FAIR

Doctrine

Come, Follow Me Week 47 – Doctrine and Covenants 133-134

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Religious Freedom for All

by Louis Herrey

As I read Doctrine and Covenants 134 today I was reminded of a Swedish debate article I encountered back in 2012. It was written by Björn Ulvaeus, band member of the pop group Abba. On a personal note, I have greatly admired Ulvaeus’ talents throughout the years, especially his lyrical compositions. This time however, his words were less uplifting, at least from a Latter-day Saint perspective.

Ulvaeus, who is also a representative of the Humanist Association in Sweden, commented on the presidential race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. In essence, the musician presented a rather gloomy picture of the world should Mitt Romney be elected president. It would be a ”doomsday” indeed. Ulvaeus compared the ”fundamentalist” Romney with Iran’s past president, the fundamentalist Ahmadinejad, and claimed that the Mormons, like the Islamists, wanted their religion to govern the laws of the land. And if that happened, good riddance to the rights and liberties of the people. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 47 – Doctrine and Covenants 133-134

FAIR Conference Podcast #65 – Edwin E. Gantt, “Agentic Sexuality: How a Latter-day Saint Perspective Can Rescue Humanity from the Tyranny of the Abstract”

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This podcast series features past FAIR Conference presentations. This presentation is from our 2021 conference held in August. If you would like to watch the presentations from the conference, you can still purchase the video streaming.

Edwin E. Gantt, Agentic Sexuality: How a Latter-day Saint Perspective Can Rescue Humanity from the Tyranny of the Abstract

A transcript is available here.

Edwin’s book, Who Is Truth: Reframing Our Questions for a Richer Faith, is available from our bookstore.

Edwin E. Gantt is currently Professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University and a Research Fellow of the Wheatley Institution. He received his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Duquesne University. He is the author of over 80 scholarly articles and book chapters. His primary research interests revolve around the questions of moral agency and the relationship between religion, science, and psychology. He is co-author (with Richard N. Williams) of Hijacking Science:  Exploring the Nature and Consequences of Overreach in Psychology, editor of the textbook series Taking Sides:  Clashing Views on Psychological Issues, and Co-Editor of the journal Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy (the official journal of the Association of Latter-day Saint Counselors and Psychologists). He teaches courses in the History and Philosophy of Psychology, Personality Theory, Qualitative Research Methods, Psychology of Religion, and (his favorite) LDS Perspectives on Psychology. He and his wife Anita live in Springville and have four wonderful sons, two amazing daughters-in-law, and two beautiful grandsons.

 

Come, Follow Me Week 45 – Doctrine and Covenants 125-128

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By Cassandra Hedelius

It’s difficult to write this post, because the subject is baptism for the dead, and my grandpa is dying, and I love him, and he’s never accepted the gospel. His death from old age isn’t tragic, but it would be if we didn’t have so much revelation from God about His plan. For this, I thank God for prophets.

When Joseph’s older brother Alvin died, a minister preached at his funeral and “intimated very strongly that [Alvin] had gone to hell, for Alvin was not a church member.”[1] This was obviously a tactless thing to say to a grieving family, but based on the knowledge that minister had, he wasn’t really wrong! The Bible is pretty clear that baptism is an eternal necessity. What that minister needed wasn’t sensitivity training, but more revealed truth. Let’s take the charitable view that he would have been ecstatic to learn that Alvin was not in fact damned, and that God is perfectly able to overcome paltry obstacles like people dying before having a chance to accept the truth.  [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 45 – Doctrine and Covenants 125-128

Come, Follow Me Week 40 – Doctrine and Covenants 109-110

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by David W. Smith

 

“A Fulness of the Holy Ghost”

From the beginning of his presidency, President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly emphasized the blessings of temple service. In his very first address as President of the Church he said:

As a new Presidency, we want to begin with the end in mind. For this reason, we’re speaking to you today from a temple….The ordinances of the temple and the covenants you make there are key to strengthening your life, your marriage and family, and your ability to resist the attacks of the adversary. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.
(“As We Go Forward Together,” Ensign, April 2018)

In a later address he counseled: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 40 – Doctrine and Covenants 109-110

Come, Follow Me Week 36 – Doctrine and Covenants 94-97

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by Cassandra Hedelius

In D&C 88, the Lord instructed Joseph that the School of the Prophets should always begin with a striking demonstration of affection between the participants:

“[L]et the teacher arise, and, with uplifted hands to heaven, yea, even directly, salute his brother or brethren with these words:

“Art thou a brother or brethren? I salute you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in token or remembrance of the everlasting covenant, in which covenant I receive you to fellowship, in a determination that is fixed, immovable, and unchangeable, to be your friend and brother through the grace of God in the bonds of love, to walk in all the commandments of God blameless, in thanksgiving, forever and ever. Amen.” (D&C 88:132-133) [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 36 – Doctrine and Covenants 94-97

Come, Follow Me Week 35 – Doctrine and Covenants 93

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“Ye Were Also In The Beginning With The Father”

By Kara Dawson

D&C 93 teaches in two separate verses that “ye were also in the beginning with the Father” (v.23) and “man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be” (v.29). Joseph Smith’s teachings during his lifetime demonstrated clearly that spirits were coeternal with God. In an 1839 sermon he taught as recorded by William Clayton, “The Spirit of Man is not a created being…It existed from Eternity and will exist to eternity. Anything created cannot be eternal.” (1) In the King Follett sermon given in 1844, he noted, “God never did have the power to create the spirit of man at all.” (2) “I must come to the resurrection of the dead, the soul, the mind of man, the immortal spirit. All men say God created it in the beginning. The very idea lessens man in my estimation; I do not believe the doctrine, I know better. Hear it all ye ends of the world, for God has told me so.” (3)

Yet how do we reconcile these verses with modern-day accepted Church teachings that, “All men and women are literally the sons and daughters of God” (4), and that, “those who abide in the covenant and are exalted in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom will have spirit children in the eternities”(5). Whether spirits existed eternally or were born in some process beyond our comprehension is one of the areas in which we are waiting for further light and knowledge, and this is clearly not a topic that we need to understand for our salvation. Church members have a variety of opinions on the subject, informed by both canonized scripture, teachings of Church leaders and folk doctrine, and consensus cannot be reached given the current lack of clarity; yet, it’s an interesting subject to study and ponder. The purpose of this short article is not to lay out the arguments for each, but to summarise the main ideas in terms of questions and the sources of scholarship available for further study on the evolution of LDS thought on the subject.

The two basic possibilities are: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 35 – Doctrine and Covenants 93

Come, Follow Me Week 33 – Doctrine and Covenants 88

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By René Krywult

In September 1832 Joseph Smith received D&C 84, which talks about the oath and covenant of the Priesthood, about receiving the Son and the Father, and about the necessity of the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood in order to see God and live. Also, a command to build a temple was issued. In December, these temple topics were deepened, when Joseph and nine high priests “assembled in the translating room in Kirtland”.

The connection to the temple starts with the description Joseph gave to this section, saying this revelation was “plucked from the Tree of Paradise”, from the Garden of Eden, and it is evident in D&C 109, the inspired prayer of dedication for the Kirtland temple, which “drew liberally on section 88.” (https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/historical-context/dc-88/) [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 33 – Doctrine and Covenants 88

Come, Follow Me Week 29 – Doctrine and Covenants 77-80

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“A Place in the Celestial World”

By David W. Smith

In the early 1830s, Joseph Smith strove diligently to help the Saints build Zion. In one of the revelations given on how to build Zion, the Lord taught Joseph Smith and all the Saints: “For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.”[1]

There are three points I would like to address from this scripture: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 29 – Doctrine and Covenants 77-80

Come, Follow Me Week 28 – Doctrine and Covenants 76

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by Cassandra Hedelius

By Joseph Smith’s time, much of Christendom was floundering with a badly truncated understanding of God’s judgment and humanity’s destination in the next life. Many believed, as many still do today, that all people will eternally fall on one side or the other of a single line: those who did good and receive the resurrection of the just, and those who did evil and receive the resurrection of damnation. There are obvious practical issues with that scheme, starting with the fact that cheating on homework and committing genocide are both sinful, but it feels unjust and illogical to consign their perpetrators to being undifferentiated roommates in hell.

The Bible does contain hints of a more complex judgment. It teaches that Christ shall reward every man according to his works (Matthew 16:27); converts are like seeds that bring forth a hundredfold or sixtyfold or thirtyfold (Matthew 13:8); Paul compared resurrected bodies to the differing glory of the sun, moon, and stars (1 Corinthians 15:41). But this isn’t enough to build a case countering the most obvious interpretation of the Bible’s teachings–at the final judgment people will be designated good or evil, and receive their final assignment to heaven or hell. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 28 – Doctrine and Covenants 76

Come, Follow Me Week 27 – Doctrine and Covenants 71-75

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Repenting is Ascending

By Jeff Markham

3 Verily this is a mission for a season, which I give unto you.

4 Wherefore, labor ye in my vineyard. Call upon the inhabitants of the earth, and bear record, and prepare the way for the commandments and revelations which are to come.

5 Now, behold this is wisdom; whoso readeth, let him understand and receive also;

6 For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly, even power. (Doctrine & Covenants 71)

These verses from Section 71 stand as a powerful reminder of the true purpose of missionary work. We are not called to provide overwhelming proof of the truthfulness of the Gospel, nor are we called to impress others with our deep knowledge of the scriptures. Rather, we are to:  [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 27 – Doctrine and Covenants 71-75