I think that our language is part of the great barrier here. Our language describes and works in a linear fashion, it forces our mind to traverse in a very straight path, but I think that often times the truth is extremely complex, non-linear and difficult to describe in a linear fashion. Yet when you see it through a spiritual lens it suddenly becomes very clear and simple. Then you attempt to describe it. And you lose it. I think that’s what has happened to many of the prophets, and to many of the early saints. They attempted to describe ideas and concepts that they say through a spiritual lens, but language failed them.

The church attempts to do the same thing-describe spiritual concepts and eternal principeles in linear language, and it is only able to acheive a flawed approximation. Nothing we do will ever perfectly describe the eternal concepts, but they might help convey enough information to spark the spiritual experience. I think that’s what the scriptures are about–providing enough information to provoke a spiritual experience that will convey what you really need to learn. The church is attempting the same thing as a whole. Thus, the policies are convoluted, the language tortuous, and sometimes we feel like people are going at things a bit oddly.

Still great metaphor, and I’m going to blatantly plagiarize.

But it hit me that turbulence and overshooting was unavoidable. Any position will always have turbulence and overshooting as a result. It just is and just is unavoidable. I think we need to understand both things, and to understand what kinds of turbulence and overshooting any position will create, what harms it causes and what harms it avoids.

Stay in the center of a river channel and the current will sweep some away. Stick to the edges and some will be crushed against the banks. All we can do is minimize it the best we can. But I see turbulence in just about every position. Consider abortion and how it wraps over into the stem cell debate. Encouraging women to gain homemaking skills and how that causes some to feel that women shouldn’t be educated or have employment skills.

It is a good reason to teach people to think for themselves and to understand that they can have a personal relationship and guidance from the Spirit, to carry them past those sorts of things.

I appreciate the trouble you took to relate your metaphor to the recent discussion on attendance at temple sealings on this site. Do you see other advantages to your metaphor in helping Church members deal with turbulence, or to see turbulence as something other than malevolent?

Thank you.