Some lady walked up to me that I didn’t even known, and she’s like, “Oh, Why don't you give women the priesthood?” And I said, “Good to meet you, too.” And then I asked, “What’s the priesthood?”, and she said, “…Well, I don’t know, but I think the women should have it”. Seriously? “I don’t know, but the women should have it”? What’s, malaria? “I don’t know, but the women should have it”. - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022 | wasmormon.org
Some lady walked up to me that I didn’t even known, and she’s like, “Oh, Why don't you give women the priesthood?” And I said, “Good to meet you, too.” And then I asked, “What’s the priesthood?”, and she said, “…Well, I don’t know, but I think the women should have it”. Seriously? “I don’t know, but the women should have it”? What’s, malaria? “I don’t know, but the women should have it”. - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022
I had some kid at BYU say to me, “I don’t believe in Joseph Smith anymore, but I still believe in God and Jesus”. And I said, “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but do you realize how stupid you just sounded?” - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022 | wasmormon.org
I had some kid at BYU say to me, “I don’t believe in Joseph Smith anymore, but I still believe in God and Jesus”. And I said, “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but do you realize how stupid you just sounded?” - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022
A lot of people get uptight about priesthood issues. It’s one of the most glorious things we have in the church, and yet people want to sit and fight about it and get uptight about it. “How come the blacks didn’t get the priesthood until 1978?” Maybe we’re asking the wrong question. Instead of saying, “Why did the Blacks have to wait until 1978?”, maybe what we should be asking is “Why did the whites and other races have to wait until 1829?” - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022 | wasmormon.org
A lot of people get uptight about priesthood issues. It’s one of the most glorious things we have in the church, and yet people want to sit and fight about it and get uptight about it. “How come the blacks didn’t get the priesthood until 1978?” Maybe we’re asking the wrong question. Instead of saying, “Why did the Blacks have to wait until 1978?”, maybe what we should be asking is “Why did the whites and other races have to wait until 1829?” - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022
I said, “In my Church, we get married in the temple, where we are sealed for time and all eternity”, and she went, “Oh! I love that!”... She went to the minister and said, “May I write my own ceremony?” He said, “For an extra fee.” So she paid the extra money and wrote her own ceremony. I sat there in that Protestant church and listened as the preacher sealed them for time and all eternity. I was like, “That is so wrong!” Why? Authority. No authority. They just didn’t have permission to say those words. Because they were playing church, and in our church, we don’t play church. - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022 | wasmormon.org
I said, “In my Church, we get married in the temple, where we are sealed for time and all eternity”, and she went, “Oh! I love that!”... She went to the minister and said, “May I write my own ceremony?” He said, “For an extra fee.” So she paid the extra money and wrote her own ceremony. I sat there in that Protestant church and listened as the preacher sealed them for time and all eternity. I was like, “That is so wrong!” Why? Authority. No authority. They just didn’t have permission to say those words. Because they were playing church, and in our church, we don’t play church. - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022
"It’s what most people in the world are doing. They’re playing Church... In our church, we don’t play church." - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022 | wasmormon.org
"It’s what most people in the world are doing. They’re playing Church... In our church, we don’t play church." - Brad Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, Tri-Stake Fireside in Alpine, Utah, February 6, 2022

Facts Matter

Mormon scripture teaches that faith is hope in things that are not seen but true. If we can see that they are not true, then how can we still have faith in them? Faith is required when there is an absence of facts. It is a hope for things that are true but not seen. …

On Choosing to Believe

There are reasons to believe, and there are reasons to doubt. Can we simply choose to believe? Can’t we just stay in the pews even though our conscience and judgment tell us not to? What about tradition? What about the kids? Leaders tell us that we have a choice, and even a duty, to choose …

Byron Marchant, Accused Dissident, Unjustifiably Excommunicated for Opposing Priesthood Ban in 1977

Among the first votes of dissent in the modern Mormon church occurred in 1977, in opposition to the church doctrine banning blacks from any priesthood ordination and temple endowment. A member voted opposed to sustaining church leadership in General Conference 1977 and was subsequently excommunicated. Then less than 1 year later the church downgraded the …