Mormon Bloggers

Particular doctrines, specific beliefs, and sacred rites of passages of most religions set forth, in what James Talmage refers to as, “formulated creeds” (Talmage, 1976). One of the very first of these creeds ever to have established did not come out of the First Century of the Common Era but came out of the third [...]  Read More →

Just finished Jeremiah in the Old Testament this morning.  He prophesied very specific events concerning Jerusalem and the surrounding countries.  One thing was obvious, the Lord was involved first-hand with day-to-day affairs and politics and keeps close scrutiny of our deeds and general conduct. I compare that to the popular estimation and belief in God today (speaking of our nation as a whole).  He is nebulous, distant, done speaking to us and not very involved on a personal, direct level.  If God is the same yesterday, today and forever – one has to wonder why the big difference?  Personally, I don’t believe anything is different with God Himself.  We’re the ones who made Him nebulous and distant by our conduct, our distorted belief systems and our altered adherence to God’s laws.  We’re the ones who quit listening, quit accepting apostles and prophets. This is one more thing I love about being a member of The Church... Read the rest of this entry »

In July of 2009 I decided to tackle the Old Testament.  It is the hardest of all the scriptures and it can be tedious with genealogy that goes on and on.  It also has minute descriptions of how sacrifices are done, or how a curtain in the temple is made and that can go on for chapters.  Finding really meaningful verses is like mining for gold.  But the gold is there.  I’m now in the final chapters of Jeremiah.  And there is an overall general message that permeates through all the old traditions, old language and old stories.  The message is “History repeats itself” and God loves us with great care, and obedience to God’s laws and precepts are absolutely necessary for blessings. The cycle that repeats itself over and over is people start out faithful and diligent.  Laziness and corruption sneaks in.  God’s laws and precepts are distorted.  God sends a prophet to warn them.  People mock the prophet, put... Read the rest of this entry »

Timothy Plumlee, an Associate Content Contributor, had written an article that makes a very weak attempt at discrediting the LDS Church. While you can still read my response to him at my AC page, the conversations are a bit entertaining, especially coming from him. I have pulled my comments and his comments together to share [...]  Read More →

The Bible is an extremely valuable tool in missionary work. It provides a common foundation between Mormon missionaries and other Christians and other people that believe the Bible to be the word of God. By reading the Bible, current and future missionaries can come to understand its doctrines and history, and gain a testimony of gospel of Jesus Christ that is taught within its pages. Love and Revere The Bible I feel for the Bible what Abraham Lincoln expressed when he said: “This Great Book … is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong” (Speeches and Writings, 1859–1865 [1989], 628). I also echo the words of the Lord’s apostle, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, when he said, “We love and revere the Bible…The Bible is the word of God. It is always identified first in our canon, our ‘standard works.’” (from “My Words . . . Never Cease”, General Conference,... Read the rest of this entry »

Right after Nephi had been “blessed” by the Lord because “he had sought Him diligently, with lowliness of heart”, the Lord provided a way to prove him to see if he would truly “keep His commandments”. What is the assignment given from the Lord? 1 Nephi 3:1 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father. 2 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem. 3 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass. 4 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness. 5 And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of... Read the rest of this entry »

How grateful I am for the record we are given in the Old Testament of the dealings of the Lord regarding the Children of Israel. Perhaps for the first time ever, in all my studies of the Book of Mormon, I finally believe I have come to more fully understand the historical background and current issues that the Prophet Lehi and his family faced by living when they did in Jerusalem. This understanding comes, in part, because of the accounts given by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. These men, contemporaries of Lehi, were prophets of the Lord who delivered messages of repentance to a wicked and prideful people. These people, the covenant or chosen people of the Lord, had received authority to administer in the ordinances of the Temple, but had lost the “power” through disobedience, wickedness and the worship of false Gods or abominations. They had come to rely more upon the arm of flesh, than upon the Lord himself. (Again, my attention is called to Elder Boyd K Packer and his voice... Read the rest of this entry »

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I attended a musical performance at my stake center last weekend, a musical performace (the program called it a “concertized musical”) about the life of Job. The choir who performed was an all-volunteer choir called the Michigan Concert Choir (they are mostly, but not all, members of the church), and they performed quite well. The piece was written by a member of our stake (who said this had been in the works for twenty years!). It was certainly ambitious. And it caused me to reflect on Job, which was the whole point. Job, as you know, was successful – he had a large family, lands and wealth. The devil complains that of course Job praises God when things go well, but let’s see how he does when things don’t go so well. And he loses his children, his wealth, and his health. And still he praises God. He does not, as Satan would have him do, curse God and die. I remember years ago reading a commentary on Job that wondered if the story really happened or if it... Read the rest of this entry »

I have started to simply read through the scriptures by going to readthescriptures.org. My attempt is to read all the standard works within 365 days. I have already completed day three readings. The problem is that sometimes I dwell too much on some passages of scripture that strike me as peculiar, impressions of thoughts and [...]  Read More →

On January 12, 2010, and at 4:53 pm (Haitian Local Time), a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated the nation of Haiti. A region being referred to as the poorest country in the Northern Hemisphere. The response to this catastrophe is phenomenal. Prior to this, on December 26, 2004, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake caused a Tsunami that [...]  Read More →

On January 12, 2010, and at 4:53 pm (Haitian Local Time), a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated the nation of Haiti. A region being referred to as the poorest country in the Northern Hemisphere. The response to this catastrophe is phenomenal. Prior to this, on December 26, 2004, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake caused a Tsunami that [...]  Read More →