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.
Oh, it's all so confusing. Three levels of heaven, the top layer further divided into three levels.
Why would the bottom layer need to be gated? Who would want to go there? I imagine it sort of like a nicely managed, neat, tidy trailer park. Decent enough but nobody would really WANT to be there.
Did I say I have a problem with yours?
Nothing wrong with your creed as stated. It’s the other stuff that isn’t included in your creed that bothers me.
Tell me Saundra, why have a creed at all when it doesn’t contain the basics of your beliefs? Is it to throw non-suspecting investigators off?
Oh come on.
Um...huh? :-)
Love your new tag line
Are you sure you read the manual when you left Christianity and bought in to the pretty buildings? You seem to still be following historic Apostolic tradition, not Mormon ones.
I think this may not be uncommon among converts and the LDS have a vested intere$t in not telling you otherwise.
“Tell me Saundra, why have a creed at all when it doesn’t contain the basics of your beliefs?”
There you go again (as President Reagan used to say). The LDS Articles of Faith are our basic beliefs. Period.
I thought creeds were abomination to the LDS...
Are you allowed to pray TO Jesus. Not just in His name, but TO Him?
Um, Saundra, Christians try to follow GOD’s rules about divorce. Churches have no right to make up their own.
PS God’s rules don’t give men authority to decide women’s fate. In fact, God’s rules were meant to PROTECT women from men abandoning them.
How does the Mormon belief that we are automatically children of God (even Satan) jibe with John 1:12?
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"
That’s why Christians get all prickly. God di not have a Father. he was and is, forever and ever.
That’s why we hate that you call yourselves Christians. If you wouldn’t do that, you wouldn’t be so bothered.
Where is the Temple mentioned in your basic beliefs. Isn’t the Temple pretty basic?
That sounds so Christian until you scratch it.
No think to it, the BOM is handed out for free and their doctrine and dogma is everywhere on LDS CONTROLLED WEBSITES!!!!
If it is wrong I think perhaps they should take it up with LDS Inc. HQ.
Or maybe someone is woefully misinformed...
Or deceived...
Catholics...They had strict divorce rules long before LDS.
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Yes but then the Catholicas needed “divorce rules”
The Catholics had REAL marriages...ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN...
they didnt have deviant sex partnerships like the mormons did..
Polygamy has always been illegal int US...
It was called “unlawful co-habitation” during the 1800s...
Thats why Joey Smith and Briggy Ypoung had to keep moving their harems...
The law was after them...
Briggy Young finally went to Mexica (Utah Territory) to get away from the US government...
He wanted to break the laws of God and man in his own private fiefdom...
If you ask your LDS husband CC you would learn it is not a creed!
Catholics...They had strict divorce rules long before LDS.
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BTW for $10 Briggy Young would grant a “divorce” or “unsealing” the same hour...
Since there was no legal binding marriage with legal papers, that was easy, and profitable for the so called “profit” (Good choice of titlesthere)
At any time Joey Young andf Briggy Young took women REALLY LEGALLY MARRIED or no off one ou-of-favor guy and gace the woman and her childfren to another “favorite”...
The favors flew afeter the Mountain Meadows massacre and other atrocities that Briggy Young had ordered...
Often he would send the unfortunate “master” (the “husband” or “fiance”) on a long “mission” and take the woman for himself or give her away to someone else...
and some times the even more unfortunate “master” got his throat cut in a “blood atonement” murder...
The woman was just a sex slave, a bargaining chip to Briggy Young...she had no say...
Her “husband” would be murdered and she and her children would be given to the murderer..and teenage daughters would join the murderers harem..
No evil was beneath Briggy Young... he ruled by fear...
Oh it was good to be “king” for the sick twisted terrorist Briggy Young...
Yep and some being spend thier days throwing acid at others faith!
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