When I'm not an engineer, I want to be a theologian-philosopher-writer. I delved into my collection of ante-Nicene Church fathers this week.
Book review: Justin Martyr’s Apologies
Book review: Karl Marx’s “The Communist Manifesto”
Like the Grinch I am, I thought I would spend Christmas harassing family members by reading passages from "The Communist Manifesto." Here's the resulting book review. Enjoy 🙂
Book review: “Enoch the Prophet” by Hugh Nibley
I was anti-social and read a whole book on Christmas Eve/Christmas, OK? I come home every year to a stack of Hugh Nibley books I have yet to read, and I knocked one off the list.
Book review: “Choosing to Live: How to Defeat Suicide Through Cognitive Therapy
This has been such a helpful book for understanding suicide. Written as a self-help book for those contemplating suicide (but not a substitute for treatment), it is also a good resource for those wanting to help.
The Coddling of the Mormon Mind
What doesn't kill you makes you weaker. Always trust your feelings. Life is a battle between good people and evil people. These are @JonHaidt's three great untruths. But I didn't need a university to teach me these. I learned them all at church.
Book review: Durkheim’s “On Suicide”
Durkheim argues that at its root, suicide arises when there is a disequilibrium between the individual and society. Investing in mediating institutions and communities is a vital component towards addressing this heart-rending problem.
God isn’t a vending machine, and He doesn’t use cookie cutters
God loves you as an individual, with all your facets, talents, quirks and all. The Plan of Salvation isn't a cookie cutter, and God isn't a perfected bureaucrat, trying to fit us into a celestial Gantt chart. It's all about you.
Eternity as a ministering angel?
For a time in my singles ward, I thought I would be doomed to eternity as a ministering angel. Is this the God that is no respecter of persons? And I'm not the only one who has or is feeling like they don't have a place in God's plan.
Book review: “The Wounded Healer” by Henri Nouwen
I love this image of the wounded healer. We all have something that is broken. But we all can offer our love and care to those who are lonely, anxious, or in pain.
Why I chose to stay in the Church
I recently had a friend ask me, why did you, a gay Latter-Day Saint who had every reason to leave the Church, choose to stay? How did you keep your faith? I wanted to write down some of my thoughts as I've been pondering this.
