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.
The fact is that when people (like always happens with this crowd), morph a topic from one to another to another, one of two things happen:
1) The respondent isn’t knowledgable or articulate enough to present the other side.
2) The respondent does know enough to have an effective argument, and the “Shell game” continues roving onto other attacks rather than resolving the initial one. That way, the respondent gets occupied, and the original “arguer” (though not technically), never has to concede the other person made a valid argument.
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You mean like THIS post to you wrote to me?
To: reaganaut
How is it that you decided to change faiths? What do you think was the turning point for you?
75 posted on Thursday, April 15, 2010 10:23:07 AM by JDW11235 (I think I got it now!)
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Until they stab you in the back.
LDS is Machiavellianism on steroids.
The Bible isn’t false
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You may want to take that up with your prophets, they would disagree with you...
Would you like quotes?
I just don’t support the disparaging of ANY religion that does not adovocate violent subjugation of others.
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You mean like your own in the past?
Danites anyone?
LDS people make wonderful friends, employees and neighbors.
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Perhaps, but don’t expect them to share their food storage with you when they need it. It isn’t for the ‘gentiles’.
Sad but true. The LDS only help the LDS or those they think will convert. Been there, done that.
And I don’t get why the Catholics think the LDS are bosom buddies, Born Again Christians are much less likely to stab them in the back than the LDS are and are much better long term friends.
I didn’t apostatize, God rescued me from Mormonism.
. Interpretations of it abound, and each has chosen to translate in different ways. If we had a PERFECT record of it, then there would be no mistranslations,
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You have never done actual translation work from Greek/Hebrew have you? If you did, you would know how silly your statements are.
Epic facepalm.
LOL
ROFL! I LOVE THAT!
Oh definitely. But Christian conservatives are going to be a special target. We have a higher loyalty than the state.
This is really a strange article....with hints similar to their other departures from life I have recently been reading about. I noted in their history they did move more than often. But this article is almost creepy...bizarre behavior seems to go with this religion so no wonder it comes through in their writings as well.
You are assuming we can’t multi-task.
If I am the last one standing, and loyal to Christ, then so be it.
I am not in this to win ‘brownie points’ with men, and I can’t with God all I can do is know where my true loyalty lies.
Brilliant.
A) Mormons are not Christians and until they repent and change their doctrines they will never be Christians.
B) I can multi-task with the best of them. ADHD has its advantages.
C) My loyalty is to Jesus first, always and forever.
Define cult, then tell me why you don’t belong to one.
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Would you like the Anthropological definition, Sociological definition or Theological definition of ‘cult’? BTW, the LDS fit all 3 definitions while most Christian churches only fit the first.
I am very sure, ejonesie is using the Theological one, but I could be wrong.
All I”ve heard so far are accusations about these guys. No proof, sounds fishy to me too.
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What accusations? Who are ‘these guys’? and what proof are you seeking?
Just wondered if they were losing members.
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Big time. The internet has done a lot in this regard.
Disregard above post with all the questions. I realized what you were talking about.
That is what I get for freeping at 1:30 am
chuckle.
can you imagine the homeowners fees?
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