Prospectus of The Mormon Eagle

Owing to the near-constant interest in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as of late, The Mormon Eagle has been established to help facilitate the good name and correct doctrines of said Church.  Although the Eagle is independent from the Church, its aim is the same - to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who might wish to understand.  "There are conversations going on about the Church constantly.  Those conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them.  But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches. . . . May I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet . . . to share the gospel and to explain in simple, clear terms the message of the Restoration. . . . We are living in a world saturated with all kinds of voices.  Perhaps now, more than ever, we have a major responsibility as Latter-day Saints to define ourselves, instead of letting others define us. (Elder M. Russell Ballard, "Using New Media to Support the Work of the Church", BYU-Hawaii Commencement Address, 15 December 2007)"

After I arrived home from my mission to southern California in 2006, I eventually got onto Facebook, and thereon found the "Notes" section.  I began writing what later would become the first ten-or-so posts on this blog, and posted them to Facebook.  During the spring of 2008, I talked to my sister about her blog It's a Wonderful Life and how she got started.  I continued on from there.

These posts evolve around my spiritual life and the desire I have to share my experiences with others.  The posts describe my feelings towards my faith (the Latter-day Saints or Mormons), and some even serve to answer questions that I have had about subjects of interest to me, which I then copiously research, cite, and write about.

I am a student of history, but especially LDS Church history.  I wanted my blog (and the title included) to evoke the feel of the old Latter-day Saint newspapers, specifically those published during the 1850s.  A few of these periodicals that gave me inspiration for my title and tone of my blog are:  Times and Seasons by President John Taylor in Nauvoo, Illinois (the official Church newspaper in Nauvoo); The Prophet by Elder Parley P. Pratt in New York City; The Frontier Guardian by Elder Orson Hyde in Iowa; The Seer by Elder Orson Pratt in Washington D.C. (I use the first sentence of the second paragraph of the very first issue to explain what The Mormon Eagle is about); The Mormon by President John Taylor in New York City (I use The Mormon's masthead for The Mormon Eagle); The Saint Louis Luminary by Elder Erastus Snow in St. Louis, Missouri; The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star also by Elder Parley P. Pratt in London, England; and The Western Standard by President George Q. Cannon in San Fransisco, California

As a student of history and ardent proponent of LDS doctrine, I do not and will not apologize for the way I or the Apostles quoted herein state LDS Church doctrine.  However, if I misrepresent or misquote any person or institution, I wish the readers would kindly let me know.

While not sanctioned in any way by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Mormon Eagle agrees with scripture and the teachings of the LDS Church, or else The Mormon Eagle is not published.  I have done meticulous research to make sure all is orthodox.

My prayer is, as stated by Elder Orson Hyde:

Wherever it shall go let it be a messenger of conviction to the wicked, and a harbinger of peace to the righteous.  Let its contents be borne upon every breeze, and wafted to the remotest climes.  Let the angel of the covenant go before it, and prepare its way.  Let its heavenly influence be distilled upon the rich and fertile soil of humble and honest hearts.  Go forth, therefore, little volume, to other nations and tongues, and may the Almighty speed your way, and like a sharp, two-edged sword cut the way through the prejudices of this generation; encamp with all thy virtues in the hearts of the people, and there let thy principles be enthroned. (HC 4:374)