I’m preparing to teach a lesson about adversity to my 12-13 yr old class in Sunday School this week and it has me a little bothered.  Maybe you can help. (more…)

An uncommon word in our American culture, “preside,” is familiar in Mormondom. So familiar that even as a kid I knew exactly what it meant (in both applications): 1) the guy conducting Sacrament Meeting sometimes presides, other times an older, grayer guy does and 2) my dad presides so he gets to choose who will pray. And really, things haven’t changed. Except that my wife decides who will pray. (more…)

It seems like every group or association of people has a way of recognizing the things that were supposedly good about that group or association that happened during the previous year.  I think that’s a laudable instinct, and I support the idea, but I’m also very interested in how people go about doing such things.  It’s a fascinating study in human nature, and the Niblets are no exception.  I don’t even know why they are called Niblets, but apparently, the Niblets are what we call the awards given to the best posts and comments of the past year, as voted on by those who are interested in this thing we call the bloggernacle. (more…)

Priesthood lessons are usually bad enough with the common “here you read this paragraph – now someone else read that paragraph”. But I think it’s already or going to get worse.

This year’s manual is Gospel essentials. First there’s not much to read in the normal pass-around style. (Maybe that’s a good thing, the instructor actually might have to prepare something ahead of time.) Second this is the material used to teach investigators and new members!!

Shouldn’t priesthood be beyond that?

How about an “Advanced Gospel Essentials” lesson book?

I know, I know, we can go beyond the basics of the lesson etc. But if we take a poll there won’t be one class in 100 that does that….our teacher don’t…

On this day, I thought it appropriate to reflect on a few of my favorite quotes from Dr. King.  All from his masterful “Letter From A Birmingham Jail.” 

It goes without saying that I find these quotes to be in perfect harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and still relevant and important to us today. (more…)

Not to get all matrixy on you or anything, but I’ve been trying to teach the Plan of Salvation in Sunday School lately and it seems to me that “choice” or “agency” is the answer to a lot of the questions that arise when we talk about this subject. (more…)

Last Sunday in our ward bulletin was an insert – a short letter from our Stake President. Our Stake conference is coming up the 24th of January.

He asked everyone to do some “homework”. He wants us to look up some scriptures (and read them). Also think about a specific spiritual goal we want to accomplish. Then he told us how much more we’d get out of this conference if we came prepared.

Our previous Stake President spoke at a Stake conference and asked us to work on 7 goals. By about #2 my eyes glazed over and I was out of it.

I’m more excited about the present challenge.

What’s been your experience with Stake conferences? When I was growing up it was a Sunday we didn’t go to church – so it was a “vacation day”. When we had young kids it was an extra challenge day.

This conference should be a good one!

Now that you are sixteen you will have the opportunity to go on dates.  Hooray!  Right?  Well, yeah, but there are some things you need to know.  Some provisos, caveats and quid pro quos, as they say.  (more…)

This is for Jared – with my tongue in my cheek.

#1. Everyone has already read the scriptures.
#2. There are too many individual interpretations of the scriptures.
#3. If you include what the prophets say as scripture, then there are way too many “far out” quotes and ideas to deal with.
#4. Some people’s posts are more interesting than the scriptures
#5. The individuals who post give me a chance to see, hear, experience what others are feeling, doing and experiencing in today’s world with today’s challenges in today’s language so I can understand.

There are more I could list but Jared only asked for 5

“Where’s God in all this?” Williams asks a fellow heavenite played by Cuba Gooding Jr., who replies, “He’s up there somewhere, shouting down that he loves us.” Not only is this dialogue unplayable (kudos to Gooding for not even sniggering); it makes God sound slovenly, like a bosomy mama hanging out a tenement window in an old Italian movie.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989634,00.html#ixzz0axsmMCLF

Discussing the guidance of the spirit today led to a conversation about faith and trust in God.  A friend of mine claimed he never went to the Lord before making major decisions in his life because he felt fully competent and safe in making those decisions for himself and claimed he didn’t really want or need the Lord’s input.  (more…)

Death is the worst thing about life.

(WARNING: This post may be a downer.)
(more…)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 

But wait, how merry and happy should they be?

There’s a new study out that purports to rank the states in the U.S. in order of how happy their respective residents are.  It’s just the latest in a series of such studies, and one could legitimately call into question the premises on which such studies are based, but just to play along let’s assume the study is valid, and moreover, let’s assume that ”happiness” is what we’re all striving to achieve.  (more…)

My last post generated a comment (thanks OGolly) about some of the “old” traditions of the church.

What can you remember from those days yore?

As a young Deacon I can remember going early to Priesthood meeting so we could sweep the cigarette butts out of the Lyons Club where we met. That was when Priesthood was early, then Sunday School late morning and then back to Sacrament meeting in the evening.

Do you remember ward budget assessments from the Bishop? Plus building fund assessment, plus a temple fund assessment (if they were building a temple near you).

I remember when the members contributed labor as well as the money to build their chapel. We’d go out and physically help in the building process.

How about Primary on Tuesday afternoons?

Or the congregational hymn sung in the endowment – or the amount Satan was paid? You can’t just say “Do you remember the old endowment?” – because it’s changed several times over the years.

There’s a lot more I could name, but it’s your turn.

Rusty’s latest post brought comments that got me thinking. Each ward and stake seems to have some unusual / different / off the wall / weird traditions.

Our Stake has had an unwritten law that males should always wear white shirts to church no matter what.

Our Ward has had a great tradition of an always outstanding youth program. We have 10 missionaries out from our ward now. I think when Rusty was a Priest, that every one of the priests in his quorum served a mission.

My problem is I’ve been in the ward so long that everything seems natural and “doesn’t every ward do this?”.

So what have you who have moved, or changed wards or visited or however discovered the unusual.

I was recently released from my calling as a counselor to our bishop, my calling for 4 years. As would have been the case in any calling, I learned many things. The following is a list of 10 that are still swimming in my head now 6 months after my release, in no particular order: (more…)