More Islands and Atolls
Tallying Comments in Relief Society @ Segullah
- Photo by Campaign Bootcamp
I talk a lot. In fact, my anxiety disorder (GAD) manifests...
CHANGE: As the church makes adjustments, can we keep up? @ Segullah
- Before I hit publish on this post, I clicked over to www.mormonnewsroom.org to make sure...
Perceiving @ Segullah
- My doctor occasionally asks me about my exercise patterns.
The occupational therapist...
Renlunds Equally Yoked at the Pulpit @ Segullah
- Photo by UHLMAN via Creative Commons
Because I didn’t marry until I was in my...
Nacle Notebook 2018: Funniest Comments @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- This post is my annual compilation of the funniest comments I read on the Bloggernacle...
Bounty Hunters, Jealous Boyfriends, Stalkers, and Lazy Hit Men: How Much Should Your Phone Company Charge to Tell Them Where You Are Right Now? @ Mormanity
- Here's a question to ponder: To be fair and responsible, just how much should your phone...
Further Light and Ambiguity @ Segullah
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For over a week now I have rejoiced and grieved/danced and wept/ felt free-at-last and...
Is there more temple attendance since the changes? @ Zelophehad's Daughters
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I’ve heard anecdotally in discussion on Facebook that people attending the temple...
Confessions for 2019 @ Segullah
- “A confession has to be part of your new life”. –Ludwig...
If Utah Were an Island @ Mormanity
- What if Utah were an island? OK, I know what you're thinking, but I mean the kind of...
Can Toner Change Your Life? + A Few Other Suggestions @ Segullah
- That might seem like a funny title to talk about trust and testimonials, but it’s...
M&Ms: Making New Friends @ Segullah
- “And this is for you!” My nine-year-old said as she proudly handed a small parcel to...
Are the changes in the temple meaningful? @ Zelophehad's Daughters
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In the psychology of perception, there’s the idea of a just-noticeable difference...
The Height of Absurdity? Revisiting the Impact of Altitude, Oxygen, and Serotonin on Suicide Rates @ Mormanity
- Though I disagreed with some of the arguments made in the film Believer, as...
Pondering about the Temple @ Segullah
- I returned a few minutes ago from attending the temple. Cars packed the parking lot;...
Brief NT Introduction and Gospel Doctrine Lesson 1: John 1:1-14, Isa 61:1-3, JST Luke 3:4-11 @ Benjamin the Scribe
- Let’s start the new year by reminding ourselves how little we know, with a brief...
My Book of Mormon Fail @ Segullah
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I missed all of the Saturday sessions of General Conference in October. I was on a...
Moth and Rust and Pulmonary Hypertension @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- I’m a big fan of book reviews. We publish them in each issue of BYU Studies Quarterly,...
Imagine Fewer Dragons (and More Data): Initial Reactions to the Film Believer with Dan Reynolds and John Dehlin @ Mormanity
- While returning to the US for Christmas, I looked at the selection of movies on my United...
New Testament Gospel Doctrine Resources, Part 3: Everything Else @ Benjamin the Scribe
- (Post 1, post 2) I’ve decided to gather together my other recommendations into one...
Changing Political Parties @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- As should be clear to anyone who has been reading this blog, I am a Democrat. But I used...
The Town of Palmyra vs. the City of Helam: A Subtle but Meaningful Contrast in Communities and Culture @ Mormanity
- A couple days before Christmas when it was Joseph Smith's birthday, I reflected briefly...
A Reminiscence on a Missionary Christmas @ Benjamin the Scribe
- (Originally posted here.) When the mission president announced to our small group of...
"Six Brown Eggs": A Christmas Blessing from Leo Munson, a Shopkeeper in Southern Utah @ Mormanity
- Yesterday in Sacrament meeting in the Appleton Second Ward of Appleton, Wisconsin, the...
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 48: Zechariah, Malachi @ Benjamin the Scribe
- Merry Christmas, all. I hope it’s been a productive year working through the...
The Night Before Smithsmas @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- Twas the night before Smithsmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,...
How a Near Miss on a Shanghai Runway Gave Me a Lasting Spike in Gratitude @ Mormanity
- A little before the Thanksgiving holiday, I was taking a flight back to the US to help a...
Sheri Dew and the Unimagined Unknown @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- A few weeks ago, the Church News ran a story about Russell M. Nelson being interviewed by...
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 47: Ezra 1–8; Nehemiah 1–2; 4; 6; 8 @ Benjamin the Scribe
- Ezra and Nehemiah originally constituted one book, so it works to treat them together....
It Depends on What the Meaning of "It" Is: Reconsidering the "Burning in the Bosom" and "Studying It Out" in Doctrine & Covenants 9 @ Mormanity
- For years many of us have read about the "burning in the bosom" in Doctrine and...
"What Is Heaven Like?" @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- In the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional earlier this month, President Nelson...
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 46: Daniel 2 @ Benjamin the Scribe
- (The second post on New Testament resources is available. More coming) Today we focus on...
New Testament Gospel Doctrine Resources (Post 2): The Bible, Text, and Translation @ Benjamin the Scribe
- (Link to Part 1, the Short List) First, I’m doing a book giveaway on Facebook. In...
All Shook Up Over the Elvis Book of Mormon News @ Mormanity
- It's Heartbreak Hotel time for any of you who have been inspired by the story of Elvis...
The Last Section of the Words of Mormon May Be Part of the Book of Mosiah @ Mormanity
- The Book of Mosiah begins in a puzzling way relative to the other books before it. For a...
The Evolution of Language and the Book of Mormon @ Mormanity
- Friday, if all goes well, I'll have an article published at The Interpreter that...
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 45: Daniel 1,3,6 AND Esther 3-5, 7-8. @ Benjamin the Scribe
- Today we are rushing through Daniel AND Esther, although next week is devoted solely to...
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 44: Ezekiel 43, 44, 47 @ Benjamin the Scribe
- First, in keeping with NT preparation, note that the Harper-Collins Bible Dictionary is...
Good, Good, Good @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- When I started school at BYU, back in the 1990s, the school used to celebrate the day...
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 43: Ezekiel 18, 34, 37. @ Benjamin the Scribe
- Before I get to Ezekiel, note that I have put up my first post of recommended NT...
Elijah in the Book of Mormon @ Mormanity
- Giuseppe Angeli, Elijah Taken Up in a Chariot of Fire, c. 1740/1755. From the...
The Trouble with Tax Cuts @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Everybody likes tax cuts. What’s not to like? But there is a proper time for tax cuts,...
To the Temple and Back: The Journey of Two Faithful Peruvians @ Mormanity
- Yesterday in sacrament meeting in the Shanghai Branch (one of three meeting in Shanghai)...
"Arise from the Dust": The Transcript and Slides for My 2018 FAIRMormon Presentation Are Now Available @ Mormanity
- For those who listened to my presentation live at the 2018 FAIRMormon Conference or the...
What President Nelson’s Talk Tells Us about Decision-making in the Q15 @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- President Nelson stirred up a lot of discussion with his Conference talk, “The...
Moving Away from Big Pageants: New Announcement @ Mormanity
- In a brief announcement at the LDS Newsroom, the Church has indicated a desire to move...
Call for Papers from AML @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- See details here: Association for Mormon Letters 2019 _ Call for Papers
Primed by a Mosquito for a New Ministering Assignment @ Mormanity
- Dr. Rampa Rattanarathikul, mosquito expert, with Jeff and KendraEarlier this week I lost...
The Moral Obligation of Latter-day Saint Voters @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- This year is an important year for Latter-day Saint voters, the large majority of whom...
“Too Frequent Repetition of His Name” @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- In the ongoing discussion regarding President Nelson’s instruction to use the full name...
The Surprisingly Modern Book of Mormon: The Perspective of an Archivist @ Mormanity
- One of the most astounding aspects of the Book of Mormon is the intricate detail it...
It Took Two Typhoons, Two Kind Italians, and a Strange Computer Glitch to Get Us to the Temple in Seoul, Korea @ Mormanity
- The Seoul, Korea TempleMy wife and I just returned from a marvelous vacation in Seoul,...
To the People Defending the Church’s Decision to Ditch the “Mormon” Nickname @ Peculiar People
- First, I want you to know that I respect your decision to call yourself something other...
Two Is the New Three @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- In a special press conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced a series of changes...
Remembering Katie, A Year Later @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- It’s been a year now since we heard the terrible news that our co-blogger Katie (Vada)...
The Women Who Enable Abusive Men @ Peculiar People
- After the Kavanaugh hearing last Thursday, an image went viral that depicted a row of...
Fabulous Content in the New Church History Book, Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days @ Mormanity
- One of the most important works of scholarship related to the Church of Jesus Christ of...
“What Boy Hasn’t Done This in High School?” Brett Kavanaugh and the Rotten Goose Egg Party at Oaklawn Park @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Failed Florida congressional candidate Gina Sosa is probably looking for a rock to hide...
Joseph, Potiphar’s Wife, and the Truth about False Allegations @ Peculiar People
- In response to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh,...
Matthew Bowen's New Name as Key-Word Offers a Stunning Surge in Book of Mormon Word Plays Related to Names @ Mormanity
- While attending the 2018 FairMormon Conference in Provo this summer, I was fortunate to...
Two Words that Finally Helped Me Grasp the Genius of the New Ministering Program @ Mormanity
- I have to admit that I was a little puzzled by the new ministering program in the Church,...
Robert Kirby and Edgy Mormon Men @ Peculiar People
- Like many progressive Mormons, I’ve enjoyed Robert Kirby’s self-deprecating...
Preparing for Disruption in Sacrament Meetings @ Mormanity
- In my past post, "My Take on the Joseph L. Bishop Scandal, and Steps We Can Take to...
Mary at the Tomb: How We Can Easily Misjudge Evidence of a Miracle @ Mormanity
- Last month I had the pleasure of speaking at the FAIRMormon Conference in Provo, where I...
To the Men Who Grabbed McKenna Denson and Dragged her away from the Pulpit @ Peculiar People
- To the men who grabbed McKenna Denson without her consent and dragged her away from the...
Why Would a Feminist Keep her Father’s Name? @ Peculiar People
- Back in April I wrote about my experience with software systems and institutions...
Update on "Healthy" Alcohol Consumption: Massive New Study Reveals the Optimum Daily Dose is ZERO @ Mormanity
- My previous post discussed the $100 million government study on "moderate" alcohol...
The Word of Wisdom is Coming Back into Style: Conspiring Men and the Myth of Healthy Alcohol Consumption @ Mormanity
- Did you catch the recent reports in the New York Times of a major National Institutes of...
The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- By now, Rudy Giuliani’s infamous declaration to NBC’s Chuck Todd (“Truth isn’t...
Mormon: The New Shibboleth @ Peculiar People
- Here’s hoping Lindsey releases a new, revised video: I’m a member of Church...
Sorry to Bother You: The (Human) Body as Technology @ Peculiar People
- This review contains major spoilers for Boots Riley’s 2018 film Sorry to Bother You....
Do Married Mormon Men Understand Consent? @ Peculiar People
- Image obtained through creative commons. I was 28 years old when I got married...
$2,200 for a Screwdriver, and the Military Didn’t Buy It @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Well, it has been an interesting summer, to say the least. On Memorial Day, I was playing...
Economic Insanity: Chapter 8 (part 2) @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Competition Restrained by a Higher Good (Part 2)Who Really Believes in Unfettered...
Economic Insanity: Chapter 8 (part 1) @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Competition Restrained By a Higher Good (Part 1)The fundamental question of management...
Remembering June 9, 1978 @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- In honor of the fortieth anniversary of the announcement of the revelation that ended one...
Economic Insanity: Chapter 7 (part 2) @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- A Nation of Owners (Part 2)The Federal ModelEach responsible citizen in the United States...
Making Ministering Holy @ Peculiar People
- My priesthood lesson prompt was very open-ended: “ministering.” My mind leapt to the...
Economic Insanity: Chapter 7 (part 1) @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- A Nation of Owners (Part 1)Employees are being paid to produce, not to make themselves...
Some Tips on Writing Fake Mormon Newsroom Stories @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- This morning my son emailed me a link to the now infamous fake news story about President...
A Pie-in-the-Sky Blueprint for a New Political Party @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- If I had the time and money (hence, pie in the sky), I would love to start a new...
Explicit and Implicit Doctrines in the Book of Mormon @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- There are doctrines in the Book of Mormon that are taught explicitly, and there are...
The Alternative to Alternative Facts @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- The alternative to alternative facts is, of course, real facts. So, in the interest of...
What Will Combined MP Quorums Mean? @ Small and Simple
- In a shocking announcement during the Priesthood Session of the 2018 March/April General...
Economic Insanity: Chapter 6 (part 2) @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- A Nation of Wage Earners (Part 2)The Individual versus the Human ResourceThe fundamental...
Economic Insanity: Chapter 6 (part 1) @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- A Nation of Wage Earners (Part 1)Sure, cried the tenant men, but it’s our land. We...
The Cost of a Kidney Stone @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- If you have never had a kidney stone, count yourself blessed. I had one in 1999 after...
Dealing with Difficult Questions @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Sorry I haven’t posted anything for a while. I’ve been busy going over page proofs...
How Can Anyone Remain a Mormon in the Face of All the “Facts”? @ Small and Simple
- One of the things that you will see sometimes in anti-Mormon forums is what appears to be...
About That Taylor Christensen Video @ Small and Simple
- There is a video making the Mormon facebook circuit by Taylor Christensen. He starts...
The Day I Interviewed Elder Russell M. Nelson @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- One day when I was working as a senior editor at Church magazines, I had the opportunity...
Economic Insanity: Chapter 5 (part 2) @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Of Course the Rich Are Getting Richer (Part 2)The Irrelevance of Right and LeftNeither...
The New York Times Thomas Monson Obituary and Fake News @ Small and Simple
- The president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently died, and the...
Economic Insanity: Chapter 5 (part 1) @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Of Course the Rich Are Getting Richer (Part 1)Often there is one pay system for...
Perfect College Football Playoff System: 2017 Version @ Small and Simple
- Several years ago I published to the world the perfect college football playoff system. ...
Moderate Worship Losing Ground @ Mormon Metaphysics
- While it’s not really new news, Sociological Science had an interesting story on how...
Philosophy, Science and Religion: The Divine Hiddenness Argument @ Small and Simple
- The fourth week of the Coursera course on Philosophy, Science and Religion focuses on the...
Philosophy, Science and Religion: Friendly Disagreement, Testimonial Knowledge, and the Importance of Fellowship @ Small and Simple
- The third week of the Coursera course on Philosophy, Science and Religion addresses...
Philosophy, Science and Religion: The Conflict Between Science and Religion @ Small and Simple
- In the second week of the Coursera course on Philosophy, Science and Religion, professor...
Philosophy, Science and Religion: The Mind and The Religious Experience @ Small and Simple
- I am taking an online course through Coursera on Philosophy, Science and Religion. In...
Testimony and the Spiritual Experience @ Small and Simple
- I was raised in the religious tradition of my parents, which happens to be The Church of...
Bows, Arrows & the Book of Mormon @ Mormon Metaphysics
- This is just a “holder” post for a discussion I was having over whether...
Salvation in Mormonism @ Mormon Metaphysics
- Robert at Scriptural Mormonism does a good job discussing the place of grace in “old...
Terryl Givens on Mormons at the Forefront @ Mormon Metaphysics
- Terryl Givens has up an essay at First Things called “Mormons at the Forefront.”...
God and Evolutionary Psychology @ Mormon Metaphysics
- Evolutionary psychology suggests God makes more sense than not. I’m not sure he sees...
PEL on Scientism @ Mormon Metaphysics
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“…[scientism] is contributing to a growing trend on the left, quite as ferocious...
Stats on LDS Retention @ Mormon Metaphysics
- Just a short post as I’m planning a longer post on this topic at T&S next week. A...
Blogging at T&S @ Mormon Metaphysics
- Just a note I’m blogging at Times and Seasons for the next while. I’ll still post...
Mormon Millennials Becoming More Republican @ Mormon Metaphysics
- Somehow I missed that UVU (just a few blocks from work) was having a religious liberty...
Gallup on Number of Mormons @ Mormon Metaphysics
- I’d missed this when it came out. Gallup does regular interviews and keeps track of the...
