- JB on 17 Thoughts About Resistance: “Best essay I’ve read on timesandseasons in awhile. There are multiple off-ramps we could’ve collectively taken to avoid our current situation—the Utah saints rallying around McGarrin to upset the electoral college in election 2016, rallying around Romney for impeachment in 2020, more aggressively prosecuting DJT for his mob attack on the capital in 2021, and of course simply voting for the woman over the confirmed rapist in election 2024–but here we are. I personally remain frustrated by the Q15’s maddening silence on current events, but I also acknowledge the hard, realpolitik considerations they must face that you’ve outlined here. As a side-note, I recall after the ‘16 election, some comic-book nerd tweeted about how never again can she argue with her fellow nerds about 1) how on earth could Lex Luther could get elected president, and 2) how the highly-advanced Kryptonians could ignore that their planet was in danger till it was too late. The LDS equivalent to that is when I was a youth, I wondered why anyone would vote for the Kingmen in Alma, or support wicked King Noah (as you’ve indicated) in Mosiah, or how the Nephites could repeatedly backslide into viciousness and cruelty so quickly, “in the span of not many years.” Ironically, right when my frustration with the Q15 is at its highest, is also when I most marvel that The Book of Mormon really is true, prophetic, and written for our day.” Jan 17, 05:38
- on 17 Thoughts About Resistance: “Thanks for this essay. I appreciate your candor and honesty. Your point 10 seems especially important, but all your points seem valid to me. Some church members and maybe even readers here will object to your allusions to 1930s Germany, but I think your allusions are entirely fair and even restrained.” Jan 17, 04:44
- on Conviction Without Conflict: The Power of a Gentle Answer: “Great post and thank you for reinforcing this teaching!” Jan 16, 06:25
- on How Much of a Testimony is Reason? How Much is Emotion? : “I’d only differ in treating spiritual experience as sensual perception. While we often talk about spiritual experience with reference to emotion, it’s possible for the spiritual experience to happen first and the emotional reaction only later, or for a significant spiritual experience to have a relatively minor emotional component. And let’s not forget the susceptibility of reason to emotional motivation. I suspect that the popularization of secularism actually has more to do with emotion than with strict rationalism.” Jan 15, 17:48
- on Dieter F. Uchtdorf, [Probable Future] President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “I do think dear Uchtdorf is tired and a bit church broke, and very home sick. I wouldn’t wish it on him, he’s made a massive contribution in uplifting us and refining the church’s thinking, and bringing us closer to the Saviour. I so hope others build on his legacy.” Jan 15, 15:58
- on How Much of a Testimony is Reason? How Much is Emotion? : “I have believed for a while that we put too much emphasis on the “burning in the bosom” and not enough on the “study it out in your mind” that comes before that. Reason and emotion can support or check each other. It’s when they’re in agreement that I feel most confident that I’ve got it right. If one or the other is missing, or if they don’t agree, then I have more work to do.” Jan 15, 11:41
- on How Much of a Testimony is Reason? How Much is Emotion? : ““As Latter-day Saints we emphasize the epistemology of the spiritual experience. We know because we feel.” Well, yes and no. Perhaps culturally this is most common. But it sure seems that Doctrine and Covenants 8:1-5 has an important key that we either don’t fully understand or don’t fully embrace (or, more likely, some of both): “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost.” This is, per the passage, “the spirit of revelation” (the telling, or the Holy Ghost itself? Why not both) and “the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.” It also appears to be how the brother of Jared wound up with shining stones and a personal experience with Jesus/God. You kind of touch on the idea near the beginning of your post, regarding boundary markers. I think the challenge is to figure out how we each individually discern something in our mind, as well as how we feel things in our hearts. So in practice, it does seem to be that we as a religious subculture place more emphasis on the feeling, because we don’t know how to figure out the mind part, but arguably we should – no, need – to work on the studying things out in our mind aspect so that we can be told in our mind as well.” Jan 15, 08:01
- on Your Reactions to Church Yesterday, 1/11: “Adding another bit, quite a few sustaining in my ward this week, which had me thinking on what sustaining means to me. Was happy to provide a vote of thanks for one person who has impacted my life for the better.” Jan 14, 21:55
