Church History

Evolution? My First Impressions

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Are we really related to monkeys? Sounds suspicious.

Are we really related to monkeys? Sounds suspicious.

For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth…  And out of the ground made I, the Lord God, to grow every tree, naturally, that is pleasant to the sight of man; and man could behold it. And it became also a living soul. (Moses 3:5, 9)

I have written a couple articles in recent weeks about some of my first impressions on subjects that are sometimes seen as dividing points between Church “doctrine” and scientific discovery.  These subjects were the age of the Earth, which I thought could reasonably be found to be billions of years old and therefore agree with the findings of science while not contradicting the doctrines of the gospel or the teachings of the Church.  The other subject was death before the Fall, which I also thought could reasonably be found that there has been life and death on the Earth for billions of years and therefore concur with the findings of science while not contradicting the doctrines of the gospel or the teachings of the Church.  In both cases, the subjects can be in harmony both with science and our religion.  Those posts were only the beginning of some of my first thoughts on these matters, are not comprehensive or exhaustive.  Likewise here I will try to give some first thoughts on evolution, perhaps the most hotly debated subject with regards to science and the Church, and religion in general. [Read more…]

Temple Conference in Logan, Utah, next Monday

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This is a reminder that there will be a significant conference about the temple to be held at Utah State University next Monday, October 29th, which I first noted here.  You can read more about this conference at the website for the Academy for Temple Studies website, which is TempleStudies.org.  Note, you must pre-register for this conference.

If you cannot attend the conference, the presentations will be made available in print and audio at a later date.

Living The Law Of Consecration – Part 4: What is Tithing?

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(Continued from Part 3)

This is a continuation of a series of posts that I started a few years ago.  Of course, it could easily fit within the series very recent posts on the same subject of the law of consecration, including Hugh Nibley quotes from Approaching Zion, “Are we required to live the law of consecration, now?“, and Mormon Channel Episodes On The Law Of Consecration And The United Order.

In this post we will examine this question – “What is tithing?”

This seems to be a pretty basic question, with a Primary answer.  We all know what tithing is, right?  I mean, even the etymology of the word tithe itself, coming from the Old English teoþa or even earlier to the Hebrew tithes in Malachi 3:8 (ma`aser or מַעֲשֵׂר, or an even earlier root `asar or עֶשֶׂר meaning “ten”), means a “tenth” part.  What could be more simple?  This seems to be a commandment that we could easily say we keep or do not keep.  We either give a tenth part of our income annually, or we don’t.  Is there any more to it?

The truth of the matter is that everything we think we know about tithing is most likely wrong.  This could come as a shock to some, but when you get right down to what tithing is, as revealed by the Lord through the prophet Joseph Smith in this dispensation, it is not what we commonly think it is.  Personally, I think this is unfortunate, because we do not know what the Lord revealed and commanded, and if we are thus ignorant, how do we expect to be able to follow His word?  What does the Lord say?  What do our scriptures teach? [Read more…]

Mormon Channel Episodes on the Law of Consecration and The United Order

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I noted a couple days ago in my discussion about the law of consecration that there was an episode available from the Church’s official Mormon Channel on this topic, as well as on the United Order.  I think these are areas where we, as a people, lack significant knowledge and correct understanding, and I would recommend that we all spend some time and learn more about them, so that we might be better educated in these important matters, and not perpetuate some of the myths that we continue to believe.

The episodes are hosted by Dr. Brent Top, chairman of the Department of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, with Dr. Steven Harper as a guest joining him, Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, and one of the major participants in the Joseph Smith Papers Project of the Church History department.  Brent notes that Harper is one of the Church’s “experts” on the law of consecration, and that early period of Church History when it was introduced.  I have read Harper’s work, and heard him speak on the topic before, and believe he has a lot to teach us regarding these subjects, and which are fully relevant to our discipleship today.

You may listen to the episodes below by clicking the “play” buttons.

The Law of Consecration, Episode 20 (Duration: 28:55 | Download):
[audio: http://broadcast2.lds.org/ldsradio/PastImpressions/2011-03-0200-law-of-consecration-64k-eng.mp3]

The United Order, Episode 21 (Duration: 28:48 | Download):
[audio: http://broadcast2.lds.org/ldsradio/PastImpressions/2011-04-0210-united-order-64k-eng.mp3]

My notes from the Law of Consecration, Episode 20: [Read more…]

Earliest Reference to Nauvoo-Era Temple Endowment?

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Urim & Thummim or Interpreters, as described by Joseph Smith and others. Steve Reed, OneClimbs.com.

The Urim & Thummim or Interpreters, as described by Joseph Smith and others. (Steve Reed, OneClimbs.com)

One of the most interesting presentations, at least to me, at this year’s 2012 FAIR Conference in Sandy, UT, was Don Bradley’s “Piercing the Veil: Temple Worship in the Lost 116 Pages,” for obvious reasons; it dealt with the temple. I have not been acquainted with Don Bradley’s work before, so this was an excellent introduction.

Bradley is working on a Master’s thesis at Utah State University, and the focus of his study is the lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon, and he is also planning to publish in a book on the subject, which is sure to be a fascinating read. I have since learned a bit more about Don Bradley, who has a unique history in and out of the Church. The Salt Lake Tribune published an article yesterday interviewing Bradley, and his experience with the Church. Of his unique gifts Don’s mentor at Utah State, Philip Barlow, said, “Intellectually, Don is uncommonly brilliant… In a roomful of Ph.D.s, he’d be among the smartest and most well-read. His writing and the thinking behind it are superlative.”

Bradley’s presentation at FAIR focused on what we might learn about the temple, and temple worship, among the Nephites, particularly from those insights gleaned from details uncovered in the lost 116 pages. Great stuff, which we’ll summarize a bit here.   [Read more…]