Elphaba

I'm not sure what you're responding to here, but "effect" is also a verb.Elph

If that's the case then shouldn't fathers be staying home taking care of the children as well? After all, doesn't the Church teach that men will spend eternity taking care of the children they will have just like Heavenly Father takes care of His children today? Or are they going to spend eternity going to the office every day?Elph

I think he meant it was 19:00 mountain standard time. But I have no idea how he's getting anything other than 1088 hits.Elph

When I type "Mormon" into the advanced search it still gives 1088 hits.Are you doing something differently? Elphaba

Did you tour the temple? I know the Community of Christ offers an interpretive tour which sounds amazing. I envy you. Elph

Exactly. Elph

In this post I have already explained to jlf Notre Dame's bookstore actually has 1000+ titles, which is the first of many proofs that his information is innacurate. volgadon and I also proved that his claim that it carries no current LDS authors is blatantly wrong, as it carries many. We also debunked additional claims, but I won't bother to go into them here. If you want, you can read it at the link.I can't figure out if jlf is being purposely obtuse, if he has problems with comprehension (that is not an insult, I mean it in a clinical sense), if he just didn't bother to read the evidence, or if he's actually outright lying. But here he is in this thread making the same claims that have already been soundly proven false in the link above, as if we're not going to notice. I noticed. Elphaba

You can't edit it. Only a mod can. If you want to change it contact Pam. I'm sure she'd be glad to do it for you.Elphaba

I know that. That was my point. Your title only asks for people who teach at BYU, and thus, people who would be included in your survey might ignore your thread entirely because it looks like you're only asking for input from people who teach at BYU. That's why I suggested you see if a mod would change the title for you. That way your thread wouldn't be ignored by someone who has something relevant to say with regard to your question. Elphaba

No, you didn't. You might want to ask this question over at the Mormon Apologetics and Discussion Board. There is at least one BYU professor who posts there regularly, and a few others who post often. Also, you say it doesn't matter where they are employed, yet the title of your thread specifically asks for BYU professors. I know of one regular here who is a professor (mormonmusic), though I don't know if he publishes. I also think dahlia is a professor, and there may be others. However, none of them teach at BYU, so they wouldn't realize they might be included in your query. I suggest you ask a mod to change the title of your thread to some sort of wording that includes professors from any institution. That way you'd catch anyone here who fits your criteria. Elphaba

Pam and Wing, I am very flattered at your faith in me, but I have to admit, I did not know about Emma and the JST. I haven't been able to keep up with LDS history like I used to, and honestly, I think I have been passed up by a few people on the board. Suzie is one of them, and not only have I been impressed with her grasp of the subject more than once, I've learned some things I did not prevously know, and have gained a better understanding of some I did. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to pass my torch on to her. She obviously is passionate about it, and you'll all be in very good hands. :) I did find this at FAIR, but only by doing a search. It wasn't something about which I had any prior knowledge. Elph

No need. Your point was a valid one. Besides, these days I define the word "confuzzled." Maybe next time I stumble, you'll give me a break. I think you're referring to the deduction for contributions to charity, but just in case you mean something else, what is the "charitable interest deduction."Thanks, Elph

I lucid dream all the time, but don't consider it fun at all. It's because I have post-traumatic stress disorder. They're always nightmares, and even though I know I'm dreaming in them I can't stop what's happening. Sometimes I'm able to wake myself up, but most of the time I can't. I hate them. Elphaba

That is NOT what I said at all.I said I found four titles within two minutes, and then two additional titles a few minutes after that. I then wrote: In other words, I didn't find any others because I did not look for any others, not because they do not exist. It seemed obvious that if I found six titles within a few minutes many more existed. I know I can be wordy, but if you're going to quote something I said in a post, please make sure you actually read it first. Elphaba

I've said this before--the building just doesn't look that tall to me. But, there's something very endearing about someone doing something so wicked on (off?) that building, and you all know how much I love Wicked. Elph

No, it’s not. It's not staunchly conservative, either, but it certainly isn't liberal. I would say it's a (good) mix of both. However, I don’t know what being liberal or conservative has to do with being anti-Mormon. The only university on the list you put together below that showed a clear anti-Mormon bias is ultra-conservative (Bob Jones University). I found 1089. Within two minutes I found four:Your Study of Isiah Made Easier: in the Bible and Book of Mormon, 2009, David J. Ridges What of the Mormons. . . , Gordon B. Hinckley Lost Legacy, Gary Smith, Winner of the Utah Mormon History Association Best Book Award, 1997 2-Hour Book of Mormon: A Book of Mormon Primer, 2000, Larry Anderson Additionally, within a few minutes more I found books like A Marvelous Work and a Wonder by Legrand Richards and A Study of the Articles of Faith by James Talmage. Given many LDS still consider these books timely, I have no problem including the authors as semi-current. Which is telling, given she is very positive about the Church. Again, it took me minutes to find six. I quit looking after that since it was obvious you hadn't really looked very hard. Oh, please. The vast majority of books were historical reproductions and therefore, of historical interest, not an indication of anti-Mormon bigotry. No, it wouldn't have; rather, it would have been lost within those 1,000+ titles. But I found six within minutes. The lack of a lack of current LDS scholars and writers proves ND does not have an anti-Mormon bias. All that has been proven is that it is an extremely well-stocked bookstore for a university. Actually, it has four, but you’re right, none of them are represented by LDS writers, and Ed Decker is one of the authors. It definitely showed an anti-Mormon bias, but considering it is more of a fundamentalist religious school than an academic one (in my opinion), I’m not surprised. Yes, they do, all of them. None of them sell any books about the Church. Obviously, no anti-Mormonism there. Hardly. Only one university out of those, and one I consider to be more fundamentally religious than academic, showed what I would consider to be an anti-Mormon bias. So, no, it’s not sufficient. If anything, your examples prove you wrong. Elphaba

It is not volgadon's responsibility to prove you wrong. You are the one making the claim, and thus, it is your responsibility to prove it.Please provide enough examples of LDS scholars being discriminated against, because they are LDS, and not because of genuine disagreement, to demonstrate it has the impact you claim it does. Elphaba

As an ex-member of the Church I completely understand where your parents are coming from in that they do not believe a temple wedding is necessary, and it is very painful to lose that dream of giving you the perfect wedding and being an integral part of it. However, I think it's possible that once the wedding/sealing is over and done with, they would come around, especially if they see your husband is devoted to you and that you are very happy in the marriage. And then, of course, once grandchildren enter the picture I can't imagine your parents wouldn't want to be in your lives every bit as much as any grandparents are. My point is, it's hard to look beyond the moment and believe things won't always be the way they are today, but in my many years I've discovered things that once seemed insurmountable often dissipate simply with the passage of time, including hurt feelings. I agree with Bumperpants that you should do any and everything possible to include your parents. It's that important. But, if you do decide to have a temple wedding only, with no other ceremony, it deoesn't mean it's the end of any meaningful relationship with your parents. Time will pass, and if your bond with them is strong today, it will be again. Parents love their children that much. Elphaba

Does a bishop actually have the authority to cancel a temple wedding/sealing? Or was he saying he'd just get the process started?I have a hard time believing the proper authority would cancel a temple wedding/sealing after the fact because of this. Elphaba

Since Funky didn't mention the term "nanny state," and I did, I think you're responding to my post to hoosier. If so, I understand your explanation of the word. The reason I mentioned healthcare only is that's the only aspect of a "nanny state" that hoosier mentioned. But I do understand the term encompasses much more than just government-subsidized healthcare.If you weren't responding to my post, then just ignore this one. Elph

That's what a "nanny state" is. I think Whittle's characterization of the situation in Britain is flawed, but when someone talks about the "nanny state," universal healthcare is an example of what they're talking about. So I don't understand how the fact that they have universal healthcare proves Whittle is wrong about the "nanny state." Or, did you mean something completely different? Elphaba

Thank you for your clarification. I agree Nibley had a good reputation amongst the non-LDS scholars who knew his work. Do you have any present-day examples of this happening? It's my impression most LDS scholars are well-respected in their respective fields, sometimes specifically because Mormons have a reputation for honesty. But I admit I haven't looked at it from your perspective before.Elphaba

I think they'd both be ecstatic at how phenomenally successful the Church is, with no end to its growth in sight. Elphaba ETA: Sorry, I just re-read your post and see you were talking about individual members, not the Church as a whole. I think they would be amazed at how easy the members have it today. I don't mean that as a put-down to current members, but very few experience any actual persecution, which was definitely not the case in their day. Elphaba

If his/her subject is American history, I certainly hope not.Elphaba

I can only speculate based on my own experiences. The Church I grew up in, from the '60s to mid-'80s strongly emphasized that church authorities were inspired by God, and thus we must always obey their counsel, because to not do so was to directly defy God. If the concept that sometimes these men are speaking from personal opinion, and not via inspiration from God, was ever mentioned it wasn't often enough for me to remember it. In fact, it wasn't until I started visiting LDS websites that I came to understand it, and yes, I was shocked by it at first. My mother still believes this, and I suspect numerous other Saints do as well, though certainly not all. In fact, based completely on anecdotal evidence, I think members who don't spend much time visiting LDS websites tend to think of these things in a very black and white manner, while those who do have a more expansive point of view. But if someone were to tell me I'm wrong, I'd believe him/her, as it's been almost two decades since I was a member. My point is, when you've been brought up to believe that God always inspires these men in authority as to how to counsel you, and then discover that that's not always the case, it can be a blow, particularly if you've followed the counsel of one of these authorities and things turned out badly. In fact, now that I think about it, when I look back at the people I've talked to who have left the Church, and are bitter, this is the reason most-often cited. Elphaba