Making our history one step at a time
One thing I have learned recently that has helped me in my scripture study is the realization that the Bible (as well as the Book of Mormon) isn't a single book to be read from cover to cover, but rather a library of individual books. There are multiple genres of literature, and each book must... Continue Reading →
So, I'm not a serious enough Star Wars fan to have an opinion that means something, but I didn't know what all the fuss was about after seeing The Last Jedi. While watching the movie, I was trying to pick out different themes and ideas within the movie itself without referencing any other outside sources,... Continue Reading →
What does your everyday Mormon recall about one of Mormonism's most important founding figures and most colorful characters, Parley P. Pratt? Before reading this book, I couldn't recall an awful lot. I know that his name pops up in the hymnbook a few times. After a quick peek, he wrote a few well-known ones including... Continue Reading →
I stumbled upon this book while scrolling through my WordPress reader. On a blog I am following called 'On Being', there was an article by Eugene Peterson titled "On Congruence: The Beauty of Uniting Who We are and How We Act." In it, the author recalled attending a lecture by the author, Paul Tournier. He... Continue Reading →
I'm an empathic apologizer. OK, maybe that's not the correct expression; I'm a neurotic apologizer. I hate to cause offense in my personal relationships, so when anyone expresses any kind of discomfort or the slightest sign of an irritation, and I will apologize for it. Some people don't mind it; or perhaps they just ignore... Continue Reading →
One family tradition that I insisted on keeping from my childhood was Michael McLean's book The Forgotten Carols. I'm always curious to find out how well-known this book actually is (I mean, they are Forgotten Carols, right? How well known are they going to be?) Anyhow, without giving away too much of the story, a... Continue Reading →
Isaiah really gets dragged through the mud quite a bit in Mormon culture. In all our new goals to re-read the Book of Mormon, give it a week or two and you will hear things like "I hit the Isaiah chapters, and it's a doozy!" or "I had to skip those Isaiah chapters, or I... Continue Reading →
Have you seen the movie "Hotel Transylvania"? The vast majority of the film is slapstick comedy with Adam Sandler playing a ridiculous Count Dracula with his best friends Frankenstein, Wayne the werewolf, and Murray the mummy making fart joke all along the way. But underneath that crusty layer of the McDonald's level of humor is... Continue Reading →
A fun little book from Orson Scott Card. Here's a good summary from Wikipedia: "For the most part, the book is light-hearted and winks at the shortcomings and idiosyncrasies of Mormons, but there are entries that are downright harsh. Frequent targets include hypocritical behavior by church members, the church's repression and denial of its history,... Continue Reading →
I'm always grateful for an honest attempt to explain Isaiah to us lay members of the Church. When reading the Book of Mormon, it is made clear that understanding Isaiah is absolutely vital. But the moment we hit 2 Nephi's extensive quoting of Isaiah, we give up. We're caught in this endless conundrum, always feeling... Continue Reading →
History Engineers 