Crying Repentance

Today's gag is featured in the June 2026 issue of the For the Strength of Youth magazine.

Binging General Conference

With 196 season, there might be more General Conference content than the Simpsons (but probably not all the various Law and Order shows).

Today's gag was featured in the April For the Strength of Youth magazine.

Silent Note Taking

I seriously doubt Santa is coordinating with angels when it comes to his naughty/nice list--at least the Latter-day Saint version of angels. Santa's judgement strikes me more as a classic Christian heaven/hell delineation and not the many degrees of glory Latter-day Saint theology teaches.

On the other hand, maybe Santa's judgement is more like revealed doctrine than I originally postulated. After all, how many kids do you know that end up with coal on Christmas?

Today's gag is featured in the December issue of For the Strength of Youth.

JustServe

Today's gag is featured in the April New Era. If you are looking for an opportunity to serve, you really ought to be checking with JustServe--the Church's resource that matches service opportunities with those who'd like to contribute.

Honestly, seeing this gag in the New Era was a bit jarring for me. Obviously, I submitted it long before COVID-19 (it is usually a year plus between submission and publication in a Church magazine), but as I looked at it all I could think about was the potential for community spread if a bunch of volunteers converged into one teenager's room. Actually, all the media I'm consuming these days includes my critique of all the things characters are doing wrong in the age of COVID-19. It has kind of ruined everything for me.

Forbidden Vegetable

Oh, Dolly and Jeffy, you kids certainly get into the funniest situations don't you? Maybe you can feed the broccoli to Barfy and, if questioned about it, blame it on the "Not Me" ghost.

Oh, wait, the panel is a rectangle and not a circle. And the kids' heads aren't hugely disproportionate to their bodies. I'm sorry, I mistook today's gag for someone else's.

Superpowered Gifts of the Spirit

Personally, I think this kid is aiming too high when it comes to gifts of the spirit. I'd settle for the gift to remember at all times where I parked within a parking lot.

Hearts Failing

(Today's gag seems particularly pertinent, don't you think? This one was featured in the October 2018 issue of the New Era.)

It is proposed that the name of this website be changed to the Ward Cartoonist. All those in favor please manifest it in the comment section. Those opposed can also manifest in the comment section.

There were so many great suggestions for a new name to this site, I truly struggled up until late last night before I settled on Ward Cartoonist. Thank you to everyone who offered up suggestions.

And now for some housekeeping items:

• I've purchased the domain name wardcartoonist.com. Today it simply directs traffic to mormoncartoonist.com. Eventually, I hope to migrate all the content of this site to that domain then direct mormoncartoonist.com to wardcartoonist.com, but the takeaway is you can find my stuff at both mormoncartoonist.com and wardcartoonist.com.
• As I mentioned above, the decision of naming this blog was tough. Here are some names I seriously considered:
• Eight Cow Cartoonist. Ultimately, I opted not to go this route because I have a sneaky suspicion that Johnny Lingo is going to continue to age badly. Plus, I'd risk the sneer "Arie, you cartoons are ugly!"
• Cartoonist at Temple Square. Several clever readers suggested this name and I really like it, but I do more of my cartooning at my kitchen table than Temple Square. Plus, Temple Square already has a resident cartoonist.
• Ex-Mormon Cartoonist. It wasn't long before I realized this title might be a bit confusing.
• As always I am not the ward cartoonist, just a ward cartoonist. I do aspire, though, to someday become the stake cartoonist.

Fast Sunday Scriptures

Some scripture passages are better skipped on fast Sundays.

Great and Spacious Building Inspector

Today's gag demonstrates the challenge a cartoonist faces while reading the scriptures. See, we're prone to wander and what would otherwise be a straightforward representation of the pride of the world becomes a public health hazard.

I'm going to have to really focus if I'm ever going to get through 1 Nephi.

Personal History Comedy or Tragedy

If it is high school, it's probably a little of both. (With plenty of drama mixed into the equation.)

This gag is featured in the September New Era.

Of Brass Plates and Dinner Plates

Sadly, Sariah's dinner plates would have been included in the treasures stolen by Laban.

Sweet Hour of Prayer

An hour of prayer does seem a bit extreme, doesn't it? I'd loose feeling in my legs after twenty minutes or so.

Most Spiritual Class

With the end of the school year upon us, I thought today's gag might be appropriate this time of year. (Incidentally, so did the New Era--they published this one in the June issue.)

Unfortunately, for the ill-prepared those extra prayers in math class probably weren't very faith-promoting.

Lost Sheep

Today's gag comes from the collective effort of the Young Women in my ward who helped craft this joke after a cabin full of Young Men went missing last summer at youth conference. The boys were just goofing off and not involved in any serious mischief, but it were still a source of consternation to their leaders. At least, their actions were a source for a pretty good gag for this particular leader!

Gift of Taste Buds

I had plenty of interesting cuisine as a missionary (most of it from other missionaries' cooking). Believe me, I wish the gift of tongues included taste buds too.

Today's gag was featured in the March New Era.

Mighty Change of Heart

Here's a gag that was featured in the February issue of the New Era. Of all of the cartoonists in the New Era's stable, I've got to be the most hopelessly romantic.

Special Delivery

Man, that Brother Claus sure does come in handy, doesn't he. Not only has he proven apt as a home teacher, he also would make the world's best ward mission leader! Today's gag is featured in the December issue of the New Era.

Hansel and Gretel

I'm going to take a quick break from the Halloween-themed gags this week for today's comic. It was featured in the October New Era and it supposes a better fate for Hansel and Gretel. I guess it also makes for a lot less interesting fairy tale.

Work out Your Salvation

Here's a little play on words that showed up in this month's New Era. (The body builders on the beach must have known that they were going to be featured in a Church magazine and dressed accordingly.)

Digging Holes

Today's gag goes well with Elder Haynie's recent General Conference address. Maybe he was inspired from reading the October New Era (probably not).