Dan Brooks's Blog, page 33

A response to the op-ed piece: Woman, know thy place.

Here is a link to an op-ed piece that is disgusting to my mind and I would like to take the time to respond before I submit this post to the tribune.  I ask that you read this short and bigoted piece before you read my response.  You can find it here.




The op-ed commentary by Mr. Marples  is so steeped in ignorance I honestly don't know where to begin, so I'll just start with the scholarly merits of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35.  This passage appears to condemn female participation in churches and synagogues, However, it completely contradicts verse 11:5, in which Paul states clearly that women can actively pray and prophesy during services. It is clear to a great many theologians and scholars that verses 14:33b to 36 are later additions, added by an anonymous forger with little to no talent for forgery. Biblical scholar Hans Conzelmann's comments on these verses are as follows: "Moreover, there are peculiarities of linguistic usage, and of thought. [within them]." If these verses are removed, then Verse 33a merges with Verse 37 into a more smooth and seamless transition. It appears to those well educated on the subject that these verses were not originally written by Paul. The stand against female ordination by many denominations, including our own, is based on these verses, but the knowledge that these verses were forged should give any believer great cause for reflection and hopefully lead to a more open mind on the subject. 
Also, given that the hierarchy of creation ends with the creation of Eve and therefore places her at the pinnacle of creation, a good case can be made that there is something special about women within the realm of humanity.  One could even argue that women are superior by that logic.
Mr.Marple is also in error by equating equality to political correctness, they are in fact two different things.  Political correctness is not always equal but the goal of equality is to treat all people as they truly are-as equal in the sight of God.  We all share an equal portion of our divine inheritance as children of God.  All are alike unto God remember?
And yes I'm sure Brigham Young would be against sharing the spot light with women as if they were equal or something were he alive today just as he refused minorities the priesthood, which by the way was a matter of policy and not scripture as evident by the ordination of Joseph Smith's informally adopted step-brother, a black man named Elijah Abel by Joseph Smith.
And Joseph Smith and Emma Smith allowed for the Relief Society to be a fundamental part of our church, making the LDS church one of the most progressive branches of Christianity in 19th century America.
The bigotry and ignorance espoused by Mr. Marples and others is not shared by the Savior, after all how can you truly love someone unconditionally as the Lord loves us if you are prejudiced against them?  We are told by Jesus that the two greatest commandments are: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Mr.Marples may need to read the scriptures again, in their proper context because if he did he would see that what he is preaching is completely incompatible with the love and acceptance Jesus preached.  I recommend that he and those that agree with him read Sisters at the Well: Women and the Life and Teaching of Jesus.  It can be found at any Deseret Book store and as in ebook format as well.  Since you clearly need to read it so bad I'll buy you a copy personally Brother Marples.

Faith and Worship

In LDS philosophy as much as in any branch of Christianity we tend to view the universe in terms of opposites, good and evil, peace and war, chastity and promiscuity, Heaven and Hell.  But in Hindu philosophy there are 3 differentiations used to illustrate the inner-workings of human nature and the universe as a whole.

These 3 levels are called gunas and though I loathe to reference wikipedia for easy reference and understanding this excerpt serves its purpose:

"Guṇa (Sanskrit: गुण) means 'string' or 'a single thread or strand of a cord or twine'. In more abstract uses, it may mean 'a subdivision, species, kind, quality', or an operational principle or tendency.[1]
In Samkhya philosophy, there are three major guṇas that serve as the fundamental operating principles or 'tendencies' of prakṛti (universal nature) which are called: sattva guṇa, rajas guṇa, and tamas guṇa. The three primary gunas are generally accepted to be associated with creation (sattva), preservation (rajas), and destruction (tamas) (see also Aum and Trimurti).[2] The entire creation and its process of evolution is carried out by these three major gunas.[1][3][4]"

The reason I mention the gunas is because they are fundamental to understanding the 17th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita which is about the 3 different types of faith and worship.

Krishna says in 17.3-7 "Every man's faith conforms with his inborn nature, Arjuna.  Faith is a person's core; whatever his faith is, he is.  Sattvic men worship the gods; rajasic, demigods and demons; tamasic, the hordes of dark spirits and the ghosts of the dead.  Men who mortify their flesh in ways not sanctioned by scripture, who are trapped in their sense of "I" and driven by warped desires, in their folly torturing the parts that compose the body, and thus torturing me in the body-know that their aim is demonic...."
  
Now I'm sure that we have seen examples of all three forms of faith and worship at some point throughout our lives.  But there is more to be said of these 3 types of faith and worship, of self-control and charity.  

When we Choose The Righteous path for righteousness sake then we are truly living righteously or in a Sattvic way.  When we pursue the appearance of righteousness to gain blessings, and the honor and praise of our fellow brothers and sisters we are in fact living selfishly or in a Rajasic way.  And when we say to ourselves and others "Random injustice anywhere means there is no true justice anywhere." or "I have been hurt 7 fold and I will have vengeance 77 fold." or we pursue limitless vengeance and suffering for limited sins and offenses then we are on a Tamasic path. 

In the Bhagavad Gita 17.13-17 Krishna says "Worship is tamasic when it is faithless, contrary to scripture, with no food offered, no texts recited, no payments made to the Priest.  Honoring the gods, the priests, the teachers and sages, purity, nonviolence, chastity, uprightness-all this is control of the body.  Speaking the truth with kindness, honesty that causes no pain, and the recitation of scripture-this is control of speech.  Serenity, gentleness, silence, benevolence, self-restraint, purity of being, compassion-this is control of the mind.  When these three levels of control are practiced with faith and diligence and with no desire for results, such control is Sattvic.
  
  So worship is tamasic when it is faithless or contrary to scripture but notice that it is also tamasic when no offerings are made.  Now the offerings mentioned here are indicative of the culture from which this scripture springs but I think the importance and the focus is that people who worship in this way do not make offerings to the Lord.  No tithes, no offerings of selfless service, no recitation of scripture, no prayers.  It is, you could argue, a habitual form of worship.  Like those who for example sing the hymns halfheartedly with no joy, the scriptures don't say to make an in-tune noise they say to make a joyful noise.  People like this may just as easily and habitually fall to sleep in church out of a lack of interest or desire to truly partake in the act of worship.

Also Krishna explains what Sattvic control is control of the mind, body and speech.  That all 3 when done with faith and diligence and without concern for results or in other words when righteousness is done for righteousness sake and not out of desire for blessings or out of fear of punishment for not worshiping or making offerings.  If you read the entire Bhagavad Gita and many overviews and commentaries you will get a better sense of what I have been explaining.  Having done so I have come to a good understanding of what the scripture is trying to say.

And now Krishna moves to discuss the different types of charity in chapter 17.18-22 "....Charity given to the worthy, without any expectations, for the sake of the act itself-this kind of charity is Sattvic.  Rajasic charity is given halfheartedly, with the thought of securing some favor in return or to gain some spiritual merit.  Charity is called Tamasic when given to the undeserving, at the wrong time and wrong place, grudgingly, without respect."  
  
Doing good for goodness sake is Sattvic but most of what I see in our community and in American Christianity at large is Rajasic, only done when there is a blessing or the praises of their brother and sisters to be found in offering worship, or in the giving of charity, or in the performance of selfless service.  But if we are truly intent of achieving a perfected state we must know how to get there and align ourselves with the right intentions, have the righteousness of the Lord within us.  None of us are perfect but through faith and service and charity and worship we may become perfected beings.  The potential is there all we have to do is remove the obstacles within ourselves that block the Lord from dweling within us where he truly wants to as much as some of us want him to.

We are God's children and as such we have a divine inheritance to be found.  As children of God we are a part of Him as surely as are own flesh and blood are a part of us but on a much deeper and intrinsic level.  According to Stephen Hawking since we know that time and space are one then at the moment of the big bang time itself was created, so there can be no creator because there was no time for it.  Which is a straw man argument if ever I've heard one.  Just because time as you understand it came into being at the same time as space and matter, the matter and the astronomical levels of energy to break lose at that moment came from somewhere and have always existed as the Lord has always existed, as scripture says we have always existed.

Our souls are a part of the substance of God, and through them we have direct and instant communication with Him.  We are never alone, we are never so lost we can not be found or saved.

And when I read the Bhagavad Gita I get the sense that there is no inherent evil in any of us.  When the Gita makes reference to that, it is calling to mind the doctrine of reincarnation, whereby you ascend or descend into the next life based of how you lived in your last life-in essence your choices determine your fate. And LDS theology agrees that your choices determine your fate.  Satan as an example-chose to reject the will of the Lord and turned from another child of God into the Father of all lies.  It was a choice made of his own free will, not an inborn evil.

We are all given our agency to choose the righteous path or reject that path and choose something evil or just choose to forever be lost on the roller coaster of ups and downs that is found in pursuing pleasure and fleeing from pain.

How we choose to worship and what type of faith we have will determine the quality of the spiritual fruit we bear, or if we are to bear any at all, or even if we are to turn into religious nuts rather than producing spiritual fruits.

Pain: The Shadow of Pleasure

There is something modern psychology has in common with Hinduism and Buddhism.
To explain; in the bhagavad gita Krishna describes the goal of life as detachment from the cycle of Karma.  He goes on to describe the cycle of Karma as one being on the recieving end of either good Karma or bad Karma depending on how you live your life but giving into this game much less trying to win it leads to nothing but pain.  Because to seek blessings and avoid punishments leads to a very dramatic life-look at the Greek Gods for example or throughout the major figures of western history for examples and you will find an infinite number of them.

This is because these people are doing nothing but what modern psychologists refer to as pleasure seeking and this can lead to the repitition cycle where one repeats the same old mistakes with new faces and in new places but with the same archetypal characters.  It often leads to addictions of one sort or another.

Krishna prescribes a life dedicated to non-attachment, when we detach from our simple addictions to whatever pleasures we become truly free, then the world can fall down all around us and we will stay strong, pick up the pieces and re-build rather than falling apart.

We remain healthy in an unhealthy world but more importantly irregardless of the world so we are then free to enjoy the bliss and joy to be found in the good times and endure well the tumultuous times.

We master what Krishna and Buddha call non-attachment.

This is important because the pleasure pain cycle is so unhealthy-it is the natural state of the natural man.  Pain is the shadow of pleasure, pleasure never goes anywhere without its shadow and on the brighter the days the darker the shadow.

The Bhagavad Gita was written down as a portion of the Mahabarta between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE and describes how and most importantly why detachment from the pleasure pain cycle or the Karmic cycle is so important, healthy and leads to true wisdom and it has dones so for about 2,500 years.

Sigmund Freud articulated the pleasure/pain cycle and the repetition cycle in modern psychology and modern doctors feel the need to assert that there is no metaphysical element to this, but that is historically and factually inaccurate therefore their argument is invalid.

A great over view of Hindu scripture is Windows into the Infinite by Barbara Powell.  The Bhagavad Gita can be found here and a great article by Phil Mclemore called The Yoga of Christ.

I share this with you because of its potential benefit if incorporated into your own life because I know of its power in that it has bettered my own life.

And in the spirit behind the words of Joseph Smith when he said "We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons." Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 316

It was true thousands of years ago in India and it remains so now here in Utah and all over the world.  Because it has always been true, it was realized because of someone's closeness to God; afterall only by removing ego, selfishness, and removing your attachments to worldly things can you be one with God.  These are the obstacles that need to be removed from yourself to be one with God yet again.  And Krishna says as much in the Bhagavad Gita.

He is echoing sentiments to be made by Jesus hundreds of years later and thousands of miles away.

And I believe this is because God spoke to the people of India personally through certain people.  Remember 2nd Nephi 29:11-12?

"For I command aall men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall bwrite the words which I speak unto them; for out of the cbooks which shall be written I will djudge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.
Good advice any man may come up with but true insight, wisdom is from God alone.

Fasting

Patricia Bragg Ph.D.- "Proven throughout history for physical, mental and spiritual rejuvenation, fasting promotes cleansing and healing; helps normalize weight, blood pressure, cholesterol; rebuilds the immune system; and helps reverse the aging process. If we are to get these poisons out of our bodies we must fast. By fasting we give our bodies a physiological rest. This rest builds Vital Force. The more Vital Force we have, the more toxins are going to be eliminated from the body to help keep it clean, pure and healthy."

Hippocrates - "Everyone has a doctor in him or her; we just have to help it in its work. The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food. But to eat when you are sick, is to feed your sickness." Hippocrates, Greek physician (460 BC - 377 BC)

Many in the scriptures fasted.  Jesus did so for 40 days.  We all fast once a month for 24 hours, and we all do so for the same reasons, to feed our spirit, to grow closer to God in the process.  And it is deeply meaningful for me personally.  I have fasted for much longer than 24 hours and have felt good because of it, but there is such a thing as too much.

Studies are now proving that in the fasting state the body seeks out damaged cells and tissue for it's fuel rather than important healthy cells and tissue, thus cleansing the body.  Also, other studies have shown the positive effects of fasting are maximized during the first 24 hours and after that can become counter-productive.

Fasting essentially unlocks the natural healer within and rejuvenates us.

The other and most important benefit is that in the process of prolonged prayer that should always accompany a fast, we grow closer to God through communion with Him.  By having a heart to heart with our eternal Father, we are imbued with vitality and joyful energy.  By following his promptings, we are guided to where we are needed, where we are meant to be.

By fasting, along with praying, those promptings become clearer.

Knowledge of the powers of fasting is as ancient as we are.  Fasting is present in every religious tradition and in every culture in various ways.  Knowledge of these eternal truths of fasting is reflected throughout the world's broad tapestry of religions and cultures.

But for as important as the health benefits of fasting are, the key is prayer.  Prolonged prayer is mentally and emotionally sustaining to us during this period.  Many people report that blessings and prayers are more effective if done in conjunction with fasting, and I think the reason for this is that we aren't just physiologically rejuvenated, we are spiritually rejuvenated and strengthened through fasting.

Fasting is an essential part of asceticism and mysticism of every world religion and faith.

The Sufi movement, best articulated by or at least known because of Rumi, is one of my favorite mystic movements within any religious faith.  A universal understanding of God and an understanding that the differences in religion are largely due to societal norms and the culture of the region where any one religion is found as well as the perspectives of the teachers on whose message the religion is founded is most often the prism that filters God's one truth.

Sufi's tend to feel all scripture, from all religions. are worthy of consideration, but the key is to put them to the test and that is through personal experience.  Meditation and prayer-accentuated by fasting, often renders an epiphany.

Gandhi is the best example in modern times of a man whose spiritual journey was intrinsically tied to fasting.  His speeches, his teachings, his political maneuverings required immense energy and power which must have been taxing on such a physically tiny individual.  Yet he outpaced, out thought and out-shined many of his contemporaries due to his energy, perseverance and keen insight.  Which seems counter-intuitive given how much and how often he fasted.

When Jesus fasted in the wilderness, he was searching.  He was proving to himself that he had the abilities needed to accomplish his mission.  That he had the will to see his Father's will be done.  And yet the Adversary was there every step of the way, not just to tempt him, but to attempt to psych him out.  To attempt to allow or enforce doubts Christ had, yet Jesus knew as we will all know eventually, that the Adversary is only right about us if we allow him to be, God gave us free agency-the choice is ours alone.  The choice belongs to no one else.

Fasting isn't something Jesus does anywhere else in scripture, after that he seems to do nothing but eat, after all the first words to his Apostles after his resurrection were "Have you anything to eat!"

But he certainly did use fasting to accomplish his goal of proving himself to himself.  Many lessons can be learned from fasting and blessing become stronger and come through clearer because while fasting you draw nearer to God.  In a way you shun the material world for the spiritual one and what is more indicative of the material world than food, especially in our times?

The Spirit of Christmas; The Spirit of Christ

"I do not like the old man being called up for erring in doctrine. It looks to much like the Methodists. And not like the latter-day-saints. Methodists have creeds which a man must believe or be kicked out of their church. I want the liberty of thinking and believing as I please. It feels so good not to be trammeled." Joseph Smith

"People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture"
by Terryl L. Givens
Now the war in Heaven centered on free agency, part of the plan of salvation proposed to God by Jesus, and Satan wanted Salvation through force or no agency, no true freedom or liberty.  Liberty in it’s true unbridled sense is a gift of God and unless abused to abuse others it is crucial and instrumental to a prosperous community or government.
But those who are authoritarians, those that put their stamp of approval of policing peoples comments, speech and even opinions are Satanists quite literally from the descriptions of Lucifer in The Book of Mormon about his plan before the war in heaven.
J.J. Dewey is an excellent Author and LDS thinker.  His work called “Infallible Authority” I will quote at length to demonstrate what I mean by excommunication not just being an ineffective tool for correction but something that both God and Joseph Smith were against.  Joseph Smith said so himself though I believe he did use it as well.  I guess I’m talking about a modern over use especially against Mormons who are unorthodox and vocal.This excerpt comes from Chapter 15 of Infallible Authority:
FREE AGENCY 
QUESTION: I understand that you believe in the doctrine of free agency. What does this mean to you?
ANSWER: It means I have freedom to choose.
QUESTION: Why is that such an important doctrine in the church?
ANSWER: Because the original war in heaven was fought over this principle. Satan wanted to take away the agency of mankind and God wanted man to have it.
QUESTION: Isn't it also said within the church that the spiritual war on this earth is a continuation or the War In Heaven?
ANSWER: Yes, I have heard that.
QUESTION: Have you also heard it taught that members sometimes have to give up some of their free agency for the good of the whole?
ANSWER: Yes, I have heard that taught also.
QUESTION: In what circumstances do you think it is right to give up your agency?
ANSWER: Well if I need money I should not have the freedom to rob a bank.
QUESTION: If you rob someone then the overall freedom of the whole is diminished, is it not?
ANSWER: Yes, I suppose.
QUESTION: Would you say that this should be the principle governing any yielding of freedom, that the freedom of the whole is enhanced?
ANSWER: That sounds right.
QUESTION: So how about the freedom of speech. Should this ever be infringed?
ANSWER: Maybe in exceptional cases where careless speech can be the cause of some type of danger.
QUESTION: You mean like shouting “fire” in a crowded theater?
ANSWER: Yes and some types of harmful slander should be governed by law.
QUESTION: That sounds reasonable. Could we agree then that there should be freedom of speech except in cases where real harm is done to another?
ANSWER: I suppose
QUESTION: And in these type of cases we are already governed by the laws of the land are we not?
ANSWER: Pretty much.
QUESTION: So if I disagree even with the President of the United States, should I be free to stand on a street corner, run an ad or speak to my friends to declare my views?
ANSWER: Yes, definitely.
QUESTION: What if the President does not like my views - should he have any power to punish me for them?
ANSWER: No.
QUESTION: What if my views hurts the President's feelings? Does he then have any power to do me harm?
ANSWER: Unless you are slandering with lies, you have pretty much power to say anything about anyone or anything.
QUESTION: So, do you agree with having this type of freedom?
ANSWER: Yes
QUESTION: Does it not seem logical that since a core belief of the LDS church is free agency that you should have as much or more freedom of speech in the church as you do within our country?
ANSWER: I suppose.
QUESTION: Do you feel that this is the case - that you enjoy as much freedom of speech within the church as you do within your country?
ANSWER: Yes, I think so.
QUESTION: So, do you feel you can say pretty much what you want to express within the church then without fear of retribution?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Let us suppose you were in a Sunday School class and the teacher read a quotation from the current prophet that was totally contrary to your view. Would you feel free to tell the class that you
think the Prophet is wrong, just as you are free to express your opinion that the President of the United States is wrong?
ANSWER: That would not happen because I have never disagreed with the prophet and I never will.
QUESTION: And why is that?
ANSWER: Because he speaks for God upon the earth.
QUESTION: So disagreeing with the prophet is a little like disagreeing with God from your point of view?
ANSWER: Something like that.
QUESTION: So the prophet would never lead you astray then?
ANSWER: No. We are told that if he tried to he would be removed.
QUESTION: You mean God would zap him?
ANSWER: I wouldn't put it that way, but he would either be removed by the other General Authorities or suffer some calamity caused by God.
QUESTION: So the way you see it is that you have free agency in the church because you never have the need to speak anything in opposition to the brethren. In other words everything you desire to speak are things permitted in the church?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: Let us take this basic idea and put it in a different location. Hans was living in Germany under Hitler during World Way II and agreed 100% with Hitler and the NAZI party. Does this mean the Germans as a whole had freedom of speech?
ANSWER: No.
QUESTION: Why not?
ANSWER: There were many others who did not agree with Hitler and many of them were punished for their disagreements.
QUESTION: In other words, if someone spoke up on a street corner, ran an ad or communicated disagreement with Hitler with friends, then he was in danger of severe punishment was he not?
ANSWER: Sadly so.
QUESTION: So the fact that you feel free to speak your mind in the church because you agree with authorities does not mean that all are able to speak their mind, does it?
ANSWER: No. But everyone I know of are able to speak their minds.
QUESTION: Now getting back to the hypothetical Sunday School class here, I'm sure you will agree that all LDS are not as austere as yourself in agreeing with the authorities. Suppose there was someone in your Sunday School class who did disagree with the prophet. Would he or she have the freedom to speak up and voice their opinion?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: And would you say then that there would be no discipline or punishment of any kind meted out for this freedom of speech?
ANSWER: No. I don't think there would be any.
QUESTION: But if the Bishop found out that this person did not agree with all the prophet said, would he not call him into his office to have a chat?
ANSWER: It's possible that the Bishop may want to see if he could help with his understanding.
QUESTION: And if, after questioning, the Bishop found out that he disagreed with the prophet on a point of doctrine, do you think he would just smile and let it pass?
ANSWER: It would depend on what it was.
QUESTION: Take Sonja Johnson, who was reported in the papers a few years ago, as an instance. She disagreed with the authorities on equal rights for women and was excommunicated because she exercised her legal freedom to speak her mind. Was she not punished for using freedom of speech?
ANSWER: But she was leading people astray.
QUESTION: But you maintain that the Church has as much or more freedom of speech than our country. Are the Democrats able to have a Republican arrested because they think he is leading the country astray?
ANSWER: No, but that is different.
QUESTION: How is it different?
ANSWER: It is very serious to lead members of the church astray. Their eternal salvation is at stake.
QUESTION: Is it more serious than taking away free will or free expression?
ANSWER: This is one of those cases where we should give up our free agency.
QUESTION: You never mentioned this situation when we talked of this subject earlier. So do you think then that there should be no free will in the church to express your opinion if it disagrees with the authorities?
ANSWER: You shouldn't be in the church if you disagree with the authorities.
QUESTION: Funny, I thought the church of God was supposed to be for all who are seeking the kingdom of God with a sincere heart. Now Sonja Johnson may have had some views that were impossible to prove right or wrong but suppose a person expressed views that were very accurate and could be proven beyond dispute to be true. Would the church allow freedom of expression in verifiable truth?
ANSWER: I would think so.
QUESTION: Are you aware there are many who have written accurately about certain parts of Mormon history and have been excommunicated for it?
ANSWER: If they distorted history maybe, but not if they told the truth.
QUESTION: One of the most famous examples is the BYU professor and church historian Michael Quinn. He had access to historical information never before published and was excommunicated for writing about it and refusing to retract on what he saw as historical fact. Is this what you support as free agency?
ANSWER: I am sure the authorities had good reason to excommunicate him.
QUESTION: Or how about Avraham Gileadi. He was excommunicated for writing his own interpretations of the Book of Revelations. Do you call that freedom of speech?
ANSWER: He was probably teaching doctrine out of harmony with the church.
QUESTION: It is interesting that in 1843 the High Council excommunicated a member named Pelatiah Brown for teaching unapproved doctrine from the book of Revelation also. Do you know what Joseph Smith's reaction was to this?
ANSWER: I imagine he approved of it.
QUESTION: He did not but was very upset by it and ordered the man to be reinstated. Does it not seem reasonable that if he were in charge today that he would also order Avraham Gileadi to be reinstated?
ANSWER: It's hard to say.
QUESTION: You might find Joseph's rebuke of the High Council interesting. He said: “I did not like the old man being called up for erring in doctrine. It looks too much like the Methodists, and not like the Latter-Day Saints. Methodists have creeds which a man must believe or be asked out of their church. I want the liberty of thinking and believing as I please. It feels so good not to be trammeled. It does not prove that a man is not a good man because he errs in doctrine.” (DHC 5:340)
This does not sound like the attitude of the current authorities, does it?
ANSWER: Perhaps circumstances are different today.
QUESTION: Do you agree with Joseph Smith’s statement, “it does not prove that a man is not a good man because he errs in doctrine.”
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: So if Michael Quinn, Avraham Gileadi and many others merely erred in doctrine they should not be excommunicated should they?
ANSWER: It depends. If they were leading members astray then perhaps they should be.
QUESTION: But the High Council thought that Pelatiah Brown was leading members astray and Joseph castigated them for taking away his freedom of speech. Aren't you concerned about this core principle over which the War in Heaven was fought?
ANSWER: Of course I am. I realize that all the brethren are not perfect, but if they do get overzealous in cleansing the church, God will work things out in the next world.
QUESTION: So should we let injustices such as the suppression of free expression, slavery, oppression, racism and other wrongs just continue here on earth because God will work things out in the next world?
ANSWER: No of course not.
QUESTION: Yet you and millions of members of the church just sit by and allow free expression to be suppressed, which thing is contrary to the teachings of your founding prophet. Why do you do this ?
ANSWER: We are told that our leaders will never lead us astray so we trust them.
QUESTION: But the scriptures tell you not to lean on the arm of flesh. Is not an example of leaning on the arm of flesh to place your faith in men of flesh whom you call your authorities?
ANSWER: Not if they speak for God.
QUESTION: Earlier we talked about the War In Heaven. Again, what was the battle over according to Mormon scriptures?
ANSWER: Free agency.
QUESTION: And before the war was fought how many of the hosts of heaven did Lucifer persuade to come over to his side?
ANSWER: A third of them.
QUESTION: How many do you suppose that was?
ANSWER: It would have been billions of them.
QUESTION: And how long do you suppose it took for him to convince these billions of beings that the Father was wrong and he was right?
ANSWER: I never thought about it, but it probably took a while.
QUESTION: When you think of how much time and energy it takes LDS missionaries to convert a few souls then one can indeed conclude that it probably took Lucifer quite a few years in our time to accomplish such a deed. But when was Lucifer kicked out of heaven?
ANSWER: The scriptures says that it was after the War in Heaven.
QUESTION: But before the war broke out there was a lengthy period of perhaps a hundred, a thousand or maybe a million years where Lucifer just preached to his heart's content and made converts. During this period, did God take away his agency to speak what was a dangerous doctrine?
ANSWER: I suppose not.
QUESTION: And during this period did God excommunicate him, or kick him out of heaven?
ANSWER: I guess not.
QUESTION: Is it not taught that Lucifer was not kicked out until he openly rebelled and made war?
ANSWER: Yes.
QUESTION: So why then does the church not follow the example of God himself and allow for freedom of expression and cease excommunicating peaceable people who may have different opinions, but have no desire to make war against the church?
ANSWER: (He has no answer.)
QUESTION: When the church seeks to suppress the free will of its members is it not supporting the same side which Lucifer took in the War in Heaven?
ANSWER: (He becomes uncomfortable and wants to end the discussion.)
Now maybe your responses would be different or maybe you have additional insights but do think deeply on this issue because it is important these days with so many ex-members hurt and feeling betrayed by the Church they grew to love after they were shunned and shamed by that same Church.  
The question remains, if the Lord did not cut off Lucifer until he made open war even with Lucifer preaching against God for who knows how many eons, why should any of the members J.J. Dewey mentions have been cast out?  Including Dewey himself?
It doesn’t seem to me that Joseph Smith would have approved such action given that the quote of his at the beginning of this piece was about a member who had written a book about the revelation of John with opinions that the rest of the GA’s at the time disagreed with.  That was it, they disagreed and then moved to calling his opinions blasphemies and cast him out of the Church and Joseph Smith had him reinstated and then made the quoted comment.
And I feel the reason the Lord has never cast out anyone who did not cast themselves out or choose to leave of their own accord is because he has the same fundamental unconditional love for us that Jesus has.  We are never so lost that we can’t be found which is why Jesus, the Good Sheppard, leaves his 99 sheep to go searching for the one who is lost. 
Abandoning those with whom we disagree is a trait of man, not of God.And this is the first Christmas for many former LDS members without the comfort of their ward family.  They have been shamed, ostracized, and left out in the cold rather than being loved back into the fold.  
After the resurrection Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he loved him giving Peter the chance to redeem himself and to know that Jesus had forgiven him for abandoning him and denying him.
Now the Church like Jesus will give you the chance to come back, but my point is that the Lord and Jesus unlike the Church would never cast you out unless you make open war with them.There’s a subtle difference.The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)The Prodigal Son or The Loving Father (Luke 15:11-32)The Two Sons, The Apprentice Son, and The Slave and Son (Matthew 21:28-32; John 5:19-20a; John 3:35)The Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10)The Lost Sheep (Matthew 28:12-14; Luke 15:4-7)The Shepherd, the Thief, and the Doorkeeper (John 10:1-18) The Doctor and the Sick (Matthew 9:12; Mark 2:17; Luke 5: 31 f.) The Great Assize or The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)
These parables are about forgiveness and unconditional love amongst other things but the sheep and the goats parable is about separating the good from the evil and the questions that do the  separating are “Did you feed me when I was hungry?” “Did you give me drink when I was thirsty?” “Did you make me feel welcome when I was a stranger?”They certainly aren’t going to be the questions you get during a Bishops interview.
Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). He also said, “Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing” (John 14:12), which included feeding the hungry, healing the sick and teaching the people. Jesus also said, “If you love me, you will obey as I command.” Knowing who Jesus considers to be his followers should help us understand who is and is not Christian shouldn’t it?  And following Christ or being a true Christian is at the heart of the Spirit of Christmas.
Jesus did a few things here: he gave us guidance on how to live properly in Gods view and he distilled the entire Old Testament into one phrase (John 13:34-35) and as the co-author of the bible he would know better than anyone what the true intention of the Hebrew Bible is.  And he distilled the entire work of the New Testament by saying “All men will know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another” as well as by saying “If you love me, you will obey as I command.” 
During the week leading up to Christmas in 1914 on the Western Front in WWI soldiers from all sides began singing with one another, they walked into no mans land and exchanged gifts and souvenirs, joint burial and funeral services were held, games of soccer took place.
These soldiers who had previously been engaged in the whole sale slaughter of their fellow man were now truly living the Christian life by the example of Christ and the entire war could’ve ended there and should have.  If people tried harder to keep the Spirit of Christmas, the Spirit of Christ alive in their hearts daily and not just for a all too brief season war would be relegated to history where it belongs along with poverty and many other social ills.
We would have Zion and we would have it worldwide.
In the Spirit of unconditional love and acceptance the Church has made a brilliant move forward in terms of its stance on homosexuality.  A website that is dedicated to the subject from the Church to families wrestling with the realities and consequences of it in the LDS community went online just recently.
The Spirit of Christ, of Christmas; is about love, acceptance, forgiveness, understanding, patience and knowing that you are not punished for your sins but by them.  It’s about loving your enemies as yourself, about standing up for liberty, that of others and not just your own.
You will know the followers of Jesus by their love for their fellow man and that’s according to Jesus himself.  If someone treats everyone with love and respect then they truly follow Jesus and if they do not they aren’t quite there yet regardless of what they have to say about it; actions speak louder than words do they not?
Free Agency is an issue I have made a special point of during this post because amongst every other point I am making with it, a crucial one is this: For anything, love especially, to have any value it must be given or accepted freely and by choice because if it is done by force or coercion it has no value, it is meaningless.
The Spirit of Christmas is the legacy and teachings and memories of Christ’s life on Earth handed down to us through the ages.
It is his gift to us all and our greatest gift to each other.

Karma

My new Book The Metaphysics and Science of Mormonism is available here.  In paperback and on Kindle for now with many other ereader platforms to follow.  What follows is the chapter on Karma or what in LDS tradition would be understood as universal or divine justice.  Injustice is an imbalance and the equilibrium of the universe will restore itself and us back to the health and wellness of righteousness and justice.  Enjoy!




Karma
Karma is a universal law. One that results in justice and fairness being meted out universally despite any doubters or naysayers claims against such a concept. Though it is described in its eastern roots differently than divine justice is in the western tradition i think these are two sides to the same coin, two traditions borne out of one fundamental truth which is the equilibrium of universal justice. Righteousness and justice are the eternal and original state of being in the universe, in all of creation. And when someone, anyone, goes against that the universe through Gods will and divine providence will see that original state restored. Good will triumph…which is the natural order.
 
Like a body restoring itself to its original state of health, karma works in the same way to restore the universe to a state of righteousness and preserve justice. It is a divine law of equilibrium. With what judgment you mete out the same shall be meted out against you. These divine interventions serve to awaken us to the voice of the Lord who keeps calling us back to the proper path of life.
 
Righteousness, enlightenment, realization, justice, the Christian way is not lifestyles that require us to check off boxes next to divine laws and commandments. They are facets to a path that we are called to follow by Christ and ultimately we are guided by the Holy Spirit and by our own hearts. Scripture says the law of God was written on the hearts of mankind, it is our conscience. It lets us discern right from wrong, to know as if by instinct what is morally righteous and what is morally bankrupt.
 
So if we act or speak against our conscience, we are reminded of where we went wrong and where we must go right by the divine intervention of karma. And we will see continual reminders until we correct. Karma will keep acting out the same lesson until we learn it. God will not be ignored, nor will He be cast aside in favor of an excuse or justification or a rationalization. He will speak until He is heard and when He is truly heard we will act but not out of fear of punishment or a quest for reward but out of a sincere and genuine desire to do right because it is the right thing to do. This is what defines and exemplifies nobility; it is what characterizes honor and integrity. And it is what prevents us from succumbing to our base instincts or desires of selfishness. It is what allowed the prophets and martyrs to face death with peace in their hearts and serenity in their minds and to beg God to forgive those that slaughtered them and allowed them to truly love their neighbors as themselves, even their enemies.
 
Justice can perish with each generation, it must be fought for if we are to establish and build up the kingdom of God on Earth as it is in heaven. We are all in this together for better or worse so we can work together for our mutual benefit or we can continue to abuse, oppress and murder one another for our own selfish ends. Karma will restore balance sooner or later, the easy way or the hard way, we will learn to walk the righteous path of unconditional love and make life easy for ourselves and our brothers and sisters the world over or we will learn the hard way and repeat the horrors of the 20th century such as the Holocaust, WWII, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the killing fields of Polpot, Stalin’s Russia or Vietnam.
 
Zion is described in LDS scripture in more detail than found in the Bible. As the early Church was described in Acts it was also said of the people of Zion that there were no poor among them. They lived the law of consecration, which is to say all their sustenance belonged not to them but to the Lord from whence it came and instead of being horded it was distributed amongst all according to need. The city of Zion, the Early Church described in Acts both lived by the universal and eternal laws of unconditional love, of righteousness and justice and were thus blessed by karma, by divine providence.
 
Karma is elegant, it is simple but it is not always easy. Peace is always hard to maintain, war is always easy to start. A society where 99% have ownership of just 10% and the richest 1% own 90% is easier than creating and maintaining a society where there are no poor among them as the citizens of Zion did and as the early followers of Christ also did. It takes more imagination, more creativity and more wisdom to accomplish what we are truly capable of, to accomplish what we have been called by Jesus to accomplish. Einstein said imagination is more important than intelligence and this is why. We would not have been meant to accomplish such things or called to if we didn’t have it within us to actually do it. It is only a fantasy if we allow it to be.
 
We call the Church the body of Christ because we in essence are the individual components that make up that body to act and speak in His stead, not only in an official manner but also in the sense that we are inspired by the Spirit to speak or act and thereby affect change for the better, help the hungry eat, make the stranger feel welcome or to awaken someone to the truth of the kingdom or to showcase the beauty of heaven. The scriptures are instruments of faith but we are not just children of God we are His instruments of faith and karma, if we choose to be. We always have a choice to make.

Pants in Church

So there's this thing today about women wearing pants to church to show that they can dress nice without having to conform to dresses.  This is a problem for some wards, not so for others and some members think it's ridiculous and unnecessary while others feel that speaking up through action is very much needed.  And the animosity received by those who so much as voice support of the idea seems to lend credence to the notion that it may in fact be a much needed event.

Our 11 year old, our youngest will be wearing pants, while my wife is wearing a skirt on purpose.  She probably would've worn either or but since it's the day of the pants she will be showing her disdain for the event by wearing a skirt.  I on the other hand am looking for something purple to wear because in lieu of a kilt the only thing men can do to show solidarity is to wear purple.

If you feel that because we have Relief Society for women in our church and we are in the 21st century we have plenty of equality between sexes I do understand your point but some would say that most separate but "equal" systems are anything but when you get right down to it.

And if you feel there is not enough equality between the sexes in the church or in Temple rites then I understand that point too and will support you in voicing your complaints so long as complaints or concerns are voiced respectfully.

The venomous comments and the toxicity in them that I have seen over such a simple issue as women wearing dress pants to church as a silent protest is needless, pointless and basically wrong-on both sides.

Some people are enraged that anyone would turn the church into a place of political or social protest but how much do you wanna bet those same people are the first to choose God Bless America as a hymn during sacrament or to wear American flag pins or flag styled clothing to church?

How is that not dragging politics into the house that is supposed to be solely used for the worship of the Lord?

Politics is either ok in church or it's not folks, you can't have it both ways.

Those that make that complaint though I feel are correct in that church should be our place to worship and really to escape from the outside world and into our as-close-as-we-can-get-to-Zion-community for at least one day out of the week.  We escape our worries, our troubles, set aside our tasks and rest for one day to meditate on the spirit, to worship and praise the Lord joyfully.

But for some to be truly joyus they must feel that they have the freedom to be themselves and not locked into a centuries old construct of femininity that doesn't represent who they are, and maybe never did.

And we absolutley should dress up and put forth an effort for the Lord but I don't think he cares what we wear on our bodies as much as what we wear on our hearts.  Wearing nice clothes may make you look acceptable to other but wearing love, compassion and understanding on your heart is what the Lord finds acceptable, I think that's what the scriptures mean when they say we must come to him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  And saying you have to wear a dress to dress nicely is like saying that if a man is not wearing a tie he is not dressed appropriately.

Which seems silly, if you've ever seen fashion magazines with men in dress shirts and suit jackets with a button or two undone to look comfortable yet stylish, to say they aren't dressed nicely.  Likewise to see a nice pair of dress slacks on a woman or a pants suit if clean is definitely nice attire.

Now again some may feel it's unnecessary but with so many women feeling that it is this truly speaks to a larger issue maybe many in our church aren't willing to address.  Or maybe it's just people being people like with the gossip issue but like with the gossip issue this issue does need attention in our church and regardless of how things turned out in church today for you, the talk over this issue may have done the most good and done the good that wearing pants to church was meant to do-get people talking.

Because we can't resolve anything through inaction and silence; only by action and voicing our concerns can we affect any change much less a lasting one.

My point in all this was to explain both sides to each other and to show both sides that there are miles of common ground between these two sides.  But though I see the points of both sides I also fully support those who choose to wear pants because I don't like the idea of anyone's concerns being dismissed or silenced simply because some think it's unnecessary or disrespectful.

I hope whichever side you stood on before you read this post you at least better understand the other side of the argument after having read this post.

Gossip

Last Sunday during fast and testimony I sat in front of two sisters who gossiped about one of the brothers who got up and bore his testimony, laid his soul bare in front of the congregation.  They said he had been kicked out of the church and re-baptized and they said it with such disdain as if to say they were so much holier than he is.

Now what they seem to have forgotten is that by being re-baptized he was forgiven and washed clean in the eyes of the Lord.  So why were these two sisters refusing to recognize that and still speak ill of this man for committing sins that had been forgiven?  Am I to believe that they know more than the Lord?

Or do they just love to dish about the sins and short comings of others because it makes their own good works seem all the better, while they just rationalize their own sins?

This is a common and consistent problem for any church but ours especially, it drives people out of our faith because of how insipid gossip is and how often it occurs.  I mean who wants to be surrounded by sisters like these while they worship a savior who taught us not to judge?  He taught that because if your busy judging, your not busy loving them, it's either one or the other.

The reason I'm writing this is because it is such a common, consistent and fixable issue that more needs to be done to prevent such "holier than thou" attitudes in our community, churches and Temples.  More people would feel welcome at church and around us all if we gossiped less.  No one likes feeling judged, do they?

When you feel the Spirit in the presence of another, do you feel judged by them?  I don't.  I always feel welcomed and loved.  I feel like they cut me slack for my short comings, they grant me considerable understanding and they inspire me through kind words and deeds as well as by example to be better, to do better than I currently do.  And that is how we can treat others so they feel the same.  That allows for them to correct themselves for the best of reasons rather than simply getting defensive and then ignoring anything we have to say because we have come across as judgmental, self righteous and perhaps shallow.

Because to judge correctly one must have perfect knowledge, you must in essence know everything.  And since none of us knows the heart of another, not truly, otherwise we would never be surprise in a positive or negative sense by their actions.  There is plenty regarding any situation we don't know, only God has the ability to know it all.  Which is why Jesus said we are not to judge, it is not our place and it is not within our ability to do it correctly.

The scriptures are full of those who gossip, who speak negatively, who slander and defame and those people are never looked upon in a good light.  The Pharisees, the Sanhedrin, Laman and Lemuel all did it.

And who are the people who never did?  Those that were righteous enough to have the room to talk.  Jesus, Elijah, Enoch, they all were so righteous they were translated or resurrected because they found favor with God due to their service to Him and His will.

So who would you rather have others compare you to the Pharisees, Laman and Lemuel or Jesus, Elijah, Enoch?  Who are you emulating in the way that you treat and speak to and about others?

As a church which stereo type is more prevalent, Mormons being understanding and compassionate or Mormons being judgmental, i.e. homophobic and institutionally sexist?

Because there is truth to both sides of that argument but most people acquire their view of us through personal experience not just through the media.  So the new website about homosexuality and how the church is speaking to and about gay people is a step in the right direction.  So there is hope that through compassion and understanding we can move past mistakes both recent and ongoing in terms of being a beacon of peace, love, understanding and hope for the current generation and those that follow.

 The parable of the mustard seed is about a humble seed that grows like a weed and over takes everything in its path.  And this is how the Kingdom of God spreads from one to another until all is consumed by the light.  And the way we speak and the way we think is the first step and therefore of the utmost importance in achieving those ends.

We can do worse, that much is true but we also can and should do better as a church, as a community and first and foremost individually because that is where change always begins; within each one of us.

I Am A Fan Of Meditation

I am a fan of meditation.  I have done some forms of it for the last year or so, not often and it’s usually the contemplative meditation not the stringent sort that many practice.  But I decided after reading a book about meditation to try the more stringent approach and count my breaths one through ten and over again and clear my mind and concentrate instead on the sensations of my body the sounds I could hear rather than on the thoughts filtering through my mind.  I did this for 20 plus minutes.
I heard my wife sleeping, my cat fidgeting, my children’s radio playing and felt the warm breeze from the heater against my skin, the warmth from my electric blanket against my body and the dryness of my mouth.
When thought stirred in my mind I let them go and brought my focus back to counting my breaths.  I didn’t get frustrated that I had a thought I didn’t get mad I wasn’t doing it right, I didn’t feel down that I just didn’t have the discipline to clear my mind, I just refocused and moved on.
After an unknown amount of time something happened.  I heard the song on my daughter’s radio, a familiar song, change.  The notes were all drawn out and the music sounded eastern or like what you would hear at a spa, the singing was inspired, soulful and different from anything I’ve ever heard and I love all kinds of music.  This was different.
All the other noise condensed into a white noise and the white noise as well as the music I could hear all around me dancing and echoing.  It was a mystical and transcendental experience.  But it freaked me out because it was so vivid.  Because it was so unlike anything I have ever experienced it was a little scary and I decided I would quit for the night.
But this experience was one of the highlights of my life in the sense that I personally experienced something I have spent 20 plus years reading about and never experiencing even an inkling of something similar.  I never had any experience so magical due to a conscious effort.
It is to my mind a form of prayer and there is science to back that up.  Studies show that there is improvement in mental functions and a development and strengthening of certain neural pathways as well as certain parts of the brain such as the thalamus that occur as a result of prolonged prayer and even 15 minutes of meditation a day if practiced consistently. 
There are 3 main mental maps so to speak that we all have.  One is a sensory map that we use to navigate through the world, the other is a map of the worldview we hold and the last is a map of how we relate to the world socially.
Meditation and prolonged prayer help to strengthen, nourish and improve the pathways that facilitate these internal maps.  They bring us closer to God and each other and give us more self awareness while also allowing us to be more humble and lose the sense of self that gets in the way of us feeling the sense of oneness with all other life, people and God.
Allowing us to commune with God, to enjoy a sense of oneness with all people and all life and to recognize of connection to all those things and our connection to the universe as a whole is amazing and nourishing; meditation and prayer is something that is ultimately life changing.  It can lead to a transformative experience that all people can benefit from.
Here are the parts of the brain forming neural circuts that are involved when one meditates and contemplates God or prays:
Occipital Parietal Circuit: Identifies God as an object or personality outside of oneself.  Children see God as a person and that is likely due to not being able to process abstract spiritual ideas.
Parietal Frontal Circuit: Establishes a relationship between you and others, God included.  It puts God outside of yourself and allows you to experience His presence.  So if you decrease activity in this area you diminish the boundaries between you and God as well as you and others.  You begin to feel a sense of unity as a result.
Frontal Lobe: This are creates, intergrates and brings to fruition all your ideas about God.  This includes the logic you use to evaluate your religious or spiritual beliefs and belief systems.  It also intellectually attempts to answer the big questions, the who, what, when, where and why’s of spiritual and religious beliefs and questions.  The frontal lobe also controls everything we are conscious of, our sense of logic, reason, our attention, language skills and voluntary motivation.
Thalamus:Gives emotional meaning to God and the ideas you have surrounding Him. The Thalamus produces a holistic sense of the world and seems to be the key organ in making God real in an objective sense. The thalamus sends sensory information to all parts of the brain and gives a sense of meaning.  It gives you a sense of what ultimate reality may be.
Amygdala:When stimulated to excess God seems overly authoritative and punitive and fear results and this suppresses the frontal lobe’s ability to logically think about God.
Striatum:This area inhibits the amygdale and allows the feeling of safety to become prominent during prayer or meditation or in being in the presence of God.
Anterior Cingulate: This area seems to allow you to experience God as a loving and compassionate entity.  It decreases fear, guilt, anxiety, apprehension and anger by suppressing the activity of the amygdala.  Prayer and meditation specifically strengthen the anterior cingulated.
Parietal Lobe:  This are controls your sense of self, thus when its activity decreases you are then able to feel oneness with others, the universe and God.  This area is more active during everyday life in those who pray and meditate frequently and when one prays or meditates activity diminishes resulting in a sense of oneness.
The circuit activated by meditation according to the studies found in the book What God does to your Brain, is as follows:
Pre-Frontal Cortex > Anterior Cingulate > Bsal Ganglia > Thalamus.
This may be because during meditation and prolonged prayer we become more focused and alert (PFC), more empathetic and socially aware (Anterior Cingulate), and have more control over our emotions (Basal Ganglia). This then affects our sensory perceptions of the world (Thalamus), and all this information is then relayed to all other parts of the brain.
Friar John Main, Friar Thomas Keating and Trappist monks describe a type of meditation specific to Christianity and Keating updated and modified a fourteenth century text The Cloud of Unknowing:
“It brings us into the presence of God and thus fosters the contemplative attitudes of listening and receptivity.  It is not contemplative in the strict sense, which in Catholic tradition has always been regarded as a pure gift of the Spirit, but rather it is a preparation for contemplation by reducing the obstacles caused by the hyperactivity of our minds and of our lives.”
Keating called his simple meditation “The Centering Prayer.”
The techniques of Christian meditation came to an apex in the twelfth century by Guigo II, a Carthusian monk who categorized four levels of meditation or four types: Lectio (slowly reading scripture), meditation (contemplating the deeper meanings of scripture), oratio (spontaneous prayer), and contemplation (wordlessly focusing on God’s love).
   "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are
   noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever
   things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is
   any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these
   things." (Php 4:8)

    Paul clearly teaches us to "meditate on these things", and   "meditation" is certainly a Biblical subject:    Isaac meditated in the field at eventide - Gen 24:63    Joshua was charged by God to mediate "day and night" - Josh 1:8    The "blessed man" in Psalms 1 is one who meditates - Ps 1:1-2    David became wiser than his teachers through meditation - Ps 119:99    Paul commanded Timothy to "meditate on these things" - 1Ti 4:15  
Meditation was practiced along with prayer by the Patriarchs, Apostles and the first Disciples of Christ.  Meditation has Biblical roots not simply a practice eastern in origin.  It is simply a practice that fell away along with many of the original teachings of Christ and many Jewish foundational teachings and practices.  Teachings and practices that have been rediscovered in recent memory and specifically many were rediscovered because of the restoration.
Considering how the Thalamus that determines the ultimate reality for us is it possible that when we pray for an answer, pray to know whether something is true, is it possible that this is the mechanism by which we achieve that sense of understanding, that sense of the reality of truth?
Prayer and meditation can also be used for guidance in terms of truth seeking, a specifically and uniquely LDS practice.  I found this to be the case when evangelicals mocked me for suggesting that they pray to know whether the Book of Mormon, certain Biblical Scripture we disagreed about, was true and to clarify and gain an understanding of what was truly meant and intended.  The very idea was ludicrous to the point of being offensive to them.
But as someone who has gained understanding and clarity from such practice and speaking to an audience who likely has had the same experience, I can say that this is a practice that can be and is intended to be beneficial. 
There are many uses and benefits to prolonged prayer and meditation, many ailments that are currently treated through these practices.  It literally benefits your health to have faith and to engage in religious rituals and practices.
There is a new theory by some scientists that humans evolved centers of the brain to create a God concept to prevent themselves from going crazy, it is thought to be an evolutionary adaptation to our own extreme intelligence.
But if that is true by that same logic, those without faith are the maladjusted, socially failed, evolutionary dead ends and those with faith are the healthy, well adjusted people living as nature truly intended.  Ironic that these scientists fail to make that connection isn’t it?
For me and my wife meditation and prayer is a part of our daily lives.  And we have benefited from both greatly.  I hope that after you’ve read this you will consider giving the practice of meditation a try.  You have nothing to lose and so very much to gain.

 Update:  The book is available here on kindle and you can download kindle apps for pc and ipad and your tablets as well.  The price is $9.99 usd and will soon be available on amazon.com in paperback.

Enhance Your Calm

So I’ve been doing some thinking lately reflecting on a few of the things I need to work on and the common ways in which I go wrong sometimes.  And a lot of it results from me not being calm enough.  I need to be more chill.  Rather than get stirred to anger or resentment because someone disagrees with me, however rudely or passionately, getting all angsty about it is doing no one any good and it negatively affects me more than anyone else, especially when I eventually realize that that was the wrong way to handle the situation.  Basically by letting the situation handle you, you wind up suffering to some extent as a result.
And while I may not be worse than the average guy on this, there is much room for improvement.  Take the way I have criticized the general authorities at times, it’s not as if I don’t have a reason to critique, it’s that I am too harsh, too abrasive and maybe unfairly or unnecessarily accusatory.
So for that I am sorry and apologize.
And then I have thought of those whose misinterpretation of scripture to be a sign of intellect rather than perspective and faith.  This is a problem when you speak to your faith and perspective on an issue then are attacked for it.  There are many levels of going wrong in this way and I think I have but more to the point I feel like I need to be better about these faults.  To lessen them and improve upon the constructive and healthy alternatives instead is a much better way to go, my family and my friends as well as me personally would benefit from me doing so.
It does mean a lot of changes and no one can rightly fault others for erring in such a way when most of us do in one way or another.  In terms of treating someone bad are good depending on whether or not they agree with you on the things you feel are important.  We are supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves, even our enemies.
And for me it is easier for me to not just tolerate my enemies but to embrace them as I would a loved one if I am more chill about everything including how I judge other people.  Especially how I judge other people because I might not often be judgemental, when I am I am the worst of any offender.  And negative impacts will, as with any impact, ripple through people close to me to my larger area and then society in large because any effect will collect and be magnified by certain personalities.  So the way in which we treat each other does have a healthy or unhealthy affect on many, many people. 
Being chill about everything allows you to still care about what’s important without being consumed with frustration, anger or jealousy when things go wrong, for however wrong they can possibly go. 
Being chill allows you to be surrounded by negative energy without succumbing to it, without being poisoned by it.  And I think that there are various ways to go about doing just that, being more chill.  Meditation on these issues can help for many reasons and in many ways.  So can Prayer.  Very much related these two spiritual avenues lead to serenity and calmness so that you are more open to healthy constructive emotions like empathy, love, compassion.
  As a writer it is easier to criticize than to praise.  Criticism sells more.  How many personalities and authors make a living, a good or even obscenely good living criticizing the behavior, words and beliefs or opinions of others?  And how many personalities and authors make a good or even obscenely good living praising and inspiring others?
But that may also be because critiques are the longer list of the two.  So then for the sake of job security us writers may keep the approach that has kept us feed but there is a much better way of doing things than tearing people down for doing things against how you think or feel they should.  This is why being much more chill all the way around will be good for me.
I sometimes though piss people off on purpose to get them to pay closer attention to my argument because no one goes over an article with a fine tooth comb like someone who’s angry about it.  Problem is when someone gets mad they usually look for things that are wrong with it and won’t budge in their viewpoint even when confronted with plain facts.  So in the end making people angry doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does.
Take for example my reaction to this piece by Rock Waterman over at PureMormonism.blogspot.com.
As a vet in the U.S. Army infantry it infuriated me initially, I though of how wrong he was, how offensive it was because it was so critical of those in uniform and especially those whose job it is to kill, which as an infantryman is your specific job description.  Having Rock use Jesus’ words against me pissed me off!  But in the end, after listening to the counsel of Jesus I was convinced Rock’s assessment was right, he wasn’t as wrong as I wanted him to be.  He was right because in my heart of hearts I knew our Savior was right when He called us to love our neighbors as ourselves, even our enemies.  And He was right in the example of non-violence He set for us. 
By making me mad Rock made me think, and it was important I did so because it was an issue I needed help with.  Not of understanding but the change of heart needed to be the difference that is needed.  Not for the whole world but for myself and for my family and friends.
But the only thing that allowed me to read and re-read Rock’s piece was me enhancing my calm and being chill enough to read through it a 2nd time without breaking my computer monitor with a sledge hammer. Being much more chill is what I need and I think it’s good for everyone. 
Especially since we’re coming off an election that was so charging and polarizing that some feel like they want to Secede from the union.
Part of the reason I feel that the constitution and the bill of rights was Divinely inspired is because the founding Fathers knew andfelt that if you allow people the perfect or as close as we can get to it, amount of liberty, justice and responsibility that people will by and large thrive and do better themselves than any government could ever do for them.  Liberty is key.
I want the liberty to think, feel and worship as I please and morally I have the responsibility to allow my brothers and sisters that same privilege.  All I meet, come into contact with one way or the other, and all those who read my posts must have that same right to think and feel as they please regarding any issue and I haven’t always done that but I will make more of a conscious effort to. And through my writing the way I can and should do it is by treating the beliefs or opinions of those that disagree with me with respect.