“I will go to hell before I will land naked”: The Demise of Enemies and God’s Vengeance

By February 13, 2008


 

Vengeance on God’s enemies has been a key theme in Latter-day Saint collective memory of persecution. This, I believe, in part reflects the uneven power relations that structured Mormon contact with other Americans. Since the Latter

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“Think, bretheren, think!” But not too much

By February 12, 2008


Guest post by BHodges.

Discourse by Brigham Young
March 16, 1856
JD 3:247-249

On March 14, 1856 Brigham Young addressed a group of Saints at the Social Hall where he told the congregation “think, brethren, think, but do not think so far that you cannot think back again.” Two days later he resumed the thought in his address at the Tabernacle, urging his listeners to develop balance:

In the eastern country there was a man who used to go crazy, at times, and then come to his senses again. One of his neighbors asked him what made him go crazy; he replied, “I get to thinking, and thinking, until finally I think so far that I am not always able to think back again.”

Can you think too much for the spirit which is put in the tabernacle?

You can, and this is a subject which I wish the brethren instructed upon, and the people to understand. The spirit is the intelligent part of man, and is intimately connected with the tabernacle. Let this intelligent part labor to excess, and it will eventually overcome the tabernacle, the equilibrium will be destroyed, and the whole organization deranged. Many people have deranged themselves by thinking too much.

Brigham was encouraging moderation in all things, including study and critical thinking.

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Which Theologian are You?

By February 11, 2008


I recently came across an internet quiz entitled “Which Theologian are You?”  You answer thirty theological questions, answering each on a six-division scale progressing from “disagree” to “agree”, and then submit your answers. In response, the quiz matches up your theology (by percentage) with that of ten influential Christians from throughout history, ranking them from one to ten, and tells you a bit about the theologian you match most closely with. 

I match up 67% with Charles Finney, the noted Presbyterian revivalist and Joseph Smith’s contemporary in upstate New York, but Anselm is close behind at 60%.  Jonathan Edwards, the 18th-century Puritan preacher and theologian, came in last with only a 13% match.  I am curious to see what others’ matches are.  If you take the quiz, please leave a comment telling who your first and last matches were.  I’m interested in how Latter-day Saints situate their theology in relation to other Christian denominations’ theologians, and what that reveals about the notion of a “Mormon Theology” or lack thereof.


From the Archives: Joseph E. Taylor on Adam-God-Savior

By February 11, 2008


In 1888, the Deseret News Weekly published a talk by Joseph E. Taylor apparently given in the Logan Temple. I found interesting how Taylor connects the dots between Adam-God and multiple probations using statements from Brigham Young and Joseph Smith. The full article can be found here beginning on page 19.

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Thomas O’Dea, John A. Widtsoe, and the De-Horning Room

By February 10, 2008


In the summer of 1950, a young Harvard graduate student named Thomas F. O’Dea traveled to Salt Lake City and met with a veritable who’s who of Mormon intellectuals and church leaders.

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Becoming Saints before gods

By February 8, 2008


Guest post by BHodges.

Discourse by Heber C. Kimball
June 29, 1856
JD 4:1-7

Much criticism of Joseph Smith and the LDS Church in general stems from the doctrine regarding the eternal potential of mankind. The Church believes that men and women are the “offspring” of Heavenly Parents (see Acts 17:28-29) composed of the same eternal substance (see D&C 93:33-35), and as such, have divine possibilities. However, there are many names for and many interpretations of the doctrine in and out of the Church. Describing the various schools of thought on the subject is not the purpose of this post, however.

In this discourse, President Heber C. Kimball tangentially referred to deification; not as a glorious declaration that we can become gods, or godlike, but to remind his listeners not to put the cart before the horse. We ought to consider becoming true Saints before focusing too much on being gods:

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Book Wish List

By February 7, 2008


This last weekend, while reading a book discussing the transition of Mormonism in the early twentieth century, the same thought came to my mind that has come hundreds of times (and I’m sure that it is the same for many of you): someone needs to write a scholarly biography on Joseph F. Smith.

So, this got me thinking. What other books on Mormon history still need to be written? The comments in a past post show that more work still needs to be done on persecution narratives. In a graduate course the other day, several of us co-bloggers discussed the need for a book to explore the idea of “theo-democracy,” as seen in the early Church. Another book on my “wish list” would be a biography on Oliver Cowdery.

What unwritten books are on your “wish list”?


Strange Ramblings or Spiritual Repository?

By February 6, 2008


Guest post by BHodges.

“I wish to give you one text to preach upon: ‘From this time henceforth do not fret thy gizzard'”
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 3:1).

Colloquialisms such as this kindled my interest in the Journal of Discourses, sparking a personal project to document the most interesting parts of the 26-volume work on my blog. I appreciate JI allowing me to share some of my findings here. For my introductory post, I’ll describe the purpose of my blog.

Few members of the Church of Jesus Christ have time (or perhaps even the interest) to read all 1,438 sermons given between 1854 and 1886. Additionally, I believe the JD has suffered in reputation due to some speculative ideas expressed by some early Church leaders; many of which are often quoted by critics of the Church as bona fide Mormon doctrine. The JD is largely a product of its time; a Utah Territory, a struggling and growing Church torn between exclusion and assimilation; where politics, religion, agricultural advice, homespun parables and ethics were all mixed together.

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The Juvenile Instructor Welcomes BHodges

By February 6, 2008


The Juvenile Instructor is pleased to welcome BHodges as its latest guest blogger.  BHodges maintains his own blog, Life on Gold Plates, which primarily focuses on insights from the Journal of Discourses.  He offers the following short bio.

I’m a 26 year old journalism student/computer technician with an addiction to books that would make me an unfit parent, if I had any children. I served in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin mission from 2001-2003 and currently serve as the primary chorister in the Porter Lane 3rd Ward. I have a wonderful wife named Kristen, and an obedient dog named Chicken Delicious. My appetite for reading any and all things LDS has turned me into something of an autodidact. Recently my attention has turned to the Journal of Discourses, and in reading the volumes I concluded a blog of the more interesting or profitable parts would be a good project.

We look forward to the insights BHodges will contribute to the JI in the coming week.


“…the glory of the sun…”

By February 5, 2008


If you’re reading a religious history blog–which you obviously are–you’ve probably heard of the hollow earth theory[1]–but have you heard of the hollow sun theory?

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