Breaking News

My Angela is pregnant with our first child. We got to hear the heartbeat yesterday at the doctors. Pretty cool.

Estimated due date is May 21st.

Book of Mormon Musical!

A new website and pre-sale tickets are available for the new Book of Mormon musical that will be playing in Broadway in a few months.

There is also a short video with an interview with Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

I am accepting donations and/or plane tickets if you want to help me see the musical. It would make a great Christmas gift, and I'm sure you could figure out a way to write it off as a deduction in your taxes.

Homosexuality in the 2010 Church Handbook of Instructions

The new 2010 Church Handbook of Instructions has some small but important changes from the 2006 version in its section on homosexuality. Deletions are in strikeout. Additions are in [italics].

Homosexual behavior violates the commandments of God, is contrary to the purposes of human sexuality, distorts loving relationships, and deprives people of the blessings that can be found in family life and in the saving ordinances of the gospel. Those who persist in such behavior or who influence others to do so are subject to Church discipline. Homosexual behavior can be forgiven through sincere repentance.

If members have homosexual thoughts or feelings or engage in homosexual behavior, Church leaders should help them have a clear understanding of faith in Jesus Christ, the process of repentance, and the purpose of life on earth. Leaders also should help them accept responsibility for their thoughts and actions and apply gospel principles in their lives.

While opposing homosexual behavior, the Church reaches out to understanding and respect to individuals who are attracted to those of the same gender. [This was moved from being the 2nd to 3rd paragraph]

In addition to the inspired assistance of Church leaders, members may need professional counseling. When appropriate, bishops should contact LDS Social Services to identify resources to provide such counseling in harmony with gospel principles.

[If members feel same-gender attraction but do not engage in any homosexual behavior, leaders should support and encourage them in their resolve to live the law of chastity and to control unrighteous thoughts. These members may receive Church callings. If they are worthy and qualified in every other way, they may also hold temple recommends and receive temple ordinances.]

Your thoughts?

*UPDATE*

The changes above were made based on Book 2 of the CHI. Book 1 contains the same first 4 paragraphs from Book 2, but has the following variations and leftovers from the 2006 CHI.

[When counseling members who have same-gender attraction, stake presidents and bishops may refer to the booklet God Loveth His Children.]

In addition to the inspired assistance of Church leaders, members may need professional counseling. When appropriate [In the United States and Canada, stake presidents and] bishops should  [may] contact LDS Social [Family] Services to identify resources to provide such counseling in harmony with gospel principles. [. . . Outside the United States and Canda, stake presidents may contact the Area presidency for guidance.]

Frontline - The Northfolk Four

I just finished watching tonight's episode of Frontline about the 'Northfolk Four.' This is a must-watch tragedy that devastatingly points to the flaws in our "justice" system and shows just how far-reaching and damning capital punishment can be.

Please take the time to watch this. Kafka couldn't have come up with something so disturbing and beyond all belief.

"I'm a Mormon" - third rejection

Well it didn't take too long this time. Part One. Part Two.

Here is my rejection note:

This is an interesting response certainly there are elements of this that have truth. For example no one with inherit eternal life that is not living the kind of life that merits it. However, the spirit of this frequently asked question is more like: “How do Mormons picture heaven? Or What is eternal life in a Mormon’s view?” In that sense your response is really off topic. It feels somewhat like a sermon for us to live better now, which is a needed sermon for members, but this is not the place.

In addition there are aspects of this response that are not entirely doctrinally accurate. You strongly state “that eternal life is something that can and should be achieved now in the present.” In truth while in mortality we cannot have many elements that define someone with eternal life. For example: Here we don’t live in the presence of the Father D&C 76:62 here we don’t live with all our righteous loved ones Gen. 25:8 35:29 D&C 130:2 here we are not God’s D&C 76:58 here we don’t live God’s life or do what God does such as: create worlds or live perfectly D&C 76:69 here we don’t begat spirit children D&C 131:4 here we don’t share all the characteristics of God such as: know all things or have all power Alma 26:35 here we are not resurrected D&C 76:50 here our glory is not the glory of the sun D&C 76:70. In addition scriptures offer conditional promises of a future eternal life such as D&C 14:7, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life.” Notice the future tense of this conditional promise, “shall”. In other words eternal life comes after you have endured to the end. If we haven’t died yet we haven’t endured to the end yet.

In addition we are instructed to keep our responses brief and simple. Your response is quite lengthy. Non-members will be more likely to read shorter responses.

If you would like, you could re-write your response and re-submit. Thank you.

Needless to say, I am tired of trying to fix this, and tired of these moderators and their deacon-level reading of scripture. Based on their response to me, I am guessing these are the key points they want me to share:

• live in the presence of the Father = live on a planet near the star Kolob
• live with all our righteous loved ones = celestial polygamy
• we are not God’s = I will change from being a mortal human to a god, just like Elohim (our name for God the Father)
• we don’t live God’s life or do what God does such as: create worlds or live perfectly = create planets and solar systems.
• begat spirit children = celestial sex
• share all the characteristics of God such as: know all things or have all power = i will be an all knowing and all powerful god
• resurrected = just like God
• glory of the sun =  glow brighter than the sun
• If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life.” = being a good Mormon will get me all these things

With all of these helpful tips, here is my new answer that I submitted this morning :

We believe that if I follow and do everything that the Mormon Church says to do I will be able to be resurrected and live with our Heavenly Father, Elohim, on a planet near the star Kolob. Just like Heavenly Father, I will go from being a mortal man to an all-knowing and all-powerful God. As a God I might live with my wives that I love and we will procreate to make spirit babies and build planets on solar systems to raise our billions of spirit babies on. And I will glow brighter than the sun.

To be continued....