Mormonism today runs a balancing act between its roots of free speculation and the need to create a cohesive religious and cultural organization.  The social bond of a church is based at some vital level on common belief and understanding among people practicing their religion.  Lacking firm creeds, we conduct this balancing act on a personal level.  Problems arise when we attempt to impose our speculation on others.  Conflict occurs when we need others to validate our individual interpretations.  There is a line between personal belief and the beliefs that all Mormons must share in common.  But where is it?

There has to be official Mormon doctrine.  There has to be something common that brings people together in the religion.  Don Ashton recently published a paper on this topic at http://www.staylds.com.  It is called “What is Official Church Doctrine?”  You can find it in the “Additional Support Resources” section of the website: http://www.staylds.com/?page_id=29

Don argues that the official and binding core of ideas, the cannon of doctrine that is fixed, is actually limited and abstract.  That abstract characteristic allows following generations to interpret and develop the core to suit the needs of their contemporary environment.  The same can be done by individuals to meet personal needs in their eternal journey of progress towards divine enlightenment.

Don summarizes this nicely in his opening section:

The 14 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are spread across 160 countries on 6 continents. Yet there is a remarkable consistency in beliefs, attitudes, teachings and practices among Mormons everywhere. A traveler visiting congregations throughout the world will find familiar curricula materials, beliefs, and attitudes on most every religious topic.

Yet Mormonism is not dogmatic. There is no creed or statement of core beliefs which adherents are obliged to accept. Both members and leaders alike hold varying opinions ranging from whether watching TV on Sunday is sinful, to whether every statement by a General Authority must be explicitly and unconditionally obeyed.

Such questions may be insignificant or disquieting. If a person is struggling with faith issues, it may become important to distinguish between Official Doctrine and less authoritative council. A clear understanding of Official Doctrine can reduce controversy, minimize anxiety and perhaps open up new options for resolving faith issues. This essay attempts to evaluate the authoritativeness of council ranging from canonized scripture to conventional wisdom.

The practical implications of this speak to a common encounter, which is a feeling of having to believe or practice things sometimes that do not make sense to us.  The first question should then be whether the problem stems from an unbending core of fundamental doctrine; or instead, is it actually our own incorrect expectations and assumptions, someone else’s personal speculation, or something that we can freely explore.

Many ideas and practices touted as “official” are not.  They are someone’s personal speculation and interpretation of the core doctrine.  That means we are free to agree or disagree.  It does not mean that person is wrong in their religious journey.  What they do and believe may be valuable to them.  But we should feel justified and even compelled to use our free agency and God-given intelligence to build what works for us.  That is the soul inherited from our Church founding, and it is a theme to be nurtured today.  We should expect our understanding to evolve over the course of our life.  We should also expect the larger and broader concept of Restoration in the Church to continue its course of evolution from the past to today, and on into the future.

What do you think?  Discuss.

“There is no place that can take away the happiness of a man, nor yet his virtue or wisdom. Anaxagoras, indeed, wrote on the squaring of the circle while in prison.”

-Plutarch

The basic puzzle is this: Using only a square, a compass, a straight edge and a writing stick, create a square with the same circumference or area as a circle. It has to be done in a finite number of steps.  You can not measure it numerically (with a ruler). It all has to be done through proportion and true principles using four unmarked tools.

It’s a geometry puzzle with meanings, here are some basic interpretations.

Right-Angled Square: This represents logic and law.  It is associated with the head and mind.  It is left thinking.

..

Compass: Used for making circles.  This represents feeling and intuition, the emotional mind.  It is associated with the heart.  It is right thinking.

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Writing Stick: This represents our desire, our appetites, what we hunger for, the energy and will that drives action (like drawing and working a puzzle).  It could also be called faith in its verb form.  It is associated with the belly, the source of hunger and desire.

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Straight Edge: This represents precision, exactness and a division between opposites (good/evil, dark/light, etc.).  It represents a decision, a commitment and an action that separates thinking from doing.  The knee divides the upper leg from the lower leg, and the leg is symbolic of walking a path towards a destination.  A straight line represents boundaries..

..

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A square shape is symbolic of the “four corners” of the earth, the physical world, the tangible, the rational, our body, our material experience and the absolute of truth.  It represents that which is defined and the finite..

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A circle shape is symbolic of the heavens, the spiritual world, the intangible, the irrational or transcendental, that which surrounds and embraces our spirit and ideal potential.  It represents that which is beyond definition, the eternal and infinite..

…

Squaring the Circle asks the initiate to reconcile the circle with the square, and through that process grow and receive wisdom. Can you reconcile the mind and the heart? Can you combine heaven and earth to find a place where they meet? Can you balance perfectly your intellect with your emotions to find a solution? How does your spirit and body combine to become one?  Where is the boundary between justice and mercy?  These are the questions answered through pondering and meditating on solutions to the puzzle.

It is said that all truth (a square) can be circumscribed (a circle) into one great whole (perfection and enlightenment).

The answers to Squaring the Circle will get you past the stumbling blocks, like gate keepers inside your soul, that prevent you from entering through the veil of mortality to your kingdom as a returning champion, a queen or king, the victorious hero from an epic quest.

Our contemporary modern society has moved away from metaphorical expression like this.  We are often not comfortable working in symbol when it comes to the spiritual.  If things aren’t factually true (such as the details of a myth), then they are false and should be discarded.  We find artistic and religious metaphor silly, even pointless in our materialistic, technician-oriented culture.  Left-brained labels and icons define all by putting things into neat boxes but leave out what the right brain intuits through relationship and proportion.  If only there was a way to preserve this exercise of Squaring the Circle in a new religious framework, a way to re-purpose it for the modern world, many could benefit from such a metaphorical hero’s quest in their life journey.  Someone would probably want to borrow from the ancients and from traditions handed down over the ages, since those that came before us already did so much work.  It would be wasteful to reinvent the wheel completely from scratch, I would think. *wink*

-Brian Johnston, www.staylds.com

For it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our hope (Doctrine and Covenants 128:18, 21)

In the original, contemporary context, this idea was seen in the spirit of millennialism rampant in 19th century America.  This is certainly one view.  It is the more traditional view.  I propose another perspective, an interesting and perhaps surprising view that has profound implications for the LDS Church in the 21st century.  My thoughts are directed towards the parallels this theological concept has with a social revolution we are currently experiencing, one that started more than 100 years after Joseph Smith’s death.  It gives his idea a prophetic twist.

The Information Age:

“The Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age or Information Era, is an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Age)

Like the Bronze Age or the Industrial Age of the past, the Information Age is rapidly changing the nature of human culture.  Whereas before new tools helped humans master their physical environment, the Information Age is transforming the way we think.  Information is free (not limited) and rapidly available at the touch of a few buttons.   It can not be easily restricted by leaders to craft and enforce the stories the way they wish.  Manipulation still happens, but it is getting harder and harder to control and manage distortions.

In the world of religion this is also true.  For hundreds and even thousands of years, information was limited.  Historical views could easily go unchallenged.  We understand the natural world better.  We understand history better.  Now we are starting to understand religion, scripture and their histories better.   I see a trend as we head towards a fullness of information, a dispensation when knowledge is restored through careful research and study.  We have seen an explosion of this in the past two or three decades within Mormonism.  Ideas that often went unchallenged are constantly under pressure from the vast resources of the internet and the work of contemporary historians in the field of Mormon Studies.  Indeed, the existence of blogs like Mormon Matters attests to this idea I am talking about. I am just a “regular guy” member of the LDS Church.   I hold no particular special title, yet I can reach thousands of other members of our Church to present an alternate idea like this.

In the secular world, websites and other communication applications declare and request rights, keys, powers and authorities from the days of text-only Web all the way down to Twitter, giving line upon line of information, concept upon concept, here an update there an update, until all is known and understood.

Now for the practical implications in the LDS Church.  Average everyday members are going to the internet to research for their classes.  They are likely to find as much challenging information as traditional “faithful” and orthodox resources.  I see it being harder and harder for teachers to make wacky and dramatic claims of faith in their classes unchallenged, and a huge pressure on what I call “cultural” artifacts to stay alive.  It is a pruning process, like the branches of the olive tree which are not bearing sweet and tasty fruit.  Bad ideas are getting cut off and cast into the fire.  This is what I meant when I called it a surprising and prophetic development because the pruning happens against cherished or longstanding traditions, even the words of the founding leaders of our own religion at times.

This is disturbing to many for sure.  I see it as exciting and positive.  The evolution isn’t stopping.  If something is wrong, we will figure things out over time as long as we do not cling to our assumptions and expectations in the face of the “restoration” process.  The restoration didn’t happen one day and then stop.  We’re evolving towards an end, not holding fast to a fixed point.  It is indeed the dispensation of the fullness of times, a fullness of information and truth, in both the secular and religious world.

-Brian Johnston, www.staylds.com

[A story from Prairie_Chuck at FacesEast.org, adapted by permission]

In Sunday School last week, the lesson topic was about motivation for obedience and service to others. The teacher referred to Elder Oakes’ talk titled “Unselfish Service.” Elder Oakes discussed reasons why people serve, saying that 5 of the 6 reasons were selfish: having a desire for blessings, wanting the association with others that callings bring, and fear of condemnation to name a few. The only right reason to have a calling was because one loved God and had faith.

The teacher referred to D&C 124:119-120 where the Lord says that those who pay for stock in the Nauvoo House must believe in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s revelations, that anything less than this would result in curses rather than blessings.

In answer to the question from the teacher “Is it ever good to do something right for the wrong reasons?” everyone in the class responded “no.” You should only do callings and obey commandments if it is done for the right reason. According to Elder Oakes’ talk, faith and belief in that commandment or calling was the only proper motivation.

So I decided to play devil’s advocate. I asked “So if someone didn’t have a complete testimony of tithing, she shouldn’t pay tithing. Right? According to verse 120, anything more or less than this ‘cometh of evil.’”

Members in the class responded “No, but paying tithing leads to a testimony.” I pointed out that it was a selfish reason to pay tithing, if someone did it to gain a testimony. And what if someone never gained a testimony of a calling they have? Without complete belief in the calling or the person extending the calling, they shouldn’t take it.

Someone in the class quoted Alma 32, where it mentions having faith like a seed. Someone else referred to the story in the Book of Mormon about the Rameumptom tower, where people prayed for vain reasons (Alma 32). I understand all that, but on one side you have people who have complete faith in all church things, on the other side are those who are vain or deceitful. In the middle are most of us — we who lack perfect faith, who struggle with belief on some level. According to the lesson, as it was being presented, these people in the middle are cursed for accepting a calling to serve or obeying a commandment for less than perfect motives.

The teacher then began talking about how faith in Christ completes us, compensates where we are lacking. That should have been the focus of the lesson! Afterward, the teacher said to me “I hope I explained that well enough for you.” I agreed 100% with his final conclusion: that faith in Christ is what counts. Applying D&C 124:119-120 to everything we do in Church would put us all in impossible situations, more or less cursed for lack of belief.

It was funny because there were times when the class seemed so close to what I wanted to get at–we need faith in Christ. He will compensate where we are lacking, when we sometimes just go through the motions. Isn’t it better to do good in the world and serve our brothers and sisters, than to do nothing at all for the sake of pure motivation? I can hardly imagine that is what God has in mind.

I apologized for derailing the class. I said “I guess I’m just the defender of the unbeliever.” The direction they were headed in the lesson is one of the reasons my husband left the church — because he didn’t feel like he was permitted to believe less than 100%. He felt like what little he did believe or practiced was hypocritical according to the community standards. Even if he did the right things, it was counted a curse to him because he lacked faith. The all-or-nothing focus on the pure ideal did not uplift him, and instead pushed him away from a place that can feed and encourage the best in us.

-Brian Johnston, www.staylds.com

Heston, a religious devotee, comes along and hears Yanna’s revelation. Heston sprints to the shore, leaps into the surf,  and gets knocked down and dragged around in the waves. Heston crawls back onto the beach  soaking wet, covered with cuts and bruises. He mutters “God is powerless in the waters or is cruel.  Yanna is a false prophetess! My robes are a torn up mess.”

Wessley, a scientist, also heard Yanna make this factual assertion. He immediately does a detailed chemical analysis of the environment around her. No molecules of ocean salt water are detected in the atmosphere or on the ground near the tree. Her clothes are perfectly dry. He writes a report explaining “Yanna the Prophetess made false statements concerning God. No evidence of an ocean was detected during her experience; therefore, it can be assumed with accuracy that she did not talk to God.”

Here lies to rest the body of our expectations, a sacrament of bread and wine, a digestion of flesh and blood.  Our Church is true and false and irrelevant.  Some of us find truths.  Some of us see lies.  Most of the world didn’t even know we were looking.  There is nothing more vital to being human, and swimming in an ocean.

YHWH is an ocean.

It’s therapeutic to have a nice laugh at ourselves.  So pick your favorite and crown the winner!

Poll closes automatically at 4:00pm server time on July 15th, 2009.

[poll id="42"]

I will take the 5 funniest reasons, based on my expertise in this matter (cough cough), and host a poll next week.  We’ll let the Mormon Matters readers and participants decide which one is the champion.  What is the prize you ask?  Fame, glory and bragging rights!

If you have a funny story that doesn’t meet the limit, feel free to share it too.   It can’t go on to the top 5 list though.

Let the list begin!

The conversations were about being worthy, losing faith, and failing to do “all that we can do” to enact our own salvation.  I no longer agree with many traditional members’ views on life being the ultimate, high stakes pass/fail final exam.  So maybe that is why I was so intrigued by their focus on this topic.  In our religious mythology, we have 3 main kingdoms of glory.  These have nice tidy definitions and names.  Unlike many other Christian denominations who focus on just heaven versus hell, saving people from eternal damnation, we are focused on making sure we get the biggest prize.  After all, 2nd place is first loser right?

I think one part of the reason Sons of Perdition exist in our mythology is that the actual conditions of Celestial glory are not well defined.  Yes, we know we inherit all that God has, but what exactly is that?  We can’t comprehend this state of being.  We don’t know what the prize really is, except for vague ideas that it is the best we can get.  We become gods with the power of eternal lives, but we don’t know exactly what that means or how it happens.  This leaves a nebulous sort of feeling.

Another problem of life with such a risky, one-shot chance at the reward is perfection always seems to slip out of our grasp.  The root of the problem lies in the checklist. It is endless and overwhelming. There is always something you could have done just a little bit better, if only you had enough faith and willpower.  Even the most fundamental and literal member senses this deep down I think.  No matter how much they do, or how hard they try, it can’t all be done.  Satan is waiting for them to slip up and fail.  Did they maybe forget to read their scriptures this morning?  Did they only have a half-hearted family home evening last week? Did they not include the monetary value of company-paid benefits in their tithing calculations?  All of these are a lack of perfect obedience and effort.

Here is what I saw:  Sons of Perdition make a convenient floor, a lower boundary to our possible life results that we don’t really have to worry about crossing. We don’t know what it means to become a god. At least we can clearly define the worst-case scenario.  I might have an occasional immoral thought, skip a meeting at Church, or miss a home teaching family one month; but at least I know I won’t deny Christ and become a Son of Perdition.  They have to REALLY try hard to be evil.  I am doing the best I can, but I fail sometimes.  At least I am not THAT!

I think it might be a convenient way for people to compartmentalize their perceived risk.  Sons of Perdition are a tool of comfort in a way.  It helps us deal with processing the loss of a loved one who leaves the Church.  That is what I heard several times.  “Those people lost their faith and became apostates, but they didn’t know enough to become Sons of Perdition.”  If they knew better, they would come back.  They are safe though.  They won’t end up in the Celestial Kingdom, but they also won’t end up in Outer Darkness.  It’s going to be ok.

Just as an interesting tidbit of trivia, it was not always clear if there will be Daughters of Perdition or not.  Brigham Young in his classic style of being on the wrong side of modern sensibilities firmly declared that women were not capable of achieving perdition status.  Fortunately, this right was later restored to women by Wilford Woodruff.  So don’t worry about issues of equality in outer darkness   [Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_Sin]

The Young Women took the time-honored tradition of Snipe Hunting to a level of professional theater never seen in all my years among the Scouts.  The girls had the “weenies” (first year campers) apply tooth paste to their arms and legs to help attract wild mountain Snipe.  Apparently there is a chemical in tooth paste that is similar to the mating scent of the species common to my region.  The older girls had some of their comrades positioned in the woods with glow sticks.  The glow sticks were wrapped up and covered so they looked like a pair of eyes in the dark, made to blink by covering them temporarily.   The green eyed ones were the female snipe, the red eyed ones were the males.  Snipe sound a little like teenage girls growling, but don’t let that fool you.  Of course they were only hunting the males, per normal hunting protocol.  One especially theatrical young lady even played up a previous cut on her leg as a “snipe bite,” and was carried limping and wailing to the infirmary.  She went back out to help the new girls after she had been properly bandaged.  I think girls were still running around screaming at 1am in the morning.

I learned an eternal truth at YW Camp:  men take out the trash.  Growing up, the boys in my home took out the trash.  I carried that tradition on in my own family as a father.  What was my main duty as the “priesthood” serving at camp?  Yeah, taking the enormous amounts of trash in a pickup truck down the road to a dumpster three times a day.  We were also fearless spider killers and snake charmers.  The mice were smart enough to run when they heard we were coming.  If the Church programs are all “true,” just like the Church, does this give me a glimpse of what I will be doing in the Celestial Kingdom some day?  I wonder if spiders share a different kingdom or something.  I’m thinking it will be hard to kill resurrected spiders.  Do they make a spray for that?  At least they won’t be gross and gooey when crushed I suppose, having a perfected body of flesh and exoskeleton (no blood).

One of our other roles was to be there in case someone needed a priesthood blessing.  We didn’t get much sleep…  The second night saw the need for 5 blessings.  One girl had a bad dream, which then set off a chain reaction in her friend, and neither could sleep after praying and singing hymns to chase away the evil spirits.  So those were the first two.  Another girl later on was sure she was dying from a snake bite to her ankle, from a little baby snake we had “extracted” earlier in the evening from outside her cabin.  It was after midnight, and she wouldn’t get out of the pickup truck she was occupying.  We couldn’t find any marks on her ankle, or anything else physically wrong with her, so that was a blessing of comfort.  An adult leader needed a blessing for an unspecified lack of wellness, and a new girl had one in the early morning for a slightly sore throat, probably from screaming all night at the snipe hunt.

I finally caught on that the camp leaders in the infirmary were pushing every single girl that came in to them to ask for a blessing.  I later confirmed this by way of my oldest daughter.  She said they were kind of ridiculous about it.  You know what though?  I might be one normally to roll my eyes, but it was a nice experience for everyone involved.  It was a positive experience.  OK … some of the ailments were a little silly, but it was camp.  The girls are crazy there!

I hung out for two days with a member of our bishopric.  We had a lot of chances to talk about the Gospel.  Wow … it was interesting to spend so much time with an uber Iron Rod Mormon.  I decided to make up a new label: Iron Grip Mormon.  That is someone who holds fast to the Iron Rod, with an Iron Grip.  It’s like iron squared, dude!  He was noticeably disturbed by the fact that I brought Persian Islamic poetry (Rumi) and a modern Bible translation as my reading material.  He fell asleep within 10 minutes each night though dutifully trying to follow his “authorized” scripture study program.

I learned from him there are only 4 things in life:  Pray, read scriptures, attend all your meetings (yes, all of them, not sit in the halls outside the meetings either), and be obedient to ALL of the commandments.  If you miss any of those for even a split second, Satan will get you!  The dark lord is waiting to snatch you in his fiery clutches the moment you slip up.  The answers to any question you might ever have are all in the four standard works.  Everything else is tainted, being “the philosophies of men, mingled with scripture.”  If it ain’t in the standard works, it is probably not an appropriate question.

We had fun talking about Gospel topics.  Really.  I don’t harbor ill will towards people like that.  It was kind of refreshing, in a way, to be exposed to hard line Mormon literalism again.  It got under my skin a little bit the first night.  I started wondering if I wasn’t actually going to “make it” and get the biggest, shiniest trophy at the finish line of life.  Maybe I will fail the test and never ever ever never see God again…  I like this brother though.  He is a nice guy really, and has a good heart.  He is just wound up a lot tighter than me.

It was probably good for him to get a little agitated and pushed out of his comfort zone by me too.  I had him running in circles trying to tell me what was scripture and what was not.  I found out the Journal of Discourses is not even though they were talks given by leaders of the Church.  The Ensign is definitely scripture since it contains talks by leaders of the Church, and the Lectures on Faith are scripture too even though they are no longer in the D&C.  The Bible is scripture as long as it is translated correctly.  Modern versions (non LDS KJV) are not scripture even though they are more accurate and “correct” translations.  Go figure … it all made perfect sense to him somehow.  In the end though, the benefit was mutual.  I enjoyed our conversations.  I love heart-to-heart talks about religion and spirituality, and really like hearing how other people see the world.

I had a great time at YW Camp.  I had a good time talking to my daughter and her friends.  They were really funny.  My daughter doesn’t always want to talk to her parents at home.  You know how teenagers are, they are way to cool and omniscient for lame old parents.  So it was nice to spend some time with her when I had a chance.  The YW leaders did an awesome job planning fun activities and also more serious spiritual programs.  The food was good, not like the prison food they serve at the scout camp dining hall.  My next youngest daughter turns 12 later this year, so I will have two girls at camp next year.  I think I will volunteer again.

His early prototypes of the temple practice we know today started in Kirtland, where they were much different.  Participants would fast for a day or two, attend to ritual washings and annointings to symbolically cleanse and purify themselves, and then participate in intense prayers, blessings, and expressions of spiritual gifts.  The goal was to have a transcendent vision of the divine.  It seemed that Joseph wanted many people to tap into what he was experiencing.  People who participated described him trying to get it all just write, to set groups participating in proper order, kind of feeling his way through to getting people into that mystical state.

I recently ran across this paragraph that made such a good summary:

Endowment, Joseph’s name for the temple ceremony, connected it to promises made long before his encounter with Freemasonry. In early revelations, the word “endowment” referred to seeing God, a bequest of Pentecostal spiritual light. The use of the word “endowment” in Nauvoo implied that the goal of coming into God’s presence would be realized now through ritual rather than a transcendent vision. This transition gave Mormonism’s search for direct access to God an enduring form. David Hume, the eighteenth-century empiricist and critic of “enthusiastic” religion, had observed that outbursts of visions and revelations soon sputtered out. They lacked form to keep them alive. They could not endure because they had “no rites, no ceremonies, no holy observances, which may enter into the common train of life, and preserve the sacred principles from oblivion.” To remain in force, “enthusiasm” had to be embodied in holy practice. Ann Taves, a modern scholar of religion, has added that “direct inspiration survives only when it is supported by a sacred mythos embedded in sacred practices.” The Mormon temple’s sacred story stabilized and perpetuated the original enthusiastic endowment.

-Richard Bushman, “Rough Stone Rolling“ pg 450-451

The temple became a focal point, a place to seek a connection to the divine.  Sure, it is plain that God does not need a temple to communicate with humankind.  Some of the greatest interactions with God recorded in scripture happened in wilderness settings — no temple or building was required.  But how would one stabilize this experience for a large, growing religion; one that could endure past the life of the mystic founder?  Members of the LDS Church today often go to the temple when they have a pressing personal need to connect with the divine, when they seek answers or feel they need spiritual help and guidance.

Would we be the same church if our method was to fast and hermitage in a cave, or travel out in the wilderness?  Perhaps it is possible, but the temple provides a place of focus for a growing and diverse community within the Church.  It is still a place we see as a source for the transcendent mystical experience.  Participants can experience the ritual and ceremony on many levels, with different views about the purpose depending on their own place of faith.  It can be literal to one person.  It can be symbolic to another.  It can be both and none.  Indeed it has endured past Joseph, the original mystic of our foundation, even if our experience today is not exactly the same as back in the time of Nauvoo or Kirtland.  It serves the same purpose over time.

]]> http://mormonmatters.org/2008/12/24/temple-ceremony-the-stabilizer-for-mystical-enthusiasm/feed/ 7 http://mormonmatters.org/2008/12/18/big-love-season-3-finally-here/ http://mormonmatters.org/2008/12/18/big-love-season-3-finally-here/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:00:19 +0000 Brian Johnston http://mormonmatters.org/?p=3413

Big Love Season 3 is set to start on January 18th.  HURRAY!  Here’s a link to the official HBO website:

Big Love at HBO

Tired of the same old emergency room and police dramas?  Sitcoms telling the same old jokes?  Starting to wonder how real that reality TV show really is?

Big Love!  The most unusual family drama ever produced.

For those not familiar with the series, this is the 3rd season.  Big Love is about a fictional, independent polygamist family that lives hidden in the suburbs of Salt Lake City.  Bill Paxton plays “Bill Henrickson,” a highly successful entrepreneur in the hardware/home-improvement business.  He has three wives:  Barbara, Nicki and Margene.  He and his first wife were at one point traditional members of the LDS Church.  Due to some circumstances in life, they sort of fell into polygamy.  Nicki, the second wife, is one of the many children of the corrupt prophet/leader of Juniper Creek, a fundamental polygamist group that lives on a closed compound in a remote part of Utah (a lot like Warren Jeffs and the FLDS).  Margene (3rd) is the youngest wife.  She was not raised in any form of Mormonism, but wanted to join the family as the third wife after getting to know them.  They all live on the same street, each wife having their own house next to the others.  They share a common backyard area complete with a barbecue and swimming pool — what could be more ideal?  Hehe.  The show is both uncomfortable and amusing.  Nobody can really “get” this show like Mormons.  The producers did a lot of research and like to throw in little tidbits of Mormon culture.

The show’s drama revolves around the constant threat of being discovered.  Bill has business ties (that he regrets) to his mafia-like father-in-law on the polygamist compound.  Roman Grant loaned him a lot of money when he was desperate to get started in business.  Bill and Nicki have dysfunctional family members with all kinds of problems that still live on the compound.  They are always being threatened.  The Henrickson family is constantly being forced to deal with their fundamentalist past, their desire to fit into normal society, and all the ups and downs of just being a family with young children and teenagers.

There’s simply nothing on T.V. like Big Love!

http://timwade.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/are-mormons-better-christians/

It is a piece from an outsider looking in at the world of Mormonism and seeing things that he admires.  I thought it interesting how he focused on some of our practices and rituals in a positive, different way than I expected — especially the idea of sanctification.  We take a lot of this for granted sometimes.  I find myself unfortunately used to criticism on some of the topics he discussed.  It took me by surprise to see them presented in a positive light.  That gave me a moment of introspection.

It is awkward to claim that we are “better” Christians.  I don’t want to say it like that.  We are different.  The LDS Church has things that it focuses on better than others.  Other Christian churches focus on some aspects of the Gospel of Christ better than us.  There is so much to learn from the beliefs and practices of others.  Sharing these views helps us all grow in faith.

What do you all think of Tim Wade’s points?  Do we do these things better?

I’ll turn it around.  Are Baptists better Mormons?  Tell us what you think they do really good that we could learn and make our faith better.

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1. The Fowler’s Stages of Faith interview that puts the ideas into a Mormon context.
2. Richard Bushman
3. Claudia Bushman
4. Gregory Prince
5. Greg Kearney

and a few others.

StayLDS was given permission to host some of these really great resources as a part of its service mission to the community.

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Well nothing else gets any attention around here, so I screamed it.

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While nobody was looking, the investment bankers on Wall Street stole $1 trillion dollars and left YOU as the signer on the loan for it.  Have fun never being able to retire.  There’s no money left in medicare or social security either.  We shut down all the factories in the US, and now you can’t move when you get laid off because your house is worth less than your mortgage.

But at least we put a couple hundred million dollars to good use defining a word, temporarily.

People are probably pissed off for me saying something like that.  Too bad.   Hey!  Did you know that 6 dozen little children died of starvation while you read this stupid blog post?  Don’t worry.  It was not in your town.  It happened somewhere else where they don’t have internet access.  It’s not really that important.  There was not even a news camera to film it.

So many different priorities.  So  much money.  What is really important?

Keep the argument alive!  Fight fight fight!  Win win win!  sigh…

So what do you think about gay marriage and the aftermath of Prop 8 for the Church?

You dropped down into this crazy, frenetic, gloomy world; stumble and trip in the darkness, trying to feel your way through the valley of shadows.  Nothing seems to work right.

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You make mistakes, some of which cause deep pains of regret.  If only you had known better …  but then again, how could you have known?  You had to experience it first hand to understand.

People have done wrong to you!  They hurt you.  Where is the justice?  They should be made to pay.  Somehow, an eye for an eye does not satisfy.

Two people are blind now.  The pain remains.

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If only you could go back and become a little child again, innocent, hands and face cleaned up, band aid on your skinned knee, clothes mended, and a warm meal in your belly.  Is there a way to go back in time, hit the cosmic reset button and do that over again?  No.  The road has many lanes, but they all go one direction.

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Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world.

It’s going to be ok.  God knows you are making mistakes.  You are loved.  You are good.  You are totally accepted as you are.  Let go of your anger and your hurt.  Lay down your guilt.  Can you do that?  Do you want to?  The decision is yours when you are ready.  You may have to do this many times.  Don’t let it paralyze you, afraid to continue walking.  Don’t carry that heavy burden like a cross.  Give it to Him.  He will trade you for peace.

Follow the path of the Savior through the valley.  He made it to the other side.  You will get there too.

Just take a moment to listen to a little bit of the song. You don’t have to listen to it all, just enough to get the flavor of the idea.

Sometimes it seems like Mormonism developed like this. Sure, we had Christianity for almost two thousand years. Mormonism was going to do everything better!

Joseph Smith sings: “You’ve got the Bible, but I found more scriptures. I can do anything better than you!”

Protestant World: “No you can’t”

JS: “Yes, I can.”
PW: “No you can’t”
JS: “Yes I can. Yes I can. Yes I can.”

They had heaven and hell. We took that and added three kingdoms of glory. The windows of heaven were closed. We had prophecy and miracles. They had churches. We built temples. They offered a harp and a choir gown in paradise. We offered thrones and godhood.

Valoel Sings: “We can do anything better you.”

The Evangelical imperative is to send people on a quest for salvation. We have to accept Jesus Christ as our savior or face DOOOOOOOOOM. Awesome idea! OK, then what?

Valoel Sings: “No you can’t”

It seems the biggest criticism I know of, since Mormons accept Jesus Christ as their savior, is that somehow we are worshiping the wrong Jesus! GASP! We picked the wrong name from the phone book? DOH! [Homer Simpson voice] Luckily a lot of members have #10 cans in their basement with marshmallows to roast. Wouldn’t want to put that lake of fire to waste.

I’m not sure where this post is going. You’re suffering my mental ramblings. I’m pretty sure I can irritate both my evangelical friends and my literalistic Mormon family members all with this one post.

Valoel Sings: “Yes I can. Yes I can. Yes I can.”

Come on! It’s fun. Everyone sing! When you are at Church today and see the paintings of Joseph Smith, standing there with that glow, and that twinkle in his eye, just let this song run through your head. Picture him standing on that stage singing this song with his buddies Oliver, Sidney, Brigham and the whole gang. It’s fun. Have a laugh. Everyone have a good hearty laugh at themselves today. The world of religion is such a quirky, somber place so often.  Everyone is trying so hard to be right.  The stakes are high.  Smile today and hum this song at Church.

MormonStories, the site that hosted dozens of audio and video podcast interviews, was retired this weekend.  John Dehlin announced he is taking the opportunity to focus his energizes on his family and pursue new opportunities in life.  It sounds like it was a complex and difficult decision for him.  Many people involved in Mormonism on the internet are familiar with his work.  He interviewed prominent Mormon scholars, activist Mormons on the internet, and just everyday members about their beliefs.  The result was a sampling of the colorful rainbow of faith, doubts and hopes in the world of Mormon religion.  He was also noted for his candid treatment of historical topics and issues.  This last part is what a lot of people appreciated — the liberating sense of openness.

I wanted to write a post thanking John for his years of tireless sacrifice and effort.  His work was good, and it helped thousands of people deal with their faith tradition in a positive way.  What I would specially like to do is have people leave comments letting John know how his podcasts helped them keep their faith in the Church, in Christ or in God, even if it was different afterward.  It is an opportunity to say something nice to John and wish him well on his journey.  I want John to know he made a positive difference in the world.

I’ll start.

There are two things that I appreciated a lot.  The first was a simple email John sent me.  I was at a peak in crisis with my overall faith at the time.  John responded to a comment I emailed with a simple, quick note that said I was not alone, and that many others out there before had these doubts and questions.  He also included his telephone number in case I wanted to talk.  I had never met him before, and I was just another anonymous stranger on the internet.  This small act, a brief email, a personal connection, made a big difference.  I had indeed thought I was alone.  Nobody in my normal support network was safe to talk to: not family, not priesthood leaders, and not Mormon friends that I knew.  I don’t want to exaggerate and say this “saved” me.  It helped a lot though.  It made a difference to me at the time.

The second thing was the interviews, most of all the long series with Richard Bushman.  I’m not here to debate that Richard Bushman’s version is the totally right or wrong version of various parts of Joseph Smith’s history, but I had not been exposed before to the existence of various possibilities.  I suffered from an ignorance of history.  Before listening to Richard Bushman, I only knew the overly whitewashed official Church version I had grown up with (and lost faith in), or the worst of the worst possibilities I found in “anti-Mormon” books and websites.  It was only one or the other, and I was not comfortable being caged in by either extreme.  It was important for my faith to hear someone as knowledgeable and educated as Mr. Bushman explain his positive views about the Church while also knowing so much about the history.  Again, I don’t want to debate the views.  The thing that helped me was simply having my mind opened to the fact there are many possibilities in between the extremes.  It was an “ah-ha!!!” moment for me at the time.  I doubt I would have gotten around to reading Rough Stone Rolling if I had not heard the interviews.  The interview made the difference, and it sent me on a journey to educate myself better and form my own opinions.

So thank you John for the work you did with MormonStories!  It was one of several things that helped me decide to stay in the Church.

Anyone else?

Valoel: Hello Prairie Chuck. Thank you for spending some time to talk about your online support group. What does the name “FacesEast” mean?

Prairie Chuck: The name invokes symbolism of looking to the east: the rising sun, new hope, the dawn of a new day, our belief that Christ will come again from the east. Marriage with a differently-believing spouse may be difficult. In facing east, we are looking for new hope, inspiration and strength in Christ.

Valoel: What is the mission of the support group? .

Prairie Chuck: FacesEast.org exists as an online forum to support LDS members whose spouses are inactive, disaffected or non-LDS. Our primary goal is to sustain and strengthen these marriages. Under ideal circumstances, marriage can be stressful. Faith and religious beliefs are a fundamental part of life shared between spouses. The goal of the forum is to help each other navigate the day to day challenges of marriage, active LDS faith and family.

Valoel: Why do you spend the time and effort you do with FacesEast.org?

Prairie Chuck: Because I made so many mistakes and went so many years with no support. I saw too many marriages fall apart over church disaffection. I want to help others see it doesn’t have to be that way.

Valoel: How does being a part of the group help you personally?

Prairie Chuck: It gives me a safe place to express my doubt and frustrations, as well as be inspired and encouraged by others facing similar issues. I like to think we are all good for each other.

Valoel: Tell me about yourself. Who is Prairie Chuck, and how did she get here? What was your journey through life that brought you to being the leader of the FacesEast.org online support group?

Prairie Chuck: I’m a returned missionary, and I married a returned missionary in the temple in 1985. Within 2 months of our marriage, my husband began expressing doubts about the Church. By 1989, he had completely left. Those first 4 years were horrible! I didn’t handle it well. There was no one to help me. His family panicked and overreacted as much as I did. Bishops and Relief Society Presidents were not very encouraging, and sometimes they were down right detrimental.

So I floundered around for a good solid 2 years, not knowing really what to do. In spite of set backs, I started coping better with our situation over time. I accepted the path he was on, but then needed to work on healing our damaged relationship. There have been lots of challenging points over the years: when our first child was born, blessed then baptized, and also the death of his brother.  He took gradual steps that distanced himself from the Church.  He stopped attending services, stopped paying tithing, and stopped wearing garments. Those were difficult adjustments to watch.  Each one started me on the grieving process again.  They were not issues I expected to deal with, having married another returned missionary in the temple.

And then there were my own doubts. At times I despaired of ever finding peace or understanding. Each event meant a lot of soul searching, readjusting, many of them started the whole “5 steps of grieving” process all over again.

But there were also good turning points. One was a good friend of mine, my former Seminary teacher (who helped me survive the trauma and angst of teenager-hood). I called him a couple times and poured out my woes. Finally he asked me “[Prairie Chuck], why do you stay married to him?” Well, because I love him. I want an eternal marriage. I made covenants. He’s a good man. “No, WHY do you stay married to him?” He wouldn’t accept any of the pat, easy answers, nothing that came from any Young Women or Relief Society lessons.

For the first time, I took a hard look at what makes a good relationship without falling back on any of the church definitions or paradigms. By the way, ironically, this friend left the church about 10 yrs later. He is Ken Clark, who appeared on the PBS show “The Mormons.”

I needed a spiritual anchor to hold on to. About one year into my husband’s disaffection, I went to the temple fasting. While there, I prayed about what I should do. Should I stay in this marriage or should I leave? There was no “stay” or “go” answer. The Lord told me that He had blessed our marriage. It was up to me to honor that or not. He also made it clear to me that the endowment gave me all I needed to be happy in this life and the next. From that point on I began drawing on the powers of the endowment in my life, making it my anchor when I felt I was lost. It was my personal relationship with the Lord that mattered, not what someone else did or didn’t do. I had to measure up to what the Lord wanted of me, not what the church said was expected. It was the beginning of my very personal walk with the Lord.

I went through periods of doubting the church and trying to reconcile what I’d learned about the church through my husband’s studies. About 6-7 yrs ago, I was pointed in the direction of the internet and the New Order Mormon forums.

I became friends with several people online, and was heartbroken to hear of the troubles they were having in their marriages. I kind of sympathized with the believing spouses because I had acted the same way in the past. I felt bad for the pain this put all of them through. I thank God that my husband had the patience to let me work through it all, so we could learn to make our marriage work. After seeing the 3rd or 4th divorce at New Order Mormon being discussed, I decided it was time to start a support board.

My hope was to help some of the believing spouses of NOMs avoid the mistakes I had made, and find peace and happiness in their new type of marriage situation. There were a handful of NOMs who gave huge support. I would really like to thank Dathon, Jeffrett, Captain Jack, Peggy (rip), Nanna and Solistics. It is largely because of them that FacesEast.org went from a good idea to reality.

Valoel: Tell me about a moment of sorrow you had after you found out your husband no longer believed.

Prairie Chuck: The worst incident I can remember was when my husband’s father stood in front of his whole family (including our oldest son) and said “You are an apostate. There can never be any understanding between us, you will never be the son to me you could have been because you have rejected God.” There were so many other hurtful words said that day. It made me sad to see how little they understood their son, how they had let the church separate them from their child.

Valoel: Wow… that’s really tough to hear. Those kind of situations make it tough to keep your faith positive in the Church while not feeling like you betray loyalty to your husband you love so much.

Prairie Chuck: Yes. It is sometimes. It creates moments when you are almost in a no-win situation.

Valoel: Can you think of common concerns of people in the FacesEast.org support group? What are the regular topics that pop up over and over? What do members need help with and support?

Prairie Chuck: The most common concerns people have are finding compromises with their spouse regarding doctrinal practices and beliefs. How will the couple pay tithing when one spouse no longer believes in doing so? What aspects of the Word of Wisdom are negotiable in the relationship? How will they handle religious ordinances like infant blessings and baptisms? Can the believing spouse have family prayer and scripture study in the home without negative comments or ill feelings being generated? How do we also handle our own doubts, and especially questions about problems in the Church our spouse might want to discuss? These are common topics. You can’t just tell someone to pray harder until the problems disappear. People want help and solutions.

Most importantly, the believing spouses need someone to talk to – not to feel totally alone. These are topics we can’t seem to normally and openly discuss in our local congregations.

Valoel: What things would you like to hear from the Prophet, Apostles and other General Authorities of the Church about marriages involving different types or levels of belief?

Prairie Chuck: I would love to hear them talk about eternal marriage not being formulaic, as some might believe. “In my Father’s House are many mansions.” Let’s talk about the redemptive power of love. Marriage is more important than non-marriage. Let’s not have 2nd class marriages — like marriages with non-members or disbelieving LDS. Let’s honor and support ALL marriage relationships!

Valoel: How can local Church leaders support members with mixed-faith marriages? What common mistakes or misunderstanding happen between members and local leaders?

Prairie Chuck: I think the single biggest help is to acknowledge the disbelieving spouse. Don’t pretend s/he doesn’t exist or doesn’t care what happens with the family. This means the leaders have to be willing to talk to the disaffected spouse and understand their boundaries and expectations. This is especially important when the Church intrudes into family space with callings, home teaching/visiting teaching, ordinances, etc. Try to be comfortable with the member’s disbelieving spouse.

Please communicate, communicate, communicate! Don’t assume anything. Don’t act on old, second-hand information.  There can be inaccurate gossip circulating sometimes.  People make wrong assumptions, and that can be painful.

These are the three most common (and hurtful) things I hear from people’s experiences with local leaders:

1. “I could never stay in the marriage if my husband/wife left the church. I love God too much.”

This implies that anyone married to a disaffected member must not love God very much, or that the two loves are mutually exclusive. It implies that the disaffected member is so evil that having any understanding or love for that person is to hate God. My father-in-law said something similar to me “I could never talk to R. about this because I love God too much. He’d say something bad about Christ and I’d just end up decking R.” Wow! That was not helpful.

2. “S/He’s going to lead your children away from the church.”

This demeans the believing spouse and assumes family dysfunction. It implies that the spouses are working against each other, and the children will somehow have to choose one or the other. In a healthy marriage the two spouses will be working together on how to raise the children. When the child is old enough, the choice of what to believe will be based on the child’s experience with God, not which parent they love more or want to hurt less.

3. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.  Live righteously and you’ll get a better husband/wife in the next life.”

This implies that the spouse’s disaffection is somehow the result of the believer’s unrighteousness. There’s an intense pressure to re-convert our spouse. That may never happen. If the disaffected spouse doesn’t return to the Church, it must be because the believer was not valiant and righteous enough? And just what does “everything will be fine” mean? The worst of all implications is that you will be “given” to a better husband in the next life (Men don’t have this issue to deal with—lucky you!).

Valoel: What would you like to say to disaffected members who are married to a spouse that still believes and wants to continue participation in the LDS Church? What advice would you give?

Prairie Chuck: Please be respectful. Follow the Golden Rule. If you want your spouse’s support in your new-found disbelief, you need to support him/her in their belief. Please be gentle and slow in how you express the reasons for your disaffection in the beginning. There really is no good way to break the news, it’ll be hard no matter how you do it, but there are lots of bad ways to go about it.

Please be patient as your spouse finds his/her footing with your change in belief. There will be anger, frustration, desperation, pleading, bargaining and sadness. Let him/her work through it. Then work to find compromises you can both live with. Don’t frame any questions of belief as “my way or your way”, especially when it comes to the children. When the children choose what to believe or not believe, you don’t want them to feel like they are choosing between mom or dad, that it will alter their relationship with either parent. (This advice applies equally to the believing spouse too!)

Valoel: What could other members of the Church learn from your experience in this support group?

Prairie Chuck: I would say, first learn to separate church problems from marriage problems. Every marriage has issues of respect or differing expectations. Do not blame things that are normal human difficulties on the spouse’s disbelief.

Be aware that the believing spouse in some ways is like a widow or widower — they lack the support that comes when both spouses believe. They grieve for the loss of the “ideal LDS marriage.” They often have to be both mom and dad when it comes to teaching the gospel and managing church involvement for their children.

Unlike the widow/er who gets a funeral and everyone is aware of their loss, most people at Church seem to assume everything is fine. After all, they’re coming to church, aren’t they? They hold callings, don’t they? Too few understand the cost of coming to Church, and the impact that callings and church involvement have on the family and marriage with a disaffected (and sometimes angry) spouse.

Valoel: Tell me about a moment of joy in your marriage after your husband no longer believed. Let’s end the interview on a positive note. Tell me what has been really great for you and your family.

Prairie Chuck: There’ve been so many experiences that have drawn us closer—the births of our children, sharing our hopes and fears. Most of all is seeing how much my husband loves and supports me. It’s not because I am a good Mormon, but because I’m me. He tells our sons what a good mom I am, praises the things I do at home, at church, and in the community. He really is my support and the motivation for much of the good that I do. He thanks me for being his sounding board as he worked out his feelings about the church. I’m glad I’ve been there with him. Without the church being a shared common interest, we’ve found our happiness in other things. In some ways I feel like my horizons are broader because of it.

Valoel: Thank you Prairie Chuck for taking the time to do this interview with me.

“We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.”

“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in obeying the laws of the country in which they live. Members of the Church are counseled to be good citizens, to participate in civil government and the political process, and to render community service as concerned citizens.” reference: Mormon.org

Obeying the law and being good citizens in the larger community is a foundational principle of our Church. In the 20^th century, our consistency with this principle opened surprising doors in countries closed to other religious denominations.

The former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) allowed the LDS Church to build a temple in Freiburg in the late 1980’s. It was still a communist, cold-war, Soviet satellite nation. The peaceful and obedient example set by members of the LDS Church trapped behind the Iron Curtain after WWII gave the East German government the level of confidence they needed to accept such a religious structure in their land. The Freiburg temple was actually the FIRST temple built on German soil. The West German temple was built a couple years later.

The positive aspects of being engaged with, and supportive of governments, being obedient to the laws of the land, and honoring our communities has been a great tool to reach out with the Gospel.

I would like to pose this question: Where do we draw the line?  When do we have to say “no?”

There certainly has to be a point where we can not obey the law. Jesus answered the Pharisees and Herodians “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” At some points in history though, “Caesar” crosses the line.

Is it acceptable to go to war and kill other people for our rulers? I’m not talking about defending ourselves from direct attack, but to “protect our international interests.”

Is it ok for members to actively support a government that represses basic freedoms?

Is it noble for members to actively support a government that imprisons and tortures political dissidents?

At what point do faithful LDS members have an obligation to actively oppose their rulers?

What is your personal line in the sand?  I would love to hear what you all think about this personally.

[Please note, I will actively moderate rants about specific countries or political parties that do not add to a constructive and positive discussion.  Thank you in advance for that cooperation!]

The situation was bad enough that our ward called off weekday youth activities for the last two weeks so that families would not have to worry about the burden of finding more fuel for those trips to and from church. I don’t think anyone had unleaded gas set aside in their #10 metal cans

So what else wasn’t happening in the Gospel? I’m assuming fewer home teaching and visiting teaching trips. What about early morning seminary every day? There were meetings at the stake center, which is all the way across town. I wonder who went to those or not?

Gasoline has gone through some steep price increases over the past couple years. In just the last 4 years, prices have tripled! My wages certainly have not tripled in that time frame. Driving is something that I think about a lot now. I didn’t have to focus on it as much in the past.

Fuel costs are a factor now when we plan scouting events. We have to think long and hard about driving large vans a long distance for a high adventure trip. Members from our region also travel to help recovery efforts in those areas hit by hurricanes over the past couple years. It is no small matter to drive trucks across 2 states for a weekend to help communities with the devastation.

Is the price of gasoline changing the day to day functions of the Church in your area? Has it had an impact on your ward, or your personal activities living the Gospel?

Tao Te Ching 38
When the Tao is lost, there is goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is morality.
When morality is lost, there is ritual.
Ritual is the husk of true faith,
the beginning of chaos.

Therefore the Master concerns himself
with the depths and not the surface,
with the fruit and not the flower.
He has no will of his own.
He dwells in reality,
and lets all illusions go.

Ritual is important in religion. It is important in life. Can we become so clever that we reject the rituals? Sure, we know that waters of baptism don’t actually clean someone physically from intangible sin. The person doesn’t really die and then come back to life. The bread and wine of sacrament are not flesh and blood.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, spilled his blood and died for our sins upon a wooden cross. He was a symbol of great sacrifice. Did God really have to do that physically? Isn’t it the same to just think about the symbol? Can’t we just talk about? We can be very logical and concrete. There is no proof that it really matters. It is silly and naive to do such things, childlike. They are not necessary.

Or does that perspective tear away the husk of true faith?

We seek the sweet kernels of corn inside. We seek the fatty meat and milk of the coconut. It’s hidden inside past the husk. Those delightful morsels can’t become fruit without the husk to shield and protect them while they grow. Once the fruit is mature, is the husk of no use? No. It holds and protects what is inside — a container for something delicious.

The master knows that deconstruction beyond ritual is the borderline of chaos. The capstone can not shine and reflect in the rays of the glorious sun without the base stones holding it up.

Ritual is the husk of true faith. This is the reality. Can you let go of your illusions and let it happen?

As I ponder this topic, a couple problems come to mind. We talk about seeing God again, that we will be able to visit him if we manage to get into the best kingdom. I can think of several instances in the scriptures where people have seen God from this natural, earthly state though. The story of Joseph Smith’s “First Vision” talks of being in physical location with God, yet we know Joseph was still alive and very human. So it doesn’t seem returning to God is merely seeing Him again and being able to interact.

The other issue that denies me satisfaction for my hunger to understand, is the “somewhere out in space” concept. I don’t think we will simply build a spaceship someday and travel to where God hangs out. I seem to recall some folks with a tower that tried that general idea, Babel was it? Yes. They thought they would just build a tower high enough and go see Him. It’s not an option.

What I find myself left with are simply Jesus Christ’s own words:

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

-John 17:20-23, New King James Version

One option plainly before us is to take Jesus literally. It sounds to me like Jesus is saying we will merge with God through Him. He is the way, the truth and the life. We will become one, as they are one. That is indeed “returning” to God, when we merge back with Him/Her/They. It certainly creates a compelling reason for us to be pure from all sin. No unclean thing can dwell with God. How could it? We would introduce impurity through the incorporation of our essence into His.

My thoughts are far from a being new or original. It is woven into the religious traditions of all ages. Here’s just a sampling:

1. Theosis, a Christian concept developed extensively in the Eastern theologies.

2. Henosis, the Greek (and Egyptian) concept of attaining union with The Monad (The One, or Source).

3. Nonduality. This concept from ancient Hinduism explores the concept that all living things are pieces of God. You and I are God. I might be oversimplifying this idea, but that’s my basic understanding.

4. Bodhi, from Buddhist teachings, a state of enlightenment or awakening.

These are just a few quick references. The idea has been around a long time. I think we have this idea floating around in Mormonism too. The most disturbing notion is the thought of losing individual identity. Would we cease to exist if we merged with God? Do we share a common consciousness with Christ and God? It would seem so if we take Christ’s words at their face value.

What do you think?

“The Gift of the Holy Ghost
[www.lds.org: Gospel Library, Gospel Topics, Holy Ghost, Additional Information]

All honest seekers of the truth can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, leading them to Jesus Christ and His gospel. However, the fullness of the blessings given through the Holy Ghost are available only to those who receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and remain worthy.
…
The gift of the Holy Ghost is different from the influence of the Holy Ghost. Before baptism, a person can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost from time to time and through that influence can receive a testimony of the truth. After receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, a person has the right to the constant companionship of that member of the Godhead if he or she keeps the commandments. “

I run into problems with the constant companion idea as the “gift.” I’ve known people who are not Mormon, and who are wonderfully spiritual people. They are consistently more spiritual and on fire than some/many Mormons. What about great past leaders like Buddha or the Prophet Mohammed? They changed the world and brought people closer to the divine through their teachings. How about other important, past, pre-Restoration Christian leaders? Is there such a thing as constant temporary access for non-members? It seems counter-intuitive. There are also people who have been given the gift, who live seemingly worthy lives, and yet they lack fire.

There are all kinds of permutations and combinations. I confess that I’ve had some of my important Spirit experiences when, by Church definition above, I should have had no access due to being in an offensive and unworthy state. The bottom line is that this special access gift doesn’t seem to be all that exclusive. A lot of people have access to light and truth. Some aren’t even Christian. Some don’t always seem to be all that straight-arrow and worthy. If God wants to give someone light and truth, He seems to get His point across. I’m calling it like I see it.

I have been meditating on an alternative idea. I’m not declaring this to be some new truth. It’s just a different way to look at things. I am probably not even original in my insights. It’s new to me though, so I thought I would share.

I ponder that all people who seek truth, love and light find it. Some are more inclined to it than others. Some develop access in this life more than others. It appears to me to cross all religious boundaries. Perhaps this “Light of Christ” is like a flash bulb. It’s bright and gives powerful insights and promptings. This is the still small voice that seemingly prompts people of all faiths toward action. There are many accounts of all types of people having experiences with the divine. God appears to stay very busy bringing about the eternal life and exaltation of man[kind] — everyone, not just a few people with the gift. It looks like He works with whoever He can find that is listening.

I ponder then that the “Gift of the Holy Ghost” is like a slow burning coal. It’s not dramatic. It glows dimly, but it slowly burns off the impurities a little bit at a time. It’s what brings about the powerful conversion within us to something more holy. It’s not over in a flash, *POOF*! It’s more like the constant companion, keeping us warm. It works upon our spirits in this life and on into the eternities.

What do you all think?

… [pause for a silent moment to let this reach the heart and mind] …

What if the Church really isn’t true? If you could somehow know for sure that it was all a mistake, a misunderstanding or delusion, and that God doesn’t exist, what would that mean? Would you change anything about your life? Would you have different priorities? What would be different?

I’ve meditated on this idea many times. It is disturbing and uncomfortable to consider. I have a pet theory that the height of our faith is limited by the depth of our doubt. I came to my own conclusions, but I’d like to wait a day to post them. I want to see what other people say first. I will post a response to my own question tomorrow.

What do you think about these five difficult words?

P.S. For simplicity, the assumption for this topic is that no other church is a true alternative.

[for more info refer to: Kobayashi Maru, Wikipedia]

Here is the training scenario. If the captain is obedient to the law, they must let 400 people die who are begging for help in a failing ship. The ship is accidentally stranded in a forbidden area. If the captain breaks the law to save the lives, a vastly superior enemy force comes out of hiding. They kill the captain and their crew. The officer in training has two choices. Both result in failure as a captain.

Captain Kirk, as a cadet, supposedly cheated on his third attempt at this simulation by finding a way to hack the computer and alter the rules. He was not punished for his violation. He was given a commendation for such a creative solution. He did not believe in no-win scenarios.

Three lefts make a right. Do three wrongs make a right? God sure seems like a Star Trek fan sometimes.

Take the Plan of Salvation for instance. We agreed to come down to earth and be tested. The whole point of being here is to pass the test. The problem? It is a Kobayashi Maru simulation. None of us Star Fleet cadets pass the test.

Jesus passed the test, but you could also argue that he hacked. He was at least half-God, and he also built the simulation. I don’t want to belabor that point or diminish his divinity. He passed. He’s the man! What about the rest of us? Nobody else passes and nobody else can hack the simulation.

I tried very hard to look this reference up, but I could not find it. I recall from my youth hearing over and over that there is no trial or temptation too great for us. We will never be tested beyond our abilities. I always had a hard time with that. Everybody is tested beyond their abilities! The proof? Every single person fails at least once; therefore, it was beyond their ability to resist at that moment.

The other aspect of this thought is the breakdown of right vs. wrong. In primary I was taught to “Choose the Right.” Now I’m an adult. I find myself with complex decisions. I make painful choices between wrong and worse. I have to choose sometimes between good and better. Right and wrong are not always available options.

I’ll give a very personal example. My wife has left the Church. She was very angry about the Church for a while. My oldest son wanted to have Family Home Evening one night. I could see it was very important to him, and he was upset about the situation with his mother. I pushed the issue. I got everyone together. We barely got through it, and it ended up setting off an argument between my wife and I for the rest of the night. The Spirit totally left my home. It was a very bad argument, and she talked about our marriage perhaps not lasting.

I had two choices:

1. Bad.
Disobey the law and no longer hold Family Home Evening in my home. The benefit was keeping peace in my home and the possibility of the Spirit. I keep my family together. In the Kobayashi Maru simulation, I went into the Neutral Zone and saved the 400 passengers. Are the Klingons going to kill me now for disobedience?

*Valoel looks up at the sky nervously for cloaked ships*

2. Worse.
Obey the law and hold Family Home Evening. The consequence was to lose the Spirit and peace in my home and probably lose my family. In Star Trek terms, I obey the law and let the 400 people die.

I chose family unity. I believe that God wants me to stay with my wife. My role as a husband and father is a very important task for me in my journey. I love her too much anyways. I pray and ponder a LOT about this general concept.

Can you boil specific choices down into a relative right vs. wrong? Maybe a single decision has a right or wrong that applies only at that moment. Or does an absolute, universal truth apply at all times?

Is life a no-win game, the test being one of character? That’s what the Star Trek simulation was about. They wanted to know how the captain would handle losing. It wasn’t a test of ability. It was a test of character.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this life is just a one-time pass/fail course. Do what is right, let the consequence follow. Some people say that.