King David and the Doctrine of Blood Atonement

OT SS Lesson #24 -- Originally posted at Mormon Matters

The following statement was made by the LDS Church last Wednesday in conjunction with the execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner by firing squad in Utah.  I see this as a misunderstanding or a misrepresentation of what was taught in the past regarding the doctrine.

Click here to read the rest!

Homosociality and the Friendship Between David and Jonathan

OT SS Lesson #23 -- Originally posted at Mormon Matters

The story of David and Jonathan is one of the most inspiring examples of true friendship anywhere.  Our LDS SS manual firmly places this lesson within the mainstream view of Biblical exegesis, presenting the two as strong personal and platonic friends.  As I studied the covenant made between these young men in 1 Samuel 18, I was touched by the loyalty shown by the young Jonathan, because he “loved [David] as his own soul.”  Because of this love, Jonathan relinquishes his hopes for his father’s throne in deference to God’s choice.  In a symbolic and ceremonial gesture, Jonathan strips off his robe, which represents the authorityhe holds to succeed his father, King Saul, and gives it to David.  He also gives David his sword and his bow, representing his military prerogative; and his girdle, which symbolizes spiritual truths and the kingdom of God.

But other writers, beginning with Homer and continuing to the present day, have noted the strong elements of intimacy and eroticism within the relationship.

Click here to read the rest!

You Can't Ride Two Donkeys With One Ass: Saul and Spiritual Rebirth

OT SS Lesson #22 -- Originally posted at Mormon Matters

Ever since I was introduced to the word “liminal,” I have claimed it as my own. This word describes a threshold or a transitional position — a balancing point between two states of being. For many years I have felt poised on the threshold between two totally different ways of viewing the world. One is scientific and rational. The other is a place where angels materialize and shake your hand, where dreams have meaning, where God’s words come out of men’s mouths when they lay their hands on your head. Many members of the Church seem easily able to slip between both of these worlds. But I see a fundamental difference between the two world views. In the naturalistic view of the universe, events do not violate natural laws and are subject to the principles of empirical investigation. In the mystical view, divine intervention is possible outside of natural law.

Striving to make sense of my world has been like trying to ride two donkeys with one ass.

Click here to read the rest!

Patriarchal Hierarchy and the Kingship Model

OT SS Lesson #21 -- Originally posted at Mormon Matters

When we lived in Saudi Arabia a few years ago, I obtained a faculty position in the fairly newly-formed department of Health and P.E. at a university which was strictly segregated by gender.  The women’s side of the university operated independently, with our own female custodians, technical staff, professors and administration,  and very little oversight from the male president.  Our department consisted of five women, and we made all decisions collectively, with no titular head.  After the first semester I was there, one of our staff meetings was dedicated to the question of whether we should have a department head.  Being the newest addition to the faculty, I had little say in this decision, but I did bring up the point that we had successfully administrated the department jointly, and I questioned the necessity of one department head.  It would completely change the group dynamics that we had experienced as a body of women removed from a patriarchal hierarchy and which I very much enjoyed.  The reply from all of the rest of the women, though there had been no problems thus far, was that “you HAVE to have a leader,” that one person MUST be in charge of any organization.

At the time I was struck by how much this assertion resembled the one I have heard from many Mormons justifying the hierarchical, patriarchal system in place in the Church, both within the institution and within our individual families.

Click here to read the rest!

A Closer Look at that Virtuous Woman

OT SS Lesson #20 -- Originally posted at Mormon Matters

Sometimes I wonder how women in the Judeo-Christian tradition got stuck with the gender role identifications they have. The Old Testament doesn’t include many detailed descriptions of women, but when they do appear, they are not what you’d think. To prove my point, I’m going to investigate two women featured in this week’s Sunday School lesson, plus Deborah the judge/prophetess, and the ubiquitous “virtuous woman” of Proverbs 37.

Click here to read the rest!

Brothers: Tarot Randomizer #4

It was rather a synchronicity that the Tarot card picked for today's group creativity experiment was "The Devil." Last night my daughters and I attended a play at the Covey Center for the Arts, "Brothers," about the human side of two famous siblings, Lucifer and Jesus.  I'm planning on reviewing the play for the Mormon Matters readers, but for now I did a quick sketch to put up for our group.  I'm always lamenting my lack of artistic ability, but in this one I was trying to capture the moment in LDS doctrinal tradition where God the Father presents the plan of salvation to his children in the premortal existence.  Satan's face is supposed to represent his disdain for the plan, his inner thoughts that he can come up with a better one, and a bit of sadness foreshadowing his eventual downfall.  Jesus' face came out more beatific than I really intended, but I had difficulty capturing the feeling I wanted to express, of complete acceptance and excitement to put the plan in action.

L'Ermita Aki: Tarot Randomizer #2

Today's Tarot creativity project  -- The Hermit: which has the key words of introspection, searching, guidance, and solitude.  The card that was drawn for today also had the Kanji character "aki" meaning "autumn."  I used a picture from a photo shoot my daughters and I did yesterday, and we had some fun with photoshop.  Even though this was a spring St. Patrick's Day shoot of my daughter, I like how we came up with an autumn-like feel here.

PS Gigi: the name of the card is no reflection on your social standing!

  

inspired by the Hermit card from the Manga Tarot deck: 

Knight of Swords Tarot Randomizer #1

There's something about a Utah sky--
Overarching canyons and clouds,
Framing mountains and mornings--
That clears the confusion in sinus-blocked nostrils
A breath of freshness
To the unbalanced wanderer.

There's something about a Utah day--
Manifesting seedlings and springtime,
Teasing flowers with flurries--
That promises newness, fresh starts, and cleansing
Purging the old and ungainly
In the jaded heart.

There's something about a Utah ward--
Bustling with baby blessings and boundaries,
Tangling holiness and hypocrisy--
That slices the errant knight to the heart
Focusing sword-bright censure
Upon the unanchored soul.

This post a response to John R's Tarot Randomizer group creativity experiment, and a reaction to my visit to the Salt Lake/Provo area, where I am visiting for a couple of weeks.

Jacob's Ladder: More on Faith vs. Works

OT SS Lesson #10 -- originally posted at Mormon Matters

Though it’s only an “additional teaching idea” in Lesson 12, Jacob’s ladder has captured my imagination due to some conversations I’ve recently had with Christian evangelicals.

Click here to read the rest!

Putting an Edge on Abraham

OT SS Lesson #9 -- originally posted at Mormon Matters

This story is so very, very familiar to us that I think it’s important to look at it with a fresh perspective.  So in this post I am including some pieces from media and the arts that force us to think about Genesis 22.  I promise you in advance that some of these might be disturbing to you.  Probably you will disagree with the portrayal of Abraham’s sacrifice in at least one, if not all, of these pieces.  I hope you will share your reactions in the comments.

Click here to read the rest!

Where the Lord Annihilates all the Gays

OT SS Lesson #8 -- originally posted on Mormon Matters

“The Genesis passage is very clear, that the sin of Sodom that brought on the destruction of the city was indeed linked to homosexuality.” (R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Seminary)

“Saying that the last recorded acts of the Sodomites — the demands for same-gender sex — are proof that they were destroyed for homosexuality is like saying that a condemned man cursing his guards on the way to his execution is being executed for cursing the guards. Sodom was judged worthy of destruction before the incident with Lot and the angels.” (Inge Anderson, “Sins of Sodom“)

One of the prominent themes in this week’s Sunday School lesson is the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But in Christian thought there has been some controversy over how closely the story should be linked to homosexuality, as the quotes above indicate. There are several points that are up for grabs, and I’m not sure either side has a complete understanding yet. Read on, and let me know what you think!

Click here to read the rest!

Sod, Seed, Salvation: Abrahamic Covenant and the Claim to Palestine

OT SS Lesson #7 -- Originally posted at Mormon Matters

Sod, seed, and salvation — it’s how I like to describe the Abrahamic Covenant. There were three promises in the covenant. The first was a land promise, where the Lord gave Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. The second was the promise of a great and numerous posterity. And the third was the blessing of the everlasting Gospel: the priesthood and the promise of exaltation, to come to the world through Abraham’s lineage. (see Genesis 17)  But just look at how often the covenant was renewed!

Click here to read the rest!

Joseph Smith Didn't Believe in Watchers

OT SS Lesson #6 -- Originally posted at Mormon Matters

Hidden in our scripture reading for this week is a strange little passage which many modern Biblical scholars say was originally intended to explain the rise of the giant race of antiquity by the union of angelic beings with human wives.  These verses in Genesis stirred a lively debate among early Christian theologians as they struggled to explain why God felt it necessary to cleanse the Earth with a worldwide Flood.  It all starts with this odd passage inserted in the account before Noah built his vessel, the great ark.

Click here to read the rest!

From Patriarchy to Eternity

Originally posted at Mormon Matters

I am going to put this as simply as possible, and let’s start with a definition.  Patriarchy is a social system in which the father or eldest male is head of the household, having authority over women and children. Patriarchy also refers to a system of government by males, and to the dominance of men in social or cultural systems.  I know that this is a true definition, having found it on Wikipedia. However, if you disagree, scroll down and I will include definitions from as many dictionaries as I can google.  Patriarchy by its very definition is not compatible with equality.

Click here to read the rest!

Female Priesthood and The Black Widow Spider

Over at BCC today implications of the Fall were vigorously debated on Mark Brown's post Women, Men, and the Fall.  Mark invited readers to consider a quote by Elder Packer extolling the superior divine attributes of woman and whether her natural virtue mitigates the effects of fall and her proclivity to sin.

Click here to read the rest!

Virgins and White Raisins

Those of us who have studied ancient Middle Eastern languages know how difficult it is to arrive at an exact translation of ancient texts.  There are several words in the Hebrew Bible which are used only once and which have no modern counterpart.  Even after making such efforts as comparing them to Akkadian, or examining numerical clues, they remain a puzzle.

Click here to read the rest!

A Short Stay in Hell

Can you imagine a worse hell for a Mormon than to wake up on the Other Side and to realize we were wrong about EVERYTHING? No three degrees of glory, no families are forever, no anthropomorphic God--not even an outer darkness as we picture it. That's what happens in Steven L. Peck's provocative, self-published novella, A Short Stay in Hell.

Click here to read the rest!

Why I Want to Live the United Order

OT SS Lesson #5 -- Originally posted at Mormon Matters

I have often thought that had I not joined the Church at age 19 I would have liked to have joined a kibbutz in Israel, or to have lived on “the Farm” in Tennessee (back when it was more hippie-like), or at least to have been a part of an intentional community. As I began investigating the LDS Church, and in particular reading the passages in Moses under consideration in our Sunday School Lesson #5, I was drawn to the strong emphasis on cooperative community which began under the direction of Joseph Smith and continued in Utah under Brigham Young and survived even to the present day.  I expected to be instructed in the principles of consecration and called upon to live them more and more as the “latter day” rolled on.

Thirty years later, I’ve been disappointed.

Click here to read the rest!

If I Weren't Being Sabotaged Daily

There are days (like today) when the burning question on my mind is what I would do if I didn't have children and a husband who bring home donuts and garlic bread slathered with butter or have birthdays and beg for Oreo-cookie-ice-cream-cakes from Dairy Queen.

Click here to read the rest!

Adam and Eve in Modern Art

While looking for a piece of art to illustrate my post on Mormon Matters about the figurative nature of Adam and Eve, I discovered several modern paintings which impressed me, and I thought I'd share.

The first piece is the one I included on my post. I chose this because it went along so well with my emphasis on symbolism and my postulation that the allegorical elements of the Adam and Eve story are veiled in Mormonism, perhaps because of our emphasis on a literal, physical Adam and Eve.

Click here to read the rest!

Adam and Eve as UFOs (Unidentified Figurative Objects)

OT SS Lesson #4 -- originally posted at Mormon Matters

Although our SS lesson for this week presents Adam and Eve as two literal, physical characters, the temple ceremony hints that we can benefit by viewing their story as figurative. I am often dismayed that symbolism, while given lip service, is so little understood in LDS circles. Since the majority of Mormons believe in a literal Adam who will return to the earth in his physical resurrected body and fulfill a major role at Adam-ondi-ahman, there is little reason to investigate the allegorical aspects of the Adam and Eve story. Thus, they have become “unidentified figurative objects” whose symbolic impact is veiled.

Click here to read the rest!

Happy Birthday from your Biggest Fan!!

Click here to read the rest!

The Creation Accounts -- Unharmonized

OT SS Lesson #3 -- originally posted at Mormon Matters

Several years ago I did a study of Joseph Smith’s different accounts of the First Vision. It was fascinating to see how the accounts changed over time and according to his audience. I reflected that I had told my own conversion story many different ways and with different emphases over the years. It was reasonable to me that Joseph would make different points when he recounted his vision to a Jew than to a Christian minister. And it seemed natural that his story would change over time, as he gained life experience and greater depth of knowledge on the nature of God and man. I thus determined that the best use I could make of the accounts was to take each on its own merits and embrace the idiosyncrasies, rather than to try to harmonize them.

I think the same is true of the many scriptural accounts we have of the Creation. It is not always evident from our lesson materials that we have so many scriptural and authorized accounts, because the goal seems to be to present one harmonized depiction. But what can we learn by looking at all of them separately?

Click here to read the rest!

Everything You Need is in the Manual

A Church News article published this weekend instructs Church teachers to stick to official sources in preparing their lessons. "Everything you need — and more — is in your manual," it proclaims. This type of emphasis concerns me greatly.

Click here to read the rest!

Chosen or Posin' ? Abraham, Buffy, and Other Choice Spirits

OT SS Lesson #2 -- originally posted at Mormon Matters

This was an interesting lesson to read after last year's brou-ha-ha over an alleged "generals in the war in heaven" quote. On the 25th of February 2008, the Church issued an official statement from the Office of the First Presidency to all General Authorities, Area Seventies, Stake Presidents, Mission Presidents, District Presidents, Temple Presidents, Bishops and Branch Presidents which read:

A statement has been circulated that asserts in part that the youth of the Church today “were generals in the war in heaven . . . and someone will ask you, ‘Which of the prophet’s time did you live in?’ and when you say ‘Gordon B. Hinckley’ a hush will fall, . . . and all in attendance will bow at your presence. [You were held back six thousand years because you were the most talented, most obedient, most courageous, and most righteous.]”*

This is a false statement. It is not Church doctrine. At various times, this statement has been attributed erroneously to President Thomas S. Monson, President Henry B. Eyring, President Boyd K. Packer, and others. None of these Brethren made this statement. Stake presidents and bishops should see that it is not used in Church talks, classes, bulletins, or newsletters. Priesthood leaders should correct anyone who attempts to perpetuate its use by any means, in accordance with “Statements Attributed to Church Leaders,” Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1 (2006), 173.

Although this is not Church doctrine, I don't see much which distinguishes it from the following quotation in our approved Sunday School Lesson #2:

Click here to read the rest!