Oaks vs. Oaks: First Cousins and LDS General Authorities Square Off

March 6, 2017 By Gary A.

Elders Dallin H. Oaks and Robert C. Oaks may have the same grandparents, but their political views are vastly divergent. The address of Mormon apostle Elder Dallin H. Oaks at BYU-Hawaii’s February commencement ceremony has recently been making the rounds in progressive Mormon circles. In the speech, the 84-year-old former Utah Supreme Court justice articulated concerns and a worldview that are a direct rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump. While the Donald is on record as saying that “the concept... Read more

If Thomas Friedman were Mormon . . .

March 5, 2017 By Gary A.

The New York Times columnist would love the Church’s Global Education Initiative, but Donald Trump wouldn’t. I recently finished reading New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman’s book Thank You For Being Late. It’s a timely examination of three forces whose acceleration is rapidly changing our world: technological progress, globalization, and climate change. Friedman argues that in order to keep up with the breakneck speed of these transformations, government and the private sector will need to develop new partnerships and platforms... Read more

A Chastened Chaffetz Should Learn from Mo Udall

February 12, 2017 By Gary A.

Jason Chaffetz was recently tasked by angry constituents to “do [his] job.” He should look to fellow Mormon and former congressman Mo Udall for some ideas. At a speech before the Brookings Institution on January 11, 2017, the director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub, Jr., stated that Donald Trump’s plan to avoid conflicts of interest was “meaningless.” This assessment is borne out by the facts – Trump’s business assets have not been placed in a blind... Read more

Your Optimism Isn’t a Virtue

January 29, 2017 By Emily Belanger

Growing up in an abusive home taught me a harsh lesson about optimism: too often, optimism is a weapon in the hands of people who are simply unwilling to help. Too often the apathetic bystander uses optimism as an excuse to walk away, guilt free. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Priest and Levite who walked past the wounded man in a ditch told themselves to hope for the best, that surely someone would come along and help him, or... Read more

The Fundamental Optimism of Apocalypse

November 28, 2016 By mhaycock

Today, we have a guest post from my friend Cameron Neilsen. Please note that this was written before November 8. Apocalypticism is back. While the Bible-thumping, seven-seals-interpreting strain has kept a low profile compared to the 1970’s and 80’s, it has joined with secular concerns over environmental threats and economic instability to produce an entire subculture of “preppers,” ZeroHedge readers, and r/collapse Redditors. Pundits are all too apt to dismiss these groups as paranoid, superstitious conspiracy-theorists or alt-right wackos slavering... Read more

The Trump Supporter Next Door

November 12, 2016 By Emily Belanger

If you’ve been following the Peculiar People column over the past few months, you’ve probably noticed two things: the posts have been sparse, and nearly all of them have been anti-Trump. The emphasis on Trump wasn’t a coordinated effort on anyone’s part – personally, I’ve held back from writing more about him so that it wouldn’t seem like we’d plunged into political propaganda. But I’m acknowledging that trend because it probably won’t surprise you that I’m among the many Americans... Read more

The Case for Hillary Clinton and a Mormon Stance on Abortion

November 8, 2016 By Emily Belanger

It’s no secret that Mormons don’t like Donald Trump. So I was surprised a few weeks ago when, among my conservative Mormon friends, one of the most common public reactions to the third debate was a doubling down on far-right anti-abortion stances. In response to Clinton’s insistence that a ban on late-term abortion needed to include exceptions for the life and health of the mother, friends shared articles claiming that no abortion is ever necessary to save a pregnant woman’s... Read more

Why I’m Fasting for Hillary Clinton

November 5, 2016 By Gary A.

On the first Sunday of every month, Mormons all over the world abstain from food and drink for 24 hours. This period of self-denial is designed to help us draw closer to God and seek answers to our prayers. In addition, we donate the money that we would have spent on the skipped meals to the Church’s program for assisting the poor and needy. I’ve fasted for various things over the course of my life. As a high school senior,... Read more

Not a Democracy, Not a Dictatorship: My Big Fat Mormon Family

October 23, 2016 By Melissa Inouye

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously suggested moving to New Zealand to avoid Donald Trump. Alas, here I am in Auckland, New Zealand, but there is no refuge here from U.S. politics. Election news is on the BBC. It’s in the headlines. My students at the university get together to watch the debates and quote the best bits in tutorial. These discussions about political bodies and how they are constituted and governed have coincided with the semi-annual General... Read more

Trump’s Threat to Mormons

August 13, 2016 By Gary A.

Donald Trump poses a unique threat to the interests, freedom, and safety of the Mormon people. Yesterday, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Donald Trump spoke to a group of evangelical pastors at a conference in Orlando. While there, the Cheeto-dusted Bloviator sought to capitalize on some evangelicals’ antipathy towards members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by noting that Utah “is a different place” and pointedly referencing the fact that no one from Utah was present in the audience. Although Trump’s... Read more