Month: August 2007

The Christian Century on Mormonism

For some reason, I missed these articles in The Christian Century (August 21, 2007) on Mormonism.  Again, I am behind the times.

I am sure that most of you have already read “A Mormon president? The LDS difference” by Laurie F. Maffly-Kipp.

But it is the second article in the magazine, “Counting Mormons:  Study says LDS numbers inflated” by John Dart that provided totally new information for me to consider.

I had never seen a chart sharing LDS statistics on defection and apostasy.  And I didn’t know this:

Every baptized but lapsed Mormon–whereabouts unknown–is kept on the rolls until age 110.

John writes, (more…)

Local Headlines on Rexburg Temple

According to today’s Post Register, the temple will be finished on December 29.

The temple will be dedicated February 3.

“The church’s temple construction missionaries have taught nearly 22,000 (83 percent of Rexburg’s population) about the temple since May 2006, said Linda Frost, one of the missionaries.”

“Church officials said there will also be a monthlong open house for anyone who wants to check it out.”

Well, I plan on showing up.  It will be a first time experience for me.

One Last Scoping Ride Before LotoJa

I needed a ride today to clear my mind and also scope out the Lotoja route, so I headed down to Preston, Idaho, near the place of an altogether different massacre that unfolded back in the 1800’s (check out some of the description by Brigham D. Madsen).

Preston, today, is pure, pristine, rural, LDS Southern Idaho.  There is a huge scrapbooking store right on mainstreet.  Just cruising through town, it almost made me want to pick up a Napolean Dynamite map and take a tour.

But because of time, I hopped on my Motobecane for a trip from Preston to the top of the first, long mountain pass on Highway 36 – a race of how fast I could get there and back.  On the ride, I ran over grasshoppers, bypassed a dead deer, rolled by Mink Creek Ward, and enjoyed all the junk cars in farm fields. I knew I was in Idaho.

I had a beautiful ride.  And thank you Lord that I wasn’t struck by any lightning in the afternoon rain storm.

Now, it is basically one week till D-day.  I don’t know if the brother in my church family and I are physically ready for Saturday, September 8.  But I do know how to pray.

What’s going on in Isaiah 29? Part 1

I just came back from vacation in Oregon.  Tonight, about a half hour before our inductive study, I read Isaiah 29 (KJV), the new chapter of concentrated study for our church family in Ammon, Idaho.  As I quickly perused the chapter, some of the phrases in the text looked very familiar to me, though I have never had anyone before teach me this chapter, line upon line, precept upon precept. (more…)

Late summer angles on evangelical/mormon interaction

Nitsav over at Faith Promoting Rumor introduces Heiser in his discussion with LDS on the divine council of gods.  Sometime in the future, I would like to interact with the material within the latest FARMS volume.

In another sphere, evidently, Bill and Eric over at Mormon Research Ministries are breaking rules again over what is proper dialogue in the intermountain West, and John Morehead is defending the philosophy of Standing Together Ministries with LDS friends.  Obviously, there is a whole new evangelical coalition out there who thinks MRM is archaic and unproductive. (more…)

As a pioneer, would you travel on the Sabbath?

My family is hanging out at a Best Western up here in Hermiston, Oregon.

After making our way this morning across the Snake River Plain of Idaho, we spent a good part of our afternoon at National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center on the outskirts of Baker City, Oregon.

I have always gained much pleasure in tracking pioneer history.  And I learned some more about the colorful character named Jason Lee, a western missionary back in the early days of the 1830’s,  a period abounding with great religious fervor.

But my title question has been sparked by two sources:  1)  I am reading BYU prof. Craig Harline’s book, Sunday (Doubleday, 2007), and 2)  I saw an emigrant’s entry today hanging high in the hallway of the Oregon Trail museum.

On May 9, 1852, Esther McMillan Hanna wrote,

I am sorry to see that some of our company are disposed  to travel on the Sabbath. . . . We will not have any further dealing with them.

What do you think about this?