Lesson 7 is now on my blog:

http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2013/02/d-lesson-7-first-principles-and.html

Read there / comment here

One of the unique doctrines of the LDS Church is the existence of a Mother in Heaven. It is more than a trivial speculative idea, but part of the foundational teachings associated with Exaltation. Although particulars are not available, the doctrine is enshrined in one of the most beloved hymns “Oh My Father” by Eliza R. Snow. It states, “in the heavens, are parents single?” and replies, “no . . . truth eternal tells me I’ve a mother there.” President Wilford Woodruff proclaimed the hymn a revelation. To add to that, it is impossible to fully comprehend the doctrines of eternal families without accepting the implications.

Yet, some are troubled by the lack of particulars. Usually those who would like women to have a greater role in the LDS Church. The refrain for why not more is known has been “the subject is too sacred,” or more forcefully, “God doesn’t want His wife mocked and ridiculed by the World as He lovers Her too much.” There is truth in this, but it doesn’t really answer the question of near silence. The Scriptures don’t even hint this. Prophets have not explained why the subject isn’t talked about, although they have made similar statements about discussing Temple ordinances. There are some answers, but not ones that will either close off discussion or be comforting to the critics of continued minimal knowledge.

What we know about our Heavenly Mother is perhaps more than realized, but less than concrete. This is because most Mormons, both “progressive” and “traditional” are looking for things overly transcendent. The “easy to understand” is seen as less worthy of respect then something that can be forever argued and dissected. Perhaps worse for some is that the conclusion of Her nature casts a shadow on certain mortal aspirations. Continue reading →

The federal government is now giving excuses for why it can kill Americans with drones, without first giving them the right to trial, or even for threat of imminent attack!  Just when are we going to realize that our government is slowly removing our Constitutional rights from us?

US News notes:

Attorney General Eric Holder, in a talk at Northwestern University Law School in March, endorsed the constitutionality of targeted killings of Americans provided that the government determines such an individual poses “an imminent threat of violent attack.”

But the memo obtained by NBC News refers to a broader definition of imminence and specifically says the government is not required to have “clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future.”

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/05/16855539-judge-jury-and-executioner-legal-experts-fear-implications-of-white-house-drone-memo?lite

On this issue, we should have both liberals and conservatives upset that our liberties are at risk on this slippery slope.

Lesson 6 is now online.  It works in conjunction with lesson 5 on receiving revelation. In this one, I go into section 11 in regards to Hyrum’s request for a revelation.

http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2013/02/d-lesson-6-i-will-tell-you-in-your-mind.html

Read There/Comment Here

Here is the statement released less than an hour ago (11 am EST) from the BSA:

For 103 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been a part of the fabric of this nation, providing it’s youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. In the past two weeks, Scouting has received an outpouring of feedback from the American public. It reinforces how deeply people care about Scouting and how passionate they are about the organization.
After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Executive Board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy.
To that end, the National Executive Board directed its committees to further engage representatives of Scouting’s membership and listen to their perspectives and concerns. This will assist the officers’ work on a resolution on membership standards. The approximately 1,400 voting members of the National Council will take action on the resolution at the National Annual Meeting in May 2013.