prophets - Mormon Matters

the Authority of Paul

Jeff Spector September 10, 2010apologetics, christianity, doctrine, Early Christianity, Priesthood, prophets, scripture 11 Comments

For some reason, I was thinking about the structure of the New Testament Church after the ascension of the Savior. What is clear is that …

Coke, Rum Cake, and President McKay

Mormon Heretic September 7, 2010books, General Authorities, history, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, prophets, Word of Wisdom 102 Comments

I just started reading Greg Prince’s book, David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. It’s been a great read so far. Prince tells …

Yom Kippur and the Symbolism of Jonah’s Spiritual Journey

Bored in Vernal August 26, 2010Bible, LDS lessons, prophets, scripture, symbols 15 Comments

OT SS Lesson #33 If your ward happens to be just a little bit behind on the Sunday School lessons, you might experience the synchronicity …

Strangite Q&A

Mormon Heretic July 13, 2010history, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, prophets, religion, restoration, Restoration Groups, revelation, smith, theology, violence 53 Comments

As I mentioned previously, I really enjoyed the Strangite session of the Mormon History Association meetings a few weeks ago. Vickie Speek, John Hamer, and Mike …

The Fallibility of Infallibility

Jeff Spector June 25, 2010accountability, faith, General Authorities, Mormon, obedience, prophets 56 Comments

The Prophet Joseph Smith said “ … a prophet was a prophet only when he was acting as such.” (History of the Church, Volume 5:265). …

Mormon Marriage Ref: The Johansen’s Daughter is Cohabitating!

AdamF June 11, 2010children, families, marriage, Mormon, prophets 86 Comments

While the situation described may be common, the names, events, and dialogue etc. are all fictional. Here’s the situation: David and Sue Johansen have been …

Joseph Smith’s Presidential Platform

Mormon Heretic May 25, 2010history, joseph, Leaders, Mormon, politics, prophets, smith 30 Comments

So, I came across an interview of Richard Bushman at the Pew Research Forum, about both early and modern Mormon politics. I’ve also been reading a …

After Action Report: The Community of Christ Did WHAT?

FireTag April 21, 2010apostles, baptism, christianity, church, community of christ, conference, feminism, gay, homosexuality, Jesus, marriage, Mormon, Mormons, ordinances, Priesthood, prophets, resolutions, restoration, revelation, RLDS, sacrament, sacrament meeting, sexuality, social justice, theology 29 Comments

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 …

The God of the OT vs. the Golden Calf

Bored in Vernal April 8, 2010Bible, God, Mormon, prophets, religion, scripture 30 Comments

OT SS Lesson #14 Sometimes I have a hard time with the Jehovah of the Old Testament. I’m not always sure how much of the …

Joseph and Muhammad

jmb275 April 7, 2010joseph, mysticism, prophets, religion 47 Comments

I have been fascinated by other religions! The cultures, customs, and beliefs vary wildly from religion to religion, and yet, so many have common threads, …

Mormon Myths as Transferable Charisma

Aaron R. aka Rico March 23, 2010church, doctrine, faith, Folklore, General Authorities, historicity, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, President Monson, prophets 19 Comments

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 …

Bombshell at the BYU Studies Symposium

Bored in Vernal March 13, 2010apostles, BYU, conferences and symposia, General Authorities, history, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, Priesthood, prophets, succession, testimony 15 Comments

A small crowd at the BYU Studies Symposium yesterday was on hand to receive Richard Holzapfel’s self-proclaimed Mormon history “bombshell.” He presented the morning plenary …

Prophets, Seers and Bureaucrats

Aaron R. aka Rico March 8, 2010apostles, Culture, diversity, doctrine, General Authorities, Mormon, Priesthood, prophets, revelation, theology 24 Comments

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 …

Putting an Edge on Abraham

Bored in Vernal February 24, 2010Bible, doctrine, LDS lessons, Mormon, obedience, prophets, religion, revelation, scripture, symbols, theology 30 Comments

OT SS Lesson #9 This story is so very, very familiar to us that I think it’s important to look at it with a fresh …

Church Growth and the Tendency toward Liberalism

Aaron R. aka Rico January 31, 2010church, correlation, Culture, diversity, doctrine, General Authorities, Mormon, prophets, religion 50 Comments

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 …

CoC to tackle Major Issues at April Conference: Gay Marriage & Baptism

FireTag January 20, 2010christ, christianity, community of christ, doctrine, gay, homosexuality, inter-faith, Mormon, news, ordinances, prophets, revelation, RLDS, scripture 24 Comments

This is the second guest Post from FireTag, a member of the Community of Christ (formerly known as RLDS). As he mentioned in his previous …

The Word of Wisdom and the Temple: Personal, Political and Prophetic Dimensions

Aaron R. aka Rico December 28, 2009apostles, Culture, doctrine, General Authorities, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, prophets, revelation, theology, Word of Wisdom 23 Comments

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 …

Have you ever received a Christmas card from the First Presidency?

Aaron R. aka Rico December 10, 2009christ, General Authorities, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, Mormons, prophets 17 Comments

This year I received a Christmas card from the First Presidency. I have heard that Church employees get one, but it has not been my …

Brother Brigham Brother Young

James December 6, 2009abuse, adultery, Anti-Mormon, apostasy, apostles, baptism, blacks, burdens, Charity, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, death, depression, Discrimination, doubt, eternity, excommunication, faith, historicity, LDS, Leaders, marriage, media, Mormon, Mormons, obedience, ordinances, polygamy, Priesthood, prophets, race, repentance, salvation, tesimony, thought, Utah, women 6 Comments

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 …

Pres Monson Accepts Honor From “School of the Prophets”

Mormon Heretic October 25, 2009Culture, General Authorities, Humor, LDS, Leaders, media, Mormon, President Monson, prophets, sports 12 Comments

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 …

Vagueness as a Gospel Principle

Jeff Spector October 20, 2009accountability, baptism, blacks, doctrine, doubt, faith, General Conference, LDS, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, plan of salvation, prophets, questioning, race, religion, revelation, righteousness, salvation, spirituality, testimony, Word of Wisdom 23 Comments

“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 …

How to Provide Critical Feedback to Church Leaders Church Without Getting Excommunicated

Andrew October 15, 2009apostles, Bloggernacle, doubt, General Authorities, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prophets, questioning

If you didn’t happen to read the February issue of Ensign Magazine in 1987, you missed some valuable instruction about how to provide critical feedback …

Is The Church Sacrificing Principle for Profit With Hunting Preserves?

Faithful Dissident September 24, 2009General Authorities, missionary, missions, Money, prophets, reverence, sports, violence, Word of Wisdom 44 Comments

“To what degree should the principle of ‘respect for life” be extended to bird and animal creations? What do the scriptures, Joseph Smith, and other …

Scripture Inerrancy, Literalism, and Pres Veazey

Mormon Heretic August 29, 2009Bible, book of mormon, christianity, community of christ, doctrine, historicity, Mormon, prophets

There are those (especially among Evangelicals) who believe that the Bible is inerrant and literal. For example a scriptural literalist will claim that Noah’s flood …

The New CES Book of Mormon Institute Manual: Part 2

Aaron R. aka Rico August 19, 2009book of mormon, christ, doctrine, education, faith, Jesus, LDS, millet, Mormon, prophets, religion, scripture, seminary, theology, thought 37 Comments

The Church have just published (although I wrote this from a draft that I had access to before it was published) the new CES Book …

Common Scriptures in Review: Gender & the Sermon on the Mount

Ray August 15, 2009Beatitudes, Bible, christ, christianity, Culture, diversity, doctrine, feminism, marriage, meekness, mercy, plan of salvation, prophets, repentance, righteousness, Sermon on the Mount, spiritual progression, women 12 Comments

I absolutely LOVE the Sermon on the Mount. It is my second favorite passage in all our recorded scripture – right behind the Intercessory Prayer. …

There is only one issue in the Bloggernacle and all other things are only appendages to it.

Jeff Spector July 16, 2009Bloggernacle, christ, christianity, church, Culture, doctrine, faith, Jesus, LDS, Mormon, Mormons, prophets, restoration, testimony, theology 22 Comments

“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 …

Joseph Smith is a Ute!

Mormon Heretic July 3, 2009athletics, Mormon, President Monson, prophets, smith, sports 3 Comments

I posted this on my blog, but wanted to share with more people. I always got a kick out of the signs in the student …

Adam and Eve: the First TBM & NOM

Andrew June 29, 2009accountability, Bloggernacle, church, diversity, doubt, faith, General Authorities, history, LDS, Leaders, liberal, Logic, love, marriage, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, obedience, orthodox, parables, prophets, questioning, religion, scripture, spiritual progression, spirituality, symbols, testimony, thought

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 …

What is Revelation?

Hawkgrrrl June 16, 2009Asides, christianity, church, eschatoloty, inter-faith, LDS, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prophets, questioning, religion, theology, thought 28 Comments

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

guest June 9, 2009book of mormon, books, church, faith, families, historicity, Mormon, prophets, questioning, restoration, thought 806 Comments

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 …

Best and Worst of Mormonism: Quotes!

AdamF May 22, 2009catholicism, christ, General Authorities, history, Humor, Leaders, Mormons, prophets, racism, repentance 61 Comments

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 …

The Problem with Tolerance

Hawkgrrrl May 19, 2009apologetics, Asides, catholicism, Charity, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, diversity, doubt, General Authorities, inter-faith, LDS, Leaders, liberal, media manipulation, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, prophets, questioning, racism, religion, theology, thought 133 Comments

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 …

April 2009 General Conference – Word Stats

Hawkgrrrl May 3, 2009Asides, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, faith, families, General Authorities, General Conference, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, Priesthood, prophets, religion, temple, testimony, theology, thought 20 Comments

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 …

Why Faith Needs Reason

Andrew April 29, 2009curiosity, doubt, faith, FLDS, LDS, Leaders, Logic, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, polygamy, prayer, prophets, questioning, religion, testimony, theology, thought 31 Comments

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 …

Are we going to be Eunuchs after this life?

James April 27, 2009abuse, book of mormon, burdens, Culture, curiosity, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, education, eternity, faith, families, fear, Folklore, general, General Authorities, General Conference, God, Happiness, history, Humor, Jesus, joseph, Logic, marriage, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, prophets, questioning, religion, resolutions, salvation, scripture, sexuality, smith, spiritual progression, spirituality, tesimony, theology, thought, women 79 Comments

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 …

Joseph Smith and Wealth Redistribution

guest April 23, 2009book of mormon, burdens, Charity, christianity, church, Culture, Government, history, LDS, meekness, Mormons, politics, prophets, religion, righteousness, scripture, spirituality 31 Comments

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. …

Does the LDS Church claim to be “an exclusive conduit to God”?

Andrew April 21, 2009apologetics, apostasy, Bloggernacle, church, God, Happiness, LDS, Mormon, mormon, plan of salvation, Priesthood, prophets, questioning, spiritual progression, theology 141 Comments

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 …

Scripture Study: What’s Expedient?

Hawkgrrrl April 14, 2009Asides, book of mormon, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, doubt, God, Humor, joseph, LDS, Logic, love, mercy, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prayer, prophets, questioning, religion, scripture, theology, thought 32 Comments

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

guest April 13, 2009christianity, Culture, history, inter-faith, LDS, meetings, missionary, Mormons, music, orthodox, prophets, religion, reverence, sacrament meeting, spirituality 46 Comments

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. …

Faith vs. Doubt

Hawkgrrrl April 9, 2009apostasy, Asides, burdens, Charity, christ, christianity, church, conference, Culture, curiosity, depression, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, education, faith, fear, General Authorities, General Conference, inter-faith, joseph, LDS, Leaders, liberal, Logic, love, mercy, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, orthodox, President Monson, prophets, questioning, religion, restoration, scripture, spirituality, testimony, theology, thought 48 Comments

“Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.”

LDS Worship

guest April 7, 2009christianity, conference, Culture, evangelicals, General Authorities, General Conference, history, inter-faith, LDS, meetings, Mormon, music, prophets, religion, sacrament meeting, spirituality 45 Comments

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 …

The Untold Story of Black Mormons by Guest

guest April 2, 2009Anti-Mormon, apologetics, baptism, Bible, blacks, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, books, burdens, BYU, Charity, christianity, church, cinema, Culture, curiosity, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, education, evangelicals, faith, families, fear, Folklore, General Authorities, history, joseph, LDS, liberal, Logic, Mormon, obedience, prayer, Priesthood, prophets, questioning, race, racism, religion, resolutions, restoration, righteousness, scripture, tesimony, theology 33 Comments

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

Carter Hall March 31, 2009church, conference, Culture, curiosity, diversity, General Authorities, General Conference, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, President Monson, Priesthood, prophets, religion, service 114 Comments

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 …

Big Love -Big News

James March 10, 2009abuse, adultery, Anti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, baptism, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, burdens, Charity, children, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, education, faith, families, fear, FLDS, general, God, Happiness, history, inter-faith, Jesus, joseph, marriage, media, meetings, Mormon, Mormons, movies, news, obedience, ordinances, orthodox, polygamy, Priesthood, prophets, religion, resignation, RLDS, salvation, scripture, spirituality, television, temple, testimony, theology, thought, Utah, women 33 Comments

Why aren’t Mormons Green?

James February 23, 2009apologetics, Bible, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, BYU, Charity, children, christ, christianity, church, conference, Culture, curiosity, doubt, education, faith, General Authorities, General Conference, geography, God, Government, Happiness, international, LDS, Leaders, liberal, Logic, media, Money, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, politics, prophets, questioning, religion, resolutions, reverence, righteousness, sacrament, salvation, service, surviving, testimony, thought, Utah 56 Comments

Creeds of the Creedless

Hawkgrrrl February 13, 2009Asides, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, diversity, General Conference, inter-faith, LDS, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prophets, religion, restoration, theology, thought, Trinity 18 Comments

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 Purposes of God Cannot Be Frustrated

guest February 10, 2009Anti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, Asides, book of mormon, christianity, church, curiosity, doubt, faith, historicity, history, joseph, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, polygamy, prophets, questioning, religion, repentance, righteousness, sexuality, smith, testimony, theology, thought 20 Comments

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 …

Upon What Rock?

Hawkgrrrl February 4, 2009Bible, catholicism, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, inter-faith, Jesus, LDS, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, ordinances, Priesthood, prophets, religion, salvation, scripture, symbols, thought 33 Comments

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

Jeff Spector February 3, 2009church, conference, General Authorities, Humor, Leaders, Mormon, Mormons, President Monson, prophets 74 Comments

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 …

A Brand New Year

James January 23, 2009Bible, Bloggernacle, books, catholicism, christ, christianity, church, cinema, conference, Culture, curiosity, diversity, education, faith, families, general, General Authorities, General Conference, God, Happiness, Humor, international, introductions, Jesus, joseph, LDS, Leaders, liberal, love, media, media manipulation, meetings, missionary, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, movies, music, obedience, podcast, prophets, race, religion, spirituality, tesimony 29 Comments

Glorifying “The Good Old Days”

Ray January 21, 2009faith, history, Leaders, liberal, Mormon, Mormons, polygamy, Priesthood, prophets, religion 37 Comments

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

Hawkgrrrl January 20, 2009Anti-Mormon, apologetics, Asides, books, church, civil disobedience, Culture, curiosity, diversity, doubt, fear, geography, international, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prophets, questioning, religion, service, surviving, theology, thought, Utah 35 Comments

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 …

“Never Lead Us Astray.” And Dissonance.

AdamF December 30, 2008christ, faith, General Authorities, prophets 49 Comments

“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?

James December 29, 2008Anti-Mormon, apostasy, Bible, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, catholicism, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, death, diversity, doubt, education, faith, families, fear, general, God, Happiness, inter-faith, international, Jesus, LDS, liberal, love, media, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, obedience, orthodox, prayer, prophets, service, theology, thought 27 Comments

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?

Hawkgrrrl December 28, 2008Charity, christianity, church, Culture, faith, General Authorities, history, joseph, LDS, Leaders, love, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prophets, questioning, religion, spiritual progression 24 Comments

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? …

Virtual RS/PH #22: Gaining Knowledge of Eternal Truths

Hawkgrrrl December 7, 2008christianity, curiosity, doubt, education, history, joseph, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prayer, Priesthood, prophets, questioning, religion, salvation, smith, spiritual progression, spirituality, theology, thought, Word of Wisdom 32 Comments

Mormonism has a focus on gaining knowledge that is unique in Christendom, largely due to the emphasis that Joseph Smith placed on learning. Joseph’s total …

“Mormon Fundamentalists” on Law & Order

guest November 20, 2008diversity, history, inter-faith, joseph, LDS, liberal, media, media manipulation, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, polygamy, prophets 30 Comments

Did anyone watch Law & Order last night on NBC? If you didn’t, you missed an interesting parody based on the events that transpired in Texas with …

Should we have listened to BH Roberts?

James November 15, 2008apologetics, book of mormon, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, doubt, education, faith, Folklore, General Authorities, history, joseph, Leaders, liberal, Mormon, Mormons, orthodox, prophets, questioning, religion, tesimony, theology, thought 53 Comments

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?

Hawkgrrrl November 14, 2008apostasy, church, General Authorities, General Conference, obedience, orthodox, prophets, questioning, salvation, spiritual progression, spirituality, sports, theology, thought 35 Comments

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 …

Virtual RS/PH #20 – A Heart Full of Love & Faith: The Prophet’s Letters to His Family

Hawkgrrrl November 9, 2008burdens, Charity, children, faith, families, history, Humor, joseph, LDS, love, marriage, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, polygamy, Priesthood, prophets, questioning, religion, smith, women 12 Comments

This lesson discusses the written correspondence Joseph sent to Emma during his frequent absences. IMO, this is a tough lesson for many reasons, so read …

The Church as a Tool

guest November 7, 2008Anti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, Asides, Charity, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, depression, diversity, doubt, education, faith, fear, God, Happiness, history, LDS, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, obedience, orthodox, parables, Peace, prayer, Priesthood, prophets, questioning, religion, testimony, theology, thought 21 Comments

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 …

5 Cool Things About the Community of Christ

Clay Whipkey October 29, 20085CT, community of christ, diversity, inter-faith, Leaders, Priesthood, prophets, religion, RLDS, scripture 25 Comments

This post is another installment in my “5 Cool Things” series. Today I’m giving a list, again in no particular order, of some things I …

President looks at church history with fresh eyes

James October 26, 2008book of mormon, christianity, community of christ, faith, FLDS, history, joseph, LDS, mitt romney, Mormon, prophets, RLDS, thought 30 Comments

While I was much more than casually aware of church history previously, since becoming president of the church I have engaged in an extensive study …

Freak Out! Handling History

guest October 7, 2008Anti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, church, curiosity, doubt, education, faith, historicity, history, LDS, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, polygamy, prophets, questioning, religion, spiritual progression, testimony, theology, thought 31 Comments

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 …

First Families: BOM and Restoration

Hawkgrrrl September 24, 2008Anti-Mormon, apologetics, Asides, book of mormon, curiosity, doubt, faith, families, history, joseph, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, prophets, scripture, smith, testimony, theology, thought 24 Comments

There are some interesting parallels between the first family of the Book of Mormon and the first family of the Restoration (the Smiths). Coincidence? Or …

Superman vs. Spiderman

Carter Hall September 18, 2008Asides, Bloggernacle, church, Culture, curiosity, diversity, General Authorities, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prophets, questioning, television, thought 12 Comments

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 …

Is Pride the Only Sin?

Hawkgrrrl September 12, 2008book of mormon, christ, christianity, church, Culture, faith, General Conference, Happiness, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prophets, questioning, religion, repentance, salvation, scripture, thought 10 Comments

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

Hawkgrrrl September 7, 2008Asides, church, eternity, faith, families, God, Happiness, inter-faith, Jesus, LDS, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, plan of salvation, prophets, questioning, religion, repentance, restoration, salvation, scripture, smith, testimony, theology, thought, Word of Wisdom 5 Comments

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

John Nilsson September 4, 2008book of mormon, christ, christianity, church, curiosity, doubt, eternity, faith, General Authorities, God, historicity, Jesus, joseph, LDS, liberal, Mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, obedience, orthodox, Priesthood, prophets, religion, repentance, restoration, sacrament meeting, salvation, scripture, Sermon on the Mount, smith, temple, testimony, theology, Word of Wisdom 67 Comments

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 …

Common Scriptures in Review: JSH 1:19

Ray August 27, 2008Anti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, christianity, church, Culture, history, Jesus, Mormon, Priesthood, prophets, religion, restoration, scripture, theology 35 Comments

[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

guest August 25, 2008Anti-Mormon, apologetics, Asides, Culture, curiosity, doubt, general, General Authorities, history, Humor, inter-faith, international, joseph, LDS, Leaders, marriage, mormon, Mormons, politics, polygamy, prophets, questioning, race, racism, religion, scripture 42 Comments

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, …

The Other Half of the Circle

Clay Whipkey August 21, 2008church, community of christ, curiosity, diversity, feminism, General Authorities, inter-faith, Jesus, Leaders, Mormon, Priesthood, prophets, women 29 Comments

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 …

Is the Internet a Urim & Thummim?

Hawkgrrrl August 20, 2008Asides, Culture, curiosity, history, Humor, inter-faith, joseph, LDS, missions, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, politics, prophets, questioning, restoration, smith, theology, thought 22 Comments

What is a Urim & Thummim, and how will the earth become like one?

Evidences and Reconciliations 8/11/08

John Nilsson August 11, 2008church, faith, God, Mormon, prophets, religion, sacrament, sacrament meeting, scripture, theology 10 Comments

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 …

For Pioneer Day, a Prophet of Peace

John Nilsson July 24, 2008Culture, General Authorities, Happiness, Humor, Leaders, news, President Monson, prophets 16 Comments

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 …

Obedience: Virtual RS/PH #13

Hawkgrrrl July 13, 2008Anti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, christianity, church, evangelicals, faith, God, grace, inter-faith, Jesus, joseph, LDS, Leaders, missionary, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, plan of salvation, politics, polygamy, prophets, questioning, religion, salvation, scripture, smith, spiritual progression, temple, testimony, theology, thought 22 Comments

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 …

Paul: Apostle, Misogynist?

Hawkgrrrl July 8, 2008Asides, christianity, curiosity, feminism, history, Humor, inter-faith, LDS, Leaders, marriage, missionary, missions, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, prophets, questioning, religion, scripture, sexuality, testimony, theology, thought, women 24 Comments

“I’m not bad. I’m just drawn that way.” Jessica Rabbit Plenty of criticism is heaped on post-restoration church leaders. There seems to be a tendency …

Virtual Co-Ed RS/PH: Missionary Work (Lesson 12)

Hawkgrrrl July 6, 2008apologetics, apostasy, Bloggernacle, christ, christianity, church, faith, history, inter-faith, joseph, LDS, Leaders, missionary, missions, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, prophets, religion, salvation, scripture, testimony, theology, thought 10 Comments

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 …