By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog

Or so Malcolm Gladwell asserts in an overall very average book, Blink, containing this little gem: we tell ourselves lies. He explains that we are too quick to come up with explanations for things we have no explanation for. He then discusses several examples. Both examples that stuck with me came from a sports researcher. The researcher filmed and broke down the body movements of athletes digitally. From his many studies he discovered two facts that contradicted two well known popular explanations for famous sports stars’ success. In one, he discovered that Andre Agassi does not roll his wrist when he hits a forehand. Agassi, in fact, only rolls his wrist after the ball has been hit. Yet if you ask Agassi why his forehand is successful, he confidently explains that it is because he rolls his wrist over the ball when he strikes it.

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The power is in your hands, bloggernauts: what shall we do with HL Rogers?  Vote in the poll.

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Some big opportunities just fell through for me.  I wonder whether I am being punished for my sins.  How can I know?

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It would be hard to claim that we are NOT one of the most patriotic Church memberships in the country–if not THE most patriotic. Mormons love America. We love hot dogs and apple pie. We support our troops and hang flags from our homes and cars. We LOVE America and we love democracy. We fought the red scare, dismissed communism, and embraced democracy as the government that God wants on the earth–at least right now. But this raises some interesting questions regarding where we came from and whether our 19th century counterparts loved democracy as much as we do.

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Embarrassing confession time: sometimes, it makes me uncomfortable to leave my scriptures sitting on the floor, to put garments in with the dirty clothes, or to throw out issues of the Ensign.  Why do I feel this way?

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The short answer: nothing.

Actually, not having an African or Latin American pope probably helps our missionary effort in those areas (the reasoning being that a "local" pope may have reenergised lapsed and former Catholics who might otherwise be attracted to Mormonism).

As soon as I heard I rushed to find my Catholic friend to tell him. The crushing look of disappointment on his face was unforgettable. "We need a pastoral not a doctrinal pope", he said. "Plus, he’s German."

Congratulations to Pope Benedict XVI from BCC. We know you read us.

I’ll never forget a Sunday School lesson I had growing up. The teacher drew a straight line across the length of the chalk board, representing eternity. Then, somewhere on the line, he put a tiny dot, invisible unless you put your eye up to it and squinted to see it. This, he explained, represented earth life. Why, he asked us for most of the lesson, would we want to jeopardize all of eternity, which goes on forever, by screwing up in this tiny amount of time that is life on earth. We needed to be good, otherwise that dot could destroy that whole line of eternity.

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After 45 years of genealogy work, my dad finally came across some startling news for the Caswell family:

We are related to Joseph Smith, and here’s how:

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I was recently discussing the dilemma of a close LDS friend’s mother with that friend (“Bill”), and his mother.  Here’s the fact scenario: 

Bill’s parents divorced several years ago, after he and all his siblings were grown.  The divorce came unexpectedly, and was hard on much of the family religiously, psychologically, etc., etc.  Most of Bill’s many siblings are now less active or have left the Church entirely (the causes of this are complex in each case, but the divorce seems to have been a catalyst for most of them).  Bill and one of his siblings are still active in the Church.  Both of Bill’s parents are still active in the Church.  They are still sealed together in the Temple.  Bill’s father would like to reconcile with and remarry Bill’s mother.  Bill’s mother has no interest in doing so.  (Assume that she has her reasons, and that they are good ones).
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To me, the poetry of religion is found in the paradox, which provides the perspective for pondering beyond that which is merely logical.

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Why do you blog?  What are you getting out of blogging?  What would you like to get out of blogging?  What interests you about BCC?  What ticks you off about BCC?  What features would you like to see?  What is your favorite blog?  Why?  Here’s your chance to sound off and tell your humble (or not) perma-bloggers exactly what you think.  Lurking a lot?  Here’s your chance to chime in.

I feel as close to Hunter S. Thompson as a mormon can feel, following a romp in Seattle with J. Stapley and Aaron Brown.  Lean closer, that I may tell you the scandalous tale of debauchery and madness.

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When I drive my kids to school, we go through Salem, Massachusetts, once a place where heresy and witchcraft were horribly punished, now a place where eccentricity and wackiness of all sorts are not only tolerated, but gleefully promoted. Salem is especially weird around Halloween, but almost every day I spot some new character who appears to have stepped right out of some hyper-post-modern-surrealist novella. I like making up stories about these people–perhaps someday I will write the Great American Hyper-Post-Modern-Surrealist Novel.
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This past semester, I have been enrolled in a class called “Entrepreneur Lecture Series.” “Successful” entrepreneurs would come give presentations on their journey; lessons; and, well, “success.” Though I own my own business and have just been bought out of another business, I don’t think of myself as an entrepreneur. And here’s why:

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This morning, there was a small war in the Wright household.  Boy # 2 (aged 9), was  putting on his rubber boots, scriptures in hand.

"Are you taking your scriptures to school?", I enquired, wondering if he was going to have personal scripture study during his "reading time" and if this was O.K.

"No, I’m giving them to Nathan.  I’m hoping he will accept the gospel."

"Um, I’m not sure that is the best way of doing this.  Those are the special scriptures that you got for your birthday and maybe we should talk to his Mom and Dad before we give him a Book of Mormon."

Feet were stomped, tears were shed, I think a pass-along card was pocketed for more clandestine missionary work. 

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In Bob’s recent post on Temple Discussions, someone asked about the history of the endowment and former iterations of the endowment.  While not knowing any particulars, I indicated that endowment particulars and history "are of course available online with some searching, if you’re feeling
blasphemous."

Was it blasphemous for me to have said this?  Is it blasphemous to engage in this type of Googling?  Case in point: one faithful, believing mormon has posted the text of the endowment online, stripping out the tokens, names and signs to which his covenants relate.  In his view, that’s the only part of the endowment he’s promised not to disclose.  Is this correct?

Can you teach the gospel in a way that appeals to all Mormons? I didn’t think this was possible and so my answer has always been a resounding: NO! However, my wife has begun attending an Institute class in our stake taught during the week at 9:30am. The class fills with mainly women for this reason, but a rather diverse group. From very conservative/traditional women to rather liberal women. All speak glowingly of the class.

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Here’s the transcript from the final round of questions from our little email group. Grasshopper sat out this round, but hopefully will participate via the comments. Thanks again to all the participants for an enjoyable and edifying discussion.

Stay tuned for another Round Table, coming soon!

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Over conference weekend, my mind was somewhat preoccupied with thoughts of the temple. I know we’ve discussed this before (what haven’t we discussed before?), but this time I have some specific questions.

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I feel that one of my functions at BCC is to be the voice of the single community within the church.  Not that you all need to know the details of my dating life, which although at times entertaining, are not blog worthy.  But once in a while something so momentous happens that I feel I need to blog about it.  Last time, the momentous occasion was me noticing that dating in a singles ward is like being on a crappy reality t.v. show.  That was marginally big.  This time I’m serious, it’s BIG!  Here’s the news:  I’m old.  I’ve been banished.  I’m on my way to being a cheap Sheri Dew imitation.  The drama and angst is perhaps too much to handle…forgive me while I wipe my tears and daintily blow my nose….

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