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DarkJedi wrote:mackay11 wrote:
With the knowledge of the attitudes immediately around me, is there any reason to jump to a different conclusion as to the motives of people in other church positions who are instigating this program?
I don’t think so. Despite their faults, I really do think the vast majority of local leaders and central leadership of the church are well meaning.
Yes, I hope so.
The Final Judgement a week before Christmas… took some work: http://manyotherhands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/a-thoughtful-gospel-principles-chapter_22.html I decided to work it into four topics, again trying to make it applicable today:
– The Good News of the Nativity: The birth of a Saviour who relieves us of the fear of judgement
– God’s judgement is just and balanced: Quoted extensively from Joseph Smith “God judges men according to the use they make of the light which He gives them.”
– We inherit a glory reflecting who we have become, not simply what we have done: Our habits form our character and who we become is ultimately what God cares about
– Judge others generously today and show the mercy you hope to receive tomorrow: Several quotes from Elder Uchtdorf’s fantastic
conference talk from 2011– Celebrating the message of the Nativity: Quoted Brad Wilcox on Grace and how His Grace is sufficient. As a result our desire to continue “becoming” grows.
In the end the GP lesson didn’t actually happen. There was only one investigator and the SS Pres invited us all into the main class as they were watching the Christmas devotional.
I’ve not decided whether to teach it next week or leave it and go on to “Exaltation”
A couple of lessons from the last week and today: and
I’ve tagged all of my gospel principles lessons so they don’t get lost in my other random musings. Here:
A Thoughtful Gospel PrinciplesChristmas has been fairly quiet for me. They’ve called a couple of times with questions, but mainly they’ve appreciated me trying to keep them well-fed.
Mackay – thanks for the blog links. I’ve added you to my feed. You’ve joined Ray in the pantheon of my online reading. mom3 wrote:Mackay – thanks for the blog links. I’ve added you to my feed. You’ve joined Ray in the pantheon of my online reading.
I’m honoured
I’ve added a few more “Thoughtful Gospel Principles” outlines. This week was on Freedom to Choose:
http://manyotherhands.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/a-thoughtful-gospel-principles-chapter.html I found this one a very easy lesson to teach! lots of quotes to choose from and the lesson material was more usable than most weeks.
Included the Viktor Frankl story, which is inspiring.
Had planned to include the following section but ran out of time:
Some years ago, a well-meaning member wrote an article which stated:
“When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done.”In response the President of the Church at the time, President George Albert Smith, wrote the following:
Quote:“…the passage quoted does not express the true position of the Church. Even to imply that members of the Church are not to do their own thinking is grossly to misrepresent the true ideal of the Church, which is that every individual… is personally responsible to His Maker for his individual acts. The Lord Himself does not attempt coercion in His desire and effort to give peace and salvation to His children.
He gives the principles of life and true progress, but leaves every person free to choose or to reject His teachings. This plan the Authorities of the Church try to follow.
The Prophet Joseph Smith once said: “I want liberty of thinking and believing as I please.” This liberty he and his successors in the leadership of the Church have granted to every other member thereof.
On one occasion in answer to the question by a prominent visitor how he governed his people, the Prophet answered: “I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.”
http://www.fairmormon.org/perspectives/publications/when-the-prophet-speaks-is-the-thinking-done President Smith concluded with the first verse of a favourite Hymn (#240):
1. Know this, that ev’ry soul is free
To choose his life and what he’ll be;
For this eternal truth is giv’n:
That God will force no man to heav’n.
mackay11 wrote:Included the Viktor Frankl story, which is inspiring.
I really like your lesson plans. I used to swear by the Viktor Frankl story and I have heard it referenced several times in GC. One quote in particular (paraphrased): “They may have been few in number, but those men that rose above their circumstances proved that all men have the ability to choose their response.”
I now believe that there are many limitations on our ability to choose. For some the ratio might be 80% free will and 20% limitations. For others the ratio might be 80% limitations and 20% free will. I do not think that caveat would necessarily be appropriate for your lesson – but it does make up a big part of how I now see the world.
Your friend,
Roy
Roy wrote:mackay11 wrote:Included the Viktor Frankl story, which is inspiring.
I really like your lesson plans. I used to swear by the Viktor Frankl story and I have heard it referenced several times in GC. One quote in particular (paraphrased): “They may have been few in number, but those men that rose above their circumstances proved that all men have the ability to choose their response.”
I now believe that there are many limitations on our ability to choose. For some the ratio might be 80% free will and 20% limitations. For others the ratio might be 80% limitations and 20% free will. I do not think that caveat would necessarily be appropriate for your lesson – but it does make up a big part of how I now see the world.
Your friend,
Roy
Thanks. It’s always a balancing act between what I’d like to teach and what I think the 4 missionaries will let pass and what the ingestigators/returning members will be comfortable processing. I figure that in my small corner of the “vineyard” the least I can do is ensure they start their Mormon journey with an Uchtdorfian style view of the world.
I agree that many people have very few choices available to them. I remember seeing a Philippino woman walking through Manila with two naked, bare-feet children and a baby in a shabby pushchair.
She has agency, but not much choice. Perhaps the celebration of Freedom of Choice is the luxury of the affluent.
Lots of that with which we struggle is based on our relative affluence. We tend to forget that. Curtis wrote:Lots of that with which we struggle is based on our relative affluence. We tend to forget that.
Yep. This 60s film really brought it home:
I also think that’s a great point. However, I think what Roy meant is that a large percentage of our actions and “decisions” are not deliberate and self aware enough to truly be called free will. They are made based on largely automatic and biological emotional reactions or unexamined cultural norms. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Daeruin wrote:I also think that’s a great point. However, I think what Roy meant is that a large percentage of our actions and “decisions” are not deliberate and self aware enough to truly be called free will. They are made based on largely automatic and biological emotional reactions or unexamined cultural norms.
Ahah… interesting point too.
I agree with that point, daeruin. I believe in free will, but I also believe it is limited to varying degrees among people. That’s the primary reason I believe strongly in the concept of not judging others. I can’t judge myself well enough to attempt to judge others. Daeruin wrote:I also think that’s a great point. However, I think what Roy meant is that a large percentage of our actions and “decisions” are not deliberate and self aware enough to truly be called free will. They are made based on largely automatic and biological emotional reactions or unexamined cultural norms.
All of the above. I also agree with Curtis that an understanding of these limitations should increase of charity. The dark underbelly of absolute agency is that people deserve their state – even to the point of gay people choosing to be gay or black people choosing to be black by being less valiant in the pre-mortal realm. (incidentally – even though the church has specifically disavowed the later, the idea that some spirits were more choice than others is still a strong part of our doctrine. We even still praise the youth for being choice spirits reserved for the last days. [heard that specifically in GC 2 years ago]).
But that shouldn’t take away from Mackay’s lesson. Agency is important. Choices are important. They just aren’t absolute. {insert serenity prayer here}
:thumbup:
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