I must obey my master.

(more…)

I woke to the sound of His Majesty cackling happily. He was up early and feeding nips to the cats.

(more…)

His Majesty has been awfully quiet lately, but I could feeeeel the sourness swelling within him.

(more…)

One of the hard teachings of the LDS church is that God will accommodate the weaknesses of his people. One standard example of this is Samuel ordaining Saul as king for Israel, and another is that the higher priesthood was withdrawn with Moses, leaving ministry only through the Aaronic priesthood. One can imagine being taught the gospel by the ancient apostles, embracing it and teaching it to one’s children, but ultimately unable to pass the blessings of the priesthood on to further posterity, not because of any lack of desire or seeking for them, but because the priesthood has been withdrawn from the earth until times of restoration.

This pattern allows one to fully accept the authority of the LDS church’s president to enact changes in the church’s ministry, and to believe him a prophet acting as God has directed him, and to still wonder if a given change is a good change, a further unrolling of gospel fullness, or a necessary change due to the latter-day saints’ weakness in a fallen world, much to be lamented as we correctly submit to it.

For the last few years, I’ve mused that the Church was inevitably going to have to separate from the BSA, and create the “Mormon Scouts of America.” Of course recent events have brought that possibility to the fore. But “MSA” would be a terrible name, so let me be the first to broach the subject of what to call the Mormon Scouts. (more…)

I happened to notice a piece in the local paper about two Virginia cousins playing on the state champion high school baseball team who have decided on Brigham Young University as their college (link). It’s interesting in what it says about family ties and the place of BYU as part of those ties for some families.

Just before Matt Favero pulled the trigger on his college commitment Wednesday afternoon, the Madison rising senior pitcher had to make one call.

On the other end was Pete Nielsen, his cousin and fellow Warhawks rising senior. The two had played baseball together their whole life, and with Nielsen having narrowed his own recruitment to Brigham Young and Virginia, Favero thought his close relative would be interested to hear his college choice.

“I called him and said, ‘Hey Pete, I’m about to commit to BYU,’” Favero said. “I think maybe he was waiting for me to do it; I don’t know.”

In some ways, Favero was right. Even after watching Virginia hoist its first College World Series, Nielsen still felt a stronger tug on his heartstrings from BYU, the same school for which his father, Mike, once suited up and where both his and Favero’s older brothers currently play.

“When Matt told me he was committing to BYU, I was like, ‘Sweet,’” Nielsen said.

Even the Washington Post sports section is running a piece on the sweetness of Mormon life?

(more…)

The other day I installed a cloak hook near the entrance of the domicile I share with His Majesty.

My cloaks can be heavy, and I also thought it might be prudent to be sure the hook could support the weight of His Majesty’s winter jacket, so I took some time to install the hook securely. I located the stud (much easier with the Force than with a stud locater, by the way) and made sure the hook was screwed firmly through the drywall into the stud. I figured it would easily hold a couple of cloaks and winter jackets.

I stood back to admire my work (funny; don’t you always do that when you finish any handyman project?) and just then His Majesty came storming through the door in a frightfully sour mood. He glanced at me, glanced at the hook, and without a moment’s hesitation he grabbed the hook and tried to swing from it. That was too much weight, of course; there was a loud crack and the hook came out of the wall, doing serious damage to the stud and drywall. In fact, since this is a load-bearing wall, the damage to the stud could wind up being a significant problem.

My jaw hit the floor, or would have, if the vocorder wasn’t in the way.

It turns out His Majesty has been thinking about original sin.

(more…)

I couldn’t let some choice nuggets from this Kate Kelly interview pass without comment, because I don’t think even Kelly realizes just how damning they are. Kelly, as you will recall, is the former leader of the activist group, “Give Women the Priesthood Or I Swear I’m Going to Hurt Myself And It Will Be Your Fault.” (I’m pretty sure that was the official name, maybe someone can look it up for me). They cast themselves as faithful Mormons who just wanted the Church to correct this one little, historically contingent error in doctrine. They’re not the first group to portray themselves as such, but they were probably the most aggressive; the only people more aggressive than them have been openly apostate.

 It’s been a year since Ms. Kelly was exed, let’s see what she has to say: (more…)

The tragic vision of Mormon Christianity has four dimensions.

The first tragedy is that growth can only come through suffering and death.

The second tragedy is that free will means people can choose with finality to reject God and damn themselves.

The third tragedy is the tragedy that those we love can only grow through suffering and death and sometimes choose not to grow. Love holds us hostage to them, and it has to, or else it wouldn’t be love.

The fourth tragedy is that people miss out on growth that they are capable of, because they refuse to take the steps that would get them there. And perhaps nothing can be done about this.

That fourth tragedy deserves a little explanation. (more…)

On the sweetness of Mormon life. (more…)

On wounded feet, He stands triumphant over death.   With pierced palms and scarred wrists, He holds out unending grace.

-thus Jeffrey R. Holland

Elder Christofferson once preached that the aim of the gospel is to draw down “perfect justice and infinite mercy” from heaven. The phrase stuck with me. Perfect justice and infinite mercy.  Infinite mercy, sure.  But who among us struts so cockily that he wants perfect justice?  Who among the wise can know that he is more sinned against than sinning?  None.

But the truly wise know, even the justice that condemns you is joyful.

(more…)

His Majesty was somewhat put out this morning.

(more…)

So, Elder M. Russell Ballard, one of the LDS church’s apostles, was in Santa Fe yesterday for the installation of the Catholic church’s new archbishop (link), which stirs up various thoughts. (more…)

Did he also experience all the small acts of kindness, and service, where people went out of their way to “lift up the hands that hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees”? Did he experience the joy that the lonely feel when one reaches out to them to let them know they matter and are cared about? Did he feel the hope restored when we visit someone who is sick or in prison and cheered their hearts? Did he feel the relief of the overwhelmed when someone paused to share their burden with them? Did he feel the relief we feel when someone forgives us of our screwups and mistakes, or when someone shows us undeserved mercy?

-thus Jon Goff.  Read the whole thing.

It reminded me of the Royal Largesse theory of the atonement.  It gives a Christmas flavor to Easter doctrines.