This page contains links to essays and blog posts that do not fit into a book chapter on the Table of Contents page, but which are nonetheless very important.
Old Testament Wives
June 19, 2025 – In the Old Testament, the concept of wives submitting to their husbands is often implied through narrative rather than directly commanded in the way it is in the New Testament. Ancient Hebrew culture was patriarchal, and the husband was typically the head of the household. However, many biblical stories show nuanced dynamics in marriages—sometimes with submission, and other times with women influencing or even correcting their husbands. Here are several notable examples:…
A Three-Dimensional Model of Discipleship in Christ
June 15, 2025 – Understanding the Dynamics of Living the Gospel: This conceptual three-dimensional model is designed to demonstrate the dynamics of one’s success in living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each axis of the model conveys a crucial aspect of discipleship, and together they create a holistic view of spiritual growth and dedication…
June 14, 2025 – We are all emotional beings. We feel. We yearn. We love. We hate. We desire. This is normal. This is good. And yet, even the greatest gifts for good can instantly turn to evil when misused or misunderstood. God wants us to be sons and daughters with deep feelings, but with that, we need to develop our powers of rational thinking, evidence-based thinking, and righteous reasoning. As we learn to do this…
June 2, 2025 – The role of a virtuous wife is different than the role of a righteous husband. Within a family, husbands and wives have different roles. This is by design. This is why men and women are different. If we genuinely care about what God thinks, then we should be interested in honestly and humbly seeking a more correct understanding of these differences…
March 17, 2023 – One of the ways we receive maximum happiness and joy is by realizing our potential as husbands and fathers, or wives and mothers. As such, we need to plan and prepare ahead of time to meet these responsibilities and receive these blessings. We need to study them and understand them. My purpose in this paper is to briefly review the key concepts that need to be understood in preparing for marriage, selecting a spouse, and successfully…
March 26, 2023 – Arriving at a mature and informed understanding of gospel vocabulary seems to be the most valuable commodity that most people lack. A developed vocabulary informs our conceptions of words and philosophical concepts. But too often, we think we understand the word of the Lord and the vocabulary of the prophets, but in reality, our conception of their words is so overly simplistic, so underdeveloped, and so woefully ignorant, that we are not even aware of our own ignorance. And though ignorance is bliss, it is also exceedingly detrimental; and ignorance of ignorance is far, far worse; indeed, it is invariably catastrophic if it is not…
April 9, 2023 – Unity implies oneness, continuity, consistency, compatibility, agreement, harmony, cooperation, and singularity. When we unite ourselves with God, with His laws, teachings, promises, virtue, and truth, we are accordingly blessed, increased, and recreated into His likeness and divine nature. As we move out of alignment with God, we are accordingly cursed, diminished, and destroyed. Moving into unity with God is the act of creation; moving out of unity with God is to move toward chaos, dissolution, and destruction. Either way, it is a choice, and there is no neutral ground. Either we are moving in one direction, or the other…
April 21, 2023 – Again and again, we are admonished to repent, have faith in Christ, and do good by doing what Jesus would do. We are taught that Jesus showed the perfect example of what we must do to receive eternal life. If we are serious about this, then we ought to take note of what Jesus did and do likewise. If we do not do as he did, nor seek to become even as he is, then we cannot logically expect to receive the salvation that he offers. He showed the way. We must follow that way if we are to become as he is and receive what he has. These are my observations of what Jesus did and was in terms of the example that we must follow…
April 28, 2023 – …Most people, most of the time, tend to reject corrective ideas that do not harmonize with their preconceptions or sense of self-worth. Rather than humbly and honestly evaluating the merit of what is being said, most people will follow their gut, their feelings, and their human dispositions. This becomes a huge problem when their beliefs are in error, their desires are evil, and their persuasions are corrupt and short-sighted…
May 11, 2023 – I had a dream this morning that Jesus suddenly came among us. We seemed to be somewhere in the vicinity of Palestine. I don’t know who the others were, but we all rejoiced in his appearance. He spoke many things to us. His manner was exuberant. He was in a very good mood. Joyful even. He approached me and asked…
June 11, 2023 – We often talk about things like emotional intelligence, functional intelligence, academic intelligence, naturalistic intelligence, and so forth. But what about goodness intelligence? …the intelligence and tendency to choose goodness and virtue, to seek to understand, desire, and do what is best, or that which promotes the best value, best benefit, and best outcome. …the intelligence to have a wise heart—to desire…
The Book of Mormon–A Witness and a Warning
Published on Amazon on August 28, 2023 – Some years ago, when I was a temple ordinance worker at the Oklahoma City Temple, I had a dream in which a messenger from the Lord told me that the Book of Mormon was the key to my receiving the blessings of the fullness of the gospel, to include the blessings of the Second Comforter. He instructed me that I must first and foremost…
Woe be to the Shepherds of Israel
May 2018 – …Judging the integrity of the leadership is of paramount importance when seeking to ascertain the spiritual and doctrinal viability of any religion, church, or sect. Perhaps one of the most obvious and easy ways to judge integrity is to take a very close look at one’s financial transactions and practices. The numbers do not lie. And the financial reality in connection with any individual or institution always cuts right to the bone. The object of this paper is to do just that on the subject of tithing, both historically and contemporarily, within the LDS church…
September 2015 – What is the Second Comforter, or Other Comforter? Why is the doctrine of the Second Comforter important? What are the consequences of rejecting the doctrine of the Second Comforter? How does one receive the Second Comforter? In this essay, I shall refer to the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith and to the scriptures themselves in answering these questions. In so stating, I want to emphasize that these are not just my ideas or beliefs. This is doctrine which the Prophet Joseph Smith and all of the Lord’s true prophets have believed and taught from the beginning…
Developments within the LDS Church
2016 – The following blog post quotations convey a detailed explanation of some of the doctrinal and cultural developments which have transpired within the LDS church since the time of Joseph Smith.
I have collected seven blog posts written by Denver Snuffer back in 2010, while he was still in good standing with the church, three years before he was excommunicated. I have also ended off with a very illuminating blog post by Alan Rock Waterman. These articles are not combative. They simply relate the historic reality as contained in the written record…
Questions and Concerns I have About the LDS Church
May 2016 – As the current President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Thomas S. Monson is the one we sustain as being a prophet, seer, and revelator, and as the only man on earth who holds all priesthood keys. We call him: “The Prophet.” We consider him a prophet, an apostle, and a man equal with Joseph Smith Jr. in priesthood power, priesthood authority, and priesthood keys. Taking all these things into consideration, it should be a terrific testimony builder to search into the life and teachings of Thomas S. Monson in an effort to identify instances where he has manifest these same gifts, powers, and special callings. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” So it should be easy to find the fruits of prophecy, visions, and revelations in those who claim these gifts and titles. So here are some corresponding challenges and questions…
Regarding Gentiles and the House of Israel
2019 – There has been some discussion of late within LDS circles about Gentiles, the House of Israel, and of how Israel is to be gathered. Here is what Jesus Christ commanded to be written on the subject…
God, Angels, and General Authorities
January 2017 – I have heard some people ask, “Why would God not give revelations or send angels to warn or instruct LDS General Authorities if they were somehow in error or leading us astray? And why would God not personally intervene to correct church leaders rather than send a messenger from outside of the leadership hierarchy?” First of all…
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
February 2018 – …This concluding statement by President Eyring presents a rather chilling dichotomy of doctrine. On the one hand he recommends faith in Christ, then on the other hand his prescribed methodology for exercising and manifesting that faith in Christ is to love and follow the man identified as “the living prophet of God.” This prescription as a means for achieving unity contradicts the scriptures and the commandment to preach nothing but faith in Christ and repentance. This redirects our faith from faith in Christ to faith in a Prophet and in the LDS Church. I hope that this is not what President Eyring intended. Nonetheless, that is the message he gave. Contrast this message with what we are taught in the scriptures on how we are to achieve unity…
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All essays and blog posts by Jared Eastley are under copyright.
Copyright Jared Eastley 2023, 2024, 2025. All rights reserved.
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GREATER LIGHT AND TRUTH 