Mormon Culture
Confronting Racism with the Church-Part 1
I’ve previously posted part of this transcript when I talked about Misunderstanding Racism.  Here is the entire transcript of Mormon Matters episode 79:  See How can we Truly Confront Racism Within Mormon Thought and Culture—Part 1 at Mormon Matters.  I plan to post Part 2 as well when I complete it.  (These transcripts take quite […]
Bill Russell: Pillars of my Faith
John Dehlin of Mormon Stories has a recording of a 1993 Sunstone Symposium. Bill Russell gave a very interesting presentation. I transcribed the entire talk, and wanted to share it with everyone. Bill certainly has an interesting perspective on things. Â He is a past president of the Mormon History Association. The topic was titled Pillars […]
Bill Russell: Nephi is Dangerous
The following comments were recorded at the 1993 Sunstone Symposium. Bill Russell spoke on the recurring theme as Sunstone called “The Pillars of my Faith”. He is a past president of the Mormon History Association. I don’t know who introduced him, but this is what the person said when he introduced Bill Russell. Introduction, “William […]
Misunderstanding Racism
With Randy Bott’s comments in the Washington Post a few weeks ago, the subject of the Priesthood Ban has become a hot topic of late. Â Jeff Spector at Wheat and Tares feels that racism is the wrong word to describe the Priesthood Ban. Â He says, “To me, there is a difference between been a racist […]
Were Jesus and Mary Married?
The Da Vinci Code created a bit of a stir in making the claim that Mary Magdalene and Jesus were married. Â How do LDS handle the issue? Â Dale Bills, a spokesman for the Church, said in a statement released Tuesday, 16 May 2006: The belief that Christ was married has never been official church doctrine. […]
Women and Temples
It’s amazing what you can learn on the Bloggernacle. Â Layne at Feminist Mormon Housewives expressed concern about a policy at a temple she attended. Â As Young Women’s advisor, she took the young women in her ward to perform baptisms for the dead. Â Apparently the unnamed temple she attended had a policy that women currently experiencing […]
Shooting down Priesthood Ban Myths
On February 25, Scott Gordon president of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) sent out a newsletter to subscribers noting that February is Black History Month.  Gordon explained why black history matters, and explained 3 myths about the ban.  Just 3 days later, Professor Randy Bott created a stir when he tried to explain […]
Quinn on Benefits of Correlation
Michael Quinn gave a fascinating interview on a wide range of topics on Mormon Stories. Â There are a lot of topics I could discuss, but I was surprised to hear Quinn defend correlation. Â In response to a question about correlation, Quinn said (at about the 29 minute mark of Part 2), In correlation’s defense, it’s […]
LDS Film Festival Schedule is Out
I always enjoy going to the LDS Film Festival. This year it will be held in Orem, Utah (Scera Theater) from Jan 25-28. The official schedule will come out on Monday, but some of the bigger films have already been announced here. The biggest headline name is Dean Cain in a film called Sweetwater (a […]
Mixing Religion and Government
After welcoming everyone with a “Happy New Year”, the Salt Lake Tribune posted a headline “LDS view on role of governing is distinct.” What caught my attention was the subheadline: “Church doctrine says it is unjust to mix religion and civil government.” As I mentioned in a previous post, even Richard Bushman has called Brigham […]
Mormon Heretic 