Mormon Bloggers

I thought some of you might be getting bored now that we are 3 weeks into summer, unless you live in Utah and it is still raining. . . and cold, or unless you are a mom with several children who you have been carting to places like Oakcrest, b-ball camps, Girl’s Camp, EFY, work, etc.  But just in case you and your kids are bored and you’ve seen every episode of Psyche and Monk on Netflix, here are a few good ideas. Planking.  It is the new rage:  I have asked my kids for an explanation. There is none.  It is what it is and if it entertains others, why not you and yours? Yes, thank you Madi and Gavin for this swell idea. If you get tired of planking, you can always try “fetaling,” the new planking. Can be done anywhere by almost anyone.  Even 20+ year olds.  Thanks Cassie and Maddy. If you’re worried about getting dumb over the summer, you could always do a bit of science. 1.  Lie down on your back. 2.  Put... Read the rest of this entry »

It’s interesting to notice how easy it is to misunderstand/misinterpret history. Historical “facts” arise from different sources, and it is the historian’s job to sift the documentary evidence and see what kind of balance comes out in the end. And the balance doesn’t necessarily come from the volume of the documentation. Popular lies get reported [...]  Read More →

Commenting on this post, Notalawyer writes that he (or she) is seriously concerned about global warming especially because many natural scientists consider this to be a serious and existential problem. Its [sic] entirely possible that global warming could open up more space for human habitation, crop growth etc. But most scientists believe it will have large detrimental effects. While no one has more respect for the natural sciences than I do, I am not persuaded by Notalawyer’s reasoning.  Meteorologists, biologists, horticulturists, zoologists, physicists, entomologists, physicians, and other natural scientists are not economists.  (Each might well, and rightly, use as a pseudonym ‘NotanEconomist.’) While there are some exceptions – Indur Goklany, for example – of natural scientists who understand economics, far too many of them see the world as posing physics or engineering problems rather than as posing economic ones.  The two problems are very different from each other. And... Read the rest of this entry »

Today, in the Gospel Essentials class, we discussed the Creation. This study (and lesson) is based upon Moses 1:27-42, and Moses 2-3. The purpose of this particular study was to understand the nature of the revelation given to Joseph Smith about how God revealed to Moses the creation of all things. In order to understand [...]  Read More →

One of my passions is Archaeology. More specifically, my affinity is toward Mesoamerican Archaeology and New World (South American as well as North American) Archaeology. While browsing one of the discussion boards I frequent, someone posted a link to a recent article by Martti Parssinen, Denise Schaan, and Alceu Ranzi. This article is entitled Pre-Columbian [...]  Read More →

Picture from NASA: Farthest galaxy cluster ever imaged.   This is a follow-up to my last post “Can a Mormon write Christian Fiction”. Because of comments posted there, I would like to know if Christians of various faiths believe that there are other planets which have people on them. Do you believe that God created other solar systems in this vast universe which have inhabited planets with humans, plants, and animals on them? Or do you believe that God only peopled this one? In other words, do you believe that all of the other galaxies and planets out there (science is quickly proving that there are planets around other suns which could support life) are merely creations of beauty for our own wonder and discovery, and that we will never find other people out there? What do you think? I just have to ask this question… because I am a nerd. Do you like Star Trek? Credits: Picture is from the NASA “Astronomy Picture of the Day“.  I love that site!  Read More →

   Witnessing a seizure is a very frightening experience.  Parents who witness seizures in children fear for their child’s life.  It is extremely traumatic.  Even now, as a trained professional, knowing all the steps I could ever need to take care of the problem, I will feel my heart rate climb with a knot in my stomach as adrenaline starts to flood my system to this day.       So it’s not surprising that in the past, seizures were thought to be caused by demonic possession.  Many an epileptic in the middle ages were treated with exorcism. Matthew 17:15- "Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he afalleth into the fire, and oft into the water."     More recently, many in the scientific world have tried to paint religion itself as founded on epilepsy and a diseased mind, as the religious experience of everyone from Mohammed to Joseph Smith have been ascribed to an epileptic fit.   Unfortunately, the EEG was... Read the rest of this entry »

from Close to Home by John McPherson Tagged: comic, doctor, humor, Medicine, MRI, shrinking  Read More →