A look inside our newest book: A Thoughtful Faith For the 21st Century
Become a Friend of Faith Matters by Friday April 25 to get your free copy!
The newest book from Faith Matters, A Thoughtful Faith for the 21st Century, is a collection of personal essays by Latter-day Saint thinkers who give reason for the spiritual hope that is in them. Today, we want to share just a small sampling of what’s inside:
Bonnie Young: Damned by Perfection
This is the story of how my perfection almost damned me. That is, how my relentless quest for flawlessness undermined my happiness, my health, my orientation to the world, and my faith. It is a story, too, of a girl becoming a woman and in the process making room for grace.
Samuel Morris Brown: God, Atheism, and the Perils of Love
As my wife and I chatted our way home, I complained about how stupid Carroll had been and how frustrated I was with the quality of his intellectual engagement with God and religion. Maybe, I suggested to her, I should write something about how dumb modern atheism is, using these obtuse lectures as the outline. The piss and vinegar in my brain leaked into my words.
“Maybe you should pray to love him,” Kate said.
Astrid S. Tuminez: A Sacred Yes: Hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ
As an LDS woman, was I supposed to suppress my energy and aspirations, and find absolute and pure fulfillment exclusively within the domain of domestic life? Should I suppress the joy I felt in exploring the world, becoming a leader and decision-maker, and pursuing goals that made me feel relevant and alive? How was it that no single church leader ever encouraged me or validated my aspirations? After twenty-seven hours of labor, why couldn’t I hold my first child during her blessing in the chapel? Why did my church exclude me in this and other ways?
Steven L. Peck: Our Eternal Round With the God Who Dances
God calls us to adventure. I believe that Earth life is not a test to separate the wheat from the tares. It is not a proof in the way that medieval villagers threw a witch into the pond to see if she would float. Not a simple assessment for placement in some grand hierarchy of prisons or resorts. It is an exam, rather, in the sense that we are learning the skills necessary for existence.
Jenny Pulsipher: “The Lamanites … are more righteous than you”: A Believing Historian’s Take on the “Curse” in the Book of Mormon
When I was a young mother living in the San Francisco Bay area, I was asked to teach a sharing time lesson for a stake primary activity. I don't remember the topic, but I vividly remember the inept way I tried to make the point that Jesus loves everyone equally. Looking out at the children, who included both light-skinned descendants of Europeans and darker-skinned descendants of Pacific Islanders, I asked, "Does Jesus love people with brown skin as much as he loves people with white skin?" Perhaps some of the children raised their hands to answer, I don't remember. But I will never forget the slumped shoulders and defeated look of a Pacific Islander boy near the front of the room who bowed his head and said, "No."
Ben Schilaty: Through a Glass Darkly
My belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ requires that I do some pretty tough things. Chief among those is forgiving those who reject me, misunderstand me, and cause me pain. I have had lots of practice with this aspect of the gospel. As a gay man, I embody a paradox that is sometimes beyond people’s ability to comprehend. Consequently, I have spent much of my adult life explaining my existence to individuals on all sides of the spiritual, political, and cultural spectrum. I often find myself asking, why am I always required to be the bigger person? Why is it my responsibility to demonstrate to those who reject me that I actually belong? Why do I have to respond to hostility with kindness?
KEEP READING
A Thoughtful Faith for the 21st Century is available to preorder now! We so appreciate your support as we get ready to share this book with the world.
If you’d like to check out the full collection, we have published each essay on our Substack (some partially paywalled,) so that you can get a taste for what’s inside and easily share the essays that most speak to you.
GET A FREE COPY
Our ability to produce important books is directly funded by your generous donations. As a thank you, Friends of Faith Matters (donors and paid Substack subscribers) will receive a complimentary copy of this book. We can’t wait to hear what you think!
If you have any questions about your donation, or if you’d like to confirm that we have your correct address on file, please email us at info@faithmatters.org. We will mail donor copies out on Friday April 25, so be sure to become a Friend of Faith Matters by then if you’d like to receive one!
You can also support the work of Faith Matters by sharing about this book with friends, family, and anyone else you think would be interested!
JOIN US FOR THE LAUNCH PARTY ON MAY 8
We hope you will join us as we celebrate the release of this book! There will be a brief conversation with Philip Barlow and several of the book's contributors, followed by mingling and light refreshments.