- Jonathan Green on How Much of a Testimony is Reason? How Much is Emotion? : “I’d only differ in treating spiritual experience as sensual perception. While we often talk about spiritual experience with reference to emotion, it’s possible for the spiritual experience to happen first and the emotional reaction only later, or for a significant spiritual experience to have a relatively minor emotional component. And let’s not forget the susceptibility of reason to emotional motivation. I suspect that the popularization of secularism actually has more to do with emotion than with strict rationalism.” Jan 15, 17:48
- on Dieter F. Uchtdorf, [Probable Future] President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “I do think dear Uchtdorf is tired and a bit church broke, and very home sick. I wouldn’t wish it on him, he’s made a massive contribution in uplifting us and refining the church’s thinking, and bringing us closer to the Saviour. I so hope others build on his legacy.” Jan 15, 15:58
- on How Much of a Testimony is Reason? How Much is Emotion? : “I have believed for a while that we put too much emphasis on the “burning in the bosom” and not enough on the “study it out in your mind” that comes before that. Reason and emotion can support or check each other. It’s when they’re in agreement that I feel most confident that I’ve got it right. If one or the other is missing, or if they don’t agree, then I have more work to do.” Jan 15, 11:41
- on How Much of a Testimony is Reason? How Much is Emotion? : ““As Latter-day Saints we emphasize the epistemology of the spiritual experience. We know because we feel.” Well, yes and no. Perhaps culturally this is most common. But it sure seems that Doctrine and Covenants 8:1-5 has an important key that we either don’t fully understand or don’t fully embrace (or, more likely, some of both): “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost.” This is, per the passage, “the spirit of revelation” (the telling, or the Holy Ghost itself? Why not both) and “the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.” It also appears to be how the brother of Jared wound up with shining stones and a personal experience with Jesus/God. You kind of touch on the idea near the beginning of your post, regarding boundary markers. I think the challenge is to figure out how we each individually discern something in our mind, as well as how we feel things in our hearts. So in practice, it does seem to be that we as a religious subculture place more emphasis on the feeling, because we don’t know how to figure out the mind part, but arguably we should – no, need – to work on the studying things out in our mind aspect so that we can be told in our mind as well.” Jan 15, 08:01
- on Your Reactions to Church Yesterday, 1/11: “Adding another bit, quite a few sustaining in my ward this week, which had me thinking on what sustaining means to me. Was happy to provide a vote of thanks for one person who has impacted my life for the better.” Jan 14, 21:55
- on Your Reactions to Church Yesterday, 1/11: “The organist hast stopped playing after the congregation finishes the sacrament hymn. Just silence now. As more spiritual realizations go, that every person is facing their trials, many the same but each in their own way.” Jan 14, 21:48
- on “Preferred Passengers”: Fred Woods on the Organization of LDS Emigration: “Thanks, Ardis. (What are your plans for Keepa, by the way? I’m revising my reading list.)” Jan 14, 18:55
- on “Preferred Passengers”: Fred Woods on the Organization of LDS Emigration: “No continuity. The first stake was organized in 1854 and discontinued by 1858 (exact date unknown because as members moved west there was no “this is our last meeting” note). There was no stake in St. Louis again until 1958, although there was lots of missionary work, branches, local activity leading to the numbers and organization of the current stake.” Jan 14, 17:52
- on “Preferred Passengers”: Fred Woods on the Organization of LDS Emigration: “That’s a good question. I would suspect that the current ones are continuations of that stake, though I don’t really know.” Jan 14, 17:31
- on “Preferred Passengers”: Fred Woods on the Organization of LDS Emigration: “That’s interesting that there was a stake in St. Louis in 1854. I wonder if there was any continuity between that stake and the current stakes there.” Jan 14, 10:15
