In the July 2012 edition of the Ensign, there is an article by Elder Dallen H Oaks. http://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/07/the-importance-of-priesthood-blessings?lang=eng&query=blessings+comfort In the article, he talks about the different kinds of priesthood blessings. For this post, I would like to focus on Blessings of Comfort or Counsel. The article describes them this way:…
Category: Rights
Marvin Perkins: We are one.
Marvin Perkins is described by Mormon blog Times & Seasons as “a Latter-day Saint music producer who is currently the Public Affairs Co-chair for the Genesis Group and who has worked to nurture understanding between African-Americans and Latter-day Saints and attack misconceptions.” Here’s Marvin at T&S: Even couched in kind…
Sunday in Outer Blogness: Publicity and Gay Rights Edition!
I was going to call this one “surprises edition” since I’ve been on vacation in Italy — hence almost everything that happened on the Internet in the past fortnight was a surprise to me yesterday (when I finally sat down and read the 1000+ blog entries in my reader). But…
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…
National Day of Prayer – bye bye!
My crazy uncle (who I really like) just send me one of his amazing emails. Here’s the email with some comments I couldn’t help but add included in blue: HOORAY, HOORAY, HOORAY for Andy Rooney (hilarious that they think Andy Rooney would write this!). I myself have been grumbling and…
The Alternate Universe that is Utah, Part 2
All you need to know about the 2010 legislative session. As one Capitol lobby lurker mused: “I wonder why no one has called for secession? Then, we’d finally know the message bills have gone too far.”
A brave new definition of “free speech”
All of the levity over Mormon being the new black is a bit of a sideshow — obscuring the meat of what Elder Oaks is proposing: Those who seek to change the foundation of marriage should not be allowed to pretend that those who defend the ancient order are trampling…
Not Adam and Steve
Check out this YouTube clip: Random thoughts after an initial look at this ad: 1) Weren’t Adam and Eve supposed to be nekkid in Eden? 2) Jesus did not approve this message. 3) It will convince many in Washington that its creators truly are Zoids from planet Dork. But the…
Sunday in Outer Blogness: Obscure Rules Edition!
Here’s something I didn’t know: [ libert, egalit, trivialit ] also has an Overheard in SLC blog, with a special edition on the polygamist rally. This fascinating window on a different culture let to a detailed explanation of the rules of the polygamist pouf. Apparently, hairspray (lots of it) is…
SLC: This is the place to be queer!
So Cleve Jones wasn’t joking when he thanked the LDS church! Now Lisa Duggan (of The Nation) explains why Salt Lake City’s LGBT community is an inspiration for the whole country: At the Pride Center, a broad range of local activist groups and LGBT individuals actually talk to each other–in…