by Daniel Bartholomew

I have long thought that one of the strengths of our Church is that it calls on the general membership to do basically everything in its meetings. Any worthy church member of sufficient age may be called upon to pray, give a talk, conduct the music, play the organ or piano, etc.

Until recently it never dawned on me how deeply some people fear being in front of others or being asked to do anything in front of other people. Yes I knew that some people became uneasy or nervous. So often we hear people express this at the beginning of a talk. I once even saw (years ago) a person faint while at the pulpit. But I didn’t realize that for some this problem is so severe that even the possibility of offering a prayer causes intense fear and even panic.

Continue reading →

Bob Caswell has posted some remarks about his desire to better understand the temple through discussion with others. As I contemplated the ensuing conversation, I had a few thoughts that I intended to post as a comment, but when I went to submit them I felt like I should post them here instead. I hope that Bob doesn’t mind.

I post my thoughts cautiously, not because I fear the wrath of Constable Evans, but because the temple ceremony is very sacred and I do not want this conversation to disintegrate into anything inappropriate.

Have you ever noticed that copies of the scriptures are available in the temple foyer and in the chapel where you wait for your session to start, and copies of the scriptures are present and alluded to during the endowment ceremony but that there are no scriptures available in the celestial room. This is not likely an oversight…

Continue reading →

Today we christen a new feature: the Monday Morning Millennial Star Question. Rather than purport to resolve burning gospel questions, each Monday morning I’ll pose a question for readers to ponder and respond to. Hopefully your collective experience and wisdom will yield insights that help everyone to better understand the gospel.

Question: “Is tithing a smart financial investment, or do tithe-payers have less money than they otherwise would?”

By Jim Richins

As we journey through life, we are occasionally blessed with moments of sublime satisfaction. These moments of joy are transitory yet ubiquitous, periodic but fleeting. Everyone experiences these moments, many have posted about them in the Bloggernacle. They are like bread crumbs left on the path to peace by a loving Father. For me, they are meteoric epiphanies – bright and spectacular, but then, frequently, gone in an instant, leaving only a faint trace in memory.

Continue reading →