One of the most common answers LDS’s give to the “purpose of life” question is that this life is a “training”, or a time in which we are “proven” and “tested”. Central to this notion of the purpose of life is the concept of “free agency”. We must be “free to choose” between “good and evil” in order to gain experience for ourselves and grow in this exam, called “life”. Continue reading “Deep Agency”
Tragedy in Cambridge, MA
This morning at approximately 10:37 AM during the regional Stake Conference broadcast, the fire alarm sounded in the Longfellow Park LDS Chapel in Cambridge, MA. At first, most thought it was a false alarm, but as people poured onto the street, it was evident that the fire was already serious. Copious amounts of smoke were pouring from under the eaves and the fire seemed to be mostly in the attic. It quickly escalated and firemen are still working to put out the flames.
The building was constructed in the 1950’s just outside of Harvard Square in one of the most beautiful parts of Cambridge, just across the street from the Longfellow House. Countless general authorities, LDS scholars, and dozens of bloggernacle members have called this building their spiritual home at one time or another. More information to come.
These photos were all taken within 20 minutes after the building was evacuated, between 10:43 and 10:55.
Update 1: No injuries. By 12 PM, announcements were made around the stake at the conclusion of the Stake Conference that it already appeared that the building would have to be entirely rebuilt.
The Book of Mormon on Eve
I’m pretty sure my understanding of the Fall is woefully incomplete. I’ve been still trying to square statements that pop up with frequency in the Bloggernacle and even in General Conference talks that say things like, “Mormons believe that Eve was courageous and wise” in her decision to partake of the forbidden fruit, when the scriptural texts suggest we don’t believe that. I thought it might be useful to explore just what the Book of Mormon says about Eve and the Fall.
I learned a few things. Continue reading “The Book of Mormon on Eve”
Cultural Capital and Critical Space
This started off as a comment on TT’s thread, the Cultural Critic as Apologist; but as it grew in length I figured I should probably start a new post altogether. In TT’s thread he raises the issue of creating space for the cultural critic. This critic is “faithful” in the sense that s/he desires to remain within the community of saints and make it a better place where “the ideals of Zion can be realized”. In this post I want to employ an alternative mode of analysis to look at a kind of space that may potentially serve as a space for the cultural critic. Continue reading “Cultural Capital and Critical Space”
Nibley was smarter than you!!
There are many Nibley-o-philes who harbor an obsession with his extraordinary intellect. He knew lots of languages and was an incredibly creative thinker. He was on the cutting edge for many in his time by paying attention to otherwise obscure texts. All this is quite admirable, but it’s time to move on from this particular fetish.
Wait, that’s in the Bible?! Celestial Sex
The Cultural Critic as Apologist
Those who “criticize” the church fall into a variety of camps. There are outsiders who criticize because the church’s teachings or practices conflict with their view of “truth” or “righteousness.” There are former or disaffected members who seek to explain their decision to leave. There are even faithful critical insiders who belong to or use their connections to church leadership and administration to silently work behind the scenes to improve things and are likely the force behind any change in church policy or practice. However, I don’t want to discuss any of these critics. Rather, I am interested in discussing the cultural critic, the insider who has no direct ability to affect change other than by making their voice heard. Unlike the first two kinds of critics, these critics share more with the third kind because their motivations for their criticisms comes from a deep love of the church.
Continue reading “The Cultural Critic as Apologist”
Wait, that’s (not) in the Bible?! Creation Ex Nihilo, Israelite Cosmology, and Science
As I have discussed in a series of posts on creation in Genesis 1-3 (see: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), the vast majority of biblical scholars now recognize that the ancient Israelites viewed the cosmos as being formed from a primeval chaotic state, and not ex nihilo. This may be best understood, perhaps, by taking a closer look at their worldview of the order and structure of the cosmos. Biblical scholar Bernhard Anderson briefly summarizes their cosmological world-view as follows:
The Bible takes for granted a three-storied structure of the universe: heaven, earth, and underworld (Ex. 20:4). According to this Weltbild, the earth is a flat surface, corrugated by mountains and divided by rivers and lakes. Above the earth, like a huge dome, is spread the firmament that holds back the heavenly ocean and supports the dwelling place of the gods (Genesis 1:8; Ps. 148:4). The earth itself is founded on pillars that are sunk into the subterranean waters (Ps. 24:2; 104:5), in the depths of which is located Sheol, the realm of death. In this view, the habitable world is surrounded by the waters of chaos, which unless held back, would engulf the world, a threat graphically portrayed in the flood story (Genesis 7:11; c.f. 1:6) and in various poems in the Old Testament (e.g., Ps. 46:1-4; 104:5-9). [1] Continue reading “Wait, that’s (not) in the Bible?! Creation Ex Nihilo, Israelite Cosmology, and Science”
Where Todd Wood and Jettboy can have it Out
For fear of a looming thread-jack starting here, I opened this thread. Continue reading “Where Todd Wood and Jettboy can have it Out”
Online Greek and Hebrew Reader’s Editions
This is too useful to get lost in the sidebar. A new site is up that offers useful online functionality. It’s essentially a configurable Reader’s Edition, with color-coding morphology (“make all verbs red”) and glosses. These are very useful things for beginners, reviewing, or just not where your resources are.
Check it out here.
Hat tip: MGVH