- Anon on Cutting Edge Latter-day Saint Research, October 2026: “I don’t think the “journal” of Mormon Polygamy merits attention.” Nov 6, 12:51
- on Breaking the Auto-Pilot: Brent Yorgason on Alternate Tunes for Familiar Hymns: “Chad, what are “shape-note singing schools”?” Nov 6, 12:47
- on Breaking the Auto-Pilot: Brent Yorgason on Alternate Tunes for Familiar Hymns: “Sometimes I get so bored singing “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet” yet again that I’ll sing the words to “O Home Beloved” instead.” Nov 6, 08:32
- on When the Church Takes a Political Position, Election Eve Edition: “Mortimer, if you’ve overlooked it, God’s Army is pretty busy these days spreading the gospel and engaging in other good works. Lots of people would like to redirect their efforts to other causes, which is a separate problem. And I don’t think the zeal of the early Saints was primarily directed at setting inflation rate targets or defining the poverty line for a family of four. Ending hunger, poverty and sickness are important, but you should be able to name a few substantial things the Church does on a significant scale towards each of those goals. Our leaders are not extremely conservative – have you even been paying attention? – and I’ll take their steady mature leadership over the youthful dynamism that has ruined large swathes of American Christianity. Roger, you’ve mentioned several times that you’re an agnostic who has had no faith in the Church for 60 years, so maybe step back and let the believers figure this one out. It’s easy to tell people what to do when you don’t have to share in the burden of doing it.” Nov 5, 17:49
- on When the Church Takes a Political Position, Election Eve Edition: “Follow-up comment. I think the kind of ZEAL and FAITH I described above was part of what appealed to the early Saints. Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey captures something powerful about human nature, specifically that we long to be part of something bigger than ourselves, take on seemingly impossible challenges, and make a meaningful difference as the underdog in an epic story. Whether it’s the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars, or the disciples of Jesus in occupied Roman Territory, or the Hobbits entrusted with saving all of Middle Earth, we are hard-wired with an audacity to believe that if something matters, it’s worth taking on and in the process, anything is possible. The more we water that down, the less church matters and the more we get apathy and burn-out from the rank and file. People aren’t really looking for another reason to check-off items on the covenant path, listen to talks, sit in pews, stack folding chairs, or make toll-painted crafts. Belonging to this faith is supposed to be about bringing about Millennial peace and light, ending hunger, poverty, sickness and aligning heaven and earth. It’s so frustrating watching our extremely conservative, geriatric leadership’s selective responses to the issues of the day despite saying that the purpose of modern revelation is to specifically address current events and contexts. In their slow and carefully curated PR responses, they “falter in defending truth and right” and “shrink or shun the fight.” Rather than confront difficult issues, they seem intent on avoiding controversy and preserving their social capital. The disconnect is off-putting, to say the least. Our youth especially feel that dissonance, and I suspect it contributes to declining activity and retention. Members have no VOICE in setting priorities, which seem to be cherry-picked using opaque criteria (you’ve probably done as much as anyone to try to decipher them). Lets face the facts too . . . this stockpiling and selective vision to the problems of the day has been going on not just for a difficult rough patch here or there, but as the modus operandi for generations.” Nov 5, 15:39
- on When the Church Takes a Political Position, Election Eve Edition: “Hey Mortimer, I to dislike that many in the Church lack the “…belief that we have both the capacity and the responsibility to create change wherever and whenever it’s needed…” Institutionally, I think the last embers or sparks of this view died with President Monson. Even if some didn’t exactly like how he always went about it (Prop 8, etc.) However, I do think Stephen’s pragmatic view has some merit as well. I’m partial to aspects of Stephens view because I am a very practical, pragmatic, and prudential individual. If you guys have ever read the works of Russell Kirk, I’m more or less his LDS equivalent. He was very prudential, and showed that conservatives could and should be pro-environment.” Nov 5, 15:34
- on When the Church Takes a Political Position, Election Eve Edition: “Thank you Mortimer and Tim for adding some sense of reason to this conversation. Tim, socialism is not unchristian. But that’s a discussion for another day. Lion, throwing couple million to most conservative black-advocacy group is nothing but tokenism. Continuing to support losing issues is like banging your head against the wall. There are real issues that need resolving. And Jonathan G. tokenism isn’t the Lord’s plan. Half of Church members live in developing countries. Many in poverty.” Nov 5, 13:39
- on When the Church Takes a Political Position, Election Eve Edition: “The idea that we would so carefully dole out it’s social capital and that work on “categorical battles”, etc. runs counter to our early Mormon zeal. We always bravely and incredibly believed that WE would change the world. We never thought it would be by using a Harvard Balanced Scorecard, large membership rolls or a massive stock portfolio. God’s rag-tag bunch of misfits- the Mormons, would affect miracles through faith and peculiar ways. Margaret Mead famously quoted, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” I wish we still had FAITH in our endowments and our light and in the belief that we have both the capacity and the responsibility to create change wherever and whenever it’s needed. That sometimes we’re placed in a particular moment for a reason, and the question isn’t what it might cost us socially, but whether it’s the RIGHT thing to do. I kinda want to say to the brethren in the Church Office Building the same thing Abraham Lincoln said to General McClellan, the overly cautious general who stockpiled resources, hesitated, and refused to engage the Confederates. “If General McClellan does not want to use the Army, I would like to borrow it for a time.”” Nov 5, 11:53
- on When the Church Takes a Political Position, Election Eve Edition: “Yes, the Church currently doesn’t have a stated opinion when it comes to economics. However, their statements about immigration are largely economic in nature when all is said and done. The main reason why people come to America is largely economic. Most could care less about the “American Dream”, and love their country of origin more then the one they are living in. And, I apply this to both the Left and the Right. I also think its very unwise for the Church to be so lax on this issue when the national debt is 40 trillion plus and will eventually fall out from underneath us. P.S (It may surprise many here, but I’m actually a economic moderate. I see both late stage capitalism and communism/socialism as unchristian. One is greed taken to it’s logical end, while the other is envy on steroids.)” Nov 5, 09:54
- on When the Church Takes a Political Position, Election Eve Edition: “Just in case its of interest to anyone, here’s one attempt at a take on the issue: https://www.wayfaremagazine.org/p/revelation-scripture-and-politics” Nov 5, 07:14
