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Do I Sustain Dallin H. Oaks?

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  Do I sustain President Dallin H. Oaks as the prophet, seer, and revelator and as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys? On my mission, I taught a man named Uju. He was baptized in Africa many years before we met and reconnected with the church after meeting my companion and I on a dusty downtown Omaha street.  Uju wasn’t one to stay on topic. When we taught him, any number of things could push his attention to something tangential, and usually a bit more mystical than our western sensibilities were prepared for. We didn’t usually know how to respond to his vivid descriptions of sacred dreams, metaphysical theories, and half-christian theological ideas.  Once we were sitting at his kitchen table and he prophesied. “Elder Chandler,” he said, straightening in his chair and widening his eyes. His voice got deep and serious. “One day, you will become the president of these United States.”  Finding this unlikely, and yet aligning with so...
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Which Story is True?

  The first story goes like this:  From the beginning, God has revealed the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to his servants, the prophets. Prophets taught and administered the gospel successfully for periods of time called dispensations. Almost every dispensation has ended in apostasy–a popular rejection and silencing of prophets and a great falling away from truth. When the people are prepared, God has again called a prophet, restored gospel truth, and ushered in a new dispensation. In the latter days, God has revealed his gospel one final time before the second coming of Jesus Christ. The gospel as we have it now is the same gospel that was revealed to and understood by Adam, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Hosea, Jesus, John, Nephi, Alma, Moroni, etc., and it is only misunderstood because of the effects of apostasy which take away plain and precious truth, now being fully restored in the fullness of times.  The second story goes like this:  From the beginning, huma...
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Books Read in 2024 (with reviews!)

  Reviews of the 10 books I read in 2024 Undeniable: The Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon (Audio) by Susan Easton Black This is a good, faith-promoting overview of the lives of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon. I was disappointed, however, that Black didn’t even mention that Oliver Cowdery accused Joseph Smith of having an affair with Fanny Alger. Why leave out that detail?  The Mormon People (Audio) by Matthew Bowman A really accessible introduction to Latter-day Saint History, written in a journalistic tone. I got the sense that Bowman wasn’t connected to the church at all. That’s not true; he’s a member of the church and a scholar of its history. But my initial assumption is a testament to how impartial the writing is. I was most intrigued by the impact of Heber J. Grant’s pragmatic impact on the church. I think much of how the church is today–stake and ward structures, priesthood keys, temples–can be traced back to Grant.  The Heart of the Matter (Audio) by Ru...
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Is the Book of Mormon True?

  The End I recently finished reading The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ . This isn’t the first time I’ve read the book , nor will it be my last. But this year-long study is special in a few ways.  For much of the year, I read from a new study edition of The Book of Mormon edited by Grant Hardy. Hardy presents helpful essays and insights throughout the work including introductions to each book, a robust appendix, and lots of footnotes. What was most helpful though was the formatting. It’s amazing what de-emphasizing verse breaks and treating poetry like poetry can do for readability, as well as section headings that break things down into easy to follow structural beats. I learned a lot.  Since September, my study has revolved around teaching early morning seminary. Studying to prepare a lesson is great for keeping an active mind through the process and making sure my thoughts are coherent and helpful enough for my audience. Seminary ensured that my stu...
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