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We know that the prevailing correlated modern LDS doctrine is that there is no reincarnation, and that all spirits will be clothed with glorified flesh eternally. But what do you tend to believe now? I believe first and foremost that the particulars of this subject (the afterlife) are not something to argue about or try to expound and pin down. But sharing can be supportive and inspirational.
I tend to wonder if there really is reincarnation, but I haven’t studied carefully enough to know what the scientific evidence is. However, the idea of birth as death and death as birth resounds with the teachings of Jesus, and the idea that the exalted enter into the bosom of the Father , “to go no more out”.
I tend to think that if a soul were really brave enough to have another go at mortality for the glory of the Father, that soul might be able to become flesh again.
I tend to no longer believe that we will one day be clothed with eternal flesh. Instead, I believe that flesh is a temporary condition, and that resurrection is exactly what Alma told Corianton some think it is–the raising of the spirit after death.
I believe in the personal, corporeal spirit nature of the Father and all the Holy Angels.
I believe the lack of consistent testimony from the great world religions speaks to the difficulty of translating heavenly realities into worldly language.
I wonder what is the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus. I have a deep understanding and appreciation of atonement, but literal resurrection eludes me so far.
I do know that I observe no widespread modern stories and traditions that confirm the idea of flesh resurrection.
Here is my belief today. It will change, but this is my best shot at trying to understand right now from what I see. It’s really way out there. I think time is an illusion. It is just a way that we organize the impulses that come through our senses. I think it is possible, and I am not saying this is true or correct, just possible, that we experience multiple lives. We experience as many as we want in order to satisfy our curiosity. The reason I added all the bizarre time stuff is that I don’t think it happens in sequence (in time). I don’t even think it happens all in what we perceive as a single world.
I hate to use the Matrix as an analogy, but I often contemplate that we are in such a system.
People seem to experience that they have lived other lives. There are a lot of possible explanations. I love the question. I don’t like to dismiss the experiences of other people. People experience what they experience.
Reincarnation is one of the most compelling aspects of Buddhism to me, and I see Mormonism’s stages of existence as the closest thing to reincarnation that exists in all of Christianity. I kind of see Mormonism as an institutionalized, Christian version of Buddhism. I certainly think we are exponentially closer to Buddhism, especially in regards to our eternal existence, than to orthodox Christian theology. I’m not sure of any details in my own mind, but I absolutely loved “
What Dreams May Come” – a movie from years ago starring Robin Williams as a man who journeys to Hell to “save” his wife who committed suicide and who learns to see his life in a completely different way. It ends with a reincarnative scene, and I was moved deeply by many of the concepts explored in the film. That is one of my all-time favorite movies Ray. I do not believe in the resurrection of the body as I understand the teachings I have heard at church. I think reincarnation is possible and likely. I think we can be anything, bug, bird, tree etc. I would love to see that movie, and I love your explanation, Valoel. I was even thinking of the throwing out that unthinkable idea that any multiple lives might not be sequential or even temporally separate. So I may meet myself. And perhaps you are I? Not a bad way to think of morality.
I love What Dreams May Come as well! All I know about the subject is I’m comfortable in saying “I don’t know!”
I am not personally super attached to the idea of reincarnation. Life might very well be a one-shot deal. A lot of people have some sense of reincarnating though. Another theory I entertain is that we share consciousness with all living things. On some level we are all one with God, and that is eternal. We might feel mostly separated here, but we are not in fact separated from God. So perhaps some people feel like they have lived other lives because their barrier wall is not that thick. Is there a difference between living a life and sharing the consciousness with another entity that lived it? Yes and no. So I could possibly see me feeling like I had lived as a medieval serf in another life (just throwing that out as an example) because I am sharing parts of my consciousness with someone who actually did live that life. How would I tell the difference? It could seem like I had lived it. It might be hard distinguish in the state we are in right now (with our limited capacities).
The mere attempt at trying to answer this question is mind expanding. I love it! (True or not).
Quote:Reincarnation is one of the most compelling aspects of Buddhism to me, and I see Mormonism’s stages of existence as the closest thing to reincarnation that exists in all of Christianity. I kind of see Mormonism as an institutionalized, Christian version of Buddhism. I certainly think we are exponentially closer to Buddhism, especially in regards to our eternal existence, than to orthodox Christian theology.
Me too. There’s a Mormon theological theory called multiple mortal probations. There was a post that aggregated several related posts/models here:
http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/2005/06/multiple-mortal-probations/95/ ” class=”bbcode_url”> http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/2005/06/multiple-mortal-probations/95/ Umm, do we allow potty words here? kupord maizzed wrote:Umm, do we allow potty words here?
Not generally, unless you really need to make an important point that requires one. [not sure if that question was rhetorical or not, hehe]
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