Rexburg Idaho Temple, Part 7

So how many temple marriages have been postponed that were scheduled in this first full week of February?  At least a couple dozen? Ladies, can you imagine having to postpone all your plans, communicate to all your guests, share with all your friends and family that already have plane tickets? I am a pastor.  And I am […]

Isaiah 43 & the LDS Hymnbook

Tonight, we are in Isaiah 43. I noticed hymn #85.  All seven verses.  Rich in doctrine.  And Robert Keen put the doctrine of Isaiah 43 on the wings of melody.

Brian McLaren despises my Christianity

He despises my Christianity and then calls it names.    I recently rifled through Brian’s book, Everything Must Change (Thomas Nelson, 2007).  He writes:   But as much as I disliked controversy, I knew that I couldn’t be intimidated to return to their fold of modern, Western, hyperconfident, no-second thoughts, industrial-strength religion (44). Oh really?  He doesn’t like […]

Todd Wood Meets Todd Wood

Today, I have been studying Isaiah 43 and the Hebrew words in relation to God as the sovereign Creator.  My study on scriptural origins has led me to a curious pursuit of a whole variety of contemporary book conversations (both popular and academic).   I owe Hanna Rosin on this one.  She wrote a book, God’s Harvard […]

Gordon B. Hinckley

Blogs are much more personal than the newsroom. Reading all these . . . Steff. Cellista. Ama49. LDSpad. Andrew’sMiracleDrug. Tonya. Summer. Swint. Louis. Canasian. Mark. Robin. Edain. Nylan. Wendy. Tanyaross. John F. David G. Seth. Sam. BCC Admin. Russell. Nate. Janet. Jared. Matt B. Guy. Jeff L. Hollywood. David H. Eric. Chloe. Mike P. Belladonna. Joe. Jana. […]

The Deliberate Church, Sharp Gospel Focus, Part 1

Pick up the book, The Deliberate Church (Crossway Books, 2005) by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander.  Brothers and sisters among two dozen families in our church have started their reading of this book for discussion in 2008.  I have read the foreword and introduction.  Here are my top eight quotes so far. Paul instructs Timothy […]

LDS Reverence for the Bible

In this latest newsflash from the LDS newsroom, I have some questions. And yes, I admit to you my LDS friends that I have been perturbed all day by the pious marketing title as I prepare for the Lord’s Day, tomorrow.  Hey, I am just an average, dumb, impressionable spud living in Southeastern Idaho.  But […]

Rexburg Temple, Part 6

Check out the ice sculpture of the Rexburg Idaho Temple. A $1,000 bucks perhaps, if this would have been commercialized. I wish I had the artistic talent.  My brother-in-law, Joe, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Rexburg, Idaho possesses such skill.  He will be sculpturing an eagle (not out of ice) as permanent artwork to be displayed in the new […]

I missed my chance for fame!

From last year to today . . . The Rexburg SnowFEST! I could have been out there on this beautiful day, performing huge canon balls in the ice water with all the BYU-Idaho students.  Think of the publicity!  Think of the caption:  “The Baptist Bomber.”  (Oh yeah, that crazy guy who authors HI4LDS!) More importantly, think of […]

Problematic Readings in the JST from the Beginning

This year, I am reading through the Joseph Smith Translation alongside my personal Bible reading.  Let me start from the beginning on Smith’s alterations that stand out starkly in my mind. A Revelation Given to Joseph the Seer (June A.D. 1830) v. 2 – “And God spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, I am the Lord […]