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I have always loved Easter, above all other holy-days of the year. It’s a glorious moment in Christianity: Christ the Lord is risen today! Hallelujah! The dark clouds of despair have fled away. The Spring morning breaks, the sky is […]
Late in his life, Leo Tolstoy became reconverted to the words and gospel of Jesus Christ, deeply realizing that divinity is not found in the institutions of the Church, but rather, within us as we realize the universal love of God throughout all creation.
The ideas of mourning, comforting, and bearing one another’s burdens have always had deep appeal for me. But I’m beginning to see that, for most of my Mormon life, the parts of myself that deeply needed those things rarely showed […]
This phrase so perfectly describes where I feel like I am at this moment in time on my journey. Sitting at lunch this week with dear friends, each of whom have also experienced a significant ‘shift’ in their belief, I […]
In the original text of the Book of Mormon, God shows Nephi the future, and he sees a young woman. God asks, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” Nephi answers, “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do […]
If you were to ask me, “What’s the best Christmas gift you ever received?” the first answer to pop into my head would undoubtedly be my red tutu. That’s me in the picture, in sequin heaven and matching Keds, Christmas […]
My mother always says she can’t stand an ungrateful child. I’m pretty sure I’ve been one, and not just when I was a pouty kid whining about whatever was standing between me and happiness. I’m a bit of a complainer. […]
Yesterday in my RS lesson, we actually experienced a truly safe space. It’s the first time in my long church life I’ve ever felt that. We were talking about adversity being the homework of earth school — that our lessons […]
“I looked in temples, churches & mosques. But I found the Divine within my Heart.” ~ Rumi Many Christians, Muslims, and some Buddhists imagine a heavenly place as an eternal reward for the faithful. While this place is often described […]
Part 2 of a series:Surviving the Journey of A Thoughtful Faith The defining characteristic of our Journey of A Thoughtful Faith is that we are no longer certain of the fundamental truth claims of our Church. To many, this appears […]
Part 1 of a Series:Surviving the Journey of A Thoughtful Faith As I see it, a faith crisis is not a weakness or a failing. It is an awakening, a transformation into something more. When we realize this, we can […]
A Series of our Experience, Strength, and Hope. Introduction Lao Tzu once said, “A Journey of a thousand miles begins from beneath our feet.” The Journey of A Thoughtful Faith is one such journey. Where does it start? In this […]
When my oldest son came to me in his near complete faith deconstruction (married, 2 children, in a Ph.D. Program), I had no way of understanding or dealing with what he described, because my own cup was so full to […]
How can we know the Way? We sing “Come, follow me, the Savior said, then let us in his footsteps tread.” Yet for me, the biggest challenge I have faced and continue to face in life is how do I […]
When President Nelson became Prophet, he challenged the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to “keep on the Covenant Path”. This phrase was repeated several times in a recent conference, and has become President Nelson’s theme. […]
Many LDS women do not feel that they are being silenced, nor do they feel that they are “silent partners”, neither in marriage nor in the counsels of the Church. There is merit to this thinking. Most LDS priesthood leaders […]
I woke up this morning with Paul Simon’s “The Sound of Silence” running through my head. I love that song. The title, the soothing notes of the acoustic guitar, the first lyrics, “Hello darkness, my old friendI’ve come to talk […]
Inspired by President Nelson’s challenge to fast from social media for ten days, I committed to actively posting on social media every day during this “fast”. A Social Media Feast. Why? Not sure. It’s just what I felt inspired to […]
This week was a tough one in the Borderlands of Mormonism. Lots of anger was expressed, lots of things that have disrupted my sense of peace. In his poem, Choose Something Like a Star, Robert Frost poses how he maintained […]
In late 1985, Ezra Taft Benson was visiting his daughter in my stake when he became Prophet of the Church at the death of Spencer W Kimball. He spoke that Sunday at our Stake Conference in his first public address […]
I am drawn to old architectural pieces. Windows, doors, mantels, shutters, and even doorknobs. Humble as they are, these items hold for me a richness and history, and I love that they each carry within them a story or two… […]
One of my favorite stories in scripture is the interaction of Jesus with the “Rich Young Ruler”, as so poignantly displayed in many LDS chapels in Heinrich Hoffman’s 1888 painting. I think it’s really ironic to feature this painting, for […]
My former “home teacher” came to me the other day and asked what he’s supposed to do to “minister” to my family. He really had no idea, now that there’s no lesson to teach, no monthly report to do, nor […]
In our faith journey, are we “transitioning” or are we “transforming”? Chuang Tzu once said, “I Chuang Chou once dreamt I was a butterfly. I could fly about from flower to flower, and felt free. Then I awoke, and was […]
As Paul concludes his great discourse on the Pure Love of Christ (“Charity” / “agape”) I am drawn to these last two verses. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then […]
When we lived in MN, I used to run at our neighborhood YMCA. I was a younger and more dedicated runner then, lacing up my shoes about 6 times per week. I didn’t mind running in the cold, but in […]
Sitting in stunned silence, as I approach the end of Good Friday, I contemplate my beloved Savior suffering and dying on a Cross. My king. My god. My friend. We Mormons don’t celebrate the Cross. We don’t feature it on […]
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday 2000 years ago, the people welcomed him as a king who would save them from the world. They looked to him as being the living Prophet and God who would set things aright […]
What if this is as good as it gets? What? This. Here. Now. What if THIS is eternity? Not then, not there, not somewhere else. This. Some years ago, as I was heading to work on a cold winter morning, […]