A Very Funny Explanation of How Old Testament Prophets Lived So Long

Methuselah and the Patriarchs: Bizarre Longevity Explained? - Jeff Lindsay (Mormanity)

Why I "Know" There Is a God Who Watches Over and Knows Us Individually

One of the most powerful experiences of my life, especially in hindsight, involved the blessing of my second son. He was born three weeks early, but, other than being very small, there was no sign of any physical problem. He left the hospital on schedule and grew normally until this day - nearly 22 years later. Nothing remarkable, until you consider:

When he was blessed, I heard myself tell him that none of the physical trials he would experience in this life would have the power to divert him from the mission God had given him. I was surprised, as was my wife.

1) Five years later, we held him back in Headstart for a year to get additional help with a speech articulation issue. A nationally known speech therapist worked with him at no cost, because I was teaching two of her children in school - a job I felt prompted to take even though I wanted a different one.

2) Ten years ago, his appendix burst - apparently after leaking for about a week. The doctor told us it was the worst case he'd ever seen where the patient lived. He was in surgery for about eight hours.

3) Six years ago he was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes - perhaps because the poison from his appendix bursting had affected his pancreas. We don't know for sure, but there is no history of Type I diabetes in our families, so . . . (Our children have a long-standing pool focused on which of his organs will fail next.)

4) He is the only one of our six children who has extreme, nearly constant allergies.

5) All of us wear glasses, but his eyesight is the worst of the bunch.

6) He is the most naturally caring and spiritual kid I think I've ever met in my entire life. People are drawn to him immediately because he simply radiates joy and goodness and love and gentility. He has been an inspiration and help to more people in more ways than I can begin to elaborate. He just shines - and people flock to feel his light.

I believe deeply in the concept of blessings being a conduit of God's will in those situations where God has something He really needs to communicate - and I feel just as deeply that I was the instrument through which He cradled and blessed my son over 21 years ago. If that was the only experience with the divine I had ever had, it would be enough to convince me that there is a "God" who watches and knows us by name - and who knows the natural stuff we will experience as a result of mortality.

Sometimes, Life is Like an Elevator Ride: An Incredibly Profound Post

A Surreal Elevator Ride - Jeff Lindsay (Mormanity)

Preparing Our Kids for the Hard Stuff

I believe the best spiritual inoculation method for children simply is creating an open environment where they feel comfortable asking anything - and teaching them what you consider to be correct principles - and being willing to entertain unique perspectives from them.

When your children ask a question, do you give them an answer - or do you ask them what they think? When they tell you what they think, do you "correct" them or merely validate their still immature understanding - or do you try to build on their understanding and help them see multiple perspectives? Do you encourage them to think for themselves - or merely to memorize your or others' answers?

When you read the scriptures with them, do you just read as much as you can cover - or do you discuss every verse and/or passage to make sure they have a chance to understand what it says (and, in some cases, differing opinions on what it says)?

I could go on, but the key is pretty simple. I just wish, sometimes, it was easy.

What Titles for "God" Resonate with Your Soul?

My New Year's resolution for this month is to look at the 1st Article of Faith and consider how understanding it more fully, from both a Mormon perspective and from the perspectives of other religions, can help me be more Christ-like in the here and now.  I will focus on Buddhism, Islam and Judaism in subsequent posts this month, but I want first to consider the various ways God is described within Christianity - specifically by looking at some of the titles used to describe God in the Bible.  For the purposes of this post, with its focus on Christianity, I am not going to distinguish between Old Testament and New Testament titles - nor am I going to distinguish between titles Mormons might apply differently than other Christians (like those we might apply to God, the Father, and not necessarily to God, the Son - or, more often, vice-versa).  As I do so, I will provide what I believe is the best concise definition and a very short summary of my own affinity for and thoughts about each title.    

1) God 

the sole supreme Being, eternal, spiritual, and transcendent, who is the Creator and ruler of all and is infinitein all attributes; the object of worship in monotheistic religions  

I have no problem believing in "God" in this manner.  I understand the idea of creating and ruling, as well as the concept of possessing all attributes.  I also have no problem with the concept of worshiping such a Being, since "to worship" means "to reverence; honor; give homage".  Finally, I have no problem accepting the existence of a sole supreme Being who will my "ruler" and the object of my worship eternally.  There is nothing, in my opinion, within Mormonism that requires a different view of God - even the idea that we can become like God, as it doesn't necessitate any eventual cessation of our worship of GOD as our God.  

2) Father  

"a male parent; a person who has originated or established something"  

This one gets a bit tricky, since there are multiple interpretations in Christianity about exactly what this title means, as highlighted by the two definitions above I took straight from the dictionary.  Some Christians take the first definition very seriously, believing that God is a "literal" parent in every sense of the word as it generally is interpreted in mortality.  The extreme end of the spectrum is the belief by some Mormons that "God" refers to Heavenly "Parents" (not just a Heavenly Father") and that Heavenly Mother "gave birth to" spirit children in the same kind of gestational way that babies are born here on Earth to human women.  The other extreme is the general view throughout the rest of Christianity that God is our "father" by virtue of his being our "creator" - which reflects the second definition above.  The first view, taken to the extreme, posits that God and his children are the same species, while the second view posits a chasm or "gap" between God and his creations.  

My own view is sort of a combination of the two.  I see "God" as a title describing development, applied to "fathers and mothers".  In the pre-mortal existence of mankind, their bodies were fundamentally different than their "children" in one important way, since their "bodies" were "perfected" and their children's were not.  Thus, their children had to go through a transformative process to gain bodies that were fully like theirs  Thus, I see them as the "Parents as Creators" of our spirits through some unknown process - but I also see them as the "Parents as Ultimate Development Model" through another unknown process.  In other words, I have a very orthodox view of our relationship to our Heavenly Parents in the nature of our potential to become like them, but I do not believe that they are our parents in the sense that they "birthed" us in some way that is similar to the way we are born here on Earth.  That connection simply doesn't make sense to me on any level.  

3) Lord / Master / King - There are subtle differences among the definitions of the words listed above, but they are close enough for the purpose of this post.

"a person who has authority, control, or power over others" 

  

This is similar, in my mind, to the way "God" is used, but it carries a "legal" position that is absent in the use of "God".  Generally speaking, there is no substantive difference in interpretation of these titles within Christianity - at least not anything that can be articulated properly in a post of this size without turning it into a dissertation.  

I have no problem with these titles, with the exception of the use of the word "control".  Given the Mormon belief in personal accountability and agency, which I will discuss next month, I do not believe in a God who exercises "control" over mortals - although I do believe in God having the power to do so.  I believe part of the "perfection" of God is the ability to control unlimited power - and I believe D&C 121 (read in its entirety as one integrated lesson) is perhaps the best explication of this concept that exists in our recorded scriptural canon.  

4) Shepherd  

"a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep; a person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people.."  

This title is seen essentially in the same way among all Christian denominations, but there is an important difference concerning the role / responsibilities of the sheep.  The extreme Calvinsitic view is of sheep being nothing more than animals who respond or do not respond to the voice of the Shepherd based on prior programming on the part of the Shepherd - meaning the "following sheep" have no real choice and certainly deserve no credit for their actions, and the "non-following" sheep also have no real choice.  The opposite extreme is believed by some Mormons who see the sheep as having full choice in how they respond to the Shepherd's voice - meaning the "following sheep" truly deserve the credit for their actions, while the "non-following" sheep truly deserve the blame for theirs.  

My own view, not surprisingly to many who read this blog regularly, is a combination of the two views above.  I believe in personal agency - which means I believe that the sheep collectively do have the ability to choose how they respond to the Shepherd and that, to some degree, they are responsible for those collective choices.  However, I also believe that there are many limitations, of varying kinds and to greatly varying degrees, on each sheep that makes that sheep, as an individual entity, more or less "deserving" and "to blame" for its actions than other sheep.  I also believe that it is next to impossible, if not impossible, to understand exactly how much control over its actions any particular sheep has - so it is next to impossible, if not impossible, to determine exactly how "deserving" and "to blame" that sheep is in the end.  

Thus, I like the story of the shepherd who doesn't shrug his shoulders and blame the sheep who has strayed but leaves the "safe ninety and nine" to find the "lost one".  I think, when looking at our general assumptions about the population percentages of the various kingdoms of glory, it is interesting to look at that story and realize Jesus was said to have left the ninety and nine who were not lost to seek the one who was.  Sometimes, I think we see different percentages in our clouded, imperfect judgments of others.  I certainly think it's worth considering, at least, as we strive to emulate the Good Shepherd.  

I have listed only four titles for God that are used in the Bible.  There are many more.  I would appreciate any thoughts on what I have written above, but I also would LOVE to hear which other titles resonate the most strongly / purely to those who read this post.  

The Primary Purpose of the Book of Mormon is Not to Be Used as a Doctrinal Proof Text

Content-wise, not much of our unique doctrine and theology come from the Book of Mormon; most of it is found in the Bible.

One of the primary reasons for the Book of Mormon, according to the book itself, is to testify of the Bible - and to open our minds and hearts to the possibility of communing directly with God. I think the Book of Mormon acts as a catalyst to force someone to humble himself/herself to approach God with a sincere heart and ask for personal revelation. Those who receive a "witness" begin a journey of openness to the Spirit, which is symbolized (and sometimes actualized) in the Gift of the Holy Ghost. That process (companionship) opens the mind to read the Bible with new eyes, through which the truly unique doctrines of the Restoration are suddenly understood.

It also opens a conduit to seek personal revelation in personal areas - at the individual level, which, when you think about it, is what keeps many people who struggle with their faith active in the Church. They received a personal witness of some strength when they opened their heart to the possibility of communing directly with God, and the Book of Mormon played a huge role in that for many.

Life Is Pain - and Beauty

Designed for Beauty and Pain - Jeff Lindsay (Mormanity)

A Few Thoughts About Church Disciplinary Councils and Disfellowshipment

I learned a long time ago that nearly everything is subjective, and in the case of disciplinary councils, I believe rightly so, the public only hears the individual's side of the situation. We are not supposed to hear the other side (the institutional side) - and I think that is appropriate. Those who participate in these councils pledge to not talk about the details, and that is an important and valuable thing with which I agree totally. What it does, however, is allow those who are displeased with the decision to be the only public voice - and memories and perspectives while under stress are incredibly tricky things.

Reaching a "proper" decision becomes especially difficult whenever mental or emotional issues are present, since it's almost impossible to trust completely that the person who has such issues will be able to control them in a way that allows them to avoid repeat offenses. Add to that the automatic confidence of many that they won't sin again, even if there isn't evidence of that ability, and disfellowshipment becomes a reasonable "probationary" measure for many instances - a chance to delay a more extreme action (in either direction) and allow the person to prove themselves (one way or the other).

In my experience, disfellowshipment often is the most merciful decision possible - especially when the offense truly is serious and remorse seems real. Just like a time out or grounding or removal of privilege for a child can impress on him the seriousness of something done, without having to resort to extreme measures, disfellowshipment can do the same in tricky or complex situations where the council wants to believe the person but can't have full confidence yet.

In the end, I try not to judge anyone involved in a disciplinary council (in any position in that council), since I know I never will have the full story - sometimes even when I'm involved in it personally.

Having said that, and knowing how often excommunications result in long-term or permanent separation from the Church, one of the most amazing spiritual experiences of my life was a council where someone was cleared to be re-baptized after being excommunicated. I will NEVER forget that glorious experience. When conducted as intended, for the truly penitent, these councils are an amazing thing.

How I Should Like to Live My Life

How I should like to live my life . . . - Nate Oman (Times & Seasons)

The Difference Between Seminary and Sunday School

I was one of those precocious kids who didn't hear anything new in Sunday School for years. That was OK, since I knew there were other kids in my classes who had no (or little) instruction at home and desperately needed the milk. I supplemented my own learning at home with Sunday School, not the other way around. (Thank you, Mom and Dad, for helping me look at it that way - and to Church leaders who have said that is the ideal for decades.)

An analogy that I believe works for all kids:

Tall trees get knocked down by strong winds if the roots branch out instead of down. 

My fear with how teaching occurs in church classes is that not enough water will be used in classes that should provide "deep" instruction and/or too much water will be used in classes that should provide basic instruction. I view Seminary as the place for the meat and Sunday School as the place for the milk (relatively speaking). (If all kids who attend Sunday School can handle meat, I say go for it and teach more deeply. Just be sure none of them are choking. Otherwise, provide them with greatly enhanced milk.) My primary concern is that so few kids in many places are attending Seminary - and that Seminary sometimes isn't digging deeply enough and teaching students to digest meat.