Home
News & People
Mormon Voices
Arts & Entertainment
Around The Church
Studies & Doctrine
Mormon Living
Emily Jensen updates “Today in the Bloggernacle” every weekday, containing the best of what we've seen from the world of LDS-oriented blog sites.
The extended “Bloggernacle Back Bench” is published Tuesdays.
Tuesday, Nov. 10
Mormon Messages: "The LDS Church's Mormon Messages channel was just named the 'Best Use of YouTube' at the 2009 Utah Social Media Awards," reports LDS Media Talk. Congrats, Mormon Messages, for this well-deserved honor!
Sesame Street: In honor of the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, I found this post from a few months ago that wonders about a "Sesame Street Approach to Primary." BiV explains, "The reason I mention Sesame Street in connection with Primary is because I have heard a lot of complaining about how difficult it is for adults who have Primary callings to spend the majority of their church instructional time with the little children. Primary workers often feel a void in their spiritual and social needs, and a Sesame Street approach could help."
Mormon poet: In the same vein of choosing the Great Mormon Novel, this blogger wonders about "Lance Larsen: The Great Mormon Poet?" Here is an example of his work from his poem "Interview" depicting a Mormon missionary: "He wants / to build a church for her out of words, invite her to pass inside."
Stakes discontinued: How many stakes would you guess have been discontinued this year? As of last week, when there was a "Stake Discontinued in Dominican Republic," there have been three. While it's unfortunate when any stake is discontinued, "so far 2009 is shaping out to be the year with the fewest stakes discontinued since 1999 when only two stakes were discontinued. The last year in which no stakes were discontinued was 1997."
Monday, November 9
Miraculous newspaper: Likely you've heard the story of "Henry Ballard's Miraculous Newspaper Delivery." In 1884 in Logan, Utah, two men dropped off a newspaper listing genealogical information for more than 60 people, just three days after the newspaper was printed in England. Ardis E. Parshall intriguingly dissects this story, and finds nothing amiss with it, except one small detail: "The thing is, though, that Henry Ballard's copy of the paper is not housed in the Church History Library" as reported, at least not that anyone's found, it could still be in the collection, somewhere.
Swine flu: "Mormons are often reluctant, whether through zeal or sense of duty, to miss Sunday services." But what if you're sick with a cold, or worse, the flu? This can quickly turn into a health problem, when something like swine flu is going around. So "What is your ward doing about swine flu?"
Here are a few great ideas: "Bishops could explicitly tell people to not come if they are ill. We could podcast services to those who cannot make it to church for health reasons. We could encourage the use of Purell when passing sacrament trays and request that parents with clean hands take bread and water for their children. We could have a lesson on how to use Sundays in a reverent way when one is too sick for church."
Swine flu 2: How are the missionaries handling the swine flu at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah? It's "Still (a) Problem Months Later at the MTC." Why? One MTC missionary reports: "A lot of people are in quarantine, and we are TRYING to stay healthy. It's just hard when we are all in such tight quarters!" But what can you do? As this blogger says, "You can't necessarily put all the missionaries in isolation since not all show signs of the flu and some never get it." Note that missionaries who are sick are supposed to delay entering the MTC, to lessen the spread of sickness.
General conference handouts: Check out Emma's Place for some sweet handouts depicting "Conference Quotes."
Friday, Nov. 6
Worldwide leadership: Tweeted from asoftanswer -- "Materials from some Worldwide Leadership Training meetings are available in multiple languages." Cool, check it out!
New media: "Don't allow confusion to invade your home because the piano and TV are in the same room, causing the TV to be turned louder, the viewers to strain harder to hear and the pianist to hit the keys with extra force." Click to read more do's and don'ts regarding the newfangled television set that was, in the 1950s, the thrilling technology of the time. Similarly to today's Ensign articles that counsel on Internet and social networking sites, this article from the Instructor briefed "Mormon Families on the New Media: Television, 1959" using photos "Illustrating common television-viewing bad habits and the corresponding elements of an 'excellent family entertainment philosophy." Fascinating!
Apostle's diaries: Want an inside look at one of the early apostle's life and times? Then click in to read "Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith." Just from the introduction, it sounds like he was an intriguing and well-loved man: "In its report of the funeral on October 18 the Tribune noted the presence of many non-Mormons at the service. This proved, it stated, 'that John Henry Smith was held in highest esteem outside of his church as well as in it.'" Hat tip to the By Common Consent sidebar and Mormon Church History.
Thursday, November 5
Hugging Joseph: "There was a boy, in the JSB, off a corridor in a small little courtyard area that contained a statue of Joseph Smith. From a way off, I could see this boy looking intently at the statue and just as I passed, he stepped up and hugged it."
And this caused this blogger to wonder "what would compel a person to hug a statue of Joseph Smith?" So begins an unorthodox but sincere testimony of Joseph Smith, titled "Statue of Limitations." And delightfully, the commenters add their own testimonies of the Prophet. So what did she ultimately realize? "In short: love Joseph Smith. Still would not hug his statue."
At last: For anyone who has waited and prayed for a baby, join in the joy of this couple's wonderful feeling of "At Last." This beautiful video montage sweetly and artistically depicts the end of a long wait, and the welcoming of a gorgeous little newborn girl. Thanks c jane, for highlighting this lovely moment.
Mormon filmmakers: "Jared and Jerusha Hess, who wrote (both of them) and directed (Jared) the 2004 independent film 'Napoleon Dynamite' are Mormons. Can we move on now? We cannot. The Hess family's religious affiliation gets brought up in nearly every story about them--which -- are proliferating now that the couple are promoting their new movie, 'Gentleman Broncos.' I don't have any problem with asking people's religion, except that, having raised it, -- nobody seems to know what to make of the fact."
Mormons see this happen over and over again. Check out some interesting insights from beliefnet about "Jared and Jerusha Hess, Your Typical Mormon Filmmakers."
Spiritual promptings: In a beautiful example of communicating with the spirit, Wilford Woodruff was impressed that his little 2-year-old daughter would die before finding out via letter, that she indeed had. His life is truly "an excellent example of forward movement after tragedy." Click to read more of "Wilford Woodruff & The Spirit."
Wednesday, November 4
Baptisms up: "For First Time In Years Baptisms Up 18% in U.S.", at least that's what Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord is reporting that a senior missionary in the Dominion Republic said, quoting Elder Richard Hinckley of the Seventy. Wow! Why the growth? Click to find out.
BBC view: Get a glimpse at what the major British Broadcasting Company thinks of Mormons by clicking into "Religion & Ethics -- Mormonism." I appreciate that the second statement explains that the church is "centred on Christ, but has substantial differences in belief to the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches." Click to read acticles on Mormon "Organisation," or "Rites" and "Beliefs." Hat-tip BCC blog for BBC link.
Conference Wordles: Tease your brain with these "October Conference Wordles", which depict, in word art, some of the talks from last conference. See if you can guess which Wordle fits which talk. Plus I love how Wordles manifest what themes were dominant. Enjoy!
Mormon image: Maybe it was the story, maybe it was the image, maybe it was the temple, whatever it was, this "Mormon (Feminist!) Image: Enter the Temple" touched me. And the conclusion is so spiritually sweet. Click to see for yourself.
Tuesday, November 3
Uganda stake: Although no firm date has been announced, it may be that the "First Stake to be Created in Uganda" will be organized sometime in January. Check out these statistics: "The Church established the first branch in Uganda in 1990 and at the time there were 32 members of the Church in the country. Membership increased to about 1,500 in 1997, 2,598 in 2000 and 4,701 in 2007. In 2008 unprecedented membership growth occurred, with membership increasing by about 2,200 to 6,919 or a rate of 47%."
Mormon studies: Coming this week! "UVU Mormon Studies Conference, November 5 & 6." Listen to presentations from Jan Shipps, Armand Mauss, Matthew Holland and more on the "Outmigration and the Mormon Quest for Education." And mark your calendars or submit a paper for the upcoming "BYU Studies 50th Anniversary Conference, March 12-13, 2010" on the theme "Of things both in heaven and in the earth."
Monday, November 2
Mormon ads: On the heels of the news that an international group recognized a Mormon Homefront ad, I decided to see if there was a place to view recent Mormon advertisements, and what do you know, there is! Enjoy more than 30 "Television and radio messages for families" such as "The Phone Call" or "Ballet" or "Family Harmony." Note: It only worked for me in Internet Explorer.
Temple studies: For the many of us who were unable to attend the "Temple Studies Group Symposium" on "The Holy Anointing Oil" held Saturday in England, David Larson has kindly provided his notes. Lecturers included Margaret Barker, who spoke on "the nature and use of the holy anointing oil in the Temple of Jerusalem"; Laurence Hemming, who spoke on "the anointing with oil in the Roman Catholic Tradition"; and BYU professor John F. Hall, who "talked about Egyptian temple rites and the role of anointing in them and how these traditions may have influenced Israelite practice." Wow, sounds absolutely fascinating!
Simple testimony: "That I love God, that I am grateful for the community of faith in the church, but I don't understand everything and that is ok." This part of "A Simple Testimony" borne yesterday in a fast and testimony meeting is both simple and profound. As she explained, "it is in being vulnerable that we allow ourselves the most growth and I truly feel grateful for multiple communities in which I can be myself. And I did it without passing out or tripping up and down the stairs." Nice.
Friday, October 30
Maine question: The LDS Law blog tackles the big differences of "How Maine Q. 1 is different from Prop. 8." First "same-sex marriage was legalized in Maine through legislative act rather than judicial opinion." Second, "Maine was also prudent enough to delay issuing marriage licenses to gay couples pending the outcome of Question 1." And third, "the LDS Church has not taken an active role in the Maine initiative like it did in California." Hat-tip to DMI Dave for pointing out this measured but fascinating summary.
Halloween history: "On November 1, some Christian faiths celebrate All Saints' Day. Although we don't officially recognize this holiday in the (church) there are some traditions of this day that we have inherited and can have meaning for us." So begins an interesting post that puts "All Saints Day (in) an LDS Context." Did you know that an All Saints' Day hymn is included in the LDS hymnbook? Click to find out more!
Halloween date: It's not often that Halloween falls so serendipitously on a weekend, so maybe you need some "Great Date Ideas: The Halloween Date." Carve pumpkins, dress up as a famous couple or even rent a Halloween movie from the provided list. Enjoy!
Halloween costume: "...to allow it to fall into obscurity would be a crime against the spirit of the holiday, I give you now The greatest Mormon Halloween costume of all time." I really don't think anyone will ever top it.
Thursday, October 29
Sir Maxwell: "The 'Whole Armor of God' -- Is This What They Mean?" intrigued me as a title, and then delighted me as a post when I clicked in and saw who was dressed up in full armor regalia. Check it out!
Judging covers: Taking the old maxim, "You can't judge a book by its cover" this blogger highlights two women: Sister A and Sister B. "Sister A married at 20 and had her first child 10 1/2 months later. She now has 5 children and is a stay-at-home mom.... Sister B is a fledgling environmentalist. She recycles as much as possible, composts, and uses a rain barrel to water her garden." Different as they come? Well, "On Books and Covers" has a surprising twist that wonderfully teaches the importance of not judging based on appearances.
Halloween memories: Remember the good old days of not having to check through your Halloween candy? Or how you could go door-to-door unchaperoned? "Oh how times have changed" laments this blogger, who proceeds to provide her favorite memories of Halloweens gone. Add your own!
Halloween treat: How do you do go "Trick or treating adult style"? Easy. "I went to Wal-Mart and bought a big bag of my favorite candy. No having to walk around all night to get candy. No having to deal with all the types of candies I don't like. Just a huge bag of everything I like." Nice.
Wednesday, October 28
Panoramic photos: Take a visit to Temple Square today without leaving your computer. All you have to do is click into 3dUtah, which portrays "Temple Square in Salt Lake City" in glorious panoramic splendor. You can zoom left, right, up or down and visit the tabernacle, the assembly hall, the grounds of Temple Square, and the Christus statue in the Visitors Center. Hat-tip to LDS Media Talk, who found these "really great" panoramic photos.
Conference calls: Have an amazing, scholarly idea for a paper? Then check out these two venues in which to present your research. "The European Mormon Studies Association Annual Conference 2010, Call for Papers" wants articles that tackle "European Mormonism and its Experience in Media and the Public Sphere." If you'll be in Holland this July, consider applying. Or, in April at Claremont Graduate University in California, you could present on "What is Mormon Studies?" Click in for details about both conferences and paper deadlines.
Halloween celebration: Donut bobbing, mummy wrap, fear factor room and pumpkin decorating. Need some ideas for an upcoming Halloween activity? Then check out the fun ones outlined in this "Halloween Celebration Night." Creative!
Tuesday, October 27
Researcher's beginnings: "Wow! You can't make up stuff this good. No one would believe it." This fitting comment illustrates Ardis E. Parshall's fascinating background story of "How I Got Hooked" into family history and history research.
Youth conference: Enjoy a lovely slides how from the Mormon New Era Message YouTube channel highlighting "LDS Youth at General Conference, Oct. 2009" set to a stirring rendition of "Choose the Right" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Mormon celebrity: Meeting President Monson in the LTM. Watching Donny Osmond buy budget cereal. Running into Thurl Bailey. Or having a famous quarterback in your bishopric. Have you had any "Brushes with Mormon Celebrity"?
Happy Birthday: "The Juvenile Instructor Turns 2" and to celebrate this milestone, they reintroduce themselves and look back at some of their favorite posts. What a nice present for us! Happy Birthday JI and I hope for many more to come!
Monday, October 26
Lebanon dedicated: On Thursday, "Lebanon Dedicated for the Preaching of the Gospel" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. And with this amazing announcement "Lebanon becomes the first country in the Middle East to be dedicated for missionary work in recent years."
School of the Prophets?: Saturday "President Monson was honored as the distinguished University of Utah fan of the game" and a few months ago, this blogger joked that with the signing of Joseph Smith to the Utah football team, that the University of Utah was the "School of the Prophets." In reality, he may be right! Click to read the quote from a prophet that this blogger found that corroborates this claim.
Nursery etiquette: "You wouldn't crash the nine-year-olds' class or the priests' quorum with a random person who doesn't fit the age requirements... Nursery is not day care. Please don't drop off your precocious sixteen-month-old because you're “very understandably -- tired of chasing her around the halls." So explains this nursery worker, who outlines "Nursery Etiquette, or, What I Wish Others Knew About My Calling." And I love the added comments such as "As elders quorum president, I wished people didn't think I was the CEO of a moving company, expecting me to organize their move because they didn't think to do it themselves."
Halloween visiting: It's the end of October, which means two things: Halloween and hurrying-to-get-visiting--teaching done. So let's combine these with this lovely "Halloween Poem to share with your sisters." Grab a treat and make a date for a visit!
Friday, October 23
Balancing life: "The first step to rectify the situation is to recognize it. Make a conscious commitment to prioritizing relationships and family more, along with faith and spiritual growth." So advises Richard Eyre, who, in a guest post at By Common Consent, discusses how to achieve "Four-Dimensional Success." Find out the four dimensions that lead to happiness and how to balance them better in your life!
Big heart: I've been following the progress of Our Sweet "Heart" and am happy to report that "He's here." I add my hearty congratulations and wish for luck in all future surgeries. And I loved the testimony of his parents: "We are so grateful for this sweet boy and for the true miracle that his is. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for the blessing of getting to be (his) parents."
Christmas spirit: Even with Halloween just around the corner, I've seen store Christmas displays and Christmas television commercials. So I'll give in to the Christmas cheer today, especially in highlighting this wonderful story of one missionary sister who experienced "A Bulgarian Christmas." She remembers "The Christmas I spent as a missionary was not what I'd thought or wanted it to be, but it did teach me many things. We were blessed with safety, and given the chance to serve members of the Church in Sofia." Click to read the whole account!
Leaves project: If you have an abundance of leaves littering your lawn, then this easy and beautiful "Fall Leaves Project" may be just the thing to add to your holiday decorating. And bonus, it'd be fun to do with kids, who could pick out the leaves and decide where to put your finished creations!
Faith site: Check out the new Faith in Jesus Christ site recently launched at LDS.org. Earlier I noticed a few tweets about it and clicked in to find some beautiful videos discussing what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ and some downloadable pictures of the Savior.
Human life: Rosalynde Welch takes on the difficult and complicated topic of the morality of artificial reproductive therapies in “Human life, religious voices and the public square.” She specifically focuses on the Stansels, a Mormon couple in the news recently who refused selective reduction and had six babies prematurely, only two of which are alive. What do you think?
Free books: What’s better than books? Free books! And Deseret Book is offering a collection of pdf books, all for free! Authors include Elder Richard G. Scott, John Bytheway, Richard Holzapfel, Jack Weyand and more.
Tuesday, Nov. 10
Mormon Messages: "The LDS Church's Mormon Messages channel was just named the 'Best Use of YouTube' at the 2009 Utah Social Media Awards," reports LDS Media Talk. Congrats, Mormon Messages, for this well-deserved honor!
Sesame Street: In honor of the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, I found this post from a few months ago that wonders about a "Sesame Street Approach to Primary." BiV explains, "The reason I mention Sesame Street in connection with Primary is because I have heard a lot of complaining about how difficult it is for adults who have Primary callings to spend the majority of their church instructional time with the little children. Primary workers often feel a void in their spiritual and social needs, and a Sesame Street approach could help."
Mormon poet: In the same vein of choosing the Great Mormon Novel, this blogger wonders about "Lance Larsen: The Great Mormon Poet?" Here is an example of his work from his poem "Interview" depicting a Mormon missionary: "He wants / to build a church for her out of words, invite her to pass inside."
Stakes discontinued: How many stakes would you guess have been discontinued this year? As of last week, when there was a "Stake Discontinued in Dominican Republic," there have been three. While it's unfortunate when any stake is discontinued, "so far 2009 is shaping out to be the year with the fewest stakes discontinued since 1999 when only two stakes were discontinued. The last year in which no stakes were discontinued was 1997."
Monday, November 9
Miraculous newspaper: Likely you've heard the story of "Henry Ballard's Miraculous Newspaper Delivery." In 1884 in Logan, Utah, two men dropped off a newspaper listing genealogical information for more than 60 people, just three days after the newspaper was printed in England. Ardis E. Parshall intriguingly dissects this story, and finds nothing amiss with it, except one small detail: "The thing is, though, that Henry Ballard's copy of the paper is not housed in the Church History Library" as reported, at least not that anyone's found, it could still be in the collection, somewhere.
Swine flu: "Mormons are often reluctant, whether through zeal or sense of duty, to miss Sunday services." But what if you're sick with a cold, or worse, the flu? This can quickly turn into a health problem, when something like swine flu is going around. So "What is your ward doing about swine flu?"
Here are a few great ideas: "Bishops could explicitly tell people to not come if they are ill. We could podcast services to those who cannot make it to church for health reasons. We could encourage the use of Purell when passing sacrament trays and request that parents with clean hands take bread and water for their children. We could have a lesson on how to use Sundays in a reverent way when one is too sick for church."
Swine flu 2: How are the missionaries handling the swine flu at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah? It's "Still (a) Problem Months Later at the MTC." Why? One MTC missionary reports: "A lot of people are in quarantine, and we are TRYING to stay healthy. It's just hard when we are all in such tight quarters!" But what can you do? As this blogger says, "You can't necessarily put all the missionaries in isolation since not all show signs of the flu and some never get it." Note that missionaries who are sick are supposed to delay entering the MTC, to lessen the spread of sickness.
General conference handouts: Check out Emma's Place for some sweet handouts depicting "Conference Quotes."
Friday, Nov. 6
Worldwide leadership: Tweeted from asoftanswer -- "Materials from some Worldwide Leadership Training meetings are available in multiple languages." Cool, check it out!
New media: "Don't allow confusion to invade your home because the piano and TV are in the same room, causing the TV to be turned louder, the viewers to strain harder to hear and the pianist to hit the keys with extra force." Click to read more do's and don'ts regarding the newfangled television set that was, in the 1950s, the thrilling technology of the time. Similarly to today's Ensign articles that counsel on Internet and social networking sites, this article from the Instructor briefed "Mormon Families on the New Media: Television, 1959" using photos "Illustrating common television-viewing bad habits and the corresponding elements of an 'excellent family entertainment philosophy." Fascinating!
Apostle's diaries: Want an inside look at one of the early apostle's life and times? Then click in to read "Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith." Just from the introduction, it sounds like he was an intriguing and well-loved man: "In its report of the funeral on October 18 the Tribune noted the presence of many non-Mormons at the service. This proved, it stated, 'that John Henry Smith was held in highest esteem outside of his church as well as in it.'" Hat tip to the By Common Consent sidebar and Mormon Church History.
Thursday, November 5
Hugging Joseph: "There was a boy, in the JSB, off a corridor in a small little courtyard area that contained a statue of Joseph Smith. From a way off, I could see this boy looking intently at the statue and just as I passed, he stepped up and hugged it."
And this caused this blogger to wonder "what would compel a person to hug a statue of Joseph Smith?" So begins an unorthodox but sincere testimony of Joseph Smith, titled "Statue of Limitations." And delightfully, the commenters add their own testimonies of the Prophet. So what did she ultimately realize? "In short: love Joseph Smith. Still would not hug his statue."
At last: For anyone who has waited and prayed for a baby, join in the joy of this couple's wonderful feeling of "At Last." This beautiful video montage sweetly and artistically depicts the end of a long wait, and the welcoming of a gorgeous little newborn girl. Thanks c jane, for highlighting this lovely moment.
Mormon filmmakers: "Jared and Jerusha Hess, who wrote (both of them) and directed (Jared) the 2004 independent film 'Napoleon Dynamite' are Mormons. Can we move on now? We cannot. The Hess family's religious affiliation gets brought up in nearly every story about them--which -- are proliferating now that the couple are promoting their new movie, 'Gentleman Broncos.' I don't have any problem with asking people's religion, except that, having raised it, -- nobody seems to know what to make of the fact."
Mormons see this happen over and over again. Check out some interesting insights from beliefnet about "Jared and Jerusha Hess, Your Typical Mormon Filmmakers."
Spiritual promptings: In a beautiful example of communicating with the spirit, Wilford Woodruff was impressed that his little 2-year-old daughter would die before finding out via letter, that she indeed had. His life is truly "an excellent example of forward movement after tragedy." Click to read more of "Wilford Woodruff & The Spirit."
Wednesday, November 4
Baptisms up: "For First Time In Years Baptisms Up 18% in U.S.", at least that's what Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord is reporting that a senior missionary in the Dominion Republic said, quoting Elder Richard Hinckley of the Seventy. Wow! Why the growth? Click to find out.
BBC view: Get a glimpse at what the major British Broadcasting Company thinks of Mormons by clicking into "Religion & Ethics -- Mormonism." I appreciate that the second statement explains that the church is "centred on Christ, but has substantial differences in belief to the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches." Click to read acticles on Mormon "Organisation," or "Rites" and "Beliefs." Hat-tip BCC blog for BBC link.
Conference Wordles: Tease your brain with these "October Conference Wordles", which depict, in word art, some of the talks from last conference. See if you can guess which Wordle fits which talk. Plus I love how Wordles manifest what themes were dominant. Enjoy!
Mormon image: Maybe it was the story, maybe it was the image, maybe it was the temple, whatever it was, this "Mormon (Feminist!) Image: Enter the Temple" touched me. And the conclusion is so spiritually sweet. Click to see for yourself.
Tuesday, November 3
Uganda stake: Although no firm date has been announced, it may be that the "First Stake to be Created in Uganda" will be organized sometime in January. Check out these statistics: "The Church established the first branch in Uganda in 1990 and at the time there were 32 members of the Church in the country. Membership increased to about 1,500 in 1997, 2,598 in 2000 and 4,701 in 2007. In 2008 unprecedented membership growth occurred, with membership increasing by about 2,200 to 6,919 or a rate of 47%."
Mormon studies: Coming this week! "UVU Mormon Studies Conference, November 5 & 6." Listen to presentations from Jan Shipps, Armand Mauss, Matthew Holland and more on the "Outmigration and the Mormon Quest for Education." And mark your calendars or submit a paper for the upcoming "BYU Studies 50th Anniversary Conference, March 12-13, 2010" on the theme "Of things both in heaven and in the earth."
Monday, November 2
Mormon ads: On the heels of the news that an international group recognized a Mormon Homefront ad, I decided to see if there was a place to view recent Mormon advertisements, and what do you know, there is! Enjoy more than 30 "Television and radio messages for families" such as "The Phone Call" or "Ballet" or "Family Harmony." Note: It only worked for me in Internet Explorer.
Temple studies: For the many of us who were unable to attend the "Temple Studies Group Symposium" on "The Holy Anointing Oil" held Saturday in England, David Larson has kindly provided his notes. Lecturers included Margaret Barker, who spoke on "the nature and use of the holy anointing oil in the Temple of Jerusalem"; Laurence Hemming, who spoke on "the anointing with oil in the Roman Catholic Tradition"; and BYU professor John F. Hall, who "talked about Egyptian temple rites and the role of anointing in them and how these traditions may have influenced Israelite practice." Wow, sounds absolutely fascinating!
Simple testimony: "That I love God, that I am grateful for the community of faith in the church, but I don't understand everything and that is ok." This part of "A Simple Testimony" borne yesterday in a fast and testimony meeting is both simple and profound. As she explained, "it is in being vulnerable that we allow ourselves the most growth and I truly feel grateful for multiple communities in which I can be myself. And I did it without passing out or tripping up and down the stairs." Nice.
Friday, October 30
Maine question: The LDS Law blog tackles the big differences of "How Maine Q. 1 is different from Prop. 8." First "same-sex marriage was legalized in Maine through legislative act rather than judicial opinion." Second, "Maine was also prudent enough to delay issuing marriage licenses to gay couples pending the outcome of Question 1." And third, "the LDS Church has not taken an active role in the Maine initiative like it did in California." Hat-tip to DMI Dave for pointing out this measured but fascinating summary.
Halloween history: "On November 1, some Christian faiths celebrate All Saints' Day. Although we don't officially recognize this holiday in the (church) there are some traditions of this day that we have inherited and can have meaning for us." So begins an interesting post that puts "All Saints Day (in) an LDS Context." Did you know that an All Saints' Day hymn is included in the LDS hymnbook? Click to find out more!
Halloween date: It's not often that Halloween falls so serendipitously on a weekend, so maybe you need some "Great Date Ideas: The Halloween Date." Carve pumpkins, dress up as a famous couple or even rent a Halloween movie from the provided list. Enjoy!
Halloween costume: "...to allow it to fall into obscurity would be a crime against the spirit of the holiday, I give you now The greatest Mormon Halloween costume of all time." I really don't think anyone will ever top it.
Thursday, October 29
Sir Maxwell: "The 'Whole Armor of God' -- Is This What They Mean?" intrigued me as a title, and then delighted me as a post when I clicked in and saw who was dressed up in full armor regalia. Check it out!
Judging covers: Taking the old maxim, "You can't judge a book by its cover" this blogger highlights two women: Sister A and Sister B. "Sister A married at 20 and had her first child 10 1/2 months later. She now has 5 children and is a stay-at-home mom.... Sister B is a fledgling environmentalist. She recycles as much as possible, composts, and uses a rain barrel to water her garden." Different as they come? Well, "On Books and Covers" has a surprising twist that wonderfully teaches the importance of not judging based on appearances.
Halloween memories: Remember the good old days of not having to check through your Halloween candy? Or how you could go door-to-door unchaperoned? "Oh how times have changed" laments this blogger, who proceeds to provide her favorite memories of Halloweens gone. Add your own!
Halloween treat: How do you do go "Trick or treating adult style"? Easy. "I went to Wal-Mart and bought a big bag of my favorite candy. No having to walk around all night to get candy. No having to deal with all the types of candies I don't like. Just a huge bag of everything I like." Nice.
Wednesday, October 28
Panoramic photos: Take a visit to Temple Square today without leaving your computer. All you have to do is click into 3dUtah, which portrays "Temple Square in Salt Lake City" in glorious panoramic splendor. You can zoom left, right, up or down and visit the tabernacle, the assembly hall, the grounds of Temple Square, and the Christus statue in the Visitors Center. Hat-tip to LDS Media Talk, who found these "really great" panoramic photos.
Conference calls: Have an amazing, scholarly idea for a paper? Then check out these two venues in which to present your research. "The European Mormon Studies Association Annual Conference 2010, Call for Papers" wants articles that tackle "European Mormonism and its Experience in Media and the Public Sphere." If you'll be in Holland this July, consider applying. Or, in April at Claremont Graduate University in California, you could present on "What is Mormon Studies?" Click in for details about both conferences and paper deadlines.
Halloween celebration: Donut bobbing, mummy wrap, fear factor room and pumpkin decorating. Need some ideas for an upcoming Halloween activity? Then check out the fun ones outlined in this "Halloween Celebration Night." Creative!
Tuesday, October 27
Researcher's beginnings: "Wow! You can't make up stuff this good. No one would believe it." This fitting comment illustrates Ardis E. Parshall's fascinating background story of "How I Got Hooked" into family history and history research.
Youth conference: Enjoy a lovely slides how from the Mormon New Era Message YouTube channel highlighting "LDS Youth at General Conference, Oct. 2009" set to a stirring rendition of "Choose the Right" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Mormon celebrity: Meeting President Monson in the LTM. Watching Donny Osmond buy budget cereal. Running into Thurl Bailey. Or having a famous quarterback in your bishopric. Have you had any "Brushes with Mormon Celebrity"?
Happy Birthday: "The Juvenile Instructor Turns 2" and to celebrate this milestone, they reintroduce themselves and look back at some of their favorite posts. What a nice present for us! Happy Birthday JI and I hope for many more to come!
Monday, October 26
Lebanon dedicated: On Thursday, "Lebanon Dedicated for the Preaching of the Gospel" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. And with this amazing announcement "Lebanon becomes the first country in the Middle East to be dedicated for missionary work in recent years."
School of the Prophets?: Saturday "President Monson was honored as the distinguished University of Utah fan of the game" and a few months ago, this blogger joked that with the signing of Joseph Smith to the Utah football team, that the University of Utah was the "School of the Prophets." In reality, he may be right! Click to read the quote from a prophet that this blogger found that corroborates this claim.
Nursery etiquette: "You wouldn't crash the nine-year-olds' class or the priests' quorum with a random person who doesn't fit the age requirements... Nursery is not day care. Please don't drop off your precocious sixteen-month-old because you're “very understandably -- tired of chasing her around the halls." So explains this nursery worker, who outlines "Nursery Etiquette, or, What I Wish Others Knew About My Calling." And I love the added comments such as "As elders quorum president, I wished people didn't think I was the CEO of a moving company, expecting me to organize their move because they didn't think to do it themselves."
Halloween visiting: It's the end of October, which means two things: Halloween and hurrying-to-get-visiting--teaching done. So let's combine these with this lovely "Halloween Poem to share with your sisters." Grab a treat and make a date for a visit!
Friday, October 23
Balancing life: "The first step to rectify the situation is to recognize it. Make a conscious commitment to prioritizing relationships and family more, along with faith and spiritual growth." So advises Richard Eyre, who, in a guest post at By Common Consent, discusses how to achieve "Four-Dimensional Success." Find out the four dimensions that lead to happiness and how to balance them better in your life!
Big heart: I've been following the progress of Our Sweet "Heart" and am happy to report that "He's here." I add my hearty congratulations and wish for luck in all future surgeries. And I loved the testimony of his parents: "We are so grateful for this sweet boy and for the true miracle that his is. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for the blessing of getting to be (his) parents."
Christmas spirit: Even with Halloween just around the corner, I've seen store Christmas displays and Christmas television commercials. So I'll give in to the Christmas cheer today, especially in highlighting this wonderful story of one missionary sister who experienced "A Bulgarian Christmas." She remembers "The Christmas I spent as a missionary was not what I'd thought or wanted it to be, but it did teach me many things. We were blessed with safety, and given the chance to serve members of the Church in Sofia." Click to read the whole account!
Leaves project: If you have an abundance of leaves littering your lawn, then this easy and beautiful "Fall Leaves Project" may be just the thing to add to your holiday decorating. And bonus, it'd be fun to do with kids, who could pick out the leaves and decide where to put your finished creations!
Faith site: Check out the new Faith in Jesus Christ site recently launched at LDS.org. Earlier I noticed a few tweets about it and clicked in to find some beautiful videos discussing what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ and some downloadable pictures of the Savior.
Human life: Rosalynde Welch takes on the difficult and complicated topic of the morality of artificial reproductive therapies in “Human life, religious voices and the public square.” She specifically focuses on the Stansels, a Mormon couple in the news recently who refused selective reduction and had six babies prematurely, only two of which are alive. What do you think?
Free books: What’s better than books? Free books! And Deseret Book is offering a collection of pdf books, all for free! Authors include Elder Richard G. Scott, John Bytheway, Richard Holzapfel, Jack Weyand and more.
NEW TODAY
MOST POPULAR
YESTERDAY