Great Expectations: What Are Your Hopes and Predictions for General Conference?

Andrewapologetics, blacks, Bloggernacle, conference, curiosity, doubt, faith, families, Folklore, gay, General Authorities, General Conference, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, orthodox, Priesthood, questioning, race, revelation 58 Comments

“It’s the MOST WONderful TIIIME of the YEARRRRRR.”  The leaves are starting to change color. The evenings and mornings are a bit crisper. Even the …

A Personal Interpretation of Elder Hafen’s Remarks

jmb275apologetics, apostasy, Charity, christ, Culture, gay, General Authorities, homosexuality, LDS, love, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, orthodox, questioning, religion, resignation, sexuality, spirituality 225 Comments

At the Evergreen conference held September 18-19, 2009, Elder Bruce Hafen gave a talk regarding homosexuality. The talk was reprinted on the official LDS Church …

Adam and Eve: the First TBM & NOM

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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 …

Women are from Venus, Men are from Kolob

Hawkgrrrlabuse, adultery, Asides, burdens, children, church, Culture, curiosity, doubt, faith, families, feminism, Humor, LDS, Leaders, Logic, love, marriage, mormon, Mormons, orthodox, polygamy, questioning, religion, salvation, sexuality, theology, thought, women 75 Comments

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 …

The Problem with Tolerance

Hawkgrrrlapologetics, Asides, catholicism, Charity, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, diversity, doubt, General Authorities, inter-faith, LDS, Leaders, liberal, media manipulation, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, prophets, questioning, racism, religion, theology, thought 133 Comments

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 …

Interfaith International British DJ

Jamesapologetics, Bible, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, books, burdens, catholicism, Charity, children, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, death, Discrimination, diversity, evangelicals, faith, families, fear, Folklore, general, God, Happiness, history, Humor, inter-faith, international, introductions, Jesus, LDS, Leaders, liberal, Logic, love, marriage, media, missionary, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, news, orthodox, parables, Peace, plan of salvation, podcast, polygamy, prayer, questioning, resolutions, scripture, Sermon on the Mount, service, spiritual progression, spirituality, television, theology, thought, women 10 Comments

OK Paul technically isn’t exactly an international DJ, not unless you consider that you can listen to his interviews on line.

Mormon Masks

Hawkgrrrlapostasy, Asides, Beatitudes, Bible, Charity, children, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, families, fear, Happiness, inter-faith, Jesus, LDS, Leaders, love, marriage, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, orthodox, parables, Peace, questioning, religion, testimony 17 Comments

Often people have a hard time with intimacy (intimacy = “into me see”) because they feel vulnerable.  They would rather deal with ideas than people, …

More Christ At Church

HawkgrrrlAsides, Beatitudes, christ, christianity, Culture, curiosity, diversity, faith, General Conference, history, inter-faith, Jesus, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, orthodox, parables, prayer, questioning, sacrament meeting, scripture, Sermon on the Mount, spirituality, testimony, theology 36 Comments

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 …

Are we going to be Eunuchs after this life?

Jamesabuse, book of mormon, burdens, Culture, curiosity, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, education, eternity, faith, families, fear, Folklore, general, General Authorities, General Conference, God, Happiness, history, Humor, Jesus, joseph, Logic, marriage, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, prophets, questioning, religion, resolutions, salvation, scripture, sexuality, smith, spiritual progression, spirituality, tesimony, theology, thought, women 79 Comments

My home teacher (who is very cool) came by yesterday to drop off some starter cables for my car and as one does in that …

Faith vs. Doubt

Hawkgrrrlapostasy, Asides, burdens, Charity, christ, christianity, church, conference, Culture, curiosity, depression, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, education, faith, fear, General Authorities, General Conference, inter-faith, joseph, LDS, Leaders, liberal, Logic, love, mercy, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, orthodox, President Monson, prophets, questioning, religion, restoration, scripture, spirituality, testimony, theology, thought 48 Comments

“Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.”

Big Love -Big News

Jamesabuse, adultery, Anti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, baptism, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, burdens, Charity, children, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, education, faith, families, fear, FLDS, general, God, Happiness, history, inter-faith, Jesus, joseph, marriage, media, meetings, Mormon, Mormons, movies, news, obedience, ordinances, orthodox, polygamy, Priesthood, prophets, religion, resignation, RLDS, salvation, scripture, spirituality, television, temple, testimony, theology, thought, Utah, women 33 Comments

Shipbuilding: Tasks or Vision?

guestapostasy, Asides, burdens, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, diversity, doubt, faith, fear, General Authorities, God, Happiness, LDS, Leaders, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, parables, Peace, questioning, religion, spirituality, theology, thought 9 Comments

Spending a week in the Pacific Northwest on vacation, surrounded by boats and the vastness of the sea, when I read this quote from Antoine …

Horus Bible Parallels

JamesAnti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, Bible, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, books, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, diversity, doubt, education, evangelicals, faith, fear, Folklore, general, history, inter-faith, international, Jesus, LDS, Leaders, liberal, marriage, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, movies, new order mormon, orthodox, parables, questioning, religion, scripture, Sermon on the Mount, spirituality, tesimony, theology, thought, Uncategorized 22 Comments

Recently I saw Religulous here and he touched on Horus here and a few of the parallels between the story of Horus and Jesus. Many …

Abstinence= Don’t think the colour red! Don’t think the colour red!

Jamesbooks, burdens, BYU, christianity, church, curiosity, Discrimination, education, faith, families, general, General Conference, liberal, marriage, Mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, sexuality, tesimony, women 59 Comments

“The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health” (Add Health), Found that conservative and evangelical Christian teenagers are more sexually active than mainline Protestants, Jews, and …

Can you be a Unitarian and a Mormon at the Same Time?

JamesAnti-Mormon, apostasy, Bible, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, catholicism, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, death, diversity, doubt, education, faith, families, fear, general, God, Happiness, inter-faith, international, Jesus, LDS, liberal, love, media, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, obedience, orthodox, prayer, prophets, service, theology, thought 27 Comments

We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons. Joseph …

Temperance Movement and The Word of Wisdom

Jamesapostasy, Bible, book of mormon, christianity, church, conference, Culture, curiosity, diversity, doubt, faith, fear, Folklore, general, General Authorities, General Conference, Government, Happiness, history, international, jehovahs witnesses, LDS, Leaders, liberal, media manipulation, missionary, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, orthodox, religion, restoration, testimony, theology, thought, Word of Wisdom 63 Comments

For almost two centuries the Word of Wisdom is solid proven evidence to many members that the Church is true.

Unity, Diversity and Conformity

Hawkgrrrlapostasy, Asides, burdens, Charity, Culture, curiosity, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, education, faith, families, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, orthodox, questioning, service, temple, theology, thought 7 Comments

How do we create and maintain unity at church while valuing diversity and avoiding conformity?  Do we have to embrace the diversity of those who …

The Church as a Tool

guestAnti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, Asides, Charity, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, depression, diversity, doubt, education, faith, fear, God, Happiness, history, LDS, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, obedience, orthodox, parables, Peace, prayer, Priesthood, prophets, questioning, religion, testimony, theology, thought 21 Comments

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 …

Churches are Made for the Ninety and Nine… What About the One?

Clay Whipkeyapostasy, christ, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, depression, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, faith, General Authorities, Happiness, Jesus, Leaders, love, Mormon, obedience, orthodox, parables, questioning, repentance, spiritual progression, surviving, testimony, thought 37 Comments

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 …

How Active Are You? How Orthodox Are You? A Self-Assessment

John Nilssonbook of mormon, christ, christianity, church, curiosity, doubt, eternity, faith, General Authorities, God, historicity, Jesus, joseph, LDS, liberal, Mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, obedience, orthodox, Priesthood, prophets, religion, repentance, restoration, sacrament meeting, salvation, scripture, Sermon on the Mount, smith, temple, testimony, theology, Word of Wisdom 67 Comments

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

HawkgrrrlAnti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, baseball, Bloggernacle, christianity, church, curiosity, Discrimination, doubt, eschatoloty, evangelicals, faith, historicity, history, LDS, liberal, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, orthodox, questioning, religion, testimony, theology, thought 52 Comments

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 …

Virtual RS/PH #15: Establishing the Cause of Zion

Hawkgrrrlapostasy, Asides, christ, church, Culture, faith, families, Happiness, Jesus, joseph, LDS, love, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, obedience, orthodox, plan of salvation, repentance, restoration, scripture, smith, spiritual progression, testimony, theology, thought 22 Comments

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 …

Becoming a Moderate Mormon

HawkgrrrlAsides, Bloggernacle, BYU, christianity, church, Culture, curiosity, Discrimination, diversity, doubt, faith, families, history, international, LDS, Leaders, liberal, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, new order mormon, news, orthodox, politics, questioning, religion, reverence, thought 37 Comments

We’ve established that there are conservative Mormons (obviously) and there are liberal or “new order” Mormons.  Taking the politico-religious rhetoric to its next logical conclusion, …

Obedience: Virtual RS/PH #13

HawkgrrrlAnti-Mormon, apologetics, apostasy, Bloggernacle, book of mormon, christianity, church, evangelicals, faith, God, grace, inter-faith, Jesus, joseph, LDS, Leaders, missionary, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, plan of salvation, politics, polygamy, prophets, questioning, religion, salvation, scripture, smith, spiritual progression, temple, testimony, theology, thought 22 Comments

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 …

Paul: Apostle, Misogynist?

HawkgrrrlAsides, christianity, curiosity, feminism, history, Humor, inter-faith, LDS, Leaders, marriage, missionary, missions, Mormon, mormon, Mormons, obedience, orthodox, prophets, questioning, religion, scripture, sexuality, testimony, theology, thought, women 24 Comments

“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 …