Proposition 8 and LDS Church

I recently ran across the following disturbing statement at newsroom.lds.org

The following letter was sent from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Church leaders in California to be read to all congregations on 29 June 2008:

Preserving Traditional Marriage and Strengthening Families

In March 2000 California voters overwhelmingly approved a state law providing that “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” The California Supreme Court recently reversed this vote of the people. On November 4, 2 008, Californians will vote on a proposed amendment to the California state constitution that will now restore the March 2000 definition of marriage approved by the voters.

The Church’s teachings and position on this moral issue are unequivocal. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, and the formation of families is central to the Creator’s plan for His children. Children are entitled to be born within this bond of marriage.

A broad-based coalition of churches and other organizations placed the proposed amendment on the ballot. The Church will participate with this coalition in seeking its passage. Local Church leaders will provide information about how you may become involved in this important cause.

We ask that you do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman. Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage.

I knew they leaned this way politically for quite a while, but I am quite shocked that they are being so direct about it now. I feel the need to clarify my own position:

Owing to this and previous similar activities, I have ceased to pay tithing or offerings to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I do not support the evil political designs of this institution in any way. I believe in equal rights for all people. As long as TCoJCoLDS maintains these policies it is evidence that the leaders of the Church are going astray from the teachings of Jesus and are diverting their focus away from what should be their highest goals. I encourage all others who are or have been members of this Church to make a similar statement so that your voice may be heard. I do not want to be counted as one among the "millions" of members who are backing discriminatory, damaging behavior.

If any of the leaders in SLC read this, I have one word of advice: PRAY.

A Gentle Tugging at My Soul

Every day lately, it seems like I've been feeling a gentle tugging at my soul, to go out and share with others the religious knowledge that I have found.  Like I'm supposed to hit the streets and share the original message of Jesus, ethical behavior, the Kingdom of God.  To help set them free from the deception of Paul.  Also, to teach about the restoration, modern revelation, and the priesthood.

My last post about not having a name, is one of my excuses.  I don't feel equipped to do this if I don't have a name to ascribe to the work.  The Hebrew word Kevod popped into my mind today.  It means Glorious.  That isn't a name, though.

Maybe I should go out without a name. How to start? What a humbling feeling.

Lighted Way Ministries

I just wanted to do a quick shout-out about Lighted Way Ministries. They're an interesting group that as far as I can tell, is on a very good path. I've had the privilege lately of going to a few of their lectures. Mark and Shauna Manfredine seem to be the principal speakers on theological issues (leaving other subjects such as healthy eating, medicine, and basic ethics to others,) and their presentations are highly compelling and show a real dedication to God.

Right now, I particularly want to draw attention to their answer to a question about Biblical inspiration. The distinction between "Word Inspired" and "Thought Inspired" is excellent. I've read an Ellen G. White quote that stated essentially the same thing, so I will share that here:

"The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God's mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say that such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God's penmen, not His pen. Look at the different writers. It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man's words or his expressions, but on the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of God." (Ellen G. White ms. 24, 1886, Selected Messages, 1:21)

Mystic Experience with a Holy Spirit

Last night something happened. Well, it's been brewing for about a week. My friend Adam and I witnessed something truly amazing, and unprecedented as far as we can tell.

In the Spirit World, Joseph Smith learned or became aware of something this last week, possibly last night. Crying or Laughing. The emotion was not able to be discerned, it was nothing like we ever felt before.

The character of The Book of Mormon, The First Vision, and more: everything has changed. The witness is different now in some respects. Assumptions about what had been seen, about what had been translated, all assumptions have fallen away, and the only thing that remains is what is sure knowledge (or first-hand experience) in the Spirit World, or testified by a Holy Spirit to those who are here.

This came with the shocking realization that knowledge in the Spirit World is not privileged far beyond knowledge here on earth. But, it appears that the Holy Spirits can learn from what their assigned people here on earth are seeing, studying, hearing. We are their eyes and ears into this world and its records.

I'm sure this type of learning goes on all the time, but this particular piece (or assemblage) of knowledge was devastating to the system.

This event was foreshadowed twice in the preceding week.

First, Adam spoke a parable about a Rubik's cube representing a persons religion, that even if you have all the pieces, you still have to turn them the right way to solve the puzzle. After telling this parable, the first cube he picked up shattered to pieces.

Then, yesterday during the day, he picked up a Chinese cube puzzle at my place, and said even if we have all the pieces, we have to turn them the right way to see into the depths of the religion. A few minutes later, the puzzle broke (the elastic rope inside of it broke and the wooden cubes all fell off the string.)

Last night this was fulfilled, and the real "cube" of religion in the Spirit World became shattered. All we have left now is pieces. Testimony of our Heavenly Parents, spirits, and instruction in ethics, like that which was taught by Jesus: These things remain. Even Messiah and the Scriptures have come back under evaluation.

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (Rev 8:6)

Rediscovering the Messiah

I've decided to do an interesting study. I'm finding all the so-called Messianic Prophecies in the Tanakh, and re-evaluating them, to see which ones are real and which ones are later readings and which ones just plain don't make any contextual sense. Some of the scriptures I will be examining are only considered Messianic by Christians, because they were referenced as such in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

Genesis 49:10
Verdict: A Prophecy, but certainly not Messianic.
This just predicts the strong leadership of the Tribe of Judah, which has been fulfilled in the past and continues to be fulfilled, in comparison to the other tribes. This may have inspired hope for a Messiah-like figure among the early Israelites. If it did, that's impressive, but it doesn't say anything specifically about one.

Psalm 2 ***
Verdict: Genuine Messianic Text - Not necessarily a Prophecy.
This definitely speaks of Yah's "Messiah."
But anointed could refer to any type of king, so this might have been written primarily about David.

Psalm 118
Verdict: Not a prophecy.
This is a Psalm of praise and thanks for David's kingship. The stone which the builders rejected refers to David himself. In the Christian Greek Scriptures, in Matthew chapter 21, when Jesus references this, he is comparing himself to King David, not suggesting that this was a Prophecy.

Daniel 7 & 9 ***
Verdict: Genuine Messianic Prophecy.
This is certainly about the coming Messiah and very prophetic. It will have to be the subject of a future study because it is very in-depth and widely analyzed by many.

Isaiah 10:12 - 12:6 **
Verict: Genuine Prophecy, perhaps it is Messianic.
The part in chapter 10 is listed here for context. I wonder about 10:27. But, the prophetic figure is clearly introduced in 11:1-2. Chapter 12 is merely a prophecy of the praise Yah will receive for causing the preceding prophecy to come to pass.

Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 **
Verdict: Genuine Prophecy, perhaps it is Messianic.
This prophecy is clearly about a servant of Yah who will suffer. It is important to note that Isaiah does not say that he will suffer for the sins of the people, but because of them.

Malachi 3:1-5 **
Verdict: Genuine Prophecy, perhaps it is Messianic.
This speaks of Yah sending a Messenger, called the Angel of the Covenant, to purify the sons of Levi so that they may offer sacrifice in righteousness again. It is possible that this could be about the Messiah.

Micah 5:1-3 **
Verdict: Genuine Prophecy, perhaps it is Messianic.
This prophecy may refer to a descendant of Beth-lehem Ephratah being a great ruler, or a great ruler coming out of the place known as Ephratah, which is Beth-lehem. I have posted separately on this subject. Regardless of the way that Christians have interpreted this, it is clearly a prophecy that some great ruler will would spring up. It also indicates that this ruler will help in protecting against the Assyrians.

I have not yet been able to reach a conclusion about the following:
Isaiah 63:9 - Saved by the angel of Yah's presence.
Isaiah 41:25 - 42:4 - Servant of Yah to give judgment to the nations. (Referenced by Matthew 12:17)
Zechariah 9:9 - The King comes humbly, riding on an ass. (Ref. by Matt 21:4)
Psalm 22 - Verse 8 is referenced by Matt 27:35. Also, Jesus quoted the opening words of this Psalm, but when he did so he was merely comparing his situation to that of the author of this Psalm, not claiming it to be a prophecy of himself.

The following verses were deemed by the writer of the Gospel of Matthew to be prophecies fulfilled in the life of Jesus:
Verdict: Too simplistic, unrelated, or taken out of context. These are not Messianic prophecies.
Hosea 11:1 - Just a simple comparison. (Referenced by Matthew 2:15)
Jeremiah 31:15 - Too vague to be specific. (Ref. by Matt 2:17)
Judges 13:5 - This is just part of the story of Samson, not a prophecy. (Ref by Matt 2:23)
Isaiah 40:3 - This is an immediate instruction, not written as a prophecy. (Ref by Matt 3:3)
Isaiah 9:1-2 - This isn't written as a prophecy, but could be -- it should be considered in conjunction with verse 6 and 7 of the same chapter. (Ref by Matt 4:14)
Psalm 78:2 - Just a simple comparison (Ref by Matt 13:35) but the understanding of what a Parable is could be very different in these two contexts, because the Psalm seems direct, not allegorical.
Zechariah 11:12-13 - If this is a prophecy, it isn't about what Matthew cites it for. In fact, he cites the wrong prophet (Jeremy, ref by Matt 27:9).

I will add more to this study later.