Archive for July, 2006

Holy freaking moly! I submit a small-time post referencing a podcast that I listened to recently, and it’s grown to over 200 comments!!!! With heavy participation from Dan Peterson and Lou Midgley to boot!!!! I know it’s small beans for you big-time blogs out there, but for me, it’s cause for a mini-celebration! Thanks...
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How’s that for alliteration. John & Jana have a new podcast episode out, and it’s definitely worth the listen. It chronicles their joint journey of faith as a couple. Check it out, and please give them lots of Mormon Stories love.
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Thanks to Chris (a reader/listener) for referring me to this really cool CES policy about what NOT to do as a CES/EFY speaker. My favorite part is here: “I also have some concerns as I attended these programs. The concerns usually arise because a wonderful speaker desires to communicate well with the youth and...
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For those who haven’t seen this yet–what a goldmine (thanks to Paula for the reference). As the site says, “Tom Trails is a filmstrip series originally released in 1968 by the Church Educational System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was intended as a comprehensive tool to teach gospel...
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More on the upcoming PBS documentary on Mormonism (again from AML). Looks like it will be a co-production between Frontline and American Experience (both of which I love). It also says that it will be edited into 2 90 minute parts. The original post also claims that it will air in April of 2007...
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Has anyone ever seen this? http://www.mazeministry.com/mormonism/holley/holleymaps.htm. It’s dated 1992, so it can’t be new. I noticed links to my blog from the the FAIR board regarding my “Why people leave the church, and what we can do about it” video cast, and someone referenced this map within the thread. I can’t tell if it’s...
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This video is clearly gonna illicit strong reactions (both very positively and very negatively), but I think it’s powerfully well done, and worth the watch. The creator is listed as Seth Adam Smith. Let me know what you think. For the disbelievers, please keep your comments respectful.
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As many of you know, for the past few years documentarian Helen Whitney (Emmy Award, Peabody Award, Oscar nomination, the Humanitas Award, and the prestigious duPont-Columbia Journalism Award) has been working on a documentary for PBS Frontline on the LDS Church/Mormonism. I first met Helen at last year’s Sunstone Salt Lake symposium, where I...
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14028070/ NEW YORK – “Jeopardy!” ace Ken Jennings, who won $2.5 million during his 74-game winning streak, has a few unkind words to say about the show — and dapper host Alex Trebek. “I know, I know, the old folks love him,” Jennings writes in a recent posting, titled “Dear Jeopardy!” on his Web...
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The Apology I’ve felt badly ever since I responded to DMI’s post by writing this and this. Two of the secrets I have learned in life are:
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I stumbled upon this today: http://fitforthekingdom.byu.edu/index.php via an AML email forward from my Mom. It seems to be a combination of documentary video shorts and a blog about regular, everyday church members. Pretty interesting. From Randy Astle, “If you’ve got eight minutes to look at just one film on the website, I suggest “Leroy...
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I’ve pondered all morning how to respond to the recent “Mormon blog battle lines” discussion that has arisen here and here. I’ll have more to say about this in August during my Sunstone presentation, but for now I’ll leave it with the following response:
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Over the past year it’s become clear to me that perhaps the biggest productive role my podcast and blog serve on the Internet within Mormonism is in providing people w/ coping mechianisms to remain active, or reactivate themselves, after becoming disaffected w/ the LDS church. For many, this is a really hard thing to...
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Because of my interest in Mormon Studies, a work colleague today pointed me to http://www.digg.com, one of the top news sites for the technology industry. The link he pointed me to was this article, where digg readers had highlighted a new anti-Mormon video as interesting or important. Currently, it ranks #1 in the Educational...
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Today I am very proud to announce another new entry to the bloggernacle: http://www.forthosewhowonder.com. FTWW is based on a book written by D. Jeff Burton by the same name. This book is downloadable for free on Jeff’s new web site. Jeff lives in Salt Lake City, is actively fulfilling a service mission for the...
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Last night Dan Wotherspoon and I were invited to speak on a radio show called “For the People” at radio station 610AM (KVNU) here in Logan, UT. The co-hosts are super cool guys (Tom Grover and Ryan Yonk), and you can listen to the full show by clicking here (the program actually begins around...
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I was fortunate this morning to find a new episode of “An Athiest’s Prayer” (by John and Jana Remy) on my iPod for my morning bike ride to work (thanks for the shout out, btw!!!). During the devotional, a poem was read that struck me as quite inspirational. I’ll share it here, but please...
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This podcast is a slight divergence from my most recent interviews, but in every way fits the original spirit of Mormon Stories. Within these 3 episodes, we tell the story of Harold Poole–an LDS survivor of one of the most barbaric events in the 20th century–the Bataan Death March. We also discuss in some...
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I exercised yesterday in a state of bewilderment–to hear Salman Rushdie express thoughts and feelings about Islam that could just as easily have been written by me about Mormonism (if I were a better writer, of course). A big thanks to my pal Russ for the recommendation. If you have any time on your...
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What a brilliant post. http://theironicpriesthood.wordpress.com/ I pray for more.
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I was digging through my logs, and check out what I found! Holy Moly!!!! John
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I’ve been thinking a ton lately about literal vs. symbolic Mormon testimonies. I felt strongly that I should create a table which differentiates how I’m feeling today, from what I was taught growing up. I intend this to be an ongoing project…where the comments made below this post get fed back into the post...
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Another “must listen” from the Speaking of Faith podcast–entitled “The Spirituality of Parenting“. Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, rabbi of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis, discusses raising your children with faith. To me, the most interesting part starts around the 30:44 minute mark, where she discusses the commonalities between all faith traditions, and the tendency of...
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As a part of my upcoming Sunstone Presentation (The Promise and Peril of the Internet Within Mormonism), I hope to include a list of the Top Mormon Internet Events for 2005-2006. I would welcome any nominations from the bloggernacle at large. Some potential ideas might include…. Bannergate Dan Peterson Visits the Bloggernacle Marie Osmond’s...
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I received an email today from a fellow I’ll call “enochville”, who provided some good clarification with regards to apologists. I would like to share it with you all (thanks so much, enochville!!!), to offer a small bit of closure to the raging post on FAIR/FARMS and LDS Apologetics of last week: —————————————— “In...
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Last week I was counseling a friend who had left the LDS church. As he recounted to me his story, it was interesting to note that apologetics (FAIR and FARMS in particular) were a precursor to his leaving the church–and a strong source for his abiding anger/resentment, and resistance to returning. I probably get...
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Holy Moly (didn’t I just say that?). This episode of “Speaking of Faith” podcast entitled, “The History of Doubt” literally blew my socks off. Please, please, please listen to it, and come back here to discuss in an LDS context (if you so yearn). I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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Holy freaking moly. I discovered a podcast last week (thanks to Rory) that has knocked my socks off. It’s called “Speaking of Faith“, and for me, has been amazing. Please, please, please subscribe to, and listen to this podcast. For me–it is among the best out there by far.
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