A Reflection On Boundaries and Community Every community has boundaries. Boundaries are, in many ways, what helps define a recognizable community. The community does this, but not that. It wears this, but not that. It believes this, but not that. Every community—from sports teams, to gamers, to religious groups, to political parties—has these sorts of markers. And these markers can be  both explicit and implicit.

A Reflection On Boundaries and Community

Every community has boundaries. Boundaries are, in many ways, what helps define a recognizable community. The community does this, but not that. It wears this, but not that. It believes this, but not that. Every community—from sports teams, to gamers, to…

All in favor of informal funerals, say…. .. Aye. TW: funerals, death I'll be honest: I've never been to an informal funeral that didn't beat the socks off of a funeral run by any religious leader of any religious persuasion. Not Catholic. Not Baptist. Not LDS. Not non-denominational. Not Methodist. None. Give me the imperfect real over the perfectly planned any day. Growing up my daddy was pallbearer for hundreds of funerals.

All in favor of informal funerals, say....

.. Aye. TW: funerals, death I'll be honest: I've never been to an informal funeral that didn't beat the socks off of a funeral run by any religious leader of any religious persuasion. Not Catholic. Not Baptist. Not LDS. Not non-denominational. Not Metho...

In Memory of Ardis Parshall This morning I opened Facebook and, to my surprise and enormous sadness, learned that Ardis Parshall had passed away. For those who are unfamiliar with her, Ardis was, among other things, the founder and principal blogger at Keepapitchinin, a delightful blog full of forgotten moments and people in Mormon history and wonderful analysis. Not just a blogger, Ardis was contributor to and on the advisory board of…

In Memory of Ardis Parshall

This morning I opened Facebook and, to my surprise and enormous sadness, learned that Ardis Parshall had passed away. For those who are unfamiliar with her, Ardis was, among other things, the founder and principal blogger at Keepapitchinin, a delightful blog full of…

The Good Sacramentan Last month, my kids and I started volunteering at our local chapter of the Burrito Project (note, their website is several years out of date, but the program description is still accurate!). At ages 6 and 8, my kids are beginning to meet the real human struggles of the world, and they both want to help correct injustice and alleviate human suffering.

The Good Sacramentan

Why I Skipped Stake Conference This Sunday was Stake Conference. I decided not to go and, instead, participate in the worship services of my local Episcopal church. This is why: They have sharp, thoughtful, and deeply spiritual female leadership—at Stake Conference it would be an entirely male-led service. The homily delivered was impactful, beautiful, and profound—at Stake Conference it would be just more of the same-old ‘follow the prophet,’ ‘we’re so lucky to be in this church,’ ‘the…

Why I Skipped Stake Conference

This Sunday was Stake Conference. I decided not to go and, instead, participate in the worship services of my local Episcopal church. This is why: They have sharp, thoughtful, and deeply spiritual female leadership—at Stake Conference it would be an entirely male-led…

To the Uncredited 16 And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.

To the Uncredited

16 And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life,…

The Irreparable Harm Caused by Refusing to Engage

In my first post here on BCC, I shared a little about the ten years I worked to try and get someone with authority to change the church's policy that resulted in stake Seminary teachers shouldering nearly the entire cost of Seminary. I didn't share…

Changes to SNAP and the Church Last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act made a handful of substantial changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), making it harder for poor individuals and families to qualify for food assistance. The CBO estimates that these changes, which went into effect on February 1, will cause roughly 2.4 million people to lose their eligibility for SNAP. For our purposes, the two biggest changes (in section 10102 of the bill linked to above) both affect work requirements.

Changes to SNAP and the Church

Last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act made a handful of substantial changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), making it harder for poor individuals and families to qualify for food assistance. The CBO estimates that these changes, which went…

Ash Wednesday at Broadview Happy Fat Tuesday! I hope today you're able to enjoy your pancakes, king cake, pączki, or whatever sugar- and fat-laden treat your region uses to celebrate the approaching Lenten season. Lent---the 40-day period leading up to Easter, where Christians traditionally prepare for the Resurrection---begins tomorrow, on Ash Wednesday. And in Chicago, where about one in three people…

Ash Wednesday at Broadview

Happy Fat Tuesday! I hope today you're able to enjoy your pancakes, king cake, pączki, or whatever sugar- and fat-laden treat your region uses to celebrate the approaching Lenten season. Lent---the 40-day period leading up to Easter, where Christians traditionally…

Everything Old Is New Again Unlike many of my fellow BCC authors (and readers), I'm fairly new to the world of religious studies. But I've been listening to The New Testament In Its World, by N.T. Wright [1] and Michael Bird, and I'm captivated hearing stories we tell ourselves in the church told in the context of another comparatively small, young (<200 year old), religion with radically different ideas than its contemporary culture about who God is and how God relates to humanity.

Everything Old Is New Again

Am I My Brother’s Keeper? In their analysis of Genesis 4:9, Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler observe that the LORD’s question “Where is your brother Abel?” is one that asks about “more than location.”[1]  Presumably, the LORD already knew that Cain had killed his brother. Rather—and there is a lot of this in Genesis—this question sets a theme that will be carried throughout the entire rest of the Hebrew Bible.

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

In their analysis of Genesis 4:9, Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler observe that the LORD’s question “Where is your brother Abel?” is one that asks about “more than location.”[1]  Presumably, the LORD already knew that Cain had killed his brother. Rather—and there is a…

Mormons in the Epstein Files Yes, there are Mormons in the Epstein files. Are LDS influencers exploiting the moment?

Mormons in the Epstein Files

Yes, there are Mormons in the Epstein files. Are LDS influencers exploiting the moment?

Joseph Smith and The 1995 LDS Proclamation on the Family, part 11

Derivatives I have left out much of the story here, and it would take much more space to tell the rest (and this part ended up being far longer than I originally imagined--something my editors always complain about), so I think I…

Supporting immigrants: Notes from the field I went to a "Migration With Dignity" forum with a friend yesterday. It was all about ways Christians at this church could support the dignity of immigrants in our city, supported by their organizational leadership. It got me thinking. What might that training have looked like if it had been optimized for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints -- both in America and beyond?

Supporting immigrants: Notes from the field

I went to a "Migration With Dignity" forum with a friend yesterday. It was all about ways Christians at this church could support the dignity of immigrants in our city, supported by their organizational leadership. It got me thinking. What might that…

BYU, Career Fairs, and CPB Yesterday, BYU's Office of Career Services hosted a career fair. One of the potential employers? Customs and Border Patrol. The inclusion of CPB led to a massive protest and demonstration and outrage among community members and alumni of the school. Before I definitely weigh in, I have a couple questions about BYU career fairs: What are the criteria for participating?

BYU, Career Fairs, and CPB

Yesterday, BYU's Office of Career Services hosted a career fair. One of the potential employers? Customs and Border Patrol. The inclusion of CPB led to a massive protest and demonstration and outrage among community members and alumni of the school. Before I definitely…

Mental Health Monday: Love vs Codependence and Abuse Happy love / friendship / warm regards / commercial exploitation of affection season, everyone! This Mental Health Monday (at least in American Samoa!) let's break down the difference between love and codependency (and abuse), using various hymn examples and others from church. However, let's start by ruining this iconic photograph celebrating V-J Day (the end of WWII).

Mental Health Monday: Love vs Codependence and Abuse

The LDS Church and the Constitution First, I’m not a lawyer. Second, this is not a political post. With that out of the way…. Part of the American Mythology is the notion that God has, many times, intervened to establish and preserve the territory of the United States, the representative republic that serves as its form of government, and, specifically, the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The LDS Church and the Constitution

First, I’m not a lawyer. Second, this is not a political post. With that out of the way…. Part of the American Mythology is the notion that God has, many times, intervened to establish and preserve the territory of the United States, the representative republic…

Are You Okay? It’s a cruel irony, what ICE has done in the land of Minnesota Nice. People are not okay. People are mad. People are dead. I'd always heard it the other way, but apparently the only thing that can stop a good guy with a gun is a bad guy with a gun. To stay engaged in current events despite the multifaceted darkness of the world, I don’t watch the videos.

Are You Okay?

It’s a cruel irony, what ICE has done in the land of Minnesota Nice. People are not okay. People are mad. People are dead. I'd always heard it the other way, but apparently the only thing that can stop a good guy with a gun is a bad guy with a gun. To stay engaged in current events…

The Church of Personal Piety? Over the last weeks and months, I've been thinking about the Church's self-image. How does it view itself? What does it think its mission is? What does it believe its obligations are? This is, naturally, in the context of the Church's silence in the face of a concerted assault on the U.S. Constitution, a terror campaign against immigrants, to whom the Bible assigns especial duties, and an…

The Church of Personal Piety?

Over the last weeks and months, I've been thinking about the Church's self-image. How does it view itself? What does it think its mission is? What does it believe its obligations are? This is, naturally, in the context of the Church's silence in the face of a…

Thoughts About Mormon Notions About Death, and Also My Mom By the time my youngest brother, Baden, and I arrived at the Spokane Valley Hospital in Washington state on Thursday, November 13, 2025, our mother, Kathleen Jolley Fox, was no longer truly communicating with others. Baden and I, residents of Nevada and Kansas respectively, had the furthest to travel out of our seven other siblings to get to our mother’s bedside.

Thoughts About Mormon Notions About Death, and Also My Mom

By the time my youngest brother, Baden, and I arrived at the Spokane Valley Hospital in Washington state on Thursday, November 13, 2025, our mother, Kathleen Jolley Fox, was no longer truly communicating with others. Baden and I, residents…

Theseus’ Old Ship of Zion A decade ago, Elder Ballard gave a talk admonishing members of the church to "Stay in the and Hold On!" Apparently Brigham Young referenced this metaphor frequently. Enough people asked for specific directions on -- what, exactly, is "The Old Ship of Zion" -- that Elder Ballard offered a second talk the next year, describing it as the modern restored church led by apostles and prophets.

Theseus' Old Ship of Zion

Joseph Smith and The 1995 LDS Proclamation on the Family, part 10 Russell M. Nelson In the inaugural January 18, 2018 press conference of a newly installed First Presidency consisting of Presidents Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, and Henry B. Eyring, D&C 132 made an important appearance. In an exchange with Salt Lake Tribune reporter Peggy Fletcher Stack, Stack asked the new presidency how they might extend membership in the church’s leadership ranks to people of color, international members, and women.

Joseph Smith and The 1995 LDS Proclamation on the Family, part 10

Russell M. Nelson In the inaugural January 18, 2018 press conference of a newly installed First Presidency consisting of Presidents Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, and Henry B. Eyring, D&C 132 made an important appearance. In an…

Thank You, Bobby! It might come as a surprise to some (or maybe not) that BCC has within its ranks of bloggers a fair number of Deadheads.  We, like many of you, are deeply saddened by the passing Bobby Weir.  I count myself among the fortunate who got to see Bobby a bunch of times. And whether he was playing with Jerry or John (or Phil, or Pig, or TC, or Keith, or Brent, or Vince, or Bruce, or the Wolf Bros.), Bobby was always about the music.

Thank You, Bobby!

It might come as a surprise to some (or maybe not) that BCC has within its ranks of bloggers a fair number of Deadheads.  We, like many of you, are deeply saddened by the passing Bobby Weir.  I count myself among the fortunate who got to see Bobby a bunch of times. And whether he…

Before the Beginning The Bible begins with the words “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” But what was there before this “beginning”? --CFM for Jan 5-11, 2026 Well, Come Follow Me, I'm glad you asked! Joseph Smith provided an answer to that through the Books of Moses and Abraham. As did fiction writers Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, in ideas they sketched out that later found their way onto the screen:

Before the Beginning

The Bible begins with the words “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” But what was there before this “beginning”? --CFM for Jan 5-11, 2026 Well, Come Follow Me, I'm glad you asked! Joseph Smith provided an answer to that through the Books of Moses and…

In Which I Continue To Beef With Nephi And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords… And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance…And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious and to labor with their hands.

In Which I Continue To Beef With Nephi

And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords… And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver,…

The Day Tonga Became a Threat

A guest post from friend of the blog David Cook. Somewhere deep inside the machinery of the Trump travel ban, someone apparently decided that Tonga posed a serious threat to the United States. As of January 1, 2026, there are stark restrictions on student and…

Mental Health Monday: How to Hold Conflicting Feelings Happy New Year! I hope everyone had restful and restorative time with family, friends and food. And I hope everyone has leftovers in the fridge, now that we're back to the grind. I've been toying around with the idea of writing a monthly (?) series about the intersection of the gospel and mental health. Most of the posts will probably be more theoretical (e.g., acting on adrenaline vs acting on faith).

Mental Health Monday: How to Hold Conflicting Feelings

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had restful and restorative time with family, friends and food. And I hope everyone has leftovers in the fridge, now that we're back to the grind. I've been toying around with the idea of writing a monthly (?)…

Elementary School Cafeteria Mormonism You thought regular Cafeteria Mormonism was theologically precarious? Just wait until that cafeteria is in an elementary school.

Elementary School Cafeteria Mormonism

Ring Out Wild Bells! Of all the songs the songs in the LDS hymnbook, the hymn “Ring Out, Wild Bells” may be the most niche: if you don’t sing it on the Sunday immediately before or after New Year's Day then it’s likely you won’t sing it all year. Partly for this reason—but also because if it’s haunting melody and profound poetic foundation (more on that in a moment)—the hymn gets justified focus in the bloggernacle this time of year.

Ring Out Wild Bells!

Of all the songs the songs in the LDS hymnbook, the hymn “Ring Out, Wild Bells” may be the most niche: if you don’t sing it on the Sunday immediately before or after New Year's Day then it’s likely you won’t sing it all year. Partly for this reason—but also because if it’s…

A Church Stocking Stuffer Wishlist Merry Christmas! At our home, Santa puts his big gifts under the tree. But the candy, the chocolate, and some smaller wrapped gifts end up in (or next to) the stockings that hang from our banister (because we don't have a chimney---I had to give Santa a key so that he could get in). These stocking gifts are cool, but they're rarely on anybody's wishlist.

A Church Stocking Stuffer Wishlist

Merry Christmas! At our home, Santa puts his big gifts under the tree. But the candy, the chocolate, and some smaller wrapped gifts end up in (or next to) the stockings that hang from our banister (because we don't have a chimney---I had to give Santa a key so…