By Common Consent, a Mormon Blog

Once upon a time, I was a college student in need of a job. The Massachusetts Association for the Blind needed aides in its residential school for children with multiple handicaps. With visions of Anne Sullivan dancing in my head, I went for an interview. The director checked to see that I had a pulse, then hired me.

I worked the 3-11 shift, in the highest-functioning class. None of the kids spoke, although a few had a little bit of sign language–10 or 15 words, at most. One of the boys, Kevin, had a chart with pictures and could communicate maybe 100 words by pointing. All of them behaved in strange and off-putting ways–lots of peculiar vocalizations, rocking and other kinds of self-stimulating, hair twirling and pulling, constant masturbation, sketchy toileting habits, and “self-feeding skills” that made every meal its own little apocalypse. One girl anxiously gulped air all day long, so that by the end of every day her stomach was as distended as that of a woman many months pregnant. All of them had been essentially abandoned by their parents, although two or three mothers still came to visit every few weeks or months–as often as they could bear it, I think. The whole building reeked of urine and despair. Read the rest of this entry »

Not everyone can give this talk–among other things, not many people can get away with a Larry Summers joke–but I think it is a wonderful example of a talk that is about Jesus and mothers, in their proper order. (And about Indonesian cross-dressing beauty queens…)

We need to revise the last verse of “Come, O Thou King of Kings.” “Chosen race” and “heathen nations” just don’t work in 2012.

Discuss.

“…The sure and general rule for all who groan for the salvation of God is this, — whenever opportunity serves, use all the means which God has ordained; for who knows in which God will meet thee with the grace that bringeth salvation?” (John Wesley, Sermon 16)

I just finished a Holy Week full of singing the Anglican music that makes me wonder sometimes if it’s just a cruel joke that I wasn’t born a couple of centuries ago in England. The Great Vigil of Easter is full of holy joy–it makes the salvific history of Christianity vivid to me in ways that no Mormon liturgy does (yet…). I thought, last night, as we rang bells and sang and shouted “He is risen–alleluia, alleluia” over and over again, that Easter had come, that my cup was full, that I could not dare ask for more sweetness. But God promises not just a full measure of grace and joy, but “good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.” Read the rest of this entry »

He is risen. Alleluia, alleluia!

He who binds himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy.
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sun rise.

We’re back. MTC choir with the sisters in colorful plumage, elders in dark suits. Conducted by Ryan Eggett. They sounded good warming up, just a little soprano-y.

First Presidency is on the stand.

President Eyring conducting.

New RS Presidency:

Linda K. Burton–served with husband as president of Korea Seoul West Mission. Studied elementary education at U of U. Married to Craig Burton, six children, 19 grandchildren.

Carole M. Stephens–attended Weber State and is a member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. Married to Martin R. Stephens, 6 children, 15 grandchildren.

Linda S. Reeves–served with her husband as president of California Riverside Mission. B.A. in Special Education from BYU. Married to Melvyn Reeves, 13 children (that’s not a typo).

Richard Maynes named to Presidency of the Seventy to succeed Elder Snow.
First Quorum: Larry Echo Hawk (Arlington, VA), Robert C. Gay (Palm Beach, FL), Scott D. Whiting (Kailua, HI)

Presiding Bishopric: Gary E. Stevenson, Gérald Caussé, Dean M. Davies

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Elder Holland: Labourers in the Vineyard [British spelling retained for RJH and other loyalists and snobs]

It is important to note that no one has been treated unfairly here. The first workers agreed to the full wage of the day and received it.

…If there is any sympathy to be generated, it should be for the men not chosen, who also had mouths to feed and backs to clothe. Luck never seemed to be with them–they always saw someone else chosen. These last and most discouraged of laborers, hearing only that they will be treated fairly, accept work without knowing the wage, knowing that anything will be better than nothing which is what they have had so far. They are stunned to receive the same as all the others. Surely never had such compassion been seen in all their working days.

It is against that reading of the story that the grumbling of the first laborers must be seen.

We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. …The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those.
Envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving.

What a bright prospect that is–downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment.

What happened in this story at 9 or noon or 3 is swept up in the universally generous payment at the end of the day. The formula of faith is to hold on, work on, see it through, and let the distress of earlier hours fall away in the abundance of the final reward.

This is a story about generosity, compassion, and grace. Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who feel they don’t deserve it.

However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you have made, or talents you think you don’t have, or distance from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.

Come boldly to the throne of grace and fall at the feet of the Holy one of Israel. Come and feast without money and without price at the table of the Lord.

I testify of the renewing power of God’s love and the miracle of His grace.

Lead Kindly Light is going to take a long time at this tempo–time to start dinner.

Elder Hales: “Coming to Ourselves and Becoming Spiritually Self-Reliant: The Sacrament, The Temple, and Sacrifice in Service”

At times of darkness, challenge, sorrow, or sin, we may feel the Holy Ghost reminding us that we are truly sons and daughters of a caring Heavenly Father who loves us…At these times we should strive to come to ourselves and come back into the light of the Savior’s love.

More than just thinking about the facts of the Savior’s suffering and death, our pondering helps us recognize that through the Savior’s sacrifice, we have the hope opportunity, and strength to make real, heartfelt changes in our lives.

The sacrament gives us an opportunity to come to ourselves and experience “a mighty change of heart”–to remember who we are and what we most desire.

Patterns of Christlike living include obedience, making sacrifices to keep the commandments, loving one another, being chaste in thought and action, and giving of ourselves to build the Kingdom of God.

As our desires to learn and live the gospel increase, we naturally seek to serve one another.

With His love and the love of His Son in my heart, I challenge each of us to follow our spiritual desires and come to ourselves. We are on the right path when we can say, I worthily partake of the sacrament each week, I am worthy to hold a temple recommend, and I sacrifice to serve and bless others.

He knows us and waits for us, even when we are a great way off.

Elder Ulisses Soares: “Abide in the Lord’s Territory!”

To sow in the spirit means that all our thoughts, words, and actions must elevate us to the level of divinity of our Heavenly Parents.

To enhance our spirit, it is required that we “let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from us with all malice.”

The light of Christ together with the companionship of the Holy Ghost must help us determine if our manner of living is placing us in the Lord’s territory or not.

In Doctrine and Covenants 20:37, the Lord teaches us what it means to sow in the Spirit and what really places us in the Lord’s territory, as follows: humble ourselves before God, witness we have come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, testify to the Church that we have truly repented, take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, have a determination to serve Him to the end…

Elder Quentin Cook: “In Tune to the Music of Faith”

This is the Mormon moment talk.

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks: “one culprit is an aggressive scientific atheism tone deaf to the music of faith…”

It needs to be taught and understood that we love and respect ALL of the people that Lehi described. Remember it is not up to us to judge. Judgment is the Lord’s.

Shout-out to scout leaders and nursery leaders. AMEN!!

http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/09/09/when-saw-we-thee-an-awkward-preteen/

Our great desire is to raise our children in truth and righteousness. One principle that will help us accomplish this is to avoid being overly judgmental about conduct that is foolish or unwise, but not sinful.

The message, ministry, and Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Savior is our essential family curriculum.

A dividing line between those who hear the music of faith and those who are tone deaf or off key, is the active study of the scriptures.

Our doctrine is clear; we are to be positive and of good cheer. We emphasize our faith, not our fears. We rejoice in the Lord’s assurance that He will stand by us and give us guidance and direction. The Holy Ghost testifies to our hearts that we have a loving Father in Heaven whose merciful plan for our redemption will be fulfilled in every aspect because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Elder Scott: distinction between revelation and inspiration

“Relationships can be strengthened through the veil with people we know and love.” Maybe Elder Scott has been reading Kierkegaard.
(http://bycommonconsent.com/2012/03/07/generational-translation-and-work-for-the-dead/)

Enemies to revelation: loud laughter, exaggeration, loudness
Aids to revelation: careful speech, good health practices, avoiding distractions

Revelation can also be given in a dream. “Inspired communication in the night is generally accompanied by a sacred feeling for the entire experience. …He may in a dream make it both easier to understand and more likely to touch our hearts by teaching us through someone we love and respect.”

For spirituality to grow stronger and more available it must be planted in a righteous environment. Haughtiness, pride and conceit are like stony ground that will never produce spiritual fruit.

When we are acting as instruments in behalf of others, we are more easily inspired than when we think only of ourselves. In the process of helping others, the Lord can piggy-back directions for our own benefit.

You will be prompted to know what to do as you meet the conditions for such divine guidance in your life, namely: obedience to the commandments, trust in His divine plan of happiness, and the avoidance of anything contrary to it.

This version takes a little more work than the stinking pile of worn-out racist speculations a popular BYU professor has been peddling. Do the work.

Mormonism’s Negro Doctrine
by Lester Bush

There once was a time, albeit brief, when a “Negro problem” did not exist for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During those early months in New York and Ohio no mention was even made of Church attitudes towards blacks. The gospel was for “all nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples,” [1. The injunction was found in many places in the then-recently published Book of Mormon (e.g., I Ne. 19:17; 22:28; 2 Ne. 30:8; Mosiah 27:25; Alma 29:8; 3 Ne. 28:29; similarly, I Ne. 17:35; 2 Ne. 26:26-28, 33; Mosiah 23:7; Alma 26:37), and was reaffirmed in a revelation to Joseph Smith, 9 Feb. 1831, published the following July: "And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall teach them unto all men; for they shall be taught unto all nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples"; Evening and Morning Star, July 1832; presently Doctrine & Covenants 42:58.] and no exceptions were made. A Negro, “Black Pete,” was among the first converts in Ohio, and his story was prominently reported in the local press.[2. Ashtabula Journal, 5 Feb. 1831, and Albany Journal, 16 Feb. 1831. These papers attribute the account to the Painesville Gazette, and Geauga Gazette, respectively.] W. W. Phelps opened a mission to Missouri in July 1831 and preached to “all the families of the earth,” specifically mentioning Negroes among his first audience.[3. Manuscript History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, entry undated. Last preceding dated entry was from June 1831, though an intervening reprint from July suggests that the account originated in the latter month.] The following year another black, Elijah Abel, was baptized in Maryland.

Read the whole thing. Really. If you only ever read one Mormon history paper in your life, this should be it.

…why insurance plans at LDS-owned institutions do not provide coverage for birth control? Last time I checked, our theology and official church policy statements would not support such an exclusion.

Seems we’re heavy on sermons lately. But this is a really good one for New Year’s Day. It’s from my dad, and will make it abundantly clear why I grew up thinking I was kind of dumb. (But he poached the Donne quote from me :) ).

“Wholesome, Hallowed, and Gracious”: Confronting the Winter’s Night

Warning/Apology: this is ridiculously long–you’ll have plenty of time to listen to both pieces while you read.

Read the rest of this entry »

I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. (Solomon 2:4)

Read the rest of this entry »

This guest post is from my friend, Jim Burklo, who is Associate Dean of Religious Life at USC. We were on a panel together last year at a conference sponsored by the Foundation for Interreligious Diplomacy (presentations are on youtube, here and here). This is a slightly abbreviated version of his report of his visit to SLC. I would really like it if we made it through at least a few general comments about the perspective offered by a friendly visitor before we get sidetracked by the single paragraph on Prop. 8. Thanks.
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For an exotic cultural and religious experience without leaving the borders of the United States, pay a visit to the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! Read the rest of this entry »

I admire all of your high-minded and spiritual conference traditions, your delicious cinnamon rolls, your conference bingo sheets, your righteously-themed candy dishes. I do! But the most consistent tradition at my house involves laundry.

Years ago, I gave up on matching socks and putting them in kids’ drawers. When I do laundry, I just throw all the socks in a big basket and it’s a free-for-all finding matching socks every day. (I know, I know. Sorry, mom–you did raise me better than that!) Twice a year, I match the socks and discard all the too-small, too-many-times-worn-outside-without-shoes, too hole-y, and mismatched ones. On Monday after conference, I buy socks.

OK–your turn: confess your weird traditions here!

for JS

A few weeks ago, the Relief Society lesson in our ward was about Eternal Marriage. By some demographic fluke, I am the only divorced person in my ward (and one of only two unmarried women). I really didn’t want to be there for the lesson, partly because it would be uncomfortable for me, and partly because my presence would make some of the women in the room feel less free to express their opinions, for fear of hurting my feelings.

How to teach ideals without making people who, for whatever reason, aren’t able to achieve them feel bad is a regular theme in the Bloggernacle, probably because we don’t have any good answers. I certainly don’t have any good answers (which, alas, doesn’t always stop me from pontificating about it when people say particularly hurtful things). But in this case, the teacher was a dear and wise friend, so as I bravely ran away, I was thinking about what I would say to her if she asked me how to teach this particular lesson without wounding me freshly, or re-opening old wounds. Read the rest of this entry »

Impossibly, my oldest son starts high school this week. I got all sappy about it on my friend Whitney Johnson’s blog. If you like that sort of thing, go on over there and have a look…

In Utah, runners smile and say hello. In Massachusetts, we studiously look at the ground when someone goes past. Is this a cultural difference that has to do with religion, or is it merely regional? (Or maybe it’s just that I look so wrecked when I’m trying to run at high altitude that people just want to make sure I’m still able to speak?)

Discuss.

I think it would be almost impossible to overstate Sister Okazaki’s impact on the Relief Society and the Church; there’s far more to say than we could say in a single post. This one is a guest post from my uncle, Bruce Haglund, who served as a missionary in Osaka under the Okazakis and enjoyed the gift of their lifelong friendship.
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In paying tribute to “Chieko-mom,” as she signed her correspondence to me, I acknowledge that this kind of recognition is something she never would have sought – she sought only to be a devoted wife and mother, a doting grandmother, and a diligent disciple of Christ in all dimensions of her exemplary life.

Chieko’s quest to “search diligently in the light of Christ” and to “lay hold upon every good thing,” as the prophet Mormon exhorted us to do, started on the big island of Hawaii where she was raised a Buddhist by earnest, honest, hard working, Japanese parents. Introduced to Mormon missionaries as a teenager, Chieko embraced the Gospel. I think she knew intuitively that the values of her parents and her heritage would resonate with her new faith. Read the rest of this entry »

(I know, I know. I should shut up already, or else get my own blog called “WIWIHS.”)

So, the other day, I was talking with some friends about Mormon intellectuals. Among the things we discussed was how folks whose spiritual gifts are on the brainy side can appropriately consecrate those gifts in the service of the Church and of their congregations, especially since Mormons sometimes seem uncomfortable or suspicious of too much thinkiness.

It’s hard to have a conversation like that without either laughing or crying at the hubris of it–indeed, if there’s anything that could possibly make me feel dumber or sound more idiotic than talking about being “intellectual”, with or without the indefinite article or the scare quotes, I would like to know what it is so that I’ll never accidentally do it. But I do think these are live questions for many people, and worth asking. Alas, most of our answers ended up sounding like “learn to keep your piehole shut and/or full of pie (preferably pie that you baked) in most church meetings.” This wasn’t entirely satisfying to me (!), and I’ve been thinking about it for the last few days. Read the rest of this entry »

Compare and contrast:

Teaching girls about Divine Nature, Individual Worth

Oh, never mind.