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10 responses
Lesson 5a: Moses 5-7 Read More
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76 responses
The quickest way to lose weight is to get sick. The easiest way to keep it off is to die. Read More
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36 responses
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). Read More
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41 responses
There’s been a lot of talk lately about how boys are in trouble–falling behind in school, terrible discipline problems, etc.–and I take it all quite seriously; I’m concerned that boys receive the guidance and education they need to flourish in a changing world. I have to admit, though, that my concern is not entirely motivated by a purely charitable concern for future generations and the happiness of fellow children of our Heavenly Father. Rather, a major portion of my interest arises from the fact that I am worried about my daughters. I mean, who am I going to line them… Read More
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60 responses
Dear Jane, I don’t know you—at least I don’t think I do—but I have been struck by your willingness to speak openly and honestly about your situation. My Sikh friends speak of “seekers.” You are genuinely a seeker and, so, a person deserving of respect, including the respect of response. However, I haven’t had anything to say in response until now when you ask, “Does the gospel make sense (comment 23)?” Read More
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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. Read More
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19 responses
That is what they called it. The Mormon Problem. We no longer hear the reproach, though faint echoes still reflect from the rigid walls of religion and secularism. We can no longer see ourselves as we once were, but we paid a price before accommodating and it is that price that ransoms, in me, empathy and fear. Read More
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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. Read More
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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… Read More
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Before J. Stapley can get busy wowing us all, let’s take a moment and thank Geoff Johnston for a terrific couple of weeks. As the all-seeing Snarkernacle noted, Geoff’s posts laid waste to the competition here at T&S, such as it is. In five relatively short posts, Geoff generated 684 comments and counting. It’s been a long while since we had such a run of thoughtful, imaginative, doctrinally heavy discussions, and we owe it all to Brother Johnston. Our thanks, Geoff; we wish you could stay, but we know they missed you over at the Thang…. Read More
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10 responses
We’re happy to announce our latest guest: J. Stapley, a true bloggernacle fixture. Read More
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56 responses
When Michael Lane confessed to his bishop that he had killed a two-year-old, PJ Watts, in 1990, his bishop told him the repentence process requires that he confess to civil authorities and accept the consequences of his actions. However, because Lane also sinned by lying about killing PJ when he was prosecuted for the homicide at the time, civil authorities are now unable to prosecute him, despite his confession, under the Constitution’s “double jeopardy” doctrine. Given that it’s wrong to receive less punishment for two sins than for one, how must Michael Lane pay restitution for his egregious sins —… Read More
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I think Terryl Givens was right. I think a primary purpose of the Book of Mormon is to drive each of us toward real dialogue with the living God. And I think Moroni is right – that if we as Mormons are not experiencing some kind of regular dialogue with God we are denying the gifts of God. Read More
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48 responses
I have on my desk a primitive pen holder in ceramic, about four inches high. The figurine, crudely shaped, shiny in its warm terra cotta coat, represents a little man holding a tiny bucket in which a few pens and pencils can be stacked. Many years ago, an eleven-year-old girl kneaded and baked the clay in the children’s activity room of a hospital, during her long convalescence. She made the figurine for me. Read More
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86 responses
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It may be that pro-correlation forces have hacked into Sunstone’s website or it may just be a really, really bad marketing idea. Read More
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127 responses
Perhaps we’ve put white hats on some people in the scriptures who don’t deserve them. Read More
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170 responses
If there is progression, there may also be retrogression; if there is good, there may be evil. Everything has its opposite. (John A. Widtsoe, Rational Theology, Chapter 15) Read More
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Infertility is a huge topic, as large in its own way as the topic of birth control. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to do it justice. I fully recognize that this can be an extremely sensitive issue for couples for many reasons. I absolutely do not judge any patients for making choices in dealing with infertility that I would not recommend professionally. I also fully celebrate the life of all children of God, regardless of how they were conceived. With this background in place, I wish simply to make three points. Read More
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6 responses
In considering options of which birth control method to use, couples have a variety of factors that they may consider. Read More
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24 responses
The issue of embryonic stem cells has been discussed in this forum before, here, here and here. Ongoing current events, however, make this issue salient for another examination. Read More
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56 responses
When does human life begin? This phrasing of this question as it is commonly stated is imprecise and can be misleading. Let’s look at some more precise questions. Read More
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181 responses
Lesson 3 with a twist Read More
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In Hell, there will be 9 a.m. Sacrament meeting. Read More
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Lesson 4: Moses 4, 5:1-15, 6:48-62 Read More
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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. Read More
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Several years ago I ran a marathon. As anyone who has run a marathon can tell you, training for it is a lot of work. I tend to be a pretty undisciplined person, so when I started training for the marathon, I decided that I needed some sort of commitment device to keep me on schedule. My solution was to tell all of my friends and family that I was training for a marathon, indeed that I would be running a marathon in the fall. That way I got my sense of shame to discipline me. If I slacked off… Read More
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Richard Bushman and Terryl Givens are leading a seminar this summer on “Mormon Thought, 1850 to 1920: Dealing with the Joseph Smith Legacy,” at BYU. Applications are due February 15th Read More