes to Church growth, the Church sets high expectations for itself. Likening the Church to that scriptural stone that rolls forth to fill …
The Sad Story of Sally, Native American Daughter of Brigham Young
I came across the following story while reading The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-day Saints by Leonard Arrington and Davis Bitton. It deeply …
Who are these Anti-Mormons?
This post is by Heather B. I’m not a member of the LDS church, although I was once. I’ve had many members ask me over …
Lost Hemisphere: A Traditional Book of Mormon Geography
When I was 6 and my sisters were 5 and 3, we read the Book of Mormon with my parents as a family. I was …
“It’s More Than a Religion”: Mormonism as Family
Story 1 From p. 102 of An Abundant Life: The Memoirs of Hugh B. Brown: (Brown addressing a group of 75 LDS servicemen during World …
Can Mormons Be Savvy Voters?
There’s a lot of talk in the media and across the ’nacle to the effect that Romney’s Mormon identity was the critical factor that torpedoed …
A New Take on Fundamentalism, Faith and Curiosity — Or….Does Mormonism Inspire Curiosity?
How does this apply to Mormonism?
BYU Baseball Player Kent Walton Reinstated on Team!!!!
I LOVE it when low-level ecclesiastical leaders are overruled (for the right reasons). And here’s the coverage from the SLTrib. From the Salt Lake Tribune: …
Robert Millet & Krista Tippet Pt. 3: Robert Millet as a Budding “Sunstone” or “New Order” Mormon
As I’m sure you’ve discovered by now — my takeaways from this interview between Krista Tippet and LDS Theologian and BYU Religion Professor Robert Millet …
BYU Baseball Player Expelled for Not Attending Enough Church?
[Updated — More on the story here.] Apparently BYU (and the LDS church) have expelled BYU’s best baseball player for (allegedly) not attending church enough. …
Robert Millet & Krista Tippet Pt. 2: Mormon Missionary Work Targeted at “Helping People Accept Jesus as Their Savior”?
The more I listen to this interview — the more I enjoy and respect Dr. Millet. I have even listened to the extended interview now, …
Personal Reflections on President Hinckley
“Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah! Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer.” -W.W. Phelps, “Praise to the Man,” Hymn #27, LDS Hymnbook, 1985 …
Robert Millet & Krista Tippet Pt. 1: “God as Man” Doctrine “Theologically Tangential”
I really, really enjoyed Krista Tippett’s latest interview with (perhaps) the LDS Church’s arch-theologian: Dr. Robert Millet. I have about 4 or 5 posts in …
Church’s (Official?) Position on Biblical Interpretation
Brother Jensen thinks the story of Jonah spending three days in a whale’s belly is not literally true, but is a beautiful metaphor of Christ’s …
Krista Tippett Interviews Robert Millett on Mormonism for “Speaking of Faith”
I love Krista Tippett’s “Speaking of Faith”, and I love Mormonism — which makes this a must-listen. I hope it’s good. What did you think?
MYTHBUSTERS: The “One True Church”
There are a lot of myths both inside and outside Mormondom about the LDS claim to be the “one true Church.” That claim is difficult …
Converts to the Church: Quality versus Quantity
In 2006, there were more than 272,800 convert baptisms in the Church. A year later, I wonder how many are still active? As President Hinckley …
The Only Truly Creedless Church on the Face of the Whole Earth
“[Unlike the Latter-day Saints] Methodists have creeds which a man must believe or be asked out of their church. I want the liberty of thinking …
I’m Right and Everyone Else is Wrong!
Today’s post is by Zane Chartrand. When I was a missionary I once knocked on a door and after I had introduced my companion and …
Do You Happen to Know So and So….
Have you ever noticed how small the LDS Church world is? It is not uncommon to run into people who know people you know. I’ve …
What’s Wrong with the Creeds of Christendom?
After nearly 1800 years of silence, the heavens at last reopened. The boy prophet knelt before God the Father and the Son, who told him …
Episode 020: An Analysis of Mitt Romney’s ” Faith in America ” Speech Pt. 2
In Part 2 of this series, review the “Mormon angle” of Mitt Romney’s much anticipated religion speech entitled ” Faith in America “, delivered on …
Episode 019: An Analysis of Mitt Romney’s ” Faith in America ” Speech Pt. 1
In this episode, we review Mitt Romney’s much anticipated religion speech entitled ” Faith in America “, delivered on December 6, 2007. Panelists include: John …
Audio Replay / Podcast of Mitt Romney’s ” Faith in America ” Speech
This is a replay / podcast of Mitt Romney’s ” Faith in America” Speech.
Episode 18: Same-Sex Marriage and Mormonism
In this episode J. Nelson-Seawright, John Hamer, David King Landrith and Rosalynde Welch discuss same-sex marriage within Mormonism.
Episode 17: Book of Mormon Introduction, Lamanites and Native Americans
Recently, the LDS Church made a change to the introduction page of the Book of Mormon that has garnered much press. The change seems to …
Episode 16: The International Church
Today Ronan James Head, J. Nelson-Seawright and John Fowles discuss issues surrounding the international nature of the LDS Church.
Episode 15: Inoculating the Saints — Listener Feedback
Today Eric Soderlund (Equality) and Mayan Elephant join John Hamer, Ann Porter and I discussing their reactions to our “Inoculating the Saints” discussions. A big …
Episode 14: Our Discussion on Inoculating the Saints Pt. 2
In part 2 of this episode David King Landrith, Blake Ostler, John Hamer and I discuss the recent Sunstone panel entitled, “Inoculating the Saints”. A …
Episode 13: Our Discussion on Inoculating the Saints Pt. 1
In this episode David King Landrith, Blake Ostler, John Hamer and I discuss the recent Sunstone panel entitled, “Inoculating the Saints”. A big thanks, as …
Episode 12: Inoculating the Saints (with Kevin Barney, Blake Ostler and Mike Ash)
With this episode we begin a 3-part series dealing with the idea of “Inoculating the Saints.” This first episode hails from the 2007 Salt Lake …
Episode 11: Our Favorite Books on Mormonism
In today’s episode, J. Nelson-Seawright, David King Landrith and I discuss our favorite books on mormonism (listed below). J. Nelson-Seawright’s Recommendations D. Michael Quinn: The …
Episode 10: Mormon Fundamentalist Polygamy Part 2
Part 2 of this discussion.
Episode 8: A Review of “States of Grace” and “Orthodox Paradox”
In this episode we are excited to have Rosalynde Welch as our producer/moderator!!! The 2 main topics are: A review of Richard Dutcher’s “States of …
Episode 7 Part 2: Equal Partnering and “Presiding” in LDS Marriages and Raising Gay LDS Children
In this follow-on episode, we discuss equal partnering and “presiding” in LDS marriages and raising gay LDS children. Panelists include: Ann Porter David King Landrith …
Episode 7 Part 1: The Other “One True Church” and the Obama/Mitt Romney Scuttle over Sex Education
In part 1 of this episode, we discuss: The Pope’s recent statement that says, “other Christian communities are either defective or not true churches and …
Episode 6: LDS Church Finances and the “Approaching Mormon History” Press Release
In today’s episode we are joined by 2 of our fabulously wonderful regular panelists: Ann Porter and John Hamer. In addition, we are delighted to …
Desperately Seeking Conservative LDS Panelist(s)
While we’ve had some wonderfully bright and articulate conservative or traditional LDS panelists so far here on Mormon Matters (John Fowles, Rosalynde Welch, Julianne Hatton) …
Episode 5: Mormon Feminism, Women, and Claudia Bushman Part 2
A continuation from Episode 4. Thanks again to Dr. Bushman, Taryn and Rosalynde!!!! And of course, to hear more of (and to purchase!!!) the wonderful …
Episode 4: Mormon Feminism, Women, and Claudia Bushman Part 1
Today we release part 1 of a 2-part conversation reviewing the recent Mormon Stories series on Women in the LDS Church (Part 1, Part 2, …
Episode 3: The Mountain Meadows Massacre
Note: Mormon Matters podcast is now available through iTunes. You can subscribe to the podcast by clicking on the iTunes button at the top right …
Announcing Mormon Matters
Mormon Matters is a weekly audio program exploring current events, popular culture, politics and spirituality within Mormonism — first as a podcast, and eventually by …
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