Awards
Lists of Brodie award winners:
X-Mormon of the Year 2012: David Twede
X-Mormon of the Year 2011: Joanna Brooks
X-Mormon of the Year 2010: Monica Bielanko
X-Mormon of the Year 2009: Walter Kirn
A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.
General Authority Bullsh*t: A category on my Blog
From Benson’s crazy commie-hatin’ days, to Paul H. Dunn’s deep diving lies, to little discrepancies in Monson’s talks, this category of posts on my blog, “Exploring Mormonism” reveals how much these men speak as men. Hopefully the in-depth fact checking of some of the more influential leaders, conference talks, Ensign articles, and so forth will help illustrate that even the very influential statements aren’t inspired, but should be counted about as worthy as any other old man’s advice. General Read more [...]
Posted in General Conference, History, LDS History, Mormon Culture
animated Mormon quotes – Brigham Young on race
In a caffeine addled state during a long drive I had an idea: Wouldn’t it help people who are interested in Mormonism to “see” what past Mormon leaders have said, rather than just read it? That thought lead to another: Well, you could animate historic Mormon figures to reenact the quotes. Thus, I give you the first in, depending on the response, what could be a series of historical quotes by Mormon leaders: If you have favorite quotes you’d like to see animated, please leave them in the comments. Read more [...]
Posted in LDS History, Mormons, Race
“The Rescue”
Many of you have probably already come across this Reuters special report about Mormonism’s membership troubles in this internet age, as reported by outgoing church historian Marlin Jensen. Apparently, President Monson’s signature campaign is called “the Rescue”: referring to rescuing the church’s membership from “rapidly declining,” as some reports have spun it. I’m assuming the expensive Mormon.org campaign is part of the Rescue. Another part is curriculum being developed for youth and adults Read more [...]
Posted in LDS History, Media, Membership in the CoJCoL-dS
Grow where you are planted
As difficult as it may be for some to believe, this is a statement I can agree with. It is/was an LDS statement originally said by David O. McKay**. From my understanding, it was meant to encourage Mormons not to feel as if they had to “move back to Utah”. My own ancestors flouted this doctrine, but it was common prior to David O. McKay becoming President of the LDS church. A person might convert to the Mormon faith, and then attempt to move to Utah, Idaho or Alberta. It’s part of the reason Read more [...]
Posted in Economics, LDS History, Mainstreaming, Mission Field, Utah
The Book of Mormon: The Musical
God loves Mormons and He wants some More Trey Parker & Matt Stone discuss Mormonism at TAM5: “When you read the beginnings of Mormonism, when you read the Joseph Smith story, you’re just like ‘Wow … wow, really?’ The idea of anybody like Joseph Smith, who can get people to give him money and let him have sex with their wives, I know ‘respect’ is the wrong word, but there’s something incredible about that. I want to know more about *those* guys. That’s just fascinating.” All Read more [...]
Posted in Arts, Book of Mormon, Humor, Joseph Smith, LDS History, Mission
Mormon and Queer at the Crossroads
I’ve been active on this blog since chanson reviewed my gay, Mormon novel Ockham’s Razor last October. I will be presenting a paper about my novel at this year’s Sunstone Symposium titled “Two Paradigms for ‘Gay.’” (Half of my presentation will also concern Jonathan Langford’s novel No Going Back–also reviewed by chanson). Gerald Argetsinger, who is an associate professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, founded at last year’s Sunstone what he’s terming “The Gay Mormon Literature Project.” Read more [...]
Posted in Homosexuality, LDS History, Marriage, Mormon Doctrine, Psychology, Rights, Sex and Gender, Sunstone, Youth
Echols County, Georgia, 1884
The court determines that Sam Echols is not a proper person to raise a child, owing to his opinions. My great-great-grandfather determines that his zeal for the (Mormon) faith will be his best revenge. Read more [...]
Posted in Family, Genealogy, LDS History, Mission Field, Polygamy
RE: The Sinister Entity Behind the Christian Facade of Mormonism?
So, this article in OpEdNews popped up in my Google News alerts today: The Sinister Entity Behind the Christian Facade of Mormonism. It’s by a guy named Douglas A. Wallace, who appears to be an embittered ex-Mormon who actually had a rather prominent position at some point in the past – mission architect (per his own bio, mind you). The article appears to be an ad for his book, Under The Mormon Tree. My first question: Does anyone know anything about this guy? Has anyone heard of him before? My Read more [...]
Posted in anti-Mormon, conspiracy theory, crime, excommunication, LDS History
The Day I Sang about the Latter-Day Glory with the C of C and with the Polygamists
Wherever people talk about Mormonism, you always hear about the fundamentalist Mormons: the polygamists. On the LDS-interest Internet there’s tons of discussion of modern-day polygamy usually in a hand-wringing what should be done about them kind of way. Naturally, I was glad when I finally got the opportunity to meet some real-life fundamentalist Mormons, and listen to their perspective. I was at the Sunstone Symposium, and merely attending the panel by/about the polygamist community was already Read more [...]
Posted in Fundamentalism, Joseph Smith, LDS History, Meetings, Nostalgia, Polygamy, Sunstone, Women
Oldies but Goodies: Testimony of a Dissident
A while back another blogger asked me to submit an essay about my Mormon experience. Probably, for good reasons he changed his mind and never published it. Since it is already written and might shed some light on my argument at Times and Seasons, I might as well publish it myself. It might help some people to understand where I am coming from. Testimony of a DissidentWhen I grew up in the seventies and eighties, Church was a liberating experience. My mother converted when I was six. My Read more [...]
Posted in Abuse, Appearances, Bloggernacle, Book of Mormon, Boyd Packer, BYU, Callings, Christianity, Depression, Divorce, Epistemology, Ethics, Europe, excommunication, Family, Freedom, Germany, LDS History, Moving On, Nostalgia, Obedience, Philosophy, Power, Prophets, Science, Sunstone, Theology
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