Making our history one step at a time
I needed some comfort food this week, so I read Truman G. Madsen's "The Prophet Joseph Smith." Growing up, my dad could quote these lectures like scripture. I think this book perhaps most closely captures why the saints loved him so much. But the saying is definitely true: "Catholics say the pope is infallible, but don't really believe it; Mormons say the prophet is fallible, but don't really believe it."
The Mormon Jesus by John Turner, answering all the questions you've been dying to ask like, was Jesus a polygamist? or did Jesus have abs?
I am shamelessly proud of my Church and the great strides they have made in the publishing of Saints: The Standard of Truth. This is fantastic history and beautiful prose. I have always been an avid reader, my early encounters with Church history weren't positive: I remember reading excerpts from Our Heritage in Sunday School... Continue Reading →
The President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Russell M. Nelson visited church members in Seattle, Washington this past Saturday in the Mariners Safeco Field stadium. I was excited to attend with my in-laws, and felt a little bad I was going at the expense of my wife, who was staying at... Continue Reading →
I added this one to my reading list after I found it in the references of a compelling article at Times and Seasons on the development of the LDS hymnbook. The LDS Church recently announced that they are beginning the process of compiling a new hymnbook, and the documented history of how hymns have been... Continue Reading →
I came across this title in my Goodreads feed, and the title seemed very compelling to me: The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It. The first half of the title reflects a common approach or expectation of the Bible among Christians, and one I am also familiar... Continue Reading →
I chose to turn to the Book of Proverbs next, because I wanted to get try on of the books in the Old Testament considered Wisdom literature. I read a fascinating book last year called Re-reading Job: Understanding the Ancient World's Greatest Poem, and one of the things I took away wasn't specific to the... Continue Reading →
I believe I picked up Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle, from a Goodreads recommendation based on my LDS history bookshelf. A fascinating read in one of the most well-known, yet simultaneously forgotten, turning points in the Latter-Day Saint faith tradition. Have you ever heard of Reed Smoot... Continue Reading →
Next, I chose to turn to a later story in the Bible, the story of Daniel in Babylon. Daniel and his fellows, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, were taken into the king's court during the Babylonian captivity. the Israelite nation was invaded, a puppet king installed, and its people forced to move from their homeland in... Continue Reading →
Being raise as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I grew up very much aware of the reality of revelation. I knew the miraculous story of Joseph Smith's seeking for answers: "At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I... Continue Reading →
