Mormons and Wild Geese

December 29, 2011 By Bored in Vernal 10 Comments

The first line of Mary Oliver’s poem “Wild Geese” seems as at odds with Mormonism as anything can be. “You do not have to be good,” she states.

What’s that? It sounds an awfully lot like sacrilege. Of course we have to be good. Jesus admonished us to become perfect, and not only do we have the 10 commandments of other Bible-believers, we have a strict health code, a tithing requirement, and obligatory church attendance. A Latter-day Saint’s entire identity can be wrapped up in the necessity of being good. From choosing baptism and choosing the right in Primary, to serving a mission and serving our fellow man as a young adult, to marrying the right person at the right time in the right place — doing good is in our genes, and necessary for our salvation. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Atonement, Doctrine, Speculation, Theology Tagged With: , 10 Comments

Capital Punishment and LDS Doctrinal Development

September 22, 2011 By Bored in Vernal 39 Comments

This morning my facebook and twitter feeds were inundated with declarations by my Latter-day Saint friends decrying capital punishment and the execution of Troy Davis last night. “I want to take this opportunity to voice my outright and unequivocal opposition to the death penalty,” said one. “A sad day to be a Georgian,” lamented another. I wasn’t really surprised, but I am fascinated by how the tide of public support of capital punishment has ebbed among Mormons in my own lifetime. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Atonement, Doctrine, History, LDS Church History, Politics Tagged With: , 39 Comments

Dallin H. Oaks and Subtext

September 20, 2011 By Bored in Vernal 42 Comments

Have you ever listened to an entire talk on a subject wherein the subject was determinedly left unmentioned? I heard such a talk last Sunday night: Dallin H. Oaks’ CES devotional broadcast to single adults. The talk was titled “Truth and Tolerance,” but another, more intrepid Apostle might have named the same talk, “A Defense of the LDS Position on Gay Marriage.”

While never mentioning same-sex attraction, Elder Oaks gave several references that made it clear to the discerning listener what he had in mind. For example, [Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: , , , , , , 42 Comments

Mormon Women’s Texts and the New RS History, “Daughters in My Kingdom”

September 12, 2011 By Bored in Vernal 9 Comments

The much-heralded Relief Society history Daughters in my Kingdom commissioned by General President Julie B. Beck is now available online and will soon be distributed to Relief Society sisters all over the world. My preliminary reading of the book got me thinking about religious texts for Mormon women: what they are, their effectiveness and usefulness to LDS females, and how this latest work compares with what has gone before. I’d like this to be an interactive post, as commenters may be able to reference texts I haven’t thought of, as well as provide uniquely personal ideas about the effects these texts have had upon their lives. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Feminism, History, LDS Church History, Mormon Studies Tagged With: , , , , , 9 Comments
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