Mormon Doctrine At An End -- (J/K)

Sunstone Magazine is worth a perusal every now and then even the current issue which is devoted largely to the maniacal Glen Beck. 

In the back is a mention that Deseret Book is discontinuing the publication of Bruce R. McConkie’s Mormon Doctrine!

Publication of the book began in 1958 and started trouble right from the start by calling the Catholic Church the “mother of harlots”.  Subsequent publications didn’t contain the comment but up until 1978, the book contained the assertion that blacks would never receive the Priesthood.  Of course that was then removed.  

Whenever references were made from MD in Church Education settings, smart remarks were usually made from sources about concerning Mormon Doctrine because of the “personal” nature of some of Elder McConkie’s views, but this turn of events still surprises me, coming so soon.

Deseret Book says they are discontinuing publication because sales are low, but maybe not.  Sunstone says (though I didn’t get the footnote, it is the current issue) “At Amazon.com, Mormon Doctrine now sells, used for $45 (paperback) and $80 (hardcover).  The rare first edition sells for about $300."

That kind of bites for me because I had two hard copies and when I retired, I gave one to Deseret Industries in an urgent flurry to divest myself of the massive pile of books I’d accumulated over the years.  I did get points from Carl, though, worth at least that much.  He was impressed with how much I didn’t bring home with me after twenty-four years of teaching.  How do they put it?  Oh yeah. 

“Priceless.”

James 1:5 - The Life Changer

A simple, straight-forward statement from the Bible has changed me more than once and yet I still find it more than amazing:  "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."


I'm changed because I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of of Latter-day Saints.  That Church came into existence because of that scripture.  But I'm changed far more because of it.  


I'm still astounded every time I do ask for wisdom and do get it though even though I go about it with great expectations.  It's amazing.  I've used it as a mother, as a wife, as an individual, as a teacher, as a friend, in all walks of life.  I've used it all through the years, and often.


Asking for wisdom is lots different than asking for things, changes, people.  It's so much easier and happens in the moment.  It really does.  It often really does.  


And yesterday, in his mission farewell talk as he and his wife Marci embark on a mission to Manchester England for the LDS Church, my brother, Mark Cannon,  spoke of this scripture again and the spirit boiled around me.  I wanted to stand up and shout "Hallelujah", (though I know how much trouble I'd be in if I did that.)  I just wonder how many people really know how meaningful and literal that scripture is?


We've talked through the years, Mark and I, and I've often wanted to hear how he talked to his congregation when he was their bishop.  We would talk about the amazing promises in the Gospel, including this one and how he always had such urgency to get those people moving on such promises of the Gospel.  And today I got that chance to hear him.  


Did they believe him again today?  I sure did.  And again I'm planning to use this amazing verse, because I know it works.  Today, tomorrow, again and again.  It seems almost too easy, but it's not.  It's just easy.  I have a testimony of that.  It's happened so many times I'm almost fearless to act upon anything I learn.  Almost.  Wish I could tell you I was absolutely there, but I guess that's what I'm trying to say.  I'm still so astounded by the whole thing that I'm still left breathless.  

The Lost Symbol -- a Fun Read for Mormons and Americans

I read The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown some months ago with several expectations in mind.  

I had read a couple of his other books.  The first was the DaVinci Code and the second, I think, was Angels and Demons but I’m not sure.  I did like the DaVinci Code but I didn’t like the way the Catholic Church was eviscerated.  Just me on that.

I also wanted to learn something more about the Masons as they do have a famous or infamous tie-in with Joseph Smith and the Mormons.   I didn’t want them thrashed like the Catholics.  They were not. 

I also wanted to find out what the deal was with the our Founding Fathers, and specifically the fresco painted on the dome in the Capitol in Washington, D.C. that depicts George Washington becoming a God which is entitled “The Apotheosis of Washington”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apotheosis_of_Washington It is definitely of some interest to Mormons who indeed to believe that man, indeed, can become as God is.  Aha!  That fresco is reprinted here.  Also, did the Masons have a hand in laying out Washington, D.C.?  Apparently Brown did go a little far in putting this idea across.  

Another item of great interest to me that is broached in the book is that of Noetic Sciences, or powers of the mind, which I did not expect.    I’d like to know more.  

I would suspect that much of what Dan Brown writes about has been thoroughly researched and it would be difficult to find what it is about his writings that make the leap from fact to fiction, but I’d love to do more follow-through on some of it.  

I have done research on the Mormons and Masons, have been to their downtown Salt Lake Temple, inside and out, seen their uniforms they wear and talked to their members, and am confident there is little commonality between the two, and that Joseph Smith had his revelations on the Temple Endowment long before his association with the Masons in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois.  So rumors that the Temple Endowment was taken from the Masons is really of no concern to me.  I’ll do something on that later.

The Lost Symbol started out a little slowly for me as I was in Hawaii and Dan Brown is a rather formulaic writer, but things get heated up about three-quarters of the way through.  The killings, the goofy tattooed guy and the menacing stuff got a bit old to me by this book because they are too similar to former books though there were some twists, but I did like learning about the Masons, Noetics and, of course, Washington, D.C.  I’d even recommend it on those accounts.  In fact, I’d recommend it on all accounts.  

I wouldn’t be surprised if Dan Brown didn’t have the Mormons in his sights for one of his next books.  It might be kind of interesting, in fact.  The Church is true, God is in His Heaven so it might be kind of interesting and put some interest our way.  I guess we do get into trouble when “anti-Mormons” get rolling, but we can take it.  On the other hand . . . Yipes?