Tag: the Church

A Difference of Opinion

Over the past few years, I have had dozens of conversations with friends and family members who are active members of the LDS Church on the subject of homosexuality.  Most active members feel misunderstood and maligned by the ‘world’ and…

Gospel Doctrine Lesson 10: Birthright Blessings; Marriage in the Covenant

This lesson has a worthy purpose: encouraging individuals to live “worthy of their birthright blessings and of eternal marriage.” I understand all efforts to be worthy as fundamentally an expression of gratitude. We desire to live in a certain way,…

Lessons Learned: Going Back To Church After Transition

The last two Sundays were the first time I had been to church in 5-6 months, mostly because I feared going. The last time I had gone, I was wearing a suit and tie. Last week, I showed up to…

Strengthening and Preserving the Family

Note: This is the first in a series of articles that will directly address upcoming 2014 Church curriculum lesson material that could unnecessarily lead to editorializing on homosexuality and same-sex marriage and be hurtful to members of our community. We…

Christmas Cards

Christmas has come and gone.  It is now that carefree time between Christmas and New Year’s.  The Christmas tree is still up and Christmas lights still adorn the house.  There is a bit of a food hangover from family parties,…

It’s Complex

“On one occasion Jesus came upon a group arguing vehemently with His disciples. When the Savior inquired as to the cause of this contention, the father of an afflicted child stepped forward, saying he had approached Jesus’s disciples for a…

What the Heck is Traditional Marriage?

In light of all the fuss over DOMA, Prop 8 and the Supreme Court, I have grown weary of the debates over same sex marriage.  Five years ago I rather unenthusiastically participated in supporting Prop 8 in California.  As an…

Why We Must Not Give Up On The Church (And Reflections On An Inspiring Event In The Chicago Stake)

Last year, after my class on Mormon history, in which I had discussed with my students the Mormon belief in modern day revelation and modern-day prophets, I overheard the following comment in a conversation between two of my students: “The…