What are the Church Essays? The church has quietly published some essays discussing some hard-to-reconcile issues. There are multiple topics in these essays, such as Multiple First Vision Accounts, Rock in a Hat Translation & Mormon Institutionalized Racism, a collection of essays about Polygamy referred to as Plural Marriage & even Heavenly Mother. Haven’t heard …
Continue reading “Yesterday’s Anti-Mormon “Lies” Are Today’s Church Essays”
Is the Mormon church transparent? Is the church honest with its own history? What does it mean to be as transparent as you know how to be? Not much actually, but it’s their best excuse and retort when questioned. M Russell Ballard and Dallin H Oaks had a fireside broadcast with Young Single Adults. They …
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The Word of Wisdom is the health code that today is required for full participation in the church. Filled mainly with restrictions on what latter-day saints should eat or drink: no alcohol, tobacco, tea or coffee as every primary child learns. The church uses many stories to encourage members to live this word of wisdom, …
Continue reading “Evolution of the Word of Wisdom – Stories We Tell”
In a faith transition many face feelings of groundlessness akin to crisis level vertigo. They may feel that their life is completely falling apart; that nothing is what it seemed and they struggle to cope with such a huge shift. They face reprocessing every principle, every value and potentially every reason for every thing in …
Continue reading “Finding Personal Meaning and Purpose in a Faith Transition”
Many testimonies come off like the bearer thinks that “I know” actually means “I really hope” or “I want to know”. When encouraged to bear a testimony to find it, this doublethink and newspeak almost makes sense. We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it. Someone even suggested that some testimonies are better gained …
Continue reading “Gain a Testimony By Pretending To Have One”
When an honestly mistaken man sees the truth, one of two things happens: (1) he will either cease to be mistaken, or (2) he will cease to be honest. For he will either accept the truth or he will reject it. If he accepts it, he is no longer mistaken; if he rejects it, he …
Addressing honest questions is an important part of building faith… To those of faith who, looking through the colored glasses of the 21st century, honestly question events or statements of the Prophet Joseph from nearly 200 years ago, may I share some friendly advice: For now, give Brother Joseph a break! Neil L. Andersenhttps://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/faith-is-not-by-chance-but-by-choice It …
