DiaBLOGue

Condemn Me Not

Dialogue 52.1 (Spring 2019): 17–32
I do not lend the weight of truth to the language of ritual. Such language is symbolic. But even in the context of symbolism, language that is so preferential toward men and dismissive of women—especially when such language more aptly demonstrates the bias of the writers than the purpose of the ritual—needs to be removed.

Ministering

My assigned topic is “Ministering with the Power and Authority of God.” It’s a daunting topic, and one that requires a preliminary confession: when I hear the word “minister,” my most immediate and strongest association is with the Monty Python sketch about the Ministry of Silly Walks, so it has been good for me to research this topic and find some other associations to go with the word. We’ll get to etymology in a minute, but first a story from the scriptures—or, uh, from the New Yorker. 

Running the (Selected) Gamut of Missionary Experiences | Mike Laughead and Theric Jepsen, eds., Served: A Missionary Comics Anthology

Served: A Missionary Comics Anthology features short graphic vignettes about the contributors’ experiences as LDS missionaries. It is the culmination of author Mike Laughead’s and editor Theric Jepsen’s Kickstarter campaign, which received $24,902 from 419 backers in thirty days. When backers receive their copies they will encounter a variety of short graphic narratives that are simultaneously varied in their visual approaches and bound together by major themes.