Thoughts and stories, by Pal

  FAITH   BOOKS One man’s unlikely spiritual journey from Black Panther to Latter-day Saint By  Trent Toone     May 24, 2022, 11:00am MDT Facebook Twitter SHARE Ed Willis is the author of “Panther to Priesthood,” an autobiography that tells his experience as a member of the Black Panther Party and his conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Deseret Book The reaction Ed Willis receives when he shares his story is generally positive, especially when he informs people his reason for joining the Black Panthers was  not  to kill whites or champion reverse racism. “The Black Panther Party is quite a mystery to many,” he said. “If you weren’t of a progressive political persuasion, you probably didn’t know that much about them.” Willis and his wife, Wanda, joined the Oakland chapter of the political organization during a time of social upheaval in the late 1960s. Ed served as security and stockpiled his own weapons, ammunition and Moloto...

  President and Sister Nelson and the Restoration of Identity  By  Patrick D. Degn  · May 23, 2022 “No natural feelings are high or low, holy or unholy, in themselves. They are all holy when God’s hand is on the rein. They all go bad when they set up on their own and make themselves into false gods.” [1] May 15 marked the anniversary of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood and two landmark addresses from our beloved Prophet and Sister Nelson. [2]  To say Sister Wendy Nelson “hit it out of the park” would be simplistic at best. However, after hearing President Nelson’s address, it seems to me Sister Nelson’s most evocative question encompasses everything President Nelson taught that evening. Indeed, what President Nelson’s discourse accomplished, gave us a vision of heaven, clarity on the unity of the Godhead, and a renewed vision of our identity. President and Sister Nelson were nothing short of prophetic. In providing such an analysis and gushing review, I...