One of my monthly New Year’s Resolutions last year was taken from Matthew 7:9-12, a slight change in my original plan. (See here.) These verses state: …
Top 10 Reasons for and Alternatives to Viewing Porn
Porn is a subject that irritates many members. Some wish it didn’t have to be discussed as much as it is, while others think it …
Increased Civility in Our Conversations
On this Good Friday, I want to make a request based on a wonderful post I read over at By Common Consent by one of …
Charity: Self-Analysis Tool: Do I Vaunt Myself; Am I Puffed Up?
My New Year’s Resolution this year is taken from I Corinthians 13:4-7. In a nutshell, it is to become a little more charitable this year. …
A Tribute to Charity
My father had a stroke on Wednesday. The artery in his neck is 95% blocked, and he will have surgery to try to correct that …
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
May this day be one that is devoid of contention, anger, hard feelings and condemnation. May we commit to make it such within our own …
Liken All Scriptures: Matthew 7:1-2
[poll id=”59″] Please explain your answer.
Hypocrisy, Thy Name Is Biblical Translation
This probably will be the shortest post I ever write, but sometimes less is more. I hope that is the case here.
Common Scriptures in Review: Gender & the Sermon on the Mount
I absolutely LOVE the Sermon on the Mount. It is my second favorite passage in all our recorded scripture – right behind the Intercessory Prayer. …
Japanese: A Modern Case for Reformed Egyptian
One of the common complaints about and arguments against the Book of Mormon is the claim that it was written in “Reformed Egyptian” – a …
Please Respect the Rules of Common Decency
This is an administrative post that is irrelevant to most of you. For that, I apologize. However, we have had a surge recently in comments …
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 …
An Explanation of My Reduction in Participation
[Please pardon the personal nature of this post, but I want to take the opportunity to write this personally.] For the past two years (almost), …
Defining Lust and Chastity
Matthew 5:27-28 includes the statement: “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Rather than …
Is Accountability a Good or Bad Thing?
I am struck regularly by how many members fail to focus on the life of Jesus and, thus, fail to realize that there are incredible …
“Out-of-Wedlock” Is No Longer “Illegitimate”
In a recent CNN.com/living article (“Out-of-wedlock births hit record high”), the discussion centered on the fact that the birth rate outside of marriage in the …
What Advice Would You Give Our Bishops? (“Missionary Work”)
I am on the Stake Missionary Committee, and Wednesday night we had a fascinating set of meetings. I couldn’t help but think as the meetings …
Peace and Depression: Lessons on Accountability
I am struck regularly by how many members fail to focus on Jesus’ life and realize that there are incredible lessons (particularly in the Gospels) …
My Son’s Mission Details
My son received a large white envelope from SLC yesterday, and he had to wait four hours to open it, so that his mother and …
When Evil-Speaking Creeps Unawares Among Us
Last week, there was some heated debate here about More Open Mormon History. I don’t want to open that exact same discussion all over again, …
Soliciting Advice for My Son
My oldest son has finished all of the preparation that is required to submit his mission papers, and our Stake President has formally submitted his …
Dancing through the Sidebar
Feel free to comment on any of the following links – or any others in the sidebar: Hat night at Mesa Temple Wow, could these …
Would This Gay Marriage Compromise Work?
David Blankenhorn and Jonathan Rauch co-wrote an article recently in the New York Times called, “A Reconciliation on Gay Marriage”. I have linked the full …
My Struggle with Formal Prayer
NOTE: This post is a combination (with minor edits) of two posts that I wrote on my own blog this month, as I contemplated Matthew …
Dancing through the Sidebar
There are some fascinating articles we find occasionally and post in the sidebar, and then there are others that simply are too funny to ignore. …
The Role of the Church in the Pursuit of Righteousness: Why It Works for Some and Not for Others
Last April, as I was contemplating my monthly New Year’s resolution (Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness), something struck me quite forcefully – something I had …
Modern-Day Swearing: Will Our Bastardized Words Damn Us to Hell?
I believe we need to take responsibility for understanding and choosing what we say and do – not allowing others to make those decisions for …
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 …
Glorifying “The Good Old Days”
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, …
Conservative Evangelicals & Liberal Mormons: Are They Really Similar In Ways?
The following quotes are excerpted from an article written in 1989 and quoted by the Fundamental Evangelists Association. (The entire article is an interesting look into …
Peace, Be Still: And There Was a Great Calm (Mark 4:36-39)
In trying to understand more deeply what it means to be a peacemaker, I was struck by the way that the following account is worded: …
The Difference Between Mercy and Kindness:How Does It Apply Here?
I was struck last year, as I worked to understand mercy better, by the difference between mercy and kindness. If I had not focused on …
Spiritual Resolutions: My Practical Plan
This year, I am instituting only one New Year’s Resolution. It is the same resolution I made at the end of last year. That resolution …
Celebrating Jesus’ Birth: Building His Kingdom of Nobodies
“Atonement” means “to make as one; to unify; to bring together what once was separated.” When we speak of the Atonement, we generally focus on …
Forbearance to Inflict Harm: Practical Mercy
“A man asked me to treat him as he deserved to be treated – as God would treat him. So, I set him on fire …
Breaking News: Elder Wirthlin Died Last Night
My favorite apostle passed away last night. His “orchestra” reference in General Conference in April was one of my favorites ever. He will be missed. What …
Common Scriptures in Review: Genesis 3:12
There is frequent debate and disagreement about exactly what transpired in the Garden of Eden relative to the partaking of the forbidden fruit. There are …
Thanksgiving Open Thread
This Thanksgiving, what things cause you to be thankful – that are somewhat unique and personal? I am thankful for many things, but there are …
Little Lord Jesus, No Crying He Makes
Sometimes, I have to say to my creedal Christian friends, in all sincerity: We really do worship a different Jesus than you do. I mention …
Election Open Thread (VENT or LAUGH)
Just thought some of you might like a place to vent or laugh maniacally tonight – at least. Only one rule: This is not meant …
Common Scriptures in Review: John 15:13 (Laying Down His Life)
John 15:13 is quoted often throughout Christianity as the great example of Jesus’ willingness to die for his disciples and all who would accept him …
Psalms 55:22 – Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord
I had an interesting insight during a prayer a few months ago. In all my years as a member of the Church – in all …
Opposition to the Church: A Charitable View
Just something to provide a different perspective: Perhaps most of the vocal opposition to Mormonism is produced by those who sincerely feel like we are …
The Eleventh Commandment: Honor Thy Children
I had occasion recently to re-visit a song I heard for the first time a few years ago, performed live in a college theater auditorium. …
Meetings: Striking a Productive Balance
Mormons often joke about the 14th Article of Faith, and it often is quoted somewhat like this: We believe in holding meetings, and in asking …
Is Pornography Adultery?
The following article is interesting and asks a fascinating question. Is Pornography Adultery? Coincidently, the following is excerpted from a post I wrote independent of …
Common Scriptures in Review: Mosiah 3:19
Mosiah 3:19 was the subject of a post recently about how we view our children in the Church. I wanted to comment more extensively in …
Spiritual Poverty vs. Spiritual Destitution: More on Matthew 5:3
Debt is an interesting thing. On one hand, it allows us to acquire things we don’t have but need. On the other hand, it allows …
Open Thread on McCain/Palin
If you haven’t heard by now, Senator McCain has chosen Sarah Palin, sitting Governor of Alaska, as his VP running mate. Her bio is linked …
Common Scriptures in Review: JSH 1:19
[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 …
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 …
Common Scriptures in Review: The Only True and Living Church
D&C 1:30 As the resident parser, here goes: First, here is verse 29: And after having received the record of the Nephites, yea, even my …
The Proper Focus of Leadership: Organizational or Individual?
This perhaps will be the only post I write that simply is a series of questions, but these questions have enormous implication for the Church …
Common Scriptures in Review: “Come Unto Me”
While pondering the concept of spiritual poverty earlier this year, something struck me that I hadn’t considered previously quite in that way. I have believed …
Foundations of Becoming: Thoughts on Spiritual Poverty
Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” As I was pondering the phrase “poor in spirit” …
Something the Southern Baptist Convention Can Learn from the Mormons
The following article highlights something that the Mormon Church has been criticized by some for doing for years, but it is the Southern Baptist Convention …
Common Scriptures in Review / Foundations of Becoming: The Process of Perfection
[NOTE: This is the third post in the series, “Common Scriptures in Review”, but it also is the first post in another series explained at …
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 …
Praise, Honor & Glory Be to God
I have been struck for a long time by the different ways that people interpret and speak of praise, honor and glory – particularly how …
“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 Chapel Entrance Plaque
Recently, I was in a meetinghouse in our area for the first time. On the wall directly above the entrance to the chapel, there is …
Sin and Transgression vs. Morality
[NOTE: I must be a masochist. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE read the questions asked in this post and stick to those questions when you comment. I …
Common Scriptures in Review: “God Would Deliver Them”
Something I have mentioned before is that I believe many members don’t really understand what the Book of Mormon actually says about many things – …
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 …
The Good Samaritan: A Lesson in Spiritual Numbness?
(The following is a re-post of something our “son” wrote on his blog last year – and that I posted at T&S when it occurred …
When Moral Issues Become Political Issues
Should our political views always align with our moral views? When and if they don’t align, why not? Guest blogger Ray explores this idea in today’s …
Rethinking Repentance
A guest post by our friend Ray: The Bible Dictionary defines “repentance” as: “a change of mind, i.e., a fresh view about God, about oneself, and …
Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness
A guest post by our friend Ray I view the purpose of this life as becoming like Jesus was in His mortal life – and …