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 …
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Who wrote this, and why wouldn’t the Correlation Committee allow it to be published today? Every teacher is obligated by his responsibility to others to …
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Here’s another quote from a discarded Church manual predating Correlation. Who said it and why wouldn’t it fly in today’s Church?: The pragmatic or experimental …
This Won’t Get Past Correlation!
Here is a quote from a dusty, forgotten, once-official Church manual. Who said this and why wouldn’t this get past the brethren and sistren at …
This Won’t Make It Past Correlation!
Our quote this week is from another church manual predating Correlation. Who wrote this, and why would the Correlation Committee disapprove?: Just what is the …
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. …
The Book of Mormon: A 20th Century Text
There are many positions on which century the Book of Mormon originated in, but most seem to fall into two general camps: the book was …
My kind of Evangelical
As a Mormon kid growing up in the area of Southern California largely settled by Dust Bowl migrants from Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, evangelicals (we …
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 …
The Sunstone Report
I attended the Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium on Friday, August 8th. I hadn’t been to Sunstone in ten years. The last time I came, I …
Evidences and Reconciliations 8/11/08
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
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 …
Evidences and Reconciliations 7/21/2008
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary …
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 …
Our Foundation Stories Part VI: The Laying on of Hands
This is the last installment of Our Foundation Stories, I promise! As a child, I heard the story of the restoration of the Aaronic and …
Evidences and Reconciliations (6/30/08)
And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the …
Evidences and Reconciliations 06/23/08
So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: …
Our Foundation Stories Part V: The Meaning of the Book of Mormon
What does the Book of Mormon mean? Does it follow from its existence that Joseph Smith was (is?) a prophet, that the Church of Jesus …
Evidences and Reconciliations 6/16/08
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on …
Our Foundation Stories Part IV: The Book of Mormon Translation
Was the Book of Mormon translated? Was the Book of Mormon revealed? Was it inspired? Was it all three, or a combination of the above? …
Evidences and Reconciliations 6/09/08
For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing …
Our Foundation Stories Part III: The Book of Mormon Comes Forth
As a child, the story of Moroni visiting Joseph Smith seemed familiar to me, but I couldn’t put my finger on just why. Only later, …
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 …
Evidences and Reconciliations 6/02/08
And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. Exodus 33:23 The Father …
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 …
Evidences and Reconciliations 5/26/08
And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. Exodus 33:11 No man hath seen God at any …
MormonNews: The End Of Temple Work As We Know It?
According to the Utah Catholic bishop, John Wester, the Vatican has issued a directive to not release parish records to LDS researchers (who then use …
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 …
Evidences and Reconciliations 5/19/08
I intend this to be the first entry in a regular series, something you can look forward to on a Monday afternoon. Like all series, …
People Who Helped Me Stay Mormon Part I: Jeff Burton
Before John Dehlin, there was Jeff Burton.
Theology Quiz
Here is a fun quiz I’ve seen on other Bloggernacle sites I wanted to try out on my pals at Mormon Matters. It’s fairly quick …
Through the Ears of a “Gentile”
“I’m so glad I was born in this, the one true church of God.” “Please bless the party leaders tonight [of the Republican Party] that …
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 …
Preaching in Alamo
Over spring break, I preached in Alamo. No, not THE Alamo.
“From the crossroads of the West”
Years ago, my wife and I skipped our ward meetings to attend Music and the Spoken Word and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Shouldn’t This Be Against the Honor Code?
Some background. The University of Utah athletic teams go by the name “Utes”. BYU are the “Cougars”. The Utes are also an American Indian tribe. …
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 …
My Top Ten Non-Mormon Lives
Not long ago I was watching a Tyler Perry movie and found myself applauding an action of one of the characters. This was an action …
Liberal Mormonism II: Why I am a Liberal Mormon
I was raised in a household of faith. My parents are believers who encouraged discussion of religion in their home. I’ve asked around and found …
Liberal Mormonism I: Diagnosis
Let me be clear about a few things. First, I have been diagnosed as a liberal Mormon. Second, liberal Mormonism has been discussed before in …
Imagine: An Honorable Release
General Conference, April 2008 President Thomas S. Monson steps to the pulpit and says: “Brothers and sisters, thank you for your prayers. They have sustained …
My Top Ten Cultural Sins, or Why I Don’t Mark My Scriptures
10. I don’t mark my scriptures. The last time I did was 12 years ago and it was to make it easier to find the …
What Do Joseph Smith and Gladys Knight Have in Common?
When I was a kid in Southern California, it was obvious to me that there were two kinds of people in the world: Mormons and …
“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 …
Mormon Superheroes
Dr. Deseret is the sovereign State of Deseret’s official superhero and defender. She takes performance-enhancing drugs to ensure her fighting prowess. She is part …
Got Gender?: A Modest Proposal
Men don’t understand women very well. I understand them even less because I grew up with brothers. No sisters. This may have contributed to my …
Yet Another John
I don’t know what the prevalence of the name John on Mormon Matters says about this site or our parents’ predilection for monosyllabic British boy’s …