About J. Max Wilson

J. Max Wilson is one of the founders of the Millennial Star. You read more of his thoughts about Mormonism and other topics on his personal blog: http://www.sixteensmallstones.org.

Handbook #2 Highlights: LDS Reasons for Disabilities or Handicaps

[Cross Posted from Sixteen Small Stones]

handbook2

This is the third entry in a series of blog posts about some of the interesting and important policies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contained in the church’s official Handbook #2. Familiarity and compliance with LDS Church guidelines is important. For background, see the introductory post.

Continue reading

Handbook #2 Highlights: Notes and Recordings of Talks and Addresses by LDS General Authorities

[Cross posted from Sixteen Small Stones]

handbook2

This is the second entry in a series of blog posts about some of the interesting and important policies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contained in the church’s official Handbook #2. Familiarity and compliance with LDS Church guidelines is encouraged. For background, see the introductory post.

Notes and Recordings of Talks and Addresses by General Authorities

Church members should not record the talks or addresses that General Authorities and Area Seventies give at stake conferences, missionary meetings, or other meetings. However, members may record broadcasts of general conference on home equipment for personal, noncommercial use.” (emphasis added)

Handbook 2: 21.1.33

Continue reading

Handbook #2 Highlights: Recreational Hypnotism

[Cross Posted from Sixteen Small Stones]

Background

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has two handbooks that represent the church’s policies, procedures, and guidelines. While Handbook #1 is available only for Stake Presidents and Bishops in the church, Handbook #2 is meant to be a guide for members of ward and stake councils and is available to anyone.

handbook2

It is important for all members to be familiar with the content of Handbook #2, but in my experience, even among very devout and active members of the church, there are many who don’t even know the handbook is available, let alone what it says.

I have been reading through Handbook #2 and there are a number of policies and positions of the church of which I suspect many church members are not aware. This is the first in a series of blog posts in which I will highlight some of the interesting contents of the handbook.

Continue reading

Mormon Monuments at the U.S. Capitol and Smithsonian in Washington D.C.

[Cross posted from Sixteen Small Stones]

Statue of Lady Freedom atop the U.S. Capitol BuildingMy family visited Washington D.C. for a vacation this October. We had a wonderful time exploring the National Monuments and Smithsonian Museums. There is so much to learn, think about, and do, and never enough time for all of it. It was also a great time to talk with our children about our country, its history, and its founding documents and principles.

I want to highlight a couple of unexpected encounters with Mormonism and LDS related ideas we had while there, with photos I took myself.

LDS visitors to Washington D.C. may be interested in going out of their way to see some of these Mormon monuments. And should Mitt Romney be successful in winning the election for President of the United States, interest in some of these may increase among those who are not members of the LDS church as well.

The U.S. Capitol Building is beautiful. The room where the House of Representatives used to meet from 1819 to 1857 is now the National Statuary Hall, where they display statues of prominent Americans. Each state of the Union is allowed to send two statues, of either bronze or marble, to be displayed at the Capitol, many in the statuary hall. Continue reading

The Long Promised Day: Why the LDS Church Priesthood Ban is NOT a Hammer for Your Liberal Wedge Issue

[Cross Posted from Sixteen Small Stones]

Those who disagree with the the LDS Church on certain policies and positions, especially its stance on homosexuality and same-sex marriage, but also on various other policies that clash with current liberal cultural trends, often cite the Church’s former Priesthood Restriction as a precedent for the church to make further changes to accommodate their views.

In fact, for many of them the Priesthood Ban has become a useful hammer that they employ to drive their agenda. It has become a kind of folklore for heretical members of the church that is used to prop up and justify their agitation for change and rejection of prophetic authority. Continue reading