ClobberBlog | Mormonism, Evangelical Christianity

Happy anniversary! I love the haircut. I think the short hair that men (rightfully) fear is the middle-aged-woman haircut. I fear that hair too.

But YOU look great, I love your blog, and I love Assassin Wives.

Definitely, congratulations. And I suspect you have many more than seven or eight readers.

Love the pic, you “brazen hussy” you. Yeah, I could marry out of the church for someone like you. Well, we’re too far apart in age. A part of me thinks it’s too bad it wasn’t your dad who, um, passed to the great beyond. I could have married your mother just to be able to see you once a year during holidays and dandle (that’s a Brigham Young word) your child(ren) on my knee.

Now take your shoes off, and get back in the kitchen, young lady. 

Congrats! Love the haircut and the tank.

This comment is proof that there is a ninth reader. QED.

Jack, I’m finally understanding the meaning of a comment that one of your professors at BYU made. He said he prayed to know if or when you’ll join the LDS church, and he claimed that the Lord told him “She will when I tell her to.”

I just read your recent Patheos article, “One Evangelical’s View of Mormonism” and the light dawned on me. You’re doing _excellent_ apologetic work and fostering goodwill and mutual understanding between Evangelicals and LDS, which essentially has to be done, at least in part, by someone wearing the Evangelical badge/hat.

There are many pepole, thousands, who are going to pay much more attention to you, as an LDS outsider, than they would if you were saying the same things as an LDS member. And that’s likely the Lord’s plan. I finally get it now. Well, at least part of it. You’re sort of following in the footsteps of Jan Shipps.

The understanding needs to go both ways. I’ve tried to counter anti-Evangelical anti-Pentecostal prejudice in the ‘nacle with a few comments I’ve placed at various blogs. I don’t like how many online LDS assume all or most Evangelicals are anti-Mormons. My observation is that most rank-and-file Evangelicals and Pentecostals don’t even begin or try to understand the theological tenets of their own religion which the antis use to point out that Mormonism is non-Christian. In other words, and for example, the Mormon understanding of the nature of the Godhead doesn’t differ that much from an average rank-and-file Evangelical’s concept of the Trinity.

As you often point out, there’s enough “slop” or “wiggle room” in points of Evangelical theology to fit much of Mormonism, especially where different denominations don’t quite agree on a matter.

One item for a future article might be to explore what happened to Jesus’ physical resurrected body (the one that he ate fish with) after his ascension into heaven, and Stephen’s subsequent vision of Jesus standing next to Heavenly Father when Stephen was stoned.

Another item is how, under the concept of sola scriptura, post-biblical writings, such as the various creeds and writings of early Christian fathers, can be binding upon believers, or not. Are they guidelines, suggestions, or binding? It seems like most churches pick and choose among those things, and not all choose alike.

Another point, actually one of overlap, to explore is the Evangelical/Pentecostal concept of walking in and by the Spirit compared to Mormonism’s concept of personal revelation. Much overlap there. Common Evangelical terms that seem to apply to Mormonism under different names are anointing or baptism of the Spirit. Spiritual gifts are a big point of overlap between Pentecostals and Mormons, though operations of the gifts tends to differ.

Awesome picture! Congrats on the first blogiversary – here’s to many more (raises a glass – of root beer, of course) 

I used to love long hair. During our first year of marriage my wife cut her hair short. I wasn’t crazy about it. She recently cut it short again. Now I love short hair. Go figure.

HA.

Paul if you’re still alive after that one, it’s nice to see you out and about again.