Sunday Musings

When someone is guilty of a serious sin, does their repentance of that action require a process of any kind—or is their sincere repentance effective instantly?

Section 132 purports to authorize not just polygamy, but concubinage. What exactly is that, and how has it worked throughout history?

From promoting controversial political titles to hiring DEI activists, it's worth asking whether Deseret Book is compatible with Church standards and values.

Some members have weaponized words by President Oaks to suggest that any criticism of Church leaders (or their statements) is wrong. Is that right?

Critics call it a fraud, but what if the Book of Abraham's "missing scrolls" hold the key to its divine truth?

Have the sweeping changes of the Nelson era helped the Church thrive, or quietly hollowed out key parts of its culture?

At a recent BYU Devotional, President Oaks warned of an "abundance of speculation and false information in podcasts and on social media." But are the sources he suggested immune from these problems?

We roast past generations' spiritual blind spots, yet dodge the beam in our eye. Who's really the modern Pharisee?

Lucifer's war continues today, yet few seem to understand his methods and therefore remain vulnerable to them. Why do more Latter-day Saints not see?

When Church leaders are often blood relatives of other leaders, is that cause for concern or scripturally supported?

LDS scripture only contains a portion of Joseph Smith's alterations to the King James Version of the Bible. What about the rest?

Top leaders of the Church are provided financial support for their full time service. What do the scriptures say about such a practice?

Competing claims disagree on whether Joseph Smith had a seer stone separate from the Urim and Thummim to translate the Book of Mormon. What's true?

Prophetic rebukes in times past were seemingly much more bold and direct than what happens today. Why the change, and what might it mean?

A new Church policy opens the door to newer Bible translations but raises yet more questions about how they will be used.

A new Church article says that interracial marriages are fine, but fails to acknowledge that that wasn't always the case. What changed and why?

Did Jesus command us to go along to get along — or is there more to the story we might be missing?

Starting around the 1950s, Church leaders and members began calling their president 'the prophet.' But what caused the shift and what does it mean today?

You couldn't tell from the dishes served at a ward potluck, but Mormons are under obligation to cut down their meat consumption. Or… are they?

Some viewers of Sunday Musings feel uncomfortable with the approach I take. Should my concerns and ideas be kept quiet, or is there room for a more open discussion?

Many people seem to recall a Church policy discouraging informal study groups as they may lead to apostasy. What's the policy today?

Prior to being murdered, the Prophet had several dreams seeming to portray the troubles the Church would face in his absence. What might the interpretations of these dreams mean for us today?

Most Latter-day Saints believe that God stamped His approval on the Church in a way that continues today. What if that we're misunderstanding His meaning?

From pop culture jabs to subtle discrimination, why do so many feel it's okay to target members of the LDS Church?

A new letter sent to local leaders of the Church urges discussion around security of its members while continuing to prohibit what would actually keep them safer.

The process for selecting the next Church president is predictable and follows clear precedent—but is that pattern borne from revelation or created by custom?

Prior to announcing the Proclamation on the Family, President Hinckley highlighted a trend that plagued God's past people—and which plagues us today. How are we faring?

The three-decades-old document seems more potent and prescient than ever before. But when the Proclamation was released, what was the response?

How should we respond in the wake of the assassination of one of this generation's loudest voices of freedom, faith, and family?

References in scripture to the Watchman on the Tower often miss how in a version of the parable revealed to Joseph Smith, the tower isn't built and the enemy infiltrates. What might this mean for us?

While many believe that contention is of the devil and therefore shy away from controversy, the scriptures suggest that there are instances in which we should absolutely contend against others.

Can a prophet be true if he was previously claiming to use divine assistance to ascertain the location of hidden treasure?

A myopic focus on religious freedom runs the risk of giving us tunnel vision, ignoring the crumbling of our rights around us until it's too late.

A quote attributed to Joseph claims that parents sealed in the temple can have spiritual influence to save wayward children. But there's more to the story…

Traditional interpretations of the Book of Mormon reduce these early characters to little more than murmuring opponents of God's will. But what if there's more to the story—an additional layer that is far more relevant to us today?

There's a wound that won't heal at the center of church history and doctrine—but a new discovery might give it an opportunity to heal.

Apostles of Jesus Christ are called as "special witnesses" of his name, but does that mean, or guarantee, that they have personaly seen the Savior? And does it even matter?

Trump's suppression of the Epstein list is a powerful (and enraging) example of the laws of wickedness in operation—something the Book of Mormon highlights in tragic detail.

What would it take for Latter-day Saints to colonize a new planet?

Why are Latter-day Saints, who are commanded to renounce war and proclaim peace, so often guilty of the exact opposite?

A quietly released document reveals that former Church leaders engaged in a cover up to deny knowledge of a purported revelation received by John Taylor.

Joseph Smith's inspired translation of the Bible revealed words from Enoch in 1830 that have striking similarity to the apocraphyal Book of Enoch discovered later.

While a debate continues about what constitutes doctrine versus policy in the restored Church of Christ, what role does its culture play, both good and bad?

An 1834 change to the Church's official name raises questions about what was happening and why the Saints didn't stick with the original.