I first noticed signs of depression and anxiety when I was in Jr. High School. I am now happily married with two young children. With …
Resolving the Conflict between the TBM and the ExMo
Today’s guest post comes from Ulysseus, a frequent commenter at Mormon Matters and elsewhere in the b’nacle. His website can be found here. To take …
Why Mormon History is Not What They Say
Our controversial guest post today is from Rock Waterman. Check out the original unabridged post at his blog, Pure Mormonism, so titled from his observation …
Faith, Knowledge, Belief, and Stochastic Theory Part 4: Finding Truth – An Optimization Problem
In part two of this series I discussed Bayesian inference. Specifically, I discussed how Bayesian inference provided us with a mechanism for deciding in what …
Official Doctrine vs. Personal Speculation
Mormonism, in its very short history, has a rich tradition of theological speculation. The foundations of the Church were based on burning desires to know …
Absolute Truth, Inclusivism, Lumen Gentium, and Emeth
Guest post by Thomas In C.S. Lewis’ final Narnia book The Last Battle, there is a powerful scene of an encounter between the Christ-symbolizing lion Aslan …
Should truth be simple, easy to comprehend?
OK, friends and pals of MormonMatters…let’s play a game. (You just can’t get this at any of the other blogs, btw.) Some of you may …
A Rational Theology Part 2: The First Four Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel
In my previous discussion of “A Rational Theology” by John Widstoe, I discussed two methodologies of deriving a full LDS theology in use during the …
Joseph Fielding McConkie and the Lens of Literalism
In a recently published book ‘Between the Lines: Unlocking Scripture with Timeless Principles’ (2009), Joseph Fielding McConkie tries to deal with the issue of discerning …
Mormon Myths as Transferable Charisma
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 …
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 …
On Failed Patriarchal Blessings
Some time ago I spoke to someone I knew about a Patriarchal blessing they had received which seemed to have failed to come to pass. …
Richard Dawkins, God and Santa Claus: Belief as a Form of Abuse
Between Christmas and New Year I had the opportunity to meet with some friends and at one point during the evening we began discussing the …
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 …
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 …
“Knowing” It All
Mormons love to use the word “know.” We say we know God lives. We say we know that Jesus is the Christ. We say we …
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 …
On Agency and Accountability: An Inter-dependent View
Jeff Spector wrote a post on Agency a few months ago which I enjoyed alot. The discussion led me down a slightly different path and I …
Prosperity vs. Religion
There was a great article in Newsweek called (Un)wired For God. It was a follow up on a prior article that had talked about the …
Unleashing the Analyst. A Personal Story
As I have already posted a few times, I think it’s time I introduce myself. So, this is my story, Mormon Story style (only without …
Is Prayer About God?
What does prayer mean? What is its purpose in our lives? Today’s guest post is from jmb275.
Science vs. Religion: A Poll
When there is a seeming conflict between science and religion, people tend to make a mental choice that either favors religion or science. Which is …
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 …
What is Truth?
When it comes to religion – can everyone know truth? Can anyone? Today’s guest post is from Justin Perry.
The Gospel and Collective Memory
While I hardly want to be schmaltzy, I had a powerful experience this evening involving memory… this governing variable of my mind.
Tactical Morality
I revisit an old topic that is becoming increasingly relevant, especially in a culture where not only is bad called good and vice versa, but …
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 …
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 …