Mormon Life - Opinion tag

Mormons in the real world: Wondering about the future of my daughter

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:49:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

Mormon Life says: What an honest and vulnerable opinion piece. I loved it. I am a Mormon man and have been for some time.

I remember when the logo for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was all in the same sized font. I remember when there wasn't a logo.

I go to church on Sunday and sometimes on Wednesday when my youngest daughter Anne is in charge of New Beginnings or some other Young Women program, and I go to as many of my teen boy's church basketball games as I can.

I am a home teacher. I am often so late in the month that I am early.

Togetherness, not fairness, should rule

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:19:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

Over the past few weeks, I've been traveling from bookstore to bookstore chatting about the Prodigal Son.

I'd tell you why, but that would be too self-serving.

(OK, one hint: It has to do with my new book, "Rescued," about my years as a prodigal.)

As people would come in each store, I'd start talking with them about my experience.

Wright Words: You know I'm a Mormon, but do you know why?

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:23:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

It’s hard to believe nearly two years have passed since I wrote the column, “Author Jason Wright confesses, 'I am a Mormon.’ ” To this day, it remains one of my favorites.

The piece was a public realization that I’d spent too long simply waiting for people to ask me my religion, rather than volunteering it as a major component of who I am and where I come from. For years I treaded lightly around religion because the majority of my readers are members of other faiths. It’s ironic that in my efforts to avoid offending people over differing religious beliefs, I was offending the God we share in common.

The strange connection between white shirts and LDS priesthood power

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:07:00 -0700

source: standard.net

Mormon Life says: What do you think--should Priesthood holders wear a white shirt to church? I became my ward’s high priest group leader last Sunday. After I was ordained, I started to give a lesson on John the Baptist. The same church leader who ordained me interrupted to tell me that from now on, he wanted to see me wearing white shirts. Other colors, including the black, long-sleeve button up I was wearing, were not tolerated.

I considered asking him if the same rules applied to John the Baptist almost 2,000 years ago, but that would have been snarky, and I do respect the man and his church position. Nevertheless, the edict reminds me of one of my favorite episodes of “The Simpsons,” where Homer undergoes aggressive questioning and a body cavity search after wearing a pink shirt to work. The Simpsons patriarch is eventually committed to an insane asylum after failing a sanity test.

A friend of mine opined that a black shirt worn by an active priesthood holder might signify individualism, or a less-than-sterling obesiance to authority. (I wonder if a white dress shirt is now required garb for all male journalists at The Deseret News?)

Leave a comment below or join the discussion on our Facebook page.

Latter-day Saint Extremism

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:35:00 -0700

source: ldsliberty.org

While there are so-called “extremists” in many areas of our political spectrum this article will deal more with the supposed “right-wing extremists” within our Church and nation. I have seen a great resurgence of interest in the core principles of liberty and the Constitution within our Latter-day Saint community. I, myself, have been a part of this resurgence. Anyone familiar with the principles of liberty can understand why we as Latter-day Saints are particularly attracted to this philosophy and to the cause for freedom. Simply put, the preservation of man’s agency is at the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, many of us who have whole heartedly embraced this new philosophy and way of life have been shunned and labeled “extreme” by those with whom we feel the most kinship, our fellow Latter-day Saints. The purpose of this article is not to explain whether we are extreme or not, but to dispel public perception and provide tools for us to explain what we are really about.

Extremism can be defined as any political theory favoring immoderate uncompromising policies. Certainly we as LDS liberty lovers fall under this definition of extremism. However, there are other elements to defining this topic in today’s vernacular. The term we’re focusing on can be relative to the group, culture, and time in which one lives. Some ideas and ways of thinking can be perfectly acceptable in one culture and time and quite extreme in another. I argue that many if not most of the views we hold would not be out of the norm at all in the days of the American Founding. However those same views are thought of as “radical” today. The principles of liberty were common knowledge among all Englishman during the American Colonial period.

Ask Dr. Elia: Religious Intolerance — Mormon churches under fire

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 09:49:00 -0600

source: MormonTimes.com

Over the past two weeks we have witnessed attacks on LDS churches in an unprecedented fashion. It started on Oct. 16 in the state of Washington. According to a joint federal and local investigation, arson has been confirmed as the cause of a two-alarm fire that burned an LDS church building to the ground.

A $10,000 award has been offered for any information leading to the arrest of the arsonist. Two wards (congregations) have been displaced. I wonder how those people feel about their place of worship being destroyed?

The second incident occurred five days later in Pleasant Grove, Utah. It appears that four teenagers — three boys and one girl, between the ages of 13 and 14 — broke into and vandalized the church building. They overturned tables, started some hymn books on fire, broke into the Stake President's office and in one classroom wrote anti-Mormon messages on the the chalkboard.

Thankfully these individuals were quickly apprehended by the police. Although the damage was mainly cosmetic in nature, once again the question is, "What would drive them to such a despicable act?"

Why are most Mormons Republican?

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:11:00 -0600

source: jewishjournal.com

“I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.” – Joseph Smith, explaining to a legislator how he managed to govern so many Mormons.

In two days the nation’s Jews and Mormons will join their fellow citizens in electing political leaders to local, state, and national offices. While I try to document on this blog where the two communities converge, there is no denying an obvious difference: Jews are second only to blacks in their support for Democrats, and Mormons are probably the reddest religious group in the country.

While many rabbis believe that they are following in the “prophetic tradition” by speaking out on the issues of the day from the pulpit, LDS leaders – who actually believe they are led by prophets – almost never address political issues in their sermons. Many of my non-Mormon friends were surprised to learn that the one place where former presidential candidate Mitt Romney could not deliver a political speech during his campaign was an LDS chapel. In my lifetime, I can only recall our leaders asking members to vote a certain way on two political issues that we considered to be primarily moral issues: gay marriage and the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment), both of which were viewed as threats to the traditional family.