ThisIgnorantPresent

A few nights back a fellow Latter-day Saint and highly articulate and ardent libertarian on Facebook named Connor Boyak explained to me his theory of government and rights. He explained that a government can have no more rights than those possessed by the individual. Specifically he said: “I believe that governments only legitimately have authority that is inherently possessed by each individual comprising it, and which has been explicitly delegated to that government….Individuals lack the... Read Full Story

I was once told by someone who I thought to be an intelligent human being, that pornography could not be defined. Her explanation was very simple; she says “one man’s vice is another man’s art”. However this little bromide never really settled with me. I had always been taught that porn was disrespectful to women and in a religious home we believed it was an insult to God himself. Art work tells a story, the pictographs on cave walls echo through history with the story of civilization. Every... Read Full Story

Are we a generation of incomplete thinkers? Do we hold and espouse views that in one thought seems very reasonable, but when followed through to their logical and implied ends are totally at odds with our proclaimed values? This occurred to me recently as I was involved in letter writing with an old friend who had recently taken up social positions that were at odds with our common faith. We began to discuss religion and politics and he made it very clear that he believed that all religion... Read Full Story

Being on a college campus is like stepping into a new world. You cast your eyes about and you see so many things you know to be wrong that it causes a sort of confusion attempting to figure them all out. This feeling of being a traveler in a strange land is made all the worse if you are a Christian who strives for Orthodoxy. College is the Humanist playground of our day. God has no place on campus, and given the conduct and dress of some of the children there I think he would choose not to be... Read Full Story

Is it possible that it is when we repent that we make the most progress? Repentance humbles the sinful person while it acknowledges the power of our Heavenly father to help us. Repentance is not God demanding our confession, it is that we meekly approach him and ask him to hear our confession. It’s a difficult thing to do, not because it’s hard for us to physically, rather it is hard on our spirits. Repentance requires that we be contrite and that we be stripped of pride. Someone who is... Read Full Story

The Gospels of Christ contain a rather curious admonition to each would be disciple that proclaims, in no uncertain terms “be ye therefore perfect.” Given that we all I would hope have a pretty clear understanding of our mortal weakness this seems like an impossible command to keep. The truth is that The Lord knew full well that no man could be perfect like Christ, but that by no means meant that man should not be perfect in his personal labor to become like Christ. In order to progress down... Read Full Story

Jacob Whipple has made a name for himself by attacking the LDS church of late. His core problem with the church is the churches fundamental doctrine on the importance and purpose of the family in Mormon Theology. Yet, while he pleads for "equality" his rhetoric shows no sign of peace, he is instead a merchant of smear. Whipple on his face book page recently stated that LDS apostle Boyd K. Packers affirmation of core LDS doctrine JUSTIFIES "horrors and Atrocities" like the torture and killing... Read Full Story

What President Packer stated was not HIS stance (though I know from personal experience that he knows the truth of his own words), as an Apostle of the church, speaking in official capacity in the Conference of the Church, he was, having been assigned that subject the voice of the collective brethren, and thus the spokesman for God. The argument from those who are angered by Packer (who would have thought Ammonihah was a suburb of SLC?) is one of chaos pure and simple. While they may... Read Full Story

Not long ago I read a blog from the City Weekly that had been quietly posted, without comment, on Facebook by a fellow Latter-day Saint. This blog claims to shed light on the honorable place of the “Cultural Mormon” in LDS society. Says the author: "It has become a common error to conflate the official LDS Church hierarchy with the membership of the church itself” This thesis statement sums up the error of the entire blog. As there are no professional clergy in the church, and callings to... Read Full Story

As my generation comes to grip with our third decade of existence, it is impossible for us to avoid the realization that we are a generation, raised in luxury that borders the opulent. Even the poor among us possess amenities that were the far distant dreams of Phillip K Dick and Isaac Asimov. The standard of living in our generation has delivered success to every man who was willing to apply himself and struggle for his goals. We have seen the other side of the coin as well, that is that men... Read Full Story