Blog Archives

Anish Kapoor on Spirituality

November 30, 2009
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Anish Kapoor on Spirituality

On the BBC, there is a great series of Art documentaries entitled ‘Imagine’.  Alan Yentob, a Television Executive, presents them and in the most recent, as of 18th Nov 2009, Yentob interviews and discusses the work of Anish Kapoor.  People will recognise his sculptures without necessarily remembering his name, perhaps the height of fame for an artist.  Having recently finished reading Givens’ ‘A People of Paradox’ I have been considering the relationship between Art and Spirituality and during this documentary Kapoor made some interesting comments which resonated with me.

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A British Thanksgiving (on the Down-Low)

November 26, 2009
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A British Thanksgiving (on the Down-Low)

This is kind-of an impromptu post and so I hope you can forgive the intrusion.  But, I love Thanksgiving.  

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Finding Meaning in Suffering: Part 1

November 23, 2009
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Two of the writers I have come to admire most over the last year have both said that they do not believe all suffering is meaningful, but I struggle to accept that emotionally even though it makes sense intellectually.  Lowell Bennion was once asked about suffering and he replied ‘I haven’t suffered that much, but I think there is more human suffering than we need in order to develop human values, to teach us the meaning and value of life, compassion for other people… Some people are exposed to suffering beyond any possible value to them.’   Similarly, Clive...

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A Bloggernacle Church Handbook of Instruction

November 15, 2009
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A Bloggernacle Church Handbook of Instruction

Just recently I was re-reading an essay by Eugene England entitled ‘On Finding Truth and God’.  It has been something that has helped me deal with, or rather live with, my own doubts.  So helpful in fact I would consider passing it on to someone who is having their own difficulties and struggles.  It occurred to me that among the bloggernacle there is probably a broad spectrum of literature that is consumed and which would be spiritually helpful.  Between us I thought we could gather together our own Bloggernacle Church Handbook of Instruction (CHI) by collating those articles, essays...

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Levi Savage, William Kimball and the Mystery of Redemption

November 9, 2009
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At the outset I should state that I do not think this is a very good title, but it is the only thing I could come up with.  So forgive me if it is mis-leading.  The Willie Handcart Company has rightfully become one of the scenes from early Mormon history that speaks to the tradegy and difficulty that followed the Saints in their search for Zion.  Levi Savage and William Kimball were both members of that party, but whose relationship to these early Saints raises important questions about my own relationship with my spiritual community.  The following narrative is drawn from...

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Secular Learning and ‘Correlation’

November 1, 2009
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Secular Learning and ‘Correlation’

In a 1926 Improvement Era the M.I.A. reading course included four books: ‘The Book of Mormon, 50c; by mail, 60c. Prophecies of Joseph Smith and Their Fulfilment, by Nephi L. Morris, $1.50; by mail, $1.50. Hugh Wynne, a novel, by S. Weir Mitchell, $1.25; by mail, $1.35. Wild Life in the Rockies, Enos A. Mills, $2.50; by mail, $2.60.’ (Priesthood Quorums, Improvement Era, 1926, Vol. Xxix. July, 1926 No. 9 .) The ’Joint Advance Senior Class’ had two manuals to choose from ’1. Heroes of Science, by Dr. F. S. Harris and N. I. Butt. 2. Rational Theology, by Dr....

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De-centralising the Spirit: Between Charisma and Bureaucracy

October 26, 2009
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In a lecture entitled ‘A Historian’s Perspective on Joseph Smith’, Richard Bushman shows an interesting trend in religious cultures that surrounded Joseph Smith.  This trend centers around the tension between the Charismatic gifts and the Bureaucracy which contain them.  I had an experience six months ago that made me realise that there is, in my view, a centralised view of the Spirit in the LDS Church that may restrict the spirituality of our local meetings.

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Egon Friedell and the Christian ‘Bad Conscience’

October 18, 2009
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Egon Friedell and the Christian ‘Bad Conscience’

This photograph was taken by Sebastiao Salgado at a gold mine in Brazil.  I first saw it in a room at the University I attend.  As an idealistic and aspiring academic I felt moved by the raw power of the worker as he resisted the guard.  Ever since then I have had a copy of this picture in my study areas.  It reminds me that my life is not just about doing good, but that I have a moral duty to alleviate as much suffering in this world as I can.  It reminds me that sometimes I need to resist those...

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Approaching Isaiah 58: Fasting as a Spiritual Practice

October 12, 2009
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Sometime ago Jana Reiss wrote a column for Sunstone entitled ‘Mormonism as Praxis’ in which the writers attempted to explore what Mormonism means in terms of ‘spiritual practices’.  Jana, in a Sunstone podcast with Dan Wotherspoon, has explained that one of her main interests is trying to understand how these spiritual practices can become effective through a Mormon context.  This post is a feeble attempt to think in that same vein.  I wanted to try and understand how fasting is a spiritual practice.

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Common Consent: Democracy or Prophetocracy?

October 4, 2009
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Common Consent: Democracy or Prophetocracy?

At 10:00am on a brisk August morning in 1844 Sidney Rigdon addressed the Saints.  Brigham Young spoke briefly before the break and at length in the afternoon, at which point they voted for a new leader.  Arrington notes that the response was almost unanimous, but the subsequent disaffection from the Church shows that not all was well in Zion.  This experience raises interesting questions for me about the role of Common Consent in the Church.  Seeing this is General Conference weekend (and we have just had a sustaining vote), I ask: Have we moved from a democracy to prophetocracy, and...

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In Praise of Elder Packer: ‘Let Them Govern Themselves’

September 28, 2009
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In Praise of Elder Packer: ‘Let Them Govern Themselves’

It might just be the posts that I read, but Boyd K. Packer is not the most popular of Apostles in the Bloggernacle (or perhaps among liberal Mormons more generally).  I acknowledge that this is a speculative impression.  At the very least, I have heard Elder Packer criticised at Sunstone and on the Bloggernacle on a few occassions at least.  I was therefore surprised to find one of his sermons published in full in an issue of Sunstone.  The talk was insightful, challenging and thought-provoking.  As a result I wanted to reproduce some of his comments here that I found most...

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‘I really think it would be best if you ended your remarks at this point?’

September 24, 2009
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John Remy posted an interesting blog/video where a man, speaking about his concern with the Church’s practice and policy during the Prop 8 debate, was asked by the Bishop to stop.  The man protested and was allowed to finish but the Microphone was turned off.  What would make you ask someone to sit down?

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On Agency and Accountability: An Inter-dependent View

September 20, 2009
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On Agency and Accountability: An Inter-dependent View

Jeff Spector wrote a post on Agency a few months ago which I enjoyed alot.  The discussion led me down a slightly different path and I wanted to write a supplement to his ideas in light of some of my own thoughts on agency and how they relate to accountability.  My major contention is that the notion of individual accountability is a fallacy, or, perhaps more accurately, it is not the whole story.

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Have you read the Sealed Portion of the Book of Mormon Yet?

September 13, 2009
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Have you read the Sealed Portion of the Book of Mormon Yet?

Christopher Nemelka has published the sealed portion of the Book or Mormon and has also translated the 116 pages of missing manuscript.  His website can be found here.  John the Beloved and the Three Nephites use him to present their message to the World.  Joseph Smith, himself, gave Christopher the Gold Plates so that he could translate the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon.  He believes that in 1987 he was called, in the same manner as Joseph Smith, to share a message with the world.  He believes that his organization is the only true message for the World today...

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‘A Sacred Silence’: Blake Ostler on the Heavenly Mother

September 7, 2009
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‘A Sacred Silence’: Blake Ostler on the Heavenly Mother

In a Sunstone presentation entitled ‘A Return to Logic’, which discusses Blake Ostler’s work, he was asked about the Heavenly Mother.  As a fan of Blake’s work I wanted to discuss his answer a little here, recognising that it was not a fully formulated or prepared response.  The major points of his answer seem to be: firstly, that he does not believe Joseph Smith taught this doctrine, secondly, he does believe that it is true, thirdly, we can have a relationship with her and fourthly, we should not talk about her or that relationship in explicit ways because it is sacred.  

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The Grand Council in Heaven: Re-interpreting an Archetype

August 30, 2009
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The Grand Council in Heaven: Re-interpreting an Archetype

As a fan of Mormon Studies I value the opportunity to discuss and, sometimes, disagree.  In this regard, I have been particularly inspired by the vision of J. Bonner Ritchie.  He has repeatedly argued for openness and honesty regarding the Mormon Experience.  However, I wonder whether Mormon thought really has space for this kind of openness when we retain the LDS version of the pre-mortal Grand Council as our archetypal council meeting?

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The New CES Book of Mormon Institute Manual: Part 2

August 19, 2009
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The New CES Book of Mormon Institute Manual: Part 2

The Church have just published (although I wrote this from a draft that I had access to before it was published) the new CES Book of Mormon Institute manual and my previous post asked some questions about what people hoped for in content.  This post is aimed at trying to develop a brief comparison of the most recent two.  I have tried to search topics, compared content and appendices and focussed on searching authors.  There are some interesting changes and some interesting constants.

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The New CES Book of Mormon Institute Manual: Part 1

August 14, 2009
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The New CES Book of Mormon Institute Manual: Part 1

The Church are in the process of publishing an updated version of the Book of Mormon Institute Manual for CES classes. (They seem to be pretty busy at the moment!!!) It should be published by the end of the year.  What prompted these changes and what do you hope to see from the new Manual?

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Highway 61 Re-revisited: Fear and Trembling before Faith

August 9, 2009
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Highway 61 Re-revisited: Fear and Trembling before Faith

Oh God said to Abraham, “Kill me a son” Abe says, “Man, you must be puttin’ me on” God say, “No.” Abe say, “What?” God say, “You can do what you want Abe, but The next time you see me comin’ you better run” Well Abe says, “Where do you want this killin’ done?” God says, “Out on Highway 61.” (Bob Dylan)   Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) has written about the experience of Faith.  His short book ‘Fear and Trembling’ discusses the experience of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, and his subsequent designation as the ‘Father of...

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A Problem in Understanding Celestial Sexuality

August 2, 2009
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Disclaimer:  This may be offensive to some people.  I will talk about hetero and homosexuality in relation to understanding a ‘celestial sexuality’ and whether one of the current views can be applied to paedophiles. Firstly, I should apologise for another post of sexuality; but I guess this is what happens in a sexually repressed culture, we talk about it (see Michel Foucault: The History of Sexuality).  One of the unresolved problems I have with Mormon doctrine is how we view and understand sexuality.  It does not make a lot of sense to me. 

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