Virtual Oases XXVIII

• Post of the week: Margarent Young on her experience writing about Jane Manning James and the Black experience.

Many people have told me how pleased they are that the new movie in the JS Building shows a little of Jane Manning James. Yes, I am glad she was included, and thought Fiona Smith did a good job representing her, but because I know “the rest of the story,” I had a few problems seeing the selected vignette . . . Jane reports that God healed her bloody feet (and those of her family) after they prayed during their journey. So it was Jane’s faith, not Joseph’s hands, which bound the sores. . . . We want Jane Manning James to stare, awestruck, into Joseph Smith’s eyes while he wraps her bloodyd feet. In some ways, we want the story to end there, while it’s still comfortable . . .

• New Sustone blogger Lisa Hansen: When spouses have different faith journeys — a slice of her story.
  

• Susan: In praise of ward organists.

• Ever curious about the gender breakdown of authors in Mormon studies?

• Positive press for Personal Progress (nice job Maryam Ansari!)

• After the post on September’s Ensign got too winded, the conversation traveled to its own both on power vs. authority. I haven’t read all the comments, but I appreciated this thought from Starfoxy:

And to all the other who have invoked the idea that unrighteous dominions leads to the instant removal of Priesthood power: Until we have a Spanish Inquisistion style ‘Amen Squad’ that busts in and releases men who have exercised unrighteous dominion on the spot, then we will have to deal with the reality that, regardless of whether or not a man really holds the priesthood, there will be unrighteous men performing priesthood duties and exercising institutional authority. Of course it will all be worked out at judgement day, but that is of very little value to those who are being hurt by such abuses now.