Persecution vs. Chastening: When #MormonMafia Is No Joking Matter

Tweet

by Rob T:



When Fox News personality and Donald Trump supporter Lou Dobbs went on a rant last week about LDS presidential candidate Evan McMullin, which included referring to him as a “Mormon Mafia Tool” in a tweet, Mormons on Twitter responded hilariously.

I got in on the #MormonMafia fun (see the HuffPo link above, he said unhumbly), because I enjoy a good-natured Twitter hashtag joke stream. And I appreciated that most Mormons were having fun with it instead of seeing it as an instance of “persecution.”

While joining in the social media levity, however, two things came to my mind that weren’t joking matters.

First, Trump supporters on Twitter haven’t suddenly surfaced to go after Mormons. There have been countless instances of anti-Semitism, misogyny, racism,* and now Latter-day Saints are in the crosshairs, due in part to Trump’s declining popularity in Utah.

Wardless

Tweet

by Devin Fletcher:

For the last few weeks, my family and I have been in a weird spot in our relation to the organization of the church. We’ve kinda moved. I don’t mean “kinda” in the linguistic filler type of way, or as a way to minimize the damage of a comment to follow. I mean we’ve kind of moved, but not completely. Since 2013, we’ve lived in Waco, Texas while I attended Baylor Law School. Upon graduation a year ago, I passed up a job offer because of a prompting from the Holy Ghost. Recently, I found a job and began working down in Austin during the week, driving back to Waco on the weekends, while my family finished out the lease. My family moved down and joined me in staying with my sister-in-law and her family. Due to various circumstances, we have attended church in three different wards since and have effectively been without a ward for a month.

The old saying is, “the beauty of the church is that it’s the same wherever you go.” In my experience within the U.S. that's generally true, with allowance for local flair and preference. The doctrines taught in the Austin-area wards were basically the same as anywhere else. The people were friendly and often welcoming. But I miss having a ward to call my own. It makes me feel, perhaps for the first time, truly grateful for the geographic way we determine where our members attend services.

Why My Son Said He Didn’t Believe in Evolution — and Why That Troubled Me

Tweet

by Rob T:

“Some people believe in evolution, that we came from apes. But I think they’re wrong because it’s not in the scriptures.”

Those words came from the mouth of my 5-year-old son recently. They took me by surprise, not because of his opinion, but because he was thinking of this issue and forming a personal stance. Was I underestimating his intelligence and awareness of such profound matters? That’s likely.

Impressed as I was that he could articulate this thought, I also was troubled by what he said.

Shouldn’t I have rejoiced, as an LDS parent, that my child took a firm stand with what I believe to be the word of God?

Take a Look at Yourself, and Make a Change

Tweet

by Rob T:

The use of so-called “swear words” generally goes against religious sensibilities.

It also follows that a few garden-variety words are treated with the same disdain as swear words by some more conservative religions.

One of those words is “change.”

“We will stand firm!” “We will not waver!” “Our doctrine never changes!” Having been raised Catholic and now being a practicing Mormon, I’ve heard rhetoric like this in both faiths.

Catholic writer Damon Linker discusses the appeal of this notion and why there is resistance to change with his commentary on Pope Francis’ new, pastoral approach to divorced and remarried Catholics in relation to the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Re-Encountering God Using Greene’s Notion of Plan B

Tweet

by Shawn Tucker:

I just finished Ross Greene’s fabulous book The Explosive Child. An “explosive” child, according to Greene, is one who is often seen as attention-seeking, manipulative, disrespectful, and as displaying other behaviors that adults and even other children find challenging. Yet Greene puts forward some amazing ideas, including the notions that all kids do well if they can and that the vast majority of challenging behaviors occur because kids lack the skills needed to respond successfully to certain frustrating situations. In that respect, no kids are “evil;” they merely display their lagging skills in their poor responses to various situations.

In addition to the fundamental idea that all kids do well if they can or if they have the necessary skills, Greene describes three approaches or “plans” that adults employ for dealing with challenging behaviors. Plan A is where the adults set, or better put, impose behavioral norms on kids and demand compliance. This approach actually works with children who possess the skills necessary to meet those imposed standards. Plan B is when an adult genuinely listens to a child and then equally genuinely invites the child to collaborate with the adult on solving problems that they both recognize. Working as partners, the adult and child develop practical, realistic solutions that satisfy both parties. Plan C is when adults judiciously and temporarily set aside some challenging behaviors in order to focus efforts on challenges that have a higher priority.

This is the most general overview of Greene’s insights, yet while I encourage those interested to read this book, this should be a sufficient summary to explore some insights about God that Greene’s work might reveal. Greene does not talk about God at all in this book, but what if one’s relationship with one’s parents impacted one’s view of God? What if, for instance, you lived in a home where parents used Plan A exclusively or almost exclusively? You may grow up to see God as Someone who imposes upon humans norms and standards and then demands compliance. The righteous are those who have the skills to meet those demands, while the wicked cannot.

Generally, Not Even Close to Murder

Tweet

by Shawn Tucker:

If I were given the chance to influence one aspect of Mormon culture and scripture interpretation, one thing that would be at the top of my list would be the notion that sexual sin is “next to murder.” Generally, I believe that sexual sin is not even close to murder. But before I explain this idea, an idea I got from Michael R. Ash, let me say that sexual sins that are close to murder are the only sexual sins that are close to murder. The easiest example of this is Moroni 9:9-10, wherein the Nephites rape, torture, kill, and eat Lamanite women. Now that is sexual sin that is next to murder. Other sexual sins that are next to murder would be sins that irreparably damage souls, sins like incest, molestation, and rape.

When we are speaking with youth about sexual sin, in general it is not the above sins that we have in mind. While sexual sins like masturbation, fornication, and adultery are serious, sometimes very, very serious, I do not believe that they are anywhere near murder.

That Great Day When There Will Be An End to Patriarchy

Tweet

by Shawn Tucker:

Imagine if you woke up one morning and it had all rolled back. Your wife no longer had a job or even interest in having a job. She was at home patiently waiting for orders from you. Instead of having her own thoughts or plans or ideas, she lived only to serve and support you. All of which is to say that she was very, very dependent upon you. She did little or nothing without your explicit or at least tacit consent, down to the smallest activity. And imagine that your daughters, if they were not married already to men who ruled their lives, then now they are underpaid and disrespected nurses or elementary school teachers. You may have a daughter off at college but, by her own admission, she’s only there to get her “Mrs” degree. Your daughters, in fact all of your children, are as dependent upon you as your wife. They do little on their own without seeking first your approval. For every decision in the family, whether great or small, you must make it alone. You might talk to some other men about it or maybe look in the scriptures for some guidance—books written by men for men—but patriarchy demands that you make every decision and that every decision be flawless. This is the world where father must know what is best in every situation and all the time and for everyone involved. This is patriarchy, and it puts an impossible demand and weight on men while it robs women and other powerless people of participation and of a full voice in making decisions.

My 22 Point Opinion About Temple Sealings for Gay Couples

Tweet

by Shawn Tucker:

A friend recently asked my opinion about temple sealings for gay couples. I don’t know why anyone cares about my opinion. I’m not proselyting my view; I’m merely stating my opinion in 22 bullet points.

1. People don't choose to be gay, to be only sexually attracted to people of their same sex.
2. No one, I believe, would make that choice, since it is so socially frowned upon and since it does not lend itself to the advantages (of which there are many!) of heterosexual marriage.
3. Since they don't choose it, and since it is really born in them, I believe the gay people I know when they say that they do not feel that their attraction is wrong or a sin.
4. Mormons typically think that such attraction is inherently wrong and against God's plan, while gay people, especially gay Mormons, do not believe that their attraction is wrong or sinful.
5. Mormons see heterosexual attraction as normal, natural, and even God-given.
6. I believe gay Mormons when they say that they believe that their homosexual attraction is normal, natural, and God-given for them.
7. Homosexual marriage seems to interrupt God's plan, since such couples cannot have children in the traditional manner.

Dear LDS Church: What Have You Done?

Tweet

by Luke Warmer:

Dear LDS Church: What Have You Done?

Even for a church that believes homosexuality is a sin, this decision is a deeply heartbreaking head-scratcher. (See article of faith #2. The one that talks about their own sins and not Adam’s transgressions.)

If I were to guess, I would assume that this decision is born out of some fear of legal action from gay parents. And as church members we are left to wonder what it means when it appears that the church has compromised the spirit of the second of its Articles of Faith in order to be better positioned in a culture war against homosexuality.

I feel a deep concern for every gay child being brought up in the church.

For me, as a person with gay marriage on both sides of my family and three boys at home (ages 7, 4, and 1), I am left to debate whether I can attend a church in good conscience knowing full-well that the likelihood of at least one of my children being gay is much higher than average.

This is a heartbreaking day for families hoping for deeper empathy around the issue of the church’s stance on homosexuality.

Letter to a Muslim Youth Education Director: A Response to Jeremy Runnells

Tweet

by Shawn Tucker:

Jeremy Runnells’ Letter to a CES Director has been a fairly popular topic for some time. People I respect, like Jacob and others have responded to it. I don’t know why you should care what I think, but apparently you are still reading, so here goes.

How Would You Read a Letter to a Muslim Youth Education Director?

So that’s my first question. If the same book were written about Islam or Buddhism or Catholicism or Presbyterianism, how would you read it? I can think of many different approaches, but personally I would never bother reading such a book. The point of the book seems to be to apply fun house mirror-like exaggerations to every flaw or thing that could be seen as a flaw. After this fun house mirror exaggerates lots of little flaws, the next step seems to be to convince you that all of those little flaws or seeming inconsistencies add up to something big. From what I can tell, next you are supposed to get the message that the church is untrustworthy. This untrustworthiness is supposed to seem so big, so absolute, and so “true” that you “must” abandon it. This untrustworthiness then becomes the lens through which you view everything in the chuch, and this cynical approach reinforces the untrustworthiness. Finally, in order to act with “integrity” and “in good conscience” to the cynical, exaggerated view you have adapted, you must end your participation.

What would you think of a book that did the same thing about any other religion? Again, I would never bother to read such a book. It would not tell me anything useful or good about those faith traditions. Instead, it seems like it would try to use different exaggerations to convince me that something evil is behind them and that they should be avoided if not fought against. To put it another way, such a book would not tell me what is virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy about any of those traditions.

Who Would Read Such a Book?

Suffragette: An LDS Perspective

Tweet

by LJ:

This is me and Holly Washburn at a Suffragette screening. I'm holding up two Vs for Victory in a nod to Winston Churchill. It's not two peace signs, though peace is a good thing too.

I went with my friend Holly to see a screening of "Suffragette" about the women's rights movement in Britain in the late 19th century, and cried myself dehydrated.

Frankly, I was confused why this movie affected me so deeply. My life is embarrassingly good, compared to a washerwoman in 19th century London. My parents were middle-class, loving people with good education. My mother was (and still is) a powerhouse who taught me I could accomplish anything with enough hard work and elbow grease. I graduated from college. I married a man who brings home the bacon, then comes home to wrangle three kids, cook dinner (sometimes) and mop the floor (always) so I have time to write fiction.

But those tears, people. The tears. I am usually good at muscling them down when Hollywood throws an emotional potshot. But there's one scene where Carey Mulligan's character [SPOILER ALERT] finds out her estranged husband is adopting out their son to another family, and she has no say in the matter. I broke down into quiet sobs and Holly kindly slipped me the stack of napkins, originally intended for popcorn grease. I used all but two of them.

'Doubt,' 'Cult' and the Stigmatizing of Words

Tweet

by Rob T:

When I finally told my parents that I had been investigating the LDS Church and taking lessons from the missionaries, it was agreed upon that I would talk about these matters with our Catholic priest.

I went to him and told him what I’d been learning. His first words in response about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were, “But they’re a sect, almost cultic!”

Let me first say that he is a good man, a kind priest, and a fair-minded leader. I hold no animosity toward him or my former faith - and disagreement with doctrine does not mean animosity, I think that’s important to this discussion.

But I do believe his response comes from a human tendency and a mindset that people can be scared away from something with one word. Certain words have been stigmatized to the point where they’re like Mr. Yuk stickers, and it’s all we need to hear to keep us away from something.

Three New Apostles Called

Tweet

by John English:

All three of the new Apostles come across as good men who will be positive influences and leaders in the Church for the next three decades.

The last time there were three Apostles called in one General Conference was 1906. That time they had George F. Richards (45), Orson F. Whitney (50), and David O. McKay (32). I haven't been able to find why Richards had seniority over Whitney, but there was precedent to seniority not being determined by age when more than one Apostle is called at the same time. Now every time there's been two Apostles called, their seniority has been determined by age. (Kimball-Benson, Nelson-Oaks, Uchtdorf-Bednar).

This time the three Apostles called are Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund. Stevenson is the youngest of the three, and my guess as to why Stevenson has seniority over Renlund is that Rasband and Stevenson were going to be the two new Apostles, but then the death of Richard G. Scott meant Pres. Monson wanted to find the third Apostle before General Conference. Or it could be deferrence to their previous Priesthood offices.

RONALD A. RASBAND (64) - He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He served his mission in the Eastern States and attended the University of Utah. LeGrand Richards performed the marriage sealing for him and his wife Melanie. (LeGrand was her great-uncle; the previously mentioned apostle George F. Richards was her great-grandfather.)

The Language of Prayer

Tweet

by Tanner:

Disclaimer: I am a believer that people do and should pray in more than formal prayers. Let people pray how and where they may. I do.

I am a devout individual and have often found myself trying to make reason of some doctrine, principle, or event from the scriptures. Everyone has what I call "objects of consideration,"or some idea that they fixate on as a root or contingency point for making sense of other ideas or simply fixate on for some other reason. For some it may be following the prophet, the creation, the Abrahamic covenant, the eternal nature of the atonement, etc. It could also be the separation of roles in the gospel and church, e.g. priesthood and motherhood. One of my "objects of consideration" has long been the language of prayer.

I am a linguist and polyglot. In other words, I speak a few languages, study language, and language is the object of my professional career. For a long time I have been bothered that English speaking members of the church are encouraged to pray using the archaic pronoun "thou" instead of the normal "you." "Thou" survives today for formal and solemn settings and purposes. However, "thou" is actually the informal, singular, second person pronoun.

A lesson about the history of the English language.

The pronoun "you" is the descendant of the plural and formal "Ye." Actually, "You" is the direct object form of "Ye," as in "Ye love me, I love you." After the Norman French speaking William the Conquerer took over England in 1066, French quickly became the ruling language. French was forced on the English people. Have you ever wondered why the English, a germanic language, has so many latin roots and alternative? The Norman conquest of England is a large part of it.

Sacrament Hymns: More Than Just #169–197

Tweet

by Peter Shirts:

As a musician, I put a lot of thought into choosing hymns for sacrament meeting when I’ve had that responsibility. I try to make each sacrament meeting a mix of familiar and less familiar hymns. I save the long hymns for the opening and the short ones for closing. If there’s an intermediate hymn, I pick a lively one and make everyone stand up (1). I make sure the chosen hymns haven’t been sung too recently to give variety. I pick hymns that fit the theme of the meeting, and not always the obvious ones (2). I change up which verses are sung, picking only two verses or even just the odd verses (3), or actually singing the extra verses below the music (4).

Why do I do this? I want the congregation to not just go through the motions, but to really think about the music and the messages there. I love it when I can see emotions in people’s faces when something in the hymn clicks for them, and often they reflect that emotion back on me (5).

But doing something different for the sacrament hymn (the hymn played while the priests break up the bread just before the emblems are passed to the congregation) is hard. The sacrament section (#169–197) is one of the most well-trodden parts of our 1985 hymnbook, because it only takes about 6 months to cycle through all of them (and I don’t think most choristers keep track to make sure they hit them all, like I do).

Guessing the Next Two Apostles (Part 3)

Tweet

This is the third in a three-part post running this week. Part 1 here, part 2 here.
This final section looks at possibilities in North America.

by John English:

NORTH AMERICA

1st Q70
2003 - Marvyn B. Arnold - 7/19/1948 - 67 - USA-UT
2006 - Shayne M. Bowen - 8/29/1954 - 60 - USA-ID
2006 - Craig A. Cardon - 12/30/1948 - 66 - USA-AZ
2006 - Don R. Clarke - 12/11/1945 - 69 - USA-ID
2015 - Kim B. Clark - 3/20/1949 - 66 - USA-UT
2011 - Carl B. Cook - 10/15/1957 - 57 - USA-UT
2008 - Lawrence E. Corbridge - 4/6/1949 - 66 - USA-ID
2011 - LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. - 8/1/1952 - 62 - USA-UT
2010 - Kevin R. Duncan - 10/6/1960 - 54 - USA-UT
2012 - Larry J. Echo Hawk - 8/2/1948 - 66 - USA-WY (Pawnee)
2012 - Stanley G. Ellis - 1/22/1947 - 68 - USA-ID
2005 - David F. Evans - 8/11/1951 - 63 - USA-UT
2012 - Robert C. Gay - 9/1/1951 - 63 - USA-CA
2010 - Gerrit W. Gong - 12/23/1953 - 61 - USA-CA (Chinese)
2005 - C. Scott Grow - 5/1/1948 - 67 - USA-ID
2008 - James J. Hamula - 11/20/1957 - 57 - USA-CA
2015 - Allen D. Haynie - 8/29/1958 - 56 - USA-UT
2005 - Paul V. Johnson - 6/24/1954 - 61 - USA-FL
2015 - Von G. Keetch - 3/17/1960 - 55 - USA-UT
2015 - Hugo Montoya - 4/2/1960 - 55 - USA-CA (Latino)
2006 - Marcus B. Nash - 3/26/1957 - 58 - USA-WA
2013 - S. Gifford Nielsen - 10/25/1954 - 60 - USA-UT
2009 - Brent H. Nielson - 12/8/1954 - 60 - USA-ID
2008 - Allan F. Packer - 7/7/1948 - 67 - USA-UT
2008 - Kevin W. Pearson - 4/10/1957 - 58 - USA-UT
2006 - Anthony D. Perkins - 7/22/1960 - 55 - USA-CO
2005 - Paul B. Pieper - 10/7/1957 - 57 - USA-ID
1995 - Bruce D. Porter - 9/18/1952 - 62 - USA-NM
2009 - Dale G. Renlund - 11/1/1952 - 62 - USA-UT
2009 - Michael T. Ringwood - 2/14/1958 - 57 - USA-UT
2001 - Steven E. Snow - 11/23/1949 - 65 - USA-UT
2015 - Vern P. Stanfill - 8/8/1957 - 57 - USA-MT
2011 - W. Christopher Waddell - 6/28/1959 - 56 - USA-CA
2012 - Scott D. Whiting - 4/1/1961 - 54 - USA-UT
1995 - W. Craig Zwick - 6/30/1947 - 68 - USA-UT

Guessing the Next Two Apostles (Part 2)

Tweet

This is the second in a three-part post to run this week. Part 1 here.

by John English:

Continuing from Monday, it's been a while since someone from the Presiding Bishopric was called as an Apostle, so I'll profile those three next.

PRESIDING BISHOPRIC

GARY E. STEVENSON, 59, served his mission in Japan and later went back as president of the Japan Nagoya mission. He was the COO of ICON Health. He was called to the 1st Quorum of 70 in 2008 but then called as Presiding Bishop in 2012. Career expertise: Business

GERALD CAUSEE, 51, was born in France, and after getting his MBA, he worked as a general manager for Ponoma, France's largest food distributor. He was a stake president and area authority before being called into the 1st Quorum of 70 in 2008. He became 1st Counselor in Presiding Bishopric in 2012. Career expertise: Business

DEAN M. DAVIES, 64, served his mission in Uruguay and Paraguay before being president of the Puerto Rico San Juan mission. He worked in real estate and construction before Pres, Hinckley asked him to work for the church, overseeing construction of churches and temples. He was then called to be 2nd counselor in 2012. Career expertise: Real Estate

Now to explore possibilities in the 1st and 2nd Quorums of Seventy. I will highlight different regions of the world and who might come from there. The year is when they were called to the Seventy.

AFRICA

2013 - Edward Dube - 5/12/1962 - 53 - Zimbabwe
2001 - Christoffel Golden - 6/1/1952 - 63 - South Africa
2009 - Joseph W. Sitati - 5/16/1952 - 63 - Kenya

Joseph W. Sitati joined the church in 1986. He was the first black African general authority. He was the first stake president of Kenya. He worked in the oil and gas industry before working as the director of the church's public affairs in Africa. He was president of the Nigeria Uyo mission before getting called to the Seventy. If someone from Africa is called, I'd give him the edge.

However, Edward Dube is ten years younger and if they want to make the Quorum younger (Bednar is the youngest Apostle, at age 63), I could see them going with him. He joined the church in 1984 and served a mission in South Africa and Zimbabwe two years later. He worked in CES in Zimbabwe for the church and was president of the Zimbabwe Harare mission.

ASIA & PACIFIC ISLANDS

2009 - Yoon Hwan Choi - 5/18/1957 - 58 - South Korea
2007 - Michael John U. Teh - 6/25/1965 - 50 - Philippines
2014 - Chi Hong (Sam) Wong - 5/25/1962 - 53 - Hong Kong
2011 - Kazuhiko Yamashita - 9/1/1953 - 61 - Japan
2009 - Koichi Aoyagi - 3/24/1945 - 70 - Japan
2011 - O. Vincent Haleck - 1/1/1949 - 66 - Samoa

Chi Hong (Sam) Wong was the first speaker in General Conference to give his address in a language other than English (Cantonese). Wong hails from Hong Kong. He joined the church in 1982 and went to school and BYU-Hawaii before moving back to Hong Kong. his background is in business, but his unique perspective could really help the church open up China.

Michael John U. Teh would be younger than Bednar was when he was called. He's the second Filipino to be a general authority, and he's spent his career working for the church, lastly as a manager for their statistical records division.

Yoon Hwan Choi is currently president of the Washington Seattle mission. Kazuhiko Yamashita is currently president of the Japan Nagoya mission.

AUSTRALIA

2011 - Ian S. Ardern - 2/28/1954 - 61 - New Zealand
2013 - Terence M. Vinson - 5/1/1951 - 64 - Australia

Ian S. Ardern works for CES in New Zealand, and he was president of the Fiji Suva mission.

Guessing the Next Two Apostles (Part 1)

Tweet

This is the first in a three-part post to run this week.

by John English:

I did a previous post on guessing who the next Apostle might be, but we've hit a rare section in time in the LDS church when two Apostles will be called at the same time. This has happened before. Dieter F. Uchtdorf and David A. Bednar were called together in 2004. Russell M. Nelson and Dallin H. Oaks were called together in 1984 (though Oaks had to wait a month to be set apart). Before that you have to go back to Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson in 1943. When two Apostles are called the same day, the older one has seniority.

Never in the history of the LDS Church has an Apostle been called that the prophet wasn't already acquainted with on some level.

I wanted to expand the field in this post, look at a broader section of who it could be, and also take into account two being called at the same time. But first, let's look at the current 13, and where they came from. (By seniority)

THOMAS S. MONSON - Called to be an Apostle at age 36 in 1963. No one has been called that young since. He'd served as a bishop but more importantly as a mission president in Canada and then Editor of the Deseret News. He would have had regular contact with church leaders, allowing them to know him and consider him as a candidate when a vacancy arose. Monson in particularly worked with Gordon B. Hinckley, who ran the Church's public affairs before being called as an Apostle two years before Monson. Monson also at one point had Harold B. Lee for a stake president. Career expertise: Publishing

RUSSELL M. NELSON - Called to be an Apostle at age 59 in 1984. He came about his service in a rare way. He performed open-heart surgery on Spencer W. Kimball in 1972, around the same time he was called to be Sunday School General President. He served in that calling for eight years and then a regional representative for four years when he was called to be an Apostle. Career expertise: Medicine

DALLIN H. OAKS - Called to be an Apostle at age 51 in 1984. Oaks was well-known by the Brethren when they called him to be president of BYU, where he served for nine years. He then instantly joined the Utah Supreme Court but resigned from that once he was called to be an Apostle. Oaks was not currently serving in church leadership when he was called. Career expertise: Law, Church Education

M. RUSSELL BALLARD - Called to be an Apostle two days before his 57th birthday in 1985. He was the grandson of apostle Hyrum M. Smith and great-grandson of Joseph F. Smith. On his other side, he was the grandson Melvin J. Ballard, who served for years in the Q12 with Gordon B. Hinckley's uncle Alonzo. He was a mission president when he was called to join the First Quorum of the Seventy, and he was in the Presidency of the Seventy when called to be an Apostle. At the time, Pres. Kimball and 1st Counselor Marion G. Romney were incapacitated, so this calling likely came from 2nd Counselor Hinckley as anyone else. Ballard's daughter married David B. Haight's grandson. Career expertise: Business

RICHARD G. SCOTT - Called to be an Apostle at age 59 in 1988. His father worked closely with Ezra Taft Benson in Washington DC. He was a misson president, then a regional representative, then joined the First Quorum of Seventy, then in the Presidency of the Seventy when called. Career expertise: Nuclear Science

ROBERT D. HALES - Called to be an Apostle at age 61 in 1994. He was called to the First Quorum of Seventy in 1976, then he served as Presiding Bishop the nine years leading up to his calling as Apostle and was considered key in balancing church finances in the 1980's and 1990's. He'd run several successful businesses before his calling. Career expertise: Business

JEFFREY R. HOLLAND - Called to be an Apostle at age 53 in 1994. He succeeded Oaks as President of BYU. Nine years later he went straight from there to the First Quorum of Seventy. he also served as Commissioner of the Church Educations System (CES). Career expertise: Church Education

HENRY B. EYRING - Called to be an Apostle at age 61 in 1995. He was the third Apostle in as many General Conferences to be called, and after him, the Church went nine years before another one was needed. He is married to Pres. Kimball's niece. He was president of Rick's College. He was a Commissioner of CES. He was a Counselor to Hales in the Presiding Bishopric, and he was in the First Quorum of Seventy when he was called to be an Apostle. Career expertise: Business, Physics, Church Education

DIETER F. UCHTDORF - Called to be an Apostle at age 63 in 2004. He'd been a stake president, in the 2nd Quorum of Seventy, 1st Quorum of Seventy, then in Presidency of Seventy when called to be an Apostle. Career expertise: Aviation, Business

DAVID A. BEDNAR - Called to be an Apostle ate age 51 in 2004. He succeeded Eyring as president of Ricks' College and helped transition it into BYU-Idaho. He was an area authority while he worked at BYUI. Career expertise: Church Education

QUENTIN L. COOK - Called to be an Apostle at age 67 in 2007. His mother was a Kimball, so he's second-cousins with Spencer W. He was a missionary companion of Holland. He went from bishop to stake president to area authority to 2nd Quorum of Seventy to 1st Quorum of Seventy to Presidency of the Seventy to Apostle. Career expertise: Business, Law

D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON - Called to be an Apostle at age 63 in 2008. Richard G. Scott was his mission president when he served his mission. He was called to the 1st Quorum of Seventy in 1993 and in the Presidency of the Seventy in 1998. He was executive director for the Family & Church History Department. Career expertise: Law

NEIL L. ANDERSEN - Called to be an Apostle at age 57 in 2009. He'd been called the the 1st Quorum of Seventy in 1993 and into the Presidency of the Seventy in 2005. Career expertise: Business

So these are their experiences and how they may have been known before they will called. One should expect there will be prior relationships for the new Apostles. So first let's look at the likely pool of talent.

Temple Square Stereoscopics and GIFs

Tweet

by Scott Heffernan:

On a recent trip to Salt Lake City we stopped by Temple Square. The temple grounds have always fascinated me. I often feel a strange aura there. There's the cheerful families and tourists that give it a sense of levity. At the same time there's sort of a ghostly air filled with esoteric symbolism, deep longing, and moodiness. I took some photographs on our visit not intending to put them together like this. However, I noticed later on that pairing some of them up created that quirky combination of mysticism and frivolity I experience at the Salt Lake Temple.

Scott Heffernan is a graphic designer and photographer in Seattle. He works on the creative team at Archie McPhee doing all manner of strange things. He grew up a child of the ‘80s in Salt Lake City, served a mission to England/Wales, and got a degree in American Sign Language from the University of Utah. After marrying his sweetheart, they moved to Seattle and had three beautiful baby boys together. He loves toys, skateboarding, and thrift store shopping and has impeccable Modar. Twitter: @ScottHeffernan. Tumblr: ScottHeff.tumblr.com.
Images: Scott Heffernan (used with permission).

SCOTUS - Reflecting on My LDS Friend and His Two Moms

Tweet

by Mike Maxwell:

I grew up in Holladay, Utah in the 1980’s as a member of a pretty conventional Mormon congregation. In my 9th grade year, a new family moved into the neighborhood and a 10th grade boy (I’ll call him Doug) from that family began attending our Teachers Quorum. Doug and I shared common interests in sports and music and quickly became friends. I recall many evenings shooting baskets in his driveway with Molly Hatchet blaring from the car stereo in the carport.

I visited Doug’s home a few weeks after meeting him at church and met his mom. She was nice to me but seemed an otherwise unremarkable woman. I asked Doug about his dad and he told me his mom and dad divorced when he was a kid. His dad worked in the Las Vegas gaming industry and he rarely saw him. He didn’t seem to want to talk about it further so I did not press him.

After a few more visits to Doug’s home, I realized there was another adult woman living there. Over time, I learned that the woman and Doug’s mom were a couple. My 14-year-old Mormon boy self had no frame of reference for “lesbians” so I just kind of rolled with it. I got to know them better and found them to be considerate, caring, pleasant people who were as dedicated to raising a good son as were any of my other friend’s parents.