Tag: Michael Vinson

Eve’s Faith Crisis

By Michael Vinson And the serpent said unto the woman: Ye shall not surely die; For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.                                          —MOSES 3:10-11   TRADITIONALLY WE THINK of the story of Adam …

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Searching for Happiness and Never Finding It

By Michael Vinson Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy.                                                                                                                  —D&C 11:13   Even though Mormons are enjoined not to play the lottery, many are nevertheless tempted by it, fantasizing about how a …

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The Crisis of Doubt in the Church

By Michael Vinson   Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him . . .      —Mormon 9:21   JUST THIS WEEK, a very active high priest sat in my office and confessed that his …

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Korihor and the Struggle with a Lost Testimony

By Michael Vinson The devil hath deceived me. And he said unto me: There is no God.                                                      —Alma 30:53 One of the greatest personal crises we as Latter-day Saints can face is the loss of testimony. One Sunday we find ourselves sitting in sacrament meeting and thinking, “What am I doing …

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The Brazen Serpent and Psychological Epiphany

By Michael Vinson   If ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly?                                                                       —Alma 33:21   I had been thinking about the idea of epiphany in psychology when I came across the Book of Mormon verse in which Alma uses …

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Where is that Darn Lamanite DNA?

By Michael Vinson   And they were scattered upon much of the face of the land, and the Lamanites also. And they were exceedingly more numerous than were they of the Nephites, and they loved murder and would drink the blood of beasts.  —Jarom 1:6 In this verse, Jarom is wondering aloud how the Lamanite …

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A Heartbroken Hallelujah

Save me, O God; for the waters are come into my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried . . .                        —Psalms 69:1–3   I‘m sure I have never …

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Jesus and Mormons and Zombies

In this regular column, Michael Vinson, a master’s graduate of the Divinity School of the University of Cambridge and a frequent devotional speaker at Sunstone symposiums, delves into personal and scholarly aspects of scripture. For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead men’s bones, and …

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How Much Does Jesus Care about Doctrinal Purity?

In this regular column, Michael Vinson, a master’s graduate of the Divinity School of the University of Cambridge and a frequent devotional speaker at Sunstone symposiums, delves into personal and scholarly aspects of scripture . . . And I shall bring to light the true points of my doctrine, yea, and the only doctrine which …

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