For generations, Latter-day Saints in need have been counseled first to help themselves, then to get help from family members, and then the Church. But that has now changed, with bishops being encouraged to point members to government welfare programs. When did this change occur and why?
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Critics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ often barf up a long list of supposed "gotchas" in an attempt to overwhelm ignorant and unsuspecting victims who are unfamiliar with church history or scholarship. Do their criticisms of the faith withstand scrutiny? How should Latter-day Saints respond?
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Dr. Paul Erhlich famously (and wrongly) claimed in 1968 that hundreds of millions of people would die of starvation, and this week was on 60 Minutes spouting the same fearmongering nonsense. Evil is called good, lies are advanced as truth, and "experts" are held up as credible by a corrupt media. But what's the truth, and what do we do about it?
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Have you ever actually read the law of tithing? If you do so while referencing the 1828 dictionary (to understand the meaning of words at the time), a far different picture emerges than what is understood by most people in the church today. And it probably means that you're paying more than is required of you.
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Too often we gloss over or altogether ignore a select set of scripture versus that rebuke us for our hypocrisy and apostasy, wrongly thinking that they don't apply to us. In this musing, Connor discusses how Moroni was speaking about and to us in his condemnation of our corruption.
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While many in the Church focus on religious freedom, including most recently President Dallin H. Oaks in a recent speech in Rome, it is worth considering if this narrowing of our concern to religious matters excludes other areas where we as a church community should publicly fight for freedom. Joseph Smith, for example, proclaimed a desire to defend the "civil and religious" liberty of all people. Should we?
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What has become a second "Independence Day" of sorts has special meaning for members of the LDS Church whose heritage requires them to recognize that the government is full of "damned rascals," as Brigham Young once called them, who fail to secure our rights and often persecute instead of protect us.
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The Bible's story of Elisha and the hosts of heaven surrounding Syria's army should help followers of the Way realize we're in the majority even though our positions and actions might be in the mortal minority, subject to scorn and derision from peers, neighbors, and family members.
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Should we sing patriotic songs in sacrament meeting? Is it appropriate to bear testimony of the "land of the free" and the like, especially for people who do nothing about it? Connor shares why he skipped church today and why the 4th of July worship service has been problematic for him in the past.
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In a religion that involves ongoing revelation, our beliefs are always subject to change. Some Latter-day Saints might be further along in their access to spiritual insights than us… so what does it look like to enforce membership restrictions on people who believe (and even advocate for) things that might fall outside of the mainstream?
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We often talk about wars and events happening elsewhere, but we don't know "the hearts of men in [our] own land." Why do we fall into the trap of fixating on external issues when there are so many internal issues we need to be fixing? Connor elaborates on an oft-ignored scripture to discuss its modern application.
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Are the leaders of the Church always inspired? What is "prophetic counsel" that we are supposed to follow? And how can we determine what is from God and what is merely good advice to consider? Connor shares some historical examples to suggest the importance of not assuming that everything leaders say is inherently from God.
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Despite claiming to care about religious freedom, why is the Church not speaking out against its threats today? Connor discusses the difference between institutional and individual obligations to support freedom, and why those who claim to worship God need to do something about it.
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Many members of the LDS Church misunderstand what the War in Heaven was all about. They think that Satan wanted to "force us to be righteous," but no scripture supports this viewpoint. Connor discusses how Lucifer wanted to persuade people to commit sin while thinking they could avoid the consequences of their actions — a tactic that continues today.
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