RWW - This one's for you!

... and for the rest of those who have been wanting to hear from me again. Thank you all for your concern, your prayers, and your support. For better or for worse, I have found that blogging specifically to a Mormon audience is utterly not worthwhile. The Mormonism of today has its truth already, and is not looking for any innovation whatsoever. Innovation would separate it from mainstream Christianity, and favor with mainstream Christianity is that which the Saints of today most deeply covet. Strong words, perhaps, but true: If not individually, then collectively.

I am forever the heretic because I believe that Jehovah is the Father, as Joseph Smith did, and because I side with Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff on certain issues which, according to Bruce R. McConkie, implies that I "have the intellect of an ant and the understanding of a clod of miry clay in a primordial swamp" and that I "do not deserve to be saved." Why won't "our" apologists apologize for statements such as this?

(Side note: 2,555,000,000 years old. Hmm.)

And yet I believe! Well, I believe in something, and my beliefs are deeply intertwined with Mormonism. They may not be the Orthodox religion, but they are Godly, or, if they are not, then I have been deceived. But, I choose to believe that the Holy Ghost I have felt is real, that the answers to prayer I received about Joseph Smith are true. But I am not part of mainstream Mormon culture. They look at me funny. I scare some of them. They just don't know how to deal with me. And the more I endure, the more sick I feel when I hear their teachings. I mean their pet teachings, their naive teachings, not the truth. When they preach the truth it is still sweet, but the other things, the naive assumptions and philosophies of some of their most prominent men which they have blended with the gospel offends my spirit in subtle ways, and I would rather be in an environment more facilitative of my spiritual growth.

Is this selfish of me? I'd like to help them grow. I'd like to pitch in and teach, but I can't. My teachings are not permitted. So I feel saddened by it all.

If you like my posts, my thoughts, and want to hear more from me, or speak with me, please consider reading and commenting on my Masonic blog: Lodgical. Nearly everything I write there and elsewhere has personal religious significance to me. Even the articles I write for other organizations. If you have comments or questions to share with me of an overtly Mormon nature, or just want to chat, please contact me directly by email at jeffREMOVE_THIS_PART@storago.com

I want to talk. I have very little religious fellowship now. I am currently accepted as a sort of sojourner ("on the path") in the Jewish community, but that is not a place to deeply discuss my Latter-day Saint beliefs.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Prayer Circle History

Prayer circle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Ritual prayer in a circle around an altar is not unique to Mormonism or even Christianity. Ritual ceremonies around an altar are common in paganism, and ritual prayer dances around an altar were practiced by early Christians, especially Gnostics, before the practice was condemned as a heresy by the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 A.D."

They mentioned Gnostics! :-)

"Offerings Up" Signs to God

Some historical background:

"if we have the garments upon us at all the times we can at any time offer up the signs"
--George A. Smith, Dec 21, 1854, Sunday, Nauvoo Temple, An intimate chronicle, p. 221)

"It is necessary for all who have been through the temple to meet in quorum, in order to become familiar with the signs and tokens, because they are the keys of the Priesthood, in this the seventh dispensation."
--Heber C. Kimball (1846) quoted by Catherine Lewis in her Narrative of Some of the Proceedings of the Mormons, 1848, p.11

"Saturday Mar 7th, [1846, Nauvoo, Ill]
... at evening for the first time my family met together for prayer according to the Order of God in our priestly garments conversed together partook of the sacrament, offered up the signs and prayed and dedicated the upper room of my house for the purpose of worshiping our Heavenly Father. The good spirit of our God was with us and we felt blessed. There were 8 of us myself, Br. Horace Fish and Philo T. Farnsworth, Br. Fish's wife and daughter, Julia and Jane, Elizabeth and Mother Pulsipher making 8 in number ... In this company I saw by faith the beginning of a great and mighty kingdom when we should enjoy all the blessings of this life, riches, music, wisdom and the full manifestations of the holy priesthood unto the salvation of ourselves and all that pertain unto each of us ... This evening Philo declared his intention to be adopted to me and wished me to consider him my son."
--Franklin D. Richards, Diary

I find it interesting that they use the words "offer up" in relation to the signs. It is as though the signs are a gift given to Heavenly Father, and brings to mind images of him accepting them as tokens of our love and obedience. My question: What can we offer up to Father today to engage in such holy Worship, as our ability to offer up the signs as families and quorums seems to be quite stifled, presently? How can we engage in genuine worship as quorums?

Church seems to be so much about temporal needs and actual Worship of God is a subject many I think would find awkward or confusing. People may point to singing hymns or listening to talks as Worship, but I believe there is more to it than that. Also, worship should probably be focused, and I believe at best we currently seem to achieve diffused worship in Church (if at all), diffused in both purpose and direction.

At least a few other Churches seem to be a few steps ahead of us in root level spirituality, even if they may be lacking in doctrinal areas. So: What do you offer up in simple worship to God, as a family or a quorum?

Godly Discrimination

I recently read a sentiment over at By Common Consent where someone questioned the use of esoteric knowledge to achieve more effective Prayer, or to be higher on God's pecking order, I quote:

"While this may be the bargain one agrees to or accepts vis-a-vis the temple, it seems to cheapen the efficacy of prayer by the non-learned or non-endowed, or frankly non-member. In effect, prayer isn’t as powerful as it is marketed, but only for those who know the true manner and mode as revealed by esoteric sources. Here we see God layering one more level of discrimination between the “saved” and the infidel."
- Razorfish

Yes, in general, God does discriminate. Why wouldn't he? His discrimination is based on how obedient people are to His commandments and his laws. The people who do what the Holy Ghost prompts them to are more likely to receive future communications from the Holy Ghost. Non-Endowed? It is a gift available to ALL who will submit and become worthy for it. Non-Member? Baptism is a gift available to all!

This discrimination is not a prejudice based on who you are, where you were born, how much money you have, or anything of that manner. It is a holy discrimination based on how faithful and obedient you have been to Father's counsel. To think that God listens to and considers all prayers equally, even the prayers of someone deep in "sin", openly defying his law, and knowing it, would seem absurd to anyone: especially since the types of prayers this type of person may utter are more likely to be asking for things which are against the Will of God. If someone is a relatively "good" person, but are still not faithful in all things, it would only stand to reason that their prayers would match with God's will only so far, and that a person who is true and faithful in all things will pray for those things that God will regularly answer, either because they are His will, or as a blessing for your obedience.

So? If you want effective prayer: Be obedient to God. Listen to God. Ask God in a manner you know he approves of (For example: In the name of Jesus Christ.)

Theurgy and Theosis in Nauvoo Theology and Practice

Wikipedia says 'Theurgy is "describes the practice of rituals, sometimes seen as magical in nature, performed with the intention of invoking the action of God (or other personified supernatural power), especially with the goal of uniting with the divine, achieving theosis, and perfecting oneself."'

Aspects of Latter-day Saint practice seem to be theurgic both in the sense of invoking action of God (Priesthood ordinances, especially blessings), and in our idea of Exaltation:

[T]heosis, meaning divinization (or deification or, to become god), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection. Theosis comprehends salvation from sin, is premised upon apostolic and early Christian understanding of the life of faith, and is conceptually foundational in both the East and the West.
From Wikipedia entry for "Theosis"

The True Order of Prayer taught in the Temple seems to be a theurgic and highly "magical" method where Latter-day Saints use keys to call upon God and invoke His action.

It goes beyond common prayer, beyond the use of mudras (hand positions) in connection with meditation, and sets out to achieve specific goals. I speculate that this is done by at least in part by tapping into powerful egregores ("the spirit of the thing", energy pools associated with a group of people performing a common action).

Verbal prayer is powerful because you are letting part of your soul "out" into the physical world. The implications? Apparently, you'd better set apart your sacred place properly before skipping ahead and embarking on the prayer, or else you should expect Satan to answer. This is evidenced by Joseph Smith's so-called "first prayer" which he made verbally in the sacred grove, and by Adam's prayer demonstrated in the Temple.

How old are the egregores associated with the True Order of Prayer? I proclaim they are at least as old as the Tabernacle of Moses, and probably originated on this earth from Adam himself. I can demonstrate accurate descriptions of all of these Signs in connection with the Mosaic Tabernacle by using the Torah and the Talmud, however I have not yet determined how to relate that information fully to others in an open way that would retain strict fidelity to the covenants and obligations I have made, so I cannot at this time and place explain the connections. If you believe me on this point, however, these egregores are probably older than the formation of this Earth, which means that tapping into their energy is probably more powerful than any other existent, except perhaps that of procreation. However, both of these energies (TOOP and procreative powers) have been shrouded in obscurity, lack of understanding, and/or misuse, and I wonder if that dilutes their effectiveness in any way?