Bridget Jack Meyers, July 2, 2009
(See my disclaimer about the title)
There are many similarities between Mormonism and evangelical Christianity which are generally uncontested by both parties. I thought I would cover these prior to doing a post on the similarities which I suspect will be more controversial. (more…)
Bridget Jack Meyers, July 1, 2009
People are always making assertions about what heaven must contain in order for it to qualify as heaven for them, some of these assertions being more jokes than anything else.
“It’s not heaven without sex.”
“It wouldn’t be heaven if [insert name of favorite pet dog] isn’t there.”
“If heaven doesn’t have Egg McMuffins, I don’t want to go there.”
Frank McIntyre, June 30, 2009
Bankruptcy rates vary alot across states. With a fairly simple statistical model, Lars Lefgren and I explain about 70% of these differences in a paper just published in the Journal of Law and Economics. For cross sectional work using survey data, where you are looking across states at a point in time, explaining 70% is pretty darn impressive.
Julie M. Smith, June 29, 2009
Seven-year-old son to my husband, who was recently called as his Primary teacher: (more…)
Frank McIntyre, June 29, 2009
Suppose you take a “wisdom of the crowds” approach to morality (not that you should). Well then what could be more informative than a poll telling you what actions are morally wrong and what aren’t? Enter Gallup’s recent poll…
Tip: Adultery is still wrong. Polygamy also out.
Bridget Jack Meyers, June 27, 2009
An old adage among outsiders who study Mormonism states that determining what is and is not Mormon doctrine is a lot like trying to nail jello to a wall—except that the latter feat is entirely possible while the former remains a struggle to this day. Evangelicals who interact with Mormons often express frustration to that end. It seems that as soon as we think we’ve figured out what Mormons believe and how to respond to it, the next Mormon we meet will tell us “we don’t believe that,” “that’s not doctrine,” or “that’s just his opinion.” It would probably help if evangelicals spent more time genuinely trying to understand Mormonism and less time sizing it up for the best spot to throw a punch,1 but to some of us, the desire to understand is earnest and the frustration is genuine.
Kent Larsen, June 27, 2009
Comment here on the Notes From All Over for the past week. (more…)
Kaimi Wenger, June 25, 2009
We’re pleased to welcome Bridget Jack Meyers as a guest blogger. (more…)
Julie M. Smith, June 23, 2009
I never really set out to be environmentally conscious–not that I don’t like the idea, of course, just that other priorities . . . well, took priority. (more…)
Adam Greenwood, June 23, 2009
One of the most malign of modern trends is the disappearance of men from the ranks of public school teachers and the decline in the number of woman teachers who wield a ruler. The Church counteracts that. I got a testimony why recently. (more…)
Kaimi Wenger, June 23, 2009
A few years ago, Armand Mauss advised our readers that an essential texts list for Mormon studies probably included a dozen books (including Shipps, Bushman, Arrington, and Givens) as well as regular reading of four major periodicals. That remains a very good recommendation; however, for many Mormon studies newbies, that level of depth may not be an option. This post addresses the question, how should someone on a limited budget begin to explore Mormon studies? (more…)
Kaimi Wenger, June 22, 2009
The New York Times has a recent article about Koogle, a search engine designed for Orthodox Jews, which allows them to avoid religiously objectionable content (such as pictures of women which are deemed not sufficiently modest). (more…)
Kent Larsen, June 21, 2009
Comment here on the Notes From All Over for the past week. (more…)
Julie M. Smith, June 20, 2009
Lesson #8: Talking to Heavenly Father (more…)
Frank McIntyre, June 19, 2009
If the gravitational constant were just a little bit different than what it is, you would not be here. Nor, for that matter, would anything else. So we’ve got that going for us.
Dave Banack, June 17, 2009
I recently spent a day on the BYU campus as part of an informal reunion with several old dorm-floor roommates and family members. It was a nice visit, and made me recognize something that often gets forgotten in online discussions about BYU: It is a great place for LDS kids to go to college.
Kent Larsen, June 16, 2009
Could there ever be a Mormon advice columnist, dispensing advice to a Mormon audience? Or is that what Bishops are for?
Kent Larsen, June 15, 2009
The Book of Jer3miah phenomenon has been noticed on Salon, coincidentally just as an ill-advised Mormon Times essay touched off strong reactions by suggesting that the Great Mormon Novel could never exist.
Kent Larsen, June 14, 2009
Comment here on the Notes From All Over for the past week.
(more…)
Adam Greenwood, June 14, 2009
Doubt is not a principle of the gospel. (more…)
Frank McIntyre, June 12, 2009
I just returned from a short presentation by Mike Ransom on the Utah commuter Frontrunner rail line. It is a lesson in how to not spend money. (more…)
Kent Larsen, June 11, 2009
That may sound like the introduction to a bad joke, but I actually have a serious answer. (more…)
Kylie Turley, June 11, 2009
The 1980s hit “You’re the Inspiration” makes me think of metallic streamers, balloon arches, and poorly permed hair, (more…)
Jonathan Green, June 9, 2009
With Brandon Sanderson’s Warbreaker, we have another Mormon writer of speculative fiction with something to say about marriage. Warbreaker manages to capture some ironies that won’t be lost on readers who have noted the discrepancy between the ideal of eternal marriage, and the reality of the dating scene at BYU. (more…)
James Olsen, June 9, 2009
A favorite perennial topic of discussion is the ever-elusive distinction between church culture and doctrine (or officially sanctioned practice or attitude). (more…)
Kent Larsen, June 8, 2009
So David Archuleta hinted last week that he might not serve an LDS mission.
Dave Banack, June 7, 2009
I recently read Terry Eagleton’s After Theory (Basic Books, 2003), in which Eagleton manages (in a very entertaining way) to be critical of just about everything, including fundamentalism and “Utah” (a term he seems to be using as a proxy for Mormonism). He makes an interesting argument about fundamentalism, suggesting that it is rooted in how certain people (”fundamentalists”) read texts. His references to Utah suggest he sees Mormonism as practicing a fundamentalist approach to truth. I think I disagree with both points. Some fundamentalist movements might be based on how certain texts are read, but not all, and Mormons don’t really employ the fundamentalist approach that Eagleton seems to attribute to us. (more…)
Kent Larsen, June 7, 2009
Comment here on the Notes From All Over for the past week.
(more…)
Kaimi Wenger, June 5, 2009
This month’s Ensign contains a talk by Elder Douglas L Callister of the Seventy (a slightly edited reprint of a prior talk, actually) titled, “Our Refined Heavenly Home.” Some thoughts on reading over the talk: (more…)
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