OOOOOH!!!! It Feels So Good To Be Soooo Right!!!!
OOOOH!!!! IT FEELS SO GOOD TO BE SOOOO RIGHT!!!! by Michael Barker I learned yesterday that my dear, less-active LDS friend's wife died two days ago so I decided to call him. I told him, "Too bad you and your wife weren't keeping your temple covenants. Now you won't...
Talking to my Father
“…He usually answered questions with questions, he wanted us to learn how to figure stuff out on our own, and we did, but sometimes questions are not just about getting the answer…”
Exit, Voice, and Loyalty
Loyalty exists in the members plugging along exercising neither voice nor exit, and it is manifest the ones exercising voice about particular perceived issues.
“Knock, I Will Get Angry With You”
"KNOCK AND I WILL GET ANGRY WITH YOU" by Michael Barker As all parents, my wife and I have rules for our daughters. One of these rules is that my oldest daughter cannot have a cell phone until she is old enough to pay for half of its purchase. There are good reasons...
Speculations on Israel’s Concept of Holy War
Critics and detractors of the Old Testament What follows is a speculation, a think piece, if you will, that explores some of the basic ideas behind the Old Testament’s theology concerning the taking of human life. It is my belief that some of these ideas may inform the Israelite practice of divinely directed military conflict; Israelite holy war, if you will.
The Life of Mike and The Life of Pi
THE LIFE OF MIKE AND THE LIFE OF PI by Michael Baker I wrote this at 5:oo this morning, Saturday, June 21. I've read the following scripture and reflected on it many times the past few days. The other night, I shared it with a dear friend: "The storm came on...
Letter to my Leaders: Kate Kelly, John Dehlin, and Me
The following is an excerpt from a letter I sent to my ward and stake leaders after hearing the news about the possible disciplinary councils against Kate Kelly and John Dehlin. I'm only using the first letter of last names for people specifically mentioned. Dear...
Who Is Allowed to Say What In Mormonism?
Much of the current debate within the LDS community, especially as pertaining to the possible excommunications of John Dehlin and Kate Kelly, stems from uncertainties about who is allowed to say what and where. In her book Toward a Civil Discourse Sharon Crowley uses...
Exorcising demons of the past
Matthew 17:15- "Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for oft times he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water." Witnessing a seizure is a very frightening experience. Parents who witness seizures in children fear for their child’s...
Gay Mormons: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
"Out of sight, out of mind. The absent are always in the wrong." - Thomas Kempis “They don’t listen to me, they don’t hear me, they don’t see me.” - Nikolai Gogol, Diary of a Madman and Other Stories The first person I came out to was my bishop when I was 16...
A Letter to an Apostate
Note: I wrote this essay a month ago while our family was vacationing on the Oregon coast. I've left it in its original form despite the recent events regarding the pending disciplinary actions of my two friends, John Dehlin and Kate Kelly. I'm not sure if this post...
American Crucifixion
For those too busy (lazy; often both in my case) to read this whole thing: the book is great; it reads more like a novel than a dry history book; it's fair in its treatment of history although it sacrificed historical nuances (Mormons and "Mormon-haters" are each...
Did Kate Kelly’s Local Leaders Follow the Handbook?
In his landmark work Jesus the Christ, James E. Talmage spends several pages outlining the “high priest’s unrighteous adjuration” of the Savior. The Sanhedrin wanted so badly to not only stem the growth of Jesus’ growing disciples, but to take back control of what he...
If ye are not one
“Women can’t fully be one with the institutional LDS church if they are not fully part of its councils. Until they have real power . . . women are not fully part of the LDS church. Women can’t be fully one with the church, and we have not fully accepted at-one-ment.” Jonathan Cannon discusses one Transhumanist view of Compassion and Atonement.
Room for All in this Church
Room for All in this Church June 16, 2014 We face a difficult and pivotal moment in Mormonism as LDS leaders and church members wrestle more openly with complicated aspects of our faith, its doctrine, and its history—often in spaces afforded by the Internet. In light...
An Interview With RockStarr Ministries
I am extremely grateful to have had an opportunity to interview Laurin Crosson, the founder of RockStarr Ministries and discuss this incredibly important work. EOR: To start out with, for those who aren’t familiar with the important work you are doing why don’t you...
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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