Above: Where we hold sacrament meeting. We average about 4 in attendance.
Happy Pioneer Day! I owe a great debt to those hearty pioneers who kept the fires of faith burning in spite of persecution and hardship.
Lately, I have gotten into many theological discussions. These have prompted me to dig deeper into what I believe, strengthening my testimony of the truth.
Krister Stendahl, former dean of the Harvard Divinity School, gave 3 rules for interfaith dialogue:
1. If you want to know about another faith, go to the source; ask people from that faith tradition. If you ask critics, they may be guilty of breaking the commandment to not bear false witness.
2. Compare your best with their best. Avoid making a caricature of another faith by comparing your best with their worst.
3. Leave room for holy envy. Stendahl said he could envision himself doing work for the dead, that it was a beautiful thing to extend the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those that have passed before us.
I enjoy interfaith dialogue; it helps me understand where others are coming from. Not everyone is interested in it, but there are enough who are, who are willing to discover commonalities and recognize the work that needs to be done in this world. Interfaith efforts are vital for progress.
A question was asked: Why did Joseph Smith say that "a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its (The Book of Mormon's) precepts, than by any other book." I read a great talk by President Ezra Taft Benson from 1986. He noted that we gain a better understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ by reading The Book of Mormon, as well as a deeper understanding of the resurrection. He also said how the truths come to us undiluted because of the divine method of its translation, directly to English. I am grateful for the whole of scripture. As God is the fountain of all truth and knowledge, why would he not have more to say to those who are willing to receive it?
