So let’s think about Zion as a prisoner’s dilemma (PD).
A Most Remarkable Puzzle
My mom just e-mailed me this one. It’s a fun little puzzle, though it took me a little longer than I expected to track down the last few.
Think, Brethren, Think!
Brigham Young has many wonderful tidbits scattered throughout his years as prophet. A friend pointed out the following snippet:
Reading in the Sand
The first thing you need to know about what happened is that it’s not about doubt. This is not the story of how I lost my testimony. I’m as committed to the church and as convinced of the reality of the restoration now as I was before what happened on Friday night. This is a story about reading, and how to do it.
The Seduction of Heather Oman
At first she was basically opposed to the idea.
Sunday School Lesson 25
Lesson 25: Doctrine and Covenants 84:33-44, 121:34-36
Lifestyles of the Middle Class and Boring
I figure that if Nate can go on and on and on about his garden, I might be indulged if I take you on a tour of my house.
Book Review: Being Bugged by Armstrong
I just finished Karen Armstrong’s Islam: A Short History and I was bugged.
John Adams and the Problem of Joseph Smith’s Legal Papers
A few days ago, I had the rare experience of actually having enough time to sit in my study and read.
And now the news you have all been waiting for…
It is time for another garden update.
Working for the Church: Calling or Job?
The discussion below under my post on Kim Clark is evolving toward this topic, which I have wondered about for a long time. During my short stint teaching at the MTC just after my mission, all of the MTC instructors were invited to a meeting with a General Authority. He asked us, “How many of you view your work at the MTC as a calling?” Almost all of the hands in the room were raised.
From the Archives: How Joseph Smith Restored Greek Religion
I’ve been thinking of late about immortality and Mormonism. My question is whether or not you can be a Good Mormon and a Good Homeric Hero. I am unclear on the answer, but Moroni and John Taylor seem to suggest that for at least one Good Mormon being a Homeric Hero was just fine. (more…)
Around a blog
The Coalition of Former T & S Guest-Bloggers has added another strong member to their ranks. Yes, Elisabeth Calvert Smith (she of the famous spiritual securities-law analogy) is now blogging over at M*. Her first post is a clever LDS take on Aerosmith’s “Love in an Elevator.” It’s an interesting enough read that I’m definitely looking forward to reading Elisabeth’s LDS interpretations of “Walk This Way,” “Rag Doll,” and “Dude Looks Like a Lady.”
Darfur redux
Nick Kristof’s recent column discusses the continuing problem of systematic rape and ethnic cleansing in the Darfur region in Sudan, Africa. (Warning: The column is about the continuing genocide, and Kristof’s descriptions are about as graphic as a family newspaper gets).
New Feature: Mormon Studies Periodically
Times & Seasons is proud to announce an innovative partnership with BYU Studies, a leading venue for Mormon Studies scholarship and publishing.
Mormon Studies Periodically: Episode I
This first installment features Scott H. Faulring’s article, “An Examination of the 1829 ‘Articles of the Church of Christ’ in Relation to Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants,” available here. The long title introduces a careful examination of a fascinating document: the 1829 “Articles of the Church of Christ,” composed by Oliver Cowdery, is a little-known forebear to D&C 20, the 1830 “Articles and Covenants.” Faulring’s thorough treatment includes a discussion of the relationship between the two documents, a close summary of the “Articles,” and a complete holograph photographic reproduction of the handwritten text. The article raises compelling questions about the nature of revelation, the place of bibliographic research, and the role of the Book of Mormon in Latter-day Saint doctrine and practice.
Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, published last year, is not so much a memoir or autobiography, but rather a series of snapshots, each drenched in cultural references, that together create a approximation of Mr. Zimmerman’s character. One of those snapshots gives us Dylan living in an apartment in Greenwich Village owned by a mysterious autodidact named Ray. It’s 1960, Dylan is new to New York, and unknown to the burgeoning folk scene in New York. He hasn’t yet written his first song, but he knows about Joseph Smith and the Adam-God theory.
Harvard Business School Dean Heads to Rexburg
Harvard Business School Dean Kim Clark is resigning to take over the Presidency at BYU-Idaho. See here and here. My impression from speaking to HBS faculty is that Clark has been a very effective dean, so this looks like great news for BYU-Idaho.
Sunday School Lesson 24
Lesson 24: Doctrine and Covenants 26, 28, 43:1-7, 50, 52:14-19
The Church “has not taken a position on the issue of embryonic stem cell research”
The church has corrected a newspaper that had written, “Mormons, for example, oppose abortion, but find some embryonic stem cell research morally acceptable,” with the clarification that, “the Church has not taken a position on the issue of embryonic stem cell research.” They also note that the church has no official position on the moment human life begins. Additionally, the church’s August 2001 “Apostles have not taken a position” statement about stem cell research, which many interpreted as providing tentative support for embryonic stem cell research, has been removed from the church’s website.
The Gospel Benefits of Divorce (or, Why I Wish Divorce was Easier in Latin America)
The requirement of legal marriage is often a big hurdle for investigators in Latin American countries. The reality is that a large percent of the populace lives in common-law marriage. And it is often difficult, and expensive, to change their status. I can’t count the number of times I taught a family on my mission, only to have their unmarried state end up as a fatal hurdle to their joining the church. One thing that I picked up from teaching families in was a healthy appreciation for the gospel benefits of readily available divorce.
An Open Letter to the Graphics Director of the Ensign
The pictures accompanying this month’s cover story entitled “Strengthening Future Mothers” make my heart hurt.
Political versus Theological Friendships
Are theological friendships possible between different religions? At times I am skeptical. Consider the always fascinating question of which Christian denomination likes Mormons the least?
A Preview, A Review
Jonathan Green reviews Prelude to the Restoration.