The Consistent Man

I’ve seen a lot of posts by LDS folks praising the Catholic Eucharist, so I felt it was worth while to do a deep dive. Why do Latter-day Saints disagree with Catholic and Orthodox teachings about the Eucharist? TLDR: Ultimately, our disagreement isn’t about whether Christ commanded us to partake of the sacrament. We agree that He did. It’s about what happens during that ordinance, what it accomplishes, and who possesses the authority to administer it. We both believe the sacrament was instituted by Jesus Christ and is a sacred ordinance. But there are several important doctrinal differences. Here they are: 1. The Real Presence Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe the consecrated bread and wine truly become Christ’s body and blood. Latter-day Saints believe they remain physical emblems of His body and blood, instituted to help us remember His sacrifice and renew our covenants. “This do in remembrance of me.” - Luke 22:19 2. The Eucharistic Sacrifice Catholics understand the Mass as making Christ’s one sacrifice sacramentally present. Latter-day Saints emphasize that Christ’s infinite Atonement was completed once and for all (Hebrews 10:10–14). The sacrament commemorates that sacrifice rather than offering it sacramentally. 3. Priesthood Authority This is perhaps the most important disagreement. Latter-day Saints believe priesthood authority was lost during the Great Apostasy and restored through heavenly messengers. Catholics and Orthodox Christians maintain that this authority continued through apostolic succession. 4. The Purpose of the Ordinance Latter-day Saints emphasize remembrance, repentance, renewal of baptismal covenants, and the promised companionship of the Holy Ghost. Catholics and Orthodox Christians emphasize communion with Christ through His real presence. These aren’t entirely competing purposes, but they reflect different understandings of how the ordinance operates. 5. Bread and Wine/Water Latter-day Saints believe the particular elements are secondary to the sacred purpose of the ordinance (D&C 27:2). Catholic and Orthodox traditions maintain that bread and wine are essential to the ordinance. All that said, while we disagree on these important doctrines, we share a profound reverence for Jesus Christ and His infinite sacrifice.

The Big 12 just announced serious consequences for chanting “F the Mormons” (or any other discriminatory chant). First incident: - Minimum $100K fine - Formal warning Second incident during the same game: - 15-yard penalty in football - Two-shot technical foul in basketball - Potential additional $500K fine Fans ejected for discriminatory conduct will also be banned from athletic events for the remainder of the academic year. 👏👏👏 I LOVE the Big 12! Rivalries are great. Hate and discrimination isn’t.

You guys win. I know when I’m beat.

If a truck and trailer turn left and clip this guy’s car, the blame is on him, right?

It’s funny that Pilot’s favorite pastime seems to be scouring TikTok for videos of teenage girls dancing, screen-recording them, and publicly shaming them. Then, when those same young women choose to serve the Lord and share the gospel of Jesus Christ, he complains about that too. If any Church leaders see this, I sincerely hope they think twice before putting him in a position of authority over young people. We need leaders who encourage people to come unto Christ, not ones who seem determined to find reasons to keep them away.

Congrats, Utes. Your AD wanted an earlier bedtime, and now the Holy War kicks off at 10 AM. Do I think Harlan made that decision? No. Do I think ESPN and the Big 12 listen to their athletic directors’ preferences and try to accommodate them? Absolutely. Enjoy your morning football. 🤦‍♂️

ASU fans are an interesting bunch. I’ve met some of the absolute best and the absolute worst fans in college sports are from ASU. Unfortunately, usually the voices of the worst tend to drown out their better counterparts. They seem to have a very wide spectrum of people who attend the school. Either way, I’m not a fan of their football program and they need to go down hard this week. If Kalani was to ever run to a score, this is the week to do it.

I don’t think the Great Apostasy means there wasn’t still immense faith among Christians. The examples you’ve provided are wonderful demonstrations of that faith. And there are countless others throughout Christian history who have shown extraordinary devotion to Jesus Christ. I admire them, and I have no reason to doubt the sincerity of their faith. But I think there’s a misunderstanding of what Latter-day Saints actually mean by the Great Apostasy. It wasn’t that Christianity disappeared or that faithful Christians ceased to exist. It was that certain gospel truths were lost or altered, that living apostles and prophets eventually disappeared from the Church’s leadership, and that the priesthood authority to administer saving ordinances was no longer transmitted as Christ originally established. Without continuing apostolic revelation and authority, doctrines and practices gradually developed through human interpretation rather than direct revelation from God. James E. Talmage’s “The Great Apostasy” identifies three major developments that show the apostasy in early Christianity: 1. The incorporation of philosophical systems into Christian theology. 2. Changes to the original ordinances and practices of the Church. 3. Changes to the organization and government established by Christ and His apostles. Christianity developed. The New Testament describes a Church led by apostles and prophets (Ephesians 4:11–14). Following the apostolic age, we see the development of an increasingly hierarchical episcopal structure. We see centuries of theological debate over the nature of God, eventually producing the Nicene Creed in AD 325 and subsequent creedal formulations. We see changes and variations in the administration of ordinances, including baptism. Now, whether these developments represented legitimate continuations of apostolic Christianity or departures from it is where the disagreement lies. But they are historical developments worth examining. And here’s something else to consider. Paul warned that false teachers would arise from within the Church itself (Acts 20:29–30). He also warned of a coming falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Peter warned of false teachers introducing destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1). These warnings were given while faithful Christians were already demonstrating extraordinary devotion to Christ. Their faithfulness didn’t invalidate those warnings. In fact, Talmage observed that the same persecutions that demonstrated the remarkable faith of early Christians also contributed to the loss of Church leadership. These things weren’t mutually exclusive. And I think that’s the central misunderstanding here. “The Great Apostasy” doesn’t mean the Holy Ghost stopped inspiring people, that Christians stopped following Jesus, or that every Christian doctrine disappeared. It means that, despite the continued faithfulness of countless Christians, the Church gradually lost essential truths and the divine authority Christ had established. That’s why Latter-day Saints believe a Restoration was necessary, rather than simply another Reformation. So I don’t disagree with your admiration for Ignatius, Polycarp, Perpetua, Felicity, or the countless other faithful Christians who sacrificed their lives for Christ. I share it. But what you’re describing and what Latter-day Saints mean by the Great Apostasy don’t necessarily conflict. Extraordinary personal faith and institutional apostasy can exist simultaneously.

Do you think any of the brethren have anon accounts?

France now spends 57% of its GDP through government. That’s more than the reported government spending of the Soviet Union in 1989. Now, government spending isn’t the same as government control of the economy. But the trend should concern us. Socialism promises greater security and prosperity through an expanding state. Yet as government grows, so do the risks of dependency, excessive taxation, mounting debt, and diminished economic freedom. France is a warning of what can happen when government expansion outpaces the economy’s ability to sustain it.

You’re not the only one who feels uncomfortable at the U, Pat. It’s really so unfortunate because I love Utah! And this is the type of behavior from the U that makes the whole state look bad.

No problem in your life is too small for God to care.

Anyone suggesting that posting for engagement is inherently “cringe” is missing the point of SOCIAL media. We come here to find communities, share experiences, exchange ideas, and engage with people who have similar interests. For me, that’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Restoration, BYU football, Stoic philosophy, politics, and the lessons I’ve learned through my own life experiences. For someone else, it might be Tesla, AI, space exploration, tennis, coding, or reality TV. That’s the beauty of social media. We find people who share our interests and engage with them. But there’s an important distinction between seeking engagement and engagement farming. Engagement farming implies being disingenuous. Posting things you don’t actually believe, manufacturing outrage, or saying whatever you think will generate attention. I’m trying to do the opposite. I share things that genuinely matter to me. Real stories from my life. Lessons I’ve learned. Convictions I hold. And I enjoy connecting with people who find meaning in those experiences, even when they see the world differently than I do. There’s nothing inauthentic about wanting to connect with other people. That’s the entire point.

He blocked me too 😂 Why? Because I accurately pointed out that the atonement can and should be applied to our everyday lives. The amount of hate some of these people like Bro Hen possess is next level. It’s honestly so sad. I hope he finds peace at some point in his life.

Actually, yes. I do. That instruction comes directly from the Church’s section on dress and appearance. The same section explicitly states, “What is appropriate varies across cultures and for different occasions.” You are welcome to believe bikinis are immodest and make decisions accordingly for yourself. But declaring that another Latter-day Saint man has failed because his wife or daughter wears one is precisely the kind of judgment the Handbook cautions against. There’s a difference between teaching the principle of modesty and appointing yourself the judge of another family’s righteousness.

I disagree with this blanket statement. Modesty is an eternal gospel principle, but the cultural standards used to define modest clothing have changed dramatically throughout history and across societies. What was considered modest 200 years ago is different from what we consider modest today. And what’s considered modest in Utah may be different from what’s considered modest in France. The Church’s General Handbook explicitly states: “What is appropriate varies across cultures and for different occasions.” It also instructs that “members and leaders should not judge others based on dress and appearance.” The current For the Strength of Youth guide emphasizes honoring our bodies as sacred gifts from God rather than prescribing specific clothing measurements. I’m not arguing that every bikini is modest. I’m arguing that modesty requires more discernment than simply declaring an entire category of clothing inappropriate. IMO, some bikinis are totally appropriate. We can uphold the principle of modesty without imposing our personal cultural standards as universal commandments. There’s a difference between teaching eternal principles and policing someone else’s application of them.

I find it genuinely disappointing that a young man can share a message about Jesus Christ, faith, and hope, and somehow be criticized for it because he plays football for BYU. Tre yson Bourguet shared a simple message: “The disciples watched Jesus die on Friday, not knowing what Sunday would bring.” He went on to remind people that some of life’s greatest blessings come after its darkest moments. And because he included a picture of his football team, some people have accused him of trivializing the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I couldn’t disagree more. There’s nothing wrong with taking a scriptural story and applying its lessons to your own life, including the things you care about. In fact, isn’t that exactly what we’re supposed to do? God cares about the smallest details of our lives. He cares about our disappointments, our struggles, our aspirations, and our happiness. He certainly cares about a young man who feels discouraged after a loss and turns to Jesus Christ for hope. One of my favorite General Conference talks is Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin’s “Sunday Will Come.” In that talk, Elder Wirthlin reflected on the loss of his father, mother, sister, and his beloved wife of 65 years. He used the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ to teach that all of us will experience our own symbolic Fridays. Moments of grief, disappointment, loneliness, and suffering. Moments when life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped. Moments when it feels like the darkness might never end. But because of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, Friday is not the end of our story. Sunday will come. Now, obviously losing a football game is not remotely comparable to losing your spouse of 65 years. But that’s precisely the point. The magnitude of our struggles may be different, but the source of our hope remains the same. We don’t need to experience unimaginable tragedy before we’re allowed to find comfort in the Savior. We don’t need to wait until our lives are falling apart before applying the lessons of His life, death, and Resurrection. And we certainly shouldn’t discourage young people from publicly expressing their faith simply because we dislike the football team they play for. I don’t believe Bourguet was comparing a football loss to the Crucifixion. I believe he was doing something much simpler. He was taking a lesson from the life of Jesus Christ and applying it to something he was experiencing. That’s not trivializing the Atonement. That’s living the gospel. We spend so much time encouraging young people to stand as witnesses of Christ, to share their testimonies, and to make Him the center of their lives. When one actually does, shouldn’t we be encouraging him rather than looking for reasons to take offense? You don’t have to like BYU. You don’t even have to like football. But we should be able to recognize a sincere expression of faith without allowing a sports rivalry to cloud our judgment. Building faith is more important than winning an argument about football. And if a young man’s message about the Resurrection helps even one person find hope in their own difficult Friday, I’d consider that a wonderful thing.

My neighbors have a hyperbaric chamber. This thing is awesome. Feels like a submarine! Anyone here use one?

I didn’t get married until I was 34, so I had plenty of interesting dating experiences along the way. But there’s one date in particular that I’ll probably never forget. I met a beautiful, petite, 5-foot-tall gymnast at a funeral, of all places. I asked her out on a few dates, and we quickly developed a close friendship. One evening, she invited me over to her apartment so I could teach her how to play chess. Great idea, because I love chess! When I arrived, she was sitting on the floor, wrapped in a blanket with the chessboard set out. We had a great time playing. After our first game, she suggested we play another. But this time, she wanted to play strip chess… “What???” I asked, looking up to make sure I’d heard her right. And then she dropped the blanket. She was 100% completely naked! Now, I was a single guy in my late twenties, sitting across from a beautiful, naked woman I was very attracted to. I was absolutely tempted on a totally different level that night. At one point, I picked her up, wrapped her in the blanket, and tossed her onto the couch. We cuddled and flirted, and I remember how badly I wanted to kiss her. But I also remember feeling a very distinct spiritual impression that if I kissed her, it wouldn’t stop at a kiss. I just knew it. I had a decision to make. A very difficult decision. I believed in the law of chastity. I had made covenants with God. And I wanted to be the kind of man who actually lived what he believed, even when it was difficult. But man, was it DIFFICULT. Sometimes, when you’re faced with temptation, you don’t sit around and negotiate with yourself. You flee, just like Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife. So that’s what I did. I excused myself, left her apartment, drove home, and got into a very cold shower. And while I was standing there, I prayed to God: “This gospel better be true! The law of chastity better be true, or I’m going to be so mad!” And I meant every word of it. The next day, we were still friends. She even asked me for a priesthood blessing; I was so happy I still felt worthy to give her one. We never kissed, even though I had multiple opportunities after that. I just knew where that road led with her, and it wasn’t right for me. And I’ve never regretted that decision. I don’t share this story because I think I’m better than anyone else. I’m certainly not perfect, and I’ve made plenty of mistakes. And I don’t think any less of her. She’s a wonderful person, and I valued our friendship for a long time. She now has a home and family of her own, raising her kids in the Church. It worked out! But I’ve thought about that night many times over the years. It’s easy to talk about your principles when they aren’t being tested. It’s something else entirely to live them when doing so means walking away from something you really want. I’ve always wanted to be a man who lives consistently with what he believes. I haven’t always succeeded. But that night, I did. And I’ve never once regretted it.