We’ve explored some of the answers members have posted on the mormon.org site in the church’s new profiles campaign. So far, we’ve discussed member answers …
Mormon.org FAQ: Homosexuality
We’ve explored some of the answers members have posted on the mormon.org site in the church’s new profiles campaign. So far, we’ve discussed member answers …
Mormon.org FAQ: Prophets
We’ve explored some of the answers members have posted on the mormon.org site in the church’s new profiles campaign. So far, we’ve discussed member answers …
Mormon.org FAQ: Role of Husbands & Wives
We’ve explored some of the answers members have posted on the mormon.org site in the church’s new profiles campaign. So far, we’ve discussed member answers …
Mormon.org FAQ: Women & Priesthood
Last week we looked at some of the cool profiles on mormon.org that are part of a new effort to make members real and accessible …
Why Do People Struggle? (With Poll!)
Through my time in the church, I’ve known many who have left the church, many others who have seemingly never had an issue, and a …
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 …
Ward Cliques
Does your ward have cliques? Are cliques a good or bad thing?
How Many Mormons Does It Take to Screw in a Lightbulb?
Today’s post is by Matt Workman. I waited backstage with my small troupe of comedians. One more act to go, then it was our turn …
Faith & Doubt
Today’s guest post is by Glenn. When I was at BYU, I got interested in the study of folklore – the way that traditional culture …
Equal Parenting: Feasible or Not?
There was an interesting article in NYT about the parenting equality in Sweden. Sweden’s practices are probably the most advanced in terms of creating parental equality, …
Mixed Belief Marriages
What should a church member do if their spouse is a non-believer? This is something that many couples encounter, either because one spouse ceases to …
AZ Immigration Law vs. LDS Interests?
A recent article in the Arizona Republic highlights the negative impacts to the LDS church of the new Arizona law that steps up enforcement of …
Reflections on Mormon May Day
by Jason B. (Mormon May Day was an international response to recent statements by latter-day McCarthyist Glenn Beck that social justice was a code word …
Church History: Principles
There has been a lot of discussion in the b’nacle about what the church can do from a practical standpoint to address the thorny issues …
Mormonism and Catholicism: Who Can Mock This Church?
There was a great article in the New York Times this week: Who Can Mock This Church? While it was about Catholicism reeling in the …
Putting Things on a Shelf
People like to talk about putting things that bother them about the church on a shelf. Of course, the problem is that for some, the shelf …
Temple Recommend Assumptions
Maybe it was an upcoming family wedding. Or maybe it came out some other way. Have you ever been in a situation when you became …
You’re the Bishop #4 (Poll)
OK, Bishop Bill here again with a really difficult situation.
Church as a Social Network
There are those among the disaffected who would like to reap the benefits of the church as a community although they may no longer share the …
You’re the Bishop: Poll #3
Bishop Bill back with more. We’ve had fictionalized situations in the last two installments with a YW and a YM. Now, let’s have a situation …
You’re the Bishop: Poll #2
Bishop Bill back with your next installment of “You’re the Bishop.” Just to be clear, the examples I am using have been changed enough that …
Abstainers vs. Indulgers
Mormons dig abstinence. Like many other highly committed Christians, we abstain from premarital sex. But, that’s not all; we also abstain from tobacco, alcohol, coffee, …
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 …
True or Bizarre: A Poll
While there are moral truths that all religions tend to share (don’t kill, don’t steal, be nice to people, etc.), religions also include “bizarre” differentiators …
“They Don’t Really Belong” – The Story of Doubting Jews Caught In Between Worlds.
I recently came across this story on the BBC Website and felt that I had to return to Mormon Matters to write a few comments …
You’re the Bishop: Scenario #1
Welcome to “You’re the Bishop,” a new installment at Mormon Matters. My name is Bishop Bill. Once every few weeks I’ll post a situation that …
Dysfunctional Families or Church?
Exit stories are the tales told when someone leaves the church. The internet is full of these stories, and in many, there is drama in …
Follow the [blank]: A Poll
In the church, we learn how to be good followers. There are many things we are told to follow: the prophet, good examples, our parents’ …
Mormons Celebrating Diversity
Hello Mormon Matters community! I was invited to contribute a blogpost now and then, and hope I’ll be able to throw some meaningful questions into …
The Church in 20 Years
Where do you see the Church in 20 years? Today’s guest post is by David Heap.
Mormon Blogs – What’s OK?
What should be acceptable for a blog to be considered a “Mormon” blog? All Mormon content? Only that which is respectful to the church (not …
Is Morality Universal?
Is morality a social construct or is it universal, transcending time and culture? Or is it a little bit of both? Read on to find …
10 LDS Things I’m Thankful for
Thanksgiving is, IMO, the perfect holiday: good food, a day off work, and no presents to worry about. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted …
Musings on Modesty & Mormonism
Today’s guest post is from Reuben Collins who also blogs at Single Speed.
Was Jesus a Buddhist?
The NT doesn’t give much insight into Jesus’ life between age 12 and 30. Did he encounter Buddhism and seek personal enlightenment? Or are these …
“Moderation in All Things”: A Poll
The phrase, “moderation in all things” is a euphemism usually (but not exclusively) associated (by Mormons at least)with the Word of Wisdom. It usually means …
‘I really think it would be best if you ended your remarks at this point?’
John Remy posted an interesting blog/video where a man, speaking about his concern with the Church’s practice and policy during the Prop 8 debate, was …
Insiders & Outsiders
When it comes to Mormonism, do you feel more like an insider or an outsider?
The Doctor Is IN: An Interview with The Mormon Therapist
Natasha Helfer Parker is a licensed therapist who has counseled the LDS community for 12 years. In 2009, she began a blog called The Mormon …
I Have Seen the Axe
Alice Walker, who wrote about the heartbreak of female genital mutilation quoted an African proverb in the beginning of her book Possessing the Secret of …
Groupthink
“Groupthink” is what naturally happens when a group becomes sedentary and sluggish. When change is introduced or new people are introduced, they challenge the “groupthink.” …
Intellectualism and Faith: A Would-Be Marriage!
It is easy to think yourself out of a testimony. It’s as simple as saying “well I can’t prove God exists, or doesn’t exist, therefore …
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 …
Bloggernacle Personality Survey
The bloggernacle seems to attract a specific subset of Mormon culture, and as a result, opinions and comments are often different from those we hear …
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 …
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 …
What is Tolerance?
I wrote an article explaining how I become converted to “political correctness”. I was really talking about “tolerance.” Tolerance: I hear that word a lot. …
Lessons Learned (aka Thanks, Bloggernacle!)
Unfortunately, a confluence of factors — vacation, increased tasks at work trying to make up for said vacation, shuttling daughters to and from various summer …