church

Non-Temple-Goers as Swine and Dogs?

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Fifteenth century woodcut from Rouen Cathedral

I posted my thoughts a couple days ago as “Approaching the Temple” on the Mormon Apologetics & Discussion Board (MADB), which concerned what is appropriate to discuss and talk about with temple subjects, and what is not, and how we might find that voice. A reader responded:

You said, “The temple ceremonies and ordinances are sacred and secret. There is a level of secrecy connected with anything that is sacred … Christ once taught, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you (Matt. 7:6)”.

Why would temple-going Latter-day Saints view non-temple-going Latter-day Saints as swine and dogs?

This is how I responded: [Read more…]

Baptism for the Dead: An Erroneous Practice? – Part 2

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Close on Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Ceiling - S. Callisto catacomb. Mid 3rd century A.D.(Continued from Part 1)

Some of the best studies of the early Christian practice of baptism for the dead have come from Hugh Nibley and John A. Tvedtnes. Both of these LDS scholars have written extensively on the topic. I hope to analyze some of their excellent work and provide examples of the practice of baptism for the dead which have been discovered in many different apocryphal and pseudepigraphal texts.

The Shepherd of Hermas

The first text we’ll look at is called the Shepherd of Hermas (also called the Pastor of Hermas). This was a very popular work in early Christianity, and several early Christians considered it scripture with other New Testament texts, combining them into the same canon. It was written in Rome in the second century, and was written in Greek, though a Latin translation was also soon made. Two English translations are now available for reading online at Early Christian Writings, here, and here. If you’re up to it, you can also read the Greek directly. [Read more…]

Baptism for the Dead: An Erroneous Practice? – Part 1

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Salt Lake Temple Baptistery

In a letter dated April 5th, and reported by the Catholic News Service on May 2nd, the Vatican issued an order to all Catholic dioceses throughout the world to not give genealogical information in parish registers to Latter-day Saints in an effort to “block posthumous rebaptisms” of LDS ancestors. The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had “grave reservations” about this LDS practice (no pun intended I’m sure), and labelled it “detrimental” and “erroneous.” Father James Massa, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, added that it was “unacceptable”:

As Catholics, we have to make very clear to them their practice of so-called rebaptism is unacceptable from the standpoint of Catholic truth.

Catholic World News reports that the Catholic church objects to this practice, again termed “rebaptism,” for two reasons: [Read more…]

Mentally Stoning the Living Prophets

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The Stoning of St. Stephen - Rembrandt 1625

The Stoning of St. Stephen - Rembrandt 1625

Yesterday I had a conversation on the bloggernacle. It concerns me enough that I think it is important to share part of what I said with you today:

Anyone who does not follow God’s chosen prophets is not following God’s chosen prophets. I will not apologize for that.

God has chosen, called, ordained, and sent forth his anointed servants to do His work on earth, to act in His stead, and to say the things the He would say if He were here. They are His representatives, and act in vicarious authority as if they were Christ here in person, and if we don’t stand close to what they say, we are not following the One who sent them ((Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, p. 256)). For He has put into their mouths the things which they should say ((D&C 100:5-6, 24:5-6)).

When Paul was converted and called he was told, [Read more…]

The Genesis of the Round Dance – Part 3

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Ring Dance performed in legend by Apollo and the Muses

Ring Dance performed in legend by Apollo and the Muses

(Continuation from Part 2)

Greece

The ancient choruses, dances, and songs of the dithyramb of Greece displayed the familiar pattern of a dignified, circular dance around the altar of Dionysus in the theater’s orchestra ((Sticklor, Susan. “Primitive and Sacred Dance.” The VRI Slide Library of Dance History: Survey. Visual Resources, inc., et al. New York: Visual Resources, inc., 1976)). In fact, the term orchestra originally meant the circular dancing place of the theater ((Kraus, Richard G., Sarah Chapman Hilsendager, and Brenda Dixon Gottschild. History of the Dance in Art and Education. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1991, 43)). In addition, the terms carole and chorus, also originally Greek, meant a sacred ring dance, men and women holding each others hands ((qtd. in Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas, and Clare Goodrick-Clarke. G.R.S. Mead and the Gnostic Quest. Berkeley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books, 2005, 153)). LDS scholar, Dr. Hugh Nibley reminds us that the creation was often acted out in these Greek dance dramas: [Read more…]