By Eugene England In this electoral season that features a climate of highly polarized political discourse, it is refreshing to remember Eugene England, a life-long Republican, with his common-sense assessments about the importance of a strong two-party political system in which both sides welcome debate and are willing to compromise. Following is an excerpt …
Category: Issue 168
Update–Issue 168
Church Responds to European Questioning of Church History The Europe Area Presidency is asking Church leaders in northern Europe and German-speaking regions to “work patiently and lovingly” with members who struggle with their faith because of information about the LDS Church they find on the internet. “Unfortunately, some choose to dwell on half-truths or inaccurate …
The Family Forum: A Feminine Perspective on Moral Reasoning
By Michael Farnworth The previous issue’s Family Forum explored parenting from the perspective of moral theorist Lawrence Kohlberg. His research argues that we initially base our motivations to be moral on fear that something bad with happen to us if we don’t obey the rules, but then we move on to behaving in order to …
Braving the Borderlands . . . : Mormonism for Borderlanders: A User’s Guide
By D. Jeff Burton On 23 May 2012, Alain de Botton joined Doug Frabrizio on KUER’s RadioWest program for an exploration of de Botton’s new book, Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer’s Guide to the Uses of Religion.[i] Despite the title’s reference to atheists, this book can be useful to any person trying to incorporate religion …
Roundtable: Abuse and Forgiveness
By Tresa Edmunds, Natasha Helfer Parker, and Dan Wotherspoon The following is excerpted from Mormon Matters podcast episode 110, “The Abuse and Forgiveness Dilemma,” released on 4 July 2012. It can be listened to in its entirety or downloaded by visiting www.mormonmatters.org. The discussion was led by Mormon Matters host, Dan Wotherspoon. Short bios of …
Theologizing in the Presence of Burning Children: From Theodicy to Lament
By Jacob Baker The attempt to justify the Christian (or Mormon) God in the face of overwhelming evil and suffering is known among philosophers and theologians as the problem of evil. Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus formulated an early version of the problem: “Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does …
Jon McNaughton: Mormon Artist, Right-Wing Propagandist
By Robert A. Rees [The artist] will endeavor to awake subtler emotions, as yet unnamed. Living himself a complicated and comparatively subtle life, his work will give to those observers capable of feeling them lofty emotions beyond the reach of words. —Wassily Kandinsky Whenever we find in poetry that which gives us …
Poem: Haiku
By E. Jones no birds are flying all things are still and quiet— and then that cricket
In the Mountains, No One Can Hear You Swear
By Michael Stubbs Michael Stubbs is a lecturer in English at Idaho State University. Or, right-click here to download the audio file: In the Mountains, No One Can Hear You Swear Three weeks after I returned from a thirty-mile hike through Idaho’s White Cloud Mountains with some of my ward’s young men, …
Five Fish in a Barrel: Phineas and His Wives
By Deja Earley Deja Earley is the author of To the Mormon Newlyweds Who Thought the Bellybutton Was Somehow Involved, published by Signature Books. Or right-click here to download the audio file: Five Fish in a Barrel: Phineas and His Wives My ancestor Phineas Wolcott Cook didn’t learn about polygamy before he …