Thoughts From a Full Stomach

An over-full stomach always seems to set me ruminating on how I can share my blessings with those in need. If you're anything like me, you want to help make a difference in the world, but you don't have unlimited resources. I love the idea of service but I hate the boring and meaningless service projects that are available about this time of year. Somehow I can't get into sending lip balm to the soldiers in Iraq. (Though I'm sure their mouths do get awfully dry over there.)

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Playing the Devil's Advocate with Kevin Barney's Article on Heavenly Mother

By now, those in the know have clicked on the link at the Dialogue journal website to read the free preview of Kevin Barney's article, "How to Worship our Heavenly Mother (Without Getting Excommunicated)." For quite a while I have been hearing about and greatly anticipating the appearance of this scholarly comparison of the Mormon Mother in Heaven with the female deity Asherah. And my readers will know of the great admiration I have for Kevin Barney's research, writing, and opinions. So it is with some regret that I feel compelled to point out some dangers and flaws in this piece.

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Healing the Waters of the Dead Sea

originally posted at Mormon Matters

The Relief Society teacher was teaching the lesson on the signs of the Second Coming, and she was writing these events on the board as fast as the sisters could shout them out. "Wars," "Rumors of wars," "Pestilence," "Earthquakes," she wrote. Then came an unusual one:

"The waters of the Dead Sea will be healed."

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The Dream Mine Today

A man named Delynn "Doc" Hansen is perhaps one of the best current sources of information on the Dream Mine on the internet. He describes himself as follows:

I became interested in Bishop Koyle and his Dream Mine starting back in the 1950's as a child. I was drawn to it like a magnet. When I was 28 and fresh out of college in practice, the Spirit told me to call the Relief Mine office. I didn't think they would have a phone as the project seemed dead. I phoned and talked to the president of the board, Quayle Dixon. The Spirit also told me to take $300. which was every last cent I had. My wife and I went up to the mine and talked to Bro. Dixon for 3 hours. The Spirit testified to both of us throughout the 3 hours. At the end...he said that Koyle recommended that a family have 100 shares of stock to see them through the hard time ahead. At $3. a share...it came to $300...so we bought our first stock.

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Bishop John H. Koyle: Financial Prognosticator For The Latter Days

In Part I of the Dream Mine story, we saw that there were those in Church leadership who supported Bishop Koyle's visions, and even bought stock in the "Dream Mine." However, support from Church headquarters lessened after geologist and theologian James E. Talmage denounced the endeavor.



In a meeting on August 7, 1913, the First Presidency decided to send Elder Francis M. Lyman of the Council of Twelve Apostles to Spanish Fork for the purpose of releasing John Koyle as bishop of the Leland Ward. [8] Acting under the orders of Francis Lyman, the Stake President released John Koyle as bishop, in which office he had served since May 31, 1908. President Joseph F. Smith and his two counselors signed a statement published by the church-owned Deseret News that year, saying "when visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, impressions or an extraordinary gift of inspiration conveys something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the church . . . it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear. . . . It is our duty to warn against mining schemes which have no warrant for success." [9]

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Bishop John H. Koyle: The Dream Mine Lives On

On August 27, 1894, John Hyrum Koyle of Spanish Fork, Utah, was visited by a personage attired in white and radiating intelligence. The angel told Koyle that the Lord had called him to open up a gold mine for the benefit of Zion and the world in a future time of trouble. John Koyle spent his life establishing what he called the "Relief Mine" near Salem, Utah, and though it never produced gold, he and his followers had faith that in the last days the gold would come in and provide for the Saints when they most needed it. [1] The mine is still maintained today on the west slopes of the Wasatch mountains in Utah County. It is the world's largest non-producing gold mine on the face of the earth!

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BiV's Blog of the Month

I've been feeling kind of blue and haven't been posting much lately. But when I ran across this blog, I knew I needed to feature it on my Blog of the Month. I discovered this blog while browsing DH's Mormon Blogosphere aggregator, and it's called

Soy Made Me Gay


The post that originally caught my attention is titled: When Your 15-Year-Old Son Says, "I'm Gay." It's a practical guide suggesting what to do when one of your children comes out to you. It's an amazing, loving piece which takes into account the emotions you and your child will be experiencing. I think it's the best advice I've ever read for how to deal with this important moment.

Clint, the writer of this blog, is a celibate, active, gay Mormon. He works in the film production industry. He hasn't yet discounted marrying a woman in the future. He is also quite gorgeous. I enjoy his dry humor. Read more about Clint's feelings for the Church in his post "Why I Came Out To My Entire Ward," which he did in a testimony meeting in September.

Clint's position on Prop 8 is unusual and poignant. As a member of the Church, he supports the Prophet, yet the issue is painful for him as a gay man. He mostly chooses to ignore it, but he did write one post which I thought was fascinating. In "How To Support A Same-Sex Marriage Ban Without Coming Across As A Tool," he gives hints on what to do on your blog and in your conversations with friends to lend support to the Church's position without alienating opponents of the measure.

This is a blog which has captured my interest and I hope to hear more from him in the future. Check it out!