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Elder Christofferson quoted Alexander Pope in a recent devotional address at BYU-Idaho, where he said it’s not good to overlook or deny Joseph Smith’s faults: Quote:“A little Learning is a dang’rous Thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring:
There shallow Draughts intoxicate the Brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.”
I really love this.
My interpretation: Shallow draughts are not worthwhile…drink heavily for best results.
😈 Did I miss the meaning? (yuck-yuck)
Actually, in all seriousness, your quote reminded me of another thought I had listening to conference talks…. it was that many GAs and Apostles and Prophets quote so many non-LDS sources, and we are told to consider conference as modern day scripture, yet it is not all sourced directly from God, but from the good things in the world around us. We can gain great wisdom from sources outside the church. It is what Joseph Smith did as well, and then put it into mormon context and expounded on the application and meaning of things, even if it is not all “created” or “invented” in the LDS church or through revelation.
And a little learning is a dangerous thing. We should learn a lot…from the best sources. If we only read mormon literature…we’re going to miss out on a great education.
I agree with the premise, but I also think most people will not do so. Right now most of what members know about Joseph Smith, or any other prophet and many other subjects for that matter, comes from church manuals and teachings. I don’t think that’s going to change. There does seem to be a little more willingness on the part of the powers that be to be more open and allow a greater examination of the great wealth of information the church has, but I don’t think most members of the church (or most other people) are going to delve that deeply on their own. Likewise, I don’t think the church hierarchy is going to make any super effort to air the dirty laundry. That is, they’ll make it available but not necessarily go out of their way to teach those things that are in there – our manuals will stay much the same, IMO, complete with veiled and fleeting references to the imperfections of our history. I’m not blaming the church, I do think it’s up to individuals to drink deep. This has been key to my ‘hanging on’ – being willing to study deeply and realise that the answer to origins and history is somewhere in the middle of two extremes. I find myself heading this way, too. After 5 years I get it fully that very little of what I assumed was complete and accurate is complete and accurate. Not always because of intent deception, but because we as humans are emotional and we turn things on that emotion. I am coming to believe the Joseph we know today is probably not the man he was – either the good guy in the velvet blue coat, nor is the disasterous man that the searchable history can present. The Joseph we know is a 200 year compilation of what others wanted us to see in Joseph. Anyone who knew him then is dead. I’ve never met him. Likewise Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father – With that I begin with Love. Everywhere I read, Love – this deep, sincere, human respecting Love is the key to everything. Acts of genuine love we give each other can span generations. Love requires no religion or political view – only a heart. An honest, uncluttered heart. Right now this is where I am digging deep. How do you obtain that heart, how to share Love,. Best of all it is the first two great commandments – every thing else is appendages. I am hoping if I begin with love that I will be able to effect life and the religion of my mortality for good. Because I can’t fix the rest. No matter how hard I try.
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