More Islands and Atolls
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,...
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 23: 1 Samuel 18-24 @ Ben Spackman
- David on the Harp.
(Reposted, but not updated. If you find a broken link, you can plug...
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 22: 1 Samuel 9-17 @ Ben Spackman
- David and Goliath, Sistine Chapel. Public domain via wikimedia.
(Reposted, but not...
Who Put Bathsheba on the Roof? Leonard Cohen and Failure to Study in Context, That’s Who @ Ben Spackman
- Apparently, the idea has entered popular consciousness that in 2 Samuel 11, Bathsheba...
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...
Happy Divine Gender Role Enforcement Day! @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- For Father’s Day today, my ward gave men a treat, but sacrament meeting talks...
Loving a Person with NPD: Can You Hug a Porcupine? @ Segullah
- Over the last few weeks, I have opened Twitter to find trending content relating to trial...
The new Church History evolution topic essay, with commentary @ Ben Spackman
- Just yesterday, a new Church History Topic essay on Organic Evolution appeared. These are...
Tales from the Archive: William Berrett on Scholarship in 1958 @ Ben Spackman
- William E. “Ed” Berrett (1902-1993) figures prominently in 20th century LDS...
Book deals!— Wright, Alter, Misreading Scripture, and others @ Ben Spackman
- I’ll post these deals occasionally as I notice them.
The big one is Robert...
Come Follow Me- Ruth and Samuel 1 (updated) @ Ben Spackman
- Today, we’re focusing entirely on Ruth, and then just on a small section of Ruth....
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 19- Judges @ Ben Spackman
- The Book of Judges begins with the death of Joshua, and is arranged in very distinct and...
A New Lynnette? Lynnette Strikes Back? The Return of Lynnette? Regardless, I’m Back! @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- I didn’t actually mean to stop blogging and disappear, and leave my faithful brother...
Will a man rob God? Tithing and temples @ Josiah Reckons
- "Paying a full and honest tithe leads us to the temple." - Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi
Sitting with Jesus at the Corner of Yin and Yang @ Segullah
- Sitting with Jesus at the Corner of Yin and Yang by Linda Hoffman Kimball I have no...
Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 18- Joshua @ Ben Spackman
- We are now out of the Pentateuch, into what’s called the Deuteronomistic History,...
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...
Captain Moroni? Moi? @ Segullah
- I have never liked Captain Moroni. He is my least favorite scriptural character....
Agency and Stewardships Challenged by Dementia @ Segullah
- My children have six living grandparents whose ages range from 79 to 87. I am glad that...
For Those Who Have Ears to Hear @ Segullah
- A few years ago my left ear lost much of its hearing. The right ear also has hearing...
Come Follow Me: Numbers 11-14, 21 @ Ben Spackman
- (Minimal time to update this content, but wanted it back at the top of the posts.)
The...
Which Issues Do GAs Consider Unimportant? @ Zelophehad's Daughters
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Here’s a quote from Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk this last conference:
Of...
Lessons from Bulgaria: The Dangers of Censorship @ Mormanity
- During the Communist era in Bulgaria, the annual May Day parade was a major spectacle...
Gatekeeping Heavenly Mother @ Zelophehad's Daughters
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Recently, I was listening to an episode of the podcast “At Last She Said...
My Most Memorable Mother’s Day (nothing to do with kids!) @ Segullah
- Mother’s Day is complicated. And if I am being honest, I mostly don’t like...
Spare the rod @ Josiah Reckons
- "I am persuaded that violent fathers produce violent sons." - Gordon B. Hinkley
New Children of Record and Church Activity @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- In this post, I just want to make a small point about the Church’s report of new...
Editorial, Spring Journal 2022 @ Segullah
- Spring Journal 2022 Editorial War ravishes parts of the world this Easter season with...
Spring 2022 Journal Essay @ Segullah
- (first published 8/15/2018) Stone and Sand By Melonie Cannon My husband thinks I...
Spring 2022 Journal Poetry @ Segullah
- Bomb Sheltered By Mary Ann Taylor One recurring dream was of a bomb shelter In the...
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...
Proselytizing vs. Service Missionary Counts in the Church Statistical Report @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- It may not be read in general conference anymore, but needless to say, I was interested...
The Uchtdorfs visit Warsaw branch @ Josiah Reckons
- "Jesus was a refugee" - Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf
A Heretic Reviews General Conference, April 2022 @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- Best musical number: “Now Let Us Rejoice” Saturday afternoon. I really...
Prayers for China @ Mormanity
- A view from Xi'an, China, the beginning of the Silk RoadChina has been in my...
Maryna Lukach – Textile Artist and Sister Saint in Kyiv, Ukraine @ Segullah
- Maryna Lukach: Textile Artist and Sister Saint in Kyiv, Ukraine interviewed via...
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...
Conference to retain some COVID-era adaptations @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- This weekend, the Church will hold its first general conference to welcome a large live...
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...
Name Withheld @ Zelophehad's Daughters
- A few years ago while reading the Ensign, I got to wondering about the reasons an article...
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,...
Sabbath Speeches: Important truths of the gospel @ Josiah Reckons
- This is a talk I would have given today in sacrament meeting but I was sick. The assigned...
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...
Clean from the blood of this wicked generation @ Josiah Reckons
- Interestingly, being clean from dirt is hardly mentioned in scripture, but being clean...
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...
Earthquakes in scripture @ Josiah Reckons
- The sky was a weird greyish colour, because of the dust blowing over from the Sahara. I...
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...
How to Talk to Concerned Church Members Who Are "COVID Policy Doubters" (CPDs) @ Mormanity
- Some Latter-day Saints, probably only a minority, were frustrated with a recent request...
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...
Remembering Pvt. Amos Franklin Terry Jr. on Memorial Day 2020 @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- The beginnings of Memorial Day are a bit confused. Apparently, the May holiday began as...
A Real Miracle Drug? @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- For many years now I’ve been doing an experiment with a drug that seems to have an...
Opening the Economy, Utilitarianism, Abortion, and Our Pressing Ethical Project @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- One of the best books I’ve read in recent years is, surprisingly, a textbook: The...
Donald Trump, MD @ Mormonomics & Mormonethics
- There is nothing Donald Trump likes more than being in front of television cameras,...
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...
