Main Street Plaza A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism.

I am not your trophy, Do not display me, Do not report about me, Be my friend. When you reduce me To a number, I am less than human, And so are you. Views: 546 ...

Inspired by a new news article about land development by the LDS Church in Hawaii, I did a little more property searching.  Unfortunately, Honolulu County doesn’t allow searching by name, so finding all the property of Hawaii Reserves, Inc. and Property Reserve, Inc. (two of the holding companies of the LDS Church) in Hawaii is ...

I wasn’t always a fan of church, but I always went.  But apparently this boy really didn’t like church.  It doesn’t say if he was avoiding a Mormon church or some other service, but it was in Utah.  Still pretty funny!  Views: 652 ...

Actually, it looks like the less-believing didn’t post anything at all about Pioneer Day, except for one tiny, belated greeting. Instead they celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing and they posted some interesting photos of entirely different places and events. We also have some interesting thoughts on philosophy and religion: Views: 655 ...

When you single out one minority and legislate that they can’t have the same rights as everyone else, you’d think they’d just meekly say “OK” and go home and that would be the end of the story. Or, y’know, some organized religions might think that, but the folks of Outer Blogness disagree: Views: 1648 ...

My brother-in-law came to visit last weekend.  As science geeks, we tried to see a shuttle launch while he was here (the launch was canceled 11 minutes before liftoff because of weather – ugh!).  On the way to watch the launch we stopped by Deseret Citrus and Cattle Ranch to see the Mormon Church’s ranching ...

Dan Savage devoted this week’s column to gay people with religious issues. So, as with cheating and partner-letting-self-go, let’s decide whether Dan got it right! Here’s an excerpt from the question: Religion has been for me a source of strength in my times of weakness, a rock in the times of storm, and above all ...

I was saddened last week to see this story about a New Zealand man who hit his daughter in the head with a lump of concrete when she refused to go to the mormon church with him. Now, I think this man is an abuser, and would be an abuser no matter which religion he ...

The big news this week is on freedom and private vs. public space: Apparently Salt Lake City sold part of Main Street to the CoJCoL-dS, and now we’re learning what that means. A a gay couple was detained by security and handcuffed for a kiss on the cheek on church property. The story is told ...

Why act ethically if not out of (self-interested) thoughts of your own eternal reward? According to the LDS-Freemen (hat tip TBBB), you wouldn’t: Is it okay for me to admit that the reason I have faith and hope in an afterlife is because I am interested in myself? Is that selfish? I don’t think it’s ...

Some of you might have noticed on Facebook that Jana Bouck Remy from Pilgrim Steps has raised money for HandReach, which is an excellent charity that helps Chinese children to recover from burn injuries. Jana and her friends raised enough money to pay for a girl’s prosthetic. The Main Street Plaza crew decided to follow ...

It’s time for the annual “Bloggernacle Niblet Awards” — and this time some of our regulars here at Main Street Plaza have been nominated!! So please go vote! Andrew S. (of Irrestible (Dis)Grace, among other blogs), is up for a number of them — including competing for the only Niblet I’m in the running for: ...

I hope those of you who are American had a lovely holiday yesterday. My kids and I had fun joining in the pyrotechnic celebration with the rest of the family, as you can see from the photos my sister posted. And — true to blogging form — the other folks of Outer Blogness had plenty ...

My Mormon mother-in-law is staying with us for a week to help with newborn care.  My wife, mother-in-law, and I decided to watch Angels and Demons last night while the baby slept.  After it was over, my wife said, “I don’t understand why Catholics revere the Pope so much.” I responded, perhaps stupidly, with, “Well, ...

I have thought of my “exit” story as boring. Boring, but different. Rather than a narrative of the Once-Happy-TBM who unwittingly came across a troublesome theological or historical issue and lamented as it gobbled a once easy faith, my story has from early on featured something amiss…but what I’ve thought to be amiss was something ...