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http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/kirby/2017/10/08/now-this-is-a-sermon-i-can-get-behind-mormon-apostle-strikes-the-perfect-chord-on-perfection/ ” class=”bbcode_url”> http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/kirby/2017/10/08/now-this-is-a-sermon-i-can-get-behind-mormon-apostle-strikes-the-perfect-chord-on-perfection/ This is a two-in-one (maybe even three) column, one of Kirby’s finest. After talking about his shenanigans as a boy, he gives us this gem:
Quote:One might argue that I need to hear all of church, especially General Conference. Those people are confusing their needs with mine.
And right after that he hits the meat about what the church might really focus on:
Quote:For example, if a speaker tees off on homosexuality being akin to murdering puppies with a hammer, I haul out a book or plug in earbuds and listen to Joe Bonamassa turn the blues into the music of God.
I’m sick of hearing about a form of socially unconventional love somehow being the worst thing that can happen. There are bigger threats to society than a couple of people who just want to commit to and love each other.
If anyone needs to be publicly condemned and denied full fellowship in the faith, let’s focus on those who rob widows, beat their wives, commit business fraud, sexually abuse children, torture animals, and cheat on their spouses.
Preach on Brother!
And he finally gets around to Holland:
Quote:What I liked about Elder Holland’s talk is that it was something I found useful. I’m paraphrasing, of course, but he assured everyone that the gospel was never intended to be used as a whip, either on others or ourselves.
Love, not guilt, should be the primary motive in our efforts to “perfect” ourselves and help others do likewise. I could get behind that. It’s something I need to work on.
I couldn’t have said it better.
Nice link, DJ. Thanks. I like your highlights, as well as this one: Quote:Religion — choose one — is used far too often as a weapon to batter us into submission rather than to lift us out of bondage.
Amen and Amen Brother Kirby – Small thread jack. My son has had a tormented weekend because a dear evangelical friend told him he was going to hell because he did not believe in God.
All weekend have had long conversations trying to “sort out” all the religious whipping of souls that happens. My son hasn’t be active LDS for 5 years. But he has a very Christian heart. Then boom. Judgement was passed and he is waffling all over the place about God, his own standing before God, if he is going to hell and so on.
Think it’s time to share Brother Kirby with him
Interesting, never heard of this individual before… Seems like a very wise article. Falcon20Commander wrote:
Interesting, never heard of this individual before… Seems like a very wise article.
I worship his writings.😆 You should go to sltrib.com and study his works.DancingCarrot wrote:
Nice link, DJ. Thanks. I like your highlights, as well as this one:Quote:Religion — choose one — is used far too often as a weapon to batter us into submission rather than to lift us out of bondage.
Agree, Agree, Agree!!!
It should make my life better! Not worse. And when it started making my life worse, I had to make changes. Good changes that kept me involved, but happier than I was as a fully involved member.
My saying that says about the same thing is: Quote:The church should be a walking stick to help us on our spiritual path, but many like to use it to beat others into going on their path
SilentDawning wrote:
DancingCarrot wrote:
Nice link, DJ. Thanks. I like your highlights, as well as this one:Quote:Religion — choose one — is used far too often as a weapon to batter us into submission rather than to lift us out of bondage.
Agree, Agree, Agree!!!
It should make my life better! Not worse. And when it started making my life worse, I had to make changes. Good changes that kept me involved, but happier than I was as a fully involved member.
Agreed. I think another great example of a talk in GC that could make my life better was Elder Zwick’s talk about looking beyond what we see when we look at others. It’s something I need to work on, the same way Kirby and I need to work on Elder Holland’s view of how to become perfect. The sad part is that it seems that for every talk like these two there are at least two or three times as many that don’t accomplish this purpose. (Oaks and Callister, for example – how did either of those help or encourage me to become a better person/Christian?)
DarkJedi wrote:
The sad part is that it seems that for every talk like these two there are at least two or three times as many that don’t accomplish this purpose. (Oaks and Callister, for example – how did either of those help or encourage me to become a better person/Christian?)
Callister’s talk is meant to increase our belief in the face of disconfirming evidence and ridicule. Increasing our belief in the Church until we’re 100% certain is the safest way to become like God!
Oaks’s talk is meant to help keep us from falling into apostasy. Without it, the Saints would end up like us, gnashing their teeth in the darkened corners of the Internet.
So they were totes intended to make our lives better, from a certain point of view. I’m sure a lot of people felt like they did.
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