General Conference Cinnamon Rolls

April 2, 2011 By

Everyone swears their cinnamon rolls are the best, but they’re deluded. Mine are. (Well, with the possible exception of Brad’s mom.) These cinnamon rolls are the closest thing you’re ever going to make at home to the real deal. I say that with absolute certainty and calm. They. Are. It. I’ve held this recipe close to the bone for a long time, folks, but I will divulge the secret:

Pudding.

That’s right, you make the rolls with vanilla pudding as your primary liquid. (get out your food storage pudding!) That, and a lot of butter. I have no idea what the nutritional breakdown is, but to be on the safe side, and out of kindness to your heart, I suggest making them only 2 or 3 times a year. Without further ado, I give you… [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon

Saturday AM General Conference:Two-Hour Blocks 4Evar!

April 2, 2011 By

And here you thought we wouldn’t do anything special for April Fool’s Day…

Welcome to By Common Consent’s live coverage of the 181th Annual General Conference, live from Salt Lake City! BCC will provide near-continuous live commentary, photography, and other goodies throughout the weekend’s activities. Don’t forget to check out our minute-by-minute coverage on Twitter in addition to coverage on the blog. We also encourage you to (if you’re not already doing so) watch Conference live, streaming from LDS.org.

————

Good morning BCCers! This is Neylan reporting on the Saturday Morning Session of General Conference.

Okay, enough from me.  The choir ladies are sporting a lovely magenta this morning. [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS Tagged With: ,

Elder Holland and the Adversity Gap: A Modesty Proposal

January 24, 2011 By

Recently, I read Elder Holland’s talk from the October 2010 General Conference. Entitled “Because of Your Faith,” Elder Holland describes the sacrifices and support that has been offered to him personally and to the Church generally and says thank you. It is a heart-felt act of gratitude for the many people who serve in the church; specifically, gratitude for the many people who serve in the church in the Mormon corridor today and therein lies the rub. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gender & Sexuality, General Conference, Mormon, Young Women Tagged With: , ,

Subversion at General Conference

October 31, 2010 By

It has been a month and I have yet to see the most controversial talk at General Conference discussed. I suppose it falls to me. [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, Navel-Gazing & Poetic Observation, Religion

Let There Be Light, If Only We Could Agree on What Light Was

October 13, 2010 By

“The assault on moral principles and religious freedom has never been stronger…. there are also people who are determined to both destroy faith and reject any religious influence in society….” Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light, October 2010 General Conference.

It is hard to understand what Cook, as well as other Mormon speakers in recent years making similar arguments, means when he refers to “religious freedom.” I am, as always, tempted to ask what is happening today which limits our ability to worship more than the conflict between the church and the US government over plural marriage, when the church was disincorporated and lost most of its property. But restraint on ability to worship seems not to be central to what Cook has in mind in referring to religious freedom. Instead, the operative issue here involves a perceived rejection of “religious influence in society.” Let me allow Cook to elaborate: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, Gender & Sexuality, General Conference, Marriage, Mormon

Elder Hales & Elder Kearon: Agency and Self-Deception

October 8, 2010 By

Two talks at the most recent GC raised important questions concerning agency.  Consequently I want to consider those questions through the work of Walter Brueggeman.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference

Elder Christofferson: Making Sacred Selves

October 7, 2010 By

Despite all the clamoring and buzzing about some of last weekend’s more, um, provocative and controversial moments, the most memorable sermon for me this General Conference was delivered by Elder Todd Christofferson. [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon

Conference quotes: “Fourteen Fundamentals,” Part 1

October 5, 2010 By

During General Conference this last weekend, two separate members of the Seventies Quorums quoted from a talk apostle Ezra Taft Benson delivered at BYU entitled “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet.” It is notable that the talk was not without controversy when it was given. Many authorities apparently were supportive but according to his biographer, “Spencer [Kimball] felt concern about the talk, wanting to protect he Church against being misunderstood as espousing ultraconservative politics or an unthinking ‘follow the leader’ mentality.” [1] What follows is a review of each point with some historical context and my own thoughts and analysis.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon

Conference quotes: “keep the Spirit of the Lord”

October 3, 2010 By

In February 1847, the Latter-day Saints were quartering in the Omaha Nation. Young had gathered those that were sealed to him and others who intended to be into a family company, for migration and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. From the beginning of the month this group prepared for a two day meeting and feast. For the bulk of his discourse at the first day of this gathering, Brigham Young chose adoption—the sealing of non-biological relations—as his subject. People were confused and some had tried to abuse the system. Young in his characteristic manner, did not pull his punches.[1]

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon

Sunday PM General Conference: The Ezra Taft Benson Memorial Conference Thread

October 3, 2010 By

(Yawns, stretches fingers, flexes neck muscles…)

Welcome to By Common Consent’s live coverage of the 180th Semiannual General Conference. Don’t forget to check out our minute-by-minute coverage on Twitter in addition to coverage on the blog. We also encourage you to (if you’re not already doing so) watch Conference live, streaming from LDS.org.

(On site today are Kristine Haglund, M Miles, and the Crawdaddy himself, John C.)
————

Two more hours, folks. You can do it. [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Sunday AM General Conference: The “No, I Will Not Attend Your Brunch” Thread

October 3, 2010 By

Welcome back to By Common Consent’s live coverage of the 180th Semiannual General Conference. We appreciate your willingness to reject your neighbors’ brunchly advances this Sabbath day in favor of staring at a computer screen. Don’t forget to check out our minute-by-minute coverage on Twitter in addition to coverage on the blog. We also encourage you to (if you’re not already doing so) watch Conference live, streaming from LDS.org.

(On site today are Kristine Haglund, M Miles, and the Crawdaddy himself, John C.)
————

The only thing better than 3 hours of Church on Sunday is 4 hours of Church on Sunday! Who’s with me?!?
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Gender & Sexuality, General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Ye Elders of Israel!

October 2, 2010 By

You should all be in the meeting, without your iPhones, but just in case…

Elder Russell M. Nelson: Be Thou an Example of the Believers
[it would be interesting to see how often this scripture gets used in the Priesthood session compared to other times...] [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Saturday PM General Conference: The Hanging-By-A-Thread Thread!

October 2, 2010 By

Welcome back to By Common Consent’s live coverage of the 180th Semiannual General Conference, as the Saturday afternoon session is about to get started. Don’t forget to check out our minute-by-minute coverage on Twitter in addition to coverage on the blog. We also encourage you to (if you’re not already doing so) watch Conference live, streaming from LDS.org.

————
Only 8 more hours to go, folks. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gender & Sexuality, General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Saturday AM General Conference: It’s Not BYU Football, So It Won’t Stink!

October 2, 2010 By

Welcome to By Common Consent’s live coverage of the 180th Semiannual General Conference, live from Salt Lake City! BCC will provide near-continuous live commentary, photography, and other goodies throughout the weekend’s activities. Don’t forget to check out our minute-by-minute coverage on Twitter in addition to coverage on the blog. We also encourage you to (if you’re not already doing so) watch Conference live, streaming from LDS.org.

————
Turn off your cell phones and locate the nearest emergency exit, folks.

Choir is in white, auxilliary presidencies are in jewel tones. All is well. Ties look to be more red than blue, but we’ll continue our scientific poll as we go. [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

General Conference: Teh Contest

October 1, 2010 By

We already know how you’re going to follow General Conference this year: by following our open thread and our Twitter feed. We also strongly suspect that most of you lot will be watching in your pajamas, sitting in a hammock. Now you can show us, and win. [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon

15 Things Heard Behind the Podium During General Conference

October 1, 2010 By

Do you ever wonder what the Brethren say to each other up on the stand during General Conference? We do, too. [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, Navel-Gazing & Poetic Observation, TCoJCoLDS

#LDSConf

September 30, 2010 By

It’s that semiannual time of year again, folks.

BCC’s coverage of the 180th Seminannual General Conference started last Saturday evening with the Relief Society Broadcast, and will continue throughout the coming weekend and into next week. As is our custom, we will be providing you with the Only True and LivingTM live blogging, Twitter feeds, and analysis of the proceedings throughout the weekend. As always, free babysitting will be provided, courtesy of Times & Seasons.

(As an added bonus, at Kevin Barney’s request, we will also being using talks from the upcoming General Conference in all of our Sunday posts for the next year.) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Announcements, General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Making Lemonade from Assigned GC Talks

June 13, 2010 By

Yesterday my wife mentioned that she had to give a talk today. That was the first I had heard of it. When I came home from watching the UFC fights, at about midnight, she was still up working on it. I felt bad for her, because I know how much she hates speaking, and she has vowed never to give another talk. But as agonizing as it is for her, she always does a wonderful job. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gender & Sexuality, General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Gender, Authority and Strange Loops

April 8, 2010 By

I want to expand on thoughts expressed by commenters in the Sunday PM General Conference Open Thread, specifically, “…Or maybe, if we’re going to talk about how wise mothers are, and what good teachers, and read sentimental poems about grown men longing to hear their mothers’ voices, we could just, y’know, hear their voices….”

The immediate context of this comment was Brother Foster’s talk, “Mother Told Me,” but the point applies to the entire conference, and more broadly to women’s influence in the church. I’d like to delve deeper into an analysis of some details in Brother Foster’s talk. I want to emphasize that this should not be read as a condemnation of the whole talk. It is both much narrower (a quibble with just one particular example he selected), and much bigger (the whole situation of women in the church), than his talk. Also, on some level, this is just a golden opportunity for me to geek out on some of my favorite geeky topics: logic, paradox and feminism.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, Women Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday PM General Conference Photos

April 4, 2010 By

More photos from around the Conference Center during the last session of General Conference.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Sunday PM General Conference: A Morally Clean AND Socially Just Session

April 4, 2010 By

We now conclude By Common Consent’s live coverage of the 180th Annual General Conference from the Conference Center at Temple Square in Salt Lake City! Check out our minute-by-minute coverage on Twitter in addition to coverage of this final session on the blog. We also encourage you to follow Conference streaming live from LDS.org.

I remember last October when the final session of Conference started I was essentially out of energy and ran out of things to say after the first 10 minutes. I have taken precautions this time around to ensure that such a letdown won’t happen again. Basically I spent the entire break scarfing Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. My hands are shaking a bit, but my eyes are open. Roll BCC! [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Sunday AM General Conference Photos

April 4, 2010 By

More photos from around the Conference Center before and during the Sunday Morning Session.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Sunday AM General Conference: An Especially Eastery LiveBlog

April 4, 2010 By

Welcome back to By Common Consent’s live coverage of the 180th Annual General Conference on this lovely Easter Sunday morning in Salt Lake City! BCC will continue near-continuous live commentary, photography, and other goodies throughout the day’s activities. Don’t forget to check out our minute-by-minute coverage on Twitter in addition to coverage on the blog. We also encourage you to (if you’re not already doing so) watch Conference live, streaming from LDS.org.

In addition to myself and my stellar wife providing photography, we are pleased to offer all the kids at home a special treat today–John C., the Crawdaddy, will be on site with us to give his keen insights, profound thoughts, and to fetch me water and gummy bears when I need sugar. Conference won’t start for a little over an hour, but I wanted to open the thread early so that people could heap praise upon Crawdaddy, or provide feedback and/or requests for coverage today. Also, please feel free to share how your Easter Morn has been spent thus far. [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Primary General Presidency News Conference

April 3, 2010 By

The New Primary General Presidency

We just got finished attending the press conference for the new Primary Presidency. A few photos are below, as well as a few bits of information from the Q&A session we attended.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS, Women

Priesthood Session: I’m a Man!

April 3, 2010 By

Welcome to BCC’s continuing coverage of the 180th Annual General Conference. Up next: The Priesthood Session, brought to you by Old Spice: We’re Men! [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Saturday PM General Conference Photos

April 3, 2010 By

Photography from around the Conference Center on Saturday afternoon.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

Saturday PM General Conference: Only 8 More Hours to Go!

April 3, 2010 By

Welcome back to BCC’s coverage of the 180th General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For those concerned, I would like to affirm that this session is being recorded and administered in accordance with appropriate accounting practices, approved budgets, and Church policies and procedures.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

The Illuminated Matsby: A Very Special Conference Edition

April 3, 2010 By

My favorite part of General Conference is hearing the church statistical report during the Saturday afternoon session. And as a BCC exclusive, we have a sneak peek of who will be reading the numbers this afternoon.

(SPOILER ALERT)

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon

Saturday AM General Conference Photos

April 3, 2010 By

The feeling of excitement is up through the roof here at the Conference Center. Some met up with their friends and family, and quickly found their seats. Some where passing the wait time by strolling around and looking at the art work on display. There are smiling patrons everywhere checking tickets and directing people to the correct areas. It’s General Conference.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS

General Conference: Live from Salt Lake, it’s SATURDAY MORNING!

April 3, 2010 By

Welcome to By Common Consent’s live coverage of the 180th Annual General Conference on this freezing cold Saturday morning in Salt Lake City! BCC is pleased to provide near-continuous live commentary, photography, and other goodies throughout the weekend’s activities. Don’t forget to check out our minute-by-minute coverage on Twitter in addition to coverage on the blog. We also encourage you to (if you’re not already doing so) watch Conference live, streaming from LDS.org.

A couple of ground rules for participation today:
1. Don’t be rude (unless you’re an admin)
2. Don’t dominate conversation (unless you’re witty)
3. Don’t criticize the speakers (unless they tell unfunny jokes)
[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Conference, Mormon, TCoJCoLDS
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 6,072 other followers