Dave's Mormon Inquiry

The Fate of the Earth

Where did our planet come from? Why is it here (with us, conscious intelligent beings, on it)? Where and how is it going to end? These interesting questions (I've massaged them a bit) are discussed in John Gribbin's Alone in the Universe: Why Our Planet Is Unique (John Wiley and Sons, 2011). Other authors have discussed the same general topic, but Gribben does the best job I've seen of reviewing the many ways in which Earth seems so terribly well positioned to favor the origin and development of life.

The Veil: Thick or Thin?

In LDS thought, the veil as a symbol of the human condition is used in at least two distinct ways: (1) "a symbol for a separation between God and man," and (2) "a God-given forgetfulness that blocks people’s memories of the premortal existence." ["Veil," Guide to the Scriptures at LDS.org.] The second veil, forgetfulness of the premortal life, appears to be impenetrable: I have never heard an officially endorsed account claiming this divinely imposed forgetfulness was lifted. But there's a general sense that the first veil seems to rise and fall almost on demand. Prayers flow upward, inspiration flows downward, the Spirit pervades our meetings.

Unchurched Mormons: Spiritual But Not Religious?

The term "spiritual but not religious" has become popular over the last decade as academics and pollsters have noted a large rise in the number of Americans who eschew affiliation with or participation in any denomination or religious institution but who nevertheless believe in God (variously defined) and often employ a variety of personal spiritual practices such as meditation, prayer, service to the poor and needy, reading sacred books, etc. To some extent this demographic overlaps with what Christians of prior eras termed "the unchurched." As is so often the case, Mormonism has its own terminology. What do we call "spiritual but not religious" Mormons or unchurched Mormons?

Walls Around Sacred Places

I just spent ten days in Japan. I'd forgotten how enlightening it is to see the places, people, and practices of a totally foreign culture, then reflect those observations back onto your own culture. In Japan, small Shinto shrines dot the urban landscape. In particular, I came across a small shrine connected to a long shopping mall in the heart of Kyoto's shopping district. Ancient and modern, side by side.