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Pingback: A Radical Reconstruction of the Mormon Narrative (and Christianity) – Thy Mind, O Human
I find this commentary the ultimate doorway to enter needed, greater, expanded (further) light and knowledge. Since the dawn of the world in which we now live God the Father and God our Messiah and the Holy Ghost have never and will never be trendy or hip. An example is “The Family: A Proclamation To The World”… 25 years ago it was just a yawn with “…of course I believe that…” Now it is bedrock for a true believer.
But what of judgment, free agency and eternal progression? I believe God will have a standing invite to his table eternally, for that is His work and His glory. But unless we open the envelope with the invite and RSVP by putting our trust in the restored doctrine of Christ, truly we are but one generation away from extinction.
The Restored Gospel has a depth, a completeness, and an internal and external consistency that is impressive to say the least. The amazing truths we have are underused and often unplumbed.
Daniel C Peterson has just the right combination of scholarly knowledge insight combined with a down to earth every-day style that is at once understandable and yet witty and engaging. It is always a pleasure to hear or read anything by Brother Peterson. He is making a difference!
Thanks for the premise of an ever expanding understanding and insight into the truths taught by Joseph Smith. The B.H. Roberts’ quote is especially enlightening and encouraging.
I like the timbre of this construct. It feels right, has plenty of heft and rings true.
Rather than wringing our hands in desperation at the ongoing attacks leveled against us, we of all people should be raising our hands in shouts of Hosanna. The fact that we are in their sights means that they are aware of us and aiming towards us.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and led by the Lord, Himself. Should we not expect him who attacks all presented by the Lord to attack us also? Should we not expect the Lord to have foreseen those same attacks and prepared our salvation from before the time when any of this work was even commenced?
I like this article; it gives hope and encouragement that every single one of us has a responsibility to find out what it is we need to do in order to protect, enhance and further the work.
The good news is that God is with us in those righteous efforts.
This is like I’ve been holding a book for twenty years that is my religion, and you ask me to open it.
Many have been blessed by both Professor Peterson’s essay and his other endeavors. He has made a huge impact by engaging in a faithful version of what can be called “Mormon studies.”
Great article but I must pick one nit. The article states, “The distance between nuclei and their protons is, relatively speaking, vast.” I’m sure the author meant to write “electrons” instead of “protons.”
OK, I’ll pick another nit, ” And those protons aren’t the hard, little planet-like objects that I grew up seeing in schoolroom models and illustrations, but “probability waves” of uncertain location.” Electrons having a wave nature, it really makes little sense to talk of their distance from the nucleus. In fact the most probable place to find the inner two electrons (or the one inner electron in hydrogen) is right at the nucleus.
i appreciate this article.
You should be aware that the podcast version stops in the middle of the BH Roberts quote, in the midst of the word “Prophet” in the sentence that starts “The Prophet …”
Yes. Mine stopped there too.
Daniel Peterson you are simply amazing. I am a huge fan because you write and speak as a simple person with great insight of religion and societies. I myself am amazed by the writings of Joseph Smith also. He was so far out ahead of his time it is a wonder why one would even hesitate to say that this man named Joseph was truly receiving revelation. I find the work that you and the organization are engaged in is essential for our time. I agree and being a huge fan of Legrand Richards we have become comfortable in our own existence as a Church that should still be the talk of the world whether it be for bad or good. We are simply the most correct religion when it comes to being in harmony with the laws of the universe. Again thank you for all that you do.
When I first read the Book of Mormon to gain a testimony of it, I was entranced by the argument of Alma Chapter 32, which offers a path from uncertainty to assured knowledge, starting with a simple desire to believe, and explaining how faith in God’s word is not a magical substance in the mind, but a willingness to labor diligently to nourish the words of God planted in our hearts.
In the middle of this explanation is the promise that, as we see the early positive feedback of our diligence, “your mind doth begin to expand.” This phrase sounded absolutely contemporary in the era of Timothy Leary, mind altering substances, and “too much LDS in the 60’s,” (Star Trek IV). This impressed me as a prophetic insight, received by Joseph in 1829 and speaking to the youth of the 1960s. The Restoration scriptures are replete with statements that were ahead of their time, i.e. prophetic.
Great article! Thank you!
BTW, my friends and neighbors Diane and Larry Larsen (the Cruise Lady) say “Hi!”
Always a pleasure to read your writings, Dr. Peterson.
Great article – ‘Mormonism’ is certainly much deeper than it is given credit for. Unfortunately, its culture tends to displace its doctrine in nearly every conversation, even among “the faithful” – most seem to have forgotten it, or are entirely ignorant of it. For me, it informs everything I do, and I see the application of its core tenets in every aspect of my life.