Gospel Principles #29 - The Lord's Law of Health (NOM version)

See my previous blog entry about how I taught the Word of Wisdom lesson in Relief Society.

When I was a TBM, I believed that the Word of Wisdom (as explained in D&C 89) was proof of Joseph Smith's prophetic calling. After all, he revealed that tobacco and alcohol were detrimental to human health nearly 120+ years before scientific research was able to document the negative effects of smoking and alcoholism. I saw this as clear evidence that he was a true visionary.

While I think that avoiding tobacco and alcohol is ultimately a good thing, I no longer believe that the Word of Wisdom is a revelation from God. In this blog entry, I'll explain some of the reasons why my attitudes toward the Word of Wisdom have shifted.

The Word of Wisdom Didn't Mean the Same Thing in 1833 as It Does Today

One of my current pet peeves is whenever I hear someone say that "the church has always been the same yesterday, today, and forever" or something to that effect. Such statements are demonstrably false. The doctrinal evolution of the Word of Wisdom is a perfect refutation of that misconception.

Check out this awesome quote by Brigham Young delivered as part of his sermon in the Old Tabernacle on March 10,1861:

Many of the brethren chew tobacco, and I have advised them to be modest about it. Do not take out a whole plug of tobacco in meeting before the eyes of the congregation, and cut off a long slice and put it in your mouth, to the annoyance of everybody around. Do not glory in this disgraceful practice. If you must use tobacco, put a small portion in your mouth when no person sees you, and be careful that no one sees you chew it. I do not charge you with sin. You have the "Word of Wisdom." Read it. Some say, "Oh, as I do in private, so do I in public, and I am not ashamed of it." It is, at least, disgraceful. ... Some men will go into a clean and beautifully-furnished parlour with tobacco in their mouths, and feel, "I ask no odds." I would advise such men to be more modest, and not spit upon the carpets and furniture, but step to the door, and be careful not to let any person see you spit; or, what is better, omit chewing until you have an opportunity to do so without offending. ... We request all addicted to this practice, to omit it while in this house [the tabernacle]. Elders of Israel, if you must chew tobacco, omit it while in meeting, and when you leave, you can take a double portion, if you wish to. [1]

Let's take a look at another awesome quote---this time from Joseph Smith. Following a wedding which took place in 1836 (yes, that's after the Word of Wisdom was first published), Joseph Smith recorded in his diary: "We then partook of some refreshments, and our hearts were made glad with the fruit of the vine. This is according to the pattern set by the Savior Himself, and we feel disposed to patronize all the institutions of heaven." [2]

I don't think these quotes are evidence of hypocrisy on the part of the early church leaders. Rather, I think it's clear that the church's interpretation of the Word of Wisdom has changed dramatically since it was first revealed in the 1830s. It's not entirely certain how the early saints interpreted the Word of Wisdom but some historians have proposed some interesting theories. [3]

Although D&C 89 states that the Word of Wisdom is not sent "by commandment or restraint," later church leaders perhaps thought it should have been. The shift in the interpretation of the Word of Wisdom can be traced to the presidencies of Joseph F. Smith (president from 1901 to 1918) and Heber J. Grant (president from 1918 to 1945). Smith and Grant heavily emphasized a strict proscription of alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee. They began to encourage bishops and stake presidents to deny temple recommends to those who did not keep their version of the Word of Wisdom (with some leeway for older members who had not grown up with these standards).

What I think is interesting to note is that Smith's and Grant's stricter interpretation of the Word of Wisdom coincides with the rise of the Prohibition movement in larger American culture. So these early church leaders may have been heavily influenced by larger social and political movements.

I think faithful members have an "out" by saying that our understanding of the Word of Wisdom has been refined by continuing prophetic revelation. I think that's a fair statement, but the discrepancy between how the early saints lived the Word of Wisdom vs. how contemporary saints interpret it does open up a space for an interesting dialogue about our understanding of it.

What's So Bad about Moderate Alcohol and Tea Consumption Anyway?

I personally don't like the smell of coffee and I think it's fairly healthy to reduce one's caffeine consumption. However, it's difficult to say that it is healthy to avoid teas, especially green tea (which is not an herbal tea and is therefore forbidden by the Word of Wisdom). Just a quick Google search for "health benefits of green tea" should be enough to show that there is a medical consensus that green tea is good for you. According to a blog entry on WebMD (which begins by saying "It's difficult not to gush about green tea"), it has the potential to fight cancer and heart disease. It can also possibly lower cholesterol, burn fat, and it can possibly prevent diabetes, stroke, and dementia.

The same gray areas exist when it comes to the health benefits of alcohol. While drunkenness has obvious moral implications and prolonged alcoholism can certainly be detrimental to your health, drinking wine in moderation (e.g. a small glass a day) has been proven to be beneficial to your health. According to this blog entry on Health.com, a glass of wine a day can help prevent ovarian cancer, improve your memory, help you lose weight, boost your immune system, and help prevent bone loss and type 2 diabetes. The health benefits for women in particular are striking.

For that matter, an economic study in 2006 showed that teetotalers make significantly less money than their drinking counterparts. Alcohol has always been a well-known social lubricant and employees who regularly hang out in bars with their co-workers, customers and friends have been shown to increase their social capital. As the story I linked to states, drinkers "find out more about what the competition's up to, how they solve their problems, and more about new job opportunities. All that can lead to increased financial capital in the form of higher wages."

At the very least, all of this is interesting food for thought.

And Here's What the Law of Health Should Have Been...

As I mentioned earlier in this blog, I used to think the Word of Wisdom was one of the best proofs of Joseph Smith's prophetic guidance. I feel differently now. I'm going to pull a William E. McLellin and write some verses that should have been in the Word of Wisdom:

Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of your lack of knowledge about germ theory, I would exhort you to wash your hands with soap and hot water. Yea, before eating your meals and after expelling your excrement, you must always remember to wash your hands. Remember, remember that I the Lord hath commanded it.

Yea, let all your water be boiled for 3 to 5 minutes before drinking or using it. For it is pleasing unto me to stop the spread of infectious diseases among my people.

And again, if you ever settle near a swampy area in Illinois, take care to drain any nearby swamps, for standing water is a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes in all their varieties. Mosquitoes are unclean to me, for they do carry malaria and all sorts of infectious diseases that inflict and torment man.

And again, build outhouses that are at least six feet deep or more so that you may better manage your waste and thereby avoid dysentery and the dreaded hookworm. When an outhouse becomes over full, take care to bury this waste deep in the ground.

Yea, if there be any among you who fall ill, let them be quarantined and remain in isolation, with contact only from one or two caregivers to care for them in their sickness. And let those who care for them cover their hands, nose and mouth at all times lest they fall ill as well.

All saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to these commandments, shall have their life expectancy increased and their infant mortality rate reduced. Thus saith the Lord. Amen.

Although living the Word of Wisdom can have a significant impact on the prevention of chronic diseases that develop in adulthood (such as heart disease and cancer), most of the early saints never lived long enough to enjoy these health benefits. That's because they died too early from infectious diseases such as infant diarrhea, dysentery, diphtheria, scarlet fever, typhoid, tuberculosis, cholera, malaria, yellow fever and smallpox. I personally think that a more practical health system (such as the one I suggested above) would be much better proof of the Word of Wisdom as a divine law of health. Then it truly would have been ahead of its time. But, hey, that's just me.

Footnotes

[1] See the chapter entitled "The Fraternity of Mormon Scholars" in Leonard Arrington's Adventures of a Church Historian where this quote appears. The chapter "Our First Publications" also contains several other juicy tidbits from Brigham Young about his own tobacco use.

[2] See History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, edited by B.H. Roberts, 2nd ed., 2:369.

[3] See Lester Bush's "The Word of Wisdom in Early Nineteenth-Century Perspective," from Dialogue 14.3 (Aug. 1981) for a discussion of how the Word of Wisdom was consistent with popular medical beliefs at the time. I also highly recommend Clyde Ford's "The Origins of the Word of Wisdom" from The Journal of Mormon History 24.2 (Fall 1998) for a fascinating discussion of how the Word of Wisdom may actually be the compilation of three separate revelations with three different purposes.

Gospel Principles #29 - The Lord's Law of Health (TBM version)

For reference, see The Lord's Law of Health in the Gospel Principles manual.



Introduction
Today we're talking about the Lord's Law of Health, which includes the Word of Wisdom. Of course the Word of Wisdom is one of the most visible and noticeable aspects of being a member of the church. I'm sure all of us have a story to share about a situation where we had to explain to someone why Mormons don’t consume alcohol or other things. And occasionally that can even lead to opportunities to explain our values and beliefs to people who aren't familiar with them.

On my 18th birthday, my boyfriend (at the time) took me to one of those Japanese tepanyaki restaurants where the chef cooks the meal in front of you. We were seated at the table next to a biker couple. When the waiters came and sang the birthday song to me, the biker couple asked me how old I was. "I'm 18," I said. They said, "Congratulations! Now you can smoke!" I told them that I didn't smoke. "Well, in 3 more years, you can drink!" I told them that I didn't drink. With crestfallen faces, they said: "I wish our kids said that that!"

Invite any sisters to briefly tell any funny or noteworthy experiences in which they had to explain that they didn’t smoke or drink.


Brief Overview of the Lord’s Law of Health
Well, because the Word of Wisdom is something that is so visible and distinct, it should be fairly easy for us to rattle off without any problems.

Write "Don'ts" on one side of the board and "Do's" on the other side of the board.

So, what have Latter-day scriptures and prophets told us about our health? As sister's come up with responses, write them down on the board. When finished, the list should look roughly like this:

Don'ts

• Alcohol 
• Tobacco 
• Coffee 
• Tea 
• Drugs (except for medicine)

Do's

• Fruits 
• Vegetables 
• Herbs 
• Meat (but sparingly) 
• Grains

Because I'm a bit of an environmentalist, I might possibly mention the "in season" aspect as being good for the environment.

Assign someone to read this quote from the lesson manual on page 170:

In addition to Doctrine and Covenants 89, other scriptures tell us how to be healthy. They tell us that we should "cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; … cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated" (D&C 88:124). We are also told, "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work" (Exodus 20:9). The Lord counsels us not to labor more than we have strength for (see D&C 10:4).

A latter-day prophet has told us that we should keep our bodies healthy. He counseled, "Nutritious meals, regular exercise, and appropriate sleep are necessary for a strong body, just as consistent scripture study and prayer strengthen the mind and spirit" (Thomas S. Monson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1990, 60; or Ensign, Nov. 1990, 46).

What do we need to add to our list on the board in light of what we just read?

Add to the Do's

• Get appropriate sleep 
• Nutritious meals 
• Regular exercise

Add to the Don'ts

• Idleness 
• Uncleanliness 
• Labor more than you have strength (overwork yourself)

Close this section by saying that, although it can be easy to live by the Word of Wisdom, we shouldn’t forget that last month we had a lesson about charity (our ward combined the lessons on service and charity). In that same vein, it's important to have charity towards individuals who may struggle with any aspect of the Word of Wisdom. (For example, I'd be willing to bet that it might be hard for some of us to exercise regularly. None of us is perfect.) We don’t know what people struggle with and I think it’s important to be understanding of different circumstances and to be compassionate. It takes a strong support system to recuperate from addiction.

Why should we keep the Word of Wisdom and what are the benefits?
Assign two different people to read this quote from the lesson manual on page 170 (I break it up into two parts because it's long):

Our Heavenly Father has given us health laws to teach us how to care for our bodies. The scriptures tell us about God’s laws: "No temporal commandment gave I … , for my commandments are spiritual" (D&C 29:35). This means that His commandments concerning our physical state are for our spiritual good.

When we keep the Lord's law of health and obey His other commandments, the Lord promises to bless us physically and spiritually.

Physically we have been promised good health. As a result of this good health we "shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint" (D&C 89:20). This is a great blessing, but the spiritual blessings He has promised us are even greater than the physical ones.

The Lord promises us that we "shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures" (D&C 89:19). We will be taught important truths by the Holy Ghost through revelation. President Boyd K. Packer taught: "Our physical body is the instrument of our spirit. In that marvelous revelation the Word of Wisdom, we are told how to keep our bodies free from impurities which might dull, even destroy, those delicate physical senses which have to do with spiritual communication. The Word of Wisdom is a key to individual revelation" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1989, 16; or Ensign, Nov. 1989, 14).

The Lord also promises that the destroying angel shall pass us by. President Heber J. Grant said, "If you and I desire the blessings of life, of health, of vigor of body and mind; if we desire the destroying angel to pass us by, as he did in the days of the children of Israel, we must obey the Word of Wisdom; then God is bound, and the blessing shall come to us" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 192).

So, one of the main things I got out of that section of the manual is that our bodies and our spirits are connected.

I want to express this connection in a slightly different way. Have any of you heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? I’m going to put an adaptation of his theory on the board:

Briefly discuss:

• Physiological Needs (food, water, good air to breathe, good health) 
• Safety (clothing, shelter, financial security, stable government) 
• Love/Belonging (friendship, family, intimacy) 
• Self-Esteem (confidence, respect of others) 
• Self-actualization (creativity, spirituality)

NOTE: This is my own slight adaptation of the original theory. I'm putting health into the "Physiological Needs" when it was originally under "Safety." Also, I de-emphasize sex on the pyramid because, hey, I'm talking to Mormons after all.

Point out that we can’t achieve our highest potential if these basic physical needs are not being met. You know the saying: "When you haven't got your health, you haven’t got anything." I find that when I'm sick it basically keeps me from being able to do much else. So, naturally it makes sense that if our bodies are not in their best condition, it's more difficult to receive communication from God.

Our Bodies Are Temples
NOTE: This section of the lesson is 100% plagiarized from Whoa-man's post on the Exponent blog. It was really, really good.

I'm going to shift gears a little bit and it's going to seem like I'm going on a tangent when I'm not.

Show a picture of the temple. What are some words that you would use to describe the temple? Write sister’s responses on the board.

The very first line in this lesson manual says that our bodies are temples. (Pointing to the words on the board.) Have you ever used these same words to describe your own body? Read off the list of words they put on the board beginning with “My body is…”

Imagine how your lives would be different if you thought of your body as a temple. Literally. As temporal housing for a spiritual being. As a place for a god to dwell on earth. As the physical symbol of a divine purpose. As something to be treasured, respected, and cherished.

What are some of the other reasons you can think of for taking care of your bodies? What are some of the blessings or benefits that come from keeping the Lord’s Law of Health that you may have noticed in your life?

Conclusion
I'm going to close by reading this quote from Elder Bednar's talk "Ye Are the Temples of God," Ensign Sept. 2001):

I now want to try and explain a principle that is fundamental to our knowledge about and understanding of the importance of a physical body. The principle is this: Our bodies are not our own. First Corinthians 6:19–20 [1 Cor. 6:19–20] states:

"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."

King Benjamin also taught with great clarity the truth that our bodies ultimately are not our own. In Mosiah 2:23–25 he describes how we are blessed through service and indebted to our God:

"And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

"And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?" …

Both our agency and our physical body, through which we exercise that agency in mortality, are truly "bought with a price" through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

End by talking about how we have a responsibility to take care of our bodies because Christ has purchased them for us through the Atonement.

My Relief Society Teaching Philosphy

I figured that a little bit of an explanation was in order about my teaching philosophy when it comes to Relief Society. That might help explain how I structure my "TBM" lesson plans a little bit more.

Here's the general principles I follow as I'm preparing my lesson plan:
 
1. A good Relief Society lesson is one that is centered around having a thoughtful discussion. There needs to be a good balance between the material from the lesson manual, the teacher's unique insights, and comments from the sisters. But of those three elements, the comments from the sisters are the most important. For that reason, I believe my role as a Relief Society teacher is to be the facilitator of a good discussion. My job is to come up with open-ended, thought-provoking questions that will encourage the sisters to share their perspectives and personal experiences. I let the sisters teach the lesson for me. I intentionally plan to let the sisters their own insights for 1/3 or even 1/2 of the lesson. (FYI, I usually pull 3 quotes from the manual to use in my lesson.)

2. Every sister needs to feel validated. When I give out quotes for sisters to read, I write down who I gave it to and call on them by name when it's time to read. Not only does it help to avoid the confusion that occurs when someone forgets that they were assigned a quote, but it lets them know that you know their name. Also, when sisters are sharing a comment, I make sure I listen to them with full eye-contact the entire time. When their comment is done, I respond to what they have said by building on what they have said, talking about why I think their comment is good or responding to it in some way.

3. Good teachers are good readers/thinkers. You need to identify the "thesis" of the lesson (either from the manual itself or from your own studies into the topic) or some other organizing principle or objective for your lesson. Once you can see what the thesis is, it's then helpful to identify the supporting ideas in the lesson's "argument." Another way to rephrase that would be that you need to identify the most important ideas from the lesson. Then center your lesson around those key concepts, brainstorming the best possible ways to communicate those concepts and/or have a discussion about them. Usually, I make a concerted effort to make one of the concepts connect to Christ or the Atonement in some way (and I usually save that concept for the end of the lesson). It's an interesting intellectual challenge to connect the lessons to the Atonement and I find that any concepts that can connect to Christ usually turn into the biggest "wins" for the lesson---meaning that I can see that this section has had a noticeable impact on the sisters.

4. Incorporate quotes or stories from women. I used to strongly value sticking to the doctrine in the manual, meaning that I would discipline myself to stick to the manual for the bulk of the lesson. If I went outside of the confines of the lesson manual, I would restrict myself only to quotes by General Authorities or the standard works. I have very recently decided to soften that self-imposed restriction because I've realized that it reinforces patriarchal power structures. Because the majority of the General Authorities are male and because the scriptures are written from a male-centric point of view, it marginalizes female voices and perspectives. I'm planning on rectifying that in the future by including at least one quote or story from a woman in every lesson.


5. End the lesson on time. When you end a lesson late, you are forcing a woman's entire family to wait for her in the hall. I have a goal to always end 5 minutes before the hour. In order to make that happen, I build flexibility into my lesson. I plan for things I will cover if I have extra time and I plan for things I will cut out if I don't have the time.


6. A few cautions:

• Never begin the lesson with a self-deprecating remark (like talking about how you dreaded teaching today or how you're a bad teacher). It makes your audience lose respect for you.
• Never incorporate group work into the lesson. Although group work is really effective in other educational settings (I use it constantly in secular teaching environments), it's usually the opposite in church. I have some vague theories about why it's ineffective (e.g. I imagine it may have something to do with the hierarchical structure of the church government and church meetings), but at the end of the day I just know it doesn't work.
• Avoid controversy. It's a sad commentary on gender training, but if I were teaching Elder's Quorum, I wouldn't shy away from controversial questions or ideas as much as I do when I teach Relief Society. I just get the sense that women would rather have feel-good lessons that get those warm, fuzzy spiritual feelings going. They'd rather have a lesson that confirms and validates their preconceived beliefs about the gospel rather than lessons that challenge them or cause them to see things in a different light. I just get the feeling they find controversy far more threatening than men do. So I just don't go there. (Even though it would be cool.)
• I don't ever end my lessons with a testimony any more because it just feels disingenuous. So, I try to make one last point or read a quote by a General Authority or something as a kind of conclusion.

So, hopefully that will give you some sense of the underlying philosophy behind the teaching decisions I make when teaching for TBM audiences.

About Me and This Blog

I figured that I'd compose my inaugural blog entry in the style of one of the new Mormon.org profiles. Enjoy!

Hi, I'm Oxymormon Girl.

I don't actually believe in Mormonism. But I'm still a practicing Mormon. (That's why I'm "Oxymormon Girl." It's meant to be a play on words. An oxymoron is a contradiction.)

About Me

I am a 30-something who is married with two kids. I stay home with my kids in the day and teach college classes at night. I also lean left politically (and have since I was a teenager), which automatically makes me something of an outsider in Mormon culture. Much to Boyd K. Packer's chagrin, I'm a feminist, an intellectual, and I support gay rights. But I keep most of these sentiments closeted when I sit in the church pews because I'm not really one who likes to rock the boat.

Why I am a Mormon

Well, the simple answer to that question is that I've been a member of the church all of my life. My father's side of the family comes from pioneer stock. My mother converted from Catholicism when she was 19, despite strong opposition from her family. My parents were always devout, but perhaps not as strict as Mormon families traditionally are. 

I gained a strong testimony while reading the Book of Mormon when I was 14 and Mormonism became the defining aspect of my identity for most of my teenage and young adult life. I regularly had powerful spiritual experiences that confirmed the truth of the gospel to me. I went to BYU and, for the most part, enjoyed my experiences there--despite not fitting the typical profile of someone who would enjoy BYU.

I married "late" by Mormon standards (I was 25 and I knew my husband for four years before we were married!). We married in the temple and I'm happy to report that we have a very satisfying marriage. Motherhood has been much more of a challenge for me, but I still love my kids.

About a year ago (from the time of writing this post), I began to have serious doubts about the church. It started when my husband and I decided to make an honest effort to really study the Book of Mormon---not just from a spiritual perspective but from an academic perspective as well. (Mostly just to inject some life into what is an otherwise boring task.) As I studied the Book of Mormon, my husband and I suddenly began seeing all sorts of historical, intellectual, and moral problems in the book.

I decided at that moment to become a scholar of church history and Mormon studies. I wanted to study all the problematic elements of the church for myself so that I could resolve the issues that were troubling me. I made a conscious decision to avoid anti-Mormon literature, choosing instead to read materials that were only created by active members of the church with a scholarly background. 

At the time, I felt fully confident that the church would emerge victorious during the course of my studies and that my faith would be strengthened by wrestling with these problems for myself. I was wrong. While I was able to maintain my belief in the church for a while by adopting a Liahona Mormon perspective, my faith eventually crumbled under the weight of all the evidence against it.

For now, I'm still a practicing Mormon, even though I don't believe in it. For some people, it's difficult to understand why I (or others) would continue to belong to a religion that they don't believe in. It's a fair question, but difficult to answer in a way that would make sense. The simplest answer I could give for now is to say that I stay because Mormonism has been my whole world up to this point, and it's not that easy to just reset your life to zero and start all over from scratch. While I anticipate that my husband and I will leave the church in the distant future, for now we are taking that process very, very slowly.

How I live my faith

If you were to sit me down and give me a temple recommend interview, I could easily answer yes to the "do" questions. I attend all my church meetings, I keep the Word of Wisdom, I wear my garments. I pay tithes (begrudgingly). It's the "belief" questions that I have a hard time with.

In fact, for all of you naysayers out there who might feel that we left the church because we weren't keeping the commandments, I'll just say that my husband and I have been reading the Book of Mormon and the other scriptures every night. On top of that, I've been going to the temple every week for the last month. (My mom, freaking out about my confession that I no longer believe, made me promise to do this for six months.)

So, from all outward appearances, I'm just as Mormon as the next girl.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of this blog?

Well, I started this blog primarily because of my current church calling: 2nd Sunday Relief Society teacher. I've had this calling for a little less than 2 years now. And in full humility, I must tell you that I'm pretty good at it. (As in, I get teary-eyed thank yous from sisters about how much they appreciated my lesson after the lesson is over.) But even though I deliver my lessons from a straight, TBM (true believing Mormon) perspective, I find that I must almost always go through a crucible of personal integrity while I'm preparing my lessons. I find myself telling myself how much I disagree with the lesson manuals and questioning whether I really value the principles that are taught in the lesson.

So I wanted to explore that tension in this blog, the tension that I feel between what I really believe and what I ultimately say when I deliver these lessons. I'm going to devote a blog entry to each lesson that I have to teach from the Gospel Principles manual from here on out. I also plan on working retroactively as well, exploring lessons that I've already given and the thought processes that I went through while preparing the lesson.

What is your current attitude toward the church and its members?

Well, I didn't want to the church to be false. Honestly, it would make my life a whole lot easier (and perhaps even happier) if I could fully believe in it the way I used to. For that reason, I don't have any intentions to lead my fellow church members astray. No one should be compelled to take that spiritual/intellectual journey until they are genuinely ready to do so. Everyone has genuine reasons for believing what they believe and it is important to respect that--even when we disagree.

With that in mind, the purpose of this blog is not to deconvert anyone. Rather, this blog is intended to be read by those who are already skeptical of the church's truth claims. In other words, this is a blog intended for non-traditional Mormons, Liahona Mormons, New Order Mormons, Liberal Mormons, Ex-Mormons, or anyone else who is already sympathetic to those points of view.

Why have you decided to remain anonymous for now?
I'm not really sure what the reaction to this blog will be, so for now I will keep my real identity anonymous. I don't really have any fear of church discipline, but I want to remain in control of my official, public relationship with the church.

I prefer being honest about myself and my views and so I anticipate that one day I will write these blog entries with my normal identity.

Are you at all interested in adding additional authors to this blog?
I'm open to that possibility, but you would have to earn my trust and respect first. Contact me if you're interested and we'll do an interview of sorts.