Category: Uncategorized
Halvor and Hannah Ronning: Inspiring Missionaries to China
One of my favorite books on China portrays Chinese history in the past 120 years through the experiences of a remarkable family. The book, China Mission: A Personal History from…
Where Thieves Break Through and Steal: Your Bank Account (in China or Elsewhere)
An increasing number of friends are reporting troubling cases of theft from their China bank accounts. One friend, after years of working in China and saving every penny, was preparing…
Clement of Alexandria, Temple Mysteries, and the Divine Potential of Man
One of the earliest Christian writers after the New Testament era was Clement of Alexandria, who lived from about 150 to 210 AD. While researching the concept of the “yoke…
Youth Conference in China and the Contributions of Young Single Adults
Our recent May 2015 Youth Conference in the Shanghai International District of the Church was a good demonstration of many roles that Young Single Adults can play. They were integral…
“I Have Said, ‘Ye Are Gods'” — The Latest Scholarship on the Controversial 82nd Psalm
Latter-day Saints often need to discuss or defend LDS teachings about the potential of sons and daughters of God to become more like him (our version of theosis, which we…
Blame Mom: A Late Mother’s Day Gift from CNN, Peggy Drexler, and UC San Diego
Like most universities, the University of California, San Diego strives to assure parents that their university is a safe place for the children that parents will be sending there. These…
The Human Side of Trees
Diane Wirth has an interesting article at the Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum (BMAF.org), “Cutting Down a Tree: a Metaphor for Death in Scripture and Mesoamerica.” It draws some connections…
Mother’s Day and Grace, Mormon Style
As I reflected upon Mothers Day and my relationship with my mother, I saw a potential opportunity to clarify a common misunderstanding about the LDS perspectives on grace and obedience….
Grace and the Temple: Insights from a Jewish Scholar
Some of our fellow Christians misunderstand LDS teachings regarding grace, feeling that our choice to obey God and respect His commandments somehow means we think we earn our salvation and…
The Ups and Downs of Captivity: Or, Keep Your Knees Bent
The day my previous post appeared on deliverance and captivity, I experienced a little captivity and, fortunately, deliverance during an elevator ride in Shanghai. The basic story is that I…
