The development of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always been marvelous, but our sense of just what it is doing has changed quite dramatically from one decade to another. When Joseph Smith first went to (what in hindsight we call) the Sacred Grove, (more…)

Let us praise pioneers. Of all sorts, but today especially the traditional sort. I myself am thinking of Carl and Mathilda, whom I came to know through one of those wholly unexpected spine-tingling unbelievable fantastic experiences.
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The Deseret News just ran a lengthy article giving some details on the long-awaited but soon-to-be-released book Massacre at Mountain Meadows, by three LDS historians. (more…)

No, it’s not the same as Master Race, so banish that association from your head. Instead it’s a useful sociological concept (imagine that!) which not only has come in handy for writing my current book, but goes a long way toward explaining why we get along, or not, with liberals, reactionaries, gays, homophobes, gun-nuts, gun-controllers, tree-huggers, earth-exploiters, blacks, browns, whites, males, females, snobs, slobs, pro-choicers, pro-lifers, Mormons, jack Mormons, inactive Mormons, less-active Mormons, active Mormons, hyperactive Mormons, blogging Mormons, non-Mormons, and just about any other category you can dream up for someone else, or yourself. (more…)

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I really liked Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog, a short musical internet film in three parts. Perhaps you think this is a shameful admission, like my fondness for the Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. And perhaps you’re right. But there it is. I liked the superhero goofiness. I liked Dr. Horrible’s acting. I really liked the singing.

SPOILERS (more…)

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Previous post in this series here. (more…)

by Stephenie Meyers (Little, Brown, 2008). 617 pp.

WARNING: major spoilers

Stephenie Meyer’s foray into science fiction is a well-deserved best seller, and a great piece of Mormon literature. The romantic interaction between Bella and Edward and Jacob—wait, I mean between Jared and Melanie/Wanderer and Ian—uh, hold on a second… (more…)

In a previous post I summarized biblical explanations for the problem of evil or the existence of suffering in the world as presented in Bart Ehrman’s latest book, God’s Problem. In this post I’ll continue with additional explanations from modern and LDS sources. (more…)

For you, summer might be a succession of beaches, barbeques, and baseball games, but for one young man this summer is an extended bicycle tour of American religious sites. He has posted excellent photos of his visits to the Smith family farm and the Hill Cumorah Pageant that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. If he makes it to SLC, someone should throw him a party or something.

A few months ago this was the calendar, word for word, sent out to a nearby quorum in a sleepy suburban ward (hint: it’s in the US).

March 15th: Concealed Weapons Class, 1pm at the [deleted] home. Joint activity with the High Priests. Punch and cookies served. (Okay I added the punch and cookies bit.) (more…)

My older sister was a great athlete in the old days (before Title IX), and just retired as the athletic director at a high school. Talking with her the other day gave me the idea for this post, so blame her if you don’t like it (isn’t that just like a little brother?).

I thought I had a vague memory of watching her, when I was 8 or 9 (mid-1960s), play some odd form of basketball. Was I just imagining it? She laughed and proceeded to explain the mysteries of girls’ rules. (more…)

In case you were too busy celebrating Bastille Day to keep up with your required blog reading, here are a few posts to notice. (more…)

J. Max Wilson is a bogeyman. (more…)

Last week BYU Newsnet posted and then pulled offline an article announcing that North American missionaries were no longer being called to serve in Russia. The move left many wondering about the state of the missionary program in Russia with some tempered hope that perhaps the Newsnet article had jumped the gun on a situation that was being resolved. Unfortunately, however, the news now official. The Deseret News has confirmed that the Church is no longer sending North American missionaries to Russia “due to new, tougher visa laws.” North American missionaries currently in-country will stay, but those newly called missionaries and those currently in the MTC have both been reassigned. The Church clearly hopes to resolve this situation, but the reassignment of these missionaries suggests to me that it isn’t expecting a solution anytime soon.

Any guest or new blogger obviously runs the risk of repeating topics that have been worn into the ground. Apologies in advance if that is the case here, but it seemed to me that possibly missing in the current debate, er, discussion, over a certain issue in California and how church members ought to respond to it, is more explicit treatment of the question of conscience.
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We’re pleased to welcome Craig Harline as a guest blogger at T&S. Craig was born and raised in California, then started moving around. He has since lived, for various periods, in Belgium, New Jersey, Utah, Idaho, France, The Netherlands, Sweden, and England, suggesting that he was either in the military, in the diplomatic corps, or never had a real job. It was the latter. By profession he is a historian, especially of religious history, and especially of the Reformation in Europe. Others doubt the jobness of this job because it requires a lot of travel to Europe and frequent restorative visits to cafés. He doubts the jobness of the job because he is also a historian by inclination, as he tends to view just about any question or issue or topic in historical terms, just for fun. This inclination and the frequent travel have convinced him that you see your own world a little more clearly when you leave it regularly, both in time and in space. For other fun he reads a lot of novels and religion (favorites include E. M. Forster, J. F. Power, Anne Tyler, Truman Capote, Peter Brown, and especially, if not very originally, Jane Austen), plays a lot less sport than he used to or than the AMA recommends, follows his kids around, watches foreign films, and talks with willing family and friends. He has made mistakes in life which still make him weep (he won’t discuss these), and he has had fantastic experiences which he never could have dreamed up himself (he might discuss a couple of these). Finally, he holds the distinction of having known Wilfried Decoo for over 30 years, since the time that Wilfried was a young linguist and district president facing inhuman challenges, such as laboring single-handedly to stop missionaries from their nasty habit of slipping from proper Dutch in order to try out outrageously fun expressions they had heard in Flemish dialects—expressions that they rarely understood, and that usually turned out, of course, to be vulgar. But at least it gave Wilfried a lifetime of good stories for T&S.

On the sweetness of Mormon life. (more…)

On the sweetness of Mormon life. (more…)

Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008
From: [redacted]
Subject: MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT MONSON

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What if the historical evidence for the foundation of the early Christian church is indistinguishable from evidence for its apostasy? What if the early church and its scriptures only arose through processes of decay? (more…)

Psalm 137 is one of those wonderful and paradoxical passages of scripture that contains within itself a universe. (more…)

Dave’s Mormon Inquiry has a post up about a new article in Meridian Magazine today that likens the brewing battle over gay marriage in California to the War in Heaven. The comments of the post link to an editorial from the Daily Universe editorial board this week that I found pretty shocking. The money quote:

Consequently, “active Mormons” know that when the prophet speaks, the debate is over. No matter how diligently someone reads their scriptures, attends church or pays a full tithe, unless they sustain President Monson, his counselors and the other 12 apostles, [by supporting the proposed amendment to legally define marriage as a union between a man and a woman] they are not “active Mormons.”

Your week in links. (more…)

Mormon Times posted a list of LDS athletes who are headed to the Summer Olympics. An impressive group — I hope they all make their respective teams and countries proud in coming weeks. (more…)

Like most rugged and red-blooded American men I have long enjoyed the work of Jane Austen. (more…)

While the Bloggernacle was ablaze with commentary on the June 29 First Presidency letter to California Mormons (see interesting updates here and here) plenty of posts on other timely topics were zipping through cyberspace. (more…)

I recently finished Bart D. Ehrman’s latest book, God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question–Why We Suffer (HarperCollins, 2008). Like all Ehrman’s books, it is both informative and troubling. (more…)

I’m reading a commentary on Psalms and in the section on the authorship of the Psalms, the writer has this to say: (more…)

According to an article in the New York Times today, evidence of Jewish belief in a resurrected Messiah decades before Christ’s birth may have been discovered. (more…)

Let the eagle scream. (more…)

The anniversary of Shelby Foote’s death has just passed us and the Fourth of July is almost upon us. (more…)

From the Archives– -more-

Let’s read the Book of Mormon as a commentary on American constitutional law and vice versa. Alma 30:7-10 reads: (more…)

The temple plays a role in the social life of European Mormons that is significantly different in a couple of ways from the usual American experience. (more…)

On the sweetness of Mormon life, with apologies to Adam: (more…)

The Inklings has introduced me to Charles Williams, who was an odd sort of Christian. (more…)

Let’s call her Sister Jones. We both taught seminary in Northern California a few years ago. I liked her from day one: faithful, funny, and willing to lend out anything from her complete collection of Sunstone back issues. (This was in the days before full Internet access, you see.) (more…)

So asks Ronan. Here’s my polygamy theory–and it is worth every penny you paid for it: (more…)

The July 2008 Ensign has an article titled “Cancer, Nutrition, and the Word of Wisdom.” I think it is ill-advised for several reasons. (more…)

I was recently rereading my missionary journals. (more…)

Here’s your chance to discuss the week’s links. (more…)

They still make Westerns because the harsh, unforgiving West of the 19th century was a land of stark moral choices. 3:10 to Yuma is just the latest example. (more…)

Bloomberg reports the following from McCain about economists who criticized his (lunatic) summer gas plan: (more…)

The Lovely One and I went to our ward’s temple sealing assignment last night. (more…)

Unless I’m carrying boxes, I’m probably not actually helping anybody. (more…)

On the sweetness of Mormon life. (more…)

Read the previous post in this series here. (more…)

From the hundreds of posts that flow through the Bloggernacle each week, here are a couple of recent gems you ought to read. (more…)

I kinda vaguely remember hearing about that LDS woman who was killed in Iraq awhile back. (more…)

We have probable confirmation of water on Mars. (more…)

Here’s your chance to comment on the week in sidebar links. (more…)

CNN reported yesterday that 83 out of 99 counties in Iowa have been declared disaster areas — the scale of the flooding is tough to grasp. Those flood waters are now spilling into the Mississippi and moving south. Another service opportunity for the MIY (missionaries in yellow), who are out filling sandbags in Quincy, Illinois. Our sympathy and support to all of those struggling against the waters.

“The Church is happier with doubters who go on missions and accept ward callings than with the vocally orthodox who find ways to shirk.” Discuss. (more…)

A good thing now comes to an end. We thank Wendy Ulrich for her fantastic guest posts, and wish her the very best.

I’ve just begun reading her book, Forgiving Ourselves, and I can already tell that it will be a life-changing experience. Here are some of the chapter titles:

The Spiritual Basis for Self-Forgiveness
Defining Self-Forgiveness
Receiving the Gift
Repentance
Shame and Pride
Depression
Anxious Perfectionism
Self-Destructive Unselfishness
Trauma and Abuse
Though Your Sins Be As Scarlet
Forgiving Ourselves as Parents
Believing God

Dr. Ulrich, thank you again. We hope you’ll come back and visit us soon.

Comments are now open

Is a Mormon universalism possible? Or in other words, is it possible for Mormons to envision their faith as one of many efficacious paths to God? I have my doubts, but maybe there is an argument to be made (more…)

I had an interesting conversation the other night with a man in my ward. He is a wonderful human being with a wonderful wife raising a wonderful family… one of those people you are delighted to see called as the Gospel Doctrine teacher because you know things are going to get interesting and real, while staying firmly grounded in the scriptures. He is one of my favorite people. (more…)

I am at a stage in life when I think a lot about place. After a decade or so of moving every 1 to 3 years, our family has arrived on the banks of the James and there is a very good chance that this is where my children will grow up. My interest in place is heightened of course that I live a mile from the site of Jamestown — first English settlement in America — and work in Williamsburg — colonial capital of Virginia and, as one acquaintance put it to me “Disney Land for history major.” We live in a part of the world that takes its sense of place very seriously.

One of the ways that I have of thinking through and becoming acquainted with a place is by learning local history. I acquired the habit, I think, from my father who was forever telling me the stories — almost invariably Mormon — of this or that place in Salt Lake City or Utah: the place where the only tree in the valley grew when the settlers arrived, where the old walls of Salt Lake stood, which parks are built over the sites of old forts, where Brigham Young’s houses were, and so on. I think that one of the reasons why I always feel so at home in Salt Lake is the way in which my consciousness of the place extends in four dimensions.

There is this odd way in which I feel detached from the history of Virginia. (more…)

This week I went to an excellent lecture on inequality. Clayne Pope, retiring economist, pointed out that while income inequality in the U.S. has been pretty close to the same for the last 200 years, leisure-time is now concentrated more heavily among the poor, while education inequality and lifespan inequality have both dropped like a rock. These are great things, wonderful even.

Unfortunately, I fear that improvement in Sunday School comment inequality may well be stagnant. (more…)

In Fuchuu, Japan, I taught a young woman who had attended a Christian school and church for some years, but had become a bit turned off. She asked us why we were out trying to teach the gospel. (more…)

A song that is synonymous for me with Father’s day is Dan Fogelberg’s Leader of the Band. (more…)

I wrote this–the only sustained essay I’ve ever produced about my mission–about seven or eight months after I came home, while I was a student at BYU. (more…)

Tweny years ago today, June 15, 1988, I entered the Missionary Training Center and began my 24 months as a missionary assigned to the Korea Seoul West Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’d like to take this moment to offer all my mission companions, every missionary I knew, both my mission presidents, all the people I ever taught, all the members I ever interacted with, the Korean people as a whole, and the church my deepest apologies, and ask for their forgiveness…because, as a missionary, I really sucked. (more…)

At the end of my junior year of high school, I caught a glimpse of my graduating student body president one last time (more…)

More grist for the mill here. Please read, return, and report.

P.S.–I never wash my floors either.

Here’s your chance to discusss the week in links. (more…)

I basically pay my mortgage by thinking about contracts and promises. It is a tough job, but someone has to do. Of late, I’ve gotten to thinking about God’s promising. Consider these two quotes: (more…)

There are advantages to attending a ward too small for fixed wooden benches in the chapel (more…)

C.S. Lewis said he was never less convinced of the truth of Christianity than when he had been vigorously defending it. (more…)