- John Taber on 19th-21st Century Biology Disciple Scholars : “I think I’d heard of Francis Collins before, but not a lot about him. I just went and placed holds on the three books of his that our library system has. Looks like good reading.” Aug 12, 09:33
- on CFM 8/17-8/23: Thoughts and Poetry for “The Lord Is My Shepherd”: “I agree. Now if we could just get people to use our poetry in church!!” Aug 12, 00:25
- on CFM 8/17-8/23: Thoughts and Poetry for “The Lord Is My Shepherd”: “Love “Ode to Earth. Animism at its finest. Mormonism could use a strong infusion of respect for Mother Earth or Pacha-mama. As for poetry, the Book of Ecclesiasties has some of the finest verse ever written. Ask Pete Seager and the Byrd. “All is Vanity.”. Gilgal Gardens in SLC has a wonderful tribute to this OT’s book.” Aug 11, 18:45
- on Extreme Pacifism and the Moriori: The Anti-Nephi Lehites of the South Pacific : ““Peace on earth, good will toward everybody”. So, what do you make of this? Conjecture? Nonsense? Promise? Do we throw it into the “it will happen during the millennium,” file where everything that doesn’t come to pass -like the sealed portion of the BOM the brass plates, and other cool stuff – get farmed off to. That includes ALL of the “will happen in this generation” events. How long is a generation anyway: 20 years, 200 years, 2,000 years? Were the angels just guffin’ on us? Maybe I’ve got it all wrong. After all, Mormon spent a zillion verses on war, and 17 verses on the 200 years of non-violent angelic behavior that followed Jesus’ visit to wherever the millions of Nephites lived (to be revealed…). Anyway, mormons seem to be getting meaner, I hate the rhetoric and that they share it with me because I’m active and am supposed to believe a certain way. They are surprised when they hear that, as for me and my house, “War…huh, yeah…what is it good for? Absolutely nothin’. Say it again.”” Aug 11, 01:48
- on Responsibility in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 8/9: “Here’s a few of my thoughts in reaction to what I experienced in Church yesterday (8/9): The ward I attended announced a “musical testimony meeting” for next week, which made me wonder if any other kind of testimony is possible. Music makes sense because it’s an integral part of our services. But I could also see a “poetry sacrament meeting”, except that many people don’t really know the poems (except as music). Is there anything else that could work? During the sacrament for some reason I wondered about passing the sacrament. The technology exists that would allow the sacrament to be passed by autonomous vehicles instead of the deacons. Would that ever happen? I kind of doubt it, but it does seem like it’s possible. Maybe if another pandemic made passing the sacrament a threat? Would be an interesting development regardless. During one of the hymns, a young child in about the 4th row sat backwards in the pew and “conducted” the music. It was kind of charming. Since I’m a visitor to the ward, I don’t know if this happens a lot. I wonder if many musicians got a start doing this kind of thing. We all learn somehow. One speaker likened the scriptures to action movies, complete with suggestions for who the actors should be. I’m not sure that is what was intended when the idea of “likening the scriptures to us” was first promulgated. On the other hand, maybe this approach to the scriptures gives some of us a more visual way of imagining the scriptures narrative. ” Aug 9, 22:22
- on A “Great Work” in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 8/2: “I will own that I am completely checked-out during sacrament. It’s true. Interestingly, I started writing in a journal during Sacrament several years ago. What happened (and part of this is I am a writer so the moment I put pen-to-paper, my brain goes into that mode) was that I ended up writing poetry. Some spiritual poetry, some not. But I found working out my own thoughts way more engaging than listening to the speakers’. Go figure. I still do that sometimes. One of the things that keeps occurring to me though is that this whole problem is one of the reasons other churches use paid clergy who have some training or inclination toward public speaking. It’s also why using the physical church building to visually give the audience beauty and stimulation really helps too. And I’d throw in music that engages as well, as we have great hymns but don’t use them effectively. I’m not worried about offending the speaker by not paying attention. The vast majority of speakers are too focused on getting through their talk to notice. Those that know watch for audience reactions/make eye contact, only do so for the first five to six rows or so. Including me on the last, It’s just too big of a room for more. (Speaking of Sacrament meeting.)” Aug 9, 08:30
- on A “Great Work” in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 8/2: “Sorry Kent, I didn’t answer your final question. I think you are completely correct in what you have been saying since your original post on this subject. We do have very little recourse over someone else’s actions, whether those actions are leaders who are in charge of sacrament meetings or members who are asked to speak in sacrament meetings. They will do what they are doing regardless of us. We can become irritated, we can get angry, we can mentally check out, or we can try to find something of value in what is being offered to us. I think you’re being wise to keep reminding us that those first three options don’t contribute to our happiness.” Aug 9, 08:20
- on A “Great Work” in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 8/2: “Hi Kent, I appreciate that you’re willing to engage with everyone who comments. I too have not personally been in a sacrament meeting where someone has literally read a general conference talk. That is because thankfully my ward does not ask people to use conference talks as topics for sacrament meeting talks. What I have seen many times is an ill prepared or just nervous person teach a priesthood lesson from a general conference talk by just reading large sections of it verbatim. So I have no doubt that the same thing is happening in sacrament meetings when leaders ask members to use general conference talks as topics for their talks.” Aug 9, 08:08
- on A “Great Work” in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 8/2: “I should add a thank you for all these responses. They have been very helpful in refining my thoughts. I hope it doesn’t seem like I have all the answers here. I am only trying to suggest a way of making our experiences better without waiting for church leaders or the culture in general to change.” Aug 9, 00:25
- on A “Great Work” in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 8/2: “ReTx: “ If it was as easy as you said to find the needed engagement in the current set-up, more people would be doing it. Because they are the very people who are present and want a meaningful experience.” Well, I think the reason people don’t do it is more because our society models being an audience as being a passive observer who is supposed to be entertained. The idea that the audience can take responsibility for how they react and find ways of thinking differently about what they hear is not something that enters their minds. So I’m trying to point out a different way. I do think some people are doing it. For example, I see some people writing thoughts in a “spiritual journal” or noting their thoughts in a diary of their experiences in church. I’ve found myself taking notes on my phone of things I thought of in response to what happens in church. Perhaps that would be a way of making the experience of church more visual and less auditory?” Aug 9, 00:23
