Culture War Comes to Church
With a cultural war raging around us, perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us to see it leaking now and then into our congregations and classes. But that doesn’t make it any easier to know how to respond.
Category: Climate & End Times
De-Nazifying The Church
Plenty of horrifying things in history have been justified as accomplishing “great good.” That’s true of the atrocities in Ukraine. And it’s also true of those tearing apart the faith of believers young and old.
Defamation Down Under: Responding to the Aussie Allegations
A coordinated media campaign led by one man in Australia is again telling a darkly accusing narrative about the Church of Jesus Christ based on unsubstantiated evidence, partial facts, and innuendo. Instead of simply passing along the shocking “findings,” let’s hope more American journalists will start asking their own questions.
Prepared, Not Scared
Shortages of important goods have suddenly become real in America—and there is reason to believe that could even get worse. There are several steps any family can take—without panic—to prepare and become more self-reliant.
Marxism, Satanism, and the Worship of Self
Americans have misunderstood “Satanic” as either ridiculous fear-mongering or a reliable laugh-line—not appreciating what’s at its core: A worship of self or “self as god.”
The Book Banning Brouhaha
Compared to conservative parents accused of trying to “ban books,” librarians making preemptive restrictions on other books are seen as “doing their job.” Can this conversation be rescued from its political skew?
Don’t You Dare Say “Woman”
As we are encouraged towards language like “pregnant person,” “birthing person,” and “menstruators” in the name of greater inclusivity, you have to wonder whether those identifying primarily as “woman” or “mother” are feeling included too?
Narrating Violence: Stories We Tell (and Don’t Tell)
While violence, such as that this weekend, is certainly senseless, we must try our best to explain it so that we can take a holistic approach to reducing violence and build durable peace.
Unraveling Trust in the North American Church
Latter-day Saints enjoy high levels of social trust in their communities thanks to shared beliefs and values. This is a blessing, but it has made us vulnerable to bad actors who misrepresent their beliefs.
A Look at Pastoral Burnout
Most American faiths are facing a shortage of pastors due to burnout and the avoidance of ministry among young people. Are there lessons from the Latter-day Saint experience that can help our fellow Christian brothers and sisters?
Under the Banner of Old Tropes
With the upcomin FX/Hulu series portraying The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a dangerous breeding ground for violence, it’s valuable to reflect on the long history of similar efforts
A Contagion of Comfort and Security
As the “great machine of pleasure and happiness” of our modern society expands, so also does our dependence on this larger system. Does the innate “inquietude” and “unease” say something about the ongoing shrinkage of our own souls this entails?
