The following comparison may help to clarify certain decisions made in church governance. I hope so. I am a high school basketball official. In the realm of officiating, there are rulings and there are judgments. As an official I must do both many times per game. I must rule and I must judge. And these are two very different officiating functions. A ruling is a call that I cannot change through my own workings or assessments. For example, if... Read more
Yesterday, in downtown Salt Lake City, a large group of people gathered to formally sever themselves from Mormonism. Their signed and notarized declarations were then sent to the First Presidency of the Church. The story was picked up by the New York Times. A part of that article stated: “Some said they no longer felt any ties to the church, but others said resigning their faith had never been their first choice. They still had a brother who was a... Read more
139 lives taken in one evening. All murdered by vicious terrorists in a coordinated attack. The coordination suggests the height of premeditated murder. It just doesn’t get worse than this. My initial reaction is akin to 9/11: every person involved in this heinous plot to take innocent lives should die—and I’m not picky about how it happens. Just get them off this planet. NOW! And then I pause. I’ve offered prayers for the people of Paris, the people of France,... Read more
If you’re not familiar with Pew Research, this may be an interesting place to become acquainted with the foremost research organization that gathers data and provides analysis on religion in the United States and the world. This report is a study that explores American’s prevalent belief in heaven and hell. Follow the link and explore the data and analysis. In the fast paced world of online information, Pew offers opportunities to settle in and consider findings drawn from beyond the... Read more
Spoiler alert: read the entire post for the ending that is, hopefully, permanent. The Washington Post (see link below) reported that Scott Johansen, a Utah Judge, ordered a married couple to relinquish foster care custody of a young girl and cease efforts to adopt her. This ruling was issued Tuesday, November 10, 2015. Beckie Pierce and April Hoagland are lesbians and they are legally married. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) approved the foster care of the child... Read more
Atheists, Agnostics, and Nones (spiritual but not religious) are the fastest growing demographic in the American religious landscape. Twenty-five percent of Americans now identify as an Atheist, Agnostic, or None. This segment of society is ubiquitous, occupying posts high and low in all segments of business, government, education, medicine, law, and so forth. They occupy places in almost every Mormon family. It is important to recognize that many maintain a spiritual bent and are far from militant toward organized religion.... Read more
I have discovered that my students (old and young) are quite unfamiliar with the chronology of events, rulings, laws, and policies employed in support of heterosexual marriage and in support of same-sex marriage. That being said, the following chronology is intended to provide a skeletal accounting for major decisions that led up to the Church’s announced policy addressing same-sex marriage. Again, this chronology is not comprehensive but intended only to provide historical hooks upon which a greater and more detailed... Read more
Thirteen months ago I was in a violent car accident. I was belted into a Honda Civic that was yielding to oncoming traffic before executing a left-hand turn on a two-lane highway. My car was completely stationary. The speed limit on that highway is 45 mph. It was dark, my lights were on, tail lights fully functional, and my turn signal breached the late-night darkness. A car came from behind, I suppose it was going the speed limit but I... Read more
The changing of the American mind relative to same-sex marriage is arguably the fastest social change on a major issue in the history of the United States. Shortly after the SCOTUS ruling in June, 2015 that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, Alex Tribou and Keith Collins put the rapid-fire change next to some of the other most dramatic social changes in American history. Whether you agree or disagree (or presently something in between) with the turn in favor or same-sex marriage,... Read more
Two days ago I learned of the new SSM policy. That day, I wrote in my Patheos post that I didn’t see it coming but that things would work out. Within hours of the announcement, a young woman in her teens, that had been fellowshipped by a very good friend, was not allowed to be baptized—her parents are gay. The mother of the family that fellowshipped this teenage woman is a good friend of mine and she explained exactly how... Read more
Civil Nations
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