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Oct 12, 2011

Metaphorical Musings on Leaving Mormonism

It was one of those projects that require several pieces to be put in place at once. Balancing a piece on each finger of one hand and holding up the frame with the other, I wiggled my thumb to move the last piece into perfect alignment. Almost there . . . and then the piece on my index finger began to shift. Moving to catch it made the piece on my thumb shift. I caught it but only by letting go of the piece on my little finger. Meanwhile glue was dripping off the frame and things were getting desperate. I had everything in hand, but any movement at all and the whole thing was going to collapse. What could I do? I had worked hard to get things to this point and, frankly, I was ready to be done. If let everything collapse . . . But if I didn’t . . .

I was stuck. More

By Tierza Uncategorized 11 Comments

Oct 8, 2011

“No One on Whom I can cling”

www.vangoghgallery.com

It is a harrowing experience to change your outlook on life. It can be even more distressing to confront your spouse, children, other family members, friends, church leaders and church associates, telling them that what you previously considered truth you can no longer in good conscious believe. Some don’t even have the option to express their new-found ideas, but rather must bury their disbelief out of fear of reprisal.

I remember reading the book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light in 2008. Here was a woman who most would agree held a profound understanding and belief in god. Yet after reading her personal letters it became evident she had the deepest of doubts: More

By Eric Uncategorized 10 Comments

Oct 2, 2011

Lamanite-DNA-Geography-Controversy, Part 2

BYU's Lamanite Generation

And so, with General Conference in full swing, many members discuss the antis who picket, protest, and endeavor to destroy the church from without. Yet the real threat is never from the external forces who attempt in vain to stop this mighty rock cut from the mountain. No, it is those who would discredit scripture and change the words and meaning of the Lord’s anointed from within which poses the greatest threat. It is for those that this two-part series is written. In Part 1, we analyzed the scriptures and words written by the prophet Joseph Smith clarifying the location of the Lamanites. In part 2, we’ll look at the words of modern prophets written in books, delivered over the pulpit in General Conference, and uttered with inspiration at temple dedications. These heavenly dictates will clarify any questions others have concerning DNA, Lamanite origins, and the like. More

By Eric Uncategorized 5 Comments

Sep 25, 2011

Lamanite-DNA-Geography-Controversy, Part 1

Joseph Preaching to the Lamanites

There has been no scarcity of discussion over the years regarding Lamanites, Book of Mormon Geography, DNA, and the like. But there is only a controversy if you don’t believe in the scriptures, the Lord, or those He has anointed. A reading of the scriptures and an analysis of the teachings of prophets, General Conference addresses, and temple dedications undeniably attests to the location of the Lamanites, their heritage, and the lineage of the people of Lehi. Anyone who states otherwise is denying the faith and mingling the teachings of men with the teachings of God – indeed, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing, perverting the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. More

By Eric Uncategorized 6 Comments

Sep 18, 2011

The Pitch

I was recently introduced to a segment called “The Pitch” on Australian television show The Gruen Transfer. “The Pitch” squares two advertising agencies against each other with the goal of “selling the unsellable.” Past pitches include supporting child labor, selling bottled air, invading New Zealand, or moving the Australian national capital to Sydney or Melbourne. This show segment is well produced and quite funny.

Several months ago, writers hit upon one pitch theme so unsavory that ad agencies actually declined the challenge (and the free publicity that comes with it). The pitch? “A campaign to make Australians think banning all religions would be a good idea.” More

By Eric Uncategorized 7 Comments

Sep 14, 2011

The Spiritual Turing Test

Imagine that a person is sitting in a large room filled with many computers. At each computer terminal an individual sits interacting with their own computer. Each person has a monitor and a keyboard, but the actual computer unit cannot be accessed accept through interacting with the computer via the keyboard and monitor.

The individual at the computer can shape the way the computer works by typing into the computer information and instructions. Likewise, the computer feeds back information and instructions to the user. However, the computer program can be a bit erratic. It doesn’t always do exactly what the user tells it to do. It often mixes up information it was given, and sometimes it appears to just randomly issues strange information and instructions. Since no one knows exactly how the computer program works, some think that this information comes from outside sources. Users can change just about every aspect of the way the computer works, if they are patient enough. They can change the way the text looks, how it says thing and how it interacts with the user. However, they cannot control it completely; it still reacts to some things in unpredictable ways. More

By John Larsen Uncategorized 3 Comments

Sep 10, 2011

A Word on Communities

http://op2rs.blogspot.com/2009/07/4th-of-july-ward-picnic.html

I still can’t quite wrap my mind around the concept of community. Several hundred thousand years ago, our ancestors figured out it was better to pool resources and share in the duties of child-rearing and fending off dangerous animals. In spite of all the practice we humans have had through the rise and fall of civilizations, community is a tenuous social agreement. When the air crackles with dissatisfaction over a president, a law, a court case the seams encasing us in our communities are suddenly visible, thin, and stretched. Have you ever been traveling down a busy highway and thought about the tacit social agreement that keeps you and your car alive? More

By Eric Uncategorized No comments

Sep 4, 2011

The LIFE PLAN™

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com

As a very active and very believing member of the church, I bought into its LIFE PLAN™. Specifically, I graduated from seminary, served an honorable mission, went to college and institute classes, and prepared to enter in a career where I would work for 50 years, then retire with my wife and serve a senior mission, paying the church for my discomforts. My post-mission life was dictated by Elder Oaks’ “Hanging out vs. Dating” talk and everyone kept making a million jokes about it…but they were those “I’m sorta kinda joking about it, but really tell me all your plans concerning your current girlfriend” type of jokes – which impacted me as well. More

By Eric Uncategorized 5 Comments

Aug 27, 2011

On Dreams

I’ve always been a dreamer. Okay, so while I have soft spot for John Lennon’s crazy idealism, but I actually mean I’ve always had a lot of dreams when I sleep.

I used to experience a lot of reoccurring dreams. There was one where I was on the playground, laughing and playing and generally having a good time. The only pall cast over playtime was the knowledge that inside our school there was a nurse waiting to administer a deadly cocktail of drugs into our veins that would ultimately kill us. More

By Eric Uncategorized 4 Comments