Dan Brooks's Blog, page 4

The Gospel Progresses

In Deuteronomy rape is treated like a property crime. If the rapist marries his victim and pays her father then it's totally ok. Those who work on the sabbath are to be killed, those who commit adultery are to be put to death and being left handed is a sin mentioned 25 times.
But we have progressed over time slowly but surely. Are we where we should be with regard to loving our neighbors as ourselves regardless of race, religion or gender? Hardly, but we have still progressed. And we will continue to progress.
Jesus knew the law but He had better ideas. Not to override it but to complete or fulfill it. This is usually referred to as the higher law. The higher law cannot be memorized because it was only ever meant to be understood.
I can only describe it by contrasts, for example; Mosaic law says that we should take an eye for an eye but Jesus said to love even our enemies.
Mosaic law says thou shall not commit adultery but Jesus said that if we look upon another with lust in our hearts we have already committed adultery.
Mosaic Law says to love our God with all our heart, with all our might and with all our mind but Jesus said the second part of that is to love our neighbor as ourselves. 
As if to say "Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; before you tell me how much you love your God, show me in how much you love all His children; before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how you choose to live and give."
That quote was from Cory Booker. But this is essentially what Jesus was preaching, that if you truly love God you will love His children without condition or exception just as Christ Himself did.
If we truly love God our love will be evident in how we treat, talk to and talk about His children. It will be evident in how we serve them.
People often justify their mistreatment of others by saying they deserve their mistreatment. 
Here is something more Jesus said "

21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison." Matthew 5:21-25 KJV

Mosaic law says thou shalt not kill but Jesus equates anger with murder. 

Love God and love His children without conditions or limits, that is the higher law. It's that simple but simple does not mean easy. Mosaic law was revolutionary in its progressive tint in the dark world it came into. But the progress made byJesus' teachings is like a lighthouse burning bright on a dark and stormy night. It further progressed the Gospel. And we still have much further to go. 

And it is not literal belief in Christ that saves us its living out that higher law that leads us into true salvation. That is what will save us and our community, our country and the world as a whole.

The Old Testament was progress. The New Testament was further progress but our love for Hod and His children day by day is what really builds up the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Romans 13:10 KJV "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

Infallible Authority: Why I'm Leaving Part Deux

Part of what I cannot accept about the LDS church and culture is the idea of infallible authority on the part of General Authorities. It is one of the biggest reasons I am leaving the church.
As Dallin H. Oaks once said during an on camera interview "It is wrong to criticize church leaders even if that criticism is true." Basically this means that church leaders are infallible. That even when they make mistakes we need to be loving and understanding unless it's a member who drank a beer after their divorce. Then we shame them out of church as they are not worthy of our understanding or love.
Voltaire on the other hand once said this: "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise."
That's not saying those who are in charge but those who are truly in power or those who rule as in those who are above reproach. It's those who want the air of infallibility who also take part in character assassination and call into question your loyalty or patriotism or righteousness because you dare to do something as insipid as question or criticize their words or actions. They can question or criticize you but you are not to question or criticize them. Thus they rule over you.
In psychological terms this is a red flag of a narcissistic personality disorder. What this means for everyone around them is that the narcissist can never be at fault for anything which means that everyone else must take the blame. Victim blaming also results because the narcissist can't  be at fault so their victim must be.
Does this sound familiar, like at all?
So what happens when narcissism is institutionalized all the missteps and mistakes pile up and must be covered up with each new generation the cover up begins anew.
With our generation living in the age of information ignorance is now a choice plain and simple.
To which Quentin L. Cook addressed the fallout resulting from the abundance of information and the resulting bad light the LDS church is often cast in, in this statement:
"Many who are in a spiritual drought and lack commitment have not necessarily been involved in major sins or transgressions, but they have made unwise choices. Some are casual in their observance of sacred covenants. Others spend most of their time giving first-class devotion to lesser causes. Some allow intense cultural or political views to weaken their allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some have immersed themselves in Internet materials that magnify, exaggerate, and, in some cases, invent shortcomings of early Church leaders. Then they draw incorrect conclusions that can affect testimony. Any who have made these choices can repent and be spiritually renewed."
So, to be clear; the theological but specifically the historical problems with the church are not the fault of the church past or present, they instead are the fault of those who the church has deliberately deceived. It is not the fault of the church leaders for their wrong words or actions, it is the fault of those who find out about those mistakes, missteps and wrong doings. 
Let that sink in for a moment.
You can repent for discovering the mistakes of the church! It's not too late!
Jesus who had the authority that could be, according to believers, described as infallible authority wielded it in a completely different way than the very fallible men who have run the LDS church since its inception.
Here is just one of many examples in scripture:

"2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Matthew 23:2-13

So observe what we must but do not model yourself after these men. They do not actually do what Apostles are meant to. Apostles are supposed to be servants as much as leaders. Because the greatest among us shall be our servants and Jesus has long been called "The Servant King" because that was the ethos of His life and ministry.

So too should it be the ethos of His disciples. Doesn't that makes sense that His disciples should live as He did?

For example we find this gem in scripture. It describes how Jesus is asking all of us to live and those who call themselves His disciples and especially those who call themselves His Apostles.

It is found in Matthew 25:31-46 kjv

"31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Jesus is teaching us that we must do these things for the ostracized and exploited children of God. Not that we pay our tithing or pay to charity so they can do it for us in the same way that LDS Apostles delegate others to do this service on their behalf.

The original 12 Apostles went out on foot with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the spirit to guide them and they ministered to the sick, the poor, the prisoners, the orphans themselves rather than delegating those tasks to others from their opulent offices.
They preached to those who disagreed, they debated rather than only preaching to the converted who treat them like rockstars and stand when they enter or exit a room. Ya know, for example?
I've heard people refer to God as a gardener. And not just when Mary Magdealene mistook Christ for one. The idea is that God cultivates the good in us, He feeds us what we need to grow. And sometimes He prunes us in order for us to grow to our full potential. One can't garden for ourselves, our families and others without getting our hands dirty and I am suspicious of those whose life mission is to garden for others on behalf of the Lord but only if they keep their hands clean. And only if their authority, bad decisions and words never come into question especially when they make it their job to question everyone else's.
A study was done showing that when everyone of every level of employees from management to entry level and even to CEO are all accountable that business does better. So maybe by speaking in terms of business we may speak the language our leaders use and thus be able to affect the change we need to thrive as a church, as a people and as true disciples.

Why I'm Leaving The Church

I was raised LDS. I moved around the country growing up but religion was always there, it was the one scrap of stability in an otherwise turbulent childhood.
I left the church on my own at 12. I just had too many questions for teachers, priests and bishops that were never satisfied by just reading the scriptures more and praying.
I did study the scriptures but I also studied all the scriptures from every world faith. I regularly read the Bagavad Gita and the Koran. I don't subscribe to them but I find immense value in them as well as the Dammapada, which is Buddhist scripture.
I have few issues with restoration theology. What I take issue with is the leadership of the LDS church. Dallin H.Oaks said in an on camera interview "It is wrong to criticize the leaders even if that criticism is true."
And no GA corrected him.
And then there's the duplicitous stance on LGTB issues. The church run and sanctioned site mormonsandgays.org is very accepting if not also harmful in its supposed "new policies."
And yet that is the opposite attitude at the ward level or even in general conference. Where Elder L Tom Perry referred to gay people as counterfeit with a smile as he said it no less. And there was a wave of suicides after that address. But those people weren't real so does it matter to the church as leaders or as a community?
Being left handed is a sin mentioned 25 times in the Bible. Do we ostracize them or do we maybe get over that? Every football fan should know touching a dead pig(football) makes one unclean and working on the sabbath is grounds for death. If we truly lived by every word of the Bible our society would be quite barbaric. So when others stop cherry picking their favorite bits of scripture maybe I will too.
I have one gay daughter and one transgender son. They are not counterfeit, they are not fake, they are not living a comfortable lifestyle. They are children of God created in His image and they are who He created them to be. I trust Him more than I trust those who call them counterfeit.
So I had issues with Prop 8 as it violated perhaps the keystone principle of the restoration movement which is free will or free agency. And now the church is diggin its heels in even more so than it did with Prop 8. And so many people are being excommunicated for disagreeing with the brethren. If this is the hill they want to die on then so be it. Or maybe when the brethren say it's God will and it can't be changed maybe they mean they'll do an about face and accept gay people whole heartedly and reinstate the membership of those excommunicated for taking a stand just like they did in 1978 after the priesthood ban was lifted and all that talk of Gods will turned out to be nothing more than the opinions of men or at least that's what the new church produced essays say about the priesthood ban.
I have faith in God, I have faith in Christ I just have no faith in the brethren. I don't want to support any church run by men like them. At least the Catholic Church has the Pope! If we had a president of the church like that, I'd still leave because putting lipstick on a pig doesn't change the game for me in any way.
And let's talk about how women are treated in this "Christ-centric" church. Women are told to be subservient to men and their husbands especially. A woman must cater to their husband. A woman cannot make her own decisions in church regarding her calling without the approval of a man. Because penis, oh, I mean because priesthood.
Since when do managerial decisions require the priesthood. I never thought of the priests in Jerusalem micromanaging every action or deed because the priesthood needed to be invoked for every decision and every managerial choice. 
I support women having the priesthood. I don't think you qualify for it simply because penis. What if we made having the priesthood more about one using the power of God to bless lives, to inspire, to heal and less about whether or not one has a penis?
Or here's another reason I'm not going back, what if we spent more time focusing on how to be faithful, to be of service or to be inspiring, to bear one another's burdens than we do on what people wear? 
Or if women wear pants or (gasp!) show off their pornshoulders? 
How much better off would we be if you being a good person mattered more than your standard of dress or grooming up to BYU standards? Which Jesus and Brigham Young would fail to live up to and thus would not be allowed to attend, teach or speak on campus. That's just plain weird.
I see more of the ethos of outward righteousness, legalistic thinking and manufactured piousness than I do anything resembling Christlike love and acceptance in our leaders and in our church culture.
So I will continue to blog but I am out of the patience to deal with these constraints and contradictions.
If you still attend then God bless you. I can still respect that and I can still respect all of you but I have had my fill. I'd like to be excused now....

Kim Davis' Shariah Law

So Kim Davis is an elected official in Rowan County, Kentucky. Most of us have seen the news and the clips of her press conference where she approached the mic whilst "Eye of the Tiger" played.
Where she pledged to continue denying gays and lesbians their legal right to marry. Right after she swore to a judge she would issue marriage licenses to everyone.
Clearly her word is no good. 
Since I see a litany of issues swirling around this woman, her statements and her actions I will do my best to get to them all. But be patient with me as this will take more time than I usually take.
First; many of Davis' supporters claim that her refusing to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples is within her rights of religious freedom.
This is false on many levels. Freedom of religion means we are free to worship what, how and where we may. But we are not free to impose our faith on others otherwise those people would have no freedom of religion themselves.
And being called out on our discrimination and bigotry is not oppression or persecution.

When our church or any other church or individuals discriminate it's somehow religious freedom yet when they are called out and criticized for that discrimination they feel its persecution.
And you can use all the facts in the world to disprove that sentiment and yet you will never get anywhere. I know this and yet I wonder why I even bother to write this all things considered.
This current fiasco is exactly why the founding fathers set out to provide freedom to believe and worship but also set out to separate church and state.
And yet these same supporters of Davis are the same people who are petrified that shariah law will be mandated across this country. Because then Islamic beliefs will be forced on them.
 For the purposes of this analogy these supporters suddenly understand why we separate church and state. But only during this example because it is not religious freedom they support, its the freedom to impose their version of Christianity on everyone else. They are fighting for Christian privilege rather than freedom of religion.
Or their freedom to force others to live according to their beliefs. That's not the freedom our founders have in mind. That's not the freedom Christ had in mind.
For example there is this scripture; 

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

This section of the Sermon on the Mount is where the phrase "Go the extra mile" comes from. Jesus is saying if you love, salute or respect your tribe or your people you are no better than theives(tax collectors or Publicans) and than if you are forced into conscription by Romans to carry their gear a mile you should go the extra mile for them. 

He is saying that rather than loving your people and hating others or your enemies we should love all including our enemies. When we love those deemed unworthy of love, when we respect those deemed unworthy of respect, when we go the extra mile for those that would abuse us it is then that we truly live Christ's teachings. We do not get to live the antithesis of Christ's message and claim to be His disciples.

If we hate anyone because of our faith then we are doing it wrong.

Some have compared Kim Davis to Dr.Martin Luther King. So let's go through why this woman is no martyr.

Dr.King fought for full inclusion for men and women of every race.

Dr.King obeyed and sometimes disobeyed unjust laws.

Kim Davis disobeyed just laws founded on the same ethos of inclusion that Dt.King fought and died for.

Dr.King stood for love and inclusion.

Kim Davis has abused her elected position to break the laws she has repeatedly sworn to uphold only to then, moments later sworn to disobey, and to advance a hateful agenda seeking to excluded those she hates. She is using her position to force others to live according to her beliefs.

She had a melt down over being sent to an all female prison because gay women.

She is no martyr. She is a bully. She is a corrupt elected official abusing her authority.
If shariah law became the law in Kentucky how would Davis and her supporters feel about women being denied drivers licenses? Or pork and ham products becoming outlawed? Or any work or government services being banned from being performed on Fridays?
If Kim Davis and her supporters are successful in their efforts that in and of itself may be the precursor to other faiths across the nation instituting shariah law or kosher law or any religious laws becoming the law of the land. Would it only be unfair or unconstitutional if those religious laws were born of a faith other than your own?

Some Lives Matter Less

It's been said that the root cause of every bigotry, all sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism and class warfare is the sinister yet simple idea that some lives matter less.
Or as Orwell said "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others."
Take church for example, members who are Temple worthy are therefore deemed to be better people than those who don't follow the word of wisdom, or who have tattoos, or who don't follow the BYU grooming standards, and especially women who show off their shoulders(gasp!)
Those who drink or smoke are second class members. But Jesus spent His ministry with the second class sinners of every kind. Why do we as a church, as a culture and as a people hold to the view of the Pharisees rather than the inclusive ethos of Christ?
Simon and Judas were Zealots. They intended to earn Judeas independence by any means necessary and often Zealots assassinated those they felt stood in the ways of their goals.
Many of the 12 were fishermen, humble yet noble working class men.
Matthew was a tax collector. Called Publicans in scripture these men were hated for stealing from their own people to enrich the Romans.
Since we find ourselves on the topic of tax collectors I want to share this parable of Christ about the Pharisee and the tax collector:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:10-14 kjv

I have to wonder if the Apostle Matthew was the nameless Publican.

How much did the Pharisee value (Matthew?) the Publican? How much did the Pharisee value himself? How much did the Publican value God? And how much did God value the Publican?

The lesson, at least for me, is that you can pray and fast and adhere to all the outward and arguably superficial signs of righteousness and still miss the entire point of the Gospel. 

Because The Kingdom of God is within us. It is not what goes into our lungs or our mouths that defiles is, it's what comes out of our mouths, what comes out of our hearts that defiles us.

We can check off the boxes of commandments and still fail to be a good person even if we look the part that does not mean in any way that we can act the part.

Jesus showed compassion, respect and understanding to those who were deemed worthless or worth less than the rest by His society. He valued us all so much that He was willing to leave the 99 to find the one who was lost.

Jesus didn't require that you be a good person or be the elite of your society or church to be saved. Jesus felt that so long as we are children of God, part of Gods creation, but more than that-part of God Himself, that we deserved His love and respect.

The ethos that some lives matter less was never a part of His Gospel. In fact His Gospel message is founded on the ethos that every life matters. That every life is sacred. Jesus fed the hungry and ministered to the poor, He saved the adulteress from death and spoke to and ministered to not only Samaritan but a Samaritan woman which defied cultural laws.

Can any of us imagine any modern Apostles ministering in that way? Ministering as Jesus Himself and His Apostles did?

Meaning can we imagine them ministering themselves rather than sending out their minions to do so for them?

Jesus asked that we visit the sick, visit the prisoner, feed the hungry and clothe the naked. He did not ask if we gave money or sent out someone else to have them minister to others on our behalf. Christ is asking us personally to do these things.

We don't have to quit our day jobs to do these things because the smallest thing can yield the most amazing results.

Jesus never said any life mattered less. Jesus loved and cherished every life He met. He never met a prostitue, or an adulterer or adulteress, or a murderer or any other kind of sinner. All He met were flawed but divinely created children of God, made in His image. And struggling through a hard life as best they can. 

How can we claim to be disciples of Christ if we devalue the lives of those we disapprove of? How can we recognize the divine qualities in others if we insist that some lives don't matter? Like the lives of black people or "burger flippers." Or waitresses or waiters? Or women? Or whoever? This ethos is the antithesis of the Gospel message.

You don't determine my value as I do not determine yours, only God can do that. And God does not make mistakes or counterfeit product. We are more than part of His creation, we are His children.

What Accepting Jesus Means To Me

Jesus often said something after His teachings and parables I want to highlight; He said variations of this;
"He who has ears, let them hear."For example:

3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

This scripture passage is one of many examples of Jesus saying this. But what does He mean?

What He means is that if you understand His message then go out and live it. It was an idiom that emphasized action. Jesus is showing us the door but we have to walk through it. To believe in Christ as our Savior and Redeemer in a literal sense or to believe in Jesus without living His teachings serves no purpose. 

Imagine a man who is a celebrity for his Christian Faith and preaches the truth of Christ in a literal sense. But in leading his life he abandons this message and molests children and has numerous affairs outside of his marriage. It may be true that an atheist can be a good person and not abuse children or cheat on their spouse but if the one who does is Christian they are more than a hypocrite they know the path but they can't or won't walk it. They believe Jesus in a literal sense but they do not have faith that His teachings represent the best path.

It's not believing Jesus is our Savior that really saves our soul, it's living out His teachings like loving our neighbors and our enemies, forgiving as infinitely as He did when He begged God to forgive His executioners, that saves our soul and may save the lives of those who come into contact with that Christlike love for possibly the first time in their lives.

In my life from childhood to my teens and through adulthood until I met my wife at 31 years of age, I never lived down my mistakes or my sins. I was constantly reminded of them no matter how much "progress" I thought I had made.

The result being I had no motivation to do better because my successes were forgotten but my mistakes and sins were eternally remembered by my family and friends.

When I met my wife she did not gloss over my mistakes but she didn't remind me of them daily either. Neither did my step kids. I felt legitimate and real forgiveness for the first time in my life.

I started going to church regularly even if I sometimes skipped to go to a Hindu or Buddhist service. And as I read the Gospels I found that Jesus was every bit as forgiving as the messages He preached. Yet most of His "disciples" had more in common with the Pharisaical teachings of eternal condemnation for the most insignificant and limited of crimes than with forgiving 7x77 times.

So how can we claim to be His disciples if we are known more for our spiritual elitism and exclusiveness than for our inclusiveness? How can we claim to be His disciples if we say that families are forever but only if they are "good enough" or if they have a Temple recommend or if they look like us or meet our rigid criteria and standards?

How can we say we are His disciples if we hate our enemies or our neighbors when our "Master" taught the opposite?

None of us is perfect. We will all fail. Which is why we have no room to judge others for sinning differently than we do or to condemn others, that is His job alone.

My point in all of this is that we cannot do the opposite of what Jesus taught and truly call ourselves His disciples.

Because if we truly accept Christ we will not just accept His teachings in a literal sense but we will live them out as best we can and as best as we understand those teachings.

Belief in Christ in a literal sense may be valid but belief in His teachings and living them out is what Salvation really is all about.

Authority is not what gave Jesus' teachings or His ministry it's true power, the power came from Jesus practicing what He preached. He didn't just deliver His message, He was the message.

According To The Dictates Of Our Conscience

The following Articles of Faith have been on my mind a lot lately. I don't think the ethos behind each one is strictly Mormon. I think it's all part of just being a good person.
But here they are:

11th Article of Faith-We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

It seems this only applies to those who think and feel as we do. We may be right while others may be wrong or we may be wrong while others may be right. But if we judge or condemn we will face the same standard of judgment from The Lord.

We would do better to have a discussion rather than an argument over the differences and similarities in our beliefs. Because in an argument we fight to prove who is right but in a discussion we seek to find what is right.

If we are to be free to worship according to the dictates of our own conscience then it follows logically that in the spirit of fairness and compassion too, we must allow others the same privallege. The price we pay for all of our rights is that we allow others those same rights.

Which brings me to the ballad of Kim Davis of Kentucky. Kim is a county clerk in a courthouse where, since the SCOTUS ruling on marriage, she has refused to grant marriage licenses to any gay or lesbian couple. She is citing "God's authority" as her grounds for refusing service to people who have done nothing more than wanting to marry and start a committed life with the one they love.

She knows none of these people personally, they have in no way wronged her, they simply offend her delicate sensibilities.

If she were denying marriage licenses to interracial couples, would this have ever gone this far before being squelched? I see both examples as being symptoms of the same disease; bigotry. It's easy to say it but what every type of bigotry, every type of sexism, every type of discrimination has one common source and that is the ethos that some people, some lives matter less. Or to paraphrase Orwell; "Everyone is created equal but some are more equal than others."

The bigotry displayed by Kim Davis disturbes me but the millions of people who support her words and actions make me physically ill. Because if one groups' rights can be denied today, then our rights can be denied tomorrow.

Which brings me to the next Article of Faith:

12th Articke of Faith-We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

This one may sound good now but what of the Saints living in Germany in the 1930's to do? As citizens we do have a responsibility to uphold our communities laws but I think the under ground railroad was a very Christian thing to take part in even if it was disobeying the government we believe we are subject to.

Which is essentially why Kim Davis and others doing the same feel they are in the right. They feel the SCOTUS ruling is immoral and they feel it is at odds with their faith. But this is a false narrative; Jesus taught that we are to love our enemies. He taught this ethos without exceptions. We do not get a pass on this teaching because it's too hard or because we just don't want to, or because our blanky is in the wash and need it to take a nap.

Religion is about controlling oneself, it is not about controlling others.

Why is free agency such a pillar in our faith if we, as a state or even country, legislate our own standards on others? As if you're only free to chose if you "choose the right" and by right I mean what I decide for you to be right.

If you want to abstain from sex, coffee, alcohol and tobacco, amongst other things, then go for it but no one gets to force me, you or anyone else to uphold religious traditions and rituals or even values without consent.

We must allow others the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as they define it rather than having it defined by others. Because, again, if you decide what others can and can't do today then tomorrow someone else may decide how you are allowed to live and what rights you may and may not retain.

Those deemed lesser acquiring the same rights everyone else have always enjoyed is not an attack on anyone. Gay people getting married only affects the lives of that couple, it in no way threatens anyone else's marriage. The only way gay marriage could threaten your marriage is if you or your spouse is gay.

What we have, as a country and as a people, decided is to govern by common consent or democracy. So if we don't agree with a law or set of laws then we must take action legally as in voting representatives out of office or by introducing legislation to change said law or laws. We don't get to decide on our own or to decide for others what the laws they need to follow are.

In Mormon scripture the pre existence is described. The scence begins with God holding a council to decide how life on Earth would go, how the plan of salvation was to work. Here's the scripture detailing the importance of agency and how central to God's plan it really is:

1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

If agency is a God given gift then who are we to deny anyone their agency? How can we deny others their God given agency and claim to be doing God's will?

Looks more like the Kim Davis's of the world have created God in their image by creating a God who sanctions their hatred of others, others who are His children and made in His image.

If Jesus forgave the men who crucified them, who are we to condemn any of God's children? Judgement is The Lord's and The Lord's alone. Of us it is required that we forgive one another and love one another as Jesus loves us.

We can do better, which is why we should.

Modern Pharisees

To discuss what modern Pharisees are we must first define what we mean by Pharisee and what the gospels were going through such great lengths to demonstrate in terms of negative effects on the people.

Jesus seemed to think the following of the Pharisees:

1. That they were hypocrites.

2. That they did not understand the inner meaning of the Law and the scriptures.

3. That they had set up a system to measure spiritual status and worthiness that emphasized external religious practices, thus neglecting the inner path of spiritual rebirth, which is “the key of knowledge.”

I'd like to thank Phil McLemore for the 3 point definition of what typifies a Pharisee.

I'll share the scripture quotes from church today about how the Pharisees put the letter of the law above the spirit behind it to the spiritual detriment or even at the cost of the lives of the people they essentially governed.

"7 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do."

So because some did not adhere to the ritual of washing their hands they were shamed for it. They were shamed for not looking the part regardless of the contents of their hearts. It is not adherence to BYU grooming standards that makes you a good member, it's not being able to honestly hold a Temple recommend and it's not paying a full tithe that makes us a good person. It's how we treat people, like those who can do nothing for us that determines how close to Christlike we are. 

Here is more of Marks Gospel describing more of the scene:

"14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

Jesus in essentially saying "It's not what goes in your mouth that defiles you, it's what comes out" means is that what you eat does not affect you in any way spiritually, but if your heart has gone sour then your words and deeds, that proceed from your heart, will be sour as well.

And in Luke Jesus lays down the ultimate condemnation of the Pharisees, a condemnation that needs to be leveled on our own generations n especially.

37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

So one of the most charged accusations Jesus levels against the Pharisees is that they take the law of God and use it to burden, to punish, to demean, and to dominate those who didn't know every letter of it even if they knew the very spirit and intent behind every letter of the law. This is why Jesus, His followers and the Pharisees were at odds and flat out incompatible with one another.

How often have we meet church members and leaders at every level of the church who have more in common with the Pharisees than they do with Christ? Pretty often as those who are most Pharisaical tend to rise up the ranks of the church leadership. Or so it would seem.

I have heard of the concept of the higher law which can only be d scribed by comparison, for example; Moses wrote "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." Meaning that if an enemy wrongs you then you receive an eye for an eye as recompense. But Jesus taught us to love our enemies. 

Moses also taught that we should offer sacrifices to the Lord yet Jesus taught that if we are angry with our brother we should leave our gift and reconcile with our brother before God will accept our offering. Moses said "Though shalt not commit adultery, whereas Kesus taught that if we look upon another with lust we have committed adultery.

The spirit of the entire law and the philosophy of Jesus regarding it can be summed up succinctly with 3 commandments; 1) Love God with all our mind, with all our might and strength 2) Love our neighbor as we love ourselves and 3) Love one another as He loved us and by that shall all know we are His disciples.

By contrast the Pharisaical philosophy focuses on external signs of righteousness like grooming and appearance, adherence to rituals and doctrines of those in authority which is why Jesus compared Pharisees to sepulchers which are beautifully adorned but which contain rotted corpses.

Jesus said the kingdom of God is within and this is key to understanding the difference between the Pharisees and Jesus. Jesus speaks to an inward path, an inward journey to truly know ourselves, our demons, our strengths and our potential.

God exists within us. He is a part of us and we are a part of Him and it is through Him that we may truly know one another. This is the implication of an inward journey to God. 

Because there are no outward signs of righteousness for those who seek God from within it is impossible to judge or condem others as to their righteousness.

But if we focus externally instead of internally then we can condemn and judge based on whether or not you wash your hands, whether or not you shave and based on your haircut or the clothes you wear and whether or not they are modest enough.

In order to pass quick judgement one must rely on outward signs. In order to judge someone who thinks the kingdom of God is to be found within then one must actually get to know that person. And who has time for that?

But Jesus teaches that if we judge others then God will judge us by the same standard with which we judge others. Either giving the benefit of the doubt or condemning.

Besides we would do well to avoid judging others whose only crime was to sin differently than we have?

Unless we have been translated then we really have no room to talk and I've learned from scripture that those in a position to judge or condemn never do.

Jesus said that "He who is without sin may cast the first stone" when defending the life of an adulteress. But Jesus was without sin and yet He cast no stones. Why? Could it be that His love for a sinner trumped her sin and that love required no retribution?

Jesus never saw a sinner, a tax collector, a prostitue, an adulterer or adulteress, a thief or a murderer. All He ever saw or met were children of God, made in His image, who were deserving of love, compassion and respect.

Jesus embraced those who were outcast by their own people, the Pharisees, and He gave them the compassion, love and respect that all of Gods children deserve to be shown and not merely told.

It is these teachings and these philosophies that heal, empower and change lives and one by one are capable of changing the world.

Many argue that these teachings can't change the world, but I say they already have.

This internal approach is simple and elegant philosophy and spirituality yet nearly impossible for us all, which is why w each have yet to be translated. But we can work towards this daily. If we want to be Christlike then all we can do is do our best daily, the more we do the more we can do tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. We can't change who we are or who we've been but we can change who we b come. We might not be there today but in ten years we will be so much closer than we are today. And that effort is all that can be asked of us.

If we nourish the Christ within us the more He will bloom inside of us and the more that will pour out of us as a well of living water because our hearts will have been purified. We won't just find salvation from ourselves but we may provide that for others as well, just as Christ Himself did for ahead so disciples who then did it for their followers.

You Just Need To Pray More

My wife and I were both raised LDS. We both stopped attending at different points but after we were married we went back. In going back we made friends with the EQ President and his wife who is a YW leader.
They were awesome! We went out on activities which they always made sure to let us know about even if we weren't attending regularly.
And then.......
My wife expressed to the YW leader that she was having serious doubts about the messages from the GA's. She expressed serious doubts about the Church and was told that "You just need to pray more and read the Book of Mormon."
Which is a cop out "answer."
Sometimes you need concrete answers. You need something more than platitudes, something more than outdated and antiquated clichés that provide no insight, no further light and knowledge.
And you certainly need to feel validation in the answers you find rather than ostracism, condemnation or shame if those answers don't match those of your EQ President, YW leader, stake president, Bishop or even General Authorities.
My wife was friends with the YW leader on Facebook but after expressing doubts the YW leader unfriended and blocked her. Because Christ commanded us to love our enemies unless they believe differently than you then it's totally cool to ostracize those who were your friends.

"Regardless of your circumstances, your personal history, or the strength of your testimony, there is room for you in this Church." –President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Apparently though this sounds good enough to say in front of the world it is not good enough to be put into practice kinda like the "new policies" found on the mormonsandgays website. 

But for me the biggest test of my faith came in going to the Temple.

I had read the Bible where scripture describes exactly how the Temple should be built, what it should have and what the Priesthood is to accomplish there. Before Solomon's Temple was built the Jews had a makeshift Temple that was set up every time they laid camp. But Solomon changed nothing but the scale of the Temple and added to its grandeur by using the most precious stones and metals for its construction.

And when the Jews come back to Israel after their exile in Babylon they rebuilt the Temple according to those specifications laid out in scripture.

There were 3 courts at the Temple, one for women, one called the court of the Israelites and even one called the court of the Gentiles. The court of the Israelites was for men only. There was also a portion the the Temple site to welcome lepers who were considered unclean.

When I study Solomons Temple and Herods reconstructed Temple and also what I find on scripture I feel close to The Lord just understanding what was to be accomplished in His house.

But everything I understood from scripture about what was supposed to be done in The Lords House and how it was to be laid out was found in our modern Temple.

Why was the Temples descriptions in scripture so familiar and our modern Temple so foreign? Again, I was told I need to pray more and read the Book of Mormon or doubt my doubts and dumb crap like that.

When I went to the Temple with my more than shoulder length hair, full long beard, piercings and a couple visible tattoos I was welcomed graciously. I felt real Christlike love. Getting a far different reaction from so many in my local ward I had to wonder why the special treatment? Should we not love one another as He loves us?

Or is His love conditional on us being the most worthy, the most righteous and those who keep to BYU's grooming standards?

God made the Earth and all life on it personally so the Earth itself is a Temple handcrafted by God. Our Temples however exquisite are made of men not God. I'm not saying they don't matter what I'm saying is there is nowhere on earth that is not sacred and holy ground. God sees us shame and shun His children because of whatever differences in dress, grooming, belief, race or sexuality.

Here's a thought; if God made each of us in His image and assuming God does not make counterfeit product then maybe our differences in race, gender or sexuality and more exist to test our love for one another.

It's easy to love those who think and feel like you but the true test is when we differ, when we disagree and how we test others, how we talk to and about others and whether or not we can rise above differences and contention to achieve love that is reflective of the Love Christ showed those in His life and ministry.

My biggest issue with the church and church culture is that we rely on authority for truth rather than on truth for authority. 

We can never achieve further light and knowledge if we base our understanding and evaluation of truth based on who said it rather than on what was said.

I've never needed others to be wrong for me to be right. I should have to be labeled an Apostate simply because I'm on a different path than someone else.

3+4=7 so does 1+6. Just because we may be on a different path does not mean our destination will not be the same.

I feel that Jesus cares more about how you treat others, if you love others as He loves us than He does about how many Bible verses you memorized.

I think that saying you're a true disciple because you go to a certain church is like saying that standing in a garage is what makes you a car.

If you get answers through prayer you are under no obligation to coddle those who are bothered by your truth.

SCOTUS, Stop Oppressing Me!!

The first thing the Bible says is not good, is to be alone. Who are we to enforce loneliness on anyone or refuse them the rights of marriage since we believe it to be so wonderful?
The decision of the Supreme Court on Gay Marriage is as landmark a case as was the civil rights act of 1964.

And much like the civil rights act those who have been ostracized by society being given the same rights makes Anerican freedom somehow less sweet to those privileged enough to never have had to fight for equal rights under the law.
I don't understand how some felt that black men or all women getting the right to vote is an attack on voting as a whole. I also fail to understand how gay men and women being allowed to legally marry is in anyway an attack on anyone's marriage.
How is another's freedom an attack on yours?
The only scenario where gay marriage is a threat to another's marriage is if one member of a married couple is gay themselves.
And there is plenty of hate and vitriol spread these days about gay Americans. But don't dare call someone bigoted for saying bigoted things lest you become the "real" bigot for calling a spade a spade. Also, these hateful people feel that they are being oppressed by not being able to legally enforce the standards of their religion on others.
Thing is, if you say a woman's place is in the kitchen, that is sexist. You don't have to like it, that's simply what it is. If you tell racist jokes then you my friend are racist. And if you say gay people are unnatural and an abomination in the eyes of God, that's not a religious doctrine, that's homophobia. And all bigotry is spurned on by the idea that some lives matter less. That's like saying all people are equal but some are more equal than others.
How many more gay people does God need to make before we realize that He actually wants them around? He made ALL His children in His image the way He saw fit to make them. So who are we to condemn them?
There will be condemnation from God over gay people. But only for the horrible way they are treated by those who supposedly treat them that way to "spread the light and love" of Christ.
Thing is, in a free country with religious freedom that means that your religion is not the only religion and no religion can be legally imposed on the American people.
What this decision from the Supreme Court means is that gay people are now legally entitled to the rights the rest of us have been taking for granted, because we have always had these rights.
Except if you wanted to marry outside your race. That was illegal until the 1960's. But we no longer refer to interracial marriages, they are simply marriages. Before long gay marriage will no longer be a thing. It will simply be marriage.
Jesus gave us a single new commandment to "Love one another as I have loved you." He added that "By this shall all men know ye are my disciples."
He made no exceptions for people who are different from us. For those who sin differently than we do, still no exceptions were made.
Gay people simply want what any of God's children want, to pursue life, liberty and happiness as they see fit. As opposed to forcing others to live as they do.
If gay people were trying to redefine marriage they would have petitioned to make gay marriages the only legal form of marriage as some straight people tried to do the opposite but they never did. Gay Americans only fought for equal rights and protection under the law.
That's not a crime. But condemning, abusing, ostracizing, and hating is a crime in the eyes of God. Being that all people are His children, any verbal or physical abuse perpetrated by His "followers" is something that grieves The Lord.
But the love that comes with conditions is no love at all. That is fake, that is counterfeit, no child of God is false or counterfeit. Every child of God is deserving of love, freedom and equal rights and protections. None of those things are special rights.