Even More Islands and Atolls

The Great Divorce @ Exponent
  -  My parents are divorced. They have been for a long time. I spend weekends with my...

Guest Post: The Power and Authority of a Driver’s License @ Exponent
  -   By Felicia Ellis Okay, ladies, you want to drive? I hear you saying it would be...

Feminist Islamic Troublemakers of North America with Shehnaz Haqqani and Zahra Khan @ Exponent
  -  Founders of FITNA: Zahra Khan, Shehnaz Haqqani (middle), and Saadia Yacoob In this...

With other feminists of faith, the Exponent II community mourns the death of Rachel Held Evans. @ Exponent
  -   Rachel Held Evans A New York Times obituary about her life is available here:...

Outside @ Exponent
  -   By Jenny It was a beautiful spring morning. The daffodils were glowing...

I Never Knew My Grandma Because of the Old Temple Sealing Policy @ Exponent
  -   The Ogden Temple in the 1970s, before its modern makeover. Hooray for positive...

Guest Post: Separation of Sealings and Marriage @ Exponent
  -   by Holly Castillo This morning as I opened Instagram I was immediately shown a picture...

A Priesthood of Half the Believers @ Exponent
  -   There are two major viewpoints in Christianity regarding priesthood. Though...

Review: John Pierce Hawley: A Mormon Ulysses of the American West @ Worlds Without End
  -   Title: Life and Times of John Pierce Hawley: A Mormon Ulysses of the American West...

Millennials Leaving the Church @ Exponent
  -  The other day I heard that a young man from my ward, Benjamin, now in his fourth year of...

Conducting a baptismal interview @ Exponent
  -   I recently had a very rare opportunity for a woman in the church – I got to...

Five Days after the Christchurch Shootings: Subversive Compassion @ kiwimormon
  -  As I read the international response to the Christchurch mosque shootings,  I find some...

Matriarchy and Patriarchy at Baptism @ Mormon Heretic
  -  My brother called me up a few days ago and asked me if I would serve as a witness to his...

From Christchurch: A Critique and a Lament @ kiwimormon
  -  After gathering in our five sons from their schools where they had been in lockdown for...

A change of pace @ Ethesis
  -  I think I have said what I have to say about grief, recovery and finding life again. So,...

On hope @ Ethesis
  -   Borrowed from Tatiana Boshenka Thought 1: This post reminds me of what Vaclav Havel...

Grief, recovery and changes @ Ethesis
  -  One thing that happened, each time a child died, a coping mechanism that I was using...

Father Forgive them…Not in Original Bible? @ Mormon Heretic
  -  My wife gathered the family together to go over the 1st lesson of the new Home Study...

An Open Letter to the Christchurch Stake on the Day of My Church Discipline @ kiwimormon
  -  Dear Sisters and Brothers of Christchurch Stake, I recall several years ago talking with...

Why not just resign? @ kiwimormon
  -  Before I address the concerns of the many, many people who have reached out to me since...

When the LDS Church Disciplines a Woman @ kiwimormon
  -  Whatever you may think about the soteriology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day...

It’s a beautiful day for hot springs hunting in the valley of the Great Salt Lake! @ Worlds Without End
  -  Pioneer journals speak often of hot springs near the Great Salt Lake. To indigenous...

Mixed Feelings About 2-hour Block/Pageants @ Mormon Heretic
  -  I am probably in the minority. I think I’m going to miss weekly Sunday School....

Information Terrorism as a Tool of the Far Right @ LDS Science Review
  -  This article from Wired is worth a read. It shows how the Kavanaugh hearing fit right in...

In the Wake of General Conference: Let’s Talk About Spiritual Abuse @ kiwimormon
  -  Zina Huntington (1821-1901) was a young woman in her prime when she married Henry...

Is the Church Running Scared? (Plus Elizabeth Smart Notes) @ Mormon Heretic
  -  The LDS Church has been subject to increasing leaks and protests lately.  MormonLeaks...

When Church Leaders are More Important than Church Children @ kiwimormon
  -  “Some churches, sects, cults or religious movements are basically collective egoic...

Please Give Me Advice for a Calling I Don’t Want @ Mormon Heretic
  -  After a few pleasantries, including how busy my life is, here’s the gist of a...

A Mormon Priesthood of All Believers in Alma 13 @ Worlds Without End
  -  I have a new essay out in A Preparatory Redemption: Reading Alma 12-13, edited by...

Things That Make You Go Hmmm… @ Mormon Heretic
  -  Fair warning:  this post is a downer.  But first let me say how blessed I am.  I was...

Backpacking shoes @ Ethesis
  -  I've found that I can't use zero drop (causes me knee problems, probably because of tight...

Review: “Foundational Texts of Mormonism: Examining Major Early Sources” @ Worlds Without End
  -  Foundational Texts of Mormonism: Examining Major Early Sources, edited by Mark...

On the twists and tangles of church: Reflections on Kirtland @ kiwimormon
  -  A few days ago I sat in the Kirtland Temple.   It’s currently the only Mormon (or...

Elder Oaks: Be One, Unless You’re Gay @ Mormon Heretic
  -  I attended the “Be One” celebration last night at the Conference Center.  It...

Far as the Curse was Found, Farther than We Think @ LDS Science Review
  -  My ancestry is thoroughly European and Mormon. The ancestors of three of my grandparents...

Would You Buy A Product That Tells You It Doesn't Work? Of Course You Would! @ LDS Science Review
  -  Whenever I go to a drug store, I feel a renewed sense of amazement. Consider the...

The Creationification of America @ LDS Science Review
  -  In this strange era of 'fake news,' where truth is discounted as lies, and lies are...

Selling off a now extra tent. @ Ethesis
  -  Same tent I have listed at Gear Trade, discounted since if I sell direct it will have...

When the Soul Needs a New Home @ kiwimormon
  -  I think I’ve always been a God girl.   I knew I loved Jesus when at seven years...

Mules: On Confusing Outcomes with Inputs @ LDS Science Review
  -  While surfing the Internet I came across a new scientific article describing progress in...

The First Presidency Letter on Clergy Sexual Abuse That Never Came @ kiwimormon
  -  27 March, 2018 Dear Sisters, Children, and Brothers of the Church, In light of...

A Couple of Interesting Sacrament Meetings @ Mormon Heretic
  -  I’ve attended a couple of interesting Sacrament Meetings the past 2 weeks.  In...

We All Fall @ LDS Science Review
  -  We each had our own fall.The first, almost immediate condition the fall introduced was a...

How the Creation Accounts Differ @ LDS Science Review
  -  One of the first questions in Lesson 3 (The Creation) of the Sunday school Old Testament...

Conspiracy Theories are Sweatpants of the Mind @ LDS Science Review
  -  There's a classic scene in Seinfeld where Jerry admonishes George for wearing...

Remember Planet Nibiru? It's (Not) Back! @ LDS Science Review
  -  Some people never learn. The Washington Post reports that a poor NASA scientist is having...

Reactions to ‘The Policy’: November 2015 @ Worlds Without End
  -  On the 2nd anniversary of what has become known simply as the “Policy,” or...

The ghoulish tactics of Dan Peterson and fiendish apologetics @ Worlds Without End
  -   Here I sit waiting for ghouls and goblins to manifest at my door with their insatiable...

Why It's Hard for Me to Get On Board with the Pro-Life Movement @ LDS Science Review
  -  Few topics in politics get as heated as abortion, and the Church is pretty clear about...

On Temples (a religious post) @ Ethesis
  -  I wrote this: https://wheatandtares.org/2017/09/07/asking-about-the-temple/ It follows...

Losing a Lost Tribe @ Mormon Heretic
  -  The 2nd post ever on this blog was Why are the 12 Tribes of Israel important? ...

President Erying, His Father, and the Letter @ LDS Science Review
  -  In two different General Conference addresses, President Henry B. Eyring has briefly...

Donald Trump is Nothing If Not Meticulous About Facts @ LDS Science Review
  -  At yesterday's press conference, when asked why he didn't condemn the hate groups...

When Modesty is a Matter of Life & Death @ Mormon Heretic
  -  I hate modesty posts.  This is my first modesty post.  I appreciate how it is a big...

The Paper Plates of Laban @ Worlds Without End
  -   Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples. I will wait for Yahweh, who...

On Paris and Tribal Politics @ LDS Science Review
  -  I don't have much to say about President Trump's announcement today that the U.S. will...

FIRM: The Misleading of Latter-day Saints by Latter-day Saints @ LDS Science Review
  -  Last week, while on vacation, my attention was called to an article in the Salt Lake...

Lesson in church today @ Ethesis
  -   -Women need to be faithful to themselves.:how do they do that?:how do...

Bible Lessons @ Ethesis
  -   May you be like Ruth and like Esther, Marry someone of a different race, All will...

Mitt Romney Supports A Carbon Tax / Dividend @ LDS Science Review
  -  Earlier this month, Mitt Romney posted the following message on Twitter:Thought-provoking...

The day my dad got arrested @ Ethesis
  -  In the hospital. While donating blood. There was a police officer bleeding out, and...

Embrace the Weirdness: Review of ‘The Garden of Enid, Part 2’ @ Worlds Without End
  -  Review of Scott Hales, The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part Two...

BYU and the Reconstruction of the Legend of the First Vision @ LDS Science Review
  -  Last year Richard Bushman generated a bit of a stir when he said,I think that for the...

Day 1: Official Propaganda Begins @ LDS Science Review
  -  On the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump's press secretary, Sean Spicer, called a...

Obama Did a Really Crappy Job.... @ LDS Science Review
  -  ...of taking away our guns....of setting up death panels....of instituting Sharia...

Joseph Fielding Smith and the Milk Mystery @ LDS Science Review
  -  I have a collection of draft posts in various phases of completion, most of which will...

Shaping History: Joseph Fielding Smith Milks a Cow @ LDS Science Review
  -  I have a collection of draft posts in various phases of completion, most of which will...

A Colorful God: Review of ‘The Garden of Enid’ @ Worlds Without End
  -  Review of Scott Hales, The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part One...

Glenn Beck is Sorry for Paving the Way for Trump @ LDS Science Review
  -  In case you missed it, after years of stoking the paranoia of the right about Barack...

My Post-Election Takeaway @ LDS Science Review
  -  Like just over half of Americans, I am quite distressed and disturbed by the election of...

The Policy on Gay Couples, and the Priesthood Ban: A Comparison @ Worlds Without End
  -  I’ve heard people wonder what relationship there might be between the Church’s policy...

The Church Has No Official Position on Evolution - New Era @ LDS Science Review
  -  The Church's October 2016 issue of the New Era magazine says the following about...

Joseph Fielding Smith: Time Will Level All Things @ LDS Science Review
  -  In the October 1952 General Conference, Joseph Fielding Smith, then President of the...

@ Ethesis
  -   Most organizations face a dilemma. On the one hand, too much factionalism and...

@ Ethesis
  -   Getting Involved Wondering how to get involved? These resources can help you and your...

At the last day the King shall come ... @ Ethesis
  -   This moment does not define the refugees, but our response will help define...

Make America Better by Leaving - A Potent Image @ LDS Science Review
  -  My family and I visited the Statue of Liberty in the fall of 2011. The presidential race...

Lesson 12, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson @ Ethesis
  -   Chapter 12: “Seek the Spirit in All You Do” Teachings of Presidents of the Church:...

Working on a rough draft @ Ethesis
  -   Changes. Introduction There have been four changes in the Church in the last fifty...

Lesson Eight -- Overcoming the Walls of our Minds. @ Ethesis
  -   “The purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to bring about love, unity,...

Memory, Simplification and Lies @ Ethesis
  -  I realized recently that by the standards of some people who insist that all...

Rough Draft Interview of Jerilyn Hassell Pool @ Ethesis
  -   Welcome to the interview series Ms. Jerilyn Hassell Pool. You are famous in some...

Finding Faith in Jesus Christ -- January 10th lesson @ Ethesis
  -  When you think about how Howard W. Hunter lost his job about seven months after getting...

On the passing of my father-in-law @ Ethesis
  -   In the end it comes to three things. Did we accept that we needed a Savior? Did we...

Why didn't anyone tell me -- about literal interpretation vs. allegory @ Ethesis
  -  Many people claim to believe "literally" in the Bible.  More or less.  They read it as...

Sacrament talk, November 29, 2015 @ Ethesis
  -   Brothers and Sisters, the Apostle Paul wrote: o   But whether there be prophecies,...

Lesson 19 @ Ethesis
  -   In leading the Twelve, President Benson encouraged quorum members to express their...

A book review of Fresh Courage Take @ Ethesis
  -   Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? 'Tis not so; all is right. Why should we...

Mitch Mayne Interview, rough draft (goes live on Wheat & Tares Thursday morning) @ Ethesis
  -   Mitch, you’ve become well known because of how you’ve interacted with the Church,...

Today's Lesson @ Ethesis
  -  I'm following our schedule in our local ward, and teaching the high priests, so my focus...