For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 In the middle 1970s, I was an LDS missionary in the southern United States – the Bible Belt. Everywhere we went, we saw the phrase, “John 3:16.” It … Read more
Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. Genesis 45:19-20 In the Book of Genesis, Joseph, who had … Read more
Although all is not gold that shines, any more than every religious creed is sanctioned with the so eternally sure word of prophecy, satisfying all doubt with “Thus saith the Lord;” yet, “by proving contraries,” truth is made manifest,” and a wise man can search out “old paths, wherein righteous men held communion with Jehovah, … Read more
The other day I asked this question to my 89-year-old mother. Her answer was, “I don’t believe that for a minute. She knew exactly what she was doing.” It is impossible to know the precise degree to which Eve may have made her decision (about eating the fruit) by being swayed by Satan’s temptations or … Read more
In 1995, the LDS Church issued a statement called “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” This Proclamation was recently the topic of study in LDS Sunday School classes. I believe many Latter-day Saints misuse this Proclamation to push a politically conservative agenda. What are LDS “Proclamations”? The Church has issued six Proclamations throughout its … Read more
There is an old quip that says, “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” This hypothetical court case is usually presented as a challenge to professed Christians to step up and actually LIVE according to the precepts taught by Jesus Christ. It is one thing to … Read more
In August of 1835 a conference of the LDS Church voted to add an appendix to the back of its soon to be published Doctrine and Covenants. It was entitled “A Declaration on Government and Law.” It is now Section 134 of the book. This declaration contains a number of principles that deserve to be … Read more
In a democracy, a wannabe tyrant is just a comical figure on a soapbox unless a huge wave of supporters lifts him to high office. Bob Altmeyer Much has been written about autocrats and despots. At whatever scale, home, school, work, or an entire country, these people rule as dictators using fear and the threat … Read more