I had put off reading “How Wide the Divide?” for many years. Partly because I had other things I wanted to read, but mostly because I thought I wouldn’t like it. I speculated that Robinson would most likely compromise certain aspects of Mormon doctrine in the interests of promoting civil interfaith dialog. And I didn’t have the stomach for that.
There was what I felt to be a landmark post over at the Thang a few days ago. It was basically a debate between GeoffJ and a well known Mormon critic named Aaron (from the fluffy bunny nice nice club). What I liked about this exchange was that there were so many smart Mormons boldly standing up for themselves, while denouncing Calvinist theology in an emphatic way. It seemed that the Mormons were turning the tables on their critics.
Funny how one way I decompress is to get my brain whirring about stuff on the ‘nacle. (I’m sure I am not alone there, huh?) I stumbled on this post, and made a comment, and since I’m not sure it went through (the technology over there puzzles me), I thought I would post it here, too, with a few changes. Besides, it’s been too long since I have posted here, and this is a topic that is worth a post to me. Probably deserves more time than I have, but it’s late and so this is all for tonite. Continue reading »
(An attempt at an Aesop-like fable with a gospel moral)
There was once a farmer who wanted to get his animals more organized and productive. He decided to assign one of them to lead the others, but who should he assign?
I have a mini personal tradition that I started during conference time. On Sunday morning I take a walk down to some soccer fields that are near my home. I walk around the fields, and sometimes sit at one of the picnic tables. This gives me a chance to think and internally jabber to myself and God. I ponder all sorts of things during this quiet, private time.
This time I was reflecting on what I had heard during conference to that point, but in a very non-specific way. I am not sure which talk did it, but I started asking myself what my church membership really meant to me. What were the core values of my religious life? For me it came down to three primary things:
1 - I really like and believe the basic teachings and doctrines of the church. There is such great theological power there.
2 - I appreciate the opportunities that I have to serve through my church participation. Being a ward clerk, teaching, even scouts and home teaching. I’m afraid I wouldn’t do all that much for people otherwise.
3 - I want to be a good husband for my wife, and a good father for my kids. This is largely what I am all about.
I was glad for this experience, and I think it clarified where my priorities are at. What does your membership in the church mean to you?
While watching the Priesthood Session of the 179th Annual General Conference, I wrote down a number of quotes that struck me. As many readers of this blog may not have attended that session, I’ll share them here:
The text of these talks should be available on Thursday, April 9th, here.
On a related note, during the Priesthood Session, the choir sang in incredibly beautiful version of “Sing Praise to Him” (Hymns, 70). Wanting to listen to it again, I searched Google and found that the Church has started making the music from General Conference available for download. The music can now be downloaded from here and listened to on an iPod.
OK, here is the situation:
A woman is married to a man who has been subtly abusive to her and her children. They were married in the temple. She feels that if they had not been married in the temple, she would divorce him, but feels obligated to stay with him because of the covenants that were made. She hopes that after the resurrection his human weaknesses will be all gone and they will be able to have a celestial marriage. In the meantime much of her life is a living hell.
Discuss if you wish.
This is purely an exercise in semantics.
A nurturer presides-
A nurturer sets the precedent in her home what kind of attitude her family is going to have. Her leading example creates an atmosphere of love and self-confidence in the home. Her guidance and wisdom is invaluable to her husband as they make decisions together and help each as equal partners. She enables her husband to achieve success in his roles. Recently, in a worldwide Leadership broadcast, Primary President Cheryl C. Lant noted the importance of the nurturer’s leadership role, saying, “Mothers have to facilitate that. They have to enable their families to gather like that and pave the way for it to be a good experience.” A nurturer strengthens her children’s capacity to be self-reliant with her encouragement and instruction. She sets limits for her children and teaches them self-control and perseverance.
The Scriptures have plenty of examples of Women showing leadership and setting precedents. We have Deborah, the Judge of Israel saving her people and standing as prophetess for them. We have Abigail saving her family by appeasing David after her husband is foolish. We have Esther saving her people by standing up to the King. We have Naomi leading Ruth to a new life, and Ruth choosing to stand by her mother in law in perhaps the greatest statement of affection in all scriptures. We have the widow, choosing to give of herself to Elijah, and thus saving her child. In our Apocrypha we have Judith saving Israel with her heroism. We have Mary choosing the path to be Christ’s Mother. We have the Mary being the first to see the risen Lord. In the Latter-days we have Eliza R. Snow, boldly declaring doctrine and prophesying. And today we have Julie Beck, and thousands of other examples we see in our general lives. It is little wonder that the author of proverbs notes of a good mother that “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her” (Proverbs 31:38) Truly, A nurturer presides.
A nurturer provides-
The nurturer who knows provides for her children. She finds ways to give them the necessities of life, providing love, encouragement, a listening ear, food, shelter, education, and a Christ like example; often she sacrifices of herself to make sure those around her have what they need.
In the mid 20th Century, the popular philosophy of Objectivism argued that all human activity was rooted in selfishness. A common rebuttal to this argument is the example of a widowed old mother, who in a concentration camp in Germany, chooses to starve to death and feed a boy who is not her son, rather than her own self interests. [1]
Another great example is Mary, who we now honor as the Mother of Christ. When the Lord called on her to be the mother of God she willingly provided means for the Son of God to be born. Folklore adds that when she knew her Cousin was also with child, despite the distance and her personal situation, she willingly sacrificed of herself to provide assistance to a family member in need. It is little wonder that our brothers and sisters of the catholic faith call Jesus’ Mother “Our Lady of Providence”
In our own day and age, We teach our women that “Women must … be prepared to providesupport. Many women work to support themselves, and still others work to support themselves and their families” [2] A quick scan of current events in the church shows hundreds of examples of women providing service in their families, communities and the world beyond. Truly, the nurturers are great providers.
A nurturer protects-
It has been said that there is nothing more aggressive than a mother who’s children are in danger. But it is not with raw physicallity alone that mothers protect. They teach their children correct principles with love and diligence, so that their children will have the capacity and understanding to avoid trouble and get through it when needed. A nurturer knows that no matter how hard she tries; she cannot be there for every difficult moment in her children’s lives. So she guides them to their Savior Jesus Christ, whose constant aid can be available.
In the Book of Mormon, The stripling warriors were able to overcome seemingly impossible odds in battle due to the protection given them by the education they received from their mothers.
Conclusion
While I have focused today on the role of nurturers, I would also like to remind the men again that “ In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners” [4] It is not merely the role of the woman to Preside, Provide and Protect, she must have her husband equally beside her assisting in these efforts. When these two work together in unity and love, the blessing to the children are great.
I would like to close with these words from President Hinckley:
“My wife likes to tell of Sam Levenson. He speaks of growing up in a crowded New York tenement where the environment was anything but good. Here in this slum, his mother reared her eight precocious children. He said, “The moral standard of the home had to be higher than that of the street.” His mother would say to them when they acted the way they acted on the street, “You are not on the street; you are in our home. This is not a cellar nor a poolroom. Here we act like human beings.”
If anyone can change the dismal situation into which we are sliding, it is you. Rise up, O women of Zion, rise to the great challenge which faces you”
Notes:
[1] Sadly, this is purely a recollection from a class in Ethics in college 10 years ago.
[2] Lesson 28: Developing Employment Skills,” The Latter-day Saint Woman: Basic Manual for Women, Part A, 206
[3] see hundreds of examples here
[4] Proclamtion to the World
I live in southern Michigan, and recently a evangelical church in Lansing had demonstrators storm into their services. There was vandalism, threats, and all kinds of crap going on. Haven’t heard about this? Hmmm.
Our stake leaders are concerned about this happening to one of our Mormon wards, and are giving some instructions about what to do. Their advice is to:
Warn the members that this might happen.
Do not retaliate.
Have everyone stand and sing hymns until they go away.
Get license plate numbers and pursue prosecution.
I am afraid that this is not as far-fetched as it might sound. Is the above advice any good? What would you do?
There has been talk that 2008 was a bad year for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its image. To many it was a self-inflicted image because of the political stands it took and history. True as that may be, Mormonism has almost never had good press coverage or widespread respect. Perhaps the closet to a good reputation was during the era between 1950 and the first years of the 1960s when the forced Americanization of Mormonism coincided with wide spread U.S. patriotism and conservative spirit. That window of time was short lived and perhaps illusory. Radical social and political liberalization quickly took over. What remained was the LDS Church standing in the crosshairs of a culture war. It was left again where it started in the 18th Century. The conservative religious considered Mormonism a blasphemy and secularists an affront to human progress and logic.
