(Part 2) Best products from r/latterdaysaints

I went through a faith crisis a few years ago, and it can be very disorienting and painful, so I feel for you and your husband. I have, to some extent, come out the other side, but I'll never go back to where I was. The good news is I would never want to. The bad news (maybe) is that there are no perfectly satisfying answers to the questions you pose. The nature of God--is He benevolent, is He punitive (those are not mutually exclusive), is He indifferent, is He all-loving, is He all-powerful?--these questions have been and will continue to be debated until the end of time. If He is all-loving and all-powerful, why does He allow humans to suffer in such horrific ways for no apparent (to us) reason? It would seem that one of those characteristics must not be true. You might enjoy the book When Bad Things Happen to Good People by the Jewish Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, who discusses this very conundrum in the context of his own son dying from a terminal illness at a young age. Kushner ultimately concludes that God is all-loving, but He is not all-powerful; i.e., there are some things that are even outside God's control. This notion can provide comfort for those who want to believe in God's ultimate goodness, but it also opens a can of worms theologically because we must then attempt to map out the bounds of God's power (e.g., if God cannot manipulate natural events like earthquakes, how could he have created the earth in any meaningful sense of the word?) One can think of trivial paradoxes that prove the limits of God's omnipotence (e.g., Can God create a rock so heavy that even He couldn't lift it?), but even within Mormonism the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we accept limitations on God's power--for example, if God were to "destroy the work of justice" He would cease to be God. I still don't have a firm position on the limits of God's power, but so long as I cannot conclude decisively one way or another, I will choose to proceed under the belief that He loves me and will intervene to my benefit when He is able because 1) I have had experiences that support this belief and, more pragmatically, because, in my experience, 2) my commitment to this view has been positively correlated with good outcomes in my life.

>I just don’t see the point of putting so much time and effort into a religion or belief system when I don’t know at all if it’s right or if it’s worth it.  Lofty promises of receiving all the Father has pale in comparison to the actual reality I’m living and missing out on.

It sounds like you not only question the validity of the truth claims that form the basis of gospel living, it sounds like you question the value of gospel living itself (this is in no way a criticism, just an observation). These two facets of the gospel life--a belief in the truth claims and a belief in the value of living the gospel--are related in that the former motivates a commitment to the latter, but I'd argue the causality also goes in the opposite direction. That is, it is much easier to gain an appreciation for the tree when we have experienced the goodness of its fruits. Regardless, I believe you can gain "a testimony" of the value of gospel living, even as you struggle with the theology. Sometimes, that is enough to help propel oneself along until we receive greater understanding.

>Whatever you didn’t have a chance to learn in this life, will be taught and learned in the next life.  If that’s the case, then why bother having a church on earth at all?...If it was absolutely essential that people were baptized, or learned of the gospel, or lived a certain lifestyle, then why isn’t it made absolutely available to everyone?

From a theological standpoint, accepting the gospel in this life is not absolutely essential to gain salvation, given the work that we believe can take place after this life. It cannot be understated how unique and radical this belief is, relative to the position espoused by many (most?) orthodox Christians, Jews, and Muslims. But then if we don't have to accept the gospel in this life, why bother having a church at all? Perhaps for the same reason members still care about technology and economic development and vaccines, and for the same reason we care about offering service and assistance to those in need--because it makes this life better. As for why the gospel isn't made available to all, perhaps (getting back to God's omnipotence) He would like it to be, but our poor exercise of agency prevented that outcome until the Restoration, and now we are doing the best we can to make it available.

I'll leave it at that for now, but I would recommend a couple other books and an article on these topics that might interest you. The books, both by Terryl and Fiona Givens, are The Crucible of Doubt and The God Who Weeps. The first is especially appropriate for those who may be navigating a faith crisis, but the second is also helpful as it discusses the nature of God and his role in our lives. Finally, I thought this article, "Mormonism, Islam, and the Question of Other Religions" was very interesting. It offers a view on the role of other religions in God's plan for His children as supported by Joseph Smith's and subsequent church leaders' rather expansive view of God's inclusiveness. If you read these and want to discuss, let me know. I always enjoy these conversations. I wish you all the best.

Hello!

Congrats on your journey so far. I am a convert to the church (baptized a little over a year ago) and remember feeling exactly like you did. Being baptized into the church was the biggest (and best) decision of my life, but it was not a decision I wanted to make lightly. I have a few book suggestions and then some semi-unsolicited but hopefully helpful comments.

The God Who Weeps by Terryl and Fiona Givens — I read this one while investigating the church, and it really opened my eyes to how truly beautiful Mormon theology is. So many other religions only left more questions for me, and Mormonism was the first thing that clicked. This book brings a lot of those ideas together. Also I am obsessed with Terryl Givens, everything he writes is fantastic, which brings me to...

Wrestling the Angel also by Givens. This is definitely more of a Mormonism 303 lesson as it is quite academic. But Givens does a fantastic job explaining Mormon doctrine within the larger historical landscape of Christianity. The book is organized topically, so you can kind of skip around and read about what interests you.

Some of my favorite talks that have really spoken to me:

His Grace is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox

God is the Gardener by Hugh B. Brown

On How We Know by Truman G. Madsen

Some other suggestions:

Not sure where you live, but I highly recommend attending any local Institute classes that might be happening (your missionaries will know of them). It's a once a week class where people get together and discuss the Gospel. For me it was great to discuss things with people other than the missionaries and the member who introduced me to the church.

Don't feel like you have to know everything. This was my biggest stumbling block to deciding to be baptized. I felt like because this was such a huge decision (it was), I had to know absolutely everything I could before agreeing (impossible). One of the things I love most about the Gospel is its promise of never-ending, always increasing knowledge to anyone who will seek it. Baptism is not the destination. It is merely the gate into the kingdom of God, the beginning of a journey that has brought so much endless peace, joy, and love into my life. At a certain point I realized I could never know everything, but I knew enough to know that this path would take me to where I needed to be, that this is a life worth living.

> I want an answer unique to you

Okay!

> What gives you such strong conviction that what you believe is true?

The same reason you said your mother loved you. It feels right and makes the most sense. It could be she doesn't actually exist outside of your mind. (This cannot be proven wrong objectively. You have to believe it without objective evidence.) Or it could be that she has no free will and loves you no more than a robot who was programed to think and act like it loves you loves you. (Again, you cannot objectively prove your mother has any free will to actually love.)

There are more examples I can give but the point is: at the end of the day, you cannot know your mother is an actual person that actually loves you (beyond just determinism forcing her to act and think so like a robot) without exercising some faith in the Heb. 1:1 sense. (You much choose to believe some things that cannot objectively be proven. Like Solipsism is wrong. For you they are "obvious" but same for me.)

With that said, my two reasons are: 1. It makes the most sense intellectually and 2. It feels right (as if I am receiving spiritual assurances.)

First: Let me start out with noting: though most philosophers are atheist, most philosophers of religion are theists. My point is only, the intellectual case for God and religion must be quite strong if those that study it professionally using the methods of the secular academic world emerge theists. If anyone tells you there is no rational basis for God and religion have obviously not studied the issue in any actual depth.

Want some examples? Well you can start with the argument from contingency + principle of sufficient reason. Even atheists have admitted Pruss has made a formidable case with this argument here. Or you can go the The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics and show the universe is more rational and coherent than you have any right to believe assuming random and purposeless. The NY Times have a lay version here. Or there is the observation that evolution optimises on survivability not truth. (And we know the two are different) This would imply, if there is nothing more than brute, random evolution producing brains, there is no reason to think our brains find truth in what is actually true, only in what it takes to survive. Thus, any "rational" conclusion we ever make, we need to be suspicious actually has anything to do with actual truth. (IE... lack of something like God forces you to admit you might be completely irrational pertaining to any and all your beliefs.)

There are more, and said right they are stronger that I presented, but I am writing a book! So will provide more if you ask.

Second: It feels right. I feel the spirit when I pray. (Just like you feel "love" when your mother hugs you. They both may be no more that chemicals fooling you what is actual, but you trust in at least one is real while trust both are.) I feel the spirit when I read the scriptures. I feel the spirit when I keep the commandments. Like Alma 32 says, when I nourish the seeds of the gospel, I see them grow. I see how the gospel blesses myself and my family. I, etc... So, by this second method I also know it.

So, just like you believe your mother is an actual person who actually loves you (something you must believe without objective proof) because it makes the most sense and feels right I likewise believe there is an actual God who actually loves me because it makes the most sense and also very much feels right (the spirit).

Oooo this is my wheelhouse!

First, I would recommend looking at the Mormon History Association Best Book awards going back to 1966. Quality scholarship, research, and writing are a mainstay with them.

Required reading:

Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet by John Turner / Brigham Young: American Moses by Leonard Arrington

Considered two of the best books about early Utah and the Brigham Young years. Arrington's book was considered groundbreaking when he wrote it, and Turner's book brings in the valuable perspective of the non-Mormon writing about Young. For many Mormons, Turner's book will be less sympathetic to Young than Arrington's, but Turner also worked closely with the Church Archives (and spoke glowingly about them and that process), so his research had access to some better sources. If you need a primer for Brigham Young, I recommend Arrington's book. For a Brigham Young graduate level course, I recommend Turner.

Early Mormonism and the Magic Worldview by Michael Quinn

To understand much of what happened in early Mormonism, you must understand the role that folk magic played in the lives of Americans in the 1800s. Quinn's research at this time was top notch, and he was a quickly rising star among Mormon historians. Considered one of his best works, and foundational to the understanding things like seer stones, divining rods, visions, and everything else that happened in the early church days.

David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism by Greg Prince

Covers late 1940s - 1960s Mormonism, one of the "rising moments" of Mormonism when we went from a Utah-church to a worldwide church. Prince had amazing access to the journals of President McKay's secretary, which led to some candid discussions about things like the publishing of Mormon Doctrine by McConkie, blacks and the priesthood, ecumenical outreach, and politics.

Spencer W. Kimball by Edward Kimball / Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball by Edward Kimball

Ed was Pres. Kimball's son, and the books cover both the apostle years and presidency years of Spencer W. Kimball. If you had to choose one, get Lengthen Your Stride, but make sure it has the CD that comes with the book. This has the unabridged manuscript prior to the Deseret Book edits, which is much more interesting.

By the Hand of Mormon by Terryl Givens (heck...anything by Terryl Givens!)

I'll admit - I'm a Terryl Givens fanboy. By the Hand of Mormon was the one that first got me in to him, mostly because he took the Book of Mormon as a serious work of literature to examine it's merits. It's not as devotional as many traditional LDS books about the Book of Mormon (it was put out by Oxford University Press), but it really gave me a deeper appreciation for the Book of Mormon as contemporary literature. Also check out Viper on the Hearth (Mormons on myth and heresy), People of Paradox (Mormon culture), When Souls had Wings (the pre-existence in Western thought), and so many others.

And just because I'm a big book nerd, here's the list of books that are on my desk right now that I can give you quick reviews if you want:

• Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History by Greg Prince
  
• The Mormon Jesus: A Biography by John Turner
  
• Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings, edited by Brooks, Steenblik and Wheelwright
  
• Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness by W. Paul Reeve
  
• Pedestals and Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority and Equal Rights by Martha Sonntag Bradley
  
• A Reason for Faith: Navigating LDS Doctrine & Church History, edited by Laura Harris Hales
  
• Glorious in Persecution: Joseph Smith, American Prophet 1839-1844 by Martha Bradley Evans
  
• The Mormon Church & Blacks: A Documentary History, edited by Harris & Bringhurst
  
• From the Outside Looking In: Essays on Mormon History, Theology and Culture, edited by Neilson & Grow
  
• Out of Obscurity: Mormonism since 1945, edited by Mason & Turner
  
• Mormonism & American Politics, edited by Balmer & Riess
  
• Seeking the Promised Land: Mormons and American Politics by Campbell, Green & Monson
  
• A Book of Mormons: Latter-day Saints on a Modern-Day Zion, edited by Jensen & McKay-Lamb
  
• Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine & Covenants by the LDS Church
  
• Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805-1830 by Richard S. Van Wagoner
  
• Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies of the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths by Ann Taves (looking at Mormonism, Alcoholics Anonymous and A Course in Miracles)
  
• A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women's Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835-1870 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
  
• Baring Witness: 36 Mormon Women Talk Candidly about Love, Sex, and Marriage edited by Holly Welker

It does feel late. Especially when our history seems to be such a big part of our identity and even our Sunday school curriculum. There are a lot of reasons why it's taken us this long to get to where we're at. (I'm gonna get reeeeeeally long-winded here, so prepare yourself!)

Whenever this conversation comes up, I'm reminded of a story that I've now heard told several times by an older friend of mine. Back in the 1960s-early 70s, a student or a researcher could visit the church historian's office, but before they left one staff member in particular would always ask to see their notes and would confiscate them on the spot! (Evidently this wasn't a huge issue, because a smart researcher would use carbon paper, dutifully surrender the originals, and keep the copy hidden away!) I often think of that pharisaically diligent staff member who tried so hard to "protect" the church's reputation. What he did sounds ridiculous now, but I can understand the instinct. A well-researched article on any aspect of Mormon history will use the exact same primary sources as the most fire-breathing anti-Mormon piece out there on the same historical topic. So by carefully restricting access to the originals you guarantee that the information won't be used for evil purposes, right? (There's heavy sarcasm in that last sentence, btw.)

Frankly, that's been the instinct within the church for a long time now (I mean the church as an institution or a bureaucracy). It seemed easier to "protect" the church by restricting access to information. But that's not a tenable strategy anymore—not with the internet.

In the 1970s, there was a push to professionalize the church's archives. They began to hire staff with archival and librarian training. They modernized their cataloging and began to create professional inventories for their collections. They created collecting strategies and began to purchase books to create an up-to-date research library. The historian's office turned from being a back room where we stored old stuff to an actual research institution with a staffed research room where approved students and historians came to do research.

With increased staff and visibility, the church’s old historian's office/archives was renamed as the historical department and Leonard Arrington was hired as director. Nowadays, the time that Arrington was director is referred to as "Camelot" because it was a supposed golden age. Arrington was a prolific writer, and he was a mover and a shaker. Among other things he hired a bunch of bright college kids/young historians as part of an ambitious project to write a series of monographs on church history.

This was a huge step away from the old, strictly devotional, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers type of history (not to bash the DUP—it’s just that they’re not known for their academic rigor). These were college-trained historians and they essentially had free access to the archives. I believe that some in the church (again, I’m talking the bureaucracy/institutional church throughout this entire comment) wanted to be progressive and professional, but some were anxious to “protect” the church too, and so having in-house historians write history was the best compromise—it disseminated information from the church’s collections to church membership, but restricted access to the originals to historians who were trusted members of the church in good standing. The projected series was never published in the way Arrington envisioned, but most of the proposed books were eventually published (for example, Heavens Resound, Nauvoo, Brigham Young: American Moses). Arrington fostered and encouraged an entire generation of historians. The field of Mormon history would not be half as rich or diverse today without Arrington’s support 20-30 years ago. Nor would we have the Joseph Smith Papers without Arrington (I’ll get to that in a moment).

In some respects, the 1980s-90s were bad decades for church history. Mark Hofmann started selling documents to the church in the early 1980s. Stuff like the Salamander letter (that obviously we later learned was forged) placed a lot of scrutiny on our history—and our historians. I don’t know a lot of details about the whys and wherefores, but I suspect that the “new” material Hofmann presented created enough of a controversy that those who were always anxious about protecting the church’s reputation then had the momentum to transition Arrington out the historical department. The compromise was the creation of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History at BYU where Arrington and many of the historians under him moved around 1981 and continued to write history. (It was probably better that way in the end.) The Hofmann murders in 1985 were awful and tragic in and of themselves, but they also put the church on the defensive. Gone were the days of the open archives, and the pendulum swung to the other side to safe conservatism. Access to church materials became more restricted as a general policy, and some would say that something of an anti-intellectual bent developed in the church as shown in matters such as the September Six that included the excommunication of historians in the early 1990s. I’ve been told that historical department staff were even discouraged by their bosses from membership in the Mormon History Association (an organization that Arrington helped to found). During these years, good articles and books were still written on church history and the archives were used by researchers both Mormon and non-Mormon--but it wasn’t Camelot anymore. It seemed that the atmosphere wasn’t as optimistic as it used to be.

In a way, the Joseph Smith Papers were first published in the 1980s. Dean Jessee, a historical department employee, was given the church’s blessing to publish a volume of Joseph Smith’s writings in 1984. A second volume followed in 1989, and he had a third ready for the press when he was told by higher ups to shelve the project. He did. Fast forward to the late 1990s and Larry and Gail Miller. The Millers are fairly famous in northern Utah—they own the Salt Lake Jazz and a bunch of car dealerships and other properties. The Millers had a friend who had a friend who worked in the church archives, and long story short the Millers asked if there was an interesting history project somewhere that could benefit from funding. This fellow thought of Jessee’s shelved project, got together with the Millers and some other researchers and they decided to revive the project as the Joseph Smith Papers.

(cont.)

Your Heavenly Parents and your Savior are so rejoicing.

Google meetinghouse locator and insert your address. It will identify the address of your local congregation, the name of your bishop, and the times your congregation meets.

If you want to go through the missionary lessons, you can do that online if you want at mormon.org (in the chat function). You can also get a bible and a book of mormon if you don't have one or both any more.

If you didn't see General Conference last weekend, you can here: https://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng There were several talks inviting members those who had left to return. It was a beautiful conference.

I don't know that I would say anything to my friends. As you change, they may recognize that is happening and ask you about it and you may then be strong enough to say, "I love my Heavenly Parents and my Savior, and my heart is different. I want the blessings of membership in the restored Church of Jesus Christ, and I have found peace there. I hope you will be happy for me."

I'm sure the missionaries will invite you to re-read the Book of Mormon. I'd suggest you see if someone in your ward will let you read their copy of "Believing Christ" by Stephen Robinson, and "When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered" by Wilcox. If you are a reader (and since we are studying the New Testament this year at church and at home, I would also recommend you read Jesus the Christ by James Talmadge, and the recent book that updates the secular scholarship of it at https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Christ-Richard-Neitzel-Holzapfel/dp/160907937X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20ASUZDKY2K88&keywords=jesus+the+christ+study+guide&qid=1554843521&s=gateway&sprefix=jesus+the+christ%22%2Caps%2C431&sr=8-1

As you turn to Jesus Christ, your husband may see that your discipleship is good for your marriage.

If you have any interest in books (sorry--that's my jam), Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings is a fantastic collection of essays, sermons, some blog posts, and other writings by Mormon women about feminism. It has the benefit of being easily digested in small chunks that stand alone pretty well, so you can skip sections that don't interest you as much or jump to some areas that really speak to you.

I actually think the book Women at Church: Magnifying LDS Women's Local Impact might be another great option for what you're looking for. It's by a very believing Mormon woman who until a few years before writing the book had worked for the church (I think in PR if I remember right) and it basically has two halves: first, explaining to Mormon men (and many women) who don't see any problems with sexism in the church why faithful members feel that there really is (and they're not crazy); and second, laying out suggestions that could be implemented at the local level that wouldn't be against any church policies but which could alleviate some of the problematic aspects of Mormon culture w/r/t sexism.

A few other book options to consider: Mormon Women Have Their Say Essays from the Claremont Oral History Collection; Mormon Women: Portraits and Conversations (covers everyone from a Utah housewife who started a major charity to a woman who fought the Marcos regime as a communist guerrilla in the Philippines!); Educated: A Memoir (a memoir about growing up in a seriously dysfunctional Mormon family but going on to achieve awesome stuff); literally anything written by Chieko Okazaki (or even listen to some of her talks in General Conference to the worldwide church)--she is beloved by literally every Mormon woman I've ever met, liberal or conservative; and Carol Lynn Pearson has written some great stuff about women and Mormonism, like The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men and (if you're into one-woman plays) Mother Wove the Morning. Many of these have Kindle editions if you don't like hard copies.

Anyway, hope some of that might sound interesting to you. Good luck!

Porn is particularly insidious, but yes we are far better off in almost every measurable way than days past.

Here's a quote from Matt Ridley's
The Rational Optimist, that helps put things in perspective:

> ... the vast majority of people are much better fed, much better sheltered, much better entertained, much better protected against disease and much more likely to live to old age than their ancestors have ever been. The availability of almost everything a person could want has been going rapidly upward for two hundred years and erratically upward for ten thousand years before that: years of life span, mouthfuls of clean water, lungfuls of clean air, hours of privacy, means of traveling faster than you can run, ways of communicating farther than you can shout. Even allowing for the hundreds of millions who still live in abject poverty, disease and want, this generation of human beings has access to more calories, watts, lumen-hours, square-feet, gigabytes, megahertz, light-years, nanometers, bushels per acre, miles per gallon, food miles, and, of course, dollars than any that went before.

But sentimental narratives are often much more easily tuned to the fight-or-flight base response mechanism. The "natural man" that turns mankind against each other (fight) can also turn mankind away from each other (flight). The gospel covenant rejects both of those and challenges to "turn the other cheek" but also to "love thy enemy".

Edit: downvotes, eh? I'm not sure how to take that! :) I didn't expect it from this community. The gist of what I was trying to say is said better by Pres. Hinckley in a different talk.

>"Women who make a house a home make a far greater contribution to society than those who command large armies or stand at the head of impressive corporations."
-Gordon B. Hinckley


--------------------------
My original comment:

The talk is beautiful; though I think you're confusing what he's saying with the modern dogma of "equality" that has become so popular.

The modern equality movement argues for equal roles that assumes that individuals are the most important players in society; this line of thinking typically leads to calls to get more women into traditionally male roles. While I personally will encourage my daughters to pursue their goals, whatever they may be, I'm hesitant to argue for equality in the way it's currently understood: equality of roles in one's career.

The reality is that the family unit is much more important, for society as a whole, as well as for the individuals who are influenced and raised by said families.

Often, having a strong family unit means having (at least) one person responsible for full-time teaching/training/loving of the little people in the home. My personal opinion is that it can be a man or a woman (though typically women are more willing and more able to fulfill this vital role).

American individualism can make this all seem very cloudy; I was recently reminded of this when I read this book, The Righteous Mind, by Jonathan Haidt, which I highly recommend.

Read the book if you haven't; I'm not sure I can do it justice. The basic idea is that there are three moral categories: the divinity ethic, the autonomy ethic, and the family ethic.

For many secular Americans, the only kind of morality that is "allowed" is the ethic of autonomy, which asks "is it fair? Does it harm any individual?"

But there is a much richer moral fabric, that includes divinity (ie allowing some things to be sacred) and family (ie putting the needs of the family/tribe before individual needs).

Also see a TLDR slideshare on the book edit: removed the Colbert video because it doesn't touch on the ideas from the book that were relevant.

May be it would be helpful to point you to some honest source that seeks to give a non subjective and fair evaluation for the claims of the church.

1.   A book that provides a general view on how to go about thinking about hard church issues. It is really good. Entitled the Crucible of Doubt by Teryl Givens: https://www.amazon.com/Crucible-Doubt-Reflections-Quest-Faith/dp/1609079426/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=crucible+of+doubt+givens&amp;amp;qid=1561524835&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;sr=1-1<br />

   
   

2. My favorite book to start thinking very thoughtfully and from an academic perspective on the book of Mormon. Incredible stuff. Entitled “Understanding the BOM” by Grant Hardy: https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Book-Mormon-Readers-Guide/dp/0199731705/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KBX8MX63A88H3GCBCHYR
   
   
3. My favorite book on early church history focused around the life of Jesus Christ. Written by the renowned Columbia U History Professor Richard Bushman. Entitled Rough Stone Rolling: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-Rough-Stone-Rolling/dp/1400042704/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=richard+bushman+rough+stone+rolling&qid=1561524690&s=books&sr=1-1
   
   
4. My favorite book on modern day church history. It is a careful look at the David O McKay era with incredible source material. It completely changed my view of how the upper echelons of church governance works, but somehow at the same time strengthened my faith in our very fallible leaders. Entitled The Rise of Modern Mormonism by Greg Prince: https://www.amazon.com/David-McKay-Rise-Modern-Mormonism/dp/0874808227/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+rise+of+modern+mormonism&qid=1561524807&s=books&sr=1-1

I've lived in the South most of my life. I'm from Georgia, but currently live in South Carolina. You'll probably want to check with your Mission President first...they may allow short sleeve white shirts...or they may not. But yeah, the weather is all over the place. Basically 8 months out of the year...it's nice. Two months out of the year it's HOT as can be. The other two months out of the year, it can be quite cold because there's so much humidity in the air...it's biting cold.


One piece of advice, is insect repellent. We have gnats down here. They don't bite - they're just EXTREMELY annoying. The best thing I've found is this: Cutter Skinsations (https://www.amazon.com/Cutter-Skinsations-Insect-Repellent-6-Ounce/dp/B002Y682FS/ref=asc_df_B002Y682FS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167116521796&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11728597105979983255&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1025518&hvtargid=pla-315297740298&psc=1)

​

It's very gentle, and actually feels nice on your skin. It will wash away quickly if you get really sweaty, so on those days you'll want to use something with a little more DEET in it, but DEET can be uncomfortable to wear and it smells (kinda) bad, plus it can irritate your skin so don't use it too often. The Cutters has a tiny amount of DEET in it, but also has skin conditioners so it won't irritate your skin. It's cheap and easy to find.

​

Other than that, I'll say that Gordon B. Hinkley said (and I was there when he said it) that Georgia was the 2nd Utah. That people will flock to the church and it will grow and grow and grow. The people here are kind and will be polite even if they aren't interested. Yeah, there's a few boneheads here - but you'll be fine. I hope you like BBQ and be sure to try some Grits. Look for the stoneground grits if you can find them. Mix that with some scrambled eggs. It's a cheap breakfast and will fill you for hours!

> I'm very interested in this, since I always felt slightly ashamed about how little the church spent on charity compared to other ventures

If you have internal numbers about what the LDS Church spends on charity then you should publish them because no one else has those numbers and it kind of drives us nuts. Like - if you published them, you'd be the biggest name in Mormon sociology tomorrow.

> what I've perceived has disappointed me

You should talk to more people. Like - seriously, start talking to people who're LDS. Ask them about charity. You might be surprised by how many of them have been helped by the church (which is really just the same thing as being helped by other members).

We only see a small part of that help.

Anyway - some info:

Utah's chronic homelessness rate was lowest in the US in 2016

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865678779/Is-Utah-still-a-model-for-solving-chronic-homelessness.html

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/02/housing-first-solution-to-homelessness-utah/

Utah has really high upward social mobility.

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/04/why-low-income-kids-thrive-in-salt-lake-city/425214/

Children born in the bottom "quintile of incomes" in Utah have a 10.8% chance of breaking into the top quintile (in Denmark - that number is 11.7%).

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-03-28/how-utah-keeps-the-american-dream-alive

Yet, Utah's state government spends very little on Utahns.

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/utah-full-of-mormons-benedict-option/comment-page-2/

Mormons are super generous:

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0899764013508010

http://www.pewforum.org/2012/03/15/mormons-and-civic-life/

The Economist reported that the church spends $50,000 (of its members' money) per ward each year on welfare.

https://www.economist.com/node/13185524

The LDS Church spends a lot of money helping financially insecure people in Utah:

http://gardner.utah.edu/_documents/publications/welfare/reality-private.pdf

$30 million in Utah in 1991 ($56 million today):

http://gardner.utah.edu/_documents/publications/welfare/faith-community.pdf

Tithing and welfare funds run about 150 bishops' storehouses and about 100 Desert Industries all over the western USA:

https://providentliving.lds.org/bishops-storehouse?lang=eng

Deseret Industries trains ~8,000 people a year for the workforce:

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/12/deseret-industries-doing-a-christlike-work?lang=eng

These services are free for all and cost local communities nothing:

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mormon-food-bank-a-private-welfare-system-3168966.php

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2016/06/24/mormon-welfare-program/31091/

Church welfare requests increased 20% between 2008 and 2009.

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102112029

Here are some more "scholarly" projects:

https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=gradreports

https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1101&context=byusq

https://www.amazon.com/Mormons-War-Poverty-1830-1990-PUBLICATIONS/dp/0874804140

https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1880&context=byusq

25 years is not old, dude. Not in the slightest.

Don't compare your life to anyone else's.

The Church doesn't have a 'right' path that you are 'supposed' to follow, as far as career / educational development is concerned.

Life doesn't work that way.

Follow your heart, your brain, your curiosity, and your passion.

Don't spend another day worrying about how you thought things would have / should have / could have worked out.

Just embrace where you are now, and make today the best you can.

(Also, when I was in your shoes, I found some inspiration in 3 surprising sources:

• Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Address
  
  
  
• Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture
  
  
• Ken Robinson's The Element

Have y’all read this book?

How Greek Philosophy Corrupted the Christian Concept of God https://www.amazon.com/dp/0882907824/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HeoEAbJTXE7SA

It’s VERY interesting and pretty much singlehandedly changed my perspective on the Apostasy. Well worth a read.

I keep saying, atheists need a church. The social support structures provided by a healthy church group is incredibly valuable to the community.

That said, I also agree with the article's author (and Jonathon Haidt) that it's hard to motivate such organization in the absence of religious guiding principles.

The official church website is https://mormonandgay.lds.org/

That will give you the official views.

A broader scholarly history of the Church's views is just coming out in a book (which I haven't read) https://www.amazon.com/Gay-Rights-Mormon-Church-Consequences/dp/1607816636 but I've heard and read his interviews. You can find some podcasts with his views easily.

As rans_2001 noted, I may be oversimplifying to just "gay" here.

Among the rank and file, you'll probably see much of the same evolution you see among other religious groups: generational divides, families with LGBTQ+ children and varying levels of acceptance, and congregations where correlated doctrine sometimes varies according to the two other factors. Just my opinion, though.

https://www.amazon.com/Gay-Rights-Mormon-Church-Consequences/dp/1607816636

Pretty sure that is what they are trying to link.

This one is super academic, but very sound : How Greek Philosophy Corrupted the Christian Concept of God https://www.amazon.com/dp/0882907824/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nqCSDbF74NR0F

I usually recommend the Mormon contributions to Oxford's "A Very Short Introduction" series to people who want to learn more but who are not interested in conversion. They're short (like 100 pages) and scholarly (though written by believers) and very well done. There is one specifically about The Book of Mormon and one about Mormonism more generally.