One of the most recognizable symbols of the LDS Church is the placement of the angel Moroni atop our modern temples. But why does Moroni frequently point in the east direction?

'Tis the night before Christmas, the perfect time to share two of my favorite poems. 100% Sappiness Free! "The Wicked Fairy at the Manger" by U. A. Fanthorpe and "Behold I Stand" by Gerard Kelly

One of my favorite series of books from the last decade is the "Masters of Rome" series by Colleen McCullough. (Amazon listing for book one here)  Like all good fiction, this six book series contains a compelling, action-packed narrative, exciting plot twists, and much personal and political intrigue involving a large cast of interesting characters.

Oh...did I mention it's not actually fiction?

In the obscure 1991 movie Defending Your Life with Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep, Brooks' character dies and finds himself in the afterlife where he is judged for the things he learned (or didn't learn) during his earthly sojourn. He is told that those who progress past a certain level of knowledge and achievement in their Earth life are able to move on to other (better) realms of existence.  Those that do not are doomed to be reincarnated on Earth and try again…and again…and again until they get it right.

Lisa Simpson: A rose by any other name smells as sweet
Bart Simpson: Not if you call them 'Stench Blossoms'!

The great big elephant in the room with California Proposition 8--which both sides seemed determined to ignore—is that California has had a domestic partnership law on the books since 2005, and which remains unaffected by Prop 8’s passing.

The proper use of the word "hard" in context of the Gospel.

As I sorted a stack of papers this week, I found a February 2008 MLS print-out, advertising a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home, 3000 sq ft , and a 3 car garage. Because it was a short-sale, according to the agent, the listing price was only $300,000. Fast forward to November 2008. A 6 bedroom, 4 bathroom, 3800 sq ft, 3 car garage home in the same neighborhood is listed at $175,000. That's what a glut of foreclosures has done to the area.

It occurred to me that the papers I've been writing for my religion classes would make excellent posts. As such, you'll finally be seeing more of me. I'm sure you're very excited. *End of hiatus*

Believe (C+)

(Comments can be left in the article itself--other LDS film articles can be found here.)

The last couple of elections I have decided to vote a straight party ticket. Some people probably do not like this approach. What party I vote for does not really matter for this post, but I would like to explain why I have chosen to vote this way.

The primary reason I do this is because I have given up on ever really knowing the individuals I may vote for. I do not trust them, or their campaigns. I also do not trust the media. So what am I to do? Vote a straight party ticket.

The general approach of a political party is much easier to assess than the character of an individual. So I simply choose a political party that most closely represents my ideas of good government, and vote for that party.

Sure, this may result in voting for a few individuals that may turn out to be the ‘wrong’ choice, but in the long run, I will be voting for what I believe to be the right approach to government.

It also takes less time.

…as theorized by a statistical analysis here (mentioned in this thread at T&S)  How should one react to that?

ITT Tech and The University of Phoenix were not the first institutions to offer accelerated courses with quick job placement. In fact, this marketing/education tool has been in use from the days of Cain and Abel. I speak, of course, of the Master Mahan degree offered at Satan’s University (“SU”). You can find information about SU, whose mascot (of course) is The Devil, through several ways: disregarding the promptings of the Holy Ghost, watching anything on MTV or VH1, listening to 99.99% of the music on the radio today, and many other ways.

Emma Smith--My Story (B-)

(Comments can be left in the article itself--other LDS film articles can be found here.)

There are two kinds of "false doctrine".  Don’t confuse them:

1)    Statements or teachings that are false.
2)    Statements or teachings that are not known to be true.

[Admin note: Jeremy is an attorney from Houston, TX and a co-author of The Seer Stone. You can read more about him here.]


During the chaos of an election year, we are constantly bombarded with heated political arguments. One political issue, in particular, has always interested me in light of scriptural prophecy. I speak of illegal immigration through America's southern border and the immense effect that it has on the economy. Although I retain personal and quite strong feelings on the subject, this post is not intended to be a political commentary. Instead, I am simply putting forth my personal interpretation of a scriptural theory.

I have a hat signed by Dale Murphy. I received the hat as a prize when I answered a question correctly at a youth conference I attended years ago. (My stake president knew Dale well enough to have a small collection of autographed items.)
I'm not a fan of baseball. Nor am I a hat wearer.

If you would like to own a never worn autographed hat (seen here) then leave a comment on this post before October 10th 10pm (mountain standard time). I will pick a name at random and announce the winner, to whom the hat will be mailed free of charge.

If there's a church out there that spends more time and effort in religious settings discussing financial matters with its membership than the LDS Church does, I'd like to see it.  Debt and proper financial management (not to mention gambling) are frequent topics in General Conference and other settings.

Forever Strong (B+)

(Comments can be left in the article itself--other LDS film articles can be found here.)

Mormons for Obama would definitely disagree with that assessment of their personal righteousness. So would all LDS General Authorities for that matter.

Even though I personally have not yet selected the candidate who will get my vote, I fully support the rights of any person, LDS or not, to make that decision without casting aspersions on integrity or devotion to God. I'm grateful that our Church leaders make it absolutely clear  that there is no one right party affiliation for Latter-day Saints or any particular candidate(s) to vote into office. A hearty amen to their encouragement of political participation for all members (where possible) and emphasis on civil and respectful discussion.

Witness an example of political vituperation over at Bandanamom's blog, where an anonymous commenter equates her support of Obama with a complete abandonment of the prophets and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Any opposition to anon's point of view (or choice of words) is summarily dismissed by the superior knowledge of eternal truth anon possesses.

Even at self-described conservative Jettboy 's Straight and Narrow blog, discussions of policy disagreements, why he feels most Mormons won't vote for Barack Obama, and comments opposing the positions he puts forth didn't yield any such personal attacks.

Similarly civil discussions all over the 'nacle have me wondering--why would someone use political criteria to judge faithfulness to covenants and Christ? Is it a lack of confidence in one's position, feeling threatened by a different point of view? Is it pride? Delusions of righteous grandeur? Help me understand.