Peggy Fletcher Stack, has an article here about the “Not Even Once” controversy.

I’m not going to comment on the article as a whole (though it’s interesting that in the last few year, Ms. Stack seems to be using the more liberal wing of the bloggernacle for unpaid R&D). I do want to comment on one theologically ignorant statement:

Mormons “give constant lip service to Christ’s atonement, but our highest aspiration is never to come within a hundred feet of it,” Jones writes. “If only we can prevent people from performing wrong actions, we think, they can return safely to heaven, untouched by the world and I would add, untouched by Christ’s grace.”

This is wrong on many, many levels – but I’ll focus on just one.
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Those of us who chose in the pre-mortal world to come to the Earth spotted two fatal flaws in Satan’s plan to save us all.

Satan’s plan did not allow for free will and had Satan at the center. Said Satan:

“Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.” (Moses 4:1).

In contrast, Jehovah, the true Savior, said:

“Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” (Moses 4:2).

Jehovah’s statement, which supported Heavenly Father’s plan, allowed for free choice. This meant that some people will ultimately choose not to be saved, but the Lord, in his wisdom, realizes that you cannot force people to be good. In addition, Jehovah’s plan puts the Lord at the center.

Jehovah’s plan looks like this:

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My wife and I were finally able to see the new temple endowment film Friday night. I was really floored by it. I cried through most of the film and as I looked around the endowment room it appeared most other people were wiping away some tears.

The introduction of the Savior was done in a way that really touched me. But the key moment was when Eve meets Adam. The look of joy on her face was so radiant that it made me see them as real human beings rather than actors just reading lines. It really brought home for me the marvelous plan of man and woman joining together in eternal marriage and how we can be part of this plan.

I really enjoyed Eve’s process of arriving at the conclusion that she must eat the fruit. There is no other way for her to have children. The tears she sheds are real, and you can see that she — and eventually Adam — must also sacrifice and go through sorrow.

The film has many meaningful pauses that help drive home doctrinal points in new ways. I will not get into all of those things now, but I will say that this temple film is like a whole new story filled with new meanings and layers of information to help us understand our purpose on Earth.

I found myself wondering how the film was made. The usual process would be for a GA or group of GAs to be involved with the filming. I am sure this film had to be approved by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve. Did the Brethren weep also as they viewed this film?

Another thought: Lucifer is a weasel, and this movie showed this best of all. But there were also significant moments when the other actors clearly viewed him with pity and compassion. And this seems right to me.

Last note: the temple experience is sacred, and talking about it in general terms is appropriate, but there are some things that should not be discussed in a public forum. Please show some discretion.

Two recent and very interesting blog posts, one by James Faulconer, and the other by Alison Moore Smith, show a continuing and disturbing problem with Church members: they teach things that they believe, but are not doctrine (faith tenet) of the Church, as if those things were the truth.  Alison notes an interesting story: Continue reading →