More Islands and Atolls
Is It Possible for a Believing Latter-day Saint to Be a Republican? Part 4 @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- The Anti-democratic Party There was a time when the Republican Party was the...
Gender-Neutralizing the Hymns: A Proof of Concept @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- How difficult would it be to make our hymns gender-neutral? If I could make one change to...
Ripple and Blow @ Segullah
- Ripple and Blow I am feeling Too much these days Clients yell at me Too much! I yell at...
Do babies need a name to be blessed before the church? @ Josiah Reckons
- I can imagine D&C 20:70 being followed to the letter, but in a variety of different...
New Rules for the Sacrament @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- Now that President Oaks’s preference for people to take the sacrament with their...
Return and report: My River Trip @ Segullah
- Last month I was nervous about my 5 day trip Salmon River trip in August. Since it was...
Is It Possible for a Believing Latter-day Saint to Be a Republican? Part 3 @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Global Warming In Salt Lake City, since temperatures have been recorded, there have...
Come Follow Me: Isaiah 1-6 @ Ben Spackman
- Normally I’d begin with a link to my podcast and transcript… except it...
How Talking to a Quaker Helped Me With Leaving the Church @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- It was the spring of 2019, and it had been over a year since I’d been baptized into the...
Announcements! Tour the Holy Land with Me (or other scholars); Logos Books of Note. @ Ben Spackman
- First off, and most exciting, starting in Spring next year, I will be leading tours to...
Four Things That Hamper the Church’s Anti-Abuse Messages @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- Photo by Maryna Kazmirova on Unsplash
I’ve been thinking about the...
A Time to Save, A Time to Toss @ Segullah
- Over the weekend, not at my house, I dumped 24 bottles of fruit juice down the drain and...
Is It Possible for a Believing Latter-day Saint to Be a Republican? Part 2 @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- The Party of Disinformation Politics doesn’t have a reputation for honesty. Even when...
Latest from the New Blog at AriseFromtheDust.com @ Mormanity
- In late June 2022, Mormanity officially moved to Arise From the Dust at...
Come Follow Me— Proverbs and Ecclesiastes @ Ben Spackman
- This is the lesson you’ve all been waiting for. Most scripture wasn’t written...
Gearing Up For Isaiah @ Ben Spackman
- Yes, everyone’s favorite book is upon us. I’m not sure there’s any...
President J. Reuben Clark: Some Death before the Fall @ Ben Spackman
- On October 3, 1946, President J. Reuben Clark delivered a speech to the general Relief...
Is It Possible for a Believing Latter-day Saint to Be a Republican? Part 1 @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- In a newspaper interview in February 1974, Ezra Taft Benson, president of the...
Dis/Comfort Zones @ Segullah
- Dis/Comfort Zones By the time you read this I will be heading northward for six...
Visiting the JWs @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- In 2017, I spent a lot of time church-hopping. My visit to the JWs is one that still...
Free-Range Saint @ Segullah
- As we read the four gospels of the New Testament, we observe Jesus issuing a call to...
The Q15 and the Big Five Personality Traits @ Zelophehad's Daughters
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In personality psychology, there’s a dominant model that suggests there are five...
Summer 2022 Editorial @ Segullah
- featured image by Alyce Bailey, “Germaine” When I first read a draft of...
Come Follow Me— Psalms @ Ben Spackman
- I have a plugin that will make Bible passages function as popups when you mouse over...
Come Follow Me— Job @ Ben Spackman
- I suspect we’ve simply never been “competent readers” or at least, not...
Summer 2022 Poetry @ Segullah
- “Evandale,” featured image by Alyce Bailey Enjoy this archival podcast...
An Apology for Speculation @ Segullah
- featured image by Alyce Bailey, “Gumnuts and Buttons” I once had a BYU...
Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees @ Josiah Reckons
- When I was a deacon, I sometimes passed the sacrament to older people whose hands...
The Prayer of Ezra (chapter 9) and humility @ Ben Spackman
- Ezra lived in the Israelite “post-apocalyptic” period. The glorious kingdom was gone,...
Come Follow Me: Ezra 1–8; Nehemiah 1–2; 4; 6; 8 @ Ben Spackman
- (Reposted, but not updated) Ezra and Nehemiah originally constituted one book, so it...
Finding Room at the Table @ Segullah
- The tension was palpable as I entered the Relief Society room after finishing playing the...
Taking half the sacrament @ Josiah Reckons
- We were late for church on Sunday. We use public transport, and there is no direct route...
Inspiration in a “Vocation”-al Setting @ Segullah
- Earlier this week, I spent three days at a retreat for educators where forty-plus...
Some thoughts on hymns and the hymnal update @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- Image credit: Clipart-Library.com
In preparation for the release of the new hymnal,...
Announcements: FAIR Conference, the Holy Land, and Logos @ Ben Spackman
- A few quick announcements:
First, I will speak at this year’s FAIR Conference in...
A Tangible Presence: Thoughts on the Eucharist @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- If I hadn’t grown up immersed in Christian symbolism, I suspect that I would find the...
Modesty and Abortion @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- With the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, leaving the question of abortion up to...
COVID, Motorcycles, Mormonism and Rebellion @ Small and Simple
- Our unnecessary and absurd over-reaction to COVID had a dramatic effect on me. In the...
A Religious Perspective on Abortion @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- I definitely did not plan on writing about abortion for my first post back. Honestly,...
Rights, Responsibilities, and the Case for Repealing the Second Amendment @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- This year we have once again been shocked by the endless string of mass murders of...
Mormanity is Moving to AriseFromTheDust.com @ Mormanity
- I've been wondering how to abandon the name "Mormanity" for a while. As a member of...
Will a man rob God? Tithing and temples @ Josiah Reckons
- "Paying a full and honest tithe leads us to the temple." - Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi
Modernising the standard works with machine learning (part I) @ Josiah Reckons
- Could we use the KJV and another version of the bible as training data, and create a...
Preparing for Inflation and Yearning for Zion: Thoughts From My Visit to Turkey @ Mormanity
- The New Mosque (Yeni Cami) in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul, on the Golden Horn at...
Lessons from Bulgaria: The Dangers of Censorship @ Mormanity
- During the Communist era in Bulgaria, the annual May Day parade was a major spectacle...
Spare the rod @ Josiah Reckons
- "I am persuaded that violent fathers produce violent sons." - Gordon B. Hinkley
What Day Was Christ Crucified? Dr. Jeffrey Chadwick Argues That the Book of Mormon Provides Valuable Information @ Mormanity
- An archaeologist and professor at BYU, Dr. Jeffrey R. Chadwick, published an article...
What to Make of "Plagiarism" of the Bible in a Purportedly Ancient Text? A Jewish Scholar Offers a Thoughtful Perspective @ Mormanity
- The Book of Mormon's frequent "plagiarism" of passages from the Bible is one of the most...
About That Burial Marker in Yemen for a Man Named Ishmael: Impossible That He Was a Hebrew? @ Mormanity
- In a November 2021 post, "Recent Discoveries and Advances Published by Interpreter, Part...
The Uchtdorfs visit Warsaw branch @ Josiah Reckons
- "Jesus was a refugee" - Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf
Prayers for China @ Mormanity
- A view from Xi'an, China, the beginning of the Silk RoadChina has been in my...
The Words of Gad the Seer: Thoughts on a "Lost Book" Preserved by the Jews at Cochin, India @ Mormanity
- The cover of the Hebrew edition ofMeir Bar-Ilan's The Words of Gad the SeerAn old Jewish...
News from Mount Ebal: An Ancient Hebraic Inscription on Metal, a Chiasmus, Possibly Dating to the 13th Century BC or Earlier @ Mormanity
- An ancient Hebraic text dating to the 13th to 14th century BC has been discovered by...
Dinner with One of Africa's Richest Women @ Mormanity
- My wife and I are friends with one of Africa's richest women, at least by her accounting....
Special Issue of BYU Studies Quarterly on Good Government @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- The new special issue of BYU Studies Quarterly (61.1) is, in my opinion, the best...
Ye shall not print any marks upon you @ Josiah Reckons
- Does scripture forbid tattoos?
"O Captain, My Captain": Walt Whitman's Surprising Role in the Ultimate Refutation of All Book of Mormon Evidence @ Mormanity
- Fond Memories from Before the BlastBack before a massive nuclear logic bomb wiped out...
Be Glad Trump Is Not President @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- As bad as things are right now, at least we can be glad that Donald Trump is not...
Preparing for War: The Folly of Trust @ Mormanity
- The Folly of Trust: A Medical Perspective Some of my more painful experiences in life...
Time and Thought @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Stephen C. over at Times and Seasons has a post this week on time and God that...
Jacob was a heel @ Josiah Reckons
- I apologise in advance, to all people named Jacob.
An Update on Maps of the Arabian Peninsula Showing Nahom-related Names @ Mormanity
- In 2008, James Gee published the results of his extensive search for the rare European...
Free Agency, Ezra Taft Benson, and the Republican Perversion of Freedom @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Freedom has become the rallying cry of the Republican Party, the one banner they...
Taliban Hackers Hijack Salt Lake Tribune Website, Call for Totalitarian Oppression of Unvaxxed @ Mormanity
- Thanks to certain contacts across Asia and the Middle East, I've heard off the record...
Do I Dare Join the Woman in the Boat? @ Mormanity
- "Woman Reading in a Boat" by Arthur Becher, ca. 1910. I just awoke from a dream,...
Saint School – Use your words @ Josiah Reckons
- Occasionally, when a regular Sunday School teacher in the Warsaw branch is away, I might...
Science as a Faith: Do We Need Another Restoration? @ Mormanity
- One of our nation's leading bodies of scientific influence, the Center for Disease...
Many Questions about Dementia and Just One Answer So Far @ Mormanity
- An expert on senior care, Professor Thomas Kitwood, once quipped that "when you've met...
May We Follow the Science and Stand for Life @ Mormanity
- From The Chosen, "The Messengers"I began my Christmas Day by watching the "Messengers"...
The Downside of Fitness @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Comedian/actor Red Foxx once said, “Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday,...
Recent Discoveries and Advances Published by Interpreter, Part 1 @ Mormanity
- If you aren't following the journal Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and...
Exciting News about the Annual BYU Studies Poetry and Personal Essay Contests @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Increase in Prize Money To continue the tradition of outstanding poetry and...
Let's Have Some Compassion for Our Untouchables @ Mormanity
- If you grew up in a nation with a formal caste system, would you let society dictate how...
Institutional Bullying and the Question of Religious Exemption from Vaccine Mandates @ Mormanity
- I received a call this week from a father with two children facing intimidation and...
Zeal Without Data: Blaming the Church for Utah's Allegedly Low Vaccination Rates @ Mormanity
- Romans 10:2 speaks of those who "have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge."...
When You Can’t Trust Your Fellow Latter-day Saints @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- My relationship with the Church has been complicated for a long time now. I’ve...
Medical Tyranny? When Your Government Tells You to Abandon Freedom and Personal Choice, It's Time to Speak Out @ Mormanity
- Victory BoydThe mainstream media has largely ignored a chilling story about disrespecting...
A Google Earth View of a Candidate for Bountiful, Khor Kharfot on Wadi Sayq @ Mormanity
- Here is a beautiful view from Google Earth of a leading candidate for the Book of Mormon...
When Selfishness Masquerades as Freedom @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Sometime in the past 40 years or so, the Republican Party became myopically focused...
Thoughts on a Pandemic Year @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- It has certainly been a year to remember. I have to go back a few months before the...
What's New at BYU Studies? @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- The quick answer is, “A lot.” The longer answer is, of course, what you’re...
Dark Waters, Endocrine Disruptors, and Self-Regulating Corporations @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- During the pandemic, since we don’t eat out at restaurants or go to movie...
Finding Reliable Sources of Information @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- The following is a priesthood lesson I presented on January 10, the Sunday after...
The Future of the GOP and the Decisions Facing LDS Republicans @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- The Republican Party is at a difficult crossroads, especially after the...
The Perfect Virus @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- If the Chinese had indeed attempted to design a virus that would disrupt American...
The Human Brain and Rational Thought @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Lately, I have been living a dual existence. By day, I am the editorial director at...
The Republican (and LDS) Fascination with Authoritarianism @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- I’ve been wondering lately about the obvious fascination both Republicans and...
What Does It Mean to Be Conservative in Today’s Republican Party? @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- I’m going to quote three “conservatives” in this column. I want you to know this up...
The Gaping Hole in the Church’s Official Policy on Abortion @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Several years ago, my high priests group had a lesson on a topic I can’t now recall....
An Open Letter to My Republican Friends @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- The election that is just over four months away is certainly the most important election...
More on Utilitarianism @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- Following up on a previous post, let’s look at utilitarianism in the Book of Mormon. It...
Pyrric Victories @ Mormon Metaphysics
- JSTOR on Pyrric victories and the origin of the term.
Jerusalem’s Economy in Second Temple Period @ Mormon Metaphysics
- I’ve always had the assumption that the Jerusalem region was fairly poor — perhaps...
Chris on Religious Evolution @ Mormon Metaphysics
- Chris Goble has an interesting Twitter thread on the emergence of monotheism in axial...
Getting the Blog Back Together @ Mormon Metaphysics
- I’ve been posting regularly at Times and Seasons and plan on continuing with that....
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...
The Women Who Enable Abusive Men @ Peculiar People
- After the Kavanaugh hearing last Thursday, an image went viral that depicted a row of...
Joseph, Potiphar’s Wife, and the Truth about False Allegations @ Peculiar People
- In response to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh,...
Robert Kirby and Edgy Mormon Men @ Peculiar People
- Like many progressive Mormons, I’ve enjoyed Robert Kirby’s self-deprecating humor...
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 that...
Mormon: The New Shibboleth @ Peculiar People
- Here’s hoping Lindsey releases a new, revised video: I’m a member of Church of Jesus...
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 – an...
Making Ministering Holy @ Peculiar People
- My priesthood lesson prompt was very open-ended: “ministering.” My mind leapt to the...
What Will Combined MP Quorums Mean? @ Small and Simple
- In a shocking announcement during the Priesthood Session of the 2018 March/April General...
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 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...
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...
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...
