Today my maternal grandfather, Joseph Arben Jolley, will be buried in Vernal, UT; nearly all my family will be there. This is the third family gathering from just this past year that we haven’t been able to attend, and perhaps may not be the last. Living far away from extended family is hard–a hardship... Read More »
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Before posting on natural family planning (NFP) or any other family planning methods specifically, I think it is worthwhile to consider a more general question: What would you consider the features of an ideal method of family planning? I am talking here about features, not about any specific method. For reasons that... Read More »
Times and Seasons’s received its 1,000,000th visitor yesterday, at approximately 7:19pm. (The server used was cox.net, based in Tustin, CA; the page viewed was this one. Was it you? If so, our thanks, and our congratulations.) 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Moses 1 For a variety of reasons, including having been heavily involved in BYU’s London Study Abroad program, I’ve been without the time to generate study questions for the Sunday School Lessons. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Some Reasons Why Reading the Old Testament Can Be Difficult 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
As a young missionary, the Lord saw fit to inflict on me one the greatest trials that can afflict a Latter-day Saint: He forced me to become educated about Church financial controls and auditing procedures. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
On a T&S thread, someone mentions sex. TMI, cry a few bloggernackers. But are they the exception or the rule? The numbers tell the tale: Gordon’s limbo thread has currently drawn 4 comments; Joe’s sex thread 86. The readers have spoken unambiguously. But why? Why do we... Read More »
The Arizona bloggersnacker at Geoff Johnston’s was quite fun. But what exactly happened at the party? Perhaps our readers would like to guess. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
First, I’d like to thank Matt Evans for the invitation to be a guest contributor to T&S. On the too few occasions that I’ve taken the time to look through T&S, I’ve seen a lot of interesting and often edifying discussions. I hope I can contribute constructively. For my first contribution, I’d like... Read More »
My mother was born to a Norwegian Lutheran, who feared for her infant children, lest they die prior to receiving the ordinance of baptism. I never knew my grandmother, but according to my mother, her fear was genuine. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
So which books molted beneath your tree and emerged Christmas morning? Let’s have them all, the good, the bad, the remaindered and the regifted. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
We’re pleased to introduce our latest guest blogger, Dr. Joseph Stanford. Dr. Stanford is a professor at the University of Utah Medical School where his research focuses on fertility care. This year he’s on sabbatical at the National Institutes of Health to do epidemiologic research related to human reproduction. He recently... Read More »
I’ve never spent Christmas in New York, but Garrison Keillor has. Of course, he’s by no means everyone’s ideal guide to the Christmas spirit…but I think he’s on to something nonetheless. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
The weather in Boston is positively balmy–sunny and 45 degrees. This, of course, reminds me of a poem: 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
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I usually hate libraries (a) because there are too many books. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
At the very least, there will be one in Arizona on the 27th. It should be fun. (Among the planned festivities is Geoff J. performing the Riverdance.) Where is everyone else going to be over the holidays? Are there any more holiday bloggersnackers happening — or waiting to happen? 0 people like... Read More »
Every writer’s worst nightmare actually came true for Hugh J. Cannon: the only copy of his manuscript was “misplaced” by the publisher. . . 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
My ward is doing a musical Sacrament meeting this year. What is your ward doing? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Can you really understand what the Restoration is if you don’t have your mind around what the Great Apostasy was? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I look forward to taking the Sacrament with all of you on Christmas Day this year. In honor that, I’ve updated this post on Christmas and the things that make us innocent. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
In this time of the year, we hear lots of Christmas songs. There’s one song in particular that I’ve come to enjoy hearing around Christmas, though at one time I never thought this would be possible. The song is “Navidad Sin Tiâ€? by the Ranchera music group (essentially country music in Spanish) Los Bukis.... Read More »
In 2005, Simon turned seven, Nathan turned four, and Truman turned one. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
When I look at my life and pick out its most significant spiritual events, one that stands out is a night when, unbidden and unexpected, God told me that he was angry because I was reading the New Testament. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
When I wrote this post two years ago, its title was an open-ended question. This year, at least, there is a reasonably official Mormon answer. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Start from the premise that we all want the world to be a better place. We want equity, justice, prosperity, security, etc. for everyone. Should we pursue those goals through our purchasing decisions? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
In New Mexico the weeks before Thanksgiving are High Fall, autumn in abundance, all bright colors and fruits. Thanksgiving is the high point of that season, and also its end. Then its whooping crane season, Christmas, and winter. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Imagine that universally-respected researchers had determined that most of the people in your community eat far more sugar and fat than they should, and are at serious risk of developing diabetes, hardened arteries, and other ailments associated with poor diet and inadequate exercise. If you were to live in such a community, how... Read More »
I’ve had some discussions with a few good friends recently about testimony and belief. As a result, tonight I felt the need to set down, for my own good (and perhaps others’) my own testimony. My testimony ebbs and flows, and I suppose that at present, it’s a bit unorthodox. But... Read More »
I’m quite happy in my current, new ward. This has not always been the case. My former ward was a disaster, and this led to some serious soul searching on the question of what my duty was to stay with the ward. (more. . . ) 0 people like this... Read More »
Our mission Christmases were lonely times, but God gave us a gift on the second one. –more– 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I grew up without a clear visual picture of Book of Mormon battles. The stories did not analogize well to the little television that I watched. Arnold Friberg’s illustrations lent my only visual reference points; imagination provided the rest. My children, however, will almost certainly perceive large portions of the Book... Read More »
I’ve seen the movie and read lots of reactions to it (some you probably haven’t seen are linked to below). Mine come’s closest to The American Scene’s–”it was fine.” 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
There are plenty of natural birth advocates out there–I know because I keep having to plaster a vapid smile on my face when they spout half-truths and didactical opinions at social gatherings. I’ve yet to meet an avowed unnatural birth advocate, so I’ve decided to take up that mantle for myself. So,... Read More »
The blogs are abuzz about this morning’s execution of convicted murderer Stanley Williams. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Christmastime is upon us, and before too long hoards of folks who darken a church door only once or twice a year will be flooding into the churches. I have to say I can hardly blame them. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Let’s flip through a church magazine that’s nearly a century old. The pages are slightly yellowed; there are a few stains on the cover and the staples are rusting. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
The most recent issue of Dialogue reprinted a post from this blog — “An Open Letter to the Dialogue Board” — noting that the online discussion created by the post generated more than 130 comments. I hope that the mention in Dialogue created some interest in the Bloggernacle among its readers. I... Read More »
Several months ago, while I was still practicing law, I had an interesting conversation with a friend at my (now former) law firm: Would it be possible to go a day without sin? We quickly concluded that it would be quite difficult; there was (and is) an awful lot of sin in... Read More »
Blogger John Redelfs continues his unique brand of gospel interpretation, arguing in a recent blog post that people not baptized as LDS church members do not have faith in Christ. That idea seems wrong for many reasons. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
That is the name of a film series currently going on at the Pioneer Theater in Manhattan’s East Village. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
O Lord; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed; I am in derison daily, everyone mocketh me. Jeremiah 20:7. 0 people... Read More »
For many good reasons, Joseph Smith has always been the least known and the most speculated about of all the prophets of this dispensation. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
With four excellent reviews here on T&S, as well as other discussions around the bloggernacle, you may think you’re covered as far as initial responses to Rough Stone Rolling. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
and happy holidays. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Richard Bushman has written a fabulous book, and in so doing he tells us a great deal about the limits and possibilities of Mormon studies. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Thank you, Elder Uchtdorf and Ben Sowards, for creating the first LDS children’s book that deserves to transcend the LDS market. . 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Richard Bushman was gracious enough to respond to twelve questions about Rough Stone Rolling. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
An SQL problem of sorts has arisen, that is beyond our limited capabilities. Bryce to the rescue, once again. I say we double his T&S salary. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Since its release, Richard Bushman’s Rough Stone Rolling has been the subject of conference sessions, media reports, bloggernacle essays and academic conversations far and wide. Seeking to engage Bushman in a sustained and interactive conversation about this compelling new biography of Joseph Smith, we are pleased to announce a symposium running this week... Read More »
Apparently some BYU Professor has published an article suggesting that the World Trade Center was brought down by explosive devices, presumably planted by some outside entity, perhaps even by >hushed whisper fraught with unstated menace< the government >/hushed whisper fraught with unstated menace< . John Fowles has posted about it here... Read More »
For my last post, I wanted to write about the baby house (orphanage) I visit often. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
We have regular cause to be grateful to our tech-savvy readers who provide us with technical advice. Most recently, we’ve gotten some helpful tips from the blogger otherwise known as Miranda Park Jones David King Landrith. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A post on the role of chance in our lives reminded me of a post on marriage as a way of understanding why God might ask us to do irrational things. (more…) 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Though this horse is not dead yet, it still needs a good flogging. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
One of my family’s favorite things is to celebrate religious holidays from around the world. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Last general conference, our prophet spoke the following sentence: ” I think X may be the greatest virtue on earth, and certainly the most needed.” What is X? Perhaps you remember it from the talk. If not, and if you wish to humor me for a minute with some participatory blogging, then... Read More »
When I was growing up, we always celebrated St. Nicholas’ Day (December 6th). As I child, it was all about my glee in getting my stocking filled weeks before my friends would get any holiday loot. But as a parent, I’ve found this to be a wonderful holiday to celebrate–one that provides... Read More »
The Church, it appears, has a self-interested interest in one aspect of the debate over illegal immigration. Reading between the lines, I”m figuring that the church is worried that sometimes our Temple Square misssionaries, etc., might actually be here for longer than their visas are for. I’m must speculating, of course, but... Read More »
The mufti here in Bishkek spoke at a conference on religious tolerance a few days ago. He has recently returned from a trip to the United States and said that if Muslims want Islam to be more respected in America, Muslim countries need to allow religious freedom in their own countries. 0 people... Read More »
Greg Whiteley, the director of the very well-received new movie New York Doll, has kindly agreed to answer questions from our readers. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
So we’re supposed to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. That’s not so hard. In fact, I read the first chapter today. One down, eight to go. Now what’s so difficult about that? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
People often get upset with members who sue the Church. Why? As you might expect, I think that the answer lies in contract disputes between commodity traders. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
We had a seminar recently from an experimental economist out of the University of Chicago. He has done a variety of cool things using field experiments. Let me mention the one he presented. The experiment involved sending people door to door to do fund raising for a (real) charity. The... Read More »
Earlier, I said that in lieu of great Mormon writers I’d be happy with adequate ones who capture the sweetness of Mormon life. A commenter who’s named Matt Evans but isn’t the coblogger said some pretty percipient things about the actual Catholic literature vis-a-vis the potential Mormon literature. Check it out. ... Read More »
Matt Evans and I went a few rounds at one of those other blogs over the reason behind falling LDS birthrates. Turns out we were both wrong. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I posted my conversion story before under the title Why I have a testimony. As part of “My conversion” week, I use it again here, adding a little introduction on my childhood. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
My conversion has been a lot more like studying a language than being granted the gift of tongues. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I was sitting on my bed one teenage afternoon in the early 90s wondering if there was a God and a Christ. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
When I first learned that Joseph Smith had written more than one version of the First Vision, I understood completely. Like Jim, I have “any number of versions” of my conversion story. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Islam in Central Asia is nothing like Islam in the Middle East. But this is what I love about Islam. It has its own local flair everywhere you go. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
So my very bright friend in Wisconsin has come up with something that should get us light years beyond the tired old Liahona-Iron Rod business. Here it is, in his words, not mine. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Thanksgiving seems a good time to think about my membership in the Church and my gratitude for the Gospel. In other words, it seems to be a particularly good time for me to reflect on my conversion. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This week on Times and Seasons several of us will be sharing conversion stories, whether discussing our own conversion to the restored gospel or that of others. We figured that there are few things more appropriate to Thanksgiving week then to reflect upon those events for which many of us have cause to be... Read More »
Is there a distinct LDS attitude, approach, or spirit towards Thanksgiving — an LDS Thanksgiving identity — or are we as church members merely hangers-on to the broad Protestant Thanksgiving tradition? (more. . .) 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Let’s play a game. You can choose between two jobs. One pays $50,000 and the other pays $100,000. You know, or can guess, that if you take the first you will give about $5,000/yr in fast offerings and other gifts to the poor. If you make $100,000 you will give... Read More »
My husband and I had the good fortune to spend some time in a few small branches in the Middle East about 8 years ago while we were studying Arabic. While we spent most of our time in the Jerusalem Branch, we also visited branches in Cairo, Amman, and Irbid, Jordan. ... Read More »
After a too-long hiatus, T&S is happy to announce that our guest-blogging machinery is slowly creaking back to life…. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Their story would have made an agreeable Ensign article were it not for that later development that ruined its beauty. Oh, believe me, I was tempted to censor the second part. But it would feel like cheating. Besides, the aftermath carries the morale of the story. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Dutcher captures the wrenching beauty of the struggle to follow Christ. “States of Grace: God’s Army 2″ is really good. Go. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
As we move further into the information age, the possibilities for priestcraft multiply. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A couple of excellent articles on C.S. Lewis’s life and work have appeared over the past few days–all part of the build-up to the release of the upcoming movie of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, of course, but still good articles nonetheless. In particular, the New Yorker piece, brought to my attention... Read More »
Should up-and-coming Mormon scholars go to work at BYU, if they are interested in doing some of their work in Mormon Studies? I can think of a few young and mobile people a lot of us would like to see teaching there. But there are pros and cons. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Bryce Inouye has created a bloggernacle Frappr page that shows you where our bloggernacle community lives. If you’re willing to share your zip code, add yourself! (Note that Frappr requires you to leave a short comment in the “shoutout” box. ) 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Clearly, were there to be a famine, a one year food supply in the basement would look really good. What may be slightly less obvious is that the presence of food storage, even if nobody ever uses any of it for an emergency, can stop a famine from ever actually happening. 0 people... Read More »
“I planted some in the back yard, so we can have apricots.” Kace Wenger, age 6. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
The Third Annual LDS Law Students conference is coming up. The organizers have already put together a very slick looking website with lots of information about the conference. The scheduled speakers include Harry Reid (Senate Minority Leader), Thomas B. Griffith (U.S. Court of Appeals Judge), Robert F. Drinan, S.J. (Professor of Law... Read More »
Continuing our series, I thought it might be nice to briefly bring up some favorite children’s holiday books of mine, as well as beg for additional suggestions. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Let me present a sketch–though only a sketch and a very broad one at that–of how one might think about theology, both about a problem with it and one of the possible responses to that problem. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I don’t think that it is an accident that monotheism first come out of the desert. It is, I think, an issue of scale. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Most people don’t appreciate the wonderful world of children’s nonfiction books. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Here’s where my meandering mind took me this Sunday. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Despite appearances to the contrary, we here at Times and Seasons do not spend all our time debating the finer points of church doctrine, history, culture and theology. A lot of the time, we talk about our kids. And since raising kids–and in particular, finding good books to read to them and with them–is... Read More »
Based on our theology, Mormons should lead the world in early childhood education. Why? Here’s one basic line of argument. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Here are my notes. I decided to focus on OD-2. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Those who may have been using my notes for Sunday School lessons deserve an explanation, though a late explanation, to be sure. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
So my sister Rachel, having graduated the MTC, has just had her first real transfer. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This is the text of a talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting around this time last year. Warning: it’s LONG, and it quite predictably incorporates the John Donne quote I force upon everyone every Thanksgiving. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Today the most liberal judge of the most liberal circuit court (Reinhardt of the Ninth, the same circuit that ruled that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at school is unconstitutional), ruled that parents do not have the right to determine what their seven-year-old children learn about sex while in school. 0 people... Read More »
Contrary to what some people think, the bloggernacle isn’t a long-running magazine like Sunstone or Dialogue, with a steady cast of characters and articles. It’s more like a student ward; blink and you’ll miss it. Enjoy the interactions now, because tomorrow half of the participants will be gone, and today’s particular mix... Read More »
WordPress 1.5 appears to be running. We’ll probably have to make little tweaks in the next few days, but I don’t anticipate any major changes. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I’m going to be doing a few things on the back end. I’ll try not to crash the site. At least, not for too long of a time. (And no, RJ, we’re not upgrading to slashcode. Sorry. I know, you’re going to give this post a -1). ... Read More »
Via frequent T&S commenter, former guest-blogger, and all-around well-connected guy Jonathan Green, comes this, a priceless document of what happens when Mormonism collides with modern American Halloween festivities. The man in the costume is Brother Bill Atkinson, and the costume itself…well, see for yourself. And enjoy. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This post is sure to be the final stake for Bannergate. I’m going to compare it to securities law. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I recently read an article by Robert Winston, a British writer and television presenter, exploring the implications of evolution for religion and asking whether our earliest ancestors gained some competitive advantage from their shared religious feelings. Winston’s stuff was just okay, I thought; it was something else that caught my attention. 0 people... Read More »
Steve Evans interviewed your humble coblogger in the latest Zeitcast. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
If you are tired of reading about bannergate, don’t click here: 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I think that I have discovered Hugh Nibley’s secret identity. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Some google searches that bring people to Times and Seasons, along with the google rank of the site. “Times and Seasons”: #1 on the list of google results. (i.e., if you go to google and type in “Times and Seasons” we’re the first result that comes back.) LDS blog: #1 (But only... Read More »
What do we know about the covert life of our members? Take Irma. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
During my second year of law school I met Samuel Alito, who President Bush has nominated to the Supreme Court. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
For months now, I’ve been contemplating a series of posts on the possibility of a Mormon aesthetic. I’ve been rereading Kant and Rousseau and Augustine, arguing with Michael Hicks in my head, and contemplating my illustrious career as the great one who definitively articulated the theoretical framework of a Mormon (musical) aesthetic. ... Read More »
The reason that I don’t like to tell my conversion story is that it is boring. If I were to appropriate the famous Joseph Smith line, I would have to modify it thusly: “No man knows my history. . . . I don’t blame any one for not staying awake through... Read More »
My wife was out of town, so I decided to pick up some chicks. I took the kids with me, of course. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
You will be happy to hear that the Oman marriage has weathered a massive marital crisis. It was tough for a while, but we are doing well now. As you might expect, the dispute centered on compost. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Adam asked if suing the church might place one in the category of “groups that oppose the church.” He raises a question which, I think, does not have a yes-or-no answer. (more. . .) 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Why are we Mormons so damn intrigued by J. Golden Kimball? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Imagine that you and a couple of friends started a group blog — called it Heaven’s Banner — in which you all pretended to be fictional people having really bizarre conversations (OK, so perhaps this wouldn’t take too much pretending). You and your friends work to create a semblance of warped verisimilitude, and... Read More »
The Saints are pretty good at spotting blatant attacks on the family. But, recently, I realized that I had been completely unaware of a subtle yet profound attack on marriage and family. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I see that Slate now puts the odds of Harriet Miers confirmation at 70%. Silly Slate, don’t they know that niche is taken? As I’ve mentioned before, the best bet, literally, is to follow the gamblers. And as of press time, they are betting that Miers has a 3 in 10... Read More »
From time to time Mormons face various forms of legal and political harassment. Sometimes this happens in the United States, but as events in Venezuela dramatically illustrate the legal challenges that the Church faces abroad are generally much more extreme than those that it faces in the U.S. One result is that... Read More »
…it’s been a great year, one of the best my father can remember. The Fox family farm brought in over 90,000 bushels of wheat, including about 30,000 bushels of our high-protein dark northern spring (averaging about 80 bushels an acre for the latter, a particularly good crop). Some wild oat grass got into part... Read More »
I read and enjoyed Orson Scott Card’s book Sarah. In fact, that book sparked an interest in me to find out more about what exactly we knew of ancient times, both New and Old World. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Twenty years ago, there was an interesting debate between two political philosophers at Harvard that ultimately does a lot to explain the inevitability of pain for Mormons who embark on intellectual discussions of their religion. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Julie: This dialogue is the outgrowth of a few comments at one of those other blogs that Rosalynde suggested might make an interesting discussion. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
We Mormons don’t need great writers who remake genres and transcend the particulars of their work (though please, please, please) 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A recent study concludes that mandatory waiting periods lead to fewer women killing themselves. Another study by the same people suggests that parental notification laws reduce venereal disease among teens. This is ostensibly because teens behave like rational actors, but that can’t be right. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur get all the press around here, but one of my favorite Jewish holidays usually sneaks in just before or just after the high holidays. This year in particular, with news of floods and earthquakes filling my heart and head, the festival of Sukkot seems especially worthy of... Read More »
This post is ostensibly by way of reminding our Southern California readership that it’s not too late to catch the last day of the Claremont Conference on Joseph Smith. It’s also an excuse for me to ruminate on the ever-engaging question of what sixteenth-century blogging might have looked like had they, you know,... Read More »
A few recent highlights: -Lisa at FMH writes a Feminist Polygamy Manifesto – don’t miss it. -Aaron at BoH: Faker or fakir? -Bloggernackers (heart) Elise Soukup: DMI, Mormon Stories, and a nice interview at M*. -Chloroform in print on iPod. -DMI wants to start a discussion group about whether discussion groups are permitted. Clearly he has... Read More »
In many ways, the Doctrine & Covenants is my favorite book of scripture, and as it now stands it is the result of a failure. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It is hardly news to this crowd that Mormons don’t accept the traditional understanding of the Godhead, the Trinity. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
From the informative and helpful New Zealand Cult List 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Over at Volokh, Maggie Gallagher makes the curious argument that society needs marriage because without marriage, people would be having children out of wedlock. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
In last General Conference, Elder Uchtdorf reiterated the 1999 counsel of the First Presidency, a counsel that has actually been given since the 1950s. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Like Nixon, Times and Seasons maintains a detailed “enemies list.” 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It seems to have been a bicoastal weekend for real-world discussions of the bloggernacle. John Dehlin gave a great talk on blogs at the Seattle Sunstone Symposium (pod cast here), and I gave a brief presentation to Naomi Frandsen’s “Saturday Night Discussion Group” (a name that carries all sorts of unfortunate disco connotations... Read More »
Recently I linked to an article about single women getting artificially inseminated, without the trouble of men or marriage. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
While I was running errands with my children one morning last week, I glanced up at the rearview mirror to see my four-year-old daughter’s finger probing her nostril. I reprimanded her, gently, and asked if she needed a tissue. “No thank you, Mom,” she answered cheerfully, “This kind comes out only by a... Read More »
In its latest issue, Time magazine “assembled some of the smartest people we know to identify the trends that are most likely to affect our future.” 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This season The University of Notre Dame has been airing a student recruiting advertisement called “Candle”. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Last week Janice and I spent several days in Cornwall, Great Britain, with the BYU students doing London Study Abroad. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Former T&S guestblogger, Naomi Frandsen has started a semi-formal discussion group for Capital-area Mormons. There first meeting will be this Saturday. Here is the announcement from Naomi: 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Ronan has a thoughtful post about his trip to Gettysburg and the meaning of war. For my part, I will always think of Gettysburg as the sacred soil on which I successfully wooed my wife. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
If you liked the recent President McKay biography, you are going to love the new biography of President Kimball. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A long time ago, when I was a practicing lawyer, I concocted a scheme with another Mormon lawyer to raise an investment fund targeted at companies that cater to vices. Alcohol, tobacco, p0rn, etc. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A not-so-hypothetical from a reader: Your daughter’s AP English class is using Tony Kushner’s Angels in America as a central part of a semester’s curriculum. You are friends with the teacher and would feel comfortable suggesting that she supplement the Angels module with another book or short story dealing with Mormonism from... Read More »
One of the more prominent strands of modern political philosophy is what has been called “luck egalitarianism,” which of course raises basic questions for Mormon theology. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Slate has an interesting photo-essay on the architecture of mega-churches. One of the featured buildings is the Conference Center in Salt Lake City (known among Church Historical Department employees as the “meganacle”). I was struck by the following bit of commentary from the essay: The approach of the architects, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca... Read More »
Last year, on November 2, I was still undecided about whether to cast a vote for George Bush. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Last night Jon Heder, star of Napoleon Dynamite, hosted “Saturday Night Live.” I caught a few of the sketches he played in, and one thing was pretty clear: the kid’s no Philip Seymor Hoffman. He’s amiable and sweet-faced, to be sure, but there’s a muddiness to his voice he can’t seem to... Read More »
“Intelligence” is one of those wonderfully ambiguous words in the scriptures. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
We’ve talked about homeschooling before, but once was Bryce’s baby and the other was a peripheral issue. Because people ask from time to time, I thought I’d set out my thoughts about homeschooling in a friendly Q-and-A format. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This morning I attended the funeral of a young man, much too young to die. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
First it was Ginsburg. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Over two years ago, I posted a series of posts on reasons to support the ACLU, and whether a Mormon could or should support the ACLU, on my personal blog. The discussion that ensued was one of the contributing factors to the formation of Times and Seasons. Given that the conversation around... Read More »
I’ve been concerned, lately, that blogging encourages a kind of discourse that we wouldn’t otherwise see in the Saints. I was wrong. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Saturday afternoon on a rainy day in Antwerp. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
As part of our occasional series of announcements on important Mormon Studies events, we’re happy to publicize an academic conference entitled “Joseph Smith and the Prophetic Tradition,” sponsored by the School of Religion of the Claremont Graduate University and to be held on its Southern California campus on October 20 and 21. 0... Read More »
Today is Rosh Hashanah, and everyone here at Times and Seasons wishes a happy new year to our Jewish friends. (Here are a few Jewish-themed posts from the past.) If there’s a synagogue here in Macomb, IL, I’m unaware of it, so there will be cultural dimension missing from our family celebrations tonight. Still,... Read More »
Us pro-lifers and constitutionalists are learning again what we should have already taken to heart: put not your trust in princes. Yes, we always rely on Egypt, and Egypt always turns out to be a reed, shaken with the wind. [Those of you who think this shows I should really rely on Assyria... Read More »
“Puzzling.” “Sordid.” “Audacious, provocative, and titillating.” Those descriptors might very well apply to this week’s box office sensation, but that’s not what this post is about. All of these terms (”Sordid” comes from the Institute Manual) were used to describe the tale told in Genesis 38. 0 people like this... Read More »
Keep up the good discussions, everyone. I, unfortunately, missed most of conference yesterday, so I very much appreciated the summaries of the afternoon and priesthood sessions. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Thoughts? Questions? Inspirations? Opinions? Please share them here. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
In our recent tirades about the obvious evils of deer, it was noted , once again, that some scholars think that the horses mentioned in the Book of Mormon may not have been horses, but another hoofed animal. The common one that lives in the right place is similar to a deer. ... Read More »
Deer, as far as I am concerned, are the spawn of Satan. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I’m still trying to scrape my jaw off of the floor after reading some of Adam Greenwood’s comments over at, you know, that other other blog. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It is time for the long-anticipated post on the law, Mormonism, and seer stones. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Yesterday, four permabloggers here at Times and Seasons made internal announcements that there will be new little blogglings in their homes come next March. Hours before the flurry of “me-too” emails, I’d heard that my sister is also expecting. I was truly delighted to hear so much happy news... Read More »
Blackberries grow all along the edge of the woods outside the South Bend Stake Center. I am disappointed at how few Mormons seem interested in them. “Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and... Read More »
After a little over a month in our new ward, here in Macomb, IL, I’ve received a calling. It is the exact same calling I had in our last ward, right down to taking care of the Weblos. And I’m delighted. First, because I know the routine. Second, because it’s nice to know where... Read More »
Let me describe to you what the grocery store was like today. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
The Seven Deadly Sins have fallen on hard times. Codified by Pope Gregory I in the sixth century, lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride enjoyed a robust career in the Middle Ages, inspiring countless works of art. In the current Cathechism of the Catholic Church, however, these seven sins warrant exactly one... Read More »
The name of Eugene England is known among two different (if sometimes overlapping) population groups: Mormon studies scholars, and securities lawyers. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I I had to bet on one thing showing up in general conference, Elisabeth, I’d bet on numbers. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
What are the root causes of terrorism? Poverty (problem: most terrorists seem to come from middle class or upper middle class Middle Eastern families). U.S. hegemony (at least in part). Embarrassment and rage at the decline of Islamic civilization (almost certainly). Another recent candidate has emerged: Chastity. (more…) 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I am currently reading a book suggested to me by President George Q. Cannon. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL JOINT TASK FORCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS AND THE UNITED NATIONS WAR CRIMES COMMITTEE 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 38: Doctrine and Covenants 38:30; 42:30-31, 42; 44:6; 52:40; 56:16-17; 58:26-28; 88:123-125; 104:13-18 I owe an apology to those who have been receiving these by e-mail. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Despite what you might think, BYU is not the whitest law school in the country — it is not even in the list of ten whitest schools. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This from a new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research Educational Trust: “The average cost of health insurance for a family of four has soared past $10,800 — exceeding the annual income of a minimum-wage earner, according to a survey released Wednesday.” 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
As we have fearfully predicted, society’s increasing acceptance of homosexual behavior has led to increased same-sex experimentation among heterosexuals. In the latest CDC study on sexuality, three times more women report having same-sex encounters than ten years earlier. Fourteen percent of women ages 15-29, most of whom do not self-identify... Read More »
Prometheus would have loved Joseph Smith. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Bloggentiles have been arguing over credentialism–the belief that everyone needs a degree. Not an education, mind, but a degree. Preferably several. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Mormonism rather spectacularly refuses to answer one of the big questions that has kept philosophers and theologians busy for the last couple of millennia. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Some Mormons seem to think that Mormons don’t understand grace. This is a grave mistake, even if it is an honest mistake. The Book of Mormon is the best discussion of grace in the Christian world. 1 people like this post.Like Read More »
I saw Saints and Soldiers with my lovely one and my father last night. I liked it. A lot. But before you rush out to buy the DVD, you should know that I was biased. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
September 11, 2001. Four years have passed–four more nails in the cross, one called Katrina–but we remember. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 37: Doctrine and Covenants 1:38; 20:21-26; 21:1, 4-6; 43:2; 68:3-4; 101:43-54; 107:22, 91-92 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Do we humans in part choose what forms of worship God will require of us? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 36: Doctrine and Covenants 58:2-4; 64:33-34; 82:10; 93:1; and 130:19-21 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
As some readers of this blog may have guessed, comic operetta is a staple in the Oman home, 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
There’s a new family which just moved into our ward; the father is also a new professor at WIU, like myself, and he’s occupying a temporary slot here, trying to figure out what will come next, also like myself. So we have a fair amount in common. We had them over for dinner on... Read More »
The August Ensign reprints a talk prepared by Elder Richard G. Scott for an international leadership training session in 2004; entitled “The Doctrinal Foundation of the Auxiliaries,” the piece outlines the functions and footings of the three female-led auxiliaries. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
When the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that gay couples had a constitutional right to marry, conservative commentators excoriated the court for usurping — critics claimed — the rightful role of the legislature. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I like Kaimi, but I am afraid that he is just wrong. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
The phone call was innocent. Sister Walker, the mission president’s wife, wanted me to come over for dinner. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It’s a message you’re likely to hear every Fourth of July, and many times throughout the year as well: The Restored Church could only have been restored in America, the land of religious liberty. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Janice and I went to a new ward Sunday. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
There are Sabbath Heroes, but there are Sabbath Businesses too. We all know about the Chick-Fil-A’s of the world, but what about the local entities? I’ve been kicking around an idea for a bit now on how to recognize them. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It’s always a bit of a booster shot for me, testimony-wise, when I see things like this month’s Ensign message. In an article that appears to have been prepared long before Katrina was around, President Monson delivers a message that is tailored for members dealing with grief and loss. 0 people... Read More »
I will frankly admit that I have been sickened by the lack of compassion for those victimized by Hurricane Katrina that I’ve seen in some corners of the Bloggernacle. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
The techniques that Evangelicals use to convert Mormons to ‘traditional Christianity’ do not work. The same cannot be said for the method proposed by David L. Rowe in his new book. . 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Early this morning my children clattered out the door to the schoolyard across the street, where they returned to freedom a tiny ground frog they’d captured yesterday. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I wish that we didn’t use white bread for the sacrament. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Today I heard many prayers and had to decide whose to answer. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Natural disasters often lead people to think about the problem of evil and theodicy. This is, I think, probably a bad idea. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I hope that each of us is praying and perhaps fasting for those who have been affected most directly by Katrina. As I thought about doing something more — specifically, donating to the relief effort — I wondered whether we could or should funnel donations through the Church. If not, what are the best... Read More »
Grant me a simple premise: How one thinks about the nature of reality has an impact on how one thinks about art. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
When the topic turns to marriage, someone in Gospel Doctrine class inevitably refers with derision to that famous phrase from traditional marriage vows, “’til death do us part.” To paraphrase Inigo Montoya, “I do not think this means what you think it means.” 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
While my brother and his family are safe in Texas, it appears that all of their possessions and their home in New Orleans will be under water soon. What I am hearing now is that about half of ‘well-contructed homes’ will be destroyed and the city will not be habitable for weeks. ... Read More »
A busy downtown intersection. No traffic lights, no road markings, no speed limits, no sidewalks, no pedestrian crossings. Cars, cyclists, pedestrians, all move on the same street level, side by side, carefully merging. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Take a look at this state ranking. It ranks states by Iraqi-war casualties per 100,000 residents. The chart was made as part of a rather silly debate about red states and blue states that doesn’t interest me. What interests me is Utah. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
As valuable as the Clare Middlemiss papers were in writing David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, they lacked the subjective, third dimension of the real people portrayed in the book. In conducting some 200 oral histories, we found the third dimension we sought. 0 people like this... Read More »
Some poets are available for Mormon appropriation and some are only to be envied and enjoyed. John Donne is only to be envied and enjoyed. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
There is a tiny village, on a remote hill in Burundi, Central Africa, committed to my memory as the place where two priesthoods, Catholic and Mormon, joined. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
While David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism is nearly perfect in every way, one thing it doesn’t do is provide an intimate portrait of President McKay. That lacuna is partially filled by Heart Petals: The Personal Correspondence of David Oman McKay to Emma Ray McKay. 0 people like this... Read More »
Being an American Mormon makes it difficult, perhaps impossible, for me to be a tory. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Times & Seasons commenter and economist Ed Johnson (”ed”) has performed some sophisticated statistical analysis on general conference scripture citations. We discussed the same data, but with the aid of lesser tools and minds, in earlier posts here and here. The finding that most surprised me is that the surge in... Read More »
Today, August 20th, the youngest of my eight siblings, Baden Joseph Fox, married Mary Ellen Smoot in the Salt Lake temple. We weren’t able to attend, which was doubly unfortunate, this being a particularly notable day in Fox family history. You see, on the same date their last child was married, my parents, James... Read More »
Both of my parents (now divorced) have been deeply involved in Mormon studies for my entire life. (more…) 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
You just gotta love any book that has a picture of a seven-year-old boy cleaning a toilet on the cover. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I have a small herb garden: a couple of varieties of thyme, some tarragon, chives, basil, dill, oregano, rose geranium, parsley, lavender, sage, rosemary, and two kinds of mint, regular and chocolate, though the chocolate is gradually disappearing, replaced by the spearmint. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Sandra Day O’Connor has retired from the Supreme Court and John Roberts will almost certainly replace her. History might have been different. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I find the universal love of mankind a little creepy. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Cyril doesn’t know how to dress, except for his tie. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
So says the New York Times. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
David O. McKay presented a dramatic contrast to his predecessors: an athletic, movie-star-handsome, clean-shaven figure who often wore a white double-breasted suit; contrasted to the dark-suited, bearded polygamists (or, in the case of George Albert Smith, son of a polygamist) who preceded him as Church President ever since Joseph Smith. In an age... Read More »
We are excited to welcome Gregory Prince, coauthor of David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism (published March 2005 and already in its third printing; reviewed here). Welcome, Greg! 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I didn’t really know it at the time. When we met, he was well disguised as a dirtbike racing, country music fan that was six months off his mission. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I know some people who assiduously avoid buying Nike shoes. The moral logic of this position, however, is tricky. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Sister Murdoch did not want to go on a mission, but she went anyway. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I should warn potential readers: there’s a real danger that you will drool on the pages of Christopher de Hamel’s new book. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
If you are interested, email noman@sidley.com. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Back by popular demand, here is the second installment of the Sacrament Meeting Edition of “What Not to Wear” – Women’s Edition. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
August 11, 2005 To Whom It May Concern: I hope that you will not find an unsolicited letter presumptuous, but I wanted to give you my thoughts on what I see as Dialogue’s problems and some things it could do to improve. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It happened in the back of the former living room we called our chapel. The church itself was an insignificant Flemish rowhouse. Thirty-six chairs crammed the room. Six rows of six. When half of them got filled, we boasted on the Church’s growth in our city. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This Saturday at 5pm in Springfield, Virginia. If you are interested in coming, please email me at noman@sidley.com. I will send details and directions via email. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Like most rugged and red-blooded American men I have long enjoyed the work of Jane Austen. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Those of us who live a peripatetic (peripathetic?) life come to know the Elders’ Quorum Moving Company pretty well. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This past Sunday was our last in the Jonesboro ward. We’re moving to Illinois on Saturday, and while we’ll have a chance to say goodbye at greater length to some of our closer friends over the next few days (to say nothing of when the elder’s quorum shows up to help pack the truck!),... Read More »
It’s time to say goodbye to Kirsten and thank her for being an oustanding guest blogger. I appreciate the way that she formulated potentially-explosive and oft-discussed topics in a fresh, creative way that led to great discussions. Thanks, Kirsten, and we hope you’ll continue to stop by and comment. 0 people like... Read More »
A couple quick thoughts on recent prophetic moves. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I am sure most of you are familiar with the types of “Mormon t-shirts” like these, these, these and these. To me, they are beyond kitschy and have entered the realm of horribly tacky. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Times and Seasons had a massive spam attack yesterday. In dealing with it, one of your trusty editors might have accidentally deleted several recent comments. Apologies to our ever insightful, delightful, and mostly un-apostate commenters. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Several weeks back, I posted a short thing on Conglomerate and Blogcritics about my search for Harry Potter & The Half-blood Prince. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I have always thought that one of the most telling and subtlety vicious aspect of segregation was the fact that a white person regardless of age or economic status could always call a black person, regardless of age or economic status, “boy” or “girl.” 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I had just completed the oral defense of my admission-to-PhD-candidacy exams, which emphasized the writings of medieval visionaries and mystics. My advisor extended his hand, and with his typical wry smile, said: “Congratulations. You passed. Now, go home and have a vision!” We all had a good laugh, but for different reasons. They all... Read More »
It happened. From pictures and testimonies we can grasp somehow what happened. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Despite Brigham’s frequent attacks on the profession, there are a lot of Mormon lawyers. Some LDS thinkers have posited all sorts of troubling reasons why this is so. Nibley sees it as a symptom of moral decline, and I have repeatedly seen it used as evidence of excessive Mormon materialism or anti-intellectualism. However, today... Read More »
Being in the fashion industry, I have always been bothered by the constant references to “costly apparel” in the BOM and its link to pride and the downfall of nations. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Our worldwide missionary effort is plurilingual. The Church has always been involved in outreach efforts to other tongues, now translating material into 185 languages. There are wards and branches, led in the local idiom, in 165 countries. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Today on my way to work, I passed by the Lincoln Memorial where the great man’s sermon on blood atonement is inscribed in marble. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
By popular demand, here is the first installment of the Sacrament Meeting-Men’s edition of “What Not to Wear” 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This post has two main parts — both involve being Mormon and engaging one’s brain. I think they’re still two distinct issues, but I’ll bring them up together, nonetheless, not least because my guest-blogging days are quickly drawing to a close. (Thank goodness — I feel as if I’ve been sucked into some... Read More »
Bloggernaclites! For those in the Washington, D.C. area there is going to be a get together at Casa Oman (sans, alas, Heather and Jacob, the more interesting Omans) on Saturday, August 13th beginning at about 5pm-ish. It will be a bring your own food kind of BBQ. I will provide watermelon,... Read More »
OK. I don’t want to go to film school any more. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Nephi teaches that many plain and precious truths that were once had among the Jews have not made it into the Bible handed down to us via the Gentiles. We tend to talk as though these are truths revealed by Christ, but not passed on as his church fell into apostasy. But could many... Read 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.) 0... Read More »
We know from experience that having an abortion thread that stays on topic is tough, especially if the topic is fairly narrow. Here’s a thread for all those general remarks you’re dieing to make. It’ll probably get shut down when the other abortion threads wind down, 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
My wonderful wife, She Who Must Be Obeyed, as left me. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
OK, lets talk about antitrust law and the plight of persecuted Mormons. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I am still a little unsure why Kaimi invited me to be a guest blogger here at T&S. I enjoy reading many of the posts, but I have been entirely too intimidated to comment (although my name did get included in Kaimi’s post: Mormon Makeover shows). You can’t blame me for my fear with... Read More »
A week has passed since Pioneer Day. I was moved by the memorials here and in my sacrament meeting, where the speakers called us to reflect on, in President Hinckley’s words, the “long shadow” the pioneers cast in which we still find some shelter from the heat of the times. The... Read More »
I don’t often read novels, but after making it through the most recent Harry Potter, I thought I would try slumming it in fiction for awhile. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Among my other glories, I am an assistant ward clerk. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I’m happy to announce that Carrie Lundell will be guest blogging with us. Carrie is a blogger who has fashion sense (and heaven knows that the bloggernacle could use as much fashion sense as it can find!). Her prior bloggernacle contributions, including “What does an LDS woman wear to a cocktail party?,”... Read More »
I visited a Lutheran worship service today, and had one of those odd experiences where what I expect to be familiar is not, and what I don’t expect to be, is. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
(Adam and Sara: you will recognize this topic from our lively late-night chat during your recent visit to Tacoma. I would love to have you both offer some of the insights here that you shared when we talked, if you're so inclined.) ------------------ I've long been interested in achieving a greater understanding of the church's teaching... Read More »
Lesson 35: Doctrine & Covenants 4:3-7, 18:10-16, 52:40, 81:5-6, 138:58 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 34: Doctrine and Covenants 136 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 33: Doctrine and Covenants 107:22-24 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Who knew when I started reading salon.com’s new column ‘Object Lust’ that I would fall victim to this deadly sin? Who could have predicted that the object of my attraction would be a flannel board? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I’m happy to announce the births of our twin girls, Chloe and Clara. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I have a confession: I don’t much care about what the people in my ward think about me. I feel guilty about this. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It is only after long consideration that I am finally writing this post. I was somewhat taken aback, perhaps naively so, by the discussion sparked by the brief statement in my intro post that I work full time and that my children are in daycare. Ensuing comments focused on working mothers, following the prophet,... Read More »
Leider ist die Zeit des Jonathan Green zum blog mit uns zu einem Ende gekommen. Er war ein wundervoller Gast-blogger, der uns sehr viel unterhielt und unterrichtete. Danke so Jonathan und wir hoffen, dass Sie fortfahren, an Times & Seasons hier teilzunehmen! 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has presidential aspirations. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
In times past, Mormon intellectualdom has been much exercised over the issue of objectivity and the writing of history. By and large, I think that these debates have focused on the wrong issues. Stalin’s toes help to illustrate one of the reasons why. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Vows like “For as long as we continue to love each other,” “For as long as our love shall last” and “Until our time together is over” are increasingly replacing the traditional to-the-grave vow 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 32: Doctrine and Covenants 135 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I did not want to go to BYU. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 31: Doctrine and Covenants 131 & 132:4-33 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
My Pioneer Day wish for the day: let’s not forget the song as the pioneers themselves actually sang it: 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Here’s another weird post (making an unbroken string of 50+, for those keeping track at home). What exactly is Adamic, the pure tongue of Heaven? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A commenter at Approaching Zion suggests that interracial marriage is wrong. The commenter, a critic of feminism, lists as one of the harms of feminism was that it “encourages single men to marry outside their race and culture.” What exactly is the status of church doctrine on interracial marriage, anyway? 0 people... Read More »
For those who haven’t noticed, John Roberts has been nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. The next obvious question is what does his jurisprudence tell us about Mormon theology. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
“We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” This statement of our belief never troubled me until I lived in the German Democratic Republic, otherwise known as East Germany. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I’m honored by Julie’s invitation to blog on this venerable site, amid such esteemed company. I thought I’d begin my introduction by mentioning my connection to several more regular T&S-ers. Julie Smith and I were housemates for two years at UT-Austin. She witnessed my courtship to my husband and attended my wedding. I’ve been... Read More »
I’m pleased to introduce Kirsten M. Christensen as our newest guest blogger. Kirsten has a PhD in Germanic Studies from UT-Austin and has taught at Mount Holyoke College and Notre Dame and is now at Pacific Lutheran University. She’s married to Ted Warren (who may have the most interesting job of anyone... Read More »
Griping about endless crafts at Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Meeting is a Bloggernacle staple. I’d like to try something different. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Towards the end of my time at BYU, a friend mentioned to me that he knew some Benson scholars (today we would say Hinckley scholars, or more generically, presidential scholars), and that they were all stuck up and full of themselves. I told him, to his surprise, that I too was a Benson scholar,... Read More »
I got my bill today and it turns out that there really is something cheaper than a Germanist these days. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Okay, it is time for another post on Mormon legal history. This one is on the state of the field and where we go from here. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
When God became American is the novelized biography of Joseph Smith by the French author Marc Chadourne: Quand Dieu se fit Americain. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Two years ago, I came within twenty-four hours of abandoning my academic career before it started. None of the applications I had sent out had gone anywhere, I had completed my degree, and my department had no money to keep me around. We packed up and got ready to drive out of town and... Read More »
Boston area Bloggernackers, save the date: you and your families are invited to a beach party/barbecue at my house Saturday, July 30 from mid-afternoon (2-3ish) until whenever. Dinner around 6. We have room for weekend guests, too, if anybody wants to drive up from NYC or down from Montreal, or... Read More »
Lesson 30: Doctrine and Covenants 2, 124:25-55, 127, 128, Joseph Smith — History 1:36-39 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 29: Doctrine and Covenants 124: 1-21, 87-90, 97-110; Doctrine and Covenants 126 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
My children have been taking swimming lessons. Naturally, this provides me with both motive and opportunity for asking self-indulgently angsty existential questions. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It is hard not to admire Winston Churchill. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
There has been some recent discussion of faith-promoting stories and other Mormon folklore, including its complex relationship to factual history, the difficulty of finding an original source, and the tension that skepticism can incite. My question is: if you can prove that a faith-promoting story is false, should you tell anyone? Is there any... Read More »
Cannibalism, it seems to me, is one of the unspoken issues that lurks beneath all Mormon sacrament meetings. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
As many of you know, BYU’s football team has been in a bit of a slump for the past three seasons. I am very encouraged, therefore, by the new coaching staff’s innovative efforts to recruit new players. Watch out, Utes! 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today. . . Yes, it’s officially my last day on the job today. On Friday, we leave town. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
As much as we honor the Reformation in general, on closer inspection the individual Reformers have, from a Mormon perspective, some rough edges. Whether or not a given Reformation doctrine is closer to our views than traditional Catholic teaching had been seems about as predictable as a coin toss. One would hope that the... Read More »
Lesson 28: Doctrine and Covenants 121:1-33; 122 Sections 121, 122, and 123 are each part of a letter written by Joseph Smith from Liberty Jail to the church leaders in Quincey, Illinois. Read about that experience in a good Church history. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
In a comment on Gordon’s recent post, Jed Woodworth raises an interesting point. He, entirely accurately, points out that the notion that the temple is a place that most members should regularly attend is a late 20th century phenomena in Mormonism. Prior to that time, the temple, for most members, was generally... Read More »
After a stimulating discussion following the first installment of this recurring feature, we’re happy to present the second, courtesy of the Association for Mormon Letters’ publication Irreantum, and exclusively accessible online at Times and Season. In keeping with its overall theme, the current issue of Irreantum features an interview with the eminent Mormon folklorist... Read More »
When I lived in Oregon, a member of my ward suggested a state-of-the-marriage litmus test for couples who had been married in the temple. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It occurs to me that there is a politically well-connected Mormon who is eminently qualified to take Justice O’Connor’s slot on the Supreme Court. (And no, I don’t mean Orrin Hatch.) 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Who before 1830 was anticipating the Restoration? For many cases we like to cite, the evidence consists of quotes that have been in circulation for a century or more, and that often rest on a fairly shaky foundation. Musings of poets require much interpretation, and what deists expected was nothing like what Joseph Smith... Read More »
We saw March of the Penguins on Thursday. It was great. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Despite the striking resemblance of the Mormon and Anabaptist experiences, significant differences remain. The Book of Mormon and the temple are the most obvious LDS elements without a precise Anabaptist parallel, but I’m more interested in how similar beginnings have not (yet) led to parallel outcomes. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Recent weeks have seen stimulating (and occasionally heated) discussion of a July Ensign article on the life of Bathsheba W. Smith. The article, meticulously parsed by Justin Butterfield, omits, together with other biographical material, all references to Bathsheba Smith’s sister-wives and any reference to the polygamous families of her husband, George A. Smith. ... Read More »
Here is an empirical question that I don’t really know the answer to: 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Mormons are neither Catholic nor Protestant, we often hear, and I see no reason to doubt the basic truth of the statement. Is there any spectrum of Christian religions such that we can say, “Mormonism is one of the X churches”? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
We are commanded to mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. And so, in the aftermath of tragedy and terror in London, we all join together in saying “I am a Londoner.” Our thoughts and prayers at this time are with the brave citizens... Read More »
Ed Firmage, for many years the token Mormon at the U of U law school, is an interesting apostate. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A little while ago, Times & Seasons was pleased to announce that Jonathan Green–scholar of German, master of trivia, academic vagabond and world-class T&S commenter–had agreed to grace our blog with a guest stint. Since his initial post, however, he’s been on the move, taking his family from Charleston, South Carolina (where he had... Read More »
When the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake were being announced, I remember how in our priesthood meetings in Provo exciting plans were forged to turn the event into a massive missionary opportunity: we would fill the streets with members passing out copies of the Book of Mormon and taking referrals. 0 people like this... Read More »
After prophesying the woes that will come on Israel, Isaiah relays a promise of the Lord’s: 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A fascinating op-ed in the New York Times discusses the idea of “judicial activism.” The authors suggest that one measure of activism is the amount of times a judge votes to invalidate legislation passed by Congress. Using that measure, they write that: We found that justices vary widely in their inclination to strike... Read More »
Here’s a sentence I wouldn’t have expected to find in a Deseret Book: If Emerson was right that a stubborn insistence on consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, then Paul’s place among the larger intellects of Western thought must be reckoned as secure. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Early last year, I discussed an idea that I called “the Iago problem.” I argued that one answer to the question “why are there no Mormon Shakespeares” was that church members may lack the skill to breathe life into a truly evil character like Iago. Recently, I rethought the question. And... Read More »
This week I spent a few days in Nauvoo, the last place the Latter-day Saints tried to build a temple before being forced to leave the United States. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
very very very very late. I do, at least. It’s 11:41 presently, and I’m still planning to finish this post, fire off some comments, do my sit-ups and read the new Adam Gopnik in this week’s New Yorker before I turn in. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Danithew is wondering when we’re going to begin idle speculation about who might replace Justice O’Connor. We’re happy to oblige him. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I recently spent a week or so immersed in constitutional law, looking at — among other things — the place of the Declaration of Independence in constitutional interpretation. It has gotten me thinking about the virtues of hypocrisy. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Shelby Foote, from Mississippi, has died. He was 88. He was best known for his three-volume work, The Civil War: a Narrative 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Very roughly and tentatively, but good enough perhaps for the purposes of a blog discussion or an introduction to philosophy, one could say that there are two basic metaphysical positions, with a third that is a variation of one of those two. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail, on the 27th of June, 1844, about five o’clock p.m., by an armed mob — painted black — of from 150 to... Read More »
Due to an unmentionable poop incident (click on the link if you’re very brave), FMH Lisa may be needing a new washer. At the very least, she could use a few new cleaning supplies. So if you’ve got a spare dime, consider sending Lisa a Paypal. 0 people like... Read More »
Today’s Elder Quorum topic was gambling. Like Calvin Coolidge, like President Hinckley, we were against it. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 27: Doctrine and Covenants 101, 103, and 105 For more understanding of these sections, read about Zion’s Camp in a church history. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
This is an odd post, to be sure, but so that no one wonders: since there are no scriptures associated with this lesson, I’ve not prepared any study questions for it. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
is Ireland.* Really. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Or maybe what I really want to know is: Who am I ? Am I a feminist? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A frequent morning ritual for me involves taking a bag of compost to our garden, which is several blocks from our house, on my drive to work. I enjoy this little task. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
“Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me,” Jehovah commands. I suppose that applies to our fetishization of free agency. Fetishizing free agency, and getting twisted up in knots about it, are characteristic failings of Mormon thought. (By Mormon thought I don’t mean scholarly Mormon theology and philosophy, if there is such... Read More »
Two weeks ago today I fell off the high step during my aerobics class. Distracted by other thoughts, I miscalculated the height of the step and came down hard on an inverted ankle. It wasn’t pretty. Within seconds my ankle ballooned to three times its normal size and I was immobilized. 0... Read More »
We are encouraged to study and ponder the nature of God. Spencer W. Kimball wrote that “to know God, one must be aware of the person and attributes, power and glory of God the Father and God the Christ.” (Faith Precedes the Miracle at 86). Along those lines, this post proposes... Read More »
A friend just forwarded me this one, a little discussion (rhyming, no less) about the intersection of law practice and exaltation. Some of the theology may be a bit speculative, but the last line is quite accurate. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
In the common law world, judges are required to write opinions that justify their decisions. The holdings and reasoning in these opinions then become the law. Generally speaking, there are two sorts of opinions. First, there are opinions offered by the court that state its decision and the reasons for it.... Read More »
You know that I’m enthusiastic about mankind’s move into space as a way of breaking the cultural bottlenecks and societal ruts that hold up the outside and inside growth of the church.* See here, here, and here (scroll down). 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Heber J. Grant’s insomnia may have been the best thing to happen to the study of early twentieth century Church history. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Today is Sister Rachel Frandsen’s twenty-fourth day in the MTC, her fourth Friday and, right about now, probably something like her sixty-eighth meal in the cafeteria. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Yesterday, I had the kids at work. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It seems that for every conceivable social malady, there is an equal and opposite makeover show. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
One thing usually missing from discussion on this blog and, from what I have seen, all others, is extended, thoughtful discussion. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
So let’s think about Zion as a prisoner’s dilemma (PD). 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
My mom just e-mailed me this one. It’s a fun little puzzle, though it took me a little longer than I expected to track down the last few. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Brigham Young has many wonderful tidbits scattered throughout his years as prophet. A friend pointed out the following snippet: 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
The first thing you need to know about what happened is that it’s not about doubt. This is not the story of how I lost my testimony. I’m as committed to the church and as convinced of the reality of the restoration now as I was before what happened on Friday night.... Read More »
At first she was basically opposed to the idea. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Lesson 25: Doctrine and Covenants 84:33-44, 121:34-36 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I figure that if Nate can go on and on and on about his garden, I might be indulged if I take you on a tour of my house. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I just finished Karen Armstrong’s Islam: A Short History and I was bugged. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
A few days ago, I had the rare experience of actually having enough time to sit in my study and read. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
It is time for another garden update. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
453q, 5.585s