roughstonerolling.com Blog

On a whim, I looked up an old mission companion on the Internet today. We haven’t spoken since college (at the University of Utah) and I lost track of him years ago, but not before I witnessed him fall away from the Church.
We became companions toward the last legs of our missions. We were zone [...]

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As we discussed I Corinthians in Gospel Doctrine last Sunday, some of the things covered reminded me of recent LDS history. In 3:4-5 it says,
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye [...]

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Truth be told, there are a few LDS hymns I just can’t get behind. “The Day Dawn is Breaking” is one. “Who’s on the Lord’s Side, Who?” is another– I feel like I’m in the chorus on the H.M.S. Pinafore when we’re singing that one. When we sing “Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing,” I [...]

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As I get older, I think I better understand the nature of the Church and realize how resilient it is to its members. General authorities do disagree on doctrinal points, prophets change policy without saying “thus sayeth the Lord”, people “feel good” about decisions after prayer and then things don’t work out, church appointments turn [...]

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As part of my calling, I get to reach out to inactive members, those who have chosen to either take a break or altogether divorce themselves from the Church. Our records show out of 600 some-odd members in the ward, 400 fall into this category. Before you swoon out of your chair, understand that we have a [...]

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This was a talk given by High Councilman Greg Prince to a sacrament meeting in the Chevy Chase Ward in the Washington, D.C. area, August 12, 2007. Brother Prince is the co-author of “David O. McKay: The Rise of Modern Mormonism.” He offered to send a copy of his talk to my wife who was [...]

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The Conversion Story in its ideal form tells of the cursing, beer-belching reprobate who one day is hit with a heavenly bolt and then looks back to his errant ways no more. He becomes forever cheerful, helpful and peppy. I’m both fascinated by and wary of him. It isn’t that I readily dismiss the power [...]

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