I feel a desire in my heart to express gratitude for many things, especially at this time of year. First and foremost, I am grateful for a Savior who took away my sin. That phrase has been ringing in my mind lately as I have been listening to Christmas hymns. It has come to mean …
Although the book was published in February of this year, I just now got around to buying and reading it. Perhaps it was the reminder from Denver on his blog recently. I also remembered there was a conference with the same theme back in February. I did not attend due to distance and work commitments. …
As many long-time readers know, I am not worthy to speak at fellowship gatherings or to minister in the ordinances of the gospel, either in or out of the LDS Church. I cannot administer the Sacrament in my own home because my wife does not sustain me (besides, the LDS Church withdrew that option now that COVID is over), nor can I minister in fellowship gatherings, again, because I am unworthy to do so without the support of my wife. Yet, I am content. I love my wife and as far as I know, she loves me. Surely God will bless us as we strive to avoid contention.
It has been over six years since I asked to have my name removed from the membership records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (September of 2014). I remain convinced it was the right thing to do at the time. However, I have often wondered how different things might have been in …
There is something wonderful about ceremony and ritual that gives strength to the ordinance of the sacrament. Although we have been able to partake of the sacrament in the home of our Elder’s Quorum President each week, there just seems to be added strength in worshiping together in a larger body.
Last week, for the first time that I can recall in the five years since I had resigned my membership in the LDS Church, a good brother of the ward stopped me on my way to the car after church and said, “I just wanted to tell you how much I admire you. Each Sunday you come to church, sit next to your wife and listen carefully to the speakers. I know you’re here supporting your wife even though you’re not a believer. You stand tall in my book.” I wanted to correct him that I AM a believer, but the time wasn’t right.
One has to wonder what the leaders of the LDS Church think of their members who read contrversial books about LDS Chutrch History, especially since they now encouraging studying the gospel in home study groups.
Doctrine of Christ Conference March 18th – 19th 2017 — St. George, Utah, USA The website at DoctrineofChristConference.com is being updated with the following information on February 27, 2017 About this Conference The idea for this spring conference came after the September 2016 Boise Doctrine of Christ Conference where an amazing thing happened – people …
Does it matter where you gather as a group of believers when you want to feel close to the Lord?
First, Keith asked fellow bloggers to get the word out about the deadline to record 2015 baptismal ordinances. You can read more about it on his blog: Recorder’s Clearinghouse. And Keith, don’t be mad, but may I offer this: a new entry in an existing blog is called a post. So what Keith has written is …
Fellowship is designed to strengthen one another: to bear one another’s burdens and encourage each other in this life.
I don’t live in Utah so I’m not used to hearing stories like this: My niece married later in life, and now has two lovely stepdaughters. Someone among the friends of the girls was having a birthday party but these two girls were not invited even though they play with the same group of girls …
One of the quickest ways to get kicked out of the LDS Church is to participate in ordinances outside the order authorized in the Church Handbook. The Church frowns on people performing baptisms or holding Sacrament meetings without the Bishop’s permission. This restriction – this imposed control – was a contributing factor to my resignation …
I used to diligently draw 10% of my income from my monthly paycheck and hand it over to the bishop. I knew I was doing the Lord’s will. I would encounter a sense of relief for doing my duty (as my paychecks got bigger, the sacrifice did as well), as well as a sense of peace …
Doesn’t it just irk you when people take the name of the Lord in vain? We have all heard it many times. It happens all the time in a variety of places. Many of us might be sensitive to hearing people drop the name of God like it is nothing. So what does it mean …
I was blessed to witness three baptisms last week. Although he lives 120 miles from me, it was good to be there with a friend for his baptism. The ordinance was performed by the same man who came from Utah to baptize me. Our community is small and scattered here in California. In fact, for …
I am a Mormon. I am not a member of the LDS Church. There is a difference between the two – a big difference. The LDS Church does not define Mormonism. The LDS Church has changed dramatically from what God revealed through Joseph Smith. That memory has been lost, altered, redefined, added unto, retracted from …
I ask myself why I do this. I go to Sacrament meeting each week with my wife, because I don’t want her to feel alone, but I don’t partake of the Sacrament. As a non-member, I could partake. It’s clearly spelled out in the handbook that those who are not members of the LDS Church …
I am grateful for the responses to the two posts that have been written. I understand a lot of this is somewhat new to people and yet so many of you received it by the Spirit so quickly. It shows the preparation that has been done in our souls to release us from the bondage of false …
Continuing on from the last post, I pray for the Spirit to help me share some things in a way that will be plain. Some things I share may be known by some of you, and to others of you these ideas may sound like foolishness and far-fetched. Either way for the first time I …
My Bishop is a wise man. He has the spirit of discernment. I know he and my Stake President asked me to not write publicly about our conversations on my blog, but things have changed. In our last interview, when I said I was ready to get my temple recommend, he said he didn’t believe …
I tried to do a little live-blogging to my Facebook Group as the lecture rolled forth. I couldn’t keep up. There were too many declarations coming too fast. I should not have been surprised. Carol has been telling me for months, maybe for the past year that the day would come when Denver would make …
Denver Snuffer recently posted the news on his blog that he has been excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for apostasy. It was not unexpected by most who are familiar with his writings. This morning, before I learned the news, I received the email below from a reader regarding Denver and …
Update 9-11-13: Denver Snuffer has been excommunicated. You can read it on his blog. A reader asked my opinion of a recent post about Denver Snuffer by Russell Stevenson over on Rational Faiths. Somehow I missed it even though I go there often. It’s entitled, “Housewife Danites: Denver Snuffer and the Suburban Underground” dated August …
I wrote an essay several years ago on my old blog that still gets a lot of hits even though I retired that blog and transferred everything over here. I’m glad I kept the old blog up because occasionally I get a comment there that inspires me to write something profound. Well, I think it’s …
What a wonderful day it is to consider together our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I’m grateful to partake of the sacrament with you and to renew my covenant to remember him and to follow him. I’m not sure that I really understood the significance of that covenant when I first took it upon myself …
One of the ways to share the gospel online is to create a profile on Mormon.org and the answer the personal questions found there about how you live the gospel.
I have not taken the sacrament over the last few weeks. Each Sunday I was out of town visiting my dad who is in the hospital. I missed taking the sacrament and felt the difference during the week. No, the sacrament isn’t some magic potion that cures all ills, but it is a powerful way …
As we go through life, we embrace high ideals as standards that we value. I am confident that most of us do not perfectly live up to those high value standards. That can cause difficulty in our lives and can be a major form of stress. How do we deal with the discrepancy of a …