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 …
Rules, Principles, Seeds & Shells, Part I
I sometimes wonder where the 32nd chapter of Alma would rank in a list of most iconic scriptures in the entire Book of Mormon. It …
Faith, Knowledge, Belief and Stochastic Theory Part 3: Putting It All Together
In part one I introduced the problem I see with our current understanding of faith, introduced some basic statistics, and weakly drew a comparison to …
Faith, Knowledge, Belief, and Stochastic Theory Part 2: Inductive Reasoning
Deductive reasoning is a form of reasoning in which the conclusion can be drawn directly from the premises. The idea is to show that the …
Then I Will Believe
Our guest post today is by SilverRain, who blogs at The Rains Came Down. When Jesus was suffering on the cross at Calvary, those who …
Church Vernacular and the Magical Worldview
It is Sunday, and Mike and his new bride, Valerie, are up visiting Mike’s family for the weekend. Mike is a physics major and has …
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 …
Symonds Ryder and a Crisis of Faith
Once again, the story of Symonds Ryder has been misused to illustrate a point about leaving the Church over something inconsequential. Undoubtedly there have been …
If Easter Be Not True
I’ve learned a few things from teaching swimming lessons to tiny children for over 30 years. One of the most obvious is that some kids …
Bombshell at the BYU Studies Symposium
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 …
Committing Spiritual Murder: Analysing Alma 39
Michael Ash in a Sunstone article entitled ‘The Sin “Next to Murder”’ has argued that Alma’s exhortation to his son Corianton (who had ran off …
‘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 …
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 …
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 …
To Those Struggling In Their Faith
There are many within Mormonism who struggle daily with their faith. They have been exposed to historical information they were not aware of, they were …
Vagueness as a Gospel Principle
“For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a …
Highway 61 Re-revisited: Fear and Trembling before Faith
Oh God said to Abraham, “Kill me a son” Abe says, “Man, you must be puttin’ me on” God say, “No.” Abe say, “What?” God …
Doing Right for the Wrong Reason
Should we still do good things, even if our motives are not perfect and pure?
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
What Bothers Me, and Why I Still Believe
I am an active member of the church, and a believer. I am well aware of most of the controversial issues (Book of Abraham, DNA, …
Good Man Gone
A week ago, I attended the viewing and funeral of a man in our stake who died of an unexpected heart attack. He was in …
Worship or Whine?
This post was inspired by David Stout’s series of posts on LDS Worship, Part II and Part III as well as HawkGrrrl’s post entitled “More …
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, …
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 …
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 …
Why Faith Needs Reason
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 …
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 …
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 …
Faith vs. Doubt
“Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.”
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Bad Apologetics, Meet Bad Polemics
polemics: The art or practice of disputation or controversy, especially on religious subjects; that branch of theological science which pertains to the history or conduct …
What is Truth?
When it comes to religion – can everyone know truth? Can anyone? Today’s guest post is from Justin Perry.
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 …
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 …
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 …
Why I Almost Went on a Mission
I hear there’s a Primary song — “I hope they call me on a mission.” I’ve never actually heard it sung, but I vaguely know …
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.
Orson Scott Card and LDS Music
Orson Scott Card recently made ripples with his recent column on his experience listening to a “new” LDS album, and the dire state of current …
God’s Dilemma
“We thought that we had the answers. It was the questions we had wrong.” -U2, 11 O’Clock Tick Tock Lately I’ve been thinking a lot …
Keep Pedaling
One thing that I don’t see very often at Mormon Matters is the bearing of testimony. Some see the bearing of testimony as a form …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
First Families: BOM and Restoration
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 …
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 …
Children and Testimonies
Today’s post is by Andrew C. This past Sunday, we attended a different ward for a relative’s baby blessing. This particular ward is located in …
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 …
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 …
Five difficult words to contemplate
What if it isn’t true?
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 …
God, Music, and the Sabbath
2 Nephi 31:3 (emphasis added) For my soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. …
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 …
Analogies of Belief: Expecting the Polar Express
What does it mean to say you believe something or “believe in” something? Would a child say they believe in Santa Claus? Or would they …
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 …
Common Scriptures in Review: Remembering
As I’ve said previously, although I truly enjoy intellectual analysis, what grounds me are my experiences – things that are so vivid and unexplainable that …
Paul: Apostle, Misogynist?
“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)
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 …
“All we can hope for is for God to bring us home.” (Thanks, Stephen.)
1) There is a man in my ward who is a dean at a major college in our area. He is a brilliant scholar in …
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 …
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 …
True Discipleship: It’s DOING more than KNOWING
I recently lead a discussion in High Priests (I never call it teaching) about Discipleship, what it was and how we can become true disciples …
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 …
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 …
Ok, So What If It Isn’t True?
The Church of Jesus Christ claims to be the Restored Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and the “only true and living church on the …
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 …
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 …
Our Foundation Stories Part I: The First Vision or the First Visit?
Do you believe that God the Father, the Son, and maybe even the Holy Ghost visited Joseph Smith in the spring of 1820? Or did …
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 …
“Knowing” & Other Leaps of Faith
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 …
People Who Helped Me Stay Mormon Part I: Jeff Burton
Before John Dehlin, there was Jeff Burton.
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, …
A Testimony of the Devil
“I know that the Devil lives in outer darkness surrounded by concourses of ghastly minions amidst weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth”. Why don’t we …
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 …
Liberal Mormonism III: Prognosis
Count up all the liberal Mormons you know. Now, compare that number to the number you knew ten years ago. Now multiply the difference between …
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 …
Part 2 – Testimony: “And then we went to the Grand Canyon…”
In part 1 on Testimony, I discussed that oft heard phrase, “I know the Church is True.” In this 2nd part, I’d like to focus …
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 …
My Mormon Midlife Crisis
I always thought the midlife crisis was just a cliché. But now I’m 41, and I’m finding myself in the midst of an all-too-real midlife …
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.
Reconstruction Part 2: Abandoning “Being Right” In Search of “Having Joy”
In part one of this reconstruction journey, I talked about how being hyper-focused on being right intensifies the impact when you come to see that …
Joseph Smith, On His Own Terms
In studying Joseph Smith in the 1970s I was struck by how often Joseph Smith would remind the brethren that they did not know as …
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 …