I recently came across a blog of Zelph, who is struggling with some tough issues in Mormonism. I also posted a comment in The Milk Ceiling about the Exodus. I thought I would address some of these issues.
Too often, I think we have a concrete view of religion. Either something is true, or it is not. When we learn things that don’t conform to the ways we believe they should, we lose testimony. This is true of all religions.
I started a new job about a month ago at a treatment center. It is basically a very small private high school, that takes students with all sorts of problems, including depression, ADHD, alcoholism, drug abuse, anorexia, bulima, cutting (ie physically cutting oneself for emotional reasons), and many other behavioral disorders. I’m a math teacher there. The students are monitored 24 hours a day, and live at the treatment center.
The job pays very well, and has a few perks. I get free lunch, and I get paid to eat lunch. That is because I am required to supervise lunch. The teenagers have every moment of their lives evaluated. They have point sheets. On these point sheets, all staff basically grade their behavior–even during lunch. Their lives are HIGHLY regimented. For example, new students are told that they can only use the following 5 items to keep clean: shampoo, body wash, deodorant, soap, and one more thing I forgot. When they have been on good behavior, they can upgrade to using conditioner, makeup, perfume, hairspray, and they can shower in the morning.
I just read this blog post at Project Deseret. You can read more at the link, but I would like to excerpt a few paragraphs out of that blog.
Most likely someone has countered your requests for an intellectually robust gospel (de-baggage the word, please) with the classic image of a penniless, illiterate widow in the slums of Manila. The conclusion is obvious: the gospel is for her. And how could we ask this poor, penniless woman for a sharp-toothed mind? How could we ask her to cut through conceptual meat when she doesn’t have meat to eat? She is barely surviving! She needs the milk of the gospel, and she needs it fast…. Continue Reading »
Ok, I probably won’t get too many comments on this, but it is an interesting topic for me. For some quick background, I previously posted on this topic. I recently purchased a copy of “Quest for the Lost Tribes” by Simcha Jacobovichi. In this documentary, he tries to make a case where he identifies most of the lost tribes, and their possible locations throughout the world. He comes up with some startling conclusions.
What is interesting to me about these lost tribes is the connection to the Book of Mormon. The BOM claims that the Nephites were descendants to the Tribe of Manasseh. So I was interested to see what insights the movie might have on this tribe in particular.
I am on an email list for the Nephi Project, and I get some interesting information. This is a group that does most research in Saudi Arabia, and has uncovered some interesting discoveries supporting the Book of Mormon. They also release information that others might find interesting for new world sites.
In the latest email they sent, is a link where they discovered a stone box, similar to the one that Joseph Smith described when he discovered the Golden Plates. The link is a Word doc, and shows some pictures.
I saw a sneak preview of the upcoming movie, “Emma Smith: My Story” at the LDS Film Festival in January. It is due to be released in about a week–April 11 here in Utah. I highly recommend it. It was commissioned by the Joseph Smith Historical Society, and has many of the same actors and actresses who appeared in “Legacy“, which used to show at the Joseph Smith Building. The producers even received permission to use some of the unused footage from Legacy. For those of you in Utah, I really encourage you to attend during the opening weekend. This makes a big impact on how long the film will run. It is a highly professional production, and it is a truly inspiring story. Continue Reading »
Well, it’s good not to be too serious. Check out the video below. It’s proof we’re not the only “curious and unusual people”.
I have left messages on this and other blogs about how boring church can be. This has prompted the question, “Well, if it’s so boring, why do you even bother to go?”
First of all, let me state that I am a believing mormon. I believe Joseph Smith was a prophet, I believe in the Book of Mormon, I believe in the Bible, I believe going to church is a good, worthy endeavor, and I am very supportive of the good service that is performed in every ward in the church. (I guess you could call these my personal Articles of Faith.) Continue Reading »
Ok, I thought that would get your attention. Let’s talk semantics for a minute. I will agree that mormons “observe” Easter, but we don’t “celebrate” Easter. Certainly we believe in the resurrection. However, in comparison to other Christian denominations, mormon celebration is a yawner. There is no Easter fireside by the first presidency. Congregation celebrations depend solely on the bishop. Some wards have nice Easter services, while others barely mention it. Shouldn’t there be more celebration of Easter?
Most Mormons believe that President Kimball’s revelation in 1978 was the first time black church members were able to hold the priesthood. However, in 1836, Elijah Abel was ordained an elder, probably by Joseph Smith himself. Elijah helped build the Nauvoo Temple, tried to rescue Joseph from jail, and served several missions for the church. His sons and grandsons also received the priesthood as late as 1934.
Darius Gray makes the case that there have always been a few black members holding the priesthood since Elijah Abel was first ordained. He granted an interview on Mormon Stories podcast that I think many will find interesting. He documents early black church members including Green Flake, and Jane Manning James. To me, these stories are very inspiring. Continue Reading »
Mormon Heretic 