Mormon Bloggers

In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus has quite a bit to say to the Pharisees which is both withering and cuts right to the center.  He clearly does not tolerate pretenders nor does he ignore hypocrisy and puffed-uppity-ness.  Some of this same topic was also covered yesterday. To add to Wednesday’s post about Matthew 23 – this is one of my favorite Pharisee call-outs. Matthew 23:24 – Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. How can I not help but love this! The phrase speaks volumes. Could there be parallels of this very description with people here and now? For example….drama queens? Or broken down government systems and the rhetoric of political parties? How about the unintelligent effects of ego, pride, anger and indignation. Could this describe myself when my priorities are mixed up? One of my favorite stories about Christ is told in only a few verses in John 7… 32 ¶The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning... Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, this is the actual title of Joshua Kim’s associated content article. An article he recently published on June 13, … Continue reading »  Read More →

To all my favorite pastors and ones I don’t yet know: I’m not in charge…obviously.  But if I were, here are a few of the guidelines I would suggest to my friends when looking for and embracing a Christian religion. 1)  Avoid any church or pastor who preaches or embraces intolerance, scorn or disdain of other people’s faiths or wastes your time with the emotions of enmity.  (1 John 4:20) 2)  Beware of the tendency to cherry-pick single Bible verses, especially out of context, and make whole religious philosophies and doctrines out of them, while ignoring many other verses that don’t support that particular interpretation. 3)  God the Eternal Father is supreme and perfect.  Steer clear of those who diminish and compromise Him with inferior mortal attributes such as narcism or lapses in mercy and justice (both exist in perfect balance in Him).  I nearly fell out of my chair this week when I read “God’s number one... Read the rest of this entry »

This video, “His Sacred Name — An Easter Declaration,” is a simple and beautiful message using words and phrases from the Bible to explore the life and mission of Jesus Christ. You might enjoy using the list of the New Testament scriptures referenced in the video for personal study this week as you prepare for Easter. Find text, video, or audio links to President Monson’s April 2010 conference address “He Is Risen!”  Read More →

Looking for a way to teach the New Testament to your children? You might enjoy these videos for your family Bible study/devotional time: New Testament Stories on YouTube. Each video is very short. The videos primarily focus on different Bible stories. If you are a parent, what’s your favorite way to help your children understand the scriptures? Introduction: Our Heavenly Father’s Plan Chapter 1: Elisabeth and Zacharias Chapter 2: Mary and the Angel Chapter 3: John the Baptist Is Born Chapter 4: Joseph and the Angel Chapter 5: Jesus Christ Is Born Chapter 6: Presentation at the Temple Chapter 7: The Wise Men Chapter 8: Wicked King Herod Chapter 9: The Boy Jesus Chapter 10: Jesus Is Baptized Chapter 11: Jesus Is Tempted Chapter 12: The Wedding in Cana Chapter 13: Jesus and His Heavenly Father”s House Chapter 14: Nicodemus Chapter 15: The Woman at the Well Chapter 16: The Leader’s Son Chapter 17: Angry People in Nazareth Chapter 18: Jesus Chooses... Read the rest of this entry »

________________________________________ ~ Executive Summary ~ THESIS: The three days of darkness in the Book of Mormon and three hours of darkness in the New Testament, as pertaining to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, are the result of a single cataclysmic event. ________________________________________ Critics of the Latter-day Saint faith (Mormonism) make three arguments against the authenticity [...]  Read More →

After much contemplation on this subject matter, there is a need to present something of a different nature for the Latter-day Saint member and apologist. This information is summed up in the following question: How did Jesus Christ handle the critic’s of his time? As we read through the New Testament and learn about what [...]  Read More →

The Apocalypse makes reference to twelve precious stones: And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. (Rev. 21:19-20) Some have tried to identify each stone with a specific tribe of Israel. I have not done so here as I do not think there is enough evidence to make such a determination. Remember too that precious stones named in the Bible may or may not refer to gemstones of the same name today. The twelve stones of Aaron’s breastplate referred to in Exodus 28:17-20 and Exodus 39:10-13 do not correspond exactly with the twelve stones of The Apocalypse. There are several differences, for example Onyx is replaced by Sardonyx and Ligure is replaced by... Read the rest of this entry »

[Edited for some glaring grammatical mistakes, and begging for your understanding regarding the remaining ones.] I’ve been thinking–and of course reading–about the so-called shaken faith thing. What I’m about to say, is given without documentation, just some personal observation. Look forward to my presentation of some of the “hidden” Mormon history (usually “hidden” in the [...]  Read More →

The father looks up wistfully from his reading; another argument and another angry outburst of frustration. It had been only a couple of years yesterday when his youngest son announced that he and his young family had left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And when his son came to visit with his [...]  Read More →

First, a disclaimer; while I don’t claim to represent the Church or the official standpoint of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (what I usually incorrectly call “LDS Church”), I consider myself a faithful Latter-day Saint, and I am a member in good standing–still my blog posts are my sole responsibility, and nobody [...]  Read More →

James Tissot created a series of 350 watercolors of incidents in the life of Christ. Here I use some of his paintings to illustrate the birth of Christ, along with scriptures from Matthew and Luke. The Betrothal of the Holy Virgin and Saint Joseph Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:18) The Annunciation And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. (Luke 1:30-31) The Visitation And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud... Read the rest of this entry »