Its Complicated – The Grumpy Mormon

Binding and Blinding

It is not uncommon to hear someone say: “All religions teach good principles.” Our response may be an outwardly, yet reserved, nod. But, internally we may be saying: “Yeah, but they don’t have all the truth like we do.” Or, silently append the platitude with “… but, they won’t be saved.”

Distinguishing Doctrine and Practice

It is my experience, both personal and observed, that we can create our own faith crisis by putting our faith in the wrong things. Some things must be unchanging, true, and good. Other may not be. Our faith is constructed from childhood with simplistic stories, but that which we can understand as a child is often much different than reality.

Faith Crossing – Part Two

In part one I describe a tension between the church and those in faith crisis and post-deconstruction stages. Assuming that we want to retain these people, the question is:

How can the church, as an institution, help people through a faith crisis or reconstruction?

I have a few ideas.

Seems Like Revelation

This is a topic that I have wanted to address for a long time. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we often speak of inspiration, revelation, or feeling. Of these, “revelation” carries the most weight. But, there are often unintended consequences.

Weeping Souls

As a child I remember listening to a particular sermon about the evils of depression, a tool of Satan, evil ingratitude. I don’t know why it struck me so strongly, maybe because I recognized a dark sadness within myself that convicted me.

Velvet Elvis

There is deep wisdom among thought leaders from other Christian traditions that can be beneficial to us. Not so much because it is different, but because it is the same.

The New Mormons – Part Two

Part One

In the spirit of the ever-popular Top Ten List of ________, I will start with some brief statements describing the results of the New Mormon Survey. You can then decide if you want to read more.

The New Mormons – Part One

This is a preamble to part two, an article on “The Next Mormons” by Jana Reiss.

The essentials of the Good News are that Christ was born into mortality, lived an exemplary life, and liberated all nature through His atonement, death, and resurrection. The Christian church, speaking generally, takes the Gospel message and asks the corporate question: Okay, now what?

Stages of Faith – Part Four – Blindness

Part One, Part Two, Part Three

Yes, I know, I’m kind of stuck on faith stages. But, this one is different.

From the Audience: “Their all different because you’re the one writing them.”

Packing For Mars

Packing for Mars by Mary Roach was intended to be a diversion from recent religious readings, and it was. But, it also provided an interesting perspective for viewing church. First, a few points from the book.