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This is an author that I’ve been reading this summer. Attached is a link that gives his biography. http://mormonscholarstestify.org/1735/samuel-brown His background is similar to many on this site. Myself included.
There have been other posts about him here.
I’ve read:
“First Principles and Ordinances: The Fourth Article of Faith in Light of the Temple”. (I highly recommend.) I’m currently reading:
“In Heaven as It Is on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Early Mormon Conquest of Death”. (I will talk about when finished.) Has anyone heard about him?
This is one of his quotes that I like:
Quote:When I worship with the Saints, I feel God directing me to stay, telling me that these are my people, my ethnos, my Tribe of Israel. I feel with Paul the magnificent power of the “Spirit bearing witness” with my spirit that I am a son of God and that through my membership in the Church I stand in fellowship with the Saints as an heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ. I have come to think of the familiar distinction between the “Gospel” and the “Church” as reflecting relational networks—the Gospel represents our relationships with God, while the Church represents our relationships with each other.
If you read from a tablet, you will need to use the dictionary. He like BIG words.
Sam is a great guy – and, yes, a dictionary is good to have when you read his excellent stuff. He has been interviewed on Mormon Matters several times in relation to his book “First Principles and Ordinances.” Definitely worth a listen if you want to get a feel for what he’s all about, or if you have more time for listening than reading. I finished the book: “In Heaven as it is on Earth”. I like it & highly recommend it.
The part I liked best is the chapter titled: The Mormon Chain of Belonging.
He talks about the Patriarchal blessing, the principle of adoption and baptism for the dead.
The overall premise is: we are connected to each other in a number of ways:
– Baptism we are adopted by JC.
– When new members are baptised we are adopted to each other.
– When we get a Patriarchal blessing we are adopted into a tribe of Israel.
– When we marry, we are adopted into your spouse’s family.
– When we do FH or are married in the Temple, we are sealed to each other.
Regardless of race, national origin or DNA, we are all connected.
We are literally children of our Heavenly Father & siblings to everyone else.
What strikes me is: how do we apply the premise? Do we really understand & accept it?
(That’s it in a nutshell for me.)
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