Gay marriage is a complicated and contentious issue. I have given up trying to convince anyone on the internet that my view is the right view. But I would like to try to make one simple point: that it’s lame for gay marriage proponents to say things like this: “I don’t see how gay marriage threatens my marriage.” (more…)
I was thinking about how many things I was told growing up that I told my children. Or things they said that I said. Or things I did that they did. Things that are classic LDS. Like (more…)
Besides kids what Mormon items do you collect? (more…)
When I served my mission I used a Bible that my parents gave me when I was about 12…not even a LDS version. And then I had a standard triple combination. These were marked up a bunch with the scriptures that you’re told to mark in seminary etc.
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We talk about eternal families a lot. The church certainly places this concept as an important doctrine. But…should we really be concerned about not being an eternal family? (more…)
I don’t get up to bear my testimony unless I’m promted to by the Spirit. My heart starts pounding, and I know I have to get up.
Generally, I’ve already been thinking about my testimony and things I might want to say. Then my heart starts pounding and I know, oh boy, I have to do it.
There have been times when my heart’s started pounding and I had no clue what I should say, though. First time it happened, I went up and winged it. But this Sunday I was totally not ready for it and it was all rather…well, brutal.
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Matt’s post reminded me of my closest encounter with a general authority. It must have been ten years ago, when I was a single BYU student living with my parents, that Richard C. Edley, first counselor in the presiding bishopric, visited our stake for a stake conference. Bishop Edgley is some sort of cousin of my dad’s so my dad had his people (himself) get in touch with Bishop Edgley’s people and invited him and his wife to our house for dinner after the meeting and he accepted. (more…)
“It will be a shield and protection to you” (more…)
This weekend we had dinner at the apartment of a good friend of mine who is single and lives in Manhattan. As we were discussing said apartment (perfect location in the West Village, but very small one-bedroom) and her roommate situation (regularly subleases her living room) she revealed to us her technique for introducing these roommates to the Gospel…she doesn’t. Well, not for a while at least.
She lives with each roommate for only a few months (exactly as she’d prefer it), by the end of which anyone will come to the conclusion that she is kind, generous, thoughtful, hard-working, intelligent, etc., etc., etc. In other words, she’s completely normal. Once that’s clear she’ll likely feel comfortable enough to have a conversation about the Gospel, part of which usually contains the phrase, “You’re Mormon? But you’re so normal!”
A recent New York Times op-ed by Timothy Egan has suggested that we, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ought to be held accountable for our ugly polygamist past. He feels that when people like Mitt Romney say things like “My faith is the faith of my fathers - I will be true to them and to my beliefs,” they should be held to answer for a legacy of child brides, abuse, and debauchery.
With all due respect Mr. Egan… bite me. (more…)
According to the 4th article of faith and other scriptures baptism is for the remission of sins.
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This deal of the state coming into a community and taking all the children captive because they are “at risk” scares the “H” out of me! (more…)
As I was leaving work today I had a conversation with a friend about the luxury it is to have laundry in the basement of our building. Of course it would be nice to have a machine in our apartment but alas, we live in Brooklyn and therefore cannot afford the space it would require. But it sure is better than the laundromat. (more…)
