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Recent Posts
D&C 25: The Fantastic Mrs. Smith
God has some words of instruction for Emma, the "elect lady" to whom the prophet of the restoration owes a great deal. Spoiler alert: this is not the most forward-thinking, feminist-allied, equality-driven text ever to be attributed to...(1 Jul)
D&C 24: Preaching, Patience, and Pruning
This section is the first of three revelations given as church leaders were in "partial seclusion" for fear of persecution. I have to wonder if the vague terms the section header uses to refer to the persecution is a way of softening up the...(26 Jun)
A New Life Phase
It’s been over a year since we updated this website. There are several countries we’ve visited that we haven’t written posts about (Germany, Austria, Czech Republic). Our Family Adventure Summit event in Bali last October (2019)...(25 Jun)
Little Known Ways To Vanilla Visa Card
When the sun begins to shine and the days get longer, you know the good weather is here. May be still be in spring, but summer is just around the corner. This means that you should start thinking about the promotional products you want to give away...(23 Jun)
Planning To Visit The Land Of Sunrise Japan?
Ueno Park is Japan’s most preferred city park. Yasukuni Shrine remains in truth house to the major sakura tree that the Tokyo federal government makes use of to identify the price of flowering sakura blossoms in the city! Mitsui Park lies in...(22 Jun)
No Deposit Bonuses 2020 – Free Spins Bonus
If you are from Australia, you can play the finest RTG and also Betsoft pokies in all our secure as well as reliable Australian online gambling enterprises. Online pokies cover the listing complied with by gambling establishment table video games...(17 Jun)
D&C 23: Proto-Patriarchal Blessing
According to the section header, this chapter is the response to five men with an "earnest desire" to know their duties in the church. Joseph produced this revelation glittering with gems of divine wisdom as a result. The duties are as...(16 Jun)
Racist?
Think you might be harboring some unacknowledged racism? Here are some items that might point in that direction. No one thing, in and of itself, is a sure lock... but if you are stacking up on a number of these, ya might want to do a little...(12 Jun)
Review: The Writings of Oliver H. Olney: April 1842 to February 1843 – Nauvoo, Illinois
The Writings of Oliver H. Olney: April 1842 to February 1843 – Nauvoo, Illinois Edited by: Richard G Moore Published by: Kofford Books, June 2020Genre: Documentary History Pages: 340 Binding: Cloth ISBN: 978-1-58958-762-5Price:...(4 Jun)
Book Review: Mercy without End: Toward a More Inclusive Church
Title: Mercy without End: Toward a More Inclusive Church, by: Lavina Fielding Anderson, Published by: Signature Books, Published in: 2020. Genre: Faith, Personal EssaysPages: 277 Binding: Paper ISBN: 978-1-56085-283-4 Price: 18.95
Jana...(27 May)
Book Review: Visions in a Seer Stone: Joseph Smith and the Making of the Book of Mormon
Title: Visions in a Seer Stone: Joseph Smith and the Making of the Book of Mormon by William Davis, Published by the University of North Carolina PressGenre: HistoryYear Published: 2020Pages: 250Binding: Cloth, Paper, eBook ISBN: Cloth,...(21 May)
The Architect of Rock and Roll
Little Richard performs at KABC in Los Angeles on Dec. 12, 1991.Sad news about Little Richard today. They broke the mold when they made him. He literally changed everything about music.I have two Little Richard stories. One was in high school. We...(9 May)
Elijah of the Old Testament was fulfilled by John the Baptist
A Marvelous Work and a WonderChapter 13The Mission of Elijah Elijah's coming foretoldThe next major event we will consider in this "restution of all things" (acts 3 :19-21) is the coming of Elijah in fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6Le Grande...(1 May)
Muh-Muh-Muh My Corona, Part Four: "The Only Thing That Matters Is The Science"
Not long ago I was re-watching the movie Rain Man. There's a scene in the film where Tom Cruise is driving cross country with his severely autistic brother Raymond, played by Dustin Hoffman. Raymond has spent his entire life in an...(26 Apr)
Do Atheists Worship?
This is a common trope among some believers, often served in the form of "Atheists are religious too" or some other such delivery.If challenged on this point, what usually follows is a watering down of the word "worship". As just happened in a...(14 Apr)
Muh-Muh-Muh My Corona, Part Three - "And Should We Die?"
Previously: Muh-Muh-Muh My Corona, Part Two, "The Virus Is Real But The Test Is A Fraud""That which does not kill us makes us stronger"-Fredrick Nietzsche"Whatever doesn't kill you makes you weaker. And it will probably kill you the next time it...(12 Apr)
Trump's Hydrocholroquine claim is currently unfounded
sinisterporpoise@yahoo.com(10 Apr)
National Day of Prayer
If your definition of prayer is as a reflective and contemplative practice... I have no quarrel. But if you mean it as some way of conjuring magic, or entreating or binding a supernatural force to perform a task for you... then I think you are...(10 Apr)
The Official Mormon Faith Promoting Joseph Smith Jr First Vision Story
sinisterporpoise@yahoo.com(10 Apr)
Joseph Smith's evolving doctrine of the Godhead
2 Nephi 31:21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true...(7 Apr)
Muh-Muh-Muh My Corona, Part Two -"COVID19 Is Real But The Test Is A Fraud"
Previously: Muh-Muh-Muy My Corona, Part One- "Science Is Your Friend"Yesterday we discussed the importance of placing scientific research in advance of political scaremongering when dealing with a topic as important as the current coronavirus...(5 Apr)
How the Second Great Awakening Laid the Seeds for Mormonism
sinisterporpoise@yahoo.com(28 Mar)
Thank You For Being My Neighbor
A couple of years ago I walked into a darkened movie theater, the trailers already underway. As I fumbled my way to my seat, back to the screen, I heard a voice. I froze, my face immediately in my hands, and burst into tears. I didn’t need to turn...(20 Mar)
Dancing With Crazy. Again.
...But only in a newly re-designed and re-edited way! NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon.(10 Mar)
The Love of God in the Toughest of Times
Friday, September 4th, 2015 was one of the worst nights of life. My stake president called me unexpectedly. Over the past six months we had been working and counseling together to form a stake-sponsored group for LGBTQ Latter-day Saints. A member...(4 Mar)
I’m (hopefully) Less Racist than I Used to Be
As a tall, white, English speaking, educated male with hair, I’m one of the most privileged people on the planet. And I have a lot of blind spots. Last Thursday I attended a panel on race and immigration at BYU. The keynote address was given by...(13 Feb)
Baptism For The Dead
1 Corinthians 15:29-Baptism for the Dead??The Mormon Teaching. In 1 Corinthians 15:29 we read, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?"James E. Talmage says,...(31 Jan)
Truth is Reason: Faith of a Scientist Reviewed
Disclosures: I personally know the author. He's a super nice guy and I appreciate him and am happy to know him. Also, I resigned my membership in the LDS church because I don't believe in it. I enjoyed reading this book and getting to know John's...(25 Jan)
State of the Me: 2019-2020
Since this new year is a nice, round number -- and I'm hitting 20 years of marriage and 20 years of living in Europe at the end of this new year -- I'd like to give a two-decade review this time.The three main axes are home/family, career, and...(19 Jan)
Goulash Soup
1.2 liters broth (in a soup pot that holds two liters+)0.2 liters red wine600 grams beef or meat substitute (such as Dinki-Gulasch Goulash, 3 packets), in small cubes (1-2 cm diameter)1 packet (50 grams) "dodatak jelima sa povrcem za Goveđi Gulaš"...(25 Dec)
OH MORMON CHURCH - ExMormon Song Parody ala O Christmas Tree
It's been almost a year since I last posted on this blog, but yesterday, I was listening to Christmas music and a lot of "alternative lyrics" started running through my head - and, of course, when I say "alternative lyrics," they usually involve...(5 Dec)
Grateful
I am also grateful for my kids, chocolate, bubble blowing, massages, music, swimming pools, roller skates, kissing, old movies, new movies, any movies, sushi, narwhals, coffee, books, heavy blankets, incense, silence, double rainbows, red...(29 Nov)
Server maintenance
I am in the process of upgrading the server for this site and its sister sites (MAA Books, Outer Blogness, and ExMormon). There will probably be some downtime(12 Nov)
A Stingy God
by Johnny Townsend On the surface, Mormons are generous. They give a full ten percent of their income to their church. They donate countless hours every week to various “callings,” as Sunday School teachers, Nursery leaders, temple workers, and...(29 Oct)
Uber Diaries: Respect the Grind
(Note: This is a story I wrote for an upcoming book. This one didn't make the final cut, but I still like it.)Pickup: Sentinel HotelThe passenger is average height, but an athletic build. He gets into the van with a duffel bag I assume is luggage. I...(23 Oct)
There Will Be No Conversion Therapy in Zion
The incomparable Buzz and Ginny SchilatyIn 2007, at the age of 23, my parents became the 5th and 6th people I told that I was attracted to men. They were immediately loving and kind. During our initial conversation my mom asked if I thought it was a...(21 Oct)
Ad Astra: A movie review
It's been a while since I opened blogger for any reason other than deleting spam comments, but I've just come out of Ad Astra and I need to talk about it. No... I need to write about it.I blame grad school and film class for this.I love a good...(7 Oct)
Magic Glasses and a Bunny Suit (saying no to perfection and yes to vulnerability)
by Emily Waite Growing up in the Mormon church, the voice that narrated my life up until now was screaming of perfection. For as we know, though we will never reach it in this life, perfection is the goal – always. After leaving the church I had...(13 Sep)
I Want to Know What Love Is
I'm not sure when I first heard the song.*It came out the year I left on my Mormon mission for France - 1984. (The lead photo was taken a few months before I left.) I was pretty sequestered in the first city I served in - Brest, at the tip of...(26 Aug)
Marketing Yourself While Maintaining Authenticity
I had an interesting realization while on a brunch date with my oldest daughter, Emily (15). Over some delicious Indian food, we talked about our purpose, what feels meaningful, and what we enjoy working on.And some questions she asked brought up...(2 Jun)
Raising Entrepreneurs
It’s exciting to see my kids learning important life skills at a much younger age than I did, and actually earning money with these skills!I suppose when I was around 14 years old, I did start doing random work for people, including typing...(2 Jun)
Warren vs. Sanders from a purely political strategy perspective.
I keep reading the claim that we have to support Bernie because he's the only one who can beat Trump in 2020. But is that really true?First of all, if Trump actually makes it to November 2020 (without being impeached and convicted),...(22 Apr)
The Dream That Changed My Life … 25 Years Later
The events of this past week in Paris brought up many memories of when I was a missionary there. They also reminded of a special anniversary. Thirty-four years ago today, I had a dream that would, 25 years later, play a key role in dramatically...(19 Apr)
Recent Comments
John Hajicek @ Worlds Without End
Thanks, Andrew. Nicely done.
jpv @ Worlds Without End
Schmee: pwned.
Andrew Hamilton @ Worlds Without End
Lavina,
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind note! Your book is suvh a gift. THANK YOU for all you do.
Lavina Fielding Anderson @ Worlds Without End
Andrew, thank you so much for correcting my omission of an entire generation of Church presidents wh...
Blake Ostler @ Worlds Without End
Schmee: Interesting comment that is totally inaccurate. Davis does not mention or quote Cicero (or a...
Mr Schmee @ Worlds Without End
Unfortunately, Ostler, the specific form of extempore preaching, sin-deliverance-service structure, ...
Blak Ostler @ Worlds Without End
Unfortunately for the theory, this oral technique using loci mnemonic devices is far from unique to ...
Andrew Hamilton @ Worlds Without End
THANKS JAKE!
Jake @ Worlds Without End
An important addendum to this lovely review:
Davis beautifully adds to, but certainly doesn’t ...
Andrew Hamilton @ Worlds Without End
Dave – SORRY! For some reason I managed to miss that there was a comment here! Both books are ...
A WordPress Commenter @ Dawning of a Brighter Day | Mormon Literature in the 21st Century
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A WordPress Commenter @ Telestial State | The Absolute Worst Utah Has to Offer
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To get started with moderating, editing, and deleting comments, please visit ...
It’s not just the social media thing that does this.It can be snobbery and a lack of acceptanc...
thanks for sharing. i’m making my way through the podcast. feeling a little lonely.
chanson @ Main Street Plaza
@Suzanne — That’s a good point. I think it really is about being trained to see right/g...
Missed you, your insights and the truth. (Hello Nauvoo Expositor.)
Helped me through a really diffic...
Suzanne Neilsen @ Main Street Plaza
I guess some people think FDR is the same as Hitler and Stalin, since they clearly can’t diffe...
Junia @ Main Street Plaza
Johnny,
Do you really think that Trump is unique among politicians in his horredness? Do you really ...
Rick @ Main Street Plaza
Homosexuals who practice are in danger of judgement, same as the practitioner of sex before marriage...
Rick @ Main Street Plaza
You cited your opinion, which you’re entitled to, however you are not citing facts. Trying to ...
Mark Daniel Cross @ Main Street Plaza
Brilliant insight Jerry. Spot on.
Megan @ Main Street Plaza
Part of the issue with the Church and Joseph Bishop is that he told his victim in the leaked audio ...
Megan @ Main Street Plaza
This is the most backward and terrible advice. Ladies, it is OKAY to initiate conversation and push ...
Ryan @ Main Street Plaza
I’m actually the individual in the ad.
At the time, I had just returned from serving a missio...
This puzzles me.
Judaism was created & in both its ancient & modern form exists for precisel...
I hit on this problem a long time ago, when I was a teenager. (It took some years to do a lot of rea...
chanson @ Main Street Plaza
Yeah, same. It was certainly never presented to me as a decision I would need to make.
Romney came down to speak in St. George a few months back. On the comments of the news story coverin...
Great essay. This is exactly the reasoning that took me out of the church. Once I knew a loving god ...
I have thought about this recently in the context of why Mormon men give up on the faith than Mormon...
Hi Ron,
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I actually went to the Unitarian Church for 5 years after I...
Hi John, I was sorry to read that after you left LDS you tried Christianity and for some reason it a...
I hope you see this – that the energy leads you back here if you haven’t already figured...
Brandon Pearce @ Pearce On Earth - Traveling Family. Entrepreneurship. Homeschool.
Wonderful! Let us know where you end up! We’ve been working with SMA Home Solutions, but there...
Hi there- we are in the process of purchasing a home in San Miguel. Can you share the name of your ...
Thanks so much for sharing what you have.It’s almost a revelation to me that I could perhaps s...
Dhammika Alawatte / Maddumage @ Pearce On Earth - Traveling Family. Entrepreneurship. Homeschool.
This Wonderful family on Travel takes us to those untapped territories & opened their wisdom &am...
Just want to let you know I found this very informative as I’m moving to the UAE for a year. I...
Brandon Pearce @ Pearce On Earth - Traveling Family. Entrepreneurship. Homeschool.
Yes, there were a few couples there together. I think it’s a fine thing to experience together...
Very enlightening thoughts! Thanks for sharing Brandon. I am looking forward to share and discuss y...
Hi Lenny, how was your experience at the retreat? I am thinking of going next month but I am very co...
Viviane Bernardin @ Pearce On Earth - Traveling Family. Entrepreneurship. Homeschool.
Hi Brandon,Interesting and balanced view on your experience. First time I heard of Ayahuasca. Have y...
Cyclingdiva @ ReubensCube
Do you know, and can you pls share with me. what type of dang cables did you use? I’m working ...
Jenny Pulinec @ ReubensCube
I also am in the same boat love the citrus splash…had it here in Ontario,Canada …but now...
Earl @ ReubensCube
Just came across your post. Looks great! I have used Drylock in the past also. Great stuff, just a b...
Citrus Blast @ ReubensCube
Rueben,
Did Crest discontinue this flavor? Like you, this is the only toothpaste I have been using ...
Gail @ ReubensCube
I love the Citrus Crest! I’m in search of it now so I can stock up. Thank goodness I have a co...
james Barends @ ReubensCube
Code requires the drum trap be air tight, not just water tight. What you have done is OK for a shor...
bejah @ ReubensCube
You’re crazy. Why in the world would you say that? college is the best thing that could happen...
Terry @ ReubensCube
Mint makes me cough and or sneeze. Allergy maybe?? I NEED my citrus toothpaste fix! We have a runni...
Lorne @ ReubensCube
Same thing here in Canada. I also hate the taste of mint and was angered that I can no longer find i...
CathyL2 @ ReubensCube
You mention this is water tight ~ but is it airtight? Sewer gasses are considerably smaller than wat...
LDSRevelations @ LDS Revelations
“Also the words did not just appear in the translators”
The actual accounts of the trans...
LDSRevelations @ LDS Revelations
“Also the words did not just appear in the translators”
The actual accounts of the trans...
Fatboy @ LDS Revelations
I think there is a very important understanding missing here. When Joseph Smith translated the Book ...
Fatboy @ LDS Revelations
I think there is a very important understanding missing here. When Joseph Smith translated the Book ...
LDSRevelations @ LDS Revelations
This just arouses my curiosity and desire to learn more of both books. I’m sure they support each ...
LDSRevelations @ LDS Revelations
This just arouses my curiosity and desire to learn more of both books. I’m sure they support each ...
LDSRevelations @ LDS Revelations
Who inspired who? In 1823 Ethan Smith in Vermont knows nothing of Joseph Smith and the claims of ang...
LDSRevelations @ LDS Revelations
Who inspired who? In 1823 Ethan Smith in Vermont knows nothing of Joseph Smith and the claims of ang...
Melisa @ LDS Revelations
Hi There,
We’re trying to spread the word about LDS LGBT Suicide and Homelessness Awareness D...
Melisa @ LDS Revelations
Hi There,
We’re trying to spread the word about LDS LGBT Suicide and Homelessness Awareness D...
David @ LDS Revelations
Now it gets a bit more interesting. Joseph first reported to his family about the gold plates in 18...
David @ LDS Revelations
Now it gets a bit more interesting. Joseph first reported to his family about the gold plates in 18...
David @ LDS Revelations
Very amusing. This just arouses my curiosity and desire to learn more of both books. I’m sur...
David @ LDS Revelations
Very amusing. This just arouses my curiosity and desire to learn more of both books. I’m sur...
Heber Frank @ LDS Revelations
If a woman married in the New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage loses her husband she MUST have t...
Heber Frank @ LDS Revelations
If a woman married in the New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage loses her husband she MUST have t...
john @ LDS Revelations
I made a business deal with some Mormons ONCE, they screwed me over. The Mormons are the last peopl...
john @ LDS Revelations
I made a business deal with some Mormons ONCE, they screwed me over. The Mormons are the last peopl...
LDSRevelations @ LDS Revelations
What LDS defenders need to look for in the BoM is the early American anachronisms (18-19th century)t...
LDSRevelations @ LDS Revelations
What LDS defenders need to look for in the BoM is the early American anachronisms (18-19th century)t...
Discussing the Name of God With a Jehovah’s Witness Elder 5/29/13 | The Edge @ Evidence Ministries
[…] We concluded our study and I gave him his copy of my study. I purposefully didn’t want t...
What Do I Do With The Dudes At My Door? 2013 | The Edge @ Evidence Ministries
[…] will meet in CBC Central (the old sanctuary) from 9:00 AM -12:oo PM. Visit our web site ca...
Keith @ Evidence Ministries
Jeff,
In all of my my 17+ years of missionary service to Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, I ha...
Jeff @ Evidence Ministries
Did a video on this in response at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RquN0RP-3CA&feature=plcp
Melody @ Evidence Ministries
I would be willing to die before I would vote for a Mormon.
Gift of Love | Mormon Coffee @ Evidence Ministries
[…] precious, healing words of hope with a ten-foot pole.But Becky Walker won’t give up. In ...
Issues with Tissues: What exactly is an Anti-Mormon Kleenex? | The Edge @ Evidence Ministries
[…] Sixth, the LDS Church does indeed attack the religion of others. Read this article for quo...
Issues with Tissues: What exactly is an Anti-Mormon Kleenex? | The Edge @ Evidence Ministries
[…] The second lady in Aaron’s video is my wife Becky. She wrote an article to the Mormon wo...
Miranda @ Evidence Ministries
That was very sly to put your card in a package of tissues, wrap with fabric ribbon to look like a g...
Parker Dahl @ Evidence Ministries
This made no sense to me.. I get a bad feeling when I read article from this website.
Hello —
I was raised Jewish, am now a “frequent attender” at Brooklyn Monthly Meet...
Sigmund Russell @ Mind on Fire | Religion, SF, and Other Speculative Fictions.
You might be interested in a new website – atheistprinciples.tripod.com (see also the linked f...
John,
I stumbled on your anniversary/invite from stake pres post when I was trying to find NB stake...
Hey John!
It’s Dana Huber from WFC. I couldn’t find you on Facebook when I looked; do yo...
Jennifer Dobner @ Mind on Fire | Religion, SF, and Other Speculative Fictions.
Hey John – Laura Compton sent me your way. I’m an Associated Press reporter in Salt Lake...
Hi there. Nice writing, mate. Might just add you to my rss-reader 🙂
I was wondering what that pho...
Hello, ex-Mormons!
My name is Rae and I’m a fellow ex-Mormon. I love, love, LOVE coming across...
John W. Morehead @ Mind on Fire | Religion, SF, and Other Speculative Fictions.
John, I found you through the article “Saving the Dead” you did for the Nov. 2006 issue ...
surcey: I’m glad you enjoy our site just as much as mommy blogs 🙂 I’ve a special plac...
Hi xJane,
I just wanted to say I am a liberal Christian (best term I can come up with so far), and I...