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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 a theory on the nature of Christ. Read More
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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. Read More
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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. Second, there are dissents, which explain why the dissenting judge cannot join the majority’s opinion. There is also, however, an almost completely forgotten, third kind of opinion that is worth thinking about: a dubitante or dubitans. Read More
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Heber J. Grant’s insomnia may have been the best thing to happen to the study of early twentieth century Church history. Read More
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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. Read More
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Yesterday, I had the kids at work. Read More
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It seems that for every conceivable social malady, there is an equal and opposite makeover show. Read More
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One thing usually missing from discussion on this blog and, from what I have seen, all others, is extended, thoughtful discussion. Read More
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So let’s think about Zion as a prisoner’s dilemma (PD). Read More
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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. Read More
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Brigham Young has many wonderful tidbits scattered throughout his years as prophet. A friend pointed out the following snippet: Read More
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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. This is a story about reading, and how to do it. Read More
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At first she was basically opposed to the idea. Read More
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Lesson 25: Doctrine and Covenants 84:33-44, 121:34-36 Read More
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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. Read More
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I just finished Karen Armstrong’s Islam: A Short History and I was bugged. Read More
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A few days ago, I had the rare experience of actually having enough time to sit in my study and read. Read More
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It is time for another garden update. Read More
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The discussion below under my post on Kim Clark is evolving toward this topic, which I have wondered about for a long time. During my short stint teaching at the MTC just after my mission, all of the MTC instructors were invited to a meeting with a General Authority. He asked us, “How many of you view your work at the MTC as a calling?” Almost all of the hands in the room were raised. Read More
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I’ve been thinking of late about immortality and Mormonism. My question is whether or not you can be a Good Mormon and a Good Homeric Hero. I am unclear on the answer, but Moroni and John Taylor seem to suggest that for at least one Good Mormon being a Homeric Hero was just fine. (more…) Read More
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The Coalition of Former T & S Guest-Bloggers has added another strong member to their ranks. Yes, Elisabeth Calvert Smith (she of the famous spiritual securities-law analogy) is now blogging over at M*. Her first post is a clever LDS take on Aerosmith’s “Love in an Elevator.” It’s an interesting enough read that I’m definitely looking forward to reading Elisabeth’s LDS interpretations of “Walk This Way,” “Rag Doll,” and “Dude Looks Like a Lady.” Read More
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Nick Kristof’s recent column discusses the continuing problem of systematic rape and ethnic cleansing in the Darfur region in Sudan, Africa. (Warning: The column is about the continuing genocide, and Kristof’s descriptions are about as graphic as a family newspaper gets). Read More
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Times & Seasons is proud to announce an innovative partnership with BYU Studies, a leading venue for Mormon Studies scholarship and publishing. Read More
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This first installment features Scott H. Faulring’s article, “An Examination of the 1829 ‘Articles of the Church of Christ’ in Relation to Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants,” available here. The long title introduces a careful examination of a fascinating document: the 1829 “Articles of the Church of Christ,” composed by Oliver Cowdery, is a little-known forebear to D&C 20, the 1830 “Articles and Covenants.” Faulring’s thorough treatment includes a discussion of the relationship between the two documents, a close summary of the “Articles,” and a complete holograph photographic reproduction of the handwritten text. The article raises compelling questions… Read More
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Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, published last year, is not so much a memoir or autobiography, but rather a series of snapshots, each drenched in cultural references, that together create a approximation of Mr. Zimmerman’s character. One of those snapshots gives us Dylan living in an apartment in Greenwich Village owned by a mysterious autodidact named Ray. It’s 1960, Dylan is new to New York, and unknown to the burgeoning folk scene in New York. He hasn’t yet written his first song, but he knows about Joseph Smith and the Adam-God theory. Read More
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Harvard Business School Dean Kim Clark is resigning to take over the Presidency at BYU-Idaho. See here and here. My impression from speaking to HBS faculty is that Clark has been a very effective dean, so this looks like great news for BYU-Idaho. Read More
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Lesson 24: Doctrine and Covenants 26, 28, 43:1-7, 50, 52:14-19 Read More
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The church has corrected a newspaper that had written, “Mormons, for example, oppose abortion, but find some embryonic stem cell research morally acceptable,” with the clarification that, “the Church has not taken a position on the issue of embryonic stem cell research.” They also note that the church has no official position on the moment human life begins. Additionally, the church’s August 2001 “Apostles have not taken a position” statement about stem cell research, which many interpreted as providing tentative support for embryonic stem cell research, has been removed from the church’s website. Read More
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The requirement of legal marriage is often a big hurdle for investigators in Latin American countries. The reality is that a large percent of the populace lives in common-law marriage. And it is often difficult, and expensive, to change their status. I can’t count the number of times I taught a family on my mission, only to have their unmarried state end up as a fatal hurdle to their joining the church. One thing that I picked up from teaching families in was a healthy appreciation for the gospel benefits of readily available divorce. Read More
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The pictures accompanying this month’s cover story entitled “Strengthening Future Mothers” make my heart hurt. Read More