Last Saturday morning I attended an interfaith Torah study session, warmly hosted at the Shaare Emeth congregation and jointly led by LDS and Jewish presenters. The discussion focused on the week’s Torah portion, parashat bo, which recounts the story in Exodus 10 of the plagues visited on Pharaoh at his refusal to free... Read More »
As I’ve mentioned before, Mormons don’t follow the traditional liturgical calendar, but that won’t stop me from using this January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas and the feast of Epiphany or Three Kings Day, as a happy occasion to put up the one last Christmas post that escaped December. (It’s also a... Read More »
It’s a small object, not a simple one: a Peruvian nativity carving, fashioned inside a gourd from intricate wood figures painted in bright colors. It was on display at the creche festival last weekend; I lingered over it for a moment, pointed out the tiny llama to my children, and moved on long before... Read More »
My co-blogger Sharon put up a most enjoyable post a few weeks ago. I liked it so much that I’m going to pay it the compliment of differing with one or two of its points. (In blog etiquette, after all, quibbling is the highest form of flattery.) Sharon points us toward a Christian... Read More »
Over at my other blog, a reader posted the following question: On a related LDS family matter, many of us have been confronted by Mormon missionaries with a message, or even a free DVD, of “Families are Forever.” A sincere, respectful question: isn’t this motto a solution in search of a problem? That is,... Read More »
Leftover Halloween candy languishes in its plastic pumpkin on top of the refrigerator; for the moment, the kids are satiated and I’m being good. All the sugar brings to mind a favorite hymn, “Jesus, the very thought of thee,” a few stanzas of which are here: Jesus, the very thought of Thee ... Read More »
cross posted at Civil Religion “Death be not proud,” taunted John Donne. “One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally, / And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.” Death interrupts our view of eternity, a fearsome jalousie obscuring a future we must approach. Like Donne, we console and distract ourselves by turns with... Read More »
Trivia fact for the day: the Mormon church operated a newspaper, the St. Louis Luminary, from November 1854 to December 1855. The periodical served the large community of transient Latter-day Saints, many of whom stopped in St Louis to replenish their strength (and funds) after the first leg of their journey to the Salt... Read More »
Cross-posted at Civil Religion. Last week the New York Times published a two-part series on artificial reproductive technologies. The series makes a riveting read, as writer Stephanie Saul narrates the joys and terrors of premature birth, high order multiples, NICU stays, and—finally, sometimes—the precious goal, a baby at home with a family. 0... Read More »
Leaving aside disagreements about Elder Holland’s tone and speculations about the talk’s effect on believers and skeptics—not that those are unimportant, but that they’re being vigorously played out elsewhere—I want to make a narrow point about the philosophical underpinnings* of his talk. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I linked yesterday on the sidebar to Stanley Fish’s latest editorial in the New York Times, which takes as its occasion the possibility that President Obama will revoke the “conscience clause” allowing health care providers the right to refuse to provide certain services. I thought I’d add a few thoughts here.* 0 people like... Read More »
Apropos of the season and storm. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Last week Adam cited a widely-shared “conservative case for gay marriage.” 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Murder most foul, in the strange natural world of southern Utah. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I first ran across Noah Feldman’s writing last year when I read his personal essay “Orthodox Paradox†in the New York Times Magazine. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
His fruitful new study provides lots to chew on this winter. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
How an obscure academic article yielded marketing gold. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
That time of year thou may’st in me behold 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Everybody’s talking about expensive weddings; let’s talk about expensive marriages. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Is it really such a bad place to be? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
You should. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Destination reading. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Called to serve—on YouTube. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
How I spend my Sunday nights, and what it means for the future of Mormon thought. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Mormons make an appearance at the important SBL conference. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
The hidden meaning of the Deseret Book Christmas Catalog. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Why are babies busting all over? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
From time to time I’ve heard it delicately suggested that the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church curriculum is, not to put too fine a point on it, bland pablum, and stale, to boot. These pundits have not read last week’s lesson. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
I’m pretty sure I discovered it at Big Lots yesterday: Tweeterz, which consist (according to the packaging) of candy-coated triangular shaped bits of Twizzlers. Any contenders for the title? 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
Actually, goodbye first. 0 people like this post.Like Read More »
81q, 1.173s