A couple months ago I was approached by Brandon, author of the blog Latter-day Sustainability, with a proposal to team-up on administering an informal survey about the environment to Latter-day Saints and those familiar with Latter-day Saint teachings.  The goal and objective is to learn more about Latter-day Saint members’ views on the environment, including how the LDS Church informs those views.  I thought it was an interesting project, and so I agreed.  Peter, a member of the LDS Earth Stewardship group, also joined our team.

Over the last couple months we have been engaged in compiling, editing, and reviewing a survey to be taken by anyone who is familiar with the LDS Church or its teachings.  We split up the task of producing questions, and of editing them.  We also each sent out a test survey to several people to get their feedback.  We believe we’ve come up with a good survey which will help us gather good data on LDS views about the environment.  There was no cost to us in administering this survey.
The survey will be open until November 15th.  Comments are intentionally closed to help prevent discussion before taking the survey.  Please feel free to share the link of the survey with your family and friends, or anyone who is familiar with LDS teachings.  After the survey closes we will analyze the results and post those we find most interesting for discussion.  Results will also be available to anyone with a reasonable request.  More information is available on the introduction page of the survey.  To contact the administrators with questions or comments about the survey, please email ldssurvey at gmail dot com.

To take the survey, please click the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/environmentsurvey

General

Come check out the mashup I’ve made of Conference at TempleStudy.com.  I’ve put together a video/sound stream of conference, a liveblog of comments and discussion, and a Twitter feed of all those members around the world Twittering about Conference all together on the same page.  Come by and participate!

P.S. To comment about Conference on Twitter, include #ldsconf in your tweet

General

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we teach a gospel of love.  We teach that Heavenly Father loves all His children, and desires that they return to His presence.  Indeed, we teach the doctrine of Christ:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

We teach that God’s involvement in the affairs of mankind is because of His love for each of us.  The entire plan of salvation is based on this love, that Heavenly Father’s full-time desire is that we, as His children, might become like Him and have eternal joy (Moses 1:39).  We also teach that we must likewise love others (John 15:12).

These are supernal principles that are imperative for our eternal growth and learning, and for us to become more like our Father in heaven.  For God is love (1 Jn. 4:8, 16).  However, as with most principles, these virtues can be taken to extremes outside the bounds the Lord has set, and which can lead to unwise compromises of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  Our passions, even in gospel principles, must be bridled (Alma 38:12).  God’s love is one of these principles. Read more…

General, Scripture Discussion

Look at what just showed up last night on the 10th most popular blog on the internet, Mashable.com.

Why the Mormon-Facebook Rumor Made Sense

So it’s kinda funny that this rumor keeps getting rehashed, despite being officially debunked by the Church.  But I guess it makes a good story, right?  I’m surprised he didn’t say anything about Mitt Romney.  Was that deliberate?  Saying that the Church was a for-profit organization kinda misses the mark too (he mentioned nothing about the Church itself being a 501c3 non-profit organization).  Seems like many are trying to focus the media’s attention on the wealth of the Church these days.  Why?

How do you think Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins did in his portrayal of the Church?

Discuss.

General

I just listened to the podcast of the Mormon Miscellaneous radio show by Van Hale from August 17th talking about Mormon apologetics and with guest Mike Ash about his new book Shaken Faith Syndrome.  This post isn’t a critique of Hale’s show or of Ash’s book, but it is about one tenet expressed during this particular program that is false.

I consider myself an apologist in the Church, meaning that I have covenanted to sustain and defend it from error.  I always bear my testimony that “I know” the Church is true, and that “I know” the Book of Mormon is true, and that “I know” Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that “I know” that President Monson is a prophet of God, and that “I know” that Jesus Christ is our only Savior and Redeemer.  The reason why is that I have received an unmistakable witness from God, through His Spirit, that it is so.  Come rain or come shine, I will always hold on to this sure witness.  Should it be any different?  Read more…

General

For those who may not know Chelsie Hightower, she was recently a semifinalist on the popular television dance series “So You Think You Can Dance.”  She made it to be one of the top three girls on the nationally syndicated show, which is quite an achievement.  She also happens to be a member of my ward.  In fact, in the first episode of her audition they featured a clip filmed in her home and the recreational areas of the same residential complex in which I live.  She also is an excellent ballroom dancer, a talent and sport which I have been involved with and have personally competed in for many years.

Chelsie was asked to give a talk in our sacrament meeting today.  Having shortly returned from filming the show live in Los Angeles, I can only surmise that they asked her to speak on her experiences dancing on the show.  The stake president was invited to the meeting and was on the stand presiding.  I’d like to share some of the things that she related which I thought were very thoughtful and honest.

Read more…

In real life, Sacrament meeting

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Yesterday I went to see Disney/Pixar’s new animated motion picture WALL-E (or more correctly WALL·E), released on June 27, 2008.  I had seen previews for the new film for many months, and had just recently heard that the critics were heralding the movie as one of the best of the year, perhaps even the best that Pixar Animation has ever produced.  Indeed, our local Deseret News movie critic Jeff Vice said it’s “the best-looking of all the Pixar animated features to date” [1].  RottenTomatoes.com currently has a 97% approval rating on the film [2], and IMDB has it ranked the 19th best movie of all time [3].  The eminent Roger Ebert even gave it 3 1/2 stars [4].  But there is more to this story.

Read more…

Movies

Some will say I’m crazy for saying this, but I felt the Spirit tonight as David Archuleta sang.  I did.  It made me cry, which is seldom.  I felt it.  I can’t help but think that he was singing about the kingdom of God on earth as he so phenomenally vocalized:

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

Read more…

In real life

I think there is a pervasive and instinctive need among mankind for a prophet, or seer, one who can “see” into the future to prepare us and warn of impending events. We see evidence for this all around us, particularly today. Read more…

General

In the same vein as Clark’s excellent post on creation ex nihilo yesterday, today I encountered another false aspect of this philosophy which could use our attention. It appears in sheep’s clothing at first sight, but potentially can be quite ravenous on the inside (Matt. 7:15).

Read more…

General