Searching for Truth
A couple of weeks ago, as I was pondering the idea of Christ being in the image of His Father (male and female) and pondering a statement made in a class about how women are responsible to bring spirits down from heaven (descension), and men responsible to return them (ascension), I began thinking of alpha > > Read More …
As I lay in bed pondering ordinances and yesterday’s clues, I wondered how I might share these things with my LDS brethren. I thought that a “lesson plan” might be constructed this way. Note: this is purely hypothetical. Write two columns on the board, with 10 rows per column with the title “Miracles.” Ask for > > Read More …
I have heard this quoted so many times. I don’t think I have ever understood it. Using the contrapositive of D&C 84:20-21 we have: if the power of godliness is manifest, then there must have been ordinances and priesthood authority. How does that work? For example, if a young boy exercises faith sufficient to see > > Read More …
I’ve been thinking a great deal lately about what it means to be “willing to take upon [us] the name of Thy Son….” I just don’t get it. Help, please. As I look at the scriptures, “name” is used in a wide variety of contexts. Before diving deeper, it seems reasonable to note the the > > Read More …
During High Priest’s Quorum today we reviewed ordinances. Naturally, we pulled out the Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, Section 20 (see here): Calls the person by his or her full name. States that he is sealing the anointing by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs. Closes in > > Read More …
One of my favorite words is shalom, the meaning of which is very different than the word peace. Even if shalom is substituted for peace in The Testimony of St. John, the surrounding text very much changes the depth and the beauty of a number of Christ’s teachings by narrowing the meaning to a more > > Read More …