Why yes, as a matter of fact we do.
But what is a ghost, and what do ghosts do?
This presentation explores Latter-day Saint understanding of mind and spirit, and how spirits influence us.
Continue reading “Do we believe in ghosts?”Radically Orthodox LDS Perspectives
Why yes, as a matter of fact we do.
But what is a ghost, and what do ghosts do?
This presentation explores Latter-day Saint understanding of mind and spirit, and how spirits influence us.
Continue reading “Do we believe in ghosts?”What does it mean that I am a member of Christ’s restored church? To answer that question, we need to explore different definitions for the word restore.
Continue reading “What it means to restore”There is only one reason that true prophets have ever been rejected throughout history:
“That person does not meet my expectation for prophethood.”
Well, how were those expectations formed?
Below is a gallery of prophet images from movies and games:
Continue reading “On prophet-rejection, archetypes, and video games”Following the BYU victory over Kansas State, the world has been amazed to see BYU fans donating to a fund to help the former high school principal of the quarterback for Kansas State:
Sports rivalries can sometimes be ugly and vicious, but I think BYU is doing a great job of showing that they don’t need to be. Sports can bring out the best in people. What follows are some stories of these kinds of moments, from BYU fans and other people.
Continue reading “Sports and the Great Lessons”This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This is the 460th week, and we’re covering the General Relief Society session of the October 2006 General Conference.
Whelp, this is definitely a session with a very, very clear theme.
Eternally Encircled in His Love by Sister Bonnie D. Parkin
Remembering the Lord’s Love by Kathleen H. Hughes
And then in comes Sister Anne C. Pingree with a little bit of tough love to go with it:
That very will to go forward toward our Savior sometimes requires on-the-spot repentance… We draw closer to the Savior as we encircle others in loving arms. Or we don’t. We balm emotional or physical wounds. Or we don’t. We look at each other with a loving rather than a critical eye. Or we don’t. We ask forgiveness for harm we have caused, even if it was unintended. Or we don’t. We do the hard spiritual work of forgiving those who have given us offense. Or we don’t. We quickly correct our errors or oversights in personal relationships when we become aware of them. Or we don’t.
The love of Christ will indeed never fail us, if only we remember to rely on it.
This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This is the 459th week, and we’re covering the Sunday afternoon session of the October 2006 General Conference.
The talk that stood out the most to me this session was Receiving By the Spirit by Elder A. Roger Merrill. His main point? “Remember, receive is a verb. It is a principle of action. It is a fundamental expression of faith.”
Continue reading “Receiving is a Principle of Action”This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This is the 458th week, and we’re covering the Sunday morning session of the October 2006 General Conference.
This was a strong session with good talks from a number of speakers, but the one that easily stood out to me was “The Great and Wonderful Love” by Elder Anthony D. Perkins.
In this talk, Elder Perkins addresses “three examples of how Lucifer” spreads lies that “plant doubts about the nature of the Godhead and our relationship with Them.” They are (these are direct quotes):
Continue reading “God’s Love is the Antidote to Scrupulosity”This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This is the 457th week, and we’re covering the Priesthood session of the October 2006 General Conference.
The title of this post comes from mashing together the titles of Elder Christofferson’s talk, Let Us Be Men, with President Hinckley’s, Rise Up, Men of God. We’re going through a crisis of masculinity these days. Richard V. Reeves’s book, “Of Boys and Men” covers this, and a review by David Brooks in the New York Times captures some of the most arresting statistics:
As men struggle, some–especially young men–turn to role-models like Andrew Tate. Tate has nearly 10 million followers on X (Twitter) and is the third-most Google person. Tate is a self-described misogynist who is being investigated on suspicion of rape and human trafficking in two different countries (the UK and Romania). Among his other ventures, he ran Hustler’s University, where 100,000 subscribed to learn Tate’s version of what it means to be a man.
In the face of the real struggles men, especially young man, the world’s role models only serve to mislead and exacerbate the underlying problems.
Contrast that with the vision of masculinity taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many–especially those who are critical–point out that the Church is highly patriarchal and superficially they are absolutely right. But what kind of patriarchy? What does it mean to be a man, in the eyes of the General Authorities of the Church?
Continue reading “Let Us Be Men of God”This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This is the 456th week, and we’re covering the Saturday afternoon session of the October 2006 General Conference.
Elder Wirthlin started his talk, Sunday Will Come, with he and his future wife’s real life meet cute:
I remember the first time I met her. As a favor to a friend, I had gone to her home to pick up her sister, Frances. Elisa opened the door, and at least for me, it was love at first sight.
I think she must have felt something too, for the first words I ever remember her saying were, “I knew who you was.”
Elisa was an English major.
To this day I still cherish those five words as some of the most beautiful in human language.
He then shared what President Hinckley said at Elisa’s funeral: “it is a devastating, consuming thing to lose someone you love. It gnaws at your soul.” Elder Wirthlin added simply: “He was right. As Elisa was my greatest joy, now her passing is my greatest sorrow.”
Continue reading “The Gentle Light of an Easter Dawn”The following is a composite sketch of conversations I and others have had with people in the polygamy-truther movement, which rejects the idea that Joseph Smith ever practiced any kind of plural marriage. Their questions are in bold, followed by my answers.
Continue reading “Dialogue With Polygamy Truthers”