What is your source on the Hermes Trismegistus quotation? I have seen the namesake of the Hermetic tradition come up before (e.g., in Nibley. I have previously understood that tradition to be an ancient counterpoint to (counterfeit of?) the Gospel of Jesus Christ, including the Melchizedek Priesthood. Hence, to attempt to reconcile them seems odd. Would you elaborate on your understanding of this issue?

I find the world view of the restored gospel the most intellectually satisfying, as well as spiritually satisfying. If something is good, true, praiseworthy, or of good report, to use Pauls language, it comes from Christ, no matter where it’s found.

On another note, Alonzo Gaskill, a professor at BYU has a new book out called “Odds Are Your Going to be Exalted”. Excerpts have been posted on meridianmagazine.com which is how I became aware of it. I mention it as worthy reading in light of the universalistic comments made above. It goes along very nicely with them I think.

Thanks again for the opportunity to post.

Mr. GF4E

“Mormonism: The most (Jewish/Muslim/Budist/Hindu/Pagan/Confucian/Native American/Ancestor Worship/Daoist/etc.) of all Christian religions.”

Looks like you got a jump on me. Simply a result of the Gospel holding all truth.

Like people have mentioned already from scriptural quotes, God has given wisdom and truth to people all throughout the ages. If we can pick some of that back up now and use it, that’s great! I think JS did a lot of that in the restoration. Is that wrong? I don’t think so.

“For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.”

The above verse does not say that all these teachers would be prophets in the old or new testament sense, but that they are teachers nonetheless inspired to help their peoples move along in the right direction according to the Lords wisdom.

To add to your examples, my mentor in my undergrad program spent a good number of years before teaching on the Navajo Indian reservations. He shared many stories of the great intercultural learning experiences he had. One story that really got my attention was the idea the Navajos have of all things possessing a spiritual identity. This was told as he pointed to a tree nearby us. He said that there was not one tree there, but two. I wanted to jump out of my skin and shout about the parallels between what he was saying and LDS thought on preexistance, and the idea that all things were created spiritually before they were created temporally, but I restrained my self until he was done.

Roger Keller and others at BYU have a text book called Religions of the World, if memory serves me right. One of the things I really appreciated about their efforts in writing it was how LDS perspectives and the perspectives of other faith traditions were not just shown were each disagreed, but also were there was complementarity, as well as were ideas from other traditions could help us see the LDS perspective in a fresh way. Sometimes we need fresh perspectives on revealed truth. The restored gospel is true. Our understanding of it not always so much so.

Thanks for the opportunity to share.

Mr. GlasFam4Ever

“This thrilling big-picture kind of stuff is one of the main reasons I stay in Mormonism even though I don’t personally much enjoy the culture or lifestyle.”

If by culture you mean the programs, socials, meetings etc, I must admit I have been sitting with you in the same bleachers. However, through all the Jell-O and casseroles, I have been a recipient of kind service and sacrifice by others on my behalf, which has changed my heart and humbled me on the culture.

I’m the first to agree the culture is truly flawed, but that is because we are flawed and we make the culture. I view the culture as our sandbox to learn to play together as we gain knowledge of the Cosmos.

It is in the sandbox that I learn to play with people I don’t like, people who abuse our welfare program, or any number of situations that are silly, arrogant or foolish. I have come to appreciate this environment that I can practice and learn to improve my own behavior.

“Compared to the orthodox Christian concept of the nature of life (which I see as astoundingly simple and lacking in the need for any kind of deep faith whatsoever), concepts of eternal progression - in their various manifestations - are so much more inspiring and edifying and stimulating and faith-based that it’s like comparing apples and green beans.”

“The splendor of Mormonism is that one can be knee deep in mud and muck in the morning, then sit in sacred space contemplating the cosmos that same afternoon.”

That sums up my awe quite well.

Also, I promise I had not read this post prior to writing the one that will appear tomorrow, but I love the fact that they are appearing on back to back days.

Thanks, Chris. This really was good to read.

“This thrilling big-picture kind of stuff is one of the main reasons I stay in Mormonism even though I don’t personally much enjoy the culture or lifestyle. I’m just totally sold on the worldview. ”

Me, too. Although it isn’t only that I find it thrilling, only that I’m sold on it. I do find it intellectually and emotionally vivid and engaging,- perhpas the one thing that seperates me at 42 from me at 22 is that I am rather forcing myself to dovetail my enamorment with Mormon metaphysics with an attempt to live it truly, exactly. I have always wondered about people who find the motivation to live it without any apparent joy at the spiritual ramifications of the cosmology.

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