Love the International Aspects of the Church: China and More

I was asked today if I could help the missionaries visit somebody in Appleton, so I asked them to join us for dinner first and then we'd go. What an international event this evening was! Based on the name, can you guess where Elder Lokboj is from? At first glance I thought it was a Hmong name, but "k" is not a tone marker at the end of syllables, so that wasn't right. Got your guess? Hint: When properly pronounced, his name sounds almost Serbian or Russian to my ears. Well, that wasn't a helpful hint.

Answer: He's from the Marshall Islands and speaks Marshallese, English, and Hmong. Yes, he's a Hmong-speaking elder here in Appleton. His companion is Elder Bonilla from Mexico City. Elder Bonilla speaks English, Spanish, Hmong, German, and Mandarin Chinese. An amazing intellect. These are both two of the finest, kindest, smartest, and most spiritual missionaries you'll meet. I've seen them in action a number of times and have complete respect and admiration for them.

Our visit tonight would be to a home of recent immigrants from China. I was mostly needed to be a third person to help them teach a single woman, but they were hoping that my Chinese would help a bit, too. I've taken a couple of years of Mandarin and study it regularly using Chinesepod.com and books, but haven't used it to teach a real discussion and couldn't say a lot of things right, but it was a wonderful experience and it really motivated me to beef up my study. This was my first real discussion in Mandarin (mix of Mandarin and English, to be fair) and my first prayer in Chinese. Our new Chinese friends managed to be exceptionally polite about the experience.

What made the international flavor of the night all the more memorable was a call that came during dinner with the missionaries. For the first time in several years, I heard the voice of my beloved old friend from China (calling while on a visit to the United States), a now-retired professor from one of their top few universities who is the man who long ago did much to stir my interest in China. Right after my mission, I had a brief job, courtesy of my uncle, Professor Daniel Miles, in the Chemistry Department at the University of Utah (long deceased, sadly - such a wonderful man). I did simple lab work in a lab frequented by a visiting scholar from China, who was a truly kind and gracious man. He introduced me to his other friends from China and invite me and my girlfriend (now wife) to exotic dinners that they prepared. When I later went to BYU and took Chinese their, they came up to Provo and prepared an exotic meal for my whole class one day.

Now, on this unusual night where China was to be a focus for the evening, he chose to call and renew our ties. This is also the day on which I received email from my son in Taiwan telling of wonderful joy in seeing a choice investigator be baptized. And now more joy in making friends tonight with some choice and spiritual people anxious to know more about God and Jesus Christ. There's something special about the people of China and Taiwan.

One of the things I really like about the Church is the international scope, including the diverse mix of its missionaries, the many languages and cultures that its returned missionaries are exposed to, and the experiences it provides to its members to love and serve those of many tongues and nations.

Popular Science: Not Always an Ultimate Authority

In science or in any field of study, things are not always tidy. Roughly a century ago, as some scientists were feeling that the laws of physics were well understood and tidy, along came quantum mechanics with the complex and initially disturbing model of particles having dual natures, sometimes like waves and other times like particles, further compounded by numerous puzzling characteristics, apparent contradictions, and even mathematical absurdities. While the smallest aspects of matter began throwing science for a loop, larger-scale aspects were doing the same as relativity came into play with its conundrums and puzzles.

Today it’s all the crazier as science has determined (tentatively, anyway) that the matter and energy we can detect and analyze must be only a small fraction of what actually controls the motion of the cosmos, for there must be large quantities of mysterious “dark matter” adding gravitational mass and also there must be vast amounts of “dark energy” counteracting the gravitational pull of the galaxies, driving the universe apart when science expected it that it should be pulling itself together due to gravity. Our best estimate now is that 96% of the matter-energy of the cosmos is taken up by dark matter and dark energy – by things we can’t see or understand, yet whose influence apparently must be there. 96%.

Science is not necessarily clear, straightforward, and based on observations made with our reliable senses. Just as it becomes comfortable with how well everything is understood, whole new paradigms arise and that which was once simple is seen to be vastly more complex than ever, governed by strange new laws across unimaginable dimensions and pervaded with mystery upon mystery–and something tells me we’ve only just begun the journey into marvelous mystery. I suspect that some of our petulant complaints about God not telling us the full story are because we don’t have the tools to even begin to make sense of the answer.

All the work that has gone into understanding the laws of matter and energy that govern the universe turn our to describe just 4% of the cosmos, at best. But if you tried to explain that to someone twenty years ago, it would sound ridiculous beyond words, unimaginably unscientific, just as germ theory or quantum mechanics or nuclear fusion would have sounded to Aristotle, as brilliant as he was. Science is forever tentative, and tells us only a few things with certainty, which may need complete revision next week. The healthy approach, both for science and religion, is to always recognize that what we understand and think we know may be incomplete, and not to fly to pieces when more knowledge shakes things up in the future. Popular human knowledge or even state-if-the-art knowledge is not always a reliable authority. Likewise, some of our own religious views, especially those things that are extrapolations of revelation, may be based upon popular assumptions that are incomplete or untested, and may need revision as we learn more. I think the safe way in science and religion is to never assume that we have somehow approached omniscience or even perfect understanding in any single area. If we leave that to God, we'll all be better off.

Update: The title refers to the generic concept of popular science, not the magazine.

Dealing with Noah's Flood: Useful Resource

"Mormonism and Science/Global or Local Flood" is a useful page provided by FAIRLDS.org that might help some of you better grapple with some of the issues around Noah's Flood. I also have a few things to say on my LDSFAQ page about science and religion.

Update: A thoughtful piece on the challenges of understanding the scriptural accounts of the Flood comes from a BYU professor, Duane E. Jeffery, in "Noah's Flood: Modern Scholarship and Mormon Traditions," Sunstone, Oct. 2004, pp. 27-45. The link is to a 3-MB PDF file for the whole Sunstone issue, in which the article on Noah's Flood begins on page 29.

Celebrating a Mother's Decision to Not Abort Her Baby: Is It Really That Controversial?

I'm marveling at the anger and angst created by an upcoming Superbowl ad that will celebrate Pam Tebow's courageous CHOICE to have her baby, Tim Tebow. I've heard some genuine outrage from the pro-abortion camp over this. Does the word "choice" only mean "abortion"? Is the brave decision to not have an abortion somehow an anti-choice that needs to be downplayed? Is the existence of a vibrant human being who lives in spite of pressure on his mother to have an abortion stand as a threat to something? Indeed it does. Not to choice, but to those who see abortion as a good in itself.

Matt Evans at Times and Seasons puts his neck on the chopping block by calling attention to the desperate position revealed in the response of a major pro-abortion activist. Thanks, Matt. Bet you'll continue to get a lot of heat.

A woman or a couple face many conflicting pressures and issues when grappling with some of life's difficult choices. One piece of information that needs to be considered, though, is reflected in stories like those of Pam Tebow. I'm proud of her courage in choosing life and glad that the world will hear that choice isn't a one-way street (or one-way alley).

Surprise Finding: Some Vegetative Patients May Still Have Consciousness

The debate on what to do with comatose patients becomes slightly more complex, perhaps, with intriguing new findings from the New England Journal of Medicine showing that a minority of completely vegetative patients may be able to hear and respond mentally when spoken to, and may even be able to answer questions. Stories in the press include:

• "Brain Scan May Foster Communication With Vegetative Patients" from ABC News


• "Vegetative Patient Answers Yes and No Questions With His Brain" from Gizmodo.com


• "Brain Waves Allow Vegetative Patients to 'Talk'" from Discover.com


• "Some Vegetative Patients Show Awareness" from CBC News

Do you remember the Terry Schiavo case? Perhaps a brain scan of this kind might have helped resolve a few questions - if anyone really wanted answers.

With this news from medical science, I hope some of you critics out there won't give up on me completely. Sure, I may seem past hope, but stick me in an MRI and ask me the right questions, and maybe you'll see a little cerebral activity after all.

Update, Feb. 5, 2010: I added the NEJM link so you can read the original study yourself. Very cool.

Additional reading to consider: "The Rom Houben Case: Doctor Explains How He Knows Patient is Conscious." Rom Houben is the Belgian man that appeared vegetative, but was actually aware with nearly normal brain function and was able to communicate accurately using a toe. A technology known as PET revealed the nature of his brain activity. That was the same kind of test that a judge denied for Terry Schiavo, a test that might have resolved the conflicting claims about her responsiveness. See "The Schindlers Were Right to Insist on Tests for Terri."

The Burden or Joy of Church Membership?

One critic, allegedly an ex-Mormon, had this to say person offered this criticism of the Church on my recent post about rejecting modern prophets:

Whatever the scriptures say, there can be no doubt that the church is extremely works oriented. By their fruits we know them. The average Mormon has to worry about home teaching or visiting teaching, temple attendance, ward activities, giving talks, giving lessons, service projects, 3 or more hours of meetings each Sunday, meetings during the week, feeding the missionaries, referring friends to the missionaries, paying tithing, generous fast offerings, daily scripture study, personal prayer, family prayer, family home evening, writing in journals, genealogy, getting your boys' eagle project done, etc. And if a good Mormon buckles down and does everything he's supposed to for one month, the very next month he's back to square one. On top of all this, after a Mormon completes his self-financed mission, he's supposed to not delay getting married and having children while attending school and earning enough money to support his large family. I know, there's no scripture telling him when to get married and how many kids to have, so where does the pressure come from? Does it matter? The pressure is real. Then there's the extra meetings and duties associated with higher priesthood or relief society callings. Mormons are strongly encouraged (i.e. pressured) regularly to do missionary *work*, and few of them ever see someone join the church through their efforts. So that monkey's always on their backs. A Mormon can obey the word of wisdom, keep the law of chastity, be honest, etc., but if they don't keep up on their monthly checklists, they don't measure up to the spiritual giants who saw God and angels. No wonder most Mormons I know are dogged by feelings of guilt and inadequacy. When I attended PEC or ward council, the bishop or his councilors would always talk about how we (themselves included) should do more to serve others. The self-flagellation never ceases.

I'm shocked that he left out the need to floss daily, to pay our taxes, to take out the garbage, to show up to work every day, to remember birthdays, to exercise, to shower daily, and to cut down on unhealthy snacks. What a chore life can be!

Actually, what a joy life can be. Yes, there's work to be done, but flossing and all the other things that are good for our bodies, our souls, our relationships with others, and even our 401(k) are things that bless us and make our lives better and magnify the joy we can have (well, scrap the part about the 401(k)).

I'm not ashamed to say that the Church offers numerous opportunities for us to grow, to learn, to serve and to sacrifice. For those who really want to serve the Lord with all their heart, might, mind, and strength, as the scriptures encourage, this Church has opportunities to match the time and talents you can bring to serve the Lord. But the checklist mentality expressed by the critic doesn't fit my experience.

When I was bishop, yes, it was overwhelming and I truly did not get enough sleep. But what rich years those were, years when I know I was sustained and helped along in spite of my flaws and whining by the kind hand of the Lord. I was needed and played a role in helping people - hopefully more than I hurt - and was able to be there when truly needed on many occasions. I wouldn't give that up, though I would do some things differently if I went back in time. My two years on a mission were some of the most precious years of my life and gave me far more education than any other two-year period in school ever did. I saw people's lives change for good, witnessed miracles, felt and experienced the joy that the Restored Gospel brings. Wonderful friendships, experiences, adventures - what a privilege and blessing it was to go and serve. And compared to the daily routine of academic studies or work, it was a pleasure and a vacation of sorts (well, it was Switzerland), although we worked very hard.

It's all about quality of life. We work hard and sacrifice for the future. We do this in school, looking forward to a job, and then when we experience the disappointment of a real job, we work hard looking forward to retirement, and then when we experience the disappointment of age, well, I guess we look forward to the next life. But in serving the Lord daily and monthly, we don't have to always be looking forward - we can experience joy and meaning right now. The work we do in visiting and helping others really matters. It makes our lives of higher quality right then and there. I know of no better way to make a difference and feel joy in life than in living the teachings of the Gospel and serving the Lord with all our heart, whereas the path of selfishness consistently brings disappointment and sorrow.

So yes, I'm going to keep striving to floss, exercise, pay taxes, go to Church meetings, share the message of the Gospel to those who are interested, visit a few people here and there, and maybe even do something with my genealogy some day. Pressure? I feel far more pressure from work and the IRS than I do from my kind and patient bishop. Maybe some leaders are pressurizers, but the leaders I've had have generally encouraged us to do what we can and not run faster than we have strength. The real religious pressure is not from my church leaders, but from the Lord, who tells us to serve Him with all our might, to keep His commandments, and to be perfect like Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48). That's an imposing checklist, I admit, but it's all there to bless us and bring us joy, now and for eternity.

Update: OK, some Church leaders have turned up the pressure on the Saints. For example, the early Christian fathers repeatedly urge believers to keep the commandments, to serve God diligently, and be zealous of good works. Here's one of many passages I could cite, this one coming from the text known as First Clement, one of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament. The quotes are from sections 2 and 34:

Moreover, you were all humble and free from arrogance, submitting rather than demanding submission, more glad to give than to receive, and content with the provisions that God supplies. And giving heed to his words, you stored them up diligently in your hearts, and kept his sufferings before your eyes. Thus a profound and rich peace was given to all, together with an insatiable desire to do good, and an abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit fell upon everyone as well. Being full of holy counsel, with excellent zeal and a devout confidence you stretched out your hands to almighty God, imploring him to be merciful if you had inadvertently committed any sin. You struggled day and night on behalf of all the family of believers, that through fear and conscientiousness the number of his elect might be saved. You were sincere and innocent and free from malice one toward another. Every faction and every schism was abominable to you. You mourned for the transgressions of your neighbors: you considered their shortcomings to be your own. You never once regretted doing good, but were ready for every good work. Being adorned with a virtuous and honorable manner of life, you performed all your duties in the fear of him. The commandments and the ordinances of the Lord were written on the tablets of your hearts. . . .


The good worker receives the bread of his labor confidently, but the lazy and careless dares not look his employer in the face. It is therefore, necessary that we should be zealous to do good, for all things come from him. For he forewarns us, “behold the Lord comes, and his reward is with him, to pay each one according to his work.” He exhorts us, therefore, who believe in him with our whole heart, not to be careless about any good work. (The Apostolic Fathers, ed. Michael W. Holmes, 2nd ed., Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1989, pp. 29, 46-47, emphasis mine.)

High expectations and even a sense of pressure from such expectations are not a new phenomenon, but are part of ancient Christianity (and ancient Judaism). If that really bothers you, you'll need to take it up with the Lord. There's a lot to do in this life. We're not here for constant vacation and games. Like Paul, we need to "press for the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14) and in this course, we must "not be weary in well doing" (Gal. 6:9). It's not self-flagellation, but seeking joy for ourselves and those around us as we serve the Lord with all our hearts.

Abstinence Education Might Work After All, Says New Study

A major new study on abstinence education is the topic of a story in the Washington Post:

Abstinence-only programs might work, study says
By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Sex education classes that focus on encouraging children to remain abstinent can persuade a significant proportion to delay sexual activity, researchers reported Monday in a landmark study that could have major implications for U.S. efforts to protect young people against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.


Only about a third of sixth- and seventh-graders who completed an abstinence-focused program started having sex within the next two years, researchers found. Nearly half of the students who attended other classes, including ones that combined information about abstinence and contraception, became sexually active.

The findings are the first clear evidence that an abstinence program could work.

"I think we've written off abstinence-only education without looking closely at the nature of the evidence," said John B. Jemmott III, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who led the federally funded study. "Our study shows this could be one approach that could be used."
[read more]

Of course, this study could be wrong or may mask the real cause of the apparent benefits. For example, Todd Feinburg speculates that, "It could be that the regular sex ed classes are really effective at encouraging kids to be sexually active, and the benefit of abstinence only is keeping kids out of those classes." You know, that's not an entirely unreasonable thought.

I don't know all the answers on this or any other topic. However, I do worry that some of the education kids get does more harm than good and is designed not to just give information but to shape behavior and attitudes in ways that undermine what many parents wish to achieve in raising their children.

Hostility to Prayer, or the Sharing of the Results of Prayer

I was thinking about the unfortunate spiritual reflux reaction that some people have to faith-promoting stories about prayer. The pattern goes like this:

1. A believer faces some problem and prays for help. The problem is minor, even trivial, on a global scale.
2. A solution is found, and the believer shares the experience to express gratitude for the undeserved blessing received.
3. Critics and skeptics guffaw, saying how dare someone think that God would answer a prayer about solving a trivial personal problem when thousands are dying and millions suffering all over the globe.

I thought of this frustrating pattern tonight as I was briefly contemplating the Lord's prayer. In this prayer, the Lord teaches us to pray for big things, like the coming of the Kingdom of God, but also minor personal things like bread to eat, as well of some personal issues of a deeper spiritual nature such as forgiveness of our sins and implicitly, help in forgiving others. So I'm wondering how often, over the two thousand years since Christ taught the Lord's prayer, have hungry believers who received God's help in feeding their families were scoffed at when they shared their witness of God's grace in helping them with that problem. "How can you think that God would bless you to find food or get a job when there are much bigger problems in the world?" Somehow that cynical attitude strikes me as very recent. Though I am sure it has been present in many ages, it strikes me as an especially modern result of being so easily in touch with the big ugly problems of the world coupled with the dark influence of big ugly thinkers without a spiritual foundation to understand how God can love mankind in a mortal world where all die and many suffer, a world where we have the terrible freedom to reject God and hurt or ignore one another.

Are things really different now, or has the testimony of believers who feel that God answered a personal prayer involving cosmic trivia always elicited angry reactions from others? I am just wondering if prayer has always been so offensive to non-believers? Or is my perspective overly skewed by the few loud voices one encounters on the Internet?

Mormon Info at Patheos.com

Patheos.com has an interesting team of people engaged in polite sharing of various religious views. Ben Spackman has been active in sharing LDS perspectives there. For example, see Ben's recent article, "Doctrinal Sources and Authority."

Patheos offers a Mormonism portal.

The Public Square is place for comparing religious views with a topic that changes every two weeks.

Intelligent, civil discourse. Nice.

Shocking Statements in the LDS Scriptures: An Apologist Explains Why They May Actually Be Somewhat Compatible with the Bible

I'm about to share a troubling excerpt from a rather annoying blogger. This writer has compiled a list of "shocking statements" in the LDS scriptures that are clearly at odds with mainstream Christianity, for they point to the divine potential of humans and hint at some deep doctrines about which we actually know very little (you know, doctrines involving terms such as "gods"). LDS folks and investigators exploring the LDS scriptures might run into these passages and be confused, so by presenting them here with my response, I hope I will just be inoculating people. Using some advanced apologetic techniques and even a touch of logic, I intend to show that these passages, troubling and revolutionary as they may seem, are in some ways compatible with the Bible, when viewed through the right lens and given the right framework for understanding. It may seem like an impossible task, but stick with me on this one. So here's the excerpt:

Shocking Statements in the Mormon Scriptures about "Gods" and the "Divine Potential" of Humans

The Mormon scriptures contain numerous disturbing statements strongly at odds with several established doctrines of modern normative Christianity regarding what Mormons call "the divine potential" or "divine nature" of human beings. Rather than give my spin, I will let the Mormon scriptures--the "standard works" that form the foundation of official Mormon doctrine--speak for themselves. I will also present a few quotes from widely recognized and respected Church leaders affirming these doctrines. Then I will ask Mormons if they can explain why their doctrines are so out of whack with the rest of Christianity.

From the official Mormon Scriptures (all references use the Mormon Church's 1979 printing of the Mormon "Standard Works"):

1. "I said, Ye are gods? . . . he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came." - Spoken by the Mormon Jesus. The LDS Church has never questioned this verse, never repudiated it, and still prints it and teaches it. Enough said! (Mormon Standard Works, Vol. 2, p. 1346)


2. "[We are] the sons of God, and . . . when he [Christ] shall appear, we shall be like him." - Like him?? Like Jesus, the Son of God? (Vol. 2, pp. 1557-8)


3. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" - Humans sitting with Christ in his throne? (Vol. 2, p. 1569)


4. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." The text then speaks of "the glory which shall be revealed in us." - Joint heirs? Glorified together? Folks, I'm not interpolating - this is what the Mormon scriptures say! (Vol. 2, p. 1426)


5. "God is God of gods, and Lord of lords" - Once again, enough said! (Vol. 1, p. 271)


6. "[T]here be [those] that are called gods . . . (as there be gods many, and lords many)" - This verse of officially canonized Mormon scripture came from an early Church leader. (Vol. 2, p. 1447)


7. "Thou hast made him [mortal man] a little lower than the angels [originally "gods"!], and hast crowned him with glory and honour." - This example nicely illustrates the principle of change in the Mormon scriptures. The word "gods" was used in the original version of this verse, but some felt that the use of "gods" in this verse was just too controversial, and so it was later "translated" to give a more socially acceptable result: "angels." As shameful as this kind of scriptural cover-up is, even the watered-down version reinforces the lofty status of mortals as potentially divine beings, linked to angels and destined for glory and honor in Mormon doctrine. But I say we should hold Mormons accountable for what this verse originally said: "gods"! (Vol. 1, p. 718)


8. "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." - No wiggle room here! (Vol. 1, p. 768)


9. In one passage of Mormon scripture, Jesus prays that his followers "may be one as we [Christ and the Father] are"! Shortly after that, he prays "that they also may be one in us" and then offers this zinger: "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." Again, the LDS Church refuses to repudiate this passage. It is a core part of what Mormons are asked to believe, being in one of their cherished "standard works" and commonly used. If this passage doesn't expose the monumental gap between the norms of modern Christianity and LDS theology, I don't know what does. Absolutely shocking. What's even more shocking is that most Mormons don't even see the problem with this kind of doctrine or recognize how far it strays from the rest of Christendom. (Vol. 2, p. 1345-6)


10. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." - Honestly, I'm not making this up! (Vol. 2, p. 1489)


11. "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness . . . Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature. . .. Wherefore . . . give diligence to make your calling and election sure." (Vol. 2, p. 1551) This troubling passage also reminds us of the Mormon idea, typically found in the context of many of the previous passages, that diligence or obedience is needed in the quest to receive the gift of "the divine nature" or "godliness."

There are further passages in these volumes of scripture that reinforce these doctrines. Mormons will tell you that they don't know much about it, which is true, but there's no denying that it is taught in the Mormon scriptures and that it is far removed from the acceptable standards of normative Christianity. Mormons will say that it is not part of the core teachings that are discussed in their classes, their General Conferences, and Church publications, but it is there, indisputably, and Church leaders have frequently referred to it. Here are some quotes from respected Church leaders and theologians:

1. "Jesus Christ . . . become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself."


2. "Do we cast blame on him [God] because we were not made gods from the beginning, but were at first created merely as men, and then later as gods? Although God has adopted this course out of his pure benevolence, . . . he declares, 'I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are sons of the Most High.'"


3. "The Word of God became a man so that you might learn from a man how to become a god."


4. One leader taught that in the beginning men were "made like God, free from suffering and death," and that they are thus "deemed worthy of becoming gods and of having power to become sons of the highest."


5. "But he himself that justifies also deifies, for by justifying he makes sons of God. . . If then we have been made sons of god, we have also been made gods."


6. "The Word was made flesh in order that we might be enabled to be made gods.... Just as the Lord, putting on the body, became a man, so also we men are both deified through his flesh, and henceforth inherit everlasting life."


7. "He [Christ] became man that we might be made divine."

So, Mormon teachings in official scriptures and the teachings of early Church leaders and theologians, are far different from normative Christianity today. So how do you account for the huge gap between what you Mormons believe and teach, and what the rest of the established Christian world has? Your doctrine regarding the "divine potential" of human beings is simply shocking, disturbing, and unacceptable from the standards of normative religion, and this fact needs to be faced and understood.

Well, I hope that hasn't shaken your faith too bad. Hang on folks, because I'm going to apply my skills as a Mormon apologist to show that these shocking doctrines aren't entirely remote from the Bible and original Christianity. Hold on just a second while I get my spinnamometer out and, uh, let's see. I can bear my testimony of the Gospel . . . trust that warm feeling you're getting now . . . well then, turn up the heat -- any better? Not working? OK, let me try this. Let's check out the sources cited above. Ah, that's it. Let's see, the 1979 printing of the LDS standard works, volumes 1 and 2 - ah, that would be the Old Testament and the New Testament.

So here are the chapter and verse citations, instead of the page numbers from the LDS printing of the King James Bible, given in the same order presented above: John 10:34; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 3:21; Romans 8:16-18; Deut. 10:17; 1 Corinthians 8:5; Psalm 8:4-5; Psalm 82:6; John 17: 11, 20-23; Philippians 2:5-6; and 2 Peter 1:3-4,10. Others could be cited. In Psalm 8, by the way, the Masoretic (Hebrew) text has "gods" but the King James translators decided to put down "angels" instead.

As for the Church leader quotes, well, it turns out they are all from the early Church of Jesus Christ, from men recognized and respected by modern mainstream Christianity as genuine early Christians, not heretics or apostates. (Hey, this whole thing looks rigged! Talk about annoying!) The quotes, in order, come from Irenaeus (two quotes), Saint Clement of Alexandria, Justin Martyr, Saint Augustine, and Saint Athanasius (two quotes). The quotes were compiled by Stephen Robinson in Are Mormons Christians? (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1991, pp. 60-70), with a slight correction on the first quote from Irenaeus. The relevant excerpt from Robinson with sources for the quoted early Christian leaders are given on my LDSFAQ page, "Theosis, the Divine Potential of Mankind: LDS and Early Christian Perspectives." So who was that annoying blogger I mentioned?

Boy, that was a close call! Instead of having to do a lot of hand-waving to make the quotes from the LDS scriptures somehow appear consistent with the Bible, I just had to point out that they actually were from the Bible, the largest source of LDS scripture. Whew! And the wacko quotes from Church leaders, in this case, turn out to be wacko quotes from early Christianity, whose doctrines are sometimes remote from the socially acceptable standards of today, but in this case appear to be remarkably close to that of the Bible and strangely close to some controversial doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wow, it's almost like some sort of Restoration occurred. But that's just one possible explanation. I'll leave it to you to sort things out.

Sorry if I shook anyone's faith, but sometimes it's best to face these important theological issues head on.

I should also add that we really don't know much about this doctrine and what it really means. I would be more comfortable if the scriptures said our destiny was to be glorious angels or something, but that jarring word "gods" is hard to avoid. But being godlike Beings does not detract from the glory of the Father but adds to it. We do know that all glory is to the Father and that we are and always will be subservient to Him. We are the fallen, weak mortals who are saved by a perfect and always sinless Savior, acting on behalf of His even greater Father (John 14:28: "My father is greater than I"). See also John 5:19. I see no scriptural or logical basis for the allegation that we think that people will one day worship us or that we somehow replace God. We worship God the Father and always will. Those who do inherit all things from the Father and sit with Christ in his throne and become "like him" nevertheless--and of course--worship God and give glory to Him (and the Savior). Consider Doctrine and Covenants 76:

92 And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things--where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever;
93 Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever.

Even those beings the Lord chooses to call "gods."

Jan. 31 Update: I should note, as I have in the comments already, that I don't think the early Christian fathers whose writings are extant were just early Mormons who saw everything the way we do. The philosophical issues they faced and debated were much different than those relevant today, and the assumptions and paradigms that they had, in addition to the revealed word of God, surely affected their viewpoints in many ways. They were also writing in a time when the Hellenization of Christianity was well underway and apostolic leadership had already been lost. However, there are persistant references to human deification or theosis that at least appear to reinforce what we understand the scriptures to teach on this topic. My reading of their writings suggests that when they talk of mortals becoming "gods," it is a reference to participating in the grace of Christ and being made, by grace, more like Him, for we are sons and daughters of God with the potential to receive the divine nature. This, however, is what I believe is the core of the LDS doctrine: a recognition that we are actual children of God (see Acts 17: 28-29 and Heb. 12:9) with the potential to become somehow "like" Jesus and more like the Father, sharing in their fullness. They are the Creators and sources of grace, life, and salvation, and we are the grateful recipients of their mercy, but in receiving these blessings, we become more like them and thus the scriptures dare use the term "gods" to describe an intrinsic potentiality in mortal man, enabled by the grace of the Messiah. We are sons and daughters of God, undeserving recipients of grace and mercy, allowed to share in the blessings of Eternal Life and become "joint heirs" with Christ, having that intrinsic divine potential revealed through Christ, thereby becoming what the scriptures and some early Christians called "gods"--I find that fully compatible with LDS doctrine and believe that the early Christian fathers, in spite of seeing some things differently, would see an awful lot of common ground with modern LDS views on the divine potential of human beings.

Rejecting Living Apostles and Prophets: A Deceptively Easy Path to Righteousness

One commenter here at Mormanity explained how Mormons are in an untenable position due to our belief in modern prophets and divine authority, for we have to defend EVERY prophet from Joseph Smith to Thomas S. Monson, and each one did dozens of things that can be questioned. One slip, one false prophecy or wicked act, and the show is over, for the prophet is proven false and the whole house of cards comes falling down. He, on the other hand, informed us of his much more enviable theological position with a faith that could not be so easily assailed, for all he needed was Jesus and the Bible.

In Jesus' day, of course, all people needed was Moses and the scriptures from before the time of Christ--not heretics like Jesus or His followers, and certainly not His ordained but fallible apostles who could be and were rejected or criticized on numerous counts.

Elijah, Isaiah, Samuel, and Moses, for example, all were easy to criticize and reject.

Rejecting the messengers the Lord sent is a deceptively easy path to righteousness, or rather, an easy path to self-righteousness. False prophets need to be rejected, of course, but the common instinct to reject the very notion of modern prophets and apostles does not necessarily put you on the winning side of this debate, and may put you among those spoken of by Jesus:

Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city...
-- Jesus Christ, in Matthew 23:34

Rejecting modern prophets and apostles avoids the challenges of unsanitized, recent history. Recent history comes with the burden of conflicting accounts and witnesses, such as the witnesses who claimed to have seen the Resurrection faked or who claimed that Jesus was a sinner, or who could not accept that the son of a local carpenter could also be the Son of God. It comes with accounts of those who knew and disliked Peter or Paul or Moses. Claiming to need nothing but Jesus also avoids the challenges of dealing with mortal weaknesses in leaders and prophets. No need to explain or excuse the apparent blunders of Peter, Paul, or Moses. It's much smoother sailing with nothing but Jesus.

Ironically, the "nothing but Jesus" mantra does not come from Him, just as the doctrine of "nothing but the Bible" is a most unbiblical addition to the words of scripture. Christ told us that he would send prophets. His Church was organized with apostles and prophets in it for a sacred purpose:

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

The day of unity has not yet come, thus there remains a need for prophets and apostles in His Church. The world despises modern prophets, as the early prophets and apostles knew so well. But Paul warned against these, teaching us to "despise not prophesyings" (1 Thessalonians 5:20). The principle of ongoing revelation through living prophets is an ancient and true pattern in God's dealings with man. Indeed, Amos wrote that "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

It is comforting to think that we don't need to look to any other humans for help or guidance, that it's just us and Jesus, a viewpoint which I fear may be a step close to human self-sufficiency than its proponents will admit.

Jesus, on the other hand, made a great point of organizing disciples and establishing the principles of authority and ongoing revelation to guide His Church. "As my Father hath sent me, even so I send you" (John 20:21). Prophets and prophecy were important before He came. They were important while He was here. And the scriptures tell us they will continue to be important right up to the end. For example, in the book of Revelation, in chapter 11, there is a prophecy of what will be happening in the last days in Jerusalem, right before the Second Coming of the Lord. Two witnesses of God will be killed in Jerusalem. These two witnesses are described as prophets, and they will be prophesying. Most people will reject them. Will you? Will you be among those who say that there can't possibly be any more prophets from God, and that you don't need further witnesses/prophets and their message because you've already got the Bible and Jesus and need not a word more?

Prophets and prophecy will still be going on right up to the end. Angels will still be involved in the work of bringing the Gospel message to the earth (Rev. 14:6) - something even more sure to be mocked and rejected than the concept of prophets. Pity the Church that dares to declare that angels still speak and that prophets still speak. Worst of both worlds. In fact, something not of this world at all.

Yes, as a Latter-day Saints there are many angles from which modern prophets can be attacked, and there are reasonable points of view among those who have examined the Church and rejected its claims. I would say that the arguments commonly used to reject Joseph or Gordon B. Hinckley or others can be effective - so effective that they could also reject fallible mortal prophets of the past like Abraham the polygamist, Joshua the easily tricked (see Joshua 9), Jonah the irritator of endangered whales, or Paul the annoyingly long speaker who killed a man from speaking too long. Don't forget to add Jesus to that list, the Man who offended many and was found guilty of serious crimes by the most respected political and religious leaders of His day. He did not live up to the preconceived notions others had regarding a prophet or the Messiah, and the combination of paradigm-breaking words and deeds coupled with conflicting reports, allegations, and theological misunderstanding made following Him a difficult matter that required great faith. It's still that way today.

Feel free to reject the very concept of modern prophets and believe it's just you and God, or even just you, but don't be deceived into thinking that you have a theologically fireproof position or that you have nothing to defend. Rejecting those whom God sends does not somehow give you a pass or make you spiritually superior.

If you are a serious Christian but, for various reasons, reject Joseph Smith and what I believe to be the restored Church of Jesus Christ, I think it would then be appropriate to consider where to look to find authority and modern revelation on the earth, rather than assuming that we must not need prophets and apostles anymore just because we don't seem to have them. Perhaps you will look to Roman or Orthodox Catholicism, or some other source. But I suggest you look, think, and search with an open mind, and not fall into what I consider to be the deceptive trap of thinking that you need nothing more than what you have. Keep seeking!

I Love It When a Plan Comes Together: The LDS A-Team of Young Women and Young Men Leaders

I'm just in awe today after an incredible "Super Saturday" event for the youth of the Appleton, Wisconsin Stake, and would like to point out what amazing things local youth leaders can achieve. This extra-mile Stake effort brought youth together for carefully tailored events to kick off the year of activities for the youth. I can think of hundreds of ways for a big Saturday event to fall flat, but fortunately, they didn't come to me for my ideas. Our Stake Young Men and Young Women leaders, working closely with their ward and branch counterparts and with a committee of young people, planned a spiritually uplifting, instructive, and fun event that exceeded all expectations.

I only caught a few glimpses of the action because my wife and I were getting food ready in the kitchen, but what I saw and heard was so impressive, and the feedback from the youth was very positive.

The leaders expected 120 youth to show up. Their publicity and planning efforts, coupled with a lot of work from unit leaders, resulted in nearly 150 attending--not bad for a cold winter day. I was also amazed at how many adult leaders and parents came to help out--at least 30 adults. The Stake leaders with family and other helpers spent many hours the day before and morning of the event making physical preparations, including hundreds of 3-D "bricks" made from cleverly assembled paper bags to build the towering walls of Jericho in the cultural hall across the stage and across the floor at the sides of the stage. The youth first heard some inspiring words about how they face walls in their lives that need the help of the Lord to be brought down. The youth then had a blast raising their voices on cue to simulate the noise that the camp of Israel made as they faced the walls of Jericho, and then the walls came tumbling down as adults behind the walls knocked them down and walked through the crumbling walls, representing angels and mortal helpers the Lord can use to help us conquer the overwhelming challenges we may face.

The youth got to put on skits relating to theme of the event and had other activities before they were served dinner. As the dividers in the middle of the cultural hall were pushed open, the youth were pleased to see 20 tables all set up with food ready to eat. I'm so amazed at the planning of the Stake Young Women leaders who came up with a menu, purchased all the food, and gave us instructions on exactly what to do. In the final hour before the meal was to be served, about a dozen additional adults joined us in the kitchen for some of the hectic final preparations, and wonderfully, everything was ready, just perfect, really, exactly on time. Hawaiian haystacks, based on rice with a cream of chicken sauce and lots of toppings to choose from, with salad, rolls, and dessert were all ready, hot and delicious, with just seconds to spare. I know how hard it is to do that, how many things can go wrong, but thanks to extra-mile preparations and plenty of help, the meal came together and created a pleasant "wow" factor for the youth. And by being ready to eat on the tables, 45 minutes were saved compared to having a buffer with long, slow lines. Smart!

More fun events occurred afterward, including some dance training. The event lasted a little over five hours for 150 young people who came, but involved many, many hours from those doing the planning and preparations (including my son, who was on the youth committee). Lots of fellowship, learning, and fun. I'm so grateful for those in our Stake who understand how important our young people are and who make such sacrifices to help them grow. Youth events of all kinds, including Scouting events, demand a lot from those who make them happen.

Thank you, youth leaders everywhere, for what you do your our young people!

Winter Cold Can Reveal New Beauty: Frost on Queen Anne's Lace

Here are portions of two photos I took on the way to work yesterday. Bitter cold brought out new beauty in a field of weeds near my home. Maybe there's purpose to the seasons of cold in our own lives. For us in Wisconsin, there'd better be. (Click to enlarge.)









A couple other plants:

David Whitmer: "Oliver has told you the solemn truth, for we could not be deceived."

One of the most solid and respected veteran scholars of the Church, the impeccable Richard Lloyd Anderson, gave the Neal. A. Maxwell lecture at BYU on March 20, 2009, where he offered his insights about the authenticity and integrity of the New Testament record. His lecture was just published in the Farms Review of Books, Vol. 21, No. 2, 2009. He points out some serious errors by modern scholars who say that the story of the Gospels are not based on eye-witness accounts but evolved from story-telling over decades. He also turns to the Joseph Smith story, including the First Vision and the Book of Mormon. He is most well known for his work dealing with the latter, for he has been a leader in collecting and analyzing extensive records dealing with the witnesses to the Book of Mormon. His scholarship has amply refuted the allegations of critics regarding the witnesses and has shown with overwhelming evidence that these primary witnesses never denied their witness of the Book of Mormon, even when some had left the Church over other issues, and even when they had nothing to gain and everything to lose for their stand.

One relatively unknown tidbit that Brother Anderson shared comes from an 1871 notebook by William McLellin. The notebook was long missing and only recently acquired by Brent Ashworth. It describes a scene in 1833 when McLellin was being sought by mobs in Missouri, shortly after Bishop Partridge had been tarred and feathered. Armed men were out looking for McLellin and Oliver Cowdery, who were in hiding in woods west of Independence. They met with David Whitmer there, and McLellin recalls his conversation there with two of the Three Witnesses in those dire circumstances, facing death for their religion:

I said to them, "brethren I never have seen an open vision in my life, but you men say you have, and therefore you positively know. Now you know that our lives are in danger every hour, if the mob can catch us. Tell me in the fear of God, is that book of Mormon true?" Cowdery looked at me with solemnity depicted in his face, and said, "Brother William, God sent his holy Angel to declare the truth of the translation of it to us, and therefore we know. And though the mob kill us, yet we must die declaring its truth." David said, "Oliver has told you the solemn truth, for we could not be deceived. I most truly declare to you its truth!!" Said I, boys I believe you. I can see no object for you to tell me falsehood now, when our lives are endangered."

The faithful and adamant testimony of the Book of Mormon from every witness of the gold plates, to the end of their lives, is one of the most insurmountable barriers yet to be scaled by those who claim there were no plates, no angel, no divine record translated by the power of God, but merely a fraud concocted by a charlatan. As one observer (can you remind me who?) quipped, it's one thing to talk about seeing an angel, but it's quite a different thing to introduce him to your friends.

Here is the Testimony of the Three Witnesses, three honorable and respected men who experienced the miracle of the Angel Moroni showing them the gold plates and declaring that it was of God.

THE TESTIMONY OF THREE WITNESSES

Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.

Oliver Cowdery
David Whitmer
Martin Harris

There were others also, such as the Eight Witnesses, who saw the plates under less miraculous conditions and testified of their reality, never departing from that. So who were these witnesses, and what is the importance of their persistent, consistent, and insistent eyewitness accounts? It's worth considering.

Best Spanish Pro-LDS Websites? Dealing with MormonCult.org and Its Resources for Spanish Speakers

Someone asked me a question about Spanish resources being offered on the ever-dangerous MormonCult.org website. It has a resources page (I would be crazy to give you the URL) with some Spanish articles and links. Since I'm not very familiar with the Spanish-side of LDS religion, can you suggest to me your favorite LDS resources (PRO-LDS, that is) that I can share with others to fight misinformation on the web?

MormonCult.org tends to be the #1 search result when you Google "Mormon cult" and is #4 or 5 for "Culta de los Mormones". That's unacceptable. With your help, we can do something about that and bring down those Spanish placement numbers. #4 or 5 is way too high for such a pathetic site.