Polygamy

 
     When Joseph Smith instituted polygamy, several reasons have been cited to explain why, the belief most often given is that there were more men than women and this provided a way for them to have a husband. I do not know if there were any ill intentions, and so I won't speculate.
      Most people today do not agree with this practice, and either does the law. It is an issue that the LDS church would like to forget about. My biggest question about polygamy is why was this ever considered acceptable. My understanding is that this practice was derived from revelation, and then ended in 1890 in the Woodruff manifesto presented by President Wilford Woodruff. The end came when the U.S government had basically made the survival of the church very difficult or impossible.
     This is personally a difficult practice for me to understand, has always seemed strange to me that God would want this practice to take place. It is a topic that could be written about for hours, I am just giving a simple background. As always I am giving my opinion and I am not here to put down anyone's beliefs. I just want to hear your take and why you agree or disagree.
 

Boy Scouts

     What feelings do you have about the Boy Scouts of America and the LDS church? I think the church has made Boy Scouts a place where many of the same values are taught. The LDS church has the highest BSA membership of any religious affiliation in the U.S. with 2010 numbers showing 37,928 units (units consist of a group of adults and scouts), this totals 412,720 total scouts (http://www.scouting.org). These numbers provide great cash flow for the BSA.


     The BSA is a public charity with tax exempt status (http://www.capitalscouting.org).  Although the Scouts have their status, whether or not they are a public institution has been a litigated issue (http://www.religioustolerance.org/bsa_1.htm). The LDS church and the Boy Scouts have the same opinion on the exclusion of homosexuals, the BSA also does not allow atheists (wikipedia/BSA).
Where is the line drawn between public entity and exclusion of certain groups?  Does the church membership influence decisions made by the BSA?

Fear and Guilt

Do you ever have fear of not doing what you are taught is right by LDS church teachings? I have struggled with this for some time, but am finally reaching some peace. When I was little and went to church, like others I was learning about life's beginning and end. This is a lot to take in but it gives you clearly defined boundaries. When I would question these teachings and beliefs, the boundaries were not so clearly defined. I believe now that all is not so clear, but what is important is how you treat other people of all beliefs. I would rather live with uncertainty then try to convince myself everyday that what sounds wrong is right. I know some who have held onto their religion due to the fear of no longer being held to a strict set of boundaries, but uncertainty of what the answers are. I know others have been fortunate to feel like they are a part of something and agree with answers it provides. Again, what are your experiences with fear or guilt as it relates to LDS teachings? Or have you only experienced true feelings of comfort and peace?

Background

My name is Ben King and I started this blog to express my feelings, positive and negative regarding the LDS church. In doing so I hope to get responses from all of you. I think that If I share my thoughts and then listen to others I will be able to get a better understanding of myself and perhaps this interaction will help many of you. I have many different specific topics I would like to write about. I would also like to use your comments to set up new post topics and together have meaningful conversation.