Posted on 04/15/2010 8:56:50 AM PDT by T Minus Four
Think of the Salt Lake Temple as a designer bottle holding a one-of-a-kind fragrance.
Think of the gardens and buildings of Temple Square as bubble wrap around that container.
Think of the City Creek Center to the south, the Church Plaza to the east, the Conference Center to the north, and the Family History Library and Church History Museum to the west as a firm, sturdy box around all of it.
When something merits that much protection, you have to figure rough bumps and bounces are coming down the road.
I get a feeling the LDS Church sees turbulence ahead -- nasty weather -- and it is making preparations.
It's not about being defensive and keeping things out.
It's about being protective and keeping precious things safe.
When the chilly winds blow, forest creatures gather all that's life-sustaining about them.
Horses in the fields cluster together to stand against the hail.
I feel the LDS Church battening down the hatches for bad weather.
The Tabernacle Choir, which was performing musical versions of Robert Frost poetry and other secular works, now releases CDs filled with songs of faith, assurance and the need to rely on the Divine.
I feel protection is the point behind the long row of sentries -- those Mormon temples -- that stand along the Wasatch -- the new Brigham City temple, new Payson temple, the new remade Ogden temple and all the others.
I feel protect precious things is the point of the new mission statements of LDS businesses, the point for books that are picked for publication and the lessons selected for manuals.
Part of the world would divide and conquer.
The church would gather and protect.
Something uneasy this way comes. Not a vilent clash as in Jerusalem -- where cultures fight openly. We won't be seeing stone throwers in the streets of Salt Lake City.
The battle here won't be about territory.
It will be about choices -- about the advent of a bolder, more self-indulgent popular culture.
The church can see the writing on the wall -- often literally.
And graffiti on the temple will never do.
It's time -- as the old hymn has it -- to "safely gather in, ere the winter storms begin."
The plan is not to force people away.
The plan is to keep what's on the inside safe from harm.
And if that means putting up ramparts and watchtowers, so be it.
Even heaven, if you believe the stories, is a gated community -- not to keep people away, but to safeguard the gentle hearts of those who dwell there.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-mail: jerjohn@desnews.com Jerry Earl Johnston chronicles his take on the Mormon experience in his column “New Harmony,” which appears on MormonTimes.com on Wednesdays and Sundays.
I doubt if there’ll be any “gentle hearts” in heaven...
We’ll all be shouting and yahooing and worshipping Jesus, the Lamb of God...
Could you imagine yourself sitting still and “staying sweet” and “gentle” in the physical presence of our Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ ???
NOT ME !!!
BTW I thought thosze “gentle hearts” would all be on their own planets ???
She applied at so many places for a jobs she lost count. She said once she went into a doc’s office. This has been awhile ago, can’t remember the whole story. She had to give her social, the woman taking the info suddenly looked shocked took in a deep breath and then started treating my gf different and not a nice different either. There have been other instances of this type of thing happening to her. She says she feels paranoid but, knows that things going on are not normal. It’s as if she’s being shunned by the whole community. That’s one heck of a shoddy way to treat someone. On top of that, her louse of a ex-husband has kept his good standing in the church. Was just divorced by his second and wife and the ink wasn’t dried on the divorce papers before he was married again.
How do they answer the question: "Do you believe non-LDS Christians are going to heaven?"
My gf, who’s poor as a church mouse and sick to boot has experienced some really shoddy treatment over the years. Stay out of Utah if you can. And God bless you.
Maybe she needs to find out just what is in the mormon records ???
“shocked” ???
What would cause that ???
“This woman is an axe murderer” ???
Or, likely that he's saying..."Let's just ignore what those old leaders said before we decided we want to be called Christian...it's a new day..."
On top of that, her louse of a ex-husband has kept his good standing in the church. Was just divorced by his second and wife and the ink wasn’t dried on the divorce papers before he was married again.
_________________________________________
They usually do...
mormonism is all about the males..
Women have been expendible from the first...
Women are just consumables, things to use...
Do what? I did not understand the point of the prose of poetry.
That’s sure what it sounds like to me. God bless my friend. I’ve tried to get her to move where I am, but, all her kids are in UT but one. That’s why she won’t leave. Don’t know if it would be any better for her here. Long cold snowy winters, she only knows me, I live way out in no where. Closest city is about 4 hours away.
I told her she should go see what’s in her records, she’s afraid to. I don’t think she has anything to lose, but, she really doesn’t have much backing right there. 3 kids who are more or less no help. I guess I’m being kind of hard on her kids. I think they have done what they are capable of. She’s sick a lot of the time. Has lupus and other illnesses. She’s a very nice person, a bit needy but, I can see why she’s that way.
I get asked this so often I am posting the full story as a separate thread so I will ping you to that.
This is all too common behavior. The "priesthood" holding male is always given the benefit of doubt and the woman MUST have sinned or he wouldn't have left her.
Thanks-
I’m Catholic. A few bad apples don’t spoil the whole bunch.
And, remember how we all cheerleaded for McCain. He’s no conservative either.
She left him after she found out he was molesting the girls. She had suspected this, especially after the youngest told her something. He was also abusive to her. After she left him within a year or so, he was remarried and took the kids from her. Of course the court allowed it. That just about killed her. The kids are, to say the least pretty messed up.
>>What’s scary is that I have friends and FAMILY who are NOT as scared as I am!<<
Ya got that right!
Gotcha!!! At any rate it’s been a nightmare for her.
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