- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
This was the lesson in Church today. I had huge issues with it, I ended up pleading the 5th to avoid any “contention.” This ended up being the usual lesson where the same three TBMs shared their mainstream Mormon Doctrine views. I am puzzled. I thought the Be Ye therefore Perfect scripture in the Greek translation meant “complete.” What completes a person is to develop Charity, the pure love of Jesus Christ. That should have been the purpose of the lesson, instead of a nit-picky inventory of our whole life what ended up happening in Priesthood today. Perhaps a better lesson could have elaborated upon Perfectiom with having a balance of Faith, Hope, and Charity; the cardinal virtues. Nevertheless, I was quite disturbed by this lesson and did not feel the spirit much at all. I have hard a hard time with the last two Teachings of the Presidents of the Church manuals. I thought I was going to like the Lorenzo Snow one until today.
Any thoughts or perspectives from others on this lesson?
Haha, I am giving a talk next week that will use the be ye perfect scripture in context of the entire paragraph, not just the punch line, with the proper meaning. Well see if I get invited up again.
I don’t mind the manual; I mind the way the manual is read, understood and taught in many cases. I’m fortunate to be in a ward where I don’t have to fight that battle every week.
Quote:I don’t mind the manual; I mind the way the manual is read, understood and taught in many cases.
I was just having that discussion with my husband, Ray. I often prefer to read the manual myself. There are a lot of things in it I like and if I was teaching would focus on. That’s just me. I’m also glad I’m not a teacher.
Thanks for the topic. I always like to put Matthew 5:48 in the context of the paragraph, I think it brings so much more to the verse:
Quote:Teaching about Revenge (Matthew 5:)
38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[p] 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile,[q] carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.
Teaching about Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[r] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies!
Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[t] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.I get to teach the eq lessons out of the manuals. I like last year’s better because he at least talked a lot about compassion and love of others…I really identified with that. Snow is a bit rigid for me. Seems this is where checklist Mormonism may have started
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
This lesson was like a WWF smackdown in my ward. It was fascinating to watch. Our teacher is a very recent convert (a year in the church). She was basically giving the perfectionism party line, and the class was not having it. Her handout was basically a checklist of the things you can do to be perfect (reading scriptures, daily prayer, Word of Wisdom, etc.) She was trying to make the point that we can be perfect in doing these little things even if we have flaws, but each example was getting shot down. She said “What about baptism?” A sister called out, “I don’t think we’re perfect at keeping our baptismal covenants at all. We don’t always mourn with those who mourn.” The teacher asked about being perfect in following the Word of Wisdom, and several class members called out: “We eat more meat than we should,” and “I’m not in the kind of shape I should be in. I get weary when I run or walk.” One sister pointed out that “perfect” was a mistranslation and should have said “complete” or “whole.” Another sister said the quote needed to be put back into context. Jesus was cautioning them against living the Mosaic law and saying that there was more expected from believers than checking the boxes, that they need to follow the principles, not just the outward list of prohibitions. Anyway, maybe my ward is just awesome. I was sitting next to one of the teachers who wasn’t teaching that week and she leaned over and she she was glad she didn’t get this lesson because she simply doesn’t believe Mormons have a healthy attitude about that scripture.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.