Mormon Bloggers

Orson Pratt 1811-1881 Orson Pratt has a unique way of taking common scriptural knowledge and turning it around so we can see the other side. And then we all wonder, “why didn’t I see that before”? He says: “It is known that the “Mormons” are a peculiar people about marriage; we believe in marrying, not only for time, but for all eternity. This is a curious idea, says one, to be married for all eternity. It is not curious at all; for when we come to examine the Scriptures, we find that the very first example set for the whole human family, as a pattern instituted for us to follow, was not instituted until death, for death had no dominion at that time; but it was an eternal blessing pronounced upon our first parents.” “The first marriage that we have any account of, was between two immortal beings—old father Adam and old mother Eve; they were immortal beings; death had no dominion, no power over them; they were capable of enduring forever... Read the rest of this entry »

I took the day off work today because it’s my son’s birthday and some of our adult children are in town to help celebrate. So this morning my wife and I had the opportunity to make our bed together. (Usually we follow the “last one out” rule — the last one out of the bed makes it. On my work days, my wife is usually last one out, unless she can’t sleep. On sleep-in days, I am usually the last one out.) As we tugged at the sheet and bedspread to get them even, we laughed as we pulled them out of one another’s hands until they were finally aligned. It would have been just as easy to be annoyed at the other’s tugging, but we had a common goal, and we were well rested enough to laugh rather than scowl. A valuable lesson in marriage: common goals and a propensity to laugh rather than scowl can make all the difference.  Read More →

Sharing Time: How do you express love?  Read More →

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints champions marriage. We believe that “marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” In this video, listen to different married couples talk about how they express and build love in their marriages. Hear also words of counsel about love and marriage from Elder Richard G. Scott from his recent LDS General Conference talk, “The Eternal Blessings of Marriage” If you are married, what do you do to express love to your spouse?    Read More →

Tuesday was a very special day for me and Brian because it was the 25th anniversary of our first date, so of course we had to go out that night.  We ate at the same restaurant as we did all those many years ago, and then we drove up the canyon just like we did way back then.  We didn’t go to the same spot as before, but we stopped at a wonderful place with a gorgeous green meadow and tons of flowers.  We hiked around in the mud and had a great time.  I love Brian so much!  He is such an amazing husband to remember our first date and to make sure we celebrated it.  If I was someone else’s wife, I’d be jealous!  As it is, I’m the luckiest, most blessed woman I know!  Read More →

Megan moved into the Davis Park YSA Ward in September 2010. She attended the newcomer’s gospel doctrine class that Paul taught. On the day that Megan went Paul was not teaching but he went each week. On 14th October 2010 the ward sponsored a pizza making activity that Paul and Megan attended. Paul made a baked bean, spam, and cheese pizza that Megan wouldn’t try. Megan made a pepperoni pizza. Paul talked to Megan at the pizza activity and he asked her what she was studying, among other things. Megan told Paul she was studying to be a dental hygienist and Paul asked in puzzlement, “What would you want to do that for?” The next day Paul organized a bonfire to burn the branches cut from my tree. At least twenty people showed up but the truck to haul the branches was delayed so most of them left. But Megan didn’t leave. Sean, Celeste, Tyler, Mandy, Eric, and Megan’s friend Andrea also stayed. Paul thought that Megan must like him because she came to the... Read the rest of this entry »

Editor’s note: The poem below, “A Family is Born” by Sue captures a key purpose of Mormon temples — to allow a husband and wife to be married not just “’til death do you part” but beyond death, into the eternities in what is sometimes called celestial marriage or temple sealings. [Read more about Mormon temples.] You can read more of Sue’s poetry here.) A Family is Born ©2011 Susan Noyes Anderson Shared with permission Man and woman. Heaven’s grace reaching, touching altar’s lace. Gift of God, the sealing power. Life eternal from that hour is theirs. A prize to lose or keep by covenant that runs heart-deep. A family born. A promise sure. If man and woman but endure. His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. Psalms 89:29 - – – – – - The image above is of a sealing room in a Mormon temple. For more glimpses of what the inside of Mormon temples look like, see the following... Read the rest of this entry »

My lovely wife and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary this week. We’ve been on the road for a number of reasons — a nephew’s missionary farewell talk, a daughter’s having moved into her own place on her own for the first time, and a conference we’re attending in Boston. So as part of our trip, we spent our anniversary at a lovely inn in NE Pennsylvania. As we sat on the porch of the English arts and crafts inn, we enjoyed a delightful gourmet dinner while overlooking the beautiful English garden. And I mentioned that I’d been wondering what we could consider the “highlights” of each of our 31 years together. So as we ate our meal, we went year by year and reminisced about the best things from each year. Of course we remembered our wedding itself, the birth of our seven children, high school graduations, college graduations (including our own!), family moves, and special family vacations. But we also remembered small everyday... Read the rest of this entry »

Do you ever take your wedding ring off?  The only time I take mine off is when I am making bread or cinnamon rolls (or anything doughy where I would have to dig the dough out of the ring).  I don’t take it off to shower, and I don’t take it off to wash my hands.  I remember shortly after I got engaged, I overheard my roommate comment to another person about how weird it was that I never took my ring off.  I thought, “Well, I’m not concerned that it’s going to turn my finger green, so what’s the problem?”  My mom never took hers off and I had never heard of someone taking it off to do simple things around the house.  There was one girl in our apartment complex that was engaged for only a couple of days, took her ring off to shower, and lost it.  I was appalled that she would treat it so casually, knowing that it cost hundreds of dollars. I did take it off when I was pregnant because I swelled up so bad that it didn’t fit.  But I tried... Read the rest of this entry »

After reading another litany of complaints against men and the so-called “oppressive” patriarchy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on a couple of the feminist blogs, I suddenly remembered a funny story I had read somewhere else on the Web. After a brief search, I found it, replicated by a number of sources. I chose this source as my reference. It’s referred to elsewhere as The Husband Store: The Perfect Man/Woman A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch… you may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband… On... Read the rest of this entry »

What do you think?   Tweet  Read More →

Astoria is one of the places we visited.  Sorry the picture is so fuzzy. Today I am sitting on a balcony in Seaside Oregon enjoying the cloudy skies, the perfect temperature, and a beautiful view of the ocean inlet behind our condo.  We are staying here with our good friends, Rich and Luann in a beautiful condo 3 blocks from the ocean.  The condo is clean comfortable, well-stocked and fabulously furnished.  Rich and Luann gave us the master suite, the sweet hearts,  (or is it suite hearts? Ha ha.  I think Oregonean humor is sinking in) which opens on to this private balcony.  Right now Brian and I are watching a heron eat its breakfast along the banks of the inlet.  Folks with crab pots are out early on the bridge to the north of us.  We count nine lines out so far and wish a few of them were ours.   Read More →