Doctrine and Covenants Sections 6, 7, 8, & 9: An Historical Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 6 (from the Book of Commandments (BoC 5 (cf. LDS and Community of Christ (CoC) D&C 6)) Date: April 7, 1829 Place: Harmony, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania Historical Note: Oliver Cowdery came to live with the Joseph Smith, Sr....
The Eternal Model of Womankind
This is the third essay in our series on Mother in Heaven Click here to read the first essay in this series Click here to read the second essay in this series By Sara Katherine Staheli Hanks When I was a little girl, maybe around ten, I remember my mom telling me that...
The Lost Elders
Lesson - Lost Elders As the newly called first counselor in the EQ I am in charge of the lessons. When talking about accepting the calling I let the president know of my concerns about correlation and Mormon culture. I mentioned that I wanted to incorporate some...
Doctrine and Covenants Sections 2, 3, 10, 4, & 5: A Historical Overview
By Michael Barker Most of Joseph's early revelations were copied and recopied by early Saints that were eager for new revelation. I attempted to find a scholarly book that would review from which early manuscripts the Revelation Books were compiled. I wanted to...
The Peace I Had Lost
This is the second essay in our series on Mother in Heaven Click here to read the first essay. By Laura C Let’s talk moms. They’re everywhere – in the house, in the Senate, in the classroom, in the boardroom, in the kitchen, in the carpool, in the garden. We’ve all...
A Midwife’s Tale: A Mother-Daughter Review of Faith and Feminism
A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 By Patty Williams (mother) – "A Midwife’s Tale” does not read like a novel. It is a factual account of the life of Martha Ballard, based on her diary. I was not immediately drawn into this...
Forgiveness: A How-To Guide
Forgiveness, do we really understand it? Sure, we’ve heard it addressed countless times in lessons, Sacrament talks and General Conference talks. We’ve read articles about it in the Ensign. Those born in the church have heard about it all their lives. And yet,...
Too Scared to Pray
In the latest posts I have seen on Facebook about women wearing pants to church and the subsequent conversation about women's equality, certain arguments always seem to pop up in the comment sections. One of the “arguments” that I saw over and over (from women)...
The Stories We Tell
This is the first essay, in a series that rationalfaiths.com is doing, on the topic of Mother in Heaven. We will post one essay every Thursday for six weeks. Please return and read the other essays as well. Click here to read the second essay in this series The...
Into the Fire
By Emmett O. Rabs Being part of a community which houses so many people experiencing a faith transition in one form or another (away from Mormonism, away from Christianity, away from God), it can get pretty hard being an active member of the Church. If you are an...
Quetzalcoatl, White Gods, and the Book of Mormon, Part III: Quetzalcoatl’s Return
By Brant Gardner Click here to read Part I of this post Click here to read Part II of this post What About the Prophecy of Quetzalcoatl’s Return? As with “white” and “bearded,” the idea that Quetzalcoatl promised to return is an indelible aspect of the modern version...
Doctrine and Covenants, Lesson Three: The First Vision
Note: This is the unedited, longer version of a talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting two years ago. Click here to listen to Jared Anderson's podcast that goes over this lesson. The First Vision, Polygamy, and the LDS Temple Endowment Michael Barker January 23,...
Orthodoxy & Orthopraxy: Manti Te’o and Lying for the Lord
By Michael and Paul Barker Who is a Manti Te'o? Manti Te'o's story is very unique and very strange. Manti is a college football player that plays linebacker for Notre Dame. He is one of the top linebackers in the nation and is selected to be the 7th picked in the...
Toward a More Perfect Union
When I was a young mother in my twenties I attended a stake women’s conference in Provo, Utah. Sister Vivian McConkie Adams spoke about the creation story, expounding upon the poetry that is the Book of Genesis. As she described it, this was a beautiful and powerful...
Let Women Pray
An introductory note- This is neither a protest, nor a forum for complaint, but an awareness and letter writing campaign. Please see the event page for more information, as well as some suggestions for how to set a positive tenor and tone when writing letters. “Just...
Quetzalcoatl, White Gods, and the Book of Mormon, Part II: Beards, Virgin Birth, and Preaching Christian Principles
This is Part II of a three-part post written for us by Brant Gardner. Click here to read Part I of this series. Click here to read Part III of this series. Quetzalcoatl, White Gods, and the Book of Mormon, Part II: Beards, Virgin Birth, and Preaching Christian...
LGBTQ Mormon Crisis
Two Printable handout for bishops and stake presidents that talks empirically about LGBTQ suicides:
The LGBTQ Mormon Crisis: Responding to the Empirical Research on Suicide
Youth Suicide Rates and Mormon Religious Context: An Additional Empirical Analysis
The Barker Brothers’ Projects
These videos were created for Latter-day Saint parents and allies to voice their love for their LGBT brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. They want to give a message of comfort and support to other parents who are navigating the difficult conflicts that can arise in families around this issue.
“Cogito!” (“I think!”) follows the intellectual adventures of a recovering academic outside the walls of academia.
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