Why do we think Nephites use swords?

I know this is not new, but here is my reason for bringing this up.  I was looking at the latest version of the kid reader Book of Mormon.  In it the Lamanites generally depicted as using a club embedded with obsidian.  Meanwhile, the Nephites are portrayed as swinging objects not unfamiliar to mideval knights.

O My Father

Ardis Parshall over at Keepapitchin has a great article on the most beautiful missionary tract ever produced.  Which I would tend to agree with.

Rather than get into a big threadjack over there I thought I would put my own two cents in on a side note.

My twelve days experience

Two years ago, my family and I decided we should do something special for Christmas. I had read in the Ensign years ago about the Twelve Days of Christmas.  It was an idea to give presents to people in a way that they will not know. 

Christmas Traditions: LDS Style

One thing I have noticed over the years, is that we LDS have our own set of traditions which seem to follow, sometimes other faiths, sometimes they are our own special additives to the Holiday season.

So I am going to run down a few:

Is Zion’s pull so strong Part 2

In the first part I discussed modern influence with moving to Utah, or Zion.  Today I wanted to talk a bit more about the source of this interest for me.

A few weeks ago I picked up a book in the local LDS bookstore.  As per usual I found a number of used books I wanted but I stuck with this one.  This book was not a Mormon written book, it is amazingly written by an Anglican minister who was studying Mormonism.    Reading who wrote it I had to admit I was skeptical of the source.

Is Zion’s pull so strong Part 1

For many people I have talked to in Canada, certainly in Southern Alberta specifically, there is a great deal of thought about Zion.  Not Zion, as in the New Jerusalem or the old one or even Enoch’s place.  No this Zion exists in one very specific place and it is found “In the tops of the mountains”.

If you have not guessed by now I am referring to Utah.  Lately I have been reading an older book, which I will reveal in Part 2, which discusses Zion as SLC and surrounding area.   For many of these Saints Zion was a critical place.  One that they must unite with as soon as possible.

Is examining the mysteries wrong?

BHodges over at Life on Gold Plates published Kevin Barney’s recent article on Mother in Heaven.  I have of course alluded to this article earlier.  But if you want to read it follow the link.  It is well worth it.

One of the commentators attacks, maybe chides would be better, the concept of focusing on the wrong Gospel items.  He focuses exclusively on specific gospel points.  Almost to say other items are not really worth knowing,  I found myself writing a huge entry that just got to unwildy for a comment page so I decided rather to enter a smaller version there and expound upon it a bit more here.