Reader's Guide

Introduction

This page introduces new readers to mostmovedmover.com and provides a smoother navigation through the posts for those that come back each week. This page will be updated often and can be found at Post Navigation. For those that use ‘RSS’ to get updates the Subscribe link has the appropriate file.

  • About me - A brief introduction about how mostmovedmover.com came to be.
  • Who is the ‘Most Moved Mover’? - This post provides a brief history of the phrase ‘Most Moved Mover’ and some context about how this topic has not been pondered in the context of omniscience and agency.
  • Booklist - A list of books referenced on most

Topics

Latter-Day testimonies of openness (LDS voices)

These posts reference Latter-Day Saint voices that reference the concepts associated with God having a contingent future.

Ponderings on the attributes and qualities of God (His Attributes)

  • Does God exercise faith? - We discuss the faith of God and how this attribute provides an understanding of his other attributes. We see how faith requires a future and how God’s faith and man’s faith are of the same essence.
  • Does God have faith (Romans 3:3)? - In Romans 3:3, we encounter a bold statement from Paul about God. He says, ‘For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?' Paul’s question forces all readers of the bible to ask, ‘What is the faith of God?’ I share quotes on faith from LDS thinkers and pull many of the quotes together to describe The faith of God.
  • Does God live within time? - This post will clearly show that God lives within a sequenced time and that he is not beyond time (though his time is different from ours).
  • What is the foreknowledge of God? - This post highlights how the LDS belief of a pre-mortal existence helps frame our understanding of the phrases foreknowledge and foreordain. It also attempts to provide LDS members a context to hear these two phrases without forcing them to imply that they are related to God knowing the fixed future.
  • Does foreknowledge mean we are all on a God-fixed path? - This post provides my first space to discuss foreknowledge. I highlight some quotes from John Sanders in “Does God have a Future?" and chapter 3 of “Jesus the Christ” by James E. Talmage.
  • Can we enjoy something God cannot enjoy? - God of the possible by Gregory Boyd helped me ponder the phrase in D&C 130:2 that says, “that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there." I also include related quotes from Brigham Young.
  • How might we describe God’s attribute of meekness? - At times we discuss attributes that we must have to progress in the kingdom of God, but we limit the conversation to us and forget that God also holds the fullness of those attributes. I will review scripture and latter-day prophet’s words on meekness to see if we can understand God’s meekness.
  • How does God’s attribute of meekness explain His relationship with us? - In my previous post I asked, ‘How might we describe God’s attribute of meekness?' I have pulled a few lines from that post to help highlight how His quality of meekness could explain our interaction with Him.
  • The varied views of Foreknowledge under Omniscience - In ‘The God Who Risks: A Theology of Providence’ by John Sanders he discusses Risk and the Divine Character in chapter 6. In this chapter, he discusses the varied views of Omniscience (6.5). As I have had discussions with friends, I have heard many of these views explained (without being given a name). This post allows me to share John Sander’s explanations and their names.
  • Can God be satisfied? - Do we believe that we can feel satisfied? Or do we all wonder as did the Apostles of old in saying, ‘From whence can a man satisfy these men … here in the wilderness? In Proverbs 13:25 we are told, ‘The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.' We often struggle to find satisfaction when so many immediate needs pull us into envy and might appropriately classify us as having the belly of the wicked. However, we can learn to find satisfaction in Christ, and as Christ did.
  • The material God of the Latter-day Saints and the birth of Christ - Much of Christianity recognizes the physicality and mortality of Christ. However, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stands apart from traditional Christianity in proclaiming that Christ’s mortality and then immortality through resurrection was progression in God’s plan.
  • Lectures on Faith: Lecture Fourth on the Knowledge of God - I have written posts that included references to the Lectures on Faith in the past. I used those previous posts to discuss the attribute of the faith of God directly. This post discusses the attribute of the knowledge of God and how the Lectures describe His knowledge. We should carefully recognize what the Lectures on Faith explain about the knowledge of God to see what knowledge of God we must understand for our faith to grow.
  • Does God have tacit knowledge (John 5:19)? - John 5 provides a narrative of a conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leadership on Sabbath day activities. It is interesting that Jesus does not attempt to quote scripture to justify his behavior. Neither, does he build a strong logical argument using jointly believed assumptions.
  • The physicalness of God - Last December, N.T. Wright wrote a short essay titled, ‘The New Testament Doesn’t Say What Most People Think It Does About Heaven’. While N.T. Wright doesn’t explicitly state that God has a physical body; I hear one of Christianity’s greatest modern theologians asking us to accept as our definition of God the reality of Jesus. All of Jesus is the starting point. His emotions, His sacrifice, His love, His body, and His position with us in time.
  • Does God live in Greek time? (Experiencing time as growth) - The focus of openness theology is on Man’s relationship with God. Upon pondering a relationship with God, time is one of the first concepts that throws Christians into a mental tailspin. We can pull out of this death spiral. However, to untangle God and time we have to understand Eastern and Western views of time.
  • Is God jealous? - The Old Testament has multiple verses that tell us that God is a jealous God. The phrase ‘jealous God’ often provokes the wrong image in my mind. We examine the words of Zenos, Paul, Zechariah’s angel, and Cynthia Erivo to understand the jealous God of love.
  • Is God Omniscient? - Omniscience is not used in the Bible or Latter-day scripture. This leaves humanity guessing as to whether God agrees with the word He has never used in His revelations. All Christian religions have taken the concept into their vocabulary; However, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has done little to dogmatize the definition of omniscience. Let’s look at the history of omniscience and how various Christian denominations define it.
  • Defining the Omnis in LDS Theology - In this post, you will see how the LDS community caveats the Omnis and react to how those caveats are justified in comparison to the views of Calvanism and Arminianism. The theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appears to be much more aligned with the Arminian view, but we have some Calvinistic strains.
  • If God is not timeless, then what is the eternal ‘now’? - This post pulls together references to many other posts to provide my most detailed explanation of latter-day scriptures’ view on God and time to provide a time-based view of the eternal ‘now’.
  • Careful, God’s ways are not our ways - Lately, I try to take quotes from our general authorities and theologians on descriptions of attributes and principles we should have and put them into questions about God. My posts “Does God have faith (Romans 3:3)?” and “Does God exercise faith?” are two examples of this idea. Understanding that our experience on earth does not represent the plan’s culmination, we are, nonetheless, God’s children here to learn of Him and how to act and be like Him.

Wisdom

  • What is wisdom? - Definitions of wisdom are provided from Robert J. Sternberg’s book titled, ‘Wisdom: Its nature, origins, and development’ as a response to Jacob’s adminition in Jacob 6:12 to be wise. - The scale from foolish to wise (1 Corinthians 1:25) - Paul tells us that foolish and wise are the same things just different positions on the scale of wisdom. We would put wisdom as the great attribute at the top of the scale and foolishness as the worst form of wisdom at the bottom of the scale. This post covers some understanding of wisdom and foolishnes based on my reading of ‘Why smart people can be so stupid’.
  • God, Wisdom, and the Chess Metaphor - The chess metaphor falls short in explaining the plan of salvation that God has for His kingdom. Still, it is an excellent metaphor for understanding the relationship between God’s wisdom, power, and knowledge as they relate to the agency of each of his children.
  • For a wise purpose in Him (1 Nephi 9:5) - Latter-day scripture has a curious phrase about wisdom that pops up quite often. It is the use of the words, ‘for a wise purpose’ about God working with a prophet on a current decision that affects the future. I want to ponder the phrase and its surrounding text to help us understand the wisdom of God.
  • Does God have wisdom? - I believe all would answer yes. This points finalizes my attempt and defining the attribute of wisdom in God.
  • Examples of wisdom and knowledge in practice and message - This post focuses on President Eyring’s talk titled, ‘He Goes before Us. However, the broader conversation is around how western culture has mixed up wisdom and knowledge to the point that we rarely differentiate the two words.

Scriptural testimonies of openness (scripture commentary)

  • What are the Omniscience of God references in the LDS Topical Guide? - This post reviews each of the scripture references under omniscience in the topical guide. We also look at some great quotes by Gregory Boyd.

  • How does Moses 7 frame God’s knowledge of the future? - When pondering the concepts associated with an openness view of God Moses 7 and 1 Nephi 13 are often brought up as scriptures that show God has fixed future omniscience. This post uses Moses 7 to highlight how the full chapter provides a rich understanding of the balance between omniscience, wisdom, prayer, faith, love, and agency.

  • Is time only measured unto men (Alma 40:8)? - I tackle the incorrect interpretation of Alma 40:8 on the subject of the timelessness of God. It says, ‘Now whether there is more than one time appointed for men to rise it mattereth not; for all do not die at once, and this mattereth not; all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men.’

  • The Lord knoweth all things which are to come (Words of Mormon 1:7) - In this post, I explain how the phrase “all things” is conditioned by the phrase “which are to come”.

  • Pondering Past, Present, and Future continually before the Lord (D&C 130:7) - In this post, I provide an openness viewpoint on Joseph’s statement that past, present, and future are ‘continually before the Lord’ or ‘one eternal now.’

  • Time is no longer? (D&C 84:100, D&C 88:110, Revelation 10:6) - So that we have no more delay, there shall be time no longer for this post.

  • Truth: knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come. (D&C 93:24 & Jacob 4:13) - I have been pondering why God and His prophets have used this phrasing of truth encompassing knowledge, or things, that are located in different ‘times.’ Why not just say that truth is eternal or truth never changes? Why do they use this phrasing that places truth into three distinct spheres - the past, present, and future?

  • What is the agency of Man (D&C 93:30-32)? - These verses have always fascinated me with their direct statements of fact, but semi-confusing assumed relationships between those facts. I have pondered many questions around these verses. This post examines some of my questions around these verses. I see these verses teaching about the type of agency that was given us at our spirt birth. This agency centers on the choice to enter a loving relationship with God the Father. We were given relational agency.

  • Is truth similar to intelligence in that it can act for itself and change?(D&C 93:30) - Here we examine the idea that truth can progress and change within time. We connect D&C 93:24 with D&C 93:30 to provide an alternate view to what is traditionaly understood by D&C 93:24.

  • Truth becomes more but has always been so - Two posts ago, I talked about truth progressing where I put forth the idea that truth changes in time. I want to take a little more time on this topic and make sure it is clear truth exists and that it is not relative. However, it is relational with us in time, and we must all work together to progress into greater truth. When I hear President Nelson say that “We’re witnesses to a process of restoration”, I think I hear progress into greater truth.

  • True and Living (D&C 1:30) - In Doctrine and Covenants 1:30 the Lord says through Joseph Smith that this Church is ‘the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.' I have always read the phrase ‘true and living church’ as a two-part description of our church. In this post, I want to ponder if this phrase is proposing that the only true things are those that are living.

  • The Lord Does the Future (1 Nephi 9:6) - As I have studied specific verses around God’s knowledge, I don’t see fixed future omniscience coming from the scripture. 1 Nephi 7:12-13 and 1 Nephi 9:5-6 are two scriptures blocks that might confirm fixed future omniscience at first read. However, Nephi speaks without an imposed Aristotelian lense where we see him persuading his brothers to trust in God because of His power to control the future without the invocation of God’s omniscience into the future.

  • Understanding the ‘End from the Beginning’ (Abraham 2:8) - I have heard Abraham 2:8 often used as a description of the timelessness of God. However, that phrase does not need to imply anything about timelessness. I will use Deiter F. Uchtdorf’s See the End from the Beginning April 2006 conference talk and Russell M. Nelson’s Begin with the End in Mind to provide two beautiful examples of how we can understand the use of of this phrase for God and us.

  • It’s about time (Abraham 3 and D&C 130) - Those that have followed my post will know that I have referenced D&C 130 multiple times. In this post, I connect Abraham 3 and spend more time on versus 7-11 of D&C 130 to highlight some misperceptions about God’s time. I also discuss how relationships in time is how He and we can find eternal love in our grandest of familial relationships.

  • Our choice to love (Mathew 15:1-13) - During our family scripture study we read 2 Nephi 26:23-28 and found a series of great questions about our relationship with the Lord. My wife then asked about the seemingly contradictory verse in Mathew 25:12 where the Lord says to the five virgins requesting that the door be opened in the parable of the ten virgins, ‘Verily I say unto you, I know you not.' We then discussed how we could get this verse to align with those verses in 2 Nephi.

  • Was Nephi’s truth pragmatic (1 Nephi 4:10-18)? - We examine the concepts around pragmatic truth using Nephi’s killing of laban to tell the story.

  • Has God known the hour and day of the day of the second coming from all eternity (Matthew 24:36)? - Matthew 24:36 is an excellent example of how God’s, man’s, and His people’s agency all interact. I see this verse explaining that God’s children create the times and the seasons. We have the agency to bring the times of the second coming to fruition. While we have the agency and power to work with Him to create those conditions, we do not have the agency to bring Christ back to earth. God’s agency dictates this moment.

  • God knows the future; he knew Joseph’s name 1000’s of years before he was born (2 Nephi 3) - In 2 Nephi 3, Lehi shares with his son Joseph a fascinating revelation that Joseph of Egypt saw the Nephite day over a thousand years in the future as well as Joseph Smith’s day over 2000 years farther into the future. It is an excellent example to push us to think about God’s knowledge of the future and how He could know Joseph Smith’s name if His children made free choices from Joseph of Egypt’s day (1700 BC) to 1830 New England times.

  • Does God change his mind (Numbers 23:19 & 1 Samuel 15:29)? - We examine the scriptural phrase, God is ‘not a human being, that he should change his mind,' and examine these two references in context of Moses’ petitions with the children of Israel.

  • Is there time in the Celestial Kingdom (Abraham Figure 1)? - Joseph Smith’s translation of Fascimile 2 in the Book of Abraham provides a few detailed insights into this question. We see a prevailing assumption throughout that the Celestial Kingdom resides in time and tandem with D&C 130 that God lives in time. Both scripture verses don’t even question that God lives outside of time. There is simply a description of the time and how time changes based on how close we are to God and His Celestial Kingdom.

  • God gave us the power to get anything we desire (Alma 29:4-5)? - These verses say that God provides according to our desires. It doesn’t matter whether those desires are death, evil, remorse or life, good, and joy. He grants our wishes! How do we reconcile Alma 29:4-5 with the ‘which is right’ caveat Christ includes in 3 Nephi 18:20?

  • Does openness theology teach Korihor’s philosophy that ‘no man can know of anything which is to come’ (Alma 30:13)? - Korihor was one of three named teachers of religions against Christ in the Book of Mormon. He was the only one specifically called an Anti-Christ in Alma 30:6 and 12. His primary argument for there being no Christ was that we could not know the future. Do Openness Theologians hold to the same belief?

  • Remixing the jealous God verses - I admit that my views on jealousy may be more visually impeeding than others that read verses with the phrase, ‘jealous God’. When I hear the word ‘jealous’, I instantly see an abusive boyfriend in a wife-beater representing nothing of quality about love. Clearly, the term does not have to mean this when referencing God; But, I decided to remix the scripture verses that reference a jealous God with the definitions of jealous and zeal.

  • Is God without beginning of days or end of years (Alma 13:7-9)? - Alma 13:7-9 includes multiple statements about God’s existence concerning beginnings and ends. The verses include references to his foreknowledge and Priesthood’s reality. In my previous post, I discussed Kathleen Flakes response to understanding no beginnings and no ends. This post looks at all of the verses with this reference and LDS commentary around this phrase.

  • Does God want us to stumble (Jacob 4:14)? - As you read all commentary in General Conference about Jacob 4:14, you will notice that they focus on our part of the relationship with God - our role and how we have ‘looked beyond the mark’ in rejecting the Christ. Jacob 4:14 provides details on God’s part in the relationship that causes our ‘stumbling’, which offers insight about God’s work with each of us. It helps us understand ‘stumbling’ within the complexity of partners in a relationship.

  • Is faith knowledge of unlikely yet actual possible outcomes? Is faith probability? (Alma 32:21) - There are a few of us that would believe outlandish lies. People have differing beliefs on Big Foot’s reality, whether we landed on the moon, or if COVID-19 is a health pandemic. What makes the belief of those concepts different from believing in God the Father? The fascinating relationship between all of these beliefs is humanity’s inability to comprehend rare occurrences. What we often refer to as possible outcomes instead of probable outcomes is hard to imagine. Because events are not probable does not make them a fairy tale or a hoax.

  • What was the first sin of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3)? - In our conversations of Adam and Eve, we often see the first sin as the partaking of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. However, if we believe in a fortunate fall, then partaking of the fruit was the progression that God desired, not something in opposition to Him. When we look at the next few acts of Adam and Eve after they partook, we see a few actions with a consistent pattern. They planned their lives in mortality outside of a relationship with God; they planned their life in connection to the flesh and Satan.

  • Did Moroni think that time would end (Moroni 7:36)? -
    In Moroni 7:33-37, Mormon speaks on the power of faith. The middle two verses are full of questions to push us to ponder the reaches of God’s omnipotence and the power that comes from having faith in Him. Mormon’s final question includes, ‘Or will he, so long as time shall last?' about God. Did Mormon think that time had an end?

  • One eternal round and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - One unique phrase that Joseph Smith brings into The Church’s vocabulary is ‘one eternal round.' He translates that English phrase three times in The Book of Mormon and uses it in two revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants. At the end of Joseph’s life, he brings the phrase front and center in one of his final sermons titled, 'The King Follet Sermon.' I have heard this phrase misused to imply that God is timeless and thought it would be worth referencing here to provide the correct context.

  • A Bounding God (D&C 82:10) - I argue for an interpretation of bound that does not have a slave/master connotation. It might imply the defenition of bound where one leaps forward. It could read, ‘I, the Lord, [move forward by leaps with thee] when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye [don’t get the same bounding growth].'

  • What is the wind of God (Acts 2)? - If you look, the blessing of wind is scattered throughout the scriptures. However, wind is also used to identify cursings and the influence of Satan. I see the wind as a fascinating metaphor used by God to represent covenants.

Ponderings on principles impacted by openness beliefs (Openness principles)

  • Is prophecy conditional or set in stone? - This post pulls the highlights from an article by Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr titled, ‘Historical Contingencies and Biblical Predictions’ that had some insightful ideas about prophets and prophecies.

  • Inspiration, Revelation, and God’s Will: Temples and Gordon B. Hinckley - This post provides a background context to President Hinckley 1997 revelation about small temples. In this post, I share a conception of how revelation works in concert with agency.

  • Should we try to understand God? - I share some thoughts on the struggle to understand God’s attributes build on great quotes from BH Roberts, Patrick Mason, Andrew Skinner, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Henry Drummond.

  • How shall we be made free? - I discuss how understanding sin in the context of our relationship with Christ as compared to an accumulation of misdeeds helps us understand that God is more than the perfect exam maker. He is the relational God that wants us to navigate life in the light of grace with Him.

  • Are sins just another possession? - I build on the previous post by using the parable of the rich fool to show how we can think about sin, obedience, and repentance as a creative process instead of an amassing process.

  • How do we discern the signal from the noise? - I have heard a few people interpret the quote from Wilford Woodruff about leading the Church astray as an implicit statement that the prophet is infallible in his prophetic utterances. However, that interpretation cannot be accurate in the prophetic context, the experience of Wilford Woodruff, and my life experience. I would like discern the signal from the noise with respect to this quote.

  • Oh say, What is truth? - The challenge of this post is to describe what it means to walk the path of truth following the true guide. I want to push us beyond thinking about truth as sets of logical true/false statements.

  • The wisdom in truth - This post builds on the Oh say, What is truth? post and attempts to connect wisdom as a part of truth.

  • What do I lament? - I read A Mathematician’s Lament. In this post, I am going to tweak his quotes to put a religious spin on them. Think of it like a remix or an evolution of a concept, not a serial reproduction.

  • If a tree falls in the wilderness, does anyone hear it (understanding realtional truth)? - In June 1883 The Chautauquan magazine asked, “If a tree were to fall on an island where there were no human beings, would there be any sound?” In this post, I have a similar question, “If nobody understands the truth, is it still a truth?” I will use President Nelson’s devotional at BYU-I to explain relational truths.

  • Understanding the Rhythm of ‘one eternal now’ - I present Wendy Ulrich’s concept of God living in an ‘eternal now where time is cyclical and rythmic’ and relate it to Elder Uchtdorf’s message to the youth titled “Your Adventure through Mortality” to provide an understanding of Joseph Smith’s use of the phrase, ‘the past, the present, and the future were and are, with Him, one eternal “now;"'

  • Yes, but He provides visions of the future… - Some friends that engage me on the concept of a contingent future often find the idea persuasive enough to ponder its impacts on scripture. Usually, they ask a question like “What about the prophecy of the civil war starting in North Carolina by Joseph Smith?” In this post I provide the Instant Pot analogy and the Arrival movie example as two views to explain God’s revelations of the future to His prophets that don’t don’t require a ‘fixed future omniscience.’

  • Does God need me for His plan to work? - Years ago, one of my leaders often said, ‘God doesn’t need us’ when discussing our relevance in God’s plan. This post examines relevant scriptures that explain how our faith and love interact with God. God doesn’t need me, but He does need ‘we’.

  • What is contained in all of God’s reality? - A video and transcript of Greg Boyd’s answer to ‘Does God know what we will decide?'

  • Determinism isn’t the answer - Some Latter-day Saints (and many others) believe that the future is entirely predictable if one just knew the current state right now. This concept is called causal determinism and, if too intently followed, creates ideas like fixed-future omniscience, predestination, and antagonism towards free-will or Agency. We examine the problems with causal determnism.

  • Does God allow pandemics to teach us Wisdom (President Nelson on Pandemics)? -
    In the October 1992 General Conference, then Elder Russel M. Nelson shared a message titled, Where is wisdom? that touched on pandemics and social liberties. His 1992 message with his #GiveThanks YouTube message helps us understand President Nelson’s views on pandemics, civil liberties, masks, and Wisdom.

  • Does God have a purpose for sin? - Helping place Latter-day Saint thought in the debate between Arminianism and Calvinism.

Prayer

  • Is prayer just for us to get cosmically in line with God’s only path (A response to More Purpose in Prayer by Tyler Griffin)? - The Bible Dictionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides a definition of prayer that has a unique phrasing. It says, ‘Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other.' I discuss the interpretation of this phrase and use Tyler Griffin’s interpretation in the discussion.

  • Is there a science to answered prayers? - I think there is a proper way to pray with God. I present some key concepts around prayer under an openness model.

  • Is prayer a test or a relationship? - Prayer as a relationship where our petitions move God to answer abounds in the scripture. This post highlights how our prayers move God and how the path of truth is built through prayer as we combine with our Father to decide the future.

  • The importuning Joseph, the lost pages, and relational theology (D&C 3:1-2, D&C 10:1-3) - In this post we examine Joseph’s importuning prayer with Martin Harris. Joseph’s prayers and the subsequent revelations seem to state that God eventually said, ‘yes.’ However, He did not want to say, ‘yes.’ How does this work? Why didn’t God just say, ‘no’ one more time? Can we importune God into a ‘yes’ when God wants it to be a ‘no?’ Can we change the will of God?

  • Relational Agency: Joshua, the Gibeonites, and the Lord - The story of Isreal’s relationship with the Gibeonites is an excellent example of relational theology. In this story, we see God call Joshua, command Joshua, then support Joshua in his calling. It is a fascinating story of how God works with His people in a mutual relationship of trusting decision making.

  • The healing of Pheobe Woodruff - A direct quote from President Wilford Woodruff’s journal about prayer, healing, faith, and heaven.

  • Solving problems with God (Chosen: your faith is beautiful) - The scene starts with Jesus sharing the parable of the importuning widow found in Luke 18 then it builds to the moment where two different characters make a petition of Jesus as we see the story of the healing of the paralytic man in Luke 5. The contrast of these three examples of petitioning God provides excellent insight into how we should petition Him.

Posts that are not completed or more general (general)

  • Is Jesus real? - A short message about Christ on Easter. It includes the 2015 Easter video published the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
  • Can randomness be part of God’s plan? - This post builds on topics around randomness and the plan of salvation. It is not complete and will change as I develop my thoughts.
  • Does God have a future? - In this post, we look at a few references from the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) as we evaluate some quotes from John Sanders about openness theology.
  • Don’t dogmatize culture - In this post, I use the cultural teaching of ‘having our own planets’ to exemplify the problem with cultural dogmatism. Sometimes the question is asked, ‘Do LDS believe that they will have their own planets in heaven?’
  • What do we know? Not as much as we often think. - President Dallin H. Oaks shared his general conference talk about what we know of our life after death. I share some quotes from his message and Brent L. Topps message that he quotes.
  • My book list (if anyone cares) - A post sharing the list of books that I have read and cited during the last ten months of this blog. I also highlight a few of my favorites.
  • Are we boring believers to death? - According to Terryl Givens and Patrick Mason we are facing a challenge in the church with dull material from our teachers. I share some of their quotes and ponder a path forward in our ward teaching.
  • The exponential growth of temples in the latter days - During the Sunday morning session of the general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I heard Elder David A. Bednar talk about the growth of temples during the lifetime of President Russel M. Nelson. It gave me an idea to plot an exponential growth that would bring joy to the LDS faithful. I am amazed at exponential growth and its implications.
  • An evening with Elder Bednar (Seminaries and Institutes Employee Fireside) - Each year the Seminary and Institute teachers of the Church Education System for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (wow that is a mouthful which we will call CES-SI) hosts a night with a general authority. Elder Bednar didn’t follow the traditional speaker protocol. He held more of a town hall meeting with a small set of employees. This post highlights some of the conversations that night.
  • Gone are the days - I have pulled two of my favorite quotes from M. Russell Ballards 2016 Seminaries and Institutes fireside for CES employees to highlight how my church has progressed from our 20th-century views on our church history. To tell this story, I dive into our current politics and media.
  • The parable of the McDonald’s visit - A parable to explain my views on God’s love, the atonement, and free will.
  • I am light (I am divinity defined) - A short tribute to my second father using India.Arie’s ‘I am light’ song.
  • Can we know anything? - Our western society has been diverging quickly on the understanding of knowledge. Some feel that it is our personal liberty to know what we want to know and that our individual freedom allows us to ignore experts that have spent a lifetime building up knowledge in a domain. Others argue that all deference must be given to experts and that we are not justified in criticizing experts as our understanding is too limited. They would sacrifice all individual thought and argument at the alter of ‘the expert’ on the topic. As neither extreme is viable, how can we have knowledge?
  • Is truth discovered in social networks? - We have coined the phrase ‘social networks’ as primarily a set of apps and websites connected to the internet. However, social networks have been vital in humankind’s existence since the fall of Adam and Eve. As humans, we build truth beliefs based on the social connections that surround us. God and Satan both know that social networks are how we find and learn the truth and use it to their advantage. I connect the latest in social network science with examples from our scriptural history and current environment to see that we build truth and lies on the same foundation.
  • Conservatism should not be the same thing as dogmatism - The Old Testament is full of family-based small networks as examples of both the good and the bad that can come from depending on one person as the conveyor of truth. If we examine the life of Christ, we will see in his example, a leader that taught using history, scripture, and logic to convey truth. He is also careful not to enforce his right at the expense of other’s agency. I appreciate the picture that I see in the gospels. How can we discern between those that speak the truth without succumbing to those that demand dogmatic devotion?
  • Dogma is the problem. Not politics, not science, not religion - We struggle to differentiate dogmatic arguments from reasoned arguments. In our struggle, we can succumb to fidelity tests in place of sustained reasoning. Every cult or culture has to face this struggle almost daily. Whether we depend on one person or a community to establish ‘truth’, we face the overwhelming challenge to filter out the wheat from the dogma. Dogma thrives when we silo our reasoning into isolated echo chambers. Can I propose some groupings that appear to create dogma echo chambers?
  • How do we discover or dogmatic beliefs? - Science and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in the ability of ‘honest and thoughtful inquiry’ to break through entrenched dogmas that define a community’s beliefs. However, both can succumb to respect for historical decisions to the point that ideas become dogmatic in that no other thinkers are allowed to question the status quo. If we all held to the status quo, we would still be on a flat earth, ignoring that Christ ever came. Sincere questioning and answering are needed to pull us out of our dogmatic beliefs.
  • Our journey for Christ’s Christianity (Mormonism and Francis Chan) - What might it mean for a church to look at itself and discover that it has moved beyond Christ? I don’t think it is much different than a child of God looking at themselves and notice that they have strayed beyond Christ. In one of the more exciting dilemmas of Christianity, God invites us to move forward in a very tumultuous sea. We can’t just drop anchor and stay in the same spot. We have to move amid the wind and the tossing sea that can knock us off course.
  • Abraham Heschel and the Most Moved Mover - A short post that highlights some quotes that aligns with beliefs of Latter-day Saints.