Month: October 2008

“Latter-day Saints and the Environment” Survey

A couple months ago I was approached by Brandon, author of the blog Latter-day Sustainability, with a proposal to team-up on administering an informal survey about the environment to Latter-day Saints and those familiar with Latter-day Saint teachings.  The goal and objective was to learn more about Latter-day Saint members’ views on the environment, including how the LDS Church informs those views.  I thought it was an interesting project, and so I agreed.  Peter, a member of the LDS Earth Stewardship group, also joined our team.

Over the last couple months we have been engaged in compiling, editing, and reviewing a survey to be taken by anyone who is familiar with the LDS Church or its teachings.  We split up the task of producing questions, and of editing them.  We also each sent out a test survey to several people to get their feedback.  We believe we’ve come up with a good survey which will help us gather good data on LDS views on the environment.  There was no cost to us in administering this survey.

The survey will be open until November 15th.  Comments are intentionally closed to help prevent discussion before taking the survey.  Please feel free to share the link of the survey with your family and friends, or anyone who is familiar with LDS teachings.  After the survey closes we will analyze the results and post those we find most interesting for discussion.  Results will also be available to anyone with a reasonable request.  More information is available on the introduction page of the survey.  To contact the administrators with questions or comments about the survey, please email ldssurvey at gmail dot com.

To take the survey, please click the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/environmentsurvey

Will The “Heathen” Most Likely All Be Exalted?

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I had a conversation a few months ago about this question.  Those that I were discussing this with made the argument that the “heathen,” the term my correspondent used for those who’ve never heard a part or portion of the gospel in mortality, are without the gospel law in mortality, and therefore they will be judged very much like little children, and will most likely all be exalted.  Here is a followup that one of them recently emailed me:

I finally found the scripture I was thinking of when I wrote that “the heathen” who “died without law”, (that is, without having heard any form or portion whatsoever of the gospel) are still likely to be saved (and most likely even exalted) in the Celestial Kingdom.

In his discourse to his son about infant baptism, Mormon throws in those who “without the law” and puts them in the same category as those who die as infants, Moroni 8:22:

“For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law.  For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing— ”

I’ll admit that there is still room for interpretation in light of Section 76, and of course Christ is the final judge of every individual.

I disagree with this interpretation of Moroni 8:22 (a similar scripture can be found in 2 Nephi 9:25-26).  I believe this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the gospel, which has serious repercussions to our understanding of God’s plan of redemption, and the work we do in the temple.  [Read more…]

Mexico City Temple Soon to Open After Remodeling

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Mexico City Temple Celestial Room

Mexico City Temple Celestial Room. Photo © 2008 Intellectual Reserve Inc.

The Church’s Newsroom has reported that after 19 months of remodeling the Mexico City Temple will be reopened for public tours, after which it will be rededicated on Sunday, November 16th, 2008.  Guided public tours will be held from October 20th through November 8th.

The temple was originally dedicated on December 2, 1983, and currently serves 264,000 members in Mexico.

There is a short article on the Newsroom’s website with some history of the temple, and some great photos of the exterior and interior of the temple.  Note that after the temple has been dedicated that the photos of the interior are removed.  So take this chance to see the beautiful interiors.

Our prayers are with you

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Dr. Kathy Larsen has been a regular reader, commenter, friend, and selfless supporter of TempleStudy.com and many others, and has sadly been recently told that her cancer is returning.  It sounds like it may have been in remission for a time, but is now coming back.  We would just like to get the word out so that as many as possible may keep her in their prayers.  We will be sure to put her name on the prayer roll of the temple too.

David at HeavenlyAscents.com and I will be fasting for her this coming Sunday, October 19th.  If you would like to join with us in this fast, you are welcome to.  We pray that this difficult time will be a time of peace, comfort, and consolation to Dr. Larsen and her family, and that the Lord may bless them.

“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up… and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:15-16).

The Wolf, The Goat, And The Kid

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Woodcut. Author unknown. From "The book of pictures and parables, fables." 1859. Oxford University.

Woodcut. Author unknown. From "The book of pictures and parables, fables." Oxford University. 1859.

One of our readers, Walt, emailed me a link to a fable that is intriguing.  It is entitled “The Wolf, The Goat, And The Kid,” and was originally penned by the popular 17th century French poet and fabulist Jean de la Fontaine.

THE WOLF, THE GOAT, AND THE KID
by Jean de la Fontaine

As went the goat her pendent dugs to fill,
And browse the herbage of a distant hill,
She latched her door, and bid,
With matron care, her kid; —
‘My daughter, as you live,
This portal don’t undo
To any creature who
This watchword does not give:
“Deuce take the wolf and all his race!”‘
The wolf was passing near the place
By chance, and heard the words with pleasure,
And laid them up as useful treasure;
And, hardly need we mention,
Escaped the goat’s attention.
No sooner did he see
The matron off, than he,
With hypocritic tone and face,
Cried out before the place,
‘Deuce take the wolf and all his race!’
Not doubting thus to gain admission.
The kid, not void of all suspicion,
Peer’d through a crack, and cried,
‘Show me white paw before
You ask me to undo the door.’
The wolf could not, if he had died,
For wolves have no connection
With paws of that complexion.
So, much surprised, our gormandizer
Retired to fast till he was wiser.

How would the kid have been undone
Had she but trusted to the word
The wolf by chance had overheard!
Two sureties better are than one;
And caution’s worth its cost,
Though sometimes seeming lost. ((Jean de la Fontaine, translated by Elizur Wright, Jr., Fables of La Fontaine, University of California, 1860, link.  The original French version, “Le Loup, La Chèvre et le Chevreau,” can be read here.))

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