- Old Man on Constructing in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 9/6: “Kent, You said it. We literally have zero control over anything that happens at church. Which begs the question: Why think critically about church at all? Why post it on T&S? It’s not like T&S comments are sent to the First Presidency. Maybe we should post on our spiritual and intellectual lives at home? Advice on that would be relevant.” Sep 9, 04:54
- on Kingdoms of Glory and Astronomical Apparent Magnitude: “I think the difference in luminosity between the sun, moon, and stars bespeaks a stratified cosmos–much like Abraham saw when the Lord showed him the stars. The greater glory seems to align with a greater reckoning of time–and perhaps space. And of course, the implication is that those who inherit a greater glory will be made fit for a greater reckoning. Even so, I’m of the opinion that exalted beings have no trouble navigating the divisions of the sacred cosmos–from the lowest to the highest “all are there’s” as it is said.” Sep 8, 21:47
- on Kingdoms of Glory and Astronomical Apparent Magnitude: “Lily, I’m guessing that the “lone and dreary” world is a fallen version of the telestial world. The Telestial Kingdom is not fallen–but, rather, a glorified version of the telestial world.” Sep 8, 21:37
- on Constructing in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 9/6: “We can voice our frustrations by simply leaving after Sacrament Meeting. A lot of seniors in my ward did that with the 3-hr services. If enough members slip out after SM, then perhaps things will improve. On the subject of tithing, and the Church hoarding money and constructing McTemples, the member can simply choose to give their tithe to legitimate charities. Hopefully, that will open up Church finances and help provide a mechanism for more member input into priorities. Just 2 ideas.” Sep 8, 19:27
- on Constructing in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 9/6: “I appreciate that the change in schedule has led to some bad feelings — but I want to emphasize that the point of these posts isn’t to complain, but to find ways of enhancing our worship and study despite whatever structure we’re given. Let’s focus on what we CAN control instead of complaining about what we can’t. AND, can I suggest that we need to think about the whole idea of studying at home? If our learning is meant to be in the home, supported by what happens in church, how does that change what we expect from our lessons?” Sep 8, 14:37
- on Kingdoms of Glory and Astronomical Apparent Magnitude: “That’s a good question I don’t know the answer to.” Sep 8, 12:31
- on Kingdoms of Glory and Astronomical Apparent Magnitude: “Threadjack: In the temple were are told that the Telestial Kingdom is the “kingdom within which we now live.” So I’m not sure how its glory can surpass all understanding. Can anyone explain how its both the world we are in and a final destination at the same time?” Sep 8, 10:22
- on Constructing in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 9/6: “Since the amount of time we spend per month in Sunday School isn’t changing, our scriptural literacy will be just fine. Spreading out the time more evenly could be more effective, and it means we won’t entirely skip whole lessons. Some teachers will find a shorter lesson easier to teach, and hopefully it helps teachers realize that their job is not to cover everything mentioned in the lesson.” Sep 8, 03:49
- on Constructing in our Meetings (Or What Did Church Lead You to Think About Yesterday), 9/6: “In the prescribed video, Elder Kearon expressed a hope for sacrament meetings, saying “Let the singing be transformed. Let us choose hymns that people can sing…” This suggested to me that Elder Kearon thinks our singing needs to be transformed, and that we are not choosing hymns that people can sing. That thought resonated with me. Last Sunday in my ward, all our hymns were four-digit, and yesterday two of them were. My ward seems to purposefully choose obscure or unfamiliar hymns to force the congregation to learn them, as if forcing errant children to take their medicine. But instead of treating hymns like medicine for children who must be forced to change, maybe we should treat hymns like desserts for adults with more of the appreciated and loved hymns being selected more often. Like a wonderful meal, our sacrament meeting should be a time of conviviality and happiness and comfort.” Sep 7, 22:31
