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30 responses
We sojourned in the wilderness for seven years, spending years of famine and frustration in small apartments. Our children learned to play indoors; our driving skills deteriorated. Worst of all, we neglected our food storage. Read More
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42 responses
BYU took advantage of me at a time in my life when I would have done almost anything for 10$. Read More
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34 responses
How seriously ought we to take Satan? Read More
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11 responses
I posted previously on the women in Jesus’ genealogy but wanted to invite discussion on some other aspects of it. Read More
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39 responses
A few weeks ago I visited a charming Amish and Mennonite “visitor’s center” in a nearby town. I noticed something I think Mormons can learn from. Read More
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34 responses
In 1958 a political scientist published a book on the culture of Southern Italy that may have something to say about one of the potential pit falls of Mormonism. Read More
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54 responses
I’ve brought my children west from the alluvial soil of Missouri to the sandy chapparal of Southern California for a few weeks. The first-order pleasures of being home include conversation in our domestic dialect marked at every intersection by shared memory and emotional habit, and free babysitting. Among the second order pleasures, though, are the stacks of wedding announcements at the counter to be perused at lunch and the piles of old Church News issues beside the recliner. Read More
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18 responses
I have a friend who is thinking about joining the Church, but he does not have a testimony of the prophet. Read More
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54 responses
As readers of this blog may know, I have my problems with narrative. Read More
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65 responses
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41 responses
When Pres. Bush was re-elected in 2004, he talked about having gained “political capital.� He chose to “spend� it on Social Security reform, which didn’t work out so well for him. I want to offer a few thoughts about us gaining and using “spiritual capital.� Read More
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111 responses
Here’s a quick thought exercise: 1. How many female Melchizedek Priesthood holders are currently in your ward? 2. How many Black Melchizedek Priesthood holders are currently in your ward? Read More
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56 responses
Perhaps it is just me, but “scriptorian” seems to be an honorific that has fallen out of favor. Read More
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2 responses
Our spam filter has been on drugs lately. Several legit comments got held up as spam for a few hours until the admins let them out. Apologies if this was you. Hopefully, the problem won’t last. If it does, we’ll look into our options on the technical side. Read More
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142 responses
By and large, I don’t think that we do a particularlly good job preparing members to go to the temple for the first time. As a result, I think that many members — especially converts without close family members who have been to the temple — get worried about what is going to happen, especially if they have heard any of the discussion in the bloggernacle or elsewhere about “issues” with the temple. Here is what I would write to such a person: Read More
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99 responses
I’ve talked about authority a few different times, but I thought I should try writing something up as a post. So here’s a version comparing it to roulette: Read More
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96 responses
A review in four parts: Read More
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99 responses
As a missionary, I was constantly admonished to ensure that our potential converts were spiritually, and not just socially converted. Read More
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9 responses
I’ve been distributing weekly lesson supplements to our senior Primary teachers; I figured I might as well post them here. “Those might be of some use,” as my four-year-old would say. You can also use these ideas for FHE, Sharing Time, etc. Read More
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33 responses
I was going to title this “growing older,” but I decided to be honest. I’ll be fifty-nine this year and, though I’m not yet decrepit, by most people’s measures I’ll officially be old next year. Read More
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60 responses
So, we’re told that motherhood is given to women, as Priesthood to men. Two motherhood-priesthood thoughts occur to me: 1. True or false: “The rights of motherhood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principle of righteousness. Read More
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64 responses
According to Mormon doctrine, children who die before the age of accountability are fast-tracked straight to the Celestial Kingdom. This idea creates all sorts of numbers problems. Read More
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47 responses
My wife and I were in Jerusalem for a week in March. Below are some thoughts on the city, its religious heritage, and the current conflict. Read More
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124 responses
When we think of temptations related to the Word of Wisdom, we usually think of, you know, being tempted to violate the WoW. But I can think of a few different WoW-related temptations. Read More
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57 responses
Twelve years ago my family piled in a rented RV and drove cross-country to attend a wedding reception for my older brother and his wife in Minnesota. On the way we stopped at the church history sites in Missouri, including Independence, Liberty Jail, and Far West. Read More
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7 responses
Lesson 25: Psalms Read More
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46 responses
Of you it is required to forgive all men, reads the scripture. That’s not an easy one. Read More
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33 responses
The first chapter of Matthew includes five women in Jesus’ genealogy. Why? Read More
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21 responses
Lesson 24: 2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 51 Read More