“The Plan of Salvation“ “The Plan of Salvation” broad in scope, puts this life in perspective. It places us as the main character in a cosmic drama and represents one of Mormonism’s greatest contributions to religious thought. We are eternal, spiritual beings at the crucial junction in our path to perfection. At the same time,… Continue Reading
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Introduction and the Text & Context of Section 1 Laura and Brian are joined by Mormon Historian Devery Anderson. They begin by discussing the Explanatory Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants and some of the differences in the several editions, followed by an examination of the circumstances behind Section 1, with emphasis on the… Continue Reading
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“Establish … a House of God” Is there any aspect of Mormonism more simultaneously distinctive to outsiders, emphasized to insiders, yet misunderstood by pretty much everyone as the temple? These majestic edifices represent the pinnacle of Mormon worship and represent great sacrifice. Service at the temple involves high ritual and embodied worship to a degree… Continue Reading
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“The Law of Tithing and the Law of the Fast” This lesson is about sacrifices, one easier than the other–tithing and fasting (guess which is which). Money is one of those topics considered impolite to discuss, and the message that all we have belongs to God and therefore God should be able to command what… Continue Reading
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“Thou Shalt … Offer Up Thy Sacraments upon My Holy Day” The pace of modern life is unrelenting. Too many of us never stop. We never rest. We are always available, always on call–a text message away from work and distraction. There is wisdom is pausing, stopping for a moment, having times of quiet and… Continue Reading
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“Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts” We all notice that some of us are better at some things than others, and vice versa. Some talents border on miraculous, and the scriptures teach of miracles work through the gifts of God. The imagery of the “body of Christ” where different members have different roles (and gifts… Continue Reading
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The Law of Consecration Why is “mine!” often among our first words? One of the most sensitive, difficult, and important questions involves resource allocation. Who gets what? Who has the right to what? Is there a minimum of resources that every person deserves? What level of inequality is ethical? What makes possession ethical? The Law… Continue Reading
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“This Generation Shall Have My Word through You“ We usually don’t stop to think about it, but our conceptions of the nature of scripture play a key role in our understanding of spiritual reality. The fundamental question is: Do we use scripture to understand the rest of reality, or do we need to use other… Continue Reading
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We are pleased to launch the companion podcast to Engaging Gospel Doctrine, Text & Context. Since the Doctrine & Covenants curriculum is topical and selective (students are only assigned to read about 30% of the D&C, and over 50 sections are skipped entirely. A full 25% of assigned readings come from D&C 20 and 76!).… Continue Reading
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“The Gathering of My People” Belonging is one of our greatest human needs, and there aren’t many more poignant and powerful ideas than that of “coming home.” This lesson will explore the concept of “gathering”, or more poetically put, our Heavenly Parents bringing us together so we can help each other come home. We will… Continue Reading
Engaging Gospel Doctrine 