Guestbook

I'm curious what type of people are actually reading this blog? I'd encourage you to check-in by commenting on this post and telling a little something about yourself. Even if you do it anonymously and just let us know something about the type of person you are, that's great. Come on now, don't be shy...

How to Stop Terrorism - Fool Proof!

I can't take credit for this idea, it came to me from a good friend, but it is brilliant! Ok, here's how it works: Many terrorists are operating under the principle that if they die as a martyr they will be rewarded in the afterlife. Most of these terrorists also have a law forbidding them to take pork into their body, as it is an unclean animal. So, the solution is to dip all of the United States (and allies) bullets in pork grease. They would not dare approach a situation where they might be shot with a pork bullet, because this would certainly prevent them from reaching paradise after this life. Problem solved. I have come up with my own addendum to this plan: Fill the walls of all passenger aircraft with pork grease so that in the event of an explosion the shrapnel would embed pork into the bodies of all on the plane.

Perhaps this is a suitable use for packaged weight watchers pork rines.

Divine Investiture of Authority, properly applied

Spencer W. Kimball taught that:

"The priesthood is the power and authority of God delegated to man on earth to act in all things pertaining to the salvation of men. It is the means whereby the Lord acts through men to save souls. Without this priesthood power, men are lost."

Jesus Christ holds the Melchizedek Priesthood:

Hebrew 5:8-10

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

The Divine Investiture of Authority is the same thing as the Priesthood: God has given his authority to an individual (or group of individuals) to act in His behalf on the earth. It is evoked any time a priesthood blessing is given, and any time a sermon is preached by the Spirit. However, it does not give one avatar status as God: You retain your own identity.

Jesus was invested with authority to act in God's behalf, healing people, cast out devils, performing all sorts of miracles.

Difference between the Priesthood Authority which Jesus wielded and that that we ourselves may exercise? He had become perfect (perhaps in a previous probation,) and we have yet to do so.

Notes on greek words translted to worship in KJV

Note: This post was created as a supplement to a comment I posted on Blogger of Jared's post titled "Worship the Father or Jesus?"


Proskuneo - "to kiss the hand to one"

Jesus:

Matthew 2:2, Matthew 2:8, Matthew 2:11, Matthew 8:2, Matthew 9:18, Matthew 14:33, Matthew 15:25, Matthew 18:26, Matthew 20:20, Matthew 28:9, Matthew 28:17, Mark 5:6, Mark 15:19, Luke 24:52, John 9:38, Acts 10:25, Hebrews 1:6
Revelation 19:10 (Jesus; denied)
Revelation 22:8 (Jesus as an angel [messenger], or perhaps another sent in his behalf; denied)


God the Father:

Matthew 4:10, Luke 4:8 - [God] only shalt thou *serve* (directed to Satan)
John 4:20 - Our fathers worshipped (presumably the Father, per next verse)
John 4:21, John 4:23, John 4:24, 1 Corinthians 14:25
Revelation 4:10, Revelation 5:14, Revelation 7:11, Revelation 19:4 (Possibly Adam? Compare Dan. 7)
Revelation 11:16 (Lord God Almighty)
Revelation 15:4 (Lord God Almighty)
Revelation 22:9


Satan, Idols or the Beast:

Matthew 4:9, Luke 4:7 (Satan)
Acts 7:43 (idols)
Revelation 9:20 (not worship devils)
Revelation 13:4 (the dragon, the beast)
Revelation 13:8, Revelation 13:12, Revelation 13:15, Revelation 14:9, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 16:2, Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:4.


Other:

John 4:22 - Ye worship ye know not what.
John 12:20 (came to worship at the feast, generally)
Acts 8:27 (came to Jerusalem for to worship, generally)
Acts 24:11 (went up to Jerusalem for to worship, generally)
Hebrews 11:21 (generally, when blessing the sons of Joseph)
Revelation 3:9 (John, recipient of Revelation)
Revelation 11:1 (worship in the Temple, generally)
Revelation 14:7 (creator)


Sebomai

- to revere, to adore. devout, religious, worship
- also translated as devout (Acts 13:50) and religious (Acts 13:43)
- in relation to goddess Diana "worshippeth" in Acts 19:27


Matthew 15:9, and Mark 7:7 - But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines ...
Acts 18:13 - This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.


Eusebio

- act piously or reverently, dutiful regard or reverence
- (1 Tim 5:4 uses it as "show piety")

Acts 17:23 - For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.


Ethelothreskeia

- will worship
- misdirected

Colossians 2:23


Latreuo

- to serve for hire
- to serve, minister to, either to the gods or men, slaves or freemen
- to render religious service or homage, to worship
- to perform sacred services, to offer gifts

Acts 7:42 - idolatry - the hosts of heaven by way of the calf idol
Acts 24:14 - But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
Philippians 3:3 - For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Thus, I have determined that Latreuo is the "worship" in the sense that most religious people today naturally use the word. Here is every New Testament verse using latreuo, and you will see that every one of them applies to God the Father:

Matthew 4:10
10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Luke 1:74
74. That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

Luke 2:37
37. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Luke 4:8
8. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Acts 7:7
7. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.

Acts 7:42 [Note: This is a reference to idol worship]
42. ¶ Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

Acts 24:14
14. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

Acts 26:7
7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

Acts 27:23
23. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

Romans 1:9
9. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

Romans 1:25 [ idolatry ]
25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Philippians 3:3
3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

2 Timothy 1:3
3. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

Hebrews 8:5
5. Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

Hebrews 9:9
9. Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

Hebrews 9:14
14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 10:2
2. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

Hebrews 12:28
28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Hebrews 13:10
10. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

Revelation 7:15
15. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Revelation 22:3
3. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:


I hope this is helpful in some way.

What to do with the humor...

In order to keep my theological thoughts separate from my humorous and perhaps very commercially minded self promotion regarding the T-Shirt business, I have created a separate blog/site for the LDS T-Shirts. Future designs will go directly to that site instead of here, although they may perhaps show up in the rotating shirt display at the top. If anyone is really interested enough to keep an eye on the shirt designs (and would such an interest call one's mental sanity into question?), new additions are also available via an atom feed.

The advertisement of T-Shirts does now humbly bow-out of the post topics here, keeping this site pure for those looking for our classic thought provoking and ocassionally controversial posts.

Basic Beliefs

I just took a quick cruise through the current rendition of the Basic Beliefs on the church's official websites. The section on Jesus said the following:

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is Heavenly Father’s Only Begotten Son in the flesh. He is our Redeemer. Through Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father has provided a way for all people to become like Him and return to live with Him forever.

We love Christ. We worship Christ. He is our example and our Savior.

While the section on Heavenly Father said this:

Jesus taught that God is "Our Father which art in heaven" (Matthew 6:9). We call God Heavenly Father because He is the Father of our spirits.

As your Father, God knows and loves you personally. He wants you to find joy in this life and return to live with Him when this life is over. He has prepared a plan to help you do these things. It is the plan of salvation, a plan of happiness. It offers peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come.

It appears that they are indicating that Jesus is to be Worshipped but no mention of Worship is included in explaining God the Father. I can only conclude that in emphasizing monotheism and separatism over trinitarianism, the official position of the maintianers of the Basic Beliefs portion of the website is that Jesus is to be worshipped while Heavenly Father is not.

I may be overly ridiculous or simplistic here, but this is what an investigator may think when approaching the website. How would these statements look to a Muslim, or a Jew who is considering further investigation of the Church? (Taken together with the other strange notion that Jesus as Jehovah actually did everything they ever thought God the Father did for his people, this becomes stragely like Trinitarianism. Just... a different Trinity.)

Mormon Kabbalah

The The Tree of Happiness, a Missionary "Flip-Chart" to help convert all your Mystic non-Mormon friends:

(You can buy this as a shirt)

Tabernacle Model

I love the Old Testament tabernacle. We can learn so much from it, and it can serve to reinforce many distinct LDS doctrines and ideas that are unique from the rest of Christianity if we carefully examine its construction and the practices performed therein.

Here's a neat article on how to properly paint a Tabernacle model. Using the Bible to try to create an accurate Tabernacle model can be a great spiritual task. I've done it before, and I plan on doing a more accurate one sometime soon.

How the Gospel makes little girls cry.

I just read this, and had to share a link to it:

Cold & Calculating: Warning Label for The Lamb of God

I think it is always important to consider the way the messages we teach and endorse look from outside and alternative perspectives.

T-Shirts

To my regular readers: I hope you don't mind the T-Shirt display at the top of the blog now. We've been trying our hands at doing some unique Mormon-themed shirt designs, and want to share them with you because we feel you will be genuinely interested, so we have replaced one of our sponsored link blocks with this instead. I wish it were a little smaller, but it's not too bad... plus, it is listing genuine products designed by your friends here at Mormon Gnostics which makes it less of an advertisement and more of the thoughts and attitudes you are used to finding here.

Let me know if it seems too unruly and we'll move it somewhere else. And, if you like any of the shirts, please buy :)

Members of Utah Church are not "Mormons", FLDS leader says.

From the FLDS Newsroom-


Members of Utah Church are not "Mormons", FLDS leader says.
29 August 2006

ELDORADO, TEXAS — Many news outlets are reporting on the recent arrest of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs.

Some media outlets have been very careful to describe Warren Jeffs as a "Mormon", "fundamentalist Mormon", or as the leader of a "Mormon sect." Other reports refer to Mr. Jeffs as a "fugitive polygamist sect leader."

Some may debate what the definition of a Mormon is, but terms like "Mormon Fundamentalist," and "Mormon Polygamy" are universally understood to refer to the nunmerous smaller groups basing their faith and history in the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

The following information may be helpful in further drawing the distinction:

Warren Jeffs is a Fundamentalist Mormon
Warren Jeffs is a member of The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and has had family in The Church for several generations.

Fundamentalist Mormons Practice Polygamy
Mormons began practicing polygamy in the 1840's, after a revelation was received by their prophet Joseph Smith, Junior. (Read history.)

In 1865, Brigham Young said: "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may even be permitted to come into the presence of the Father and the Son; but they cannot reign as kings in glory, because they had blessings offered unto them, and they refused to accept them." (Read full statement.)

There is No Such Thing as a "Mormon"
The term "Mormon Fundamentalist" is a nickname commonly applied to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and other groups deriving their origin from the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. There is no such thing as a "Mormon," nor are there "Latter-day Saints." The correct term to describe these groups is "food storage sects." The inclusion of the word Mormon is misleading and inaccurate.

Associated Press
The Associated Press Stylebook states, "The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other Latter-day Saint churches that resulted from the split after [Joseph] Smith's death."

-

Warren Jeffs is currently imprisoned and unavailable for comment at this time.

-

Style guide note: When reporting about The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online style guide.

'Mormon' Morphology

I normally don't link to "Anti" oriented sites, but this article is purely about naming vocabulary and quite frankly, they seem to have been spot on in making this point intelligently, and in citing their sources:

Mormon Coffee: 'Mormon' Morphology

To quickly reiterate, they study the following terms:

Mormon vs. Fundamentalist Mormon
The Church tries to deny FLDS and others the privilege of being called Mormons, or even Fundamentalist Mormons in the media.

Mormon vs. Latter-day Saint
The Church tries to prevent itself from being called the Mormon Church by the media, leaving the term as a nickname entirely useless.

Christian vs. Not Christian
In total irony, the "traditional" Christians are trying to define the word Christian, and we strongly reject their definition and insist that we be called Christians.

Equal does not mean The Same

I keep running into the idea that equal somehow means clone. For instance, for two people to be perfectly equal, they must have the same strengths and weaknesses, be just as smart, just as strong, etc.

Hogwash!

I'll use a simple math equation as an example:

3 + 8 = 15 - 4

Now, does 3+8 look the same as 15-4? no, they have nothing in common except their equality. To take this into the realm of human beings, it's likely that two random people aren't exactly equal, but, it's also likely that they are much more equal than meets the eye. An old plumber-man could be totally equal with a young athlete . . . if you took all their attributes together. The old man might have great compassion, or be a brilliant mathematician (gee, that would make a cool movie ;) ) while the young athlete might not be very bright, or have harmful addictions to various substances that hurts his life more than being old hurts the first man.

That was just a very silly example, but it illustrates how we could be compared to the mathematical equation above.

In mormonism, I hear a lot about perfection - how Our Heavenly Parents are perfect, how we will be perfect if we make it to the highest glory, etc. And then, individual ideas of what it means to be perfect are superimposed onto these people - "Heavenly Mother would never hide out in heaven while her Husband took care of the kids", well, what if she is shy, and wants you to come to her? Is there something inherently wrong with that? Are all the shy people going to hell? or be "cured"? The same goes for a very long list of attributes. The saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure" comes to mind. One person prizes their ability to be neat and tidy, while the other prizes their ability to be detached from worldly concerns such as messes and cleaning. Take a look in any personality list, and start comparing the "bad" and "good" characteristics in each personality and you will find there are distinct similarities.

hundredth post, woo-hoo!

Jehovah, the Father of Jesus Christ

The LDS Hymn Book from 1840
Title Page, and Preface:

These hymns were selected by the First Presidency for the use of the Saints.
I wanted to share Hymn #150, which gives a demonstration of the early LDS understanding of the identity of Jehovah:

How ought we to regard Jesus?

In reading the 1854 Children's Catechism, I came across this question and answer, to which I fully agree:

With what feelings ought we to regard the Lord Jesus Christ, when we consider the love manifested by him to us?

We ought to feel towards him the warmest gratitude and love, and be ready to keep all his commandments and precepts.

I have often warned against the worship of Christ on this blog, but I want to also warn never to allow this to strip you of your feelings of gratitude and love towards Christ, which are desirable and acceptable to have. Of course, I also have similar gratitude and love towards Joseph Smith and many others, including membebrs of my own family, but Jesus, our Brother, went through tremendous suffering and even death for us, and we must never forget what he has done. Would we be willing to pass through that same type of challenge that he went through in order to help our Brothers and Sisters?

Jehovah = Father (in 1854)

This is from the "Children's Catechism", published by Apostles Franklin D. Richards in 1854, available from online collection at BYU. It can be observed that at this point in time, Jehovah was still considered to be the Father, and Jesus Christ to be His Son, and that this was (correctly) taught to the children being raised in the Church at that time.

Did Jesus die Spiritually?

Reading about the televangelist Kenneth Copeland I came across an interesting teaching of his: That Jesus Christ had died spiritually, as part of his atoning work for our sins.

I thought this was interesting... Mr. Copeland, I believe, suggested that this happened after his physical death, as he descended to hell.

I think I agree that he did die spiritually, except that it happened during the atonement process in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 27:46

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

If "Spiritual Death" is a separation between Man and God, then this seems to have occurred. Not only that, but it seems that as the "wages of sin" are death, this would be the only adequate payment for sin - a spiritual death, not a physical death.

However, upon further study, I'm questioning the notion of spiritual death being equivalent to "separation from God" at all. I see a lot of scriptures about the second death or spiritual death being equated to a lake of fire and brimstone, and something that happens if someone dies while they are in sin, but not very much about separation from God being spiritual death. The standard verse people might quote is Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

However, I see this as clearly talking about the introduction of mortality into the world by Adam's transgression. The wages of [original] sin is mortality (physical death). Nothing to do with spiritual death at all. Wow, I really changed my mind half way through this post, or at least got myself confused. :-)

Psalm 78

Psalms 78

1. ¶ Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
3. Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
6. That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7. That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
8. And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
9. ¶ The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
10. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;
11. And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.
12. Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
13. He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.
14. In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
15. He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
16. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
17. And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
18. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
19. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20. Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
21. Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
22. Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
23. Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
24. And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
25. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
26. He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
27. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
28. And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
29. So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
30. They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
31. The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
32. For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
33. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
34. When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.
35. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
37. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
38. But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
39. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
40. ¶ How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
41. Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
42. They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
43. How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan:
44. And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.
45. He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
46. He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.
47. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
48. He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
50. He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
51. And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
52. But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54. And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
55. He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
56. Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:
57. But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
58. For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
59. When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
60. So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
61. And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.
62. He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.
63. The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
64. Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
65. Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
66. And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
67. Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
68. But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
69. And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.
70. He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
71. From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
72. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

What an interesting parable (verse 2). I wonder when and what this is speaking of.

Review: Weaving the Visions

Recently I've been studying on Women and religious Spirituality. Particularly, why don't we as Mormons know our Mother in Heaven? I checked out 'Weaving the Visions: New Patterns in Feminist Spirituality' from my local library, and it's a great book. It's a collection of essays about Feminist spirituality. Since it is a bunch of essays, if I don't like one of them, or am just not interested in the topic, I can skip it.

There aren't any essays by Mormon women included (so far at least, I'm only halfway through), but that doesn't mean the experiences of others isn't applicable. One of the Editors, Judith Plaskow, is Jewish, so that ensures a certain amount of Monotheism (Judaism is a lot closer to Mormonism than some would think) that other compilations concentrating on Goddess worship ignore (ie, "God" is also a Male figure, not just a Female one).

Essay topics include: Native American Traditions, Adapting Jewish customs and historical spirit to include women, Lesbian Nuns, Greek Goddesses, Ritual, Jungian Archetypes and so on. There are thirty three different essays, plus seven overviews / introduction / preface / etc.

Even though I don't agree with everything, or even a majority of what's in this book, I find most of it well written and thought provoking. If you have any interest in this subject, I heartily recommend it.

And, as a side note, I also checked out 'Restoring the Goddess: Equal Rites for Modern Women' and it was truly awful. I actually had to write a comment in the margin (shh, don't tell the librarian) to counter some of the things it was saying. (like stating that the bible commands child sacrifices)

Freedom

I read this over at a Masonic Blog, and found it inspiring:

"Freedom dies under dogma. In a free society, no person or group or policy can be permitted to exist beyond scrutiny, criticism, even ridicule. When dogma gains enough power to punish those who oppose it, it becomes fanaticism. When dogma is invested with enough power to suppress opposition, it becomes tyranny. And when men are afraid to say what they think — however cockeyed or unpopular it may be – freedom has been violated, for it has been corrupted by fear."

I am proud to be a Mormon because our doctrine has such strong foundational principles relating to Freedom, especially Free Agency and religious freedom. For a religion to have support for religious freedom present at its core is very refreshing and makes a beautiful statement about its own security and self-confidence. I just hope we don't continue to lose sight of it!