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.
That means there are 8,000 runaway slaves? No wonder they need to send out 60,000 missionaries...to track them down and bring them in.
There are 14,000,000 of us and you think we are slaves. That is crazy.
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Yes that is crazy to say there are 14,000,000 mormons...
People are escaping the clutches of mormonism in droves every day..
Even counting the followers of Joey Smith,the fLDS, there arent 14,000 mormons...
the enslaved mormons with temple recommends number how many ???
There are 14,000,000 of us and you think we are slaves. That is crazy.
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Where did I say i thought there were 14,000,000 enslaved mormons ???
Not me...I KNOW there are not 14,000,000 mormons...
(although the number there are of the mormons, fLDS included, are all enslaved)
I think there are about 6,000,000 enslaved mormons...
But what is crazy is continually boasting and then not following through...
Joey smith got his dumb butt shot for boasting...
Roof ??? Any time soon ???
sorry norman, your scriptures do not back up your words
in Abraham 3 - Jesus is one of the “intelligences” - not as you describe.
In Abraham 4:1 it states “ 1 And then the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth.
In fact verses 1, 3-12, 14, 16-18, 20-22, 24-29, and 31 ALL refer to “the Gods” performing the acts of creation
So which one is it? Was everything created by “the Gods” or Jesus? Your scriptures state clearly - the Gods.
CHRISTIANITY leaves out the word 'other'.
BTW the Flying Inmans are adding to their number faster than the mo0rmon corporation is adding to their enslaved mormons...
Ya better get busy bashing on doors and harrassing the Christians ..
You just HAVE to be kidding; right?
She can't even tell us what was UNTRUE about PRESBYTERIANism and she WAS one!
(No WONDER that they say an EX-MO can't speak for the LDS chruch!)
Christianiy leaves out all of the beliefs of mormonism...
You praCTICING SO YOU’LL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE THAN YESTERDAY?
How are they all going to fit on that one bicycle
10530
Hey, Saundra, Ive got a question for you...
Maybe you can answer it...
I’ll give you a fair go...
King David in the Christian Bible...
Do the mormons believe hes in Heaven or in Hell ???
;)
You mean you don’t keep them on the records until they are 110?! How shocking!
Gentile !!!
Its all in the book of mormon...
And it came to pass that nephi and it came to pass and moroni didst puttest and it came to pass 53,000 curelum mormon missionaries ands it camre to pass verily uponest one mormon bike and it came to pass of the bike and it came to pass that was madestest of the and it came to pass gold and silver and precious metals and things and it cameth to passethest founedeth thereth and therein. (Cleoparta 12345:678)
:)
And you won't answer any that DON'T; either!
I believe that Jesus is indeed a God.
- - - - -
A GOD?!?!?! And you say that the LDS aren’t polytheistic? If Jesus is “A” God then why don’t you worship Him? If you worship Him, and you worship “Elohim” (God’s proper name to mormons) then you worship MORE THAN ONE GOD.
Christians believe that Jesus IS GOD (predicate nominative) no indefinite article there.
How many suns are in the sky, Norm?
How many Quakers are on the Sun ???
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