Author: Sharon Lindbloom
-
“If [LDS] Doctrines Were Wrong…”
Last month (30 June 2008) the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle ran a short article profiling four Latter-day Saints from the Rochester, New York area. Dorothy Holmes was one of the Mormons interviewed. The article mostly covered Mrs. Holmes’ family and her life-long activity in the LDS Church, but she is quoted as providing the following…
-
“Mormon” History
The LDS Church continues the effort to distance itself from Mormon Fundamentalists. In a July 10, 2008 article printed in the Salt Lake Tribune, LDS spokesperson Scott Trotter is quoted as saying, “there is no such thing as a Mormon fundamentalist or a Mormon polygamist. Regrettably, those who suggest otherwise only add to the confusion…
-
My Bishop Made Me Do It
On 9 June 2008 Fox News carried an Associated Press story from Hawaii. It seems that three men from Oahu have been charged with stealing rocks from a protected Maui beach, to be used in an underground cooking pit at their church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don’t mean to…
-
Spiritual Identity Theft
In an article titled “Your Divine Heritage,” LDS General Authority (Seventy) Robert C. Oaks wrote about what he called “spiritual identity theft” (Ensign, April 2008, 49-50). Mr. Oaks suggested that a significant threat to Latter-day Saints achieving their divine potential is the “theft of our eternal identity.” He wrote, “We know we are sons and…
-
Sacrament Meetings: Keep Those Books Closed
Recently a letter from the LDS First Presidency was read in Sunday Mormon church services about the use of scriptures and visual aids in sacrament meetings and stake conferences. After stating that Church leadership is encouraged that members do study their scriptures, the letter said, “In order to maintain an atmosphere of reverent worship in…
-
“The Church is not all butterflies and cupcakes.”
Over this past week the Salt Lake Tribune ran several articles related to the LDS Church, blacks, and the now-defunct priesthood ban. One special report covered the story of Vanna Cox and her sisters. They grew up in the LDS Church very aware of their minority status. The Tribune reports, “When [Vanna] and her sisters…
-
Lost Book of Mormon Geography
The dispute over where the events in the Book of Mormon took place continues in a recent Deseret News/Mormon Times article titled, “Raiders of the Lost Book of Mormon Geography.” In the second installment of a two-part article “former CEO of a manufacturing company turned researcher” Rod Meldrum sets his theory against the limited geography…
-
If Polygamy Becomes Legal…
It’s the talk of the town, but it’s nothing new. Ever since the idea of legalizing same-gender marriage gained enough momentum to capture headlines people have been warning that such a move could open the door to legalized polygamy. Several years ago San Francisco Chronicle reporter Ron Lutz wrote, “Legalizing gay marriages today means legalizing…
-
A People Extraordinarily Given to Unusual Religious Beliefs
The Rochester (New York) Democrat and Chronicle posted an interesting article about the Rochester area during the religious fervor that earned it the title, “Burned-over District.” Though not the focus, the article puts the birth of Mormonism within its cultural context. To foster some conversation and whet your whistle, here’s a short excerpt: ”Strange cults,…
-
The Prophecy of Isaiah is Fulfilled
“You will indeed see but never perceive.” –Matthew 13:14 In March (2008) Boyd K. Packer, president of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke via satellite to Latter-day Saints gathered for a stake conference in Bolivia. Speaking of his love for the Book of Mormon, Mr. Packer related the difficulty he had as a…
-
Any reason to fear?
The Mormon Coffee post of April 18, 2008 discussed Jesus’ words from Matthew 7:21-23. Here Jesus warns of the result of spiritual self-deception: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many…
-
Mormon “Idol” David Archuleta Sings About Jesus
American Idol’s 2008 finalist David Archuleta has a beautiful voice and a compelling way of phrasing his songs. A seventeen-year-old Mormon from Murray, Utah, his hometown and Church are very proud of him. I watched a video of David singing “Smokey Mountain Memories,” a sad song about a displaced Appalachian family missing their Smokey Mountain…
-
A Latter-day Look at Your Eternal Kingdom
From Family Exaltation by Archibald F. Bennett, Course 20, Genealogical Training Department for the Sunday Schools of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, published by the Deseret Sunday School Union Board, 1957: Many questions may arise after reading this passage, and I invite you to give voice to whatever is on your mind.…
-
Public Offerings
The woman looked at me with smug satisfaction and said, “At my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we never pass a collection plate. It’s such a prideful thing to put your tithes and offerings on display for everyone to see. We do our giving in private.” It’s likely that those who…
-
The Privilege to Worship What They May
On the “Before God Was God” thread here on Mormon Coffee a Latter-day Saint has been defending his position that Mormonism is not polytheistic. The core of his argument resides in his definition of “polytheism,” which he defines as the worship of more than one God. He posits that Latter-day Saints worship only Heavenly Father;…
-
FLDS and LDS Express Complaints
A couple of interesting stories appeared over the weekend in the Salt Lake Tribune and in Deseret News. Both are related to the FLDS situation that continues to dominate headlines these days. The Salt Lake Tribune article is an opinion piece written by Fundamentalist Latter Day Saint Maggie Jessop. She begins, “So, you want to…
-
“As Does the Bible”
Since 1981 the Introduction to the Book of Mormon has stated, “The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting Gospel.” Recently the Introduction was…
-
LDS Church Rebuts NY Times “Faith of Our Fathers”
The LDS Church has posted a rebuttal to an opinion piece written by Timothy Egan that appeared on the New York Times blog on April 23rd (2008). Mr. Egan’s article, “Faith of Our Fathers,” makes a critical comparison between FLDS polygamy and the early Mormon Church. He writes, “Faith is a moving thing; witness the…
-
Catholic Parish Registers Off-Limits to LDS Church
Catholic News Service (CNS) reported last week on an April 2008 Vatican directive sent to Catholic dioceses throughout the world. In the letter, Catholic bishops are instructed to prohibit Latter-day Saints from microfilming and digitizing information contained in parish registers. CNS explained: “Father James Massa, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Ecumenical and…
-
Before God Was God
“After circumlocuting around and around the question, I finally said, ‘Yes, we believe that.'”
You must be logged in to post a comment.