Submitted by ARJ
This is not meant to offend. I have no experience writing about mental health issues, and I don’t mean to trivialize what I know is a sensitive topic.
In any case, what brings this disclaimer up? We are moving in three weeks. Leaving Boston to be "Utah Mormons" once again. (Use of that term is a joke and not an excuse to derail the discussion!) What does that have to do with going crazy? Not what you might think.
I just got back from a trip to SLC etc. (My wife is going to be part of the design team for Eternity Gowns – who make modest wedding, bridesmaids and prom gowns….thanks partly to Rusty) Anyway I fly to SLC enough to get a free flight every once and awhile.
With each free flight coupon comes a little coupon book. You can use the coupons to "buy" beer or wine on a Southwest Airlines flight. I’ve always thrown out the coupon book.
This flight got me thinking. Should I offer the coupon book to the guy in the seat next to me? It might provide a good opening to a conversation about the church. Is it right giving him free booze so I can talk to him about the church?
In 1995 the Church decided to do something it hadn’t done before: hire a worldwide professional research firm to find cracks in the system. They called upon Wirthlin Worldwide, founded by Joseph B.’s brother, Richard. After exhaustive research was performed they came back with a list of those cracks. Top among them was the perception of outsiders that Mormons are not Christians.
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Submitted by Bret
Recently at work I have been listening to some fascinating Old Testament commentary tapes. The lecturer is not LDS but has some wonderful insights and is pretty dang close most of the time on a majority of things. However, on the things he doesn’t have right I started to think again upon the age-old controversy that has waged in my mind all my life and for millenia within Christian realm. Do we interpret the Bible (or scripture in general for that matter) literally or proverbially? I know this is a ridiculously huge topic, but please stay with me as I go through this a bit.
Submitted by ARJ
I was overjoyed a few years ago when the Perpetual Education Fund was announced. I had long felt that the Church could do more to help the members outside of the USA develop educationally and spiritually. I knew that many of the elders that I served with in Brazil had returned home to a life of poverty. I also knew that my brother’s mission in Chile had started a fund to send former missionaries to college, and that there were missionaries he had served with that were taking advantage of it.
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For those who are as surprised as I am that ARJ has no blog home will be happy to know he’ll be a guest at the Nine Moons Inn. A Random John is a regular on the Bloggernacle circuit who always brings a little sense and order to the discussion. He also has respect for the Yeti, which of course sealed the deal.
We are pleased to have him guest-posting here and hope he enlightens us all.
Submitted by Bret
Geoff J over at Cool New Thang recently posted on the subject of unwritten prophetic revelation. In it he points out that their could be lots of this type of thing (and other such spiritual experiences) could be happening a lot even now but rarely hear about it and, if not, why isn’t there as much as there used to be in the early days of the church?
I was reading the post at Common Consent about throwing away temple garments…it got me thinking.
When and how do temple garments become sacred? Is the material they are made out of blessed before, during or after the construction? When a batch is completed to they have a special prayer to make them sacred? I know this sounds funny but…..
If there isn’t anything done to make them sacred, then why can’t I make my own? If I did make my own I probably would have a special "dedicatory prayer" over them.
So what’s the deal? Anyone know?
One of the most lucrative careers in which a graphic designer can engage is branding/identity. We are the ones who create logos, choose company colors, and design any company promotion (brochures, websites, annual reports, etc). If done effectively all of these pieces come together into a cohesive whole to communicate the brand’s message. If done poorly the consumer experiences a disconnect between the company and its message.
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Geoff’s post at Cool Thang and Jeffrey’s comments got me thinking about revelation. My simple question is "When is revelation revelation?"
The endowment has been changed several times over the past 150 years. When I got my endowment I covenanted – “to have no sexual intercourse” with anyone I wasn’t legally married to. The covenant now says – “no sexual relations”.
I’d like to give a collective thanks to Ned Flanders for his brief guest-blogging stint here at the Moons. We’ve appreciated his candor, interesting perspective, and insights. Please continue to follow his blog at VivaNedFlanders. Thanks Ned!
Submitted by Ned Flanders
Tess, in a comment on Is Church Embarrassing?,
asks why I have started going back to church. I’m not really sure that
I know the answer to that. It may be that the explanations I tell
myself are wishful thinking; the reasons seem to change as I try to
figure them out.
My wife and I have a "made up" calling as the "Ward Single Adult Specialists". We are supposed to be of service to all single adults in our ward of any age. The young single adults have their own ward in our stake. This ward has been very successful for many years. We therefore work with the "Old Folks", and most of them are sisters.
Over at Ned’s blog, VivaNedFlanders there was an interesting discussion going on regarding Ned’s experience as a premarital fornicator. He’s now married to that person and has never been with anyone else. He asks, “what’s the big deal?”
Good question.
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