In an interesting post, Julie lays out a hermeneutic approach that reminds me of Plato’s ideals.
Author: Kaimi Wenger
Kaimi is a fellow who blogs every now and again, usually when he should be working.
On not Being a Rock Garden
Like many Mormons, I have a long and varied history with cognitive dissonance. We have a wonderfully boisterous, co-dependent, passive-aggressive kind of relationship, cognitive dissonance and I. My religious side wants to believe things based on faith, to see spiritual experiences, to feel connected to God. My analytical side wants to see proof, to analyze experiences dispassionately, and to call BS on things that just don’t add up. That’s pretty much the standard recipe for cognitive dissonance (double the almonds for some extra crunch, and don’t overcook).
Creation and Filicide
William Faulkner told writers to “kill your darlings” — that is, they should learn to excise lines of prose or turns of phrase that they had come to love like their own child.* A good creator is a willing filicide, always ready to kill her darlings. And who better illustrates this principle than God himself? The world’s great Creator is also its great Filicide.
Around the Blogs: I Can’t, She Said
At some other blog, Elisabeth gives a thought-proving meditation on Wilfried’s recent post “I Can’t, He Said.” Her brilliant-glimpse-of-the-obvious post — how is it that no one had yet mentioned this, in 48 T&S comments!? — gives a vital lens through which Wilfried’s hospital story becomes even more relevant. Check out “I Can’t, She Said”; you won’t read Wilfried’s story the same.
Around the Blogs: DMI on Happiness
Bloggernacle old-timer DMI has a great discussion going on right now about a complicated set of themes: Should we be seeking happiness, or seeking knowledge? What can we do when our brain contradicts our heart? Is it really possible to find happiness or consistency (or both) in the church, and/or through the sometimes maddeningly inconsistent connect-the-dots of spiritual experiences? Current discussants include Dave himself and Jane Doe, whose recent comments at T&S highlighted some of these issues. Are you intrigued yet? (Or should I give up blogging and go work for Starbucks?) Go check out “Happiness” at DMI. UPDATE a few hours later (since my co-bloggers will kill me if I put up a third ATB post tonight): FMH-Lisa has a really good post on the same topic. A sample: “What kind of freak is happy all the time? . . . Wipe that smile off your face right now. Life sucks.” . . . “Rather than taking these moments of unhappiness as just a fact of life, because life sucks, we take them very personally. As a sign of our unrighteousness, our lack of faith, our personal weakness.” (Really good stuff, Lisa!) Anyway, what are you still doing reading my ATB post, reader? Go read Lisa’s post. (Or Dave’s. Or both!)
Morning with those that morn
In Hell, there will be 9 a.m. Sacrament meeting.
The Spiritual Benefits of Sin
Over at LDSLF, Dave Landrith asks an interesting question: can sin ever profit the soul? This is a topic I’ve pondered at some length over the years. Contra Dave, I believe that sinful acts can have real eventual spiritual benefits.
Snarker Unmasked?
With some help from a Random John, I have definitively pinpointed the Bloggernacle Snarker’s IP address. It is:
114
We sang one of my favorite hymns in church last Sunday, a hymn that describes a beautiful and intimate way to feel and know God.
Elton John in primary
So, who else was having Lion King flashbacks today during primary? The tune to the year’s new song seems awfully familiar. . .
No sex, please — we’re Mormons
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 so like to talk about sex in the bloggernacle?
An evening in Queen Creek
The Arizona bloggersnacker at Geoff Johnston’s was quite fun. But what exactly happened at the party? Perhaps our readers would like to guess.
Holiday Bloggersnackers
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?
The Christmas Program
My ward is doing a musical Sacrament meeting this year. What is your ward doing?
From the Archives: Navidad Sin Ti
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. (more…)
Why do I believe? And what do I believe?
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 I don’t know that there’s any one right way to believe.
From the Archives: Duty to Stick with a Dysfunctional Ward
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. . . )
The Fellowship of the Plates
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 of Mormon — particularly the battle stories — through the cinematic lens of Peter Jackson.
One minute after midnight
The blogs are abuzz about this morning’s execution of convicted murderer Stanley Williams.
A Day Without Sin
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 our daily routines.
Faith without baptism
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.
The Greatest Virtue on Earth
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 try this for an exercise: Think over the sentence for a minute, and write down your three or four best possible answers for X. Think you’ve got it? Click through for further discussion.
Progress Report
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?
From the Archives: Is there an LDS Thanksgiving Identity?
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. . .)
Priestcraft.com
As we move further into the information age, the possibilities for priestcraft multiply.
Out of the mouth of Mormon children
“I planted some [popcorn kernels] in the back yard, so we can have apricots.” Kace Wenger, age 6.
Seasons Change
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 of participants will never again be recreated. The moving finger writes awfully fast on the internet.
Bannergate, Materiality, and Reasonableness
This post is sure to be the final stake for Bannergate. I’m going to compare it to securities law.
We’re Number One!
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 #3 for “Mormon blog“!)
Chicks
My wife was out of town, so I decided to pick up some chicks. I took the kids with me, of course.