A Preacher of Righteousness
Nate Oman | March 29, 2006
Elijah Abel is one of the more important figures in the history of Mormonism.
From the Archives: The Real Issue
Nate Oman | March 28, 2006
In light of the recent publicity surrouding the Buckley Jeppson case, I thought that some readers might be interested in this post from a couple of years ago. It goes, I think, to the question of the significance of the Canadian-sanctioned marriage of Jeppson and his partner. I am not offering this post [...]
Mormonism as a Strand of Western Thought
Nate Oman | March 27, 2006
When we are not in our “Mormons are not weird”-PR mode,
Mormon History and the Problem of Mermaids
Nate Oman | March 21, 2006
Mermaids illustrate the problems faced by non-Mormon readers of Mormon histories
Two Cheers for the Manuals!
Nate Oman | March 16, 2006
I have a confession. I am an Elders’ Quorum instructor and I like the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church manuals. Really.
Ama-ar-gi and Mormonism
Nate Oman | March 14, 2006
“Ama-ar-gi,” a Sumerian word, has the distinction of being the oldest written instance of the concept of freedom or liberty, appearing on a clay tablet from about 2300 B.C. The word itself has something to say about the vexed question of the relationship between Mormonism and liberty or freedom.
Eddie Murphy on Richard Bushman
Nate Oman | March 10, 2006
There is a classic Saturday Night Live skit (from back when it was funny) that perfectly captures one of my nagging anxieties about being Mormon.
George Q. Cannon’s Equal Rights Amendment
Nate Oman | March 9, 2006
I have been doing a bit of research on the drafting of the Utah State Constitution, reading the proceedings of the constitutional convention held in 1894. The delegates seem to have spent most of their time discussing furniture, stationary, and who got to be appointed official stenographer for the convention. Every so often, [...]
From the Archives: What is the Purpose of the BYU Dress and Grooming Code?
Nate Oman | March 8, 2006
BYU is often ridiculed for its dress and grooming code. The basic argument is that it is silly.
“But that’s just socially constructed…”
Nate Oman | March 7, 2006
One of the fun things about education is that you get all sorts of fun new toys, ideas that magically seem to cut through all sorts of Gordian knots and whose mere invocation has occult intellectual powers that liberate one from previous difficulties.