Excerpts of Thousands rally against same-sex civil unions bill, honoluluadvertiser.com
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Thousands of people filled the state Capitol yesterday... with an explicit warning to state lawmakers to preserve marriage as between a man and a woman.
The rally, sponsored by the Hawai'i Family Forum
The state Senate is expected to consider a civil-unions bill soon after the session opens on Wednesday. The bill would give same-sex and heterosexual couples the ability to enter into civil unions and receive the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as marriage under state law.
Many at the rally yesterday made no distinction between civil unions and marriage, even though the bill does not redefine marriage, which under state law is between a man and a woman.
The rally was not designed as a platform for politicians, but two potential candidates for governor — Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann — addressed the crowd.
Hannemann, a Mormon, has declined to answer specific policy questions in the context of the governor's race because he has not formally decided to enter the primary. But he told the rally he wanted to make it clear he has consistently supported traditional marriage.
"I have never deviated from that position," he said. "I believe in the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman."
Hannemann also spoke of the power of prayer and the influence "divine guidance" has on his decision-making as mayor. "I want to let you know, I pray for every decision that I make on your behalf," he said.
Cliff Arnold, a civilian security specialist at Schofield Barracks who lives in Salt Lake, said he came to stand for moral values and traditional marriage.
"It's the way God made it. It's always been traditional, and I don't think that should be subverted or changed," he said.
Arnold also attended the rally against civil unions last February and, like many, was disappointed that lawmakers are still considering the bill despite the displays of public opposition.
"To me, it's not right. Morally, it's not right," he said of civil unions. "We were actually hoping we wouldn't have to come out here again."
Deborah Perkins, a nanny who lives in Red Hill and whose husband is an Army chaplain, said she came with people from her church.
"We're just trying to do what the Scripture says," she said.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Golden Globe for portrayal of a fundamentalist Mormon wife
Chloe Sevigny ... won the best supporting actress in a television
movie, miniseries, or series, for her role as a Mormon wife (one of
Bill Paxton's three or so) in Big Love.
movie, miniseries, or series, for her role as a Mormon wife (one of
Bill Paxton's three or so) in Big Love.
http://www.altfg.com/blog/photos/chloe-sevigny-christoph-waltz-christina-aguilera-114/
LDS Church purchases more Salt Lake real estate
Excerpts of Mormon Church buys 3.7 acres in downtown Salt Lake City, Deseret News
--
SLH NET, a subsidiary of Salt Lake-based restaurant chain Gastronomy, has sold 3.76 acres of land at the northwest corner of 400 West and North Temple to Property Reserve Inc., a subsidiary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The land was purchased as a long-term investment with no immediate plans for development, according to a church-issued statement.
--
SLH NET, a subsidiary of Salt Lake-based restaurant chain Gastronomy, has sold 3.76 acres of land at the northwest corner of 400 West and North Temple to Property Reserve Inc., a subsidiary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The land was purchased as a long-term investment with no immediate plans for development, according to a church-issued statement.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Oxford Press replaces University of Illinois Press as the preeminent publisher of scholarly Mormon books
Excerpts of LDS books: Oxford Press finds profits in prophets By Peggy Fletcher Stack, Salt Lake Tribune
--
Scholars gain credibility with esteemed publishers.
By all accounts, the unlikely partnership between the oldest university in the English-speaking world and an upstart American faith seems to be working. Mormon writers, particularly historians, get the academic credibility they crave and Oxford sells a lot of books.
Two years ago, Oxford University Press published Massacre at Mountain Meadows . The harrowing account of the 1857 slaughter of 120 unarmed men, women and children by Mormons in southern Utah met Oxford's standards for thorough, honest research and evenhanded narratives -- and it sold thousands.
"Every university press in the country, if not the world, went in the red in 2008, but Oxford made money and it was the Mountain Meadows book that was the margin of difference," says Jack Welch, editor of Brigham Young University Studies. "So everybody was happy with that."
Oxford has issued more than a dozen Mormon volumes, from Richard Bushman's Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction to C. Mark Hamilton's Nineteenth-Century Mormon Architecture & City Planning .
This spring it will release a literary analysis of The Book of Mormon by Grant Hardy, an LDS professor of history and religious studies at the University of North Carolina in Asheville. Next year it will bring out a biography of early LDS apostle Parley P. Pratt and is considering a Handbook of Mormonism and possibly a multi-volume history of LDS theology. Every proposal is reviewed by established experts in the field, Mormons and others, to meet the publisher's scholarly requirements.
"People in the academy are beginning to have a broader view of Mormonism, not just as some sort of fringe group," says Cynthia Read, Oxford executive editor. "As an outsider, I see a desire on the part of the church to be more mainstream and transparent."
In 1945 , Alfred A. Knopf offered No Man Knows My History , Fawn Brodie's provocative profile of Joseph Smith. Five years later, Stanford University Press brought out Juanita Brooks' groundbreaking history, Mountain Meadows Massacre . In 1957 , University of Chicago marketed Thomas O'Dea's sociological masterpiece, The Mormons , and the next year Harvard issued Leonard Arrington's magnum opus, Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of Latter-day Saints 1830- 1900.
By and large, these were single books, not the development of a "series" or a publisher's "list."
That didn't happen until the 1970s, when Elizabeth Dulaney began to build a Mormon studies fiefdom at the University of Illinois Press. For almost three decades, Illinois churned out some of the most important works in Mormon history, including Jan Shipps' seminal exploration, Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition and Bushman's Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism .
Illinois played a "crucial role in establishing the study of Mormonism, especially history, as a legitimate topic for serious scholars," says Philip L. Barlow, a Harvard-trained scholar who now is a professor of Mormon studies at Utah State University.
For nearly 30 years, the Midwest university dominated the LDS scholarly book world.
Yet it was Oxford that published Barlow's book, Mormons and the Bible: The Place of the Latter-day Saints in American Religion , as its first foray into LDS history. Next the press picked up Terryl Givens' The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy . Both books received national acclaim and brisk sales, which gave Oxford confidence that its Mormon gamble paid off.
Meanwhile, Dulaney retired from Illinois so LDS authors turned elsewhere. A certain momentum developed as Oxford's weight in the academic and publishing worlds began to affect the landscape. Now other university presses, including Columbia, Yale, North Carolina and Oklahoma, are entering the market.
Academic as well as general interest in Mormonism never has been higher, says Givens, professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond in Virginia.
"So many scholars inside and outside the church are now doing world-class work on the tradition," says Givens, who has published a half-dozen books with Oxford and has signed on for several more. "In addition to a general readership interested in things Mormon, members are voracious consumers of their own history."
New Mormon titles from Utah schools
The University of Utah Press has teamed up with Brigham Young University Studies to bring out several new volumes on Mormon history and culture, including The Best of the Frontier Guardian, edited by Susan Easton Black, a BYU professor.
Conflicts between the Y. and the U. are primarily on the football field, said BYU Studies editor Jack Welch. "We are drawn to this [collaboration] because we both want to serve our readers, and market realities determine that people may not find a book if it's in a place where they are not used to going."
Since 2005, when the U. published the best-seller, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Gregory Prince and Robert Wright, it has focused on the international church and 20th-century Mormonism, said Peter DeLafosse, acquisitions editor. As an example, he cites the forthcoming Mormons as Citizens of a Communist State: A Documentary History of the of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in East Germany, 1945-1990 by Raymond Kuehne, first published in a German-language edition by Leipzig University Press.
On its own, BYU Studies also has joined with other university presses, including Illinois, Minnesota and with Eisenbrauns, a publishing house in Indiana specializing in the ancient Near East and biblical studies.
Utah State University Press has "every intention to be one of the leading university publishers of Mormon studies, principally historical works but expanding to cultural studies," said John Alley, executive editor.
As evidence of both strands, Alley noted both William Smart's award-winning history, Mormonism's Last Colonizer: The Life and Times of William H. Smart as well as the forthcoming Peculiar Portrayal: Mormons on Page, Stage and Screen, edited by Mark T. Decker and Michael Austin.
"We don't publish as many books as Oxford does," he said, "but we've been publishing and selling successfully on Mormon history for 20-plus years and doing quite well at it, getting good reviews."
--
Scholars gain credibility with esteemed publishers.
By all accounts, the unlikely partnership between the oldest university in the English-speaking world and an upstart American faith seems to be working. Mormon writers, particularly historians, get the academic credibility they crave and Oxford sells a lot of books.
Two years ago, Oxford University Press published Massacre at Mountain Meadows . The harrowing account of the 1857 slaughter of 120 unarmed men, women and children by Mormons in southern Utah met Oxford's standards for thorough, honest research and evenhanded narratives -- and it sold thousands.
"Every university press in the country, if not the world, went in the red in 2008, but Oxford made money and it was the Mountain Meadows book that was the margin of difference," says Jack Welch, editor of Brigham Young University Studies. "So everybody was happy with that."
Oxford has issued more than a dozen Mormon volumes, from Richard Bushman's Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction to C. Mark Hamilton's Nineteenth-Century Mormon Architecture & City Planning .
This spring it will release a literary analysis of The Book of Mormon by Grant Hardy, an LDS professor of history and religious studies at the University of North Carolina in Asheville. Next year it will bring out a biography of early LDS apostle Parley P. Pratt and is considering a Handbook of Mormonism and possibly a multi-volume history of LDS theology. Every proposal is reviewed by established experts in the field, Mormons and others, to meet the publisher's scholarly requirements.
"People in the academy are beginning to have a broader view of Mormonism, not just as some sort of fringe group," says Cynthia Read, Oxford executive editor. "As an outsider, I see a desire on the part of the church to be more mainstream and transparent."
In 1945 , Alfred A. Knopf offered No Man Knows My History , Fawn Brodie's provocative profile of Joseph Smith. Five years later, Stanford University Press brought out Juanita Brooks' groundbreaking history, Mountain Meadows Massacre . In 1957 , University of Chicago marketed Thomas O'Dea's sociological masterpiece, The Mormons , and the next year Harvard issued Leonard Arrington's magnum opus, Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of Latter-day Saints 1830- 1900.
By and large, these were single books, not the development of a "series" or a publisher's "list."
That didn't happen until the 1970s, when Elizabeth Dulaney began to build a Mormon studies fiefdom at the University of Illinois Press. For almost three decades, Illinois churned out some of the most important works in Mormon history, including Jan Shipps' seminal exploration, Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition and Bushman's Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism .
Illinois played a "crucial role in establishing the study of Mormonism, especially history, as a legitimate topic for serious scholars," says Philip L. Barlow, a Harvard-trained scholar who now is a professor of Mormon studies at Utah State University.
For nearly 30 years, the Midwest university dominated the LDS scholarly book world.
Yet it was Oxford that published Barlow's book, Mormons and the Bible: The Place of the Latter-day Saints in American Religion , as its first foray into LDS history. Next the press picked up Terryl Givens' The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy . Both books received national acclaim and brisk sales, which gave Oxford confidence that its Mormon gamble paid off.
Meanwhile, Dulaney retired from Illinois so LDS authors turned elsewhere. A certain momentum developed as Oxford's weight in the academic and publishing worlds began to affect the landscape. Now other university presses, including Columbia, Yale, North Carolina and Oklahoma, are entering the market.
Academic as well as general interest in Mormonism never has been higher, says Givens, professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond in Virginia.
"So many scholars inside and outside the church are now doing world-class work on the tradition," says Givens, who has published a half-dozen books with Oxford and has signed on for several more. "In addition to a general readership interested in things Mormon, members are voracious consumers of their own history."
New Mormon titles from Utah schools
The University of Utah Press has teamed up with Brigham Young University Studies to bring out several new volumes on Mormon history and culture, including The Best of the Frontier Guardian, edited by Susan Easton Black, a BYU professor.
Conflicts between the Y. and the U. are primarily on the football field, said BYU Studies editor Jack Welch. "We are drawn to this [collaboration] because we both want to serve our readers, and market realities determine that people may not find a book if it's in a place where they are not used to going."
Since 2005, when the U. published the best-seller, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, by Gregory Prince and Robert Wright, it has focused on the international church and 20th-century Mormonism, said Peter DeLafosse, acquisitions editor. As an example, he cites the forthcoming Mormons as Citizens of a Communist State: A Documentary History of the of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in East Germany, 1945-1990 by Raymond Kuehne, first published in a German-language edition by Leipzig University Press.
On its own, BYU Studies also has joined with other university presses, including Illinois, Minnesota and with Eisenbrauns, a publishing house in Indiana specializing in the ancient Near East and biblical studies.
Utah State University Press has "every intention to be one of the leading university publishers of Mormon studies, principally historical works but expanding to cultural studies," said John Alley, executive editor.
As evidence of both strands, Alley noted both William Smart's award-winning history, Mormonism's Last Colonizer: The Life and Times of William H. Smart as well as the forthcoming Peculiar Portrayal: Mormons on Page, Stage and Screen, edited by Mark T. Decker and Michael Austin.
"We don't publish as many books as Oxford does," he said, "but we've been publishing and selling successfully on Mormon history for 20-plus years and doing quite well at it, getting good reviews."
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Conservative Christian leader says Haiti paying for 'pact to the devil'
Pat Robertson says Haiti paying for 'pact to the devil'
(CNN) -- Pat Robertson, the evangelical Christian who once suggested God was punishing Americans with Hurricane Katrina, says a "pact to the devil" brought on the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Officials fear more than 100,000 people have died as a result of Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti.
Robertson, the host of the "700 Club," blamed the tragedy on something that "happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it."
The Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever," Robertson said on his broadcast Wednesday. "And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.' True story. And so, the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' "
Native Haitians defeated French colonists in 1804 and declared independence.
"You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other." Robertson has previously linked natural disasters and terrorist attacks to legalized abortion in the United States. Soon after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 and wreaking unprecedented devastation on New Orleans, Louisiana, Robertson weighed in with his own theory.
"We have killed over 40 million unborn babies in America," Robertson said on his September 12, 2005, broadcast of "700 Club."
"I was reading, yesterday, a book that was very interesting about what God has to say in the Old Testament about those who shed innocent blood. And he [the author] used the term that those who do this, 'the land will vomit you out.' ... But have we found we are unable somehow to defend ourselves against some of the attacks that are coming against us, either by terrorists or now by natural disaster? Could they be connected in some way?"
(CNN) -- Pat Robertson, the evangelical Christian who once suggested God was punishing Americans with Hurricane Katrina, says a "pact to the devil" brought on the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Officials fear more than 100,000 people have died as a result of Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti.
Robertson, the host of the "700 Club," blamed the tragedy on something that "happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it."
The Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever," Robertson said on his broadcast Wednesday. "And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.' True story. And so, the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' "
Native Haitians defeated French colonists in 1804 and declared independence.
"You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other." Robertson has previously linked natural disasters and terrorist attacks to legalized abortion in the United States. Soon after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 and wreaking unprecedented devastation on New Orleans, Louisiana, Robertson weighed in with his own theory.
"We have killed over 40 million unborn babies in America," Robertson said on his September 12, 2005, broadcast of "700 Club."
"I was reading, yesterday, a book that was very interesting about what God has to say in the Old Testament about those who shed innocent blood. And he [the author] used the term that those who do this, 'the land will vomit you out.' ... But have we found we are unable somehow to defend ourselves against some of the attacks that are coming against us, either by terrorists or now by natural disaster? Could they be connected in some way?"
The Foundations of Mormon Theology: The Nature of God and the Human
Excerpts of SUMMER SEMINAR ON JOSEPH SMITH by JaredT at juvenileinstructor see here for entire article.
The Foundations of Mormon Theology: The Nature of God and the Human
Brigham Young University
In the summer of 2010, Brigham Young University will sponsor a summer seminar for graduate students and advanced undergraduates on the theme of Mormon theological foundations. The seminar will be held on the BYU campus in Provo, Utah, from June 1 to July 9. The seminar continues the series of seminars on Joseph Smith begun in the summer of 1997.
The seminar will be conducted by Terryl Givens, Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond, under the direction of Richard Bushman.
The aim of the seminar will be to investigate the earliest elaboration of Mormon conceptions of God and Man. Topics we will investigate will include pre-mortal existence, spirit and intelligence, the meaning and purpose of embodiment, divine anthropomorphism, human theosis, eternal increase, and related concepts. We will be attempting to construct a history of these ideas, from first appearance in Latter-day Saint discourse to their present form. The emphasis will be on recovering the earliest efforts to articulate these doctrines. We will be searching the writings of Joseph Smith, the Pratt brothers, and other first generation writers. Principal sources will include sermons, pamphlets, newspaper accounts (LDS and general), journals, and diaries. The class will be in seminar format, and student contributions will be supplemented by regular guest lecturers. Each participant will be asked to prepare a paper for presentation in a public symposium in the final week.
Applications are welcomed from students of history, literature, anthropology, sociology, religious studies, philosophy and other humanistic and so- cial scientific fields. Preference will be given to those with knowledge of Latter-day Saint history and experience in analyzing texts. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students at any level of preparation are eligible.
The Foundations of Mormon Theology: The Nature of God and the Human
Brigham Young University
In the summer of 2010, Brigham Young University will sponsor a summer seminar for graduate students and advanced undergraduates on the theme of Mormon theological foundations. The seminar will be held on the BYU campus in Provo, Utah, from June 1 to July 9. The seminar continues the series of seminars on Joseph Smith begun in the summer of 1997.
The seminar will be conducted by Terryl Givens, Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond, under the direction of Richard Bushman.
The aim of the seminar will be to investigate the earliest elaboration of Mormon conceptions of God and Man. Topics we will investigate will include pre-mortal existence, spirit and intelligence, the meaning and purpose of embodiment, divine anthropomorphism, human theosis, eternal increase, and related concepts. We will be attempting to construct a history of these ideas, from first appearance in Latter-day Saint discourse to their present form. The emphasis will be on recovering the earliest efforts to articulate these doctrines. We will be searching the writings of Joseph Smith, the Pratt brothers, and other first generation writers. Principal sources will include sermons, pamphlets, newspaper accounts (LDS and general), journals, and diaries. The class will be in seminar format, and student contributions will be supplemented by regular guest lecturers. Each participant will be asked to prepare a paper for presentation in a public symposium in the final week.
Applications are welcomed from students of history, literature, anthropology, sociology, religious studies, philosophy and other humanistic and so- cial scientific fields. Preference will be given to those with knowledge of Latter-day Saint history and experience in analyzing texts. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students at any level of preparation are eligible.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Same-sex Marriage bill defeated in New Jersey
What New Jersey's Ruling On Gay Marriage Means
By Randy LoBasso at 1:55 am on Tuesday January 12, 2010
On January 7th, the New Jersey state Senate defeated a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage. The vote was 20-14 and nine Democrats, including Senate President Steve Sweeney, either voted "no" or abstained.
(Second Review) Pinegar and Allen, "Unlocking the Old Testament: A Side by Side Commentary" (reviewed by Andrew and Karen Hamilton)
Review
======
Title: Unlocking the Old Testament: A Side by Side Commentary
Author: Ed Pinegar and Richard Allen
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Genre: Scripture Commentary
Year Published: 2009
Number of Pages: 501
Binding: Paper
ISBN10: 1-59811-851-X
ISBN13: 978-1-59811-851-3
Price: $27.95
Reviewed by Andrew and Karen Hamilton
I went on my mission and attended the Orem Institute of Religion adjacent to Utah Valley State College (before it was Utah Valley University) in the early 90's. I went into the MTC in 1992 one year after Ed Pinegar had been released as MTC President. When I got to my mission it seemed like all of the missionaries had one or more of Ed Pinegar's talk tapes; those missionaries who had been in the MTC with him were looked upon as being luckier than the rest of us. Brother Pinegar and his ideas were spoken of with a reverence and respect that were usually reserved for General Authorities.
When I got back from my mission I started attending the Oren Institute of Religion. Ed Pinegar's classes and committees were always the most popular and the quickest to fill up. Eventually almost all of them had to be held in the chapel rather than a regular class room to accommodate all who wanted to attend. During the time I attended and worked at the Orem Institute I came to have a great love and respect for "Brother Ed" as he preferred to be called. His love for life, young adults, the Gospel and the Book of Mormon were infectious.
Over the years I have continued to listen to Brother Ed's talks and read his books and have enjoyed many of them. In recent years as he has grown older (he will be 75 this year) his books have been co-authored with Richard Allen. Unfortunately, with one or two exceptions (I really enjoyed their book "Look to the Temple" published 2007, also by Covenant Communications) their work together has, to me and Karen, been nowhere as good as Ed Pinegar's solo work. Some of the more recent books by the two have been so different and uninteresting to us that we have in fact wondered how much of the writing Pinegar has actually done. We have wondered if, perhaps, the more recent works are mostly the work of Richard Allen with Ed Pinegar's name mostly tacked on to help sell the books.
Before I go any further, I think that it is important that I make it very clear that "Unlocking the Old Testament" is *NOT* a "scholarly" or a "critical" work. This book is written by "faithful, conservative" Latter-day Saints for "faithful, conservative" Latter-day Saints. The term TBM, "True Believing Mormon," is a label both would accept with a sense of pride. They accept as a reality the stories, writings, and prophecies of the Old Testament. The creation of the Earth in six creative periods; the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, and the Fall of Man; the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Moses, Pharaoh, the Children of Israel, the pillar of fire and the parting of the Red Sea; Joshua and the Walls of Jericho; etc. are all unquestioned realities for Pinegar and Allen. It is the same with their acceptance of the traditionally accepted authors and timings for the writing of the various prophecies and revelations in the Old Testament. If you are interested a critical study of the various historical, doctrinal, and authorship controversies of the Old Testament, stop, look elsewhere, don't bother picking up this book or any book from Covenant Communications or Deseret Book, for that matter. Not only are such matters not discussed, they are in fact seen by Pinegar and Allen as proof of the apostate, sinful, and fallen state of the modern world. For them, when "viewed through the lens of Gospel truth and illuminated by the light of continuing revelation, the Old Testament emerges for what it truly is – the wellspring document of God's design for bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His faithful children through priesthood blessings of redeeming truth, saving ordinances, and power to endure to the end." (Introduction, p. v)
"Unlocking the Old Testament" makes no attempt to cover the whole Old Testament; instead it focuses on the selected readings used in the LDS Gospel Doctrine class course of study for 2010. Many chapters and some entire books of the Old Testament are entirely skipped over. For instance, the book of Leviticus is left out entirely and only four chapters of Deuteronomy (6, 8, 11, 32) get covered.
"Unlocking" starts with a two page and a half page introduction, has four very brief sections on "Citations used," "How to Use This Book," "Abbreviations Used," and a "Pronunciation Guide." It then goes into the text, starting with chapter one of the Book of Moses, matching the Gospel Doctrine Curriculum which also starts with Moses One. There is no table of contents and no index in the book. There are no chapter or section divisions in the book. After covering Moses and Abraham from the Pearl of Great Price it picks up with Genesis and goes in the order of the Old Testament ending with Malachi. There are bold headings at the top of each page with the name of the book covered and the chapters and verses covered on that page, for instance "Judges 13:15-Judges 14:8" and "2 Chronicles 17:1-19," but that is all that is provided by way of organization or locational materials.
The book ends with a number of appendices that cover various people from the Old Testament for whom, according to the authors, "the abundance of rich information…was too long to fit in the right column adjacent to the scriptural text. In these cases, information on such people…is contained in appendices…references to these appendices are found in the text where appropriate." (viii) The appendices are lettered sequentially starting with, "Appendix A: Our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost," and ending with "Appendix PP: Malachi." Almost all of those who would be considered "major" prophets, kings and characters of the Old Testament are covered, plus some like Melchizedek and Enoch, who are hardly mentioned in the Old Testament but are very important in LDS theology.
The entire book is organized into a two column format. In the main body of the book the left column is King James Old Testament text being covered and the right hand column is the commentary by Pinegar and Allen which often includes references to other scriptures for further reading. The right hand column also includes the occasional black and white illustrations. All most all of these are copies of Gustave Dore prints but there are a few pictures of Egyptian art work and some classical frescos and artworks of Biblical Kings, scenes etc. There are a few points in the book where the right hand column is filled with lines for making notes, and in a few places (for example page 305, which covers Proverbs 25:21-26:20) the right column is simply left blank. Most of the commentary is written by Pinegar or Allen, but they frequently quote the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants in their commentary. They also include occasional quotes from LDS General Authorities, LDS scholars such as Daniel Ludlow, and even some non-LDS scholars whose views support Pinegar and Allen's ideas. These quotes are usually set off in italics and are printed under a small header that includes a line drawing of an open book and the phrase "Point of Interest."
We feel that there are many who may find this book useful; its target audience is obviously LDS Gospel Doctrine teachers and attendees. Those who fall in this group, especially those who are more conservative and have a very basic understanding or no understanding or experience with the Old Testament, will probably find this book to be useful. Those who are more experienced with the Old Testament, or as mentioned earlier in the review, have more liberal or critical views on the Old Testament, or those who are looking for more in-depth analysis, "deep doctrine," and the like, will probably not like this book.
We feel that this book has three major weaknesses that will limit its usefulness. One, it's big and bulky. It's intended for use by those in Gospel Doctrine class, but I for one would not want to take this book to church on a regular basis -- it's just too big for that. The format is 8.5 by 11 and it's nearly an inch and a half thick. At 500 pages long, it's essentially the same size as a ream of paper. Being that big and being a paperback, it's not going to take much of a beating. If you take it to church too many times it may just fall apart on you. I feel that it would have been a better book if they had assumed that the reader had access to the Old Testament and instead of reproducing the Old Testament text being examined they could have just printed references to the section being commented on. This would have significantly reduced the size and cost of the book. I think that this issue of size is especially important in our modernizing world where more and more people are leaving their traditional scriptures and manuals home and using their Smart phones and PDA'S when called upon to participate in class. Even for traditionalists like me. who still carry actual books, smaller is often better since at church my arms are full already. With scriptures, a diaper bag, my binder or bag for my calling, and often a two year old or a fussy four year old in tow I don't have room for a lot of bulky extras.
Two, as outlined previously, there is no way to quickly locate a particular subject in the book and with no chapter, section or lesson divisions, it is hard to find the material you need. Third, with the exception of citations to other scriptures, the small "Point of Interest" sections and the occasional reference to "The History of the Church," "The Journal of Discourses," "The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith," and the LDS "Conference Report," there are no citations, no footnotes, no bibliography or "works cited" etc. This means that you really have to trust Pinegar and Allen because you have no real way to tell most of the time how or where they came up with their ideas or opinions. You have no way of knowing if others, even other "faithful" LDS scholars or leaders, have offered dissenting or conflicting interpretations or opinions.
This book will be useful to some, and I am sure will be appreciated by fans of Allen and Pinegar, but in my opinion, it misses out on what it could have been. For those who are interested in this kind of a work giving a "faithful, conservative" interpretation of the Old Testament I would instead recommend the cheaper and easier to use two volume set of Institute of Religion Manuals on the Old Testament available through LDS distribution for under ten dollars each. Another option, if you want to stick with Pinegar and Allen, would be to try and locate an older series of commentaries they did from the last time the LDS Church rotated through the scriptures. "Teachings and Commentaries on the Old Testament" (Covenant Communications, 2005) had everything this book lacks. It was smaller, hardbound for better durability, was divided into chapters, had a table of contents and an index, was arranged topically, omitted the Old Testament text, and was even available as a searchable CD-Rom. The hardback is out of print but is available online. Last year a paperback version was released that may still be at book stores. I think that interested readers may find it to be a more useful work by Pinegar and Allen.
======
Title: Unlocking the Old Testament: A Side by Side Commentary
Author: Ed Pinegar and Richard Allen
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Genre: Scripture Commentary
Year Published: 2009
Number of Pages: 501
Binding: Paper
ISBN10: 1-59811-851-X
ISBN13: 978-1-59811-851-3
Price: $27.95
Reviewed by Andrew and Karen Hamilton
I went on my mission and attended the Orem Institute of Religion adjacent to Utah Valley State College (before it was Utah Valley University) in the early 90's. I went into the MTC in 1992 one year after Ed Pinegar had been released as MTC President. When I got to my mission it seemed like all of the missionaries had one or more of Ed Pinegar's talk tapes; those missionaries who had been in the MTC with him were looked upon as being luckier than the rest of us. Brother Pinegar and his ideas were spoken of with a reverence and respect that were usually reserved for General Authorities.
When I got back from my mission I started attending the Oren Institute of Religion. Ed Pinegar's classes and committees were always the most popular and the quickest to fill up. Eventually almost all of them had to be held in the chapel rather than a regular class room to accommodate all who wanted to attend. During the time I attended and worked at the Orem Institute I came to have a great love and respect for "Brother Ed" as he preferred to be called. His love for life, young adults, the Gospel and the Book of Mormon were infectious.
Over the years I have continued to listen to Brother Ed's talks and read his books and have enjoyed many of them. In recent years as he has grown older (he will be 75 this year) his books have been co-authored with Richard Allen. Unfortunately, with one or two exceptions (I really enjoyed their book "Look to the Temple" published 2007, also by Covenant Communications) their work together has, to me and Karen, been nowhere as good as Ed Pinegar's solo work. Some of the more recent books by the two have been so different and uninteresting to us that we have in fact wondered how much of the writing Pinegar has actually done. We have wondered if, perhaps, the more recent works are mostly the work of Richard Allen with Ed Pinegar's name mostly tacked on to help sell the books.
Before I go any further, I think that it is important that I make it very clear that "Unlocking the Old Testament" is *NOT* a "scholarly" or a "critical" work. This book is written by "faithful, conservative" Latter-day Saints for "faithful, conservative" Latter-day Saints. The term TBM, "True Believing Mormon," is a label both would accept with a sense of pride. They accept as a reality the stories, writings, and prophecies of the Old Testament. The creation of the Earth in six creative periods; the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, and the Fall of Man; the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Moses, Pharaoh, the Children of Israel, the pillar of fire and the parting of the Red Sea; Joshua and the Walls of Jericho; etc. are all unquestioned realities for Pinegar and Allen. It is the same with their acceptance of the traditionally accepted authors and timings for the writing of the various prophecies and revelations in the Old Testament. If you are interested a critical study of the various historical, doctrinal, and authorship controversies of the Old Testament, stop, look elsewhere, don't bother picking up this book or any book from Covenant Communications or Deseret Book, for that matter. Not only are such matters not discussed, they are in fact seen by Pinegar and Allen as proof of the apostate, sinful, and fallen state of the modern world. For them, when "viewed through the lens of Gospel truth and illuminated by the light of continuing revelation, the Old Testament emerges for what it truly is – the wellspring document of God's design for bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His faithful children through priesthood blessings of redeeming truth, saving ordinances, and power to endure to the end." (Introduction, p. v)
"Unlocking the Old Testament" makes no attempt to cover the whole Old Testament; instead it focuses on the selected readings used in the LDS Gospel Doctrine class course of study for 2010. Many chapters and some entire books of the Old Testament are entirely skipped over. For instance, the book of Leviticus is left out entirely and only four chapters of Deuteronomy (6, 8, 11, 32) get covered.
"Unlocking" starts with a two page and a half page introduction, has four very brief sections on "Citations used," "How to Use This Book," "Abbreviations Used," and a "Pronunciation Guide." It then goes into the text, starting with chapter one of the Book of Moses, matching the Gospel Doctrine Curriculum which also starts with Moses One. There is no table of contents and no index in the book. There are no chapter or section divisions in the book. After covering Moses and Abraham from the Pearl of Great Price it picks up with Genesis and goes in the order of the Old Testament ending with Malachi. There are bold headings at the top of each page with the name of the book covered and the chapters and verses covered on that page, for instance "Judges 13:15-Judges 14:8" and "2 Chronicles 17:1-19," but that is all that is provided by way of organization or locational materials.
The book ends with a number of appendices that cover various people from the Old Testament for whom, according to the authors, "the abundance of rich information…was too long to fit in the right column adjacent to the scriptural text. In these cases, information on such people…is contained in appendices…references to these appendices are found in the text where appropriate." (viii) The appendices are lettered sequentially starting with, "Appendix A: Our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost," and ending with "Appendix PP: Malachi." Almost all of those who would be considered "major" prophets, kings and characters of the Old Testament are covered, plus some like Melchizedek and Enoch, who are hardly mentioned in the Old Testament but are very important in LDS theology.
The entire book is organized into a two column format. In the main body of the book the left column is King James Old Testament text being covered and the right hand column is the commentary by Pinegar and Allen which often includes references to other scriptures for further reading. The right hand column also includes the occasional black and white illustrations. All most all of these are copies of Gustave Dore prints but there are a few pictures of Egyptian art work and some classical frescos and artworks of Biblical Kings, scenes etc. There are a few points in the book where the right hand column is filled with lines for making notes, and in a few places (for example page 305, which covers Proverbs 25:21-26:20) the right column is simply left blank. Most of the commentary is written by Pinegar or Allen, but they frequently quote the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants in their commentary. They also include occasional quotes from LDS General Authorities, LDS scholars such as Daniel Ludlow, and even some non-LDS scholars whose views support Pinegar and Allen's ideas. These quotes are usually set off in italics and are printed under a small header that includes a line drawing of an open book and the phrase "Point of Interest."
We feel that there are many who may find this book useful; its target audience is obviously LDS Gospel Doctrine teachers and attendees. Those who fall in this group, especially those who are more conservative and have a very basic understanding or no understanding or experience with the Old Testament, will probably find this book to be useful. Those who are more experienced with the Old Testament, or as mentioned earlier in the review, have more liberal or critical views on the Old Testament, or those who are looking for more in-depth analysis, "deep doctrine," and the like, will probably not like this book.
We feel that this book has three major weaknesses that will limit its usefulness. One, it's big and bulky. It's intended for use by those in Gospel Doctrine class, but I for one would not want to take this book to church on a regular basis -- it's just too big for that. The format is 8.5 by 11 and it's nearly an inch and a half thick. At 500 pages long, it's essentially the same size as a ream of paper. Being that big and being a paperback, it's not going to take much of a beating. If you take it to church too many times it may just fall apart on you. I feel that it would have been a better book if they had assumed that the reader had access to the Old Testament and instead of reproducing the Old Testament text being examined they could have just printed references to the section being commented on. This would have significantly reduced the size and cost of the book. I think that this issue of size is especially important in our modernizing world where more and more people are leaving their traditional scriptures and manuals home and using their Smart phones and PDA'S when called upon to participate in class. Even for traditionalists like me. who still carry actual books, smaller is often better since at church my arms are full already. With scriptures, a diaper bag, my binder or bag for my calling, and often a two year old or a fussy four year old in tow I don't have room for a lot of bulky extras.
Two, as outlined previously, there is no way to quickly locate a particular subject in the book and with no chapter, section or lesson divisions, it is hard to find the material you need. Third, with the exception of citations to other scriptures, the small "Point of Interest" sections and the occasional reference to "The History of the Church," "The Journal of Discourses," "The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith," and the LDS "Conference Report," there are no citations, no footnotes, no bibliography or "works cited" etc. This means that you really have to trust Pinegar and Allen because you have no real way to tell most of the time how or where they came up with their ideas or opinions. You have no way of knowing if others, even other "faithful" LDS scholars or leaders, have offered dissenting or conflicting interpretations or opinions.
This book will be useful to some, and I am sure will be appreciated by fans of Allen and Pinegar, but in my opinion, it misses out on what it could have been. For those who are interested in this kind of a work giving a "faithful, conservative" interpretation of the Old Testament I would instead recommend the cheaper and easier to use two volume set of Institute of Religion Manuals on the Old Testament available through LDS distribution for under ten dollars each. Another option, if you want to stick with Pinegar and Allen, would be to try and locate an older series of commentaries they did from the last time the LDS Church rotated through the scriptures. "Teachings and Commentaries on the Old Testament" (Covenant Communications, 2005) had everything this book lacks. It was smaller, hardbound for better durability, was divided into chapters, had a table of contents and an index, was arranged topically, omitted the Old Testament text, and was even available as a searchable CD-Rom. The hardback is out of print but is available online. Last year a paperback version was released that may still be at book stores. I think that interested readers may find it to be a more useful work by Pinegar and Allen.
Review: Pinegar and Allen, "Unlocking the Old Testament: A Side-By-Side Commentary" (reviewed by Richard Packham)
Review
======
Title: Unlocking the Old Testament: A Side-By-Side Commentary
Authors: Ed Pinegar and Richard J. Allen
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Genre: Scripture Study
Year Published: 2009
Number of Pages: x, 501
Binding: Paper
ISBN10: 1-59811-851-X
ISBN13: 978-1-59811-851-3
Price: $ 27.95
Reviewed by Richard Packham
With the Old Testament as the subject for the new year's Gospel Doctrine classes, various LDS-oriented publishers are coming out with materials to supplement the official Church lesson manual. This in spite of the gentle admonition in the manual's teacher edition that one should be "judicious in your use of commentaries and other nonscriptural sources of information. Class members should be taught to seek knowledge and inspiration from the scriptures and the words of the latter-day prophets."
Among such unofficial supplements this large-format volume (8.5 x 11 x 1.25 inches) must be the weightiest, tipping the scale at exactly three pounds. The publisher could not have supposed that any faithful Saint would tuck it under his arm, along with his Quad and his official lesson manuals. Clearly it is intended for home study only.
The authors have been quite prolific in producing such supplemental Gospel studies, having co-authored over twenty volumes. And the present manual is only the latest in their "Unlocking" series, with previous study guides for the Book of Mormon (2007) and the Doctrine and Covenants (2008), when those scriptures were due for study in Gospel Doctrine classes.
Not having seen their previous books in the series, this reviewer can only assume that this one follows a similar format to the previous ones, as indicated by the "side-by-side" in the subtitle: Complete passages from the scriptures in a left column, with comments and elucidations by the authors on the right. Where the comments are too lengthy for the right-hand column, additional material is in one of the appendices, of which there are 42, numbered A through PP. This device is not original with these authors, but has been used for centuries by scripture commentators.
The passages from the Old Testament are selections, presumably corresponding to those to be studied from the Church lesson manual. In addition to these, the authors include corresponding passages from the Pearl of Great Price (Moses and Abraham). No indication is given, however, as to which lesson's material is being commented on. The student is apparently expected to find the appropriate material on his own.
That is made more difficult, however, by the complete lack of any research apparatus. There is no index, no table of scriptural citations, not even a table of contents. A bibliography or "further reading suggestions" is also lacking. The only search aid is the fact that the articles and appendices are arranged in the same order as the books occur in the Bible itself.
Does the book live up to its promise, to "unlock" the Old Testament? I suppose that depends on how one defines "unlock." The definition which the authors seem to use is that "unlock" means to explain, to make meaningful, to interpret in terms of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They view the Old Testament as "a grand and glorious exposition of the character, qualities, and mission of Jesus Christ" (p. v).
What the authors provide is only to a small extent supplemental factual information (pronunciation of names, explanation of some Hebrew customs), but rather consists mostly of sermonettes, which would be excellent scripts for a sacrament meeting talk based on a passage of Old Testament scripture. The style is often emotional, hortatory, and florid, such as would be very effective when spoken from the pulpit. And like many talks in sacrament meeting, the authors frequently go on and on, and get off the topic. In providing more information about Esther, for example, they wax warmly about courage and determination, expanding a metaphor about a tree of courage into an entire forest, and how we should be grateful for the beauties of nature. No mention of the historical problems of the book, nor explanation of why the names of the main characters in the story (Esther, Mordecai, Haman) are derived from the names of pagan deities.
The basic theme of the entire book is that the Old Testament is about the atonement of Christ, God's Plan of Salvation, and the need for courage, obedience, righteousness, and the keeping of covenants. The authors make frequent use of the "type" comparison as used by Christian exegetists. Like beauty, however, "types" are solely in the eye of the beholder.
The authors assume that the Old Testament (supplemented by corrections and emendations from modern scripture) is historically accurate, that the events occurred as reported. They make no mention of the many textual, archaeological, scientific or linguistic problems that any thoughtful student will uncover if straying even momentarily outside the LDS world into the non-Mormon world of Bible scholarship. In the introduction the authors even warn against the "claims of unsympathetic interpreters" who would suggest that any part of the Old Testament is "only legend and myth" (p. v).
The authors are clearly referring to remarks such as the following, from Prof. Ze'ev Herzog, who heads the archaeology institute at Tel Aviv University: "There has been an important revolution in biblical history in the last decades. We are now uncovering the difference between myth and history, and between reality and ideology of the ancient authors. This is the role of our generation of archaeologists -- to unearth the real historical reality to find out why and how the biblical records were written." Tel Aviv University (2007, November 21). Digging Biblical History At 'The End Of The World'. Science Daily. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071120142829.htm">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071120142829.htm</a> .
The only authoritative sources for scripture study, then, are the scriptures themselves, taken at face value, as interpreted by the words of the modern oracles.
For example, no mention is made of the elementary fact that the Hebrew words "Elohim" and "Jehovah" both refer to the same Hebrew God, "elohim" being the word for "god" and "Jehovah" (actually YHWH) being God's name. This is problematical for LDS theology, and is the basis for the now widely accepted Documentary Hypothesis of the multiple sources for the original Pentateuch.
No mention is made that the last part of the Book of Isaiah is considered by most Bible scholars to be post-Captivity, or that Daniel is a product of the Hasmonean era, not the Captivity. Or that the "virgin" passage in Isaiah 7:14 (repeated in 2 Nephi) is a mistranslation, as is the "Lucifer" at Isaiah 14:12 (also repeated in 2 Nephi).
Minor errors and misleading statements abound: The name "Adam" does NOT mean "many," as the authors assert (p. 4), but rather "man" and is a pun on the Hebrew word for "ruddy, earthy." The authors depart from the text of Jonah, which says that he was swallowed by "a great fish," and adopt the common assumption that it was indeed a whale. They correctly give the meaning of the name "Jesus" (Greek Jesous, Hebrew/Aramaic Jeshua) as "Jehovah saves," but then take that to indicate that Jesus is indeed the Savior because that's what the name means. This ignores the fact that Joshua of the Old Testament had the same name, and that it was a relatively common name in Jesus' time.
The authors accept the LDS identification of "the Ancient of Days" with Father Adam, although non-Mormon Bible scholars generally believe that the term refers to God, not Adam. But it is misleading to say, as the authors do (p. 431) that the term occurs three times in the Old Testament, when all three occurrences are confined to one chapter of the Book of Daniel.
Noah is praised for his obedience and righteousness. Any Bible reader who wonders about the practical problems of the Ark story, or why Noah is the first recorded drunk in history, or how he was justified in cursing one third of his descendants to be slaves (because of his own drunken nakedness) is left wondering.
In discussing the important passage at the end of Malachi (4:6), the authors interpret it correctly (according to LDS doctrine) as foretelling the important work for the dead in the latter days. They do not mention the problem with the text of this verse, however. The King James Version and the Joseph Smith Translation, as well as the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 25:5-6) all have the identical wording. However, the Prophet reports that the Angel Moroni, in his 1823 appearance, gave a somewhat different wording (JS-H 1:36,39). And the authors do not mention that later even the Prophet disregarded both the words as given by Jesus (in the Book of Mormon) and the angel who had been custodian of the sacred record for fourteen centuries (and had presumably read it) in a sermon he delivered January 21, 1844 (History of the Church 6:183-184, also in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith 330).
The authors ignore the difference between Malachi's "Sun of Righteousness" (4:2) and the Book of Mormon's"Son of Righteousness" (3 Nephi 25:2). Perhaps they assume no one will notice?
Should not these variations be included, and clarified, if one is truly attempting to "unlock" the meaning of the passage?
This book will be useful to faithful Saints in preparing inspirational talks and in preparing for Gospel Doctrine classes. For those who tend to ask hard questions or who need help in dealing with Old Testament problems that occur to them during their own reading of passages not discussed in the lesson manual, this book will not unlock anything. The authors could have done a great service to such Saints who want explanations rather than sermons. It is an opportunity missed.
======
Title: Unlocking the Old Testament: A Side-By-Side Commentary
Authors: Ed Pinegar and Richard J. Allen
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Genre: Scripture Study
Year Published: 2009
Number of Pages: x, 501
Binding: Paper
ISBN10: 1-59811-851-X
ISBN13: 978-1-59811-851-3
Price: $ 27.95
Reviewed by Richard Packham
With the Old Testament as the subject for the new year's Gospel Doctrine classes, various LDS-oriented publishers are coming out with materials to supplement the official Church lesson manual. This in spite of the gentle admonition in the manual's teacher edition that one should be "judicious in your use of commentaries and other nonscriptural sources of information. Class members should be taught to seek knowledge and inspiration from the scriptures and the words of the latter-day prophets."
Among such unofficial supplements this large-format volume (8.5 x 11 x 1.25 inches) must be the weightiest, tipping the scale at exactly three pounds. The publisher could not have supposed that any faithful Saint would tuck it under his arm, along with his Quad and his official lesson manuals. Clearly it is intended for home study only.
The authors have been quite prolific in producing such supplemental Gospel studies, having co-authored over twenty volumes. And the present manual is only the latest in their "Unlocking" series, with previous study guides for the Book of Mormon (2007) and the Doctrine and Covenants (2008), when those scriptures were due for study in Gospel Doctrine classes.
Not having seen their previous books in the series, this reviewer can only assume that this one follows a similar format to the previous ones, as indicated by the "side-by-side" in the subtitle: Complete passages from the scriptures in a left column, with comments and elucidations by the authors on the right. Where the comments are too lengthy for the right-hand column, additional material is in one of the appendices, of which there are 42, numbered A through PP. This device is not original with these authors, but has been used for centuries by scripture commentators.
The passages from the Old Testament are selections, presumably corresponding to those to be studied from the Church lesson manual. In addition to these, the authors include corresponding passages from the Pearl of Great Price (Moses and Abraham). No indication is given, however, as to which lesson's material is being commented on. The student is apparently expected to find the appropriate material on his own.
That is made more difficult, however, by the complete lack of any research apparatus. There is no index, no table of scriptural citations, not even a table of contents. A bibliography or "further reading suggestions" is also lacking. The only search aid is the fact that the articles and appendices are arranged in the same order as the books occur in the Bible itself.
Does the book live up to its promise, to "unlock" the Old Testament? I suppose that depends on how one defines "unlock." The definition which the authors seem to use is that "unlock" means to explain, to make meaningful, to interpret in terms of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They view the Old Testament as "a grand and glorious exposition of the character, qualities, and mission of Jesus Christ" (p. v).
What the authors provide is only to a small extent supplemental factual information (pronunciation of names, explanation of some Hebrew customs), but rather consists mostly of sermonettes, which would be excellent scripts for a sacrament meeting talk based on a passage of Old Testament scripture. The style is often emotional, hortatory, and florid, such as would be very effective when spoken from the pulpit. And like many talks in sacrament meeting, the authors frequently go on and on, and get off the topic. In providing more information about Esther, for example, they wax warmly about courage and determination, expanding a metaphor about a tree of courage into an entire forest, and how we should be grateful for the beauties of nature. No mention of the historical problems of the book, nor explanation of why the names of the main characters in the story (Esther, Mordecai, Haman) are derived from the names of pagan deities.
The basic theme of the entire book is that the Old Testament is about the atonement of Christ, God's Plan of Salvation, and the need for courage, obedience, righteousness, and the keeping of covenants. The authors make frequent use of the "type" comparison as used by Christian exegetists. Like beauty, however, "types" are solely in the eye of the beholder.
The authors assume that the Old Testament (supplemented by corrections and emendations from modern scripture) is historically accurate, that the events occurred as reported. They make no mention of the many textual, archaeological, scientific or linguistic problems that any thoughtful student will uncover if straying even momentarily outside the LDS world into the non-Mormon world of Bible scholarship. In the introduction the authors even warn against the "claims of unsympathetic interpreters" who would suggest that any part of the Old Testament is "only legend and myth" (p. v).
The authors are clearly referring to remarks such as the following, from Prof. Ze'ev Herzog, who heads the archaeology institute at Tel Aviv University: "There has been an important revolution in biblical history in the last decades. We are now uncovering the difference between myth and history, and between reality and ideology of the ancient authors. This is the role of our generation of archaeologists -- to unearth the real historical reality to find out why and how the biblical records were written." Tel Aviv University (2007, November 21). Digging Biblical History At 'The End Of The World'. Science Daily. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071120142829.htm">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071120142829.htm</a> .
The only authoritative sources for scripture study, then, are the scriptures themselves, taken at face value, as interpreted by the words of the modern oracles.
For example, no mention is made of the elementary fact that the Hebrew words "Elohim" and "Jehovah" both refer to the same Hebrew God, "elohim" being the word for "god" and "Jehovah" (actually YHWH) being God's name. This is problematical for LDS theology, and is the basis for the now widely accepted Documentary Hypothesis of the multiple sources for the original Pentateuch.
No mention is made that the last part of the Book of Isaiah is considered by most Bible scholars to be post-Captivity, or that Daniel is a product of the Hasmonean era, not the Captivity. Or that the "virgin" passage in Isaiah 7:14 (repeated in 2 Nephi) is a mistranslation, as is the "Lucifer" at Isaiah 14:12 (also repeated in 2 Nephi).
Minor errors and misleading statements abound: The name "Adam" does NOT mean "many," as the authors assert (p. 4), but rather "man" and is a pun on the Hebrew word for "ruddy, earthy." The authors depart from the text of Jonah, which says that he was swallowed by "a great fish," and adopt the common assumption that it was indeed a whale. They correctly give the meaning of the name "Jesus" (Greek Jesous, Hebrew/Aramaic Jeshua) as "Jehovah saves," but then take that to indicate that Jesus is indeed the Savior because that's what the name means. This ignores the fact that Joshua of the Old Testament had the same name, and that it was a relatively common name in Jesus' time.
The authors accept the LDS identification of "the Ancient of Days" with Father Adam, although non-Mormon Bible scholars generally believe that the term refers to God, not Adam. But it is misleading to say, as the authors do (p. 431) that the term occurs three times in the Old Testament, when all three occurrences are confined to one chapter of the Book of Daniel.
Noah is praised for his obedience and righteousness. Any Bible reader who wonders about the practical problems of the Ark story, or why Noah is the first recorded drunk in history, or how he was justified in cursing one third of his descendants to be slaves (because of his own drunken nakedness) is left wondering.
In discussing the important passage at the end of Malachi (4:6), the authors interpret it correctly (according to LDS doctrine) as foretelling the important work for the dead in the latter days. They do not mention the problem with the text of this verse, however. The King James Version and the Joseph Smith Translation, as well as the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 25:5-6) all have the identical wording. However, the Prophet reports that the Angel Moroni, in his 1823 appearance, gave a somewhat different wording (JS-H 1:36,39). And the authors do not mention that later even the Prophet disregarded both the words as given by Jesus (in the Book of Mormon) and the angel who had been custodian of the sacred record for fourteen centuries (and had presumably read it) in a sermon he delivered January 21, 1844 (History of the Church 6:183-184, also in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith 330).
The authors ignore the difference between Malachi's "Sun of Righteousness" (4:2) and the Book of Mormon's"Son of Righteousness" (3 Nephi 25:2). Perhaps they assume no one will notice?
Should not these variations be included, and clarified, if one is truly attempting to "unlock" the meaning of the passage?
This book will be useful to faithful Saints in preparing inspirational talks and in preparing for Gospel Doctrine classes. For those who tend to ask hard questions or who need help in dealing with Old Testament problems that occur to them during their own reading of passages not discussed in the lesson manual, this book will not unlock anything. The authors could have done a great service to such Saints who want explanations rather than sermons. It is an opportunity missed.
Times and Seasons 2009 Mormon of the Year: Harry Reid
Excerpts of Times and Seasons 2009 Mormon of the Year: Harry Reid By Kent Larsen
During 2009, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was the most visible and influential Mormon politician in the world, shepherding Democratic legislative proposals through the U.S. Senate after the party's victories in the 2008 elections, including a landmark health care bill that represents one of the more controversial pieces of legislation to pass through the Senate in recent memory. Reid's off-the-cuff style has also led occasionally to unscripted remarks that have attracted a lot of attention.
While Reid's faith is not always discussed as much as that of other Mormon politicians, he remains an active member of his ward. In recent years he has helped the Church on some crucial issues, including helping to broker a compromise over Martin's Cove. Reid spoke openly about his faith in a 2007 address at Brigham Young University and touched on his conversion and beliefs in his recently published memoir. A fixture in Nevada politics who has dedicated his life to public service for decades, Reid has long advocated that one can consistently be both a Democrat and a Mormon.
Full article hereMonday, January 11, 2010
Gallup: Mormons Most Conservative Major Religious Group in U.S.
Mormons Most Conservative Major Religious Group in U.S.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/125021/Mormons-Conservative-Major-Religious-Group.aspxSix out of 10 Mormons are politically conservative
PRINCETON, NJ -- Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, are the most conservative major religious group in the country, with 59% identifying as conservative, 31% as moderate, and 8% as liberal.
The ideological leanings of Mormons have become of greater interest in recent years as a result of Mormon positions on the moral issue of gay marriage. Mormon efforts on behalf of the successful November 2008 Proposition 8 in California -- which restricted legal marriage to opposite-sex couples -- were in particular subject to intense media focus.
"The 49% of Mormons who self-identify as both conservative and Republican is the highest of any major religious group, significantly larger than the 31% of Protestants/other non-Catholic Christians who can be so categorized."
Although it is assumed that Mormons are conservative, their relatively small numbers in the U.S. -- about 1.7% of the 18+ adult population in Gallup's tracking -- make routine survey analysis of their political and ideological leanings difficult. Gallup's large database of Daily tracking interviews allows for the aggregation of enough Americans who identify as Mormons to conduct meaningful analysis. The current analysis of Mormon ideology is based on more than 350,000 Gallup Daily tracking interviews conducted in 2009, including 5,819 interviews with Mormons.
The 59% of Mormons who identify as conservative is the largest such percentage of any major religious group included in this analysis. The next-most-conservative group are Protestants (including non-Catholic Christians), with 46% identifying as conservative. (This review does not include analysis of specific denominations into which Protestants can be subdivided, of which there are hundreds.) Thirty-nine percent of Catholics are conservative. Less than a quarter of Jews, Muslims, those who identify with other religions, and those with no religious identity identify as conservatives.
Mormons' conservatism is also apparent from a review of the more detailed self-categorization of ideology included in Gallup's daily tracking.
The 16% of Mormons who categorize themselves as very conservative is the largest percentage for any of the major religious groups, while the 1% who are "very liberal" is the smallest.
A recent Gallup analysis showed that Mormons have the highest percentage identification with the Republican Party of any major religious group.
It is thus not surprising to find that the 49% of Mormons who self-identify as both conservative and Republican is the highest of any major religious group, significantly larger than the 31% of Protestants/other non-Catholic Christians who can be so categorized.
Active and Lapsed Mormons
Seventy-nine percent of Mormons attend religious services weekly, almost every week, or monthly. That compares to 53% of the overall American adult population who attend this frequently. Mormons' self-reported church attendance is the highest of any of the major religious groups used in this analysis.
The 20% of those who identify as Mormons and at the same time report seldom or never attending church can be classified as "lapsed Mormons." (It is assumed that there are others in America who were raised Mormon but who today have either a different religious identity or no religious identity at all. They are not included in this analysis.) The identifying factor of interest concerning "lapsed Mormons" as defined here is the fact that these individuals continue to identify with the Mormon faith despite being religiously inactive.
The data show that these lapsed Mormons are substantially different in ideology from their fellow Mormons who remain active in the church (as defined by attendance at church services). In fact, lapsed Mormons are essentially no different from all other non-Mormons in terms of their basic ideology.
As can be seen in the accompanying graph, removing the one-fifth of Mormons who are lapsed in their faith from the overall sample of Mormons leaves an even more conservative group of active Mormons. Almost two-thirds of this latter group identify as conservative.
Lapsed Mormons are also more similar to all other non-Mormon Americans than to active Mormons in terms of the party/ideology categorization.
Mormons Living in Utah vs. Those Living Elsewhere
Gallup's 2009 data show that 34% of adult Mormons live in Utah. Utah became the major center of the Latter-day Saints when the Brigham Young-led group fled westward in the 1840s after being persecuted in New York state, Missouri, and Illinois. The headquarters of the Mormon church today remains in Salt Lake City.
However, whether a Mormon lives in Utah does not appear to make a significant difference in his or her ideology. The percentage of Mormons living in Utah who are conservative is little different from the conservative percentage among Mormons living elsewhere in the United States.
It is interesting to note that Mormons living outside of Utah are slightly less likely to be frequent church attenders than are Mormons living in Utah. The former group, however, still reports church attendance that is significantly above the U.S. average.
Bottom Line
Mormons are both the most Republican and the most conservative of any of the major religious groups in the U.S. today.
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Survey Methods
Results are based on telephone interviews with 353,845 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted in 2009, as part of Gallup Daily tracking. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±1 percentage point. Results for Americans who identify as Mormon are based on telephone interviews with 5,819 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted during 2009. For results based on the sample of Mormons, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.
Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones and cellular phones.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Carter and other religious leaders call for end to discrimination against women
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/opinion/10kristof.html
January 10, 2010
Op-Ed Columnist
Religion and Women
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Religions derive their power and popularity in part from the ethical compass they offer. So why do so many faiths help perpetuate something that most of us regard as profoundly unethical: the oppression of women?
It is not that warlords in Congo cite Scripture to justify their mass rapes (although the last warlord I met there called himself a pastor and wore a button reading "rebels for Christ"). It's not that brides are burned in India as part of a Hindu ritual. And there's no verse in the Koran that instructs Afghan thugs to throw acid in the faces of girls who dare to go to school.
Yet these kinds of abuses — along with more banal injustices, like slapping a girlfriend or paying women less for their work — arise out of a social context in which women are, often, second-class citizens. That's a context that religions have helped shape, and not pushed hard to change.
"Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths, creating an environment in which violations against women are justified," former President Jimmy Carter noted in a speech last month to the Parliament of the World's Religions in Australia.
"The belief that women are inferior human beings in the eyes of God," Mr. Carter continued, "gives excuses to the brutal husband who beats his wife, the soldier who rapes a woman, the employer who has a lower pay scale for women employees, or parents who decide to abort a female embryo."
Mr. Carter, who sees religion as one of the "basic causes of the violation of women's rights," is a member of The Elders, a small council of retired leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. The Elders are focusing on the role of religion in oppressing women, and they have issued a joint statement calling on religious leaders to "change all discriminatory practices within their own religions and traditions."
The Elders are neither irreligious nor rabble-rousers. They include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and they begin their meetings with a moment for silent prayer.
"The Elders are not attacking religion as such," noted Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and United Nations high commissioner for human rights. But she added, "We all recognized that if there's one overarching issue for women it's the way that religion can be manipulated to subjugate women."
There is of course plenty of fodder, in both the Koran and the Bible, for those who seek a theology of discrimination.
The New Testament quotes St. Paul (I Timothy 2) as saying that women "must be silent." Deuteronomy declares that if a woman does not bleed on her wedding night, "the men of her town shall stone her to death." An Orthodox Jewish prayer thanks God, "who hast not made me a woman." The Koran stipulates that a woman shall inherit less than a man, and that a woman's testimony counts for half a man's.
In fairness, many scholars believe that Paul did not in fact write the passages calling on women to be silent. And Islam started out as socially progressive for women — banning female infanticide and limiting polygamy — but did not continue to advance.
But religious leaders sanctified existing social structures, instead of pushing for justice. In Africa, it would help enormously if religious figures spoke up for widows disenfranchised by unjust inheritance traditions — or for rape victims, or for schoolgirls facing sexual demands from their teachers. Instead, in Uganda, the influence of conservative Christians is found in a grotesque push to execute gays.
Yet paradoxically, the churches in Africa that have done the most to empower women have been conservative ones led by evangelicals and especially Pentecostals. In particular, Pentecostals encourage women to take leadership roles, and for many women this is the first time they have been trusted with authority and found their opinions respected. In rural Africa, Pentecostal churches are becoming a significant force to emancipate women.
That's a glimmer of hope that reminds us that while religion is part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution. The Dalai Lama has taken that step and calls himself a feminist.
Another excellent precedent is slavery. Each of the Abrahamic faiths accepted slavery. Muhammad owned slaves, and St. Paul seems to have condoned slavery. Yet the pioneers of the abolitionist movement were Quakers and evangelicals like William Wilberforce. People of faith ultimately worked ferociously to overthrow an oppressive institution that churches had previously condoned.
Today, when religious institutions exclude women from their hierarchies and rituals, the inevitable implication is that females are inferior. The Elders are right that religious groups should stand up for a simple ethical principle: any person's human rights should be sacred, and not depend on something as earthly as their genitals.
I invite you to comment on this column on my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.
January 10, 2010
Op-Ed Columnist
Religion and Women
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Religions derive their power and popularity in part from the ethical compass they offer. So why do so many faiths help perpetuate something that most of us regard as profoundly unethical: the oppression of women?
It is not that warlords in Congo cite Scripture to justify their mass rapes (although the last warlord I met there called himself a pastor and wore a button reading "rebels for Christ"). It's not that brides are burned in India as part of a Hindu ritual. And there's no verse in the Koran that instructs Afghan thugs to throw acid in the faces of girls who dare to go to school.
Yet these kinds of abuses — along with more banal injustices, like slapping a girlfriend or paying women less for their work — arise out of a social context in which women are, often, second-class citizens. That's a context that religions have helped shape, and not pushed hard to change.
"Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths, creating an environment in which violations against women are justified," former President Jimmy Carter noted in a speech last month to the Parliament of the World's Religions in Australia.
"The belief that women are inferior human beings in the eyes of God," Mr. Carter continued, "gives excuses to the brutal husband who beats his wife, the soldier who rapes a woman, the employer who has a lower pay scale for women employees, or parents who decide to abort a female embryo."
Mr. Carter, who sees religion as one of the "basic causes of the violation of women's rights," is a member of The Elders, a small council of retired leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. The Elders are focusing on the role of religion in oppressing women, and they have issued a joint statement calling on religious leaders to "change all discriminatory practices within their own religions and traditions."
The Elders are neither irreligious nor rabble-rousers. They include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and they begin their meetings with a moment for silent prayer.
"The Elders are not attacking religion as such," noted Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and United Nations high commissioner for human rights. But she added, "We all recognized that if there's one overarching issue for women it's the way that religion can be manipulated to subjugate women."
There is of course plenty of fodder, in both the Koran and the Bible, for those who seek a theology of discrimination.
The New Testament quotes St. Paul (I Timothy 2) as saying that women "must be silent." Deuteronomy declares that if a woman does not bleed on her wedding night, "the men of her town shall stone her to death." An Orthodox Jewish prayer thanks God, "who hast not made me a woman." The Koran stipulates that a woman shall inherit less than a man, and that a woman's testimony counts for half a man's.
In fairness, many scholars believe that Paul did not in fact write the passages calling on women to be silent. And Islam started out as socially progressive for women — banning female infanticide and limiting polygamy — but did not continue to advance.
But religious leaders sanctified existing social structures, instead of pushing for justice. In Africa, it would help enormously if religious figures spoke up for widows disenfranchised by unjust inheritance traditions — or for rape victims, or for schoolgirls facing sexual demands from their teachers. Instead, in Uganda, the influence of conservative Christians is found in a grotesque push to execute gays.
Yet paradoxically, the churches in Africa that have done the most to empower women have been conservative ones led by evangelicals and especially Pentecostals. In particular, Pentecostals encourage women to take leadership roles, and for many women this is the first time they have been trusted with authority and found their opinions respected. In rural Africa, Pentecostal churches are becoming a significant force to emancipate women.
That's a glimmer of hope that reminds us that while religion is part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution. The Dalai Lama has taken that step and calls himself a feminist.
Another excellent precedent is slavery. Each of the Abrahamic faiths accepted slavery. Muhammad owned slaves, and St. Paul seems to have condoned slavery. Yet the pioneers of the abolitionist movement were Quakers and evangelicals like William Wilberforce. People of faith ultimately worked ferociously to overthrow an oppressive institution that churches had previously condoned.
Today, when religious institutions exclude women from their hierarchies and rituals, the inevitable implication is that females are inferior. The Elders are right that religious groups should stand up for a simple ethical principle: any person's human rights should be sacred, and not depend on something as earthly as their genitals.
I invite you to comment on this column on my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Review: "The Joseph Smith Papers: Revelations and Translations: Manuscript Revelation Books" (reviewed by Trevor Holyoak)
The Joseph Smith Papers: Revelations and Translations, Manuscript Revelation Books
http://www.aml-online.org/Reviews/Review.aspx?id=4652By Steven C. Harper, Robin Scott Jensen, Robert J. Woodford
Reviewed by Trevor Holyoak
On 1/8/2010
Church Historian's Press and Deseret Book, 2009 Hardcover:
726 pages
ISBN-10: 1-57008-850-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-57008-850-6 Price: $99.95
This is the second book to be released in the Joseph Smith Papers project, and the first volume of the Revelations and Translations series. It is a “facsimile edition” of Revelation Book 1 (also known as “Book of Commandments and Revelations”) and Revelation Book 2 (“Book of Revelation” or “Kirtland Revelation Book”). It is quite large, measuring approximately 9.25 by 12.25 inches and weighing nearly 8 pounds. This means it won't quite match the previously released Journals volume on your shelf (which it effectively dwarfs), but apparently there will be a few other volumes of the same size to go along with it, so the finished set of 30+ volumes should end up looking quite nice together, in spite of the two sizes. And there is a very good reason for the larger size – the body of the book consists of photographs of each page of the two books, with the photos on the left side, and a transcription running parallel on the right.
Both manuscript books were used for keeping revelations, which were written into them by scribes such as Oliver Cowdery, Orson Hyde, W. W. Phelps, Sidney Rigdon, John Whitmer, and Frederick Williams, as well as Joseph Smith. The books were also used in publishing many of the revelations in the church's first newspaper (The Evening and the Morning Star), the Book of Commandments, and the Doctrine and Covenants. Most of the revelations contained in the books are the earliest extant versions. There are also some of which no other copy is known to be in existence. Nine of them have never been published as scripture.
This volume contains general reference material similar to what was in the previously published Journals volume, such as a timeline of Joseph Smith's life, maps, and series and volume introductions. It also has a scribal directory and tables showing where each item has been published in The Evening and Morning Star, the Book of Commandments, and Latter-day Saint and Community of Christ editions of the Doctrine and Covenants, where applicable. What it does not contain is historical or contextual information for each revelation. Instead, it contains detailed information about what is on each page, with color-coded transcriptions to identify each scribe who wrote anything on the page or made changes. There will be a Documents series that will concentrate on the earliest and best versions and will put each revelation into context, whereas the present series helps us to see all the changes that were made in each revelation, as they were composed and then prepared for publication.
One of the revelations contains valuable information to help us understand the process of reception and recording of revelation: “I am God & have spoken it[.] these commandments are of me & were given unto my Servants in their weakness after the manner of their Language that they might come to understanding.” Although the revelations were from God, there were limitations inherent in expressing them in the language used by the people receiving them, and appropriate changes were made to many of them prior to publication, which are easily studied in this volume. [1]
Each manuscript page was photographed in high enough resolution to produce a file of about 229 megabytes in size and the process is described in detail. The photographs in the book have been reduced significantly for print, but the original files are still available for research. Techniques such as multispectral imaging were used to reveal things that were invisible to the human eye, such as a notation that had been written in graphite and then erased. Between the transcription and the annotations, everything on the manuscript page is thoroughly described, down to pinholes in the paper.
I found it very enjoyable to be able to see and read the revelations I am already familiar with from the scriptures, in the handwriting of people like Joseph Smith and Olivery Cowdery. I also found the material which had not been canonized to be very interesting. One such item is apparently a song:
Sang by the gift of Tongues and Translated
age after age has rolled away, according to the sad fate
of man. Countless millions [for] ever gone at length the
period of time has come that oft was seen by a prophetic
eye and writen too by all holy men [Inspired] of the Lord
a time which was seen by Enoch of Old at a time when
he stood upon the mount which was called the mountain
of God as he gazed upon nature and the corruption [of]
man and mourned their sad fate and wept
and cried with a Loud voice and heaved forth
his sighs Omnipotence Omnipotence o may I
see thee- and with his finger he touched
his eyes and he saw heaven he gazed on
eternity and sang an Angelic song and
mingled his [voice] with the heavenly throng
Hozana Hozana the sound of the trump around the throne
of God and echoed & echoed again and rang and
reechoed until eternity was filled with his
voice he saw yea he saw and he glorified
God the salvation of his people his city
caught up through the gospel of Christ
he saw the beginning the ending of man
he saw the time when Adam his father
was made and he saw that he was in
eternity before a grain of dust in the
ballance was weighed he saw that he em
-enated and came down from God he saw
what had passed and then was and is present
and to come therefore he saw the Last days the Angel
that came down to John and the Angel that [is]
now flying having the everlasting gospel to com
mit [unto] men- which in my soul I have recivd
and from death and bondage from the Devil
I'm freed [and] am free in the gospel of Christ
and Im waiting and with patience Ill wait
on the Lord hozana loud sound the trump cause
eternity to wring hozana for ever Im waiting the coming
of Christ a mansion on high a celestial abode a seat
on the right hand of God Angels are coming the holy
Ghost is falling upon the saints and will continue to fall
the saviour is coming yea the Bride groom prepare
ye prepare yea the cry has gone forth go wait on
the Lord the Angels in glory will soon be descending
go join you in singing the praises of God the trump
Loud shall sound the dark vail soon shall rend
heaven shall shake the earth shall tremble and
all nature shall feel the power of God, gaze ye
saints gaze ye upon him, gaze upon Jesus
hozana loud sound the trump his church is
caught up hozana praise him ye saints they
stand at his feet behold they are weeping they
strike hands with Enoch of Old they inherit a
city as it is writen the City of God, Loud sound
the trump, they receive a celestial crown hozana
hozana the heaven of heavens and the heavens
are filled with [the] praises of God Amen
Given February 27- 1833- [2]
This volume should be helpful for scholars as well as anyone interested in church history or the production of modern scripture. Reading the revelations in the handwriting of those involved is a different experience from reading the typeset versions in our scriptures. I have found it to be a spiritual experience, which will lead me to treasure the book for more than just the educational interest it originally held for me.
Footnotes:
[1] The volume introduction discusses the appropriateness of editing revelations beginning on page xxvii, where the quoted portion appears which later became D&C 1:24. It is then discussed further on pages 6 and 7. For another good explanation of how revelation can be received and then revised to better communicate what was intended, see “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance” by Elder Richard G. Scott, given in General Conference, October 2009 ( http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1117-2,00.html ).
[2] Pages 509-511. The accompanying annotation says “No other version of this item exists to provide additional detail about its creation, so its authorship is unknown. This item was never canonized.” According to the color coding, the original inscription was by Frederick G. Williams and Joseph Smith made a few corrections.
LDS church purchases more prime downtown real estate
Excerpts of Mormon Church acquires 13 acres in downtown Salt Lake City By Laura Hancock, Deseret News
--
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has purchased 13 acres of prime downtown Salt Lake City real estate from The Sinclair Companies, formerly known as Sinclair Oil Corp., the hotel and oil corporation owned by Utah billionaire Earl Holding.
The property is located on two city blocks between 400 South and 500 South and between West Temple and the Matheson Courthouse.
The sales price was not disclosed by either party nor on the special warranty deed filed with the Salt Lake County Recorder's Office.
"The land was purchased as a long-term investment with no immediate plans for development," said LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter.
Trotter said Property Reserve Inc. — a development arm of the LDS Church currently building the City Creek Center, a $3 billion office, retail and residential development in the space formerly occupied by the ZCMI Center and Crossroads Mall — obtained the property.
"It's the block north of Little America, the entire 10-acre block," Sinclair spokesman Clint Ensign said. "I believe that's Block 40. And then it is 3 acres directly east of Block 40. It's the block where the state courthouse is."
The property had been a surface parking lot.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Brigham, more than Joseph, put Mormonism on path to success
Excerpts of Researcher: Brigham, more than Joseph, put Mormonism on path to success by Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune
--
Mormonism owes its continual rise much more to Brigham Young, the man who led the incipient movement across the Plains, than to Joseph Smith, who began it all with talk of angels and gold plates.
At least that's how Utah researcher Richard Van Wagoner sees it after spending the past 15 years compiling every known Young sermon and discourse from 127 sources.
Van Wagoner sought out original transcripts, rather than the LDS Church-sanctioned Journal of Discourses , in which Young's words were edited and polished. He also found speeches and statements recorded in other people's journals.
"Brigham seems to me to have been more solid and stable, less flamboyant, and superior in terms of organizational abilities," says Van Wagoner, an audiologist by training for whom Mormon history is an avocation.
The result of his digging is The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young , a five-volume work recently published by Salt Lake City's Signature Books. Signature printed only 325 copies of the set, which runs nearly 3,200 pages and costs $500.
Readers now can assess Young for themselves, Van Wagoner says, by searching the index for statements on dozens of topics.
They can find Young's
The volumes also provide a fascinating look at Young's self-perceptions. He once commented that "there is not a man in this house who has a more indomitable and unyielding temper than myself." He added elsewhere that "never have I hurt any person ... except with this unruly member, my tongue."
Van Wagoner learned that, despite Young's lack of education, the LDS Church's second prophet was well versed in the King James Bible, even memorizing significant portions. In his own words, Young was "a Bible student from my youth." He noted that he never took "thought beforehand of what I should say" when delivering a speech, yet he cites hundreds of extensive biblical passages when doing so.
According to an entry in the journal of Wilford Woodruff (the fourth LDS prophet), it was Young who first offered the couplet: "As we now are, God once was and as he now is, we shall be if we continue faithful." That sentiment usually has been attributed to the fifth LDS president, Lorenzo Snow, who apparently learned it from Young.
As Van Wagoner worked on these transcripts, his esteem for Young grew.
"Brigham's facility with language and ability to address complex issues on the fly rank him among the most able preachers," Van Wagoner says, "and, as Utah's governor, most talented politicians of the day -- just as capable, I think, as any U.S. president of his time."
Ronald Walker, who is toiling away on a biography of Young, applauds Van Wagoner and Signature for the massive undertaking -- although the retired Brigham Young University historian cannot afford his own copy of the set.
"Reading the discourses is one of the starting places one must make to capture the real Brigham," Walker says. "But they must be read side by side with his letters that no one has really looked at. A softer, more pastoral, sweet man appears in the letters than in the pulpit."
Any search for the hidden mystery of Young has to be multifaceted, Walker says. "To really do the job right, you have to look also at how people interacted with him. Then you begin to get a picture of the complex, contradictory guy Brigham was."
--
Mormonism owes its continual rise much more to Brigham Young, the man who led the incipient movement across the Plains, than to Joseph Smith, who began it all with talk of angels and gold plates.
At least that's how Utah researcher Richard Van Wagoner sees it after spending the past 15 years compiling every known Young sermon and discourse from 127 sources.
Van Wagoner sought out original transcripts, rather than the LDS Church-sanctioned Journal of Discourses , in which Young's words were edited and polished. He also found speeches and statements recorded in other people's journals.
"Brigham seems to me to have been more solid and stable, less flamboyant, and superior in terms of organizational abilities," says Van Wagoner, an audiologist by training for whom Mormon history is an avocation.
The result of his digging is The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young , a five-volume work recently published by Salt Lake City's Signature Books. Signature printed only 325 copies of the set, which runs nearly 3,200 pages and costs $500.
Readers now can assess Young for themselves, Van Wagoner says, by searching the index for statements on dozens of topics.
They can find Young's
- "Adam is God doctrine,"
- his statements about "Black-hearted Republicans,"
- blood atonement
- the Civil War ("providence of God"),
- East Temple ("whiskey street"),
- Mother Eve (a "Daughter of Adam"),
- Martin Harris ("possessed a wild, speculative brain"),
- American Indians ("all the Indians on this Continent ... are of Israel"),
- Jehovah ("God the Father"),
- Jesus ("Father Adam's oldest son"),
- plural marriage ("has always been practiced [in the Celestial Kingdom] and always will be"),
- slavery ("divine institution").
The volumes also provide a fascinating look at Young's self-perceptions. He once commented that "there is not a man in this house who has a more indomitable and unyielding temper than myself." He added elsewhere that "never have I hurt any person ... except with this unruly member, my tongue."
Van Wagoner learned that, despite Young's lack of education, the LDS Church's second prophet was well versed in the King James Bible, even memorizing significant portions. In his own words, Young was "a Bible student from my youth." He noted that he never took "thought beforehand of what I should say" when delivering a speech, yet he cites hundreds of extensive biblical passages when doing so.
According to an entry in the journal of Wilford Woodruff (the fourth LDS prophet), it was Young who first offered the couplet: "As we now are, God once was and as he now is, we shall be if we continue faithful." That sentiment usually has been attributed to the fifth LDS president, Lorenzo Snow, who apparently learned it from Young.
As Van Wagoner worked on these transcripts, his esteem for Young grew.
"Brigham's facility with language and ability to address complex issues on the fly rank him among the most able preachers," Van Wagoner says, "and, as Utah's governor, most talented politicians of the day -- just as capable, I think, as any U.S. president of his time."
Ronald Walker, who is toiling away on a biography of Young, applauds Van Wagoner and Signature for the massive undertaking -- although the retired Brigham Young University historian cannot afford his own copy of the set.
"Reading the discourses is one of the starting places one must make to capture the real Brigham," Walker says. "But they must be read side by side with his letters that no one has really looked at. A softer, more pastoral, sweet man appears in the letters than in the pulpit."
Any search for the hidden mystery of Young has to be multifaceted, Walker says. "To really do the job right, you have to look also at how people interacted with him. Then you begin to get a picture of the complex, contradictory guy Brigham was."
Rough beginnings of "Mormon Doctrine"
This Sunday, adult Mormons will begin using an updated "Gospel Principles" manual, which has been revised, removing references to the book Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie.
Fifty years ago today in Mormon Church history, on Jan. 7, 1960 top church leaders met to discuss the findings of a yearlong investigation into the content and production of Mormon Doctrine.
President of the church David O McKay and his counselors met with Mormon apostles Mark E. Peterson and Marion G. Romney who led the investigation. President McKay's office journal noted:
They submitted their report upon their examination of the book "Mormon Doctrine" by Elder Bruce McConkie. These brethren reported that the manuscript of the book "Mormon Doctrine" had not been read by the reading committee, that President [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and father-in-law of Bruce R. McConkie] Joseph Fielding Smith did not know anything about it until it was published."
The committee had taken issue with much of the content of the book and carefully classified problems into four major categories: Statements that offended other religions and "evolutionists"; over-use of terms such as "apostate" in a "discourteous" manner; controversial doctrines; and "miscellaneous interpretations." Each category was divided into sub-categories backed up with exhibits.
Three years earlier the First Presidency had stopped the publication Elder McConkie's book "Sound Doctrine" but were unaware he was working on another book. Elder McConkie was a member of the Council of the Seventy at this time, the 3rd highest quorum of the church.
On the 27th, President McKay met with Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith regarding his son-in law. .....
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Federal Court Upholds Protection of Yes on Prop. 8 Campaign Docs
Federal Court Upholds Protection of Yes on Prop. 8 Campaign Docs
Lifesite - 12 hours ago
SAN FRANCISCO, January 5, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A federal appeals court in San Francisco says its ruling will stand that guarantees the right of proponents of California's constitutional ban on same-sex "marriage" to keep campaign strategy documents from same-sex "marriage" advocates, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
A three judge panel for the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said its December 11 decision overturning Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's October order to produce the "Yes on 8" documents will stand as a majority of the full court voted not to review the case.
The panel had ruled 3-0 that allowing the opposing side to view the pro-family campaign memos would set a precedent detrimental to participation in campaigns and strategists speaking frankly through internal communications.
Same-sex "marriage" activists were seeking to view the "Yes on 8" campaign memos in order to demonstrate that an anti-gay bias fueled California's constitutional amendment banning same-sex "marriage."...
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10010512.html
Lifesite - 12 hours ago
SAN FRANCISCO, January 5, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A federal appeals court in San Francisco says its ruling will stand that guarantees the right of proponents of California's constitutional ban on same-sex "marriage" to keep campaign strategy documents from same-sex "marriage" advocates, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
A three judge panel for the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said its December 11 decision overturning Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's October order to produce the "Yes on 8" documents will stand as a majority of the full court voted not to review the case.
The panel had ruled 3-0 that allowing the opposing side to view the pro-family campaign memos would set a precedent detrimental to participation in campaigns and strategists speaking frankly through internal communications.
Same-sex "marriage" activists were seeking to view the "Yes on 8" campaign memos in order to demonstrate that an anti-gay bias fueled California's constitutional amendment banning same-sex "marriage."...
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10010512.html
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Mormons will use "beginner" manual, McConkie references removed
Excerpts of A new -- or is it old? -- manual for Mormons by Peggy Fletcher Stack, Salt Lake Tribune
________________________________
After a decade of going back to Brigham, back to Joseph and back to Wilford, Mormons are going back to basics.
Starting this month, adult Latter-day Saints will shelve their study of past Mormon prophets and return to fundamentals of their faith as spelled out in a 30-year-old book called Gospel Principles .
Until now, the book largely has been used as a primer for new converts to the 13.5 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The more we reflect on the principles and doctrines, the greater our understanding becomes," Elder Kenneth Johnson of the Seventy, who oversaw the revision of the manual, said in the Ensign , the church's official magazine. "They never grow old, and our understanding of them is increased and enhanced. The truth is not just an intellectual truth, but more of an understanding as the Spirit is present."
The revised edition of Gospel Principles is about 90 percent the same, says Matthew Witten, a business analyst in San Antonio who has compared the two. "The changes are not a big deal."
One intriguing change, Witten says, is that all references to late apostle Bruce R. McConkie's quasi-authoritative book, Mormon Doctrine , have been excised.
"Quotes were updated to reference materials that are more accessible to members of the LDS Church worldwide," church spokeswoman Kim Farah explains. "For example, the series, Teachings of Presidents of the Church , is referenced because it is available in 28 languages, while Mormon Doctrine is only available in a few."
Julie M. Smith, a stay-at-home mom with a degree in biblical studies: "There is a new concern: How does a teacher make a lesson on a very basic topic interesting and relevant to the class?"
"As I began to prepare my first lesson from the Gospel Principles manual, I noticed -- and appreciated -- the tips to the teacher that are included in each lesson," Smith wrote in an e-mail. "These lessons are very, very short and extremely basic, and it will be interesting to see what directions various teachers take with the material."
She does wish, however, that "more penetrating, thought-provoking questions had been included."
Steve Evans, a Seattle attorney, has a similar feeling about the move.
"It makes me wonder what happened to the prior approach of viewing principles through the eyes of a particular prophet and cultivating a quasi-historical library," says the father of four. "While the prophets we've studied have been great, there are several more I'd like to hear from."
On top of that, Evans doesn't see the revised Gospel Principles manual as "a cure for the problem of boredom, but maybe no manual can cure that."
Church leaders say the Teachings of the Presidents will return in 2012.
________________________________
After a decade of going back to Brigham, back to Joseph and back to Wilford, Mormons are going back to basics.
Starting this month, adult Latter-day Saints will shelve their study of past Mormon prophets and return to fundamentals of their faith as spelled out in a 30-year-old book called Gospel Principles .
Until now, the book largely has been used as a primer for new converts to the 13.5 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The more we reflect on the principles and doctrines, the greater our understanding becomes," Elder Kenneth Johnson of the Seventy, who oversaw the revision of the manual, said in the Ensign , the church's official magazine. "They never grow old, and our understanding of them is increased and enhanced. The truth is not just an intellectual truth, but more of an understanding as the Spirit is present."
The revised edition of Gospel Principles is about 90 percent the same, says Matthew Witten, a business analyst in San Antonio who has compared the two. "The changes are not a big deal."
One intriguing change, Witten says, is that all references to late apostle Bruce R. McConkie's quasi-authoritative book, Mormon Doctrine , have been excised.
"Quotes were updated to reference materials that are more accessible to members of the LDS Church worldwide," church spokeswoman Kim Farah explains. "For example, the series, Teachings of Presidents of the Church , is referenced because it is available in 28 languages, while Mormon Doctrine is only available in a few."
Julie M. Smith, a stay-at-home mom with a degree in biblical studies: "There is a new concern: How does a teacher make a lesson on a very basic topic interesting and relevant to the class?"
"As I began to prepare my first lesson from the Gospel Principles manual, I noticed -- and appreciated -- the tips to the teacher that are included in each lesson," Smith wrote in an e-mail. "These lessons are very, very short and extremely basic, and it will be interesting to see what directions various teachers take with the material."
She does wish, however, that "more penetrating, thought-provoking questions had been included."
Steve Evans, a Seattle attorney, has a similar feeling about the move.
"It makes me wonder what happened to the prior approach of viewing principles through the eyes of a particular prophet and cultivating a quasi-historical library," says the father of four. "While the prophets we've studied have been great, there are several more I'd like to hear from."
On top of that, Evans doesn't see the revised Gospel Principles manual as "a cure for the problem of boredom, but maybe no manual can cure that."
Church leaders say the Teachings of the Presidents will return in 2012.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Mormon Scholars Testify
Mormon Scholars Testify
"This website gives LDS scholars the opportunity to express their views and feelings about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are some who may feel that people of education and learning can't be religious. It is hoped that these testimonies will help dispel that myth, educate, and give insights into the thoughts and feelings of LDS scholars."
Mormon "Rain Man" dies
"Rain Man" Kim Peek dead at 58
Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-32857-Boston-Celebrity-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m12d22-Rain-Man-Kim-Peek-dead-at-58
Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-32857-Boston-Celebrity-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m12d22-Rain-Man-Kim-Peek-dead-at-58
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