Jan 28, 2020
After listening to last week's podcast on the Book of Mormon,
longtime Latter-day Faith collaborator Mark Crego
suggested we record a follow up that deals more directly with how
to engage with the book within our own hearts (including the things
in the text that trigger us!) and communities. If it is the "word
of God" and most folks take that concept to mean that practically
everything in the book is pretty darn close to The Truth, how might
we engage with them?
To help us see things more clearly, Mark proposes four paradigm
shifts we each to internalize and that also can be communicated
well to others. The discussion then turns to examine in depth what
it is that the scriptures themselves say about the writings and
revelations contained in them, including the Book of Mormon. Again,
these can be important ideas to hold and recall when and if we feel
we need to speak up and help widen a discussion. Finally, our
discussion focuses on what the real purpose of the Gospel is, which
is to bring us the Good News of the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”;
that God in Jesus Christ, is fully God and fully human; and that
God is incarnated and present in all beings. This means that God is
present in Christ, and in you and in me, and in Scripture (expanded
to include the inspired texts we find everywhere. Check out 2 Nephi
29).
No podcast or tip can ever help us skip the hard work of our
internal wrestles with God, ourselves, and scripture. What they can
do, however, is help us understand what we are going through and
why it is required of us in order to become transformed into the
likeness of Christ. This is an excellent episode serving those
purposes. Listen in!