Articles

Issue Seven

12th Article of Faith: Sustaining the Law

by Ron Madson

In 1842 the editor of the Chicago Democrat newspaper, John Wentworth, wrote Joseph Smith and requested that Joseph provide the paper with information concerning the Mormons. In response to this request, Joseph wrote what is now called the “Wentworth Letter.”2 The letter published in the Nauvoo Times and Seasons on March 1, 1842 contained a brief history of the church, and thirteen doctrinal statements later referred to as the “Articles of Faith.”

Have We Forgotten Our Past?

by Ricky Cheney

At the commencement of the First World War, many people around the globe, including prominent anarchists, held differing views regarding participation in the War. Inside any “ism” there are at the very least nuances of thought.

Yes, The Gospel of Redistribution

by Forest W. Simmons

This essay was inspired by a thought provoking article in the March 2009 edition of the Mormon Worker entitled, “ The Gospel of Redistribution?” by Matthew Wappett, Ph.D, and by the provoked thoughts of the many people that posted their comments to the online edition

Why Torture is Evil

by William Van Wagenen

Most defenders of torture rely on the argument that torture saves (American) lives, and that torture is therefore justified and moral. Such defenders then pose the question, “How could it be wrong to torture one evil person in order to save hundreds of thousands of lives?”

Three Good Reasons Not to Join the Military

by Tariq Khan

Recruiters lie. Don’t be fooled.

Between Christianity and the Libertarian Left: How Wide the Gap? Part II

by Marc Young

Now, what about this love talk, employed so much by Jesus and Paul? It is the sort of language that has so often put secular radicals off, uncomfortable with an emphasis on words that suggest the primacy of feeling or emotion. How might this Christian idea (or ideal) fit into a particularly libertarian socialist agenda? We must be careful.

In the Trenches: An Interview with Members of Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County (DUHC)

by Jason Brown

On May 30, 2009, I met up with David Cobb and Megan Wade Antieau, two members of Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County (DUHC), a community-organizing workers collective based in California. Megan and David were speaking in Eugene, Oregon at a two-day conference on Peace and Collective Action.

Are The Rich Damned?

by Cliff Burton

Though this controversial question tends to be carefully sidestepped in church meetings, Jesus himself addressed it in the Gospel of Mark: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. For Mormons with significant wealth, hearing such a comment from Jesus, whose example we’re supposed to follow, can be pretty hard to take.

Homophobia: An Attack on My Family

by Kristina Grace K.

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who was against homosexuality and wasn’t religious. Even if they were not religious in any other facet of their life, religion was their way of defending their own fear and biases against homosexuality. I believe that there is little to no biblical evidence to justify the link between anti-gay attitudes and Christianity.

I’ll Be Glad: A Personal Narrative

by Cory Bushmand

At approximately 7:40am I board a minibus in a village near Baryatino, Russia to begin the 300km journey to Moscow. As the minibus jolts along the pock-filled road, I am reminded of the irony of my traveling 300km to hear LDS Apostle Dieter F. Uchtdorf speak. But now I am a foreigner in a land far from home, and I yearn for some connection to ‘my people’.

Our Common Humanity

by Crystal Busenbark

Environmental policy is the basis of democracy. Life and livelihoods are intertwined with the natural environment. Without a healthy world, all the things we hold dear will cease to exist.

Immigration

by Tyler Bushman

Opinions of members of the LDS church concerning immigration range all across the political spectrum. However, in light of our doctrines regarding individual families and the eternal nature and equality of the human family, it seems that the issue becomes a little clearer.