A Thoughtful Gospel Principles. Chapter 46: Final Judgement

(Personal note... sometimes when I have a first reading through the GP chapter I struggle. It's taught with an absolute certainty that I struggle with. On the other hand... I've accepted a calling to teach the LDS Gospel Principles class. I'm aware that I need to include excerpts from the lesson but won't always follow the exact structure of the manual. I include other quotes/scriptures, but only content that is either found on the church website or linked to from the church website).

https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-46-the-final-judgment?lang=eng

The Good News of the Nativity

Today’s lesson is on God’s Final Judgement. On the Sunday before Christmas we can celebrate the good news of the nativity and gift of the atonement that free us from the fear of judgement.

The Shepherds were encouraged to celebrate the birth of Saviour (Luke 2:8-14):

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The first and third verses of a beautiful carol, O Holy Night, teach us why the Nativity is such good news:

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!… 

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

The word “pining” means suffering from pain. A large effect of sinning and making mistakes is seeing the negative effects they have on us and on others. The pain of sin is experiencing and realising the distance our mistakes place between others and between us and God. The gift of Jesus Christ is to “break the chains” of this pain and help us to love one another and find peace.

Faith in Jesus Christ helps us be prepared for the Final Judgment. Through faithful discipleship to Him and repentance of all our sins, we can be forgiven for our sins and become pure and holy so that we can dwell in the presence of God. As we repent of our sins, giving up every impure thought and act, the Holy Ghost will change our hearts so we no longer have even the desire to sin (see Mosiah 5:2). Then when we are judged, we will be found ready to enter into God’s presence. (Gospel Principles, p270)

God’s judgement is just and balanced

We are often told in the scriptures that the day will come when we will stand before God and be judged. We need to understand how judgment takes place so we can be better prepared for this important event.The scriptures teach that all of us will be judged according to our works: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12; see also D&C 76:111; 1 Nephi 15:32; Abraham 3:25–28). We will also be judged “according to the desire of [our] hearts” (D&C 137:9; see also Alma 41:3). (Gospel Principles, p269) 

The Prophet Joseph Smith said that the dead will be judged out of records kept on earth. We will also be judged out of the “book of life,” which is kept in heaven (GP, p270)

Joseph Smith also said:

“God judges men according to the use they make of the light which He gives them.” 

“Men will be held accountable for the things which they have and not for the things they have not. … All the light and intelligence communicated to them from their beneficent creator, whether it is much or little, by the same they in justice will be judged, and … they are required to yield obedience and improve upon that and that only which is given, for man is not to live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." 

“He holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men, but, ‘according to the deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil,’ or whether these deeds were done in England, America, Spain, Turkey, or India. He will judge them, ‘not according to what they have not, but according to what they have’; those who have lived without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will be judged by that law. We need not doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right [see Genesis 18:25].”

We inherit a glory reflecting who we have become, not simply what we have done.

There is another record that will be used to judge us. The Apostle Paul taught that we ourselves are a record of our life… At the Final Judgment we will inherit a place in the kingdom for which we are prepared. The scriptures teach of three kingdoms of glory—the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, and the telestial kingdom. (GP, p271)
In reality, every day is a day of judgment. We speak, think, and act according to celestial, terrestrial, or telestial law. Our faith in Jesus Christ, as shown by our daily actions, determines which kingdom we will inherit. (GP, p273)

Elder Richard G. Scott spoke of the impact of 'small things' in General Conference of April 2013:

Remember: little things lead to big things. Seemingly insignificant indiscretions or neglect can lead to big problems. More importantly, simple, consistent, good habits lead to a life full of bountiful blessings.

One of President David O. McKay's favourite sayings illustrated how habits and small choices around the little things lead to what our true character is:

“We sow our thoughts, and we reap our actions; we sow our actions, and we reap our habits; we sow our habits, and we reap our characters; we sow our characters, and we reap our destiny.” (C. A. Hall, The Home Book of Quotations, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1935, p. 845.)

Elder Delbert Stapely, speaking in General Conference in 1974, repeated this quote and then taught that life is an opportunity to make choices that help to develop the best habits:

We are not born into this world with fixed habits. Neither do we inherit a noble character. Instead, as children of God, we are given the privilege and opportunity of choosing which way of life we will follow—which habits we will form.Confucius said that the nature of men is always the same. It is their habits that separate them.

All of the covenants we make and the commandments we keep are opportunities to develop the best possible habits. For example, obedience to the covenants made at baptism develops good character through the habits of service, supporting others and showing compassion (Mosiah 18:8-10). This is the deep value and gift of commandments and covenants. They provide a framework and motivation to establish character forming habits. We will be judged based on what we have done because what we do will define what we become.

Judge others generously today and show the mercy you hope to receive tomorrow

Joseph Smith encouraged us to avoid judging each other when he said:

“While one portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard; He views them as His offspring, and without any of those contracted feelings that influence the children of men, causes ‘His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.’”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt. 5:7)

Commenting on this verse, Elder Uchtdorf gave one of the most powerful talks on mercy and avoiding being judgmental in April 2011 General Conference:

Of course, these words seem perfectly reasonable—when applied to someone else. We can so clearly and easily see the harmful results that come when others judge and hold grudges. And we certainly don’t like it when people judge us. 

But when it comes to our own prejudices and grievances, we too often justify our anger as righteous and our judgment as reliable and only appropriate. Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one. We make exceptions when it comes to our own bitterness because we feel that, in our case, we have all the information we need to hold someone else in contempt. 

This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: 

Stop it! It’s that simple. 

We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters. 

I don’t know exactly how to articulate this point of not judging others with sufficient eloquence, passion, and persuasion to make it stick. I can quote scripture, I can try to expound doctrine, and I will even quote a bumper sticker I recently saw. It was attached to the back of a car whose driver appeared to be a little rough around the edges, but the words on the sticker taught an insightful lesson. It read, “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”

Celebrating the message of the Nativity

And so we return to the reason for celebrating this season.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come;Let earth receive her King!Let ev'ry heart prepare him room,And Saints and angels sing (Hymns 201) 

In a Sep 2013 Ensign article, Brad Wilcox taught that in the face of Judgement, Christ’s Grace is sufficient:

The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die but that we can live more abundantly (see John 10:10). The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can be cleansed and consoled but that we can be transformed (see Romans 8). Scriptures make it clear that no unclean thing can dwell with God (see Alma 40:26), but no unchanged thing will even want to. 

The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can go home but that—miraculously—we can feel at home there. If Heavenly Father and His Son did not require faith and repentance, then there would be no desire to change.
Grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather, it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is received right here and right now. 

Jesus’s grace is sufficient. It is enough. It is all we need. Don’t quit. Keep trying. Don’t look for escapes and excuses. Look for the Lord and His perfect strength. Don’t search for someone to blame. Search for someone to help you. Seek Christ, and, as you do, you will feel the enabling power and divine help we call His amazing grace.

And so we join the heavenly throng in celebrating the gift of a Saviour:

Sing, choirs of angels,Sing in exultation;Sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above!Glory to God,Glory in the highest; 

Oh, come, let us adore him;Oh, come, let us adore him;Oh, come, let us adore him,Christ, the Lord. (Hymns 202)

A Thoughtful Gospel Principles. Chapter 45: The Millennium

http://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-45-the-millennium

GP: A thousand years of peace, love, and joy will begin on the earth at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This thousand-year period is called the Millennium. The scriptures and the prophets help us understand what it will be like to live on the earth during the Millennium.

We have little detailed information on the Millenium. Many of the scriptures use metaphor to describe what will happen. I personally spend very little time thinking about the Millennium as a time or experience.

I think I will probably not be alive when the second coming happens so instead today I want to try to focus on learning the principles taught in scriptures about the Millenium and apply them to my life today.

In the October 1971 Ensign, Elder Legrand Richards said:

Today I thought I would like to say a few words about the kind of a foundation we have for our faith, and what we live for, and what our aims and our ambitions really are. I think of the time the beautiful temple here on this block was erected, over a hundred years ago. When the foundation was being laid, we are told that it was sixteen feet wide, and at one time President Brigham Young came and saw the workmen throwing in chipped granite. He made them take it out and put in those great granite blocks with this explanation: “We are building this temple to stand through the millennium.” Isn’t that a good thought? Each one of us ought to want to build our lives and help our families to build their lives so that we can stand through the millennium.

Principle One: It won’t only be Mormons living on the earth.

GP: Because of the destruction of the wicked at the Savior’s Second Coming, only righteous people will live on the earth at the beginning of the Millennium. They will be those who have lived virtuous and honest lives. These people will inherit either the terrestrial or celestial kingdom.

The “principle for today” is a reminder that there are many good people across many faiths and life-philosophies who, although not of our faith, are still disciples of Jesus Christ or followers of God’s will for them.

In October 2001 Conference (explain General Conference), Elder M. Russell Ballard said:

“We must understand however that not everyone is going to accept our doctrine of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For the most part, our neighbors not of our faith are good, honorable people-every bit as good and honorable as we strive to be. They care about their families, just like we do. They want to make the world a better place, just like we do. They are kind and loving and generous and faithful, just like we seek to be.”

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2001/10/doctrine-of-inclusion?lang=eng

In April 1995, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said:

"We believe that most religious leaders and followers are sincere believers who love God and understand and serve him to the best of their abilities. We are indebted to the men and women who kept the light of faith and learning alive through the centuries to the present day... We honor them as servants of God."

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/04/apostasy-and-restoration?lang=eng

Joseph Smith said:

The inquiry is frequently made of me. 'Wherein do you differ from others in your religious views?' In reality an essence we do not differ so far in our religious views, but that we could all drink into one principle of love. One of the grand fundamental principles of 'Mormonism' is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.

Principle 2: The Work of the Church during the Millennium teaches us about God's love for all his children

GP: There will be two great works for members of the Church during the Millennium: temple work and missionary work. Temple work involves the ordinances that are necessary for exaltation. These include baptism, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the temple ordinances—the endowment, temple marriage, and the sealing together of family units.

Many people have died without receiving these ordinances. People on the earth must perform these ordinances for them. This work is now being done in the temples of the Lord. There is too much work to finish before the Millennium begins, so it will be completed during that time.

The other great work during the Millennium will be missionary work. The gospel will be taught with great power to all people. Eventually there will be no need to teach others the first principles of the gospel because “they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:34).

I love the principle that we are taught in this. God loves all of his children and will never give up.

In the General Conference of April 1924, Elder Orson F. Whitney said:

"Our Heavenly Father is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable than even the best of his servants. And the Everlasting Gospel is mightier in power to save than our narrow finite minds can comprehend."

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/1987/10/a-champion-of-youth?lang=eng

Elder Boyd K. Packer told of the following experience in a talk given in October 1995:

"Some years ago I was in Washington, D.C., with President Harold B. Lee. Early one morning he called me to come into his hotel room. He was sitting in his robe reading Gospel Doctrine, by President Joseph F. Smith, and he said, “Listen to this!”

“Jesus had not finished his work when his body was slain, neither did he finish it after his resurrection from the dead; although he had accomplished the purpose for which he then came to the earth, he had not fulfilled all his work. And when will he? Not until he has redeemed and saved every son and daughter of our father Adam that have been or ever will be born upon this earth to the end of time, except the sons of perdition. That is his mission. We will not finish our work until we have saved ourselves, and then not until we shall have saved all depending upon us; for we are to become saviors upon Mount Zion, as well as Christ. We are called to this mission.”

“There is never a time,” the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “when the spirit is too old to approach God. All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the unpardonable sin.”

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/10/the-brilliant-morning-of-forgiveness?lang=eng

Principle Three: Binding Satan through righteousness.

GP: During the Millennium, Satan will be bound. This means he will not have power to tempt those who are living at that time.

D&C 43:

30 For the great Millennium, of which I have spoken by the mouth of my servants, shall come.

 31 For Satan shall be bound, and when he is loosed again he shall only reign for a little season, and then cometh the end of the earth.

1 Nep 22:

25 And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.

 26 And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth.

Principle for today: How can we effectively start to bind Satan today?

Mosiah 5:1-2

4 Nephi 1:1-3, 15-18

Principle 4: Jesus to Reign on the Earth

GP: During the Millennium, Jesus will “reign personally upon the earth” (Articles of Faith 1:10). Joseph Smith explained that Jesus will “reign over the Saints and come down and instruct”… The Lord will be king over all the earth, and all mankind literally under his sovereignty, and every nation under the heavens will have to acknowledge his authority, and bow to his scepter. Those who serve him in righteousness will have communications with God, and with Jesus

Principle for today: How can we make Jesus Christ our personal king and sovereign today?

In November 2011, President Thomas S. Monson said:

“When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed… The world will shape human nature, but Christ can change human nature, and changed men and women can change the world.”

1 Peter 2:21

John 13:15

2 Nephi 31:10, 16-17

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you John 13:34

The priesthood ban cuts deep

The priesthood ban may be what finally does me in. The recent attention on the Dr Nelson 1947 letter exchange with the first presidency coupled with the recent LDS.org racism article was bad timing for my spiritual welfare.

The new article disavows things that the 1947 first presidency stated as doctrine in their letter to Dr Nelson. These were not said by some first generation Mormon hundreds of years ago, but said in living memory. My Dad was alive at the time that letter was written. He was also alive for the race relations speech given by Mark E. Petersen and the letter written by Delbert Stapley in which he recommend the 1960 book justifying the black priesthood ban. At the beginning of the year I was born there were still black families being denied entry to the temple. Simply because of their skin colour.

I'm not sure I want to raise my kids in a culture and group that is predominantly lead by ultra-conservatives whose interests seem to be focused on preserving the status quo that they were raised in. I don't like the paradigm that they are convinced is absolute and non-negotiable truth. Having today's leaders simply shrug off the priesthood ban and say "we don't know" simply compounds their apparent lack of divine guidance.

I'm very grateful for the work and words of people like Elder Uchtdorf. I want to heed is invite to stay and show myself and other people that a middle way is viable.

I worry that leaving could hurt others trying to walk the middle way. It's discouraging for me when I see people I know who have tried to be moderate Mormons but can't sustain it. I'd hate to cause that same pain to others. I worry too about the negative impact on people of the opposite view; those who are strongly orthodox and currently avoid any questioning and exploration of origins. I fear that if I leave it will only back them further into the corner of defensive fundamentalism. Don't question, don't explore, don't study... look what it did to Mackay...

Conflicted.

Why did it take until 1978?

I should probably first say that I don't think it really needed a revelation to overturn it because no revelation introduced it. The leadership could have ended it ages earlier if needed. Reason for further delay include, in my opinion:

 

First:

It was never a "burning platform." The brethren of the past had the following attitude: 

Quote

“From the days of the Prophet Joseph even until now, it has been the doctrine of the Church, never questioned by any of the Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel.”

 

https://archive.org/...age/n4/mode/1up

 

There was no urgent need to change it and so there was no pressing desire to "question" it. This accounted for the first 100 years.

 

Second:

After initial movement towards a resolution under Pres. McKay and Elder Brown, the subsequent prophets didn't maintain the momentum. There was little progress under Pres Smith and Lee. 

 

Quote

Despite the now-official, public “we don’t know” position, most leaders still privately stood by the traditional twentieth-century explanation that a spirit’s premortal conduct justified priesthood restriction in mortality. Joseph Fielding Smith, who succeeded President McKay, was among those most consistently supporting the traditional views, as was Harold B. Lee, who became his First Counselor.

https://byustudies.b...efec584dcd9.pdf

 

In 1972 Pres. Lee was not chasing the change. Instead he was waiting for it. In 1972 he said:

Quote

"For those who don’t believe in modern revelation there is no adequate explanation. Those who do understand revelation stand by and wait until the Lord speaks."

 

ibid

 

This echoes the sentiment of the 1947 FP letter: "It's always been this way, don't ask questions, it will be sorted when it's the Lord comes and tells us."

 

According to his son's article (linked in to from the recent LDS.org article), President Kimball, succeeding in 1973 had seen the division the topic caused in the 1960s and was committed to unanimity.

 

Third:

The new lds.org article includes the information on the church needing an urgent solution in 1976 to the question of the Brazil temple being funded and built by mixed race members. This was perhaps finally the burning platform that provided the impetus to get a solution.

 

Fouth:

There were two apostles still in the 15 that are known to have racist views: Delbert Stapley and Mark E. Petersen. Elder Stapley's 1964 letter makes for extremely uncomfortable reading. He even goes as far as warning that USA presidents and others who had tried to campaign for black rights had ended up dead. Anyone with that belief is an unlikely advocate for blacks to have more rights in the church - for fear of his life. He emphasizes that "it was the Lord's responsibility--not man's--to change His decision." He goes on to oppose the "public accomodations; the taking from the Whites their wishes to satisfy the Negroes." He continues that "the Negro" should not be entitled to "full social benefits nor inter-marriage rights with Whites, nor should Whites be forced to accept them into restricted White areas." He warns of"punishment for our acts" if people agitate for change for black people.

http://www.boston.co...ert_stapley.pdf

 

I find this letter both disturbing and very telling. When you add Mark E. Petersen's racist attitudes there were clearly two potential blockers to making the change if we're looking solely at personal opinions. For example Petersen said:

 

Quote

From this, and other interviews I have read, it appears that the negro seeks absorbtion with the white race. He will not be satisfied until he achieves it by intermarriage. That is his objective and we must face it. We must not allow our feeling to carry us away, nor must we feel so sorry for negroes that we will open our arms and embrace them with everything we have. Remember the little statement that we used to say about sin, " First we pity, then endure, then embrace."

http://content.lib.u.../UU_EAD/id/1918

 

When President Kimball lead the initiative in 1978 he spent several days getting each of the apostles to bring their own typed up opinions to him, followed by a long group discussion. They reached the unanimous conclusion that it could happen and then prayed for confirmation. Even before the prayer, President Kimball got every member of the group to say they were in favour of the change. This was before any revelation was sought and received. They had studied it out in their mind and unanimously agreed that they were in favour of all men holding the priesthood, regardless of race.

 

Quote

Elder Packer said, a few weeks later, “One objection would have deterred him, would have made him put it off, so careful was he . . . that it had to be right.”

https://byustudies.b...efec584dcd9.pdf

 

Two Apostles were absent for both the individual presentations and group discussions (see page 55 of the Kimball document linked above): Elder Stapley (in hospital) and Elder Petersen (sent on assignment to South America). Only after the deliberations were completed, the discussions over and the prayer of confirmation given, answer received and the statement of change in policy written up were these two Elders consulted. It had already had the stamp of approval of the other 13 and these two were contacted to be told that the revelation had been received and would they sustain it? 

 

Quote

The significance President Kimball attributed to unanimity can be seen in how President Tanner presented the matter to the Church at the next general conference:

 

President Kimball has asked that I advise the conference that after he had received this revelation, which came to him after extended meditation and prayer in the sacred rooms of the holy temple, he presented it to his counselors, who accepted it and approved it. It was then presented to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who unanimously approved it, and was subsequently presented to all other General Authorities, who likewise approved it unanimously.He then proposed acceptance as “the word and will of the Lord.”

 

Two of the Twelve had not attended either meeting. Elder Mark E. Petersen was on assignment in South America, and Elder Delbert L. Stapley was seriously ill in the LDS Hospital. Later in the day of June 8, Spencer telephoned Elder Petersen in Quito, Ecuador, informed him what had happened, had Francis Gibbons read him the announcement about to be published, and received his approval. Elder Petersen later recalled, “I was delighted to know that a new revelation had come from the Lord. I felt the fact of the revelation’s coming was more striking than the decision itself. On the telephone I told President Kimball that I fully sustained both the revelation and him one hundred percent.” All three of the First Presidency visited Elder Stapley. He responded, “I’ll stay with the Brethren on this.” Thus, support from the Twelve was unanimous.

 

(Ibid)

 

It is possible that if the two absent apostles had been involved in the "study it out in your mind" they might not have reached unanimity before praying - enough to scupper the prayer ever even happening.

What is the unoriginal Mark 16 doing in the Book of Mormon?

I wrote a long piece about this a while back. The PDF with a detailed comparison is here.

The Book of Mormon (BoM) is a great book. I enjoy reading it. I know that applying the positive principles leads me to be a better person. The Alma 32 test shows the fruit is good.

Is that because it draws heavily from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)?

Everyone knows that 2 Nephi is full of the Old Testament's Isaiah, it's supposed to given they quote from the same source.

But what is the KJV New Testament doing in an ancient Mesoamerican text?

Mark 16:15-18 has the final words of Jesus before his ascendancy. Mormon 9:22 then tells us that Jesus had told his disciples in the New World, in the hearing of the multitude, the same thing. Mormon‘s account has Jesus using identical wording to Mark 16:15-18. This isn't a problem per se. The 3 Nephi account of Christ‘s visit to the New World has multiple occasions of him using the very same wording to the Old World – the Sermon on the Mount is one such example. I see no problem in Jesus having a consistent message on both sides of the world.

It would also be reasonable to find a parallel in his last words to disciples on both sides of the world. There is however a challenge to this parallel.

There is compelling evidence (including an article from BYU) that Mark 16:9-20 was added much later (up to 200 years later) and is not Marcan. A detailed article can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_16

There are several reasons it might have been added later. As a foreshadow of what happens in Acts, a way of making Mark have a better ending. There's more info in my linked PDF. BYU's Lincoln H. Blumell concludes that Mark 16:9–20 is 'Likely Added (Unoriginal)' (p. 24 and p. 60).

Here are some of the Mark 16 verses that have been added around 200AD (and are not thought to be the actual, original words of Christ):

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

And here are the words that Moroni writes in around 400AD. He is adding what he thinks is a final chapter to his father's writings as a last message and quotes what Jesus said as a parting message to the Nephite disciples (he mentions the disciples who should tarry):

22 For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;
23 And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned;
24 And these signs shall follow them that believe—in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover

Some questions:

• If Mark 16 isn‘t an accurate record is it reasonable for Mormon to use an identical phrase?
• Why does the phrase "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" appear in Mark only (possibly interpolated in 2nd C or later) but no-where else in the Bible and then only in latter-day publications: Book of Mormon and multiple D&C references? (112:28-29, 68:8-10, 84:62-74)
• Why do we have no record of this promise anywhere else? Why is there no reference to this promise in the actual account in 3 Nephi?
• Where did the notion of the signs that follow believers come from? Are these signs and promises still valid today? There are some strong parallels to Acts with the speaking in tongues and particularly Acts 28, when Paul is bitten by a snake. This could be either seen as fulfillment of prophesy, or a source of inspiration for an interpolator's addition to Mark 16. What are these doing in the BoM?
• Supposing Jesus really did say both, what is the likelihood that: (a) He said it in the Old World, someone heard it and noted it down, Mark (or someone else) later added it at the back of Mark 16, it was copied and handed down through the ages before being translated from Greek/Latin/Hebrew into Jacobean English in 1611 and then (b) Jesus also said it in the New World, someone noted it down, Moroni later found it or knew about it and added it at the end of the BoM in Hebrew using Egyptian characters on gold plates which he later gave to Joseph Smith who translated them (without looking at them) in 1829 and dictated the exact same words as the KJV translators.

When I first wrote the PDF I was still trying to find a more balanced view. I'm struggling with that. I currently have the view that Mark 16 is not original and is not anything Jesus ever said. As such, it has no reasonable place in the Book of Mormon either.

Some might argue that Joseph was inspired to copy/parrot the words in the KJV. But why inspire someone to parrot words that would later be shown to be unoriginal? Seems like a pretty unhelpful stumbling block.

Mark 16/Mormon 9 is just one in many examples of the KJV New Testament being used, word-for-word in the BoM. There are some problems with that already, the last bullet in the list above shows how odd it is to have an identical rendition when both went through many human hands. Our canon states that the KJV Bible is not translated correctly due to the human involvement in it. If that's the case, why does the BoM rely so heavily on it? Often word-for-word?

What I find worse about the Mark/Mormon issue is the BoM is quoting a bible passage that many who have studied it (including LDS) do not even consider to be original. Is this simply more evidence for the BoM being modern, not ancient, scripture?

Continuing Revelation Sunday School lesson made no sense

I visited a relative's ward today and sat through a grueling Sunday School.

It was "Lesson 42: Continuing Revelation to Latter-day Prophets"

I tried to prepare myself as best possible. I selected a few quotes from my 'library.' I was ready with things like:

I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inqure for themselves of God whether they are led by him. I am fearful they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God in their salvation, and weaken that influence they could give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way. Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourse 9:150)

BRIGHAM YOUNG, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 12, 1862
http://pt.fairmormon.org/Journal_of_Discourses/9/27

And:

“[W]hile all members should respect, support, and heed the teachings of the authorities of the church, no one should accept a statement and base his or her testimony upon it, no matter who makes it, until he or she has, under mature examination, found it to be true and worthwhile; then one’s logical deductions may be confirmed by the spirit of revelation to his or her spirit, because real conversion must come from within.”

President Hugh B. Brown, An Abundant Life:The Memoirs of Hugh B. Brown

The lesson started and the teacher asked about modern revelation. "What are some recent revelation we've had?" The following came up:

- Lowering the mission age for men and women
- Joining the Relief Society and young women meetings into one
- The new program of "Hastening the work"

We're a church based on big-picture foundations such as the "weeping God of Enoch" found in the Book of Moses or the range of ideas in the "King Follet Discourse" or the strength of foundation available from a principle like Alma 32. And yet revelation today boils down to two administrative changes, likely instigated by a research team, and a marketing slogan.

It was ironic therefore that a member stuck up his hand and said, "We're so lucky to have revelation in our church. My friends in other churches don't have revelation. They seem so unfulfilled in their religion."

There were general nods of agreement from the classroom, but I couldn't let that comment go. I put up my hand and said:

"It's really important that we don't become arrogant as members of the church in believing that we're the only people in the world entitled to revelation. Our prophets and scriptures simply don't teach that leaders and members of other faiths do not receive revelation. Elder Uchtdorf once said the following:

"Latter-day Saints believe that all human beings are God’s children and that He loves all of us. He has inspired not only people of the Bible and the Book of Mormon but other people as well to carry out His purposes through all cultures and parts of the world. God inspires not only Latter-day Saints but also founders, teachers, philosophers, and reformers of other Christian and non-Christian religions."

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/global-mormonism-21st-century/20-church-cross-cultural-world

My voice and hands shook a little as I read it. Nerves, emotion, frustration. Maybe just the welling emotion that I'd had enough. It's frustrating to be sat in a room full of people who don't even believe what their own leaders have taught them. Or maybe I just listen to the wrong leaders. Maybe I cling on to a small minority of 30 quotes, gleaned from combing through nearly 200 years of leadership perspectives, while the majority supports the complete opposite.

Maybe the emotion was the realisation that the Mormon middle-way that I find so appealing is simply not a viable option in a 21st Century world. We're becoming an increasing human family of certainties. I'm right. You're wrong. Shut up. I recognise that my one-in-7billion perspective is almost certainly wrong. It's a simple statistical probability. It's difficult being in a group of people who don't appear to have considered that possibility. Maybe they have. Perhaps deep down they are doubting their faith too. I can't imagine it's possible to be immune to it. But they speak in terms that makes it hard to see that.

Already feeling emotionally battered, the lesson then moved on to the topic of the priesthood being given to black members. I had to just bight my tongue. I didn't want to further embarrass my in-laws in their home-ward. Of all of the issues and problems in church history, the racism and ignorance that lead to the introduction and perpetuation of a ban on black members having the priesthood and attending the temple is one the worst. When an in-law said after the meeting how wonderful the restoration had been back in their day and how President McKay had been praying for it since the 1950s and was told that only a revelation would bring about the change, I replied "It's a shame that there were too many racist apostles back then who were unwilling to allow it to happen decades earlier." My relative looked a little shocked and the conversation topic quickly changed.

Blacks and the priesthood is perhaps the greatest contributor to my lack of confidence in leadership. I will not allow myself to have my thoughts and perspectives on life, humanity and deity shackled, like a lumbering cart, to the back end of a long line of trucks being pulled along a track by a steam engine. I simply don't believe that our leaders receive revelation and guidance in the way we teach our primary children, investigators and new members.

I respect many of our leaders as good teachers. There were several helpful and moving talks in the most recent General Conference. I also appreciate a lot of what Joseph "revealed" or gathered/collated/amalgamated. I like the picture of God and the meaning of life painted by Joseph Smith. I find it satisfying and a good framework. I appreciate the principles of universalism that are buried away in hidden corners of Mormonism. But they are so obscured by the absolutism and fundamentalism of the majority of members that I often question whether there really is a place for me too.

I often use the analogy of the great Mormon ocean liner, that can only be expected to change course by small degrees. Today I feel crowded to the very edge of the ship, half-hanging over the railings. Do I look for the opportunity to jump to the welcome offer of other ships headed for the same port or do I try to wade my way back into the fellow-passenger melee? Can I continue trying to represent the inclusive big-picture messages of universalism, humanism and personalised curriculum that I believe the Mormon passengers need to hear?

Eugene England's Weeping God of Mormonism

I read an interesting essay published by Dialogue by Eugene England the other day.

Here are some key highlights and thoughts:

p.63
The weeping God of Mormon finitism whom I am trying to describe creates a world for soul-building, which can only succeed if it includes exposure of our souls to the effects of natural law, as well as maximum latitude for us to exercise our agency as we learn how the universe works. Evil is a natural condition of such a world, not because God creates evil for soul-building, but because evil inevitably results from agency freed to grapple with natural law in this mortal world. You can't have one without the other, not because God says so, but rather because the universe, which was not created ex nihilo and, thus, has its own intractable nature, says so. Thus, God is not omnipotent.
p.69-70 "...the "old absolutism"... has remained alive and well in Mormonism and now seems on the ascendant.

What I love about this essay is it perfectly illustrates a point I a gradually coming to terms with. The church leaders disagree. They campaign for one perspective or another. Hyrum Smith and Joseph Smith didn't always preach the same doctrine. Orson Pratt and Brigham Young were hammer and tongs against each other on the nature of God:

For example:

"Some men seem as if they could learn so much and no more. They appear to be bounded in their capacity for acquiring knowledge, as Brother Orson has, in theory, bounded the capacity of God. According to his theory, God can progress no further in knowledge and power, but the God that I serve is progressing eternally, and so are his children; they will increase to all eternity, if they are faithful."
Journal of Discourses 11 (Liverpool, England: B. Young, January 1867),286

By definition Orson Hyde, as an apostle, was also a "prophet, seer and revelator." That's what we sustain the 15 as. So if two "prophets" are creating warring factions then it simply illustrates how heavily a prophet is influence by his personal perspectives and paradigms. The essay also gives examples of different generations of prophets challenging and contradicting each other. Pulling the doctrine one way or another, like a big lump of play-dough.

This statement also rang true:

"...many absolutistic thinkers, including Mormons, in trying to exalt God by contrasting him to the mere human, instead begin to demean him as impersonal, passionless, even cruel. We tend to forget that all our attempts to understand and describe God are anthropomorphic, originating in our human notions and comparisons, and that using the more abstract, irrational, supposedly superhuman images may only make God appear more inhuman..."

In other words, we each create God in our own image, not the other way round. If God is actually inconceivable, Joseph Smith and several subsequent Mormon leaders painted a picture of God that is appealing. By making him seem more like us it allows us to be more able and willing to approach him.

On the other hand... others don't want a finite, limited, graduated human God. They want an omnipotent God that they can trust entirely. They can invest everything in him, safe in the knowledge that even if they don't understand, he does.

Truth is, I've absolutely no idea what God is really like. Is he the sub-god in the corner of a universe or the super-being that is bigger even than the universe itself? Does it matter?

Many times there are examples of God giving us metaphors and perspectives that stop us being crippled by the unknown "size" and "nature" of God. D&C 19:7 teaches us:

5 Wherefore, I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand.
6 Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment.
7 Again, it is written eternal damnation; wherefore it is more express than other scriptures, that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men, altogether for my name’s glory.

So for a while he was happy for his children to believe in a black and white, heaven or hell. Not because that was the reality, but because it was useful. I believe the three degrees teaching of Mormonism is a similarly simplified metaphor for a future that our human minds could never conceive. I had enough trouble scraping a 'B' in 11th grade Science. What hope would there be for me if God tried to teach me the actual reality of how he and all of the universe really works.

Perhaps it doesn't matter if what we are taught does not turn out to be the reality. It only matters if what we are taught turns out to be useful. If it can "work upon the hearts of (some of) the children of men" then it is useful. For those it doesn't work on, there are many other equally "express" perspectives available.

Mormonism has found different ways of "express" definitions in order to "work upon the hearts." The essay (quoting Thomas Alexander) calls this "express" teachings: "the reconstruction of Mormon doctrine" away from its original radical adventuresomeness, as part of the twentieth-century accommodation to American culture."

I like this essay, even though I'm not sure I agree with his conclusions. I like it because he demonstrates I don't have to.

There are many questions that actually there is not a definitive answer to. The article shows that "prophets, seers and revelators" (whether presidents or apostles) have all had very different and sometimes conflicting perspectives on the nature of God.

As Hugh Nibley said:

There's no office in the Church that qualifies the holder to give the official interpretation of the Church. We're to read the scriptures for ourselves, as guided by the Spirit.
Joseph Smith himself often disagreed with various of his brethren on different points, yet he never cracked down on them, saying they'd better change this or that, or else. He disagreed with Parley P. Pratt on a number of things, and also with Brigham Young on various things.

The long and winding road... with plenty more to go

3 years ago my wife stopped attending church. I continued attending with kids.
2 years ago I accepted a job in Asia and we moved out there at the start of 2012 (we've recently returned to UK).

Asia turned my LDS world upside down. We were in a big expat unit of around 200 members. It felt very different to what church had always been like. I guess the environment of being expats might have accentuated it, but it felt like a real "us and them" attitude. We're right, the world out there is wrong, shut up.

The "world out there" was certainly different. But I quickly discovered it was not wrong. Amazing, diverse people with fascinating beliefs and philosophies. Happy, fulfilled, progressing, "Christlike" people who had barely heard of Christianity, never mind Mormonism.

It puzzled me for a while. We visited several different countries/regions with a range of cultures and religions. How could these billions of brilliant people be living a life of second bests? How could Mormonism, this predominantly Western religion enhance these people's lives, loves and perspectives?

At the same time I was seeing my wife, still not attending church, find a fulfilling, enriching, happy way of life. Her new view of the world was still a positive one supporting personal progression.

One day, June 2012, something broke inside me. We were on holiday in Philippines. Sitting alone in sacrament meeting while my wife and kids were back at the hotel.

A chapel full of impoverished Filippinos, a couple of tourists and one white retired businessman stood at the pulpit, berating the congregation at not being good enough. His message seemed to boil down to: "You are not like me. So you are wrong and need to change"

It epitomised everything that was bothering me about Christianity and Mormonism's Western imposition. A complete insensitivity and lack of appreciation for other cultures and perspectives.

I know the speaker didn't represent the church. But that day he captured, in one talk, what had been bothering me for several months.

As the congregation sang "I have a family here on earth..." I stood up, walked out, and went back to the hotel, wondering if I'd ever feel the same about the church.

When the holiday finished I decided it was time to investigate the origins of Mormon attitudes and behaviours. My wife had wonderfully and generously never imposed anything on me. Had never pushed me to read the things that had bothered her and lead to her changed perspective. I love her all the more for the respect she had given me to walk my own path. My decision to start investigating our origins was entirely my own.

I studied history at University, I'm also a market researcher by profession. I understand the importance of looking at information from many angles. I appreciate the impact of subjectivity and the influence of analysing data with a conclusion already set.

If someone is convinced Joseph was a prophet, a study of history will probably unfold to confirm that.
Equally, if someone is certain he was a fraud, they are more likely to see the evidence that supports that.

I decided to give myself at least 1 year. I would study every key aspect of history and doctrine I could. I would read many sides of the same story. I would go to the original source, in context, where possible. I would, like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, make myself say "On the other hand..."

I was aware that in starting the process, I had subjectivity just like everyone else. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to go through the study process and still stay at church. But I also wanted to understand what the church was. What it really taught and what part in played in my life.

Within a few weeks of digging and reading I was spiritually crushed.

I had never had any real interest in Mormon history and knew very little of it. I had visited FAIR a few times to try to answer questions a few friends and family had raised in the past. I was aware of the multiple first vision accounts and had squared that. I was vaguely aware of Joseph's polygamy but considered it to be more dynastic sealings. I knew the Sunday School church hostory manuals skipped the awkward bits but had felt no desire to find out what those awkward bits were. I knew very little about Mormon history and origins.

After the holiday I wrote a list of questions. I started reading the old FARMS archives, Nibley's "complete works" (by topic), FairMormon, Wikipedia and a few critical websites (which I won't list out of respect for the readers who prefer to avoid them).

It felt like one bit at a time, everything I thought I knew about the church was violently dismantled. It wasn't only the critical websites that hurt. They were the ones I used the least and the ones I treated with the most scepticism. I would always go and look up the original sources they quoted in context and recognise that often they were being selective and the big picture was a better picture than they were painting.

Despite this, I was in a full blown crisis of faith. I felt lied to. I felt like I'd suddenly been wrenched out of a bubble of ignorance. A bubble I'd been very happy in but now that it was popped, was never going to be an option.

There were several FARMS ad FAIR articles that confirmed the worst. In their well-intentioned attempts to answer the question or criticism they only compounded, for me, the severity of the problem.

I felt physically sick. One night, while reading a FARMS article ("A nation now extinct...") I genuinely thought I was going to vomit.

I felt angry, frustrated, duped, belittled. I lost confidence in church manuals, teachers and leaders.

I would sit in a lesson, or sacrament meeting and want to stand up and scream when I heard the simplistic, unfounded, whitewashed, misrepresentative nonsense that people were saying. Things that, until a few weeks and months earlier, I was also very happy saying. Nonsense is probably the polite word for it.

I seriously considered resigning my membership in the early days. I felt like I was losing every aspect of belief.

I walked right up to the face of Atheism and seriously considered it a possibility for about a week. As much as I think I wanted to, possibly as a way to ease the pain and confusion, I couldn't do it. Deep down, I knew I still firmly believed in a creator. A divine source of life and purpose.

Having stripped everything right back to that simple core I slowly started to rebuild my house of faith.

I decided I also still believed in Jesus Christ. In 2011, I had made an extensive study of the New Testament. I had developed a lasting love for the behaviour model of Jesus, as well as the personal conviction, through experience, of the healing, invigorating power of the atonement's principles of grace, change, restoration, forgiving and forgiveness.

We are rightly taught that Christ should be the cornerstone of our faith. When everything else crashed down, my foundation remained.

My confidence in Joseph Smith and with it the Book of Mormon, the keystone, had broken. With the central piece removed, the rest of my house of faith fell.

I decided to take time to try to rebuild my faith, one brick at a time. I reminded myself I had promised to give it a year.

As much as I wanted to throw away every brick that had a Mormon stamp on it, I recognised they had fallen, some had cracked but I hadn't properly tested each one. I didn't want to look back in 40 or 50 years time and regret making a life-changing decision in a matter of a few weeks or months.

So I started going back through it all a second time. If I was going to rebuild my house of faith I wanted to test each brick before adding it back in or discarding it.

I joined a few boards and blogs towards the end of 2012. MormonDialogue was a rough ride, but immensely useful for testing my conclusions. They keep you honest. It made me reference and back-up every conclusion I was reaching.

Staylds was another essential forum. It helped me realise I was not alone. That there were 1000s of Mormons who were just like me. Trying to work through the confusion while also staying active. I started a thread where we collected 100s of scriptures and quotes that showed a more universal, inclusive face of Mormonism.

There were a few other websites that were useful places to continue the exploration and debate from many angles.

And so... Here I am today. My house of faith is still a building project. I'm not sure it will ever be finished and it could still change in shape.

Some of the bricks of past perspectives can still be seen, intermingled with new ones I've added. It looks very different from what I had 2 years ago. But it suits me. It works. I like it.

I believe God is the greatest educator. I believe he designs, for each of his children, a personalised curriculum. We still have the agency to accept, adapt or entirely reject it.

I believe that my faith transition, or faith reconstruction has been guided and assisted by God. I believe I remain on the path to godliness.

I recognise that the mode of transport for travelling that path has changed. But I don't believe that matters. It is, for me, the direction of travel that is important.

I embrace and celebrate the diversity of perspectives available to the multi-faceted human race. With seven billion individuals it's not possible to have a "one size fits all" paradigm or framework. But I believe it is possible to have a "seven billion sizes fits each one of us."

Although there are many aspects of Mormon doctrine, origin and perspective that I didn't add back into my house of faith, I believe my personalised paradigm still fits in an LDS community.

I appreciate LDS leaders who, past and present, have preached the principles of diversity, independence and individual accountability.

I press forward, hoping to embrace and continue adding to that diversity.

American Elitism

I know I should be better at ignoring it. But sometimes there are attitudes of a minority of American members that really riles me. I shouldn't let it. But it does.

Recently, on a message board I participate in, one poster made the following comment:

15 Nov 2013 - 1:22 PM:

...I suppose all of this boils down to whether or not the present day United States is the promised latter-day promised land prophesied of in the Book of Mormon. I believe it is very likely that the US is that prophesied promised because it can be demonstrably shown it fits the scriptural description promised land, regardless of whether or the Nephites actually made their abode here or not . Among the many, many indicators that the US is most likely the Prophesied promised land, I've listed some below:

1 The first vision took place here.
2 The Book of Mormon was buried and discovered here.
3 The Book of Mormon was translated and published here.
4 The Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods were restored here.
5 This is the place where the Restored Church of Christ was established and organized.
6 This is the place where many angels of heaven came to restore the gospel and its keys.
7 This is the place where the Doctrine and Covenants was written.
8 This is the place where the Book of Moses and Book of Abraham were restored.
9 This is the place where the Lord commanded His latter-day servants to establish and build Zion.
10 This is the place where the first temples of the dispensation of the fullness of times were erected.
12 This is the place where the world headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is located.
13 This is the place where the center stake of latter-day Zion will be built.
14 This is the place where the New Jerusalem, and the great temple complex, planned by Joseph Smith, will be built.
15 This is the place where the religious pilgrims, who fled the captivity of the European nations of the Gentiles, came as their new promised land, just as described in the Book of Mormon.
16 This is the place where the divinely inspired Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States were produced.
17 This is the place, spoken of in the Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon, that was prophesied to miraculously prevail in war against the oppressive Gentile mother lands of captivity in Europe.

My point? Though in some technical sense the United States may not be the Book of Mormon's latter-day land of promise, it may as well be because it fits the description so very well. Even so, like I said, I'm keeping and open mind on the matter; but the United States sure does seem to fit most, if not all, of all the descriptions of the latter-day promised land foreseen in the scriptures. And to top it all off, Apostle Perry, in a recent address, said the US is the latter-day promised land prophesied in the Book of Mormon.

I couldn't help myself and replied:

Wow. You really believe this don't you? You really believe that the United States of America is a divinely appointed, special country.

Genuine question, is this just the belief of Mormons or do lots of Americans also believe in the divine approval of your country?

I squirm at that attitude. That somehow the country and, by implication, the inhabitants, their policies, their expansion plans and global interference, are special, superior and receive divine approval. It's a worryingly scary attitude.

By the way, you missed the Garden of Eden and Adam's altar from your list. You might as well claim to be the origin of the species. The Neanderthals would be happy to give that crown up to the Americans. Once you don a helmet and throw an oval ball with pointy ends onto a field there's little discernible difference. Either that or put a gun in your hands.

And Taffy. Surely taffy is evidence of USA being the best in the world at everything?

I have to remind myself that people like this are not the church. They don't represent the church. They simply represent one perspective in Mormonisms big tent.