Mormon Bloggers

Food . . . we can’t live without it, but many times I think we wish that it wouldn’t taste so good or look quite so appetizing.  I know that for me I have always enjoyed eating a good meal.  And as I was reviewing Elder Jairo Mazzagardi’s talk from this past General Conference, I kept thinking about food and how it can totally apply to the idea that Elder Mazzagardi discusses.  His talk is entitled “Avoiding the Trap of Sin,” and he says, “We must be alert because small choices can bring great consequences, just as going to bed early and waking up early have great consequences.  Doctrine teaches us, “Arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.” Those who go to bed early wake up rested, with the body and mind invigorated and blessed by the Lord because of obedience.”  He clearly illustrates how little things can make a huge difference in our lives each day, and to me, this ties perfectly into our eating habits and food... Read the rest of this entry »

To continue on with my posts about the talks from this past, most recent General Conference, I have chosen another talk to continue to apply to myself, and I hope that you will all be able to get something out of it as well!  The talk that I have chosen today to reflect on is by Elder Patrick Kearon from the Priesthood Session of General Conference.  I got to hear this talk in person since I had the chance to go and sing in a choir from the MTC for this session, and it was also an amazing experience to be there and sing as well as listen to the talks of men called by God in person.  If you would like to read more about this experience, just take a look at High School Musical 4: Prophets and Apostles! Elder Kearon’s main message was about how we will make mistakes throughout our lives, but we can always be cleansed and become pure through the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ.  He started off by telling a story about one time when he was young, and he didn’t... Read the rest of this entry »

Once every four years (sometimes more often when we talk about Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, see D&C 121, 122, 123), the story of Job is bashed about in Gospel Doctrine class.  For us it happened again today. I’m not sure why it is, perhaps it’s just a Mormon thing, but whenever Job’s name comes up the great debate begins again — was Job a real guy?  Did God and Satan really have a conversation about him?  Or was the book of Job a metaphor?  I’m not certain it matters to anyone, but I believe we’ll see Job again in the spirit world someday.  There, I just settled it. The book is a real problem for a lot of people on many different levels.  Books have been written, symposia have been held, articles have been authored, and each attempts to resolve this “great and holy mystery” without success.  The debate was enjoined and renewed again today. There are a host of “problems” associated... Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve noticed from personal observation that gay couples tend to be happier on average than heterosexual couples and single people.  I’m sure I could do some research to see if this observation is borne out in the research.  For the moment, let me presume the positive correlation exists.  Could the elevated happiness be due to the liberation that comes from rebelling openly against the social norm of heterosexual orientation?  Is there a hit that comes from being openly authentic?  Do smokers get a similar hit for the same reason? (tangent- it seems LGBT folks smoke much more than the general population) We’re all deeply flawed.  “For all have asinned, and come short of the glory of God.”  Though everyone sins, and probably in quantity*severity that collectively fits a normal distribution curve, not all sins are equally hideable.  For instance, pornography, lying, and fraud are easier to cover than homosexual behavior,... Read the rest of this entry »

Last night Patsy and I enjoyed a spontaneous and unscheduled visit from two dear friends at our home.  Two middle-aged women with growing families were lamenting their experiences with peers who have left the Church for a variety of reasons, and they asked us what they could do if anything to reclaim them.  I was reminded of a letter I was invited to write to a member of the Seventy several years ago in answer to his question, “What can the Church do to help the youth?” What follows was my answer then, and to our friends last night.  The names have been changed for obvious reasons. What would the rest of you say? I’d love your feedback. . . September 20, 2003 Dear Elder Nameless: Thanks so much for a delightful lunch hour (or two) the other day. It was a great treat for me, and particularly to be with you and to discuss the things we did. Your generous invitation to give some thought to the question, “What can the Church do to help the youth?” only... Read the rest of this entry »

Matt. 6: 14-1514 For if ye aforgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:    15 But if ye aforgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. This post answers the question, “Why must I forgive others their trespasses in order to secure God’s forgiveness of my trespasses?” One answer could be merely because God says so.  I don’t know that this answer is wrong.  However, it may be wrong or, at the least, incomplete.  The answer I give involves the resolution of a fundamental tension in the mechanism underlying application of the atonement.  We are taught that Christ is “standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon ahimself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and bsatisfied the demands of justice” and that ” God himself aatoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of bmercy,... Read the rest of this entry »

As created by Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter, the character of Hester Prynne is a powerful woman.  She interacts impressively with those around her in the epoch that the story takes place – Puritan America of the 1640’s.  If she had lived in the days of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 – 1864) it is certain that she would also be looked upon as an influential woman of that time.  In fact, if she had lived in our day, there is no doubt that she would be a leader among women in our society. The source of Hester’s power is her moral integrity.  Now, that may be a fantastic claim for the main character of a novel that addresses adultery.  But I am confident that you will at least understand the thesis, if not agree with it, once the evidence is presented and considered. We will first review the social structure that prevailed in Puritan America, including the roles of men and women.  We will observe how Hester related to the male hierarchy and especially how she dealt with... Read the rest of this entry »

My Relief Society president shared that her biggest fear is her sons viewing pornography. It is sad she has to fear this, especially since her sons are only four and five. But my former bishop shared–to my shock and dismay–that nowadays it is at this young and innocent age that many boys get trapped into the sticky web of pornography. Knowing the lifestyle of this woman and her family, I am confident she will succeed in raising young men who do not actively search for X-rated material. However, pornography is not always directly labeled so. It comes in many forms and levels; thus, it is important to learn to recognize and avoid all of them. “Pornography is any entertainment that uses immodest or indecent images to stimulate sexual feelings,” explains a New Era article featured on the new Church Web site. “So even a mainstream television program or advertisement can be pornographic. If images trigger sexual feelings in you, you should avoid them.” The... Read the rest of this entry »

Often after being around people who have been righteous and valiant their entire lives, I feel like scum and I wonder how in the world Heavenly Father loves me just as much as He loves them. My justice-oriented mind doesn’t understand the mercy of the Atonement and the unconditional love of the Savior. It’s unbelievable that someone who has sinned so greatly can repent and receive eternal life. I know such thoughts are from Satan (see the post “Love Thyself” and this Ensign article), but I still allow myself to believe them. Then I try to remember this New Testament parable: Matthew 20:1-16. What matters is not when I began to work in the vineyard, but that I am there working. Whether I have been like Nephi or like Alma the Younger, I will still receive the same celestial reward. That knowledge gives me comfort and the courage to strive for exaltation. Sharing Time: What scripture story or passage inspires you to aim for a heavenly goal?  Read More →

Easter is a month away and my thoughts are turning to one of the most sacred events in the history of humanity. While our culture and society today has created a more commercialized version of Easter as that of easter egg hunts, the easter bunny, and an excuse to munch on chocolate (as well as [...]  Read More →

“So humans are not only prone to make biased predictions, we’re also damnably overconfident about our predictions and slow to change them in the face of new evidence.” -Ian Ayres, Super Crunchers Warning: this post is somewhat long and unorganized and discursive. People are notoriously poor at predicting consequences. (see the Super Crunchers book and #10 of my other post). Folks are more likely to fear guns than swimming pools, sharks/snakes/bears/hyenas/hippos/alligators than mosquitoes (more people die from vending machines per year than either bears or sharks), airplanes than automobiles, and driving drunk than walking drunk. All three are contraindicated fear disparities. People respond emotionally to the suffering on one person more than they do the suffering of tens of thousands (compassion fatigue). But lambasting human predictive abilities and emotions isn’t in harmony with the post title. Therefore, gear-switch: In or around the summer... Read the rest of this entry »

“I have learned that the difference between happiness and misery in individuals, in marriages, and families often comes down to an error of only a few degrees,” said President Uchtdorf in General Conference April 2008. To illustrate this point, he explained that if your course flying around the world were just one degree off, by the time you got back around, you would be 500 miles (800 km) off course. It almost seems unfair that a small mistake can have such a negatively dramatic effect on our lives. However, it is not one small error that does this, but many “small errors and minor drifts away from the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is therefore of critical importance that we become self-disciplined enough to make early and decisive corrections to get back on the right track and not wait or hope that errors will somehow correct themselves. “The longer we delay corrective action, the larger the needed changes become, and the longer it takes to get back... Read the rest of this entry »