(Part 3) Top products from r/latterdaysaints

WARNING: Some minor spoilers.

I read Carl Sagan's "Contact" last year. Besides just being an all-around awesome book, he spends significant time (much more than the movie) on the science/religion theme. But instead of falling into the juvenile trap of pitting the two against each other that many commentators fall into today, the Palmer Joss and other religious characters (including other religious scientists and co-passengers with her on the journey) clearly and powerfully make the case for their faith and for faith in general.

He spends many pages of dialog and debate between Ellie and these characters. Ellie is naturally a belligerent individual, but as she grows to know and respect these characters she begins to respect their faith as well. She never "converts" so to speak, but she finds great common ground in what Carl Sagan calls the numinous feelings she feels as she's driven to do science.

This feeling of numinosity is almost universally expressed by astronauts of a wide spectrum of beliefs. There's even a documentary on it.

Other's have expressed this too. Specifically, Neil DeGrasse Tyson eloquently explains it this way.

Here's Carl Sagan wonderfully describing the numinous gift that Apollo gave us.

And one last one from Jason Silva on the biological advantage of being awestruck.

Most religious people would stand with these people and attest to the feeling of numinosity that they are describing. There is so much shared common ground there. Religious people go further and attribute it to the divine, but at the core the feeling is the same. A sense of wonder, awe, a feeling of sacredness, that there's something more, etc. It's a common human experience, an expression of who or what we all are.

IMO, we're beginning to emerge out of the cocoon of reductionism that has driven our science for a century or so. At first the cocoon was the next natural phase in our development. But as we've developed and explored using the tools of reductionism which have lead to molecules, atoms, quarks, etc. we've also begun to see the need for another phase of development. In this essay (pdf) biologists explain the need for a new mode of exploration: emergentism. That once we've gained a decent view of the universe through reductionism, we now need to play it backwards and begin to study how and why things have emerged the way that they did.

Here's a quote:

> Whereas reductionism has yielded splendid results in science, there is an important sense in which it is artificial, and in this sense false. By starting from wholes and moving ‘down’ into parts, one is moving in the opposite direction from the way matters arise. To grasp how matters arise, one must run the [movie] backwards, from the subatom to the atom to the amino acid to the protein to the polymer to the cell to the muscle to the contraction. To make such a movie, it is essential to begin with reductionist understandings—otherwise, there is no way to know what to put in the movie. But once the cast of characters is identified—once it is understood how proteins fold and myosin hydrolyses ATP and so on—it is possible to narrate such understandings in the correct temporal and spatial sequence, moving ‘upwards’ from one level to the next.

From an LDS perspective, there have been lots who have witnessed of the feeling of spiritual awe from science:

• Here's a Talk by Neil A. Maxwell
  
• The book "Mormon Scientist" showcases how LDS people should see no conflict between the goals of religion and science (told via a biography of the late Henry Eyring).
  
• We Lived With God - argues that just as 2 eyes are needed for 3-dimensional perception (aka two or more witnesses in the gospel), knowledge born of both empirical and idealist epistemological methodologies are necessary to understand truth.
  
• I'm a Mormon, Astronaut Fan, & Former NASA Flight Director
  
• I'm a Mormon, Professor, and Eco-Friendly Scientist
  
• I'm a Mormon, Scientist, and Australian Abalone Hunter
  
• I'm a Mormon, Research Scientist, and Unicyclist
  
• I'm a Mormon, Musician, & Laser-Loving Physics Professor
  
• I'm a Mormon, Scientist, and Cancer Researcher
  
  Personally, as my kids learn more and more about science, they come to me with questions asking how to square it with our faith. I heartily tell them to learn all that they can and to know that the knowledge they gain from doing so is also a form of worshiping and coming to know God. I tell them that the scriptures are NOT books on geology, biology, archeology, astronomy, etc. but that they are just as important for us to understand things like morality, human nature, relationships, truth, and ultimately God. I tell them that the more they study science, the better they can appreciate what it is that the scriptures are witnessing of and how they are witnessing it. And I tell them that the more they study the scriptures, the more they'll appreciate science and how much we need it.

Hello!

Congrats on your journey so far. I am a convert to the church (baptized a little over a year ago) and remember feeling exactly like you did. Being baptized into the church was the biggest (and best) decision of my life, but it was not a decision I wanted to make lightly. I have a few book suggestions and then some semi-unsolicited but hopefully helpful comments.

The God Who Weeps by Terryl and Fiona Givens — I read this one while investigating the church, and it really opened my eyes to how truly beautiful Mormon theology is. So many other religions only left more questions for me, and Mormonism was the first thing that clicked. This book brings a lot of those ideas together. Also I am obsessed with Terryl Givens, everything he writes is fantastic, which brings me to...

Wrestling the Angel also by Givens. This is definitely more of a Mormonism 303 lesson as it is quite academic. But Givens does a fantastic job explaining Mormon doctrine within the larger historical landscape of Christianity. The book is organized topically, so you can kind of skip around and read about what interests you.

Some of my favorite talks that have really spoken to me:

His Grace is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox

God is the Gardener by Hugh B. Brown

On How We Know by Truman G. Madsen

Some other suggestions:

Not sure where you live, but I highly recommend attending any local Institute classes that might be happening (your missionaries will know of them). It's a once a week class where people get together and discuss the Gospel. For me it was great to discuss things with people other than the missionaries and the member who introduced me to the church.

Don't feel like you have to know everything. This was my biggest stumbling block to deciding to be baptized. I felt like because this was such a huge decision (it was), I had to know absolutely everything I could before agreeing (impossible). One of the things I love most about the Gospel is its promise of never-ending, always increasing knowledge to anyone who will seek it. Baptism is not the destination. It is merely the gate into the kingdom of God, the beginning of a journey that has brought so much endless peace, joy, and love into my life. At a certain point I realized I could never know everything, but I knew enough to know that this path would take me to where I needed to be, that this is a life worth living.

Oooo this is my wheelhouse!

First, I would recommend looking at the Mormon History Association Best Book awards going back to 1966. Quality scholarship, research, and writing are a mainstay with them.

Required reading:

Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet by John Turner / Brigham Young: American Moses by Leonard Arrington

Considered two of the best books about early Utah and the Brigham Young years. Arrington's book was considered groundbreaking when he wrote it, and Turner's book brings in the valuable perspective of the non-Mormon writing about Young. For many Mormons, Turner's book will be less sympathetic to Young than Arrington's, but Turner also worked closely with the Church Archives (and spoke glowingly about them and that process), so his research had access to some better sources. If you need a primer for Brigham Young, I recommend Arrington's book. For a Brigham Young graduate level course, I recommend Turner.

Early Mormonism and the Magic Worldview by Michael Quinn

To understand much of what happened in early Mormonism, you must understand the role that folk magic played in the lives of Americans in the 1800s. Quinn's research at this time was top notch, and he was a quickly rising star among Mormon historians. Considered one of his best works, and foundational to the understanding things like seer stones, divining rods, visions, and everything else that happened in the early church days.

David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism by Greg Prince

Covers late 1940s - 1960s Mormonism, one of the "rising moments" of Mormonism when we went from a Utah-church to a worldwide church. Prince had amazing access to the journals of President McKay's secretary, which led to some candid discussions about things like the publishing of Mormon Doctrine by McConkie, blacks and the priesthood, ecumenical outreach, and politics.

Spencer W. Kimball by Edward Kimball / Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball by Edward Kimball

Ed was Pres. Kimball's son, and the books cover both the apostle years and presidency years of Spencer W. Kimball. If you had to choose one, get Lengthen Your Stride, but make sure it has the CD that comes with the book. This has the unabridged manuscript prior to the Deseret Book edits, which is much more interesting.

By the Hand of Mormon by Terryl Givens (heck...anything by Terryl Givens!)

I'll admit - I'm a Terryl Givens fanboy. By the Hand of Mormon was the one that first got me in to him, mostly because he took the Book of Mormon as a serious work of literature to examine it's merits. It's not as devotional as many traditional LDS books about the Book of Mormon (it was put out by Oxford University Press), but it really gave me a deeper appreciation for the Book of Mormon as contemporary literature. Also check out Viper on the Hearth (Mormons on myth and heresy), People of Paradox (Mormon culture), When Souls had Wings (the pre-existence in Western thought), and so many others.

And just because I'm a big book nerd, here's the list of books that are on my desk right now that I can give you quick reviews if you want:

• Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History by Greg Prince
  
• The Mormon Jesus: A Biography by John Turner
  
• Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings, edited by Brooks, Steenblik and Wheelwright
  
• Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness by W. Paul Reeve
  
• Pedestals and Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority and Equal Rights by Martha Sonntag Bradley
  
• A Reason for Faith: Navigating LDS Doctrine & Church History, edited by Laura Harris Hales
  
• Glorious in Persecution: Joseph Smith, American Prophet 1839-1844 by Martha Bradley Evans
  
• The Mormon Church & Blacks: A Documentary History, edited by Harris & Bringhurst
  
• From the Outside Looking In: Essays on Mormon History, Theology and Culture, edited by Neilson & Grow
  
• Out of Obscurity: Mormonism since 1945, edited by Mason & Turner
  
• Mormonism & American Politics, edited by Balmer & Riess
  
• Seeking the Promised Land: Mormons and American Politics by Campbell, Green & Monson
  
• A Book of Mormons: Latter-day Saints on a Modern-Day Zion, edited by Jensen & McKay-Lamb
  
• Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine & Covenants by the LDS Church
  
• Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805-1830 by Richard S. Van Wagoner
  
• Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies of the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths by Ann Taves (looking at Mormonism, Alcoholics Anonymous and A Course in Miracles)
  
• A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women's Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835-1870 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
  
• Baring Witness: 36 Mormon Women Talk Candidly about Love, Sex, and Marriage edited by Holly Welker

I'm pretty sure I've been in your shoes. In my experience, a lot of the resolution for the questions you have won't be found in neat and tidy fairlds responses, but rather in an acceptance of the limits of your own knowledge combined with an acknowledgement that, despite your newfound knowledge of how much you don't know, you can still recognize the church for the blessing it is, for the vehicle it can be to commune with God.

My own perspective has shifted from one that relied on the truthfulness of the church to inform my beliefs about the meaning and purpose of my life to one that relies foremost on a personal relationship with God to guide me. I have come to a point at which, though I hope the church is true, my happiness and meaning in life is no longer contingent on it being so. It hasn't been all smooth sailing, and, frankly, I don't really know what the future holds, but that's okay. My only advice to you would be to wait. Study, pray, ponder, take your time. You don't have to be all in our all out right now. Be honest with yourself and your loved ones who will provide support as you navigate the road ahead.

Here are some resources that helped me navigate my own faith crisis. Perhaps they may help you:

http://terrylgivens.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Letter-to-a-Doubter-2014-Revised.pdf

Terryl Givens is an LDS scholar and English professor at the University of Richmond. In the above letter, he discusses and provides historical context to some of the major theological and historical issues in a way that only he can do. He's very eloquent, I think, and draws from non-LDS literature to express his thoughts in a poetic yet understandable way. He, along with his wife, also wrote a couple books entitled, "The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections On the Quest for Faith," and The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life." The Crucible of Doubt talks about overarching, not specific, reasons why we may doubt our faith--and why that's okay. The God Who Weeps discusses the nature of God and our relationship with him. Both are excellent. Here are the Amazon links if you're interested:
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/1609079426
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B009GKP78K

Since we're on the subject of letters, here's another one called, "Letter to a College Student" by Eugene or "Gene" England.

http://www.eugeneengland.org/letter-to-a-college-student

It discusses the same general idea of struggling with doubts, but especially as they relate to certain undesirable cultural aspects of the Church. England was a Mormon scholar who, sadly, died in 2001 from cancer. I've read several of his essays and never been disappointed. He speaks so insightfully yet humbly about his own struggles with discipleship as he shares experiences from his personal life. I definitely could relate to him. He wrote another essay, "Why the Church is as True as the Gospel," that is really good, I think.

http://eugeneengland.org/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/1999_e_004.pdf

Here's the synopsis from the top: "This classic essay makes the case for the Church being as (or even more) important than the gospel for our salvation because of its role as a 'school of love.' It serves us this way by forcing us to interact with and giving us opportunities to learn to love those we might otherwise never choose to associate with." Basically, he argues that the things we find exasperating about Church and its flawed members often are the schools of love we need in order to grow and become more like Jesus Christ. This essay has helped me be more positive and patient with others who think or behave differently that I do.

The next item is a blog post by Mormon scholar Adam Miller entitled, "Letter to a CES Student," which plays off the title of a certain "Letter to a CES Director" that is popular in ex-Mormon circles.

http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2014/10/letter-to-a-ces-student/

Miller's piece does not attempt to refute its namesake piece point-by-point; rather, it addresses the importance of not letting our doubts and speculative questions prevent us achieving the real business of life, which is "to pay attention, to care for the world pressing in on you, and pull out that arrow thickly smeared with poison before you and those you love die from the wound. You business is to sacrifice all of it. Your business is consecration. And you have to consecrate everything, not just part. Even your doubts and questions need to be consecrated. Even Mormonism itself must be consecrated and returned. This work is more than enough."

The last item that I'll recommend is an essay from staylds.com entitled, "How to Stay in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after a Major Challenge to Your Faith."

http://staylds.com/docs/HowToStay.pdf

Originally penned by John Dehlin, who has since disassociated himself from the staylds.com website and the Church, the essay offers practical advice about how to navigate the middle ground of Mormonism between literalistic orthodoxy and complete abandonment. My biggest takeaway was that, should one desire to stay in the Church, there are legitimate ways (and reasons) to do so, even if you have serious doubts about your testimony. Even though the essay is quite long, it is very accessible, and it deeply resonated with me when I was in the darkest time of my spiritual crisis.

Hope this helps. PM me if you'd ever like to talk.

If you have any interest in books (sorry--that's my jam), Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings is a fantastic collection of essays, sermons, some blog posts, and other writings by Mormon women about feminism. It has the benefit of being easily digested in small chunks that stand alone pretty well, so you can skip sections that don't interest you as much or jump to some areas that really speak to you.

I actually think the book Women at Church: Magnifying LDS Women's Local Impact might be another great option for what you're looking for. It's by a very believing Mormon woman who until a few years before writing the book had worked for the church (I think in PR if I remember right) and it basically has two halves: first, explaining to Mormon men (and many women) who don't see any problems with sexism in the church why faithful members feel that there really is (and they're not crazy); and second, laying out suggestions that could be implemented at the local level that wouldn't be against any church policies but which could alleviate some of the problematic aspects of Mormon culture w/r/t sexism.

A few other book options to consider: Mormon Women Have Their Say Essays from the Claremont Oral History Collection; Mormon Women: Portraits and Conversations (covers everyone from a Utah housewife who started a major charity to a woman who fought the Marcos regime as a communist guerrilla in the Philippines!); Educated: A Memoir (a memoir about growing up in a seriously dysfunctional Mormon family but going on to achieve awesome stuff); literally anything written by Chieko Okazaki (or even listen to some of her talks in General Conference to the worldwide church)--she is beloved by literally every Mormon woman I've ever met, liberal or conservative; and Carol Lynn Pearson has written some great stuff about women and Mormonism, like The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men and (if you're into one-woman plays) Mother Wove the Morning. Many of these have Kindle editions if you don't like hard copies.

Anyway, hope some of that might sound interesting to you. Good luck!

Edit: downvotes, eh? I'm not sure how to take that! :) I didn't expect it from this community. The gist of what I was trying to say is said better by Pres. Hinckley in a different talk.

>"Women who make a house a home make a far greater contribution to society than those who command large armies or stand at the head of impressive corporations."
-Gordon B. Hinckley


--------------------------
My original comment:

The talk is beautiful; though I think you're confusing what he's saying with the modern dogma of "equality" that has become so popular.

The modern equality movement argues for equal roles that assumes that individuals are the most important players in society; this line of thinking typically leads to calls to get more women into traditionally male roles. While I personally will encourage my daughters to pursue their goals, whatever they may be, I'm hesitant to argue for equality in the way it's currently understood: equality of roles in one's career.

The reality is that the family unit is much more important, for society as a whole, as well as for the individuals who are influenced and raised by said families.

Often, having a strong family unit means having (at least) one person responsible for full-time teaching/training/loving of the little people in the home. My personal opinion is that it can be a man or a woman (though typically women are more willing and more able to fulfill this vital role).

American individualism can make this all seem very cloudy; I was recently reminded of this when I read this book, The Righteous Mind, by Jonathan Haidt, which I highly recommend.

Read the book if you haven't; I'm not sure I can do it justice. The basic idea is that there are three moral categories: the divinity ethic, the autonomy ethic, and the family ethic.

For many secular Americans, the only kind of morality that is "allowed" is the ethic of autonomy, which asks "is it fair? Does it harm any individual?"

But there is a much richer moral fabric, that includes divinity (ie allowing some things to be sacred) and family (ie putting the needs of the family/tribe before individual needs).

Also see a TLDR slideshare on the book edit: removed the Colbert video because it doesn't touch on the ideas from the book that were relevant.

My personal take, derived from experience, is that God reveals to us what is necessary to get us to act, at that time, for the benefit of others and ourselves. Frequently that means that the impressions we initially receive seem false, or misleading, 'from a certain point of view'. But from God's point of view, we are given what is needed to act appropriately at the time; building to further revealed truths. And that is the greater truth.

Back to Joseph Smith then. Were his visions of the modern church incorrect? If your definition of incorrect is that his vision matched modern day reality, then yes, his visions were incorrect. But if your definition of incorrect is that his visions led him to do the wrong thing, then I don't at all believe that they were incorrect. I think he lived and died doing pretty much exactly what God had planned for him to do.

For example, I don't pretend to understand everything about polygamy. And I don't think Joseph Smith had an accurate view of what would happen in the future regarding polygamy either. But I very, very strongly believe that Joseph Smith was acting under divine guidance, and not to satisfy his own lust. And the available sound scholarship supports that.
Joseph Smith's Polygamy: Toward a Better Understanding https://www.amazon.com/dp/1589587235/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qpZJAb1W1B7H3

As for the fate of the church in the latter days? Again, I think Joseph Smith saw what was necessary to drive him to build the church, so that it would be ready to cross the plains under Brigham Young's leadership. Anything else is secondary to that truth.

I do think that Joseph Smith had a tendency to overshare his revelations though. I think that some things that were meant for him personally, to spur divinely sanctioned action, were sometimes stated as doctrine. Given the newness of prophecy in this dispensation, I forgive that error. It's an error that can be seen to diminish across prophets as the church has matured.

May be it would be helpful to point you to some honest source that seeks to give a non subjective and fair evaluation for the claims of the church.

1.   A book that provides a general view on how to go about thinking about hard church issues. It is really good. Entitled the Crucible of Doubt by Teryl Givens: https://www.amazon.com/Crucible-Doubt-Reflections-Quest-Faith/dp/1609079426/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=crucible+of+doubt+givens&amp;amp;qid=1561524835&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;sr=1-1<br />

   
   

2. My favorite book to start thinking very thoughtfully and from an academic perspective on the book of Mormon. Incredible stuff. Entitled “Understanding the BOM” by Grant Hardy: https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Book-Mormon-Readers-Guide/dp/0199731705/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KBX8MX63A88H3GCBCHYR
   
   
3. My favorite book on early church history focused around the life of Jesus Christ. Written by the renowned Columbia U History Professor Richard Bushman. Entitled Rough Stone Rolling: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smith-Rough-Stone-Rolling/dp/1400042704/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=richard+bushman+rough+stone+rolling&qid=1561524690&s=books&sr=1-1
   
   
4. My favorite book on modern day church history. It is a careful look at the David O McKay era with incredible source material. It completely changed my view of how the upper echelons of church governance works, but somehow at the same time strengthened my faith in our very fallible leaders. Entitled The Rise of Modern Mormonism by Greg Prince: https://www.amazon.com/David-McKay-Rise-Modern-Mormonism/dp/0874808227/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+rise+of+modern+mormonism&qid=1561524807&s=books&sr=1-1

Have y’all read this book?

How Greek Philosophy Corrupted the Christian Concept of God https://www.amazon.com/dp/0882907824/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HeoEAbJTXE7SA

It’s VERY interesting and pretty much singlehandedly changed my perspective on the Apostasy. Well worth a read.

I keep saying, atheists need a church. The social support structures provided by a healthy church group is incredibly valuable to the community.

That said, I also agree with the article's author (and Jonathon Haidt) that it's hard to motivate such organization in the absence of religious guiding principles.

There are dozens and dozens of apocryphal Abraham stories involving almost every aspect we currently have in our current Book of Abraham. This book, Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham by Tvedtnes, Hauglid, and Gee is fantastic.

It's essentially the worldwide standard for the best compilation of these stories. (Unfortunately, they accidentally skipped one of the best stories, but it can be found online).

I own a copy of the book, and when you read through story after story, you find that what you quoted above is repeatedly seen. The book also contains dates to help aid in the process of when they were translated into English for the first time.

I've not read it myself, but I hear that Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet by John G. Turner gives an honest assessment of the man without attempting to either slander him or sugarcoat his story. Have heard good things about the book from both Mormons and non-Mormons.

I recommend the book Mormon Scientist. Henry J. Eyring, father of Henry B. Eyring, absolutely accepted organic evolution. He had a number of conflicts with people in the church because of it, but still maintained his faith. There are countless BYU professors that accept organic evolution as well so you are far from alone.

My great grandpa said that his dad never could kick coffee after it was made the Law (they were sheepherders). The rest of the family switched to Pero (like Postum), and my dad would sometimes bring some home and I got a taste for it too. I used to make shakes with both Pero and chocolate powder included. My family loved them.

You should check out a book called Traditions About the Early Life of Abraham, which is a bunch of extrabiblical stories about Abraham passed down through the generations. It's broken down into Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Apocryphal, and other legends, so some of them overlap, but it's fascinating to see how many of them align with the Book of Abraham. So many of those old apocryphal stories match up to parts of our own scripture, it's really interesting.

The brethren used to publicly disagree about things. Now they disagree in a closed room. Because members are not privy to these disagreements, they assume:

1. that the brethren are completely united
   
2. that anything from church headquarters = the literal voice of God
   
   I’d love to see more of this healthy public debate among church leaders. The gospel of “having all the answers” is falling short for people in my generation. We ask deep, challenging questions. The exploration of deeper questions is far more fulfilling to me than having rote answers. I wish church leaders were engaging in this discussion rather than implying that they have all the answers and to just “get in line”.
   
   >> “You must work through the Spirit. If that leads you into conflict with the program of the Church, you follow the voice of the Spirit.” (Elder S. Dilworth Young, First Council of the Seventy, 1945; quoted here, p. 17)
   
   >> “We have hitherto acted too much as machines, as to following the Spirit. I will confess to my own shame that I have acted contrary to my own judgment many times. I mean hereafter not to demean myself, to not run contrary to my own judgment. …When President Young says that the Spirit of the Lord says thus and so, I don’t consider that all we should do is to say let it be so.” (Elder Orson Pratt, 1847, quoted here, cover jacket)

This may be helpful:

https://www.fairmormon.org/blog/2019/03/12/fairmormon-questions-having-unsettling-feelings-before-receiving-my-endowment

These are the books that I got for my daughters. One of them is specifically for women, but if that doesn't apply to you, it still has good stuff about what to expect.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0884944115/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1599550520/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I highly recommend you read Pinker's book "The Better Angels of our Nature."

​

https://www.amazon.com/Better-Angels-Our-Nature-Violence/dp/0143122010

Christ isn't materially different than you and I. He is emotionally/spiritually/constitutionally different, though.

I want to strongly recommend you check out Believing Christ (here are two shorter versions):

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/stephen-e-robinson/believing-christ-practical-approach-atonement/

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1992/04/believing-christ?lang=eng

Here's the longer version:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002QCJO0C/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I know this was 4 months ago and am not sure where you are at in your journey, but I thought, as a struggling convert myself, I could try to help with my experience.

I don't struggle with depression or anxiety. I do work in mental health, as an RN, so I do have an incredible amount of empathy. I am so sorry you struggle with this and I hope your PCP or psych can get you on the right combo of meds.

As far as the caffeine, I am also a caffeine addict/caffeine dependent. As soon as I try to go a day or more without caffeine, I become unmotived, feel depressed, exhausted, and angry. I've tried weaning off of caffeine with a product called Wean Caffeine where they decrease the dose by 10 mg every day or two starting at 200mg. I guess this was too fast for me, because when I was down to 10 mg, the depression/feeling down and unmotivated hit me bad. Then, I got pregnant and it all got worse. I have a toddler to care for and work to do (I need to function), so I went back on caffeine and feel much better. The caffeine issue, I will address at another time (maybe).

As far as where I get my caffeine:

Before joining the church in 2014, I drank copious amounts of coffee and worked part time as a barista at a specialty (third wave) coffee shop. I LOVED coffee and was completely immersed in the culture. I found the church and quickly recognized it is Christ's true church on the Earth and that I needed to do what I needed to be close to my Heavenly Father. I quit coffee (switched to more natural, no sugar energy drinks from sprouts and whole foods (mostly celsius, Runa, and something called FRS, which no longer exists). I also discovered Yerba Mate (which I LOVED). Yerba Mate became my go-to. It's almost as high in caffeine as coffee, but more antioxidants, no jitters, and no upset tummy. I was good to go for 4-5 years.

Then, my second pregnancy happened and I couldn't tolerate yerba mate anymore. I gave in to coffee cravings (which had been absent the past 4 years) and felt immense guilt because I want to be worthy of the temple and to one day enter the celestial kingdom. Yes, I've had the thoughts that this commandment makes no sense or is frustrating, etc. However, just that God commands me not to partake of it should be reason enough for me to not want to partake. I don't have to understand the logic. If I try to use logic, it is too easy for me to justify indulging.

So, I am currently taking Elite Caffeine pills. Ingredients: Caffeine, L-theanine, rice flour, and gelatin. 50mg per pill, 120 capsules per bottle. $20 bucks on Amazon. This is saving me from coffee right now. I recommend you look into it! here's the link: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U0DL5O2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one is super academic, but very sound : How Greek Philosophy Corrupted the Christian Concept of God https://www.amazon.com/dp/0882907824/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nqCSDbF74NR0F

Stephen E. Robinson's Believing Christ. His Following Christ is also quite good.

If my kids have too many options of activities it becomes more disruptive than if they have to just sit. Even more than one coloring book brings along fighting over who gets what book and which crayon someone is using.

A pencil and paper for each of them, or identical boogie boards for each of them is usually the least disruptive option.

I'm looking at getting a small playset for my toddler that is a little more freestyle than a quiet book. But it'll probably end up being for restaurants etc because my older kids will probably want to play with it too, and then they'll fight and it will defeat the intended purpose.

Times and seasons, my friend. My 11, 8 and 6 year olds do well without anything. It's just the 3 and 1 year olds I'm juggling now. That tells me I only have 5(?) years left to endure. That's not much time right? lol


ETA- I forgot, if your kids really want to color, pencil boxes etc are too noisy. Get/make something like this for each of them to have their own basic 8 colors (because remember if they have to share, they're going to fight :/ )

I recommend these sites regarding those questions, as each wife was situational and these go over each one:

http://josephsmithspolygamy.org/plural-wives-overview/

http://josephsmithspolygamy.org/common-questions/sexual-polyandry/

https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Polygamy_book/Polyandry

The short answer is that some of them are undocumented and only speculated, all of them were eternity only sealings and not civil, nor sexual marriages, and the ones that were polyandrous were known and 'okayed' by the husbands.

The reasons seem to be because

1. Some of the women were married to husbands who weren't faithful LDS and they wanted to be sealed to someone who was and they believed that doing so would bring them blessings in the next life.
   
2. According to one of those sites 'the marriages could have been a way for Joseph to comply with the command to take plural wives in a manner that would be less painful for Emma. Plural marriages that didn’t include an earthly component (or were for eternity only) would presumably have been less bothersome to her'
   
3. to create eternal familial bonds.
   
   It is a very difficult subject to tackle, but there is a lot of info available on the subject. A lot of people recommend this book:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smiths-Polygamy-Toward-Understanding/dp/1589587235/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448914331&sr=8-1&keywords=laura+hales

I encourage you to read Conflict in the Quorum that shows how much of these things were not agreed upon.

You should try Pero! It taste a lot like coffee.

http://www.amazon.com/Better-Angels-Our-Nature-Violence/dp/0143122010 this helped me to be more optimistic

Here's a few books from Amazon that might be helpful:

• Covered Wagon Women, Volume 1: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails, 1840-1849: Focus is on female pioneers, might give insight into the roles of women in general in the west.
  
• Autobiographies of Mormon Pioneer Women - Volume 1- 2: There's no Amazon reviews, but it seems to be a self-explanatory title.
  
• Pedestals and Podiums: Utah Women, Religious Authority, and Equal Rights: Discusses the contrast between LDS women's (and church leader's) support for women's suffrage (Utah was the first state to give women the right to vote) and their rejection and campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment. This may only be tangential to your thesis, but would provide another example of changing roles of and views on women in the church.
  
  Disclaimer: I have read none of these books.

From what I understand there are a few reasons:

 

1. The JST was still a work in progress at the time of the martyrdom
   
    
   
2. The transcripts were mostly owned by the RLDS Church (Now Community of Christ)
   
    
   
3. Because the transcrips were not in custody of the LDS church there is no way to know if changes were made after the martyrdom
   
    
   
   You can, however, but a copy. It's published by the Community of Christ.
    
   https://www.amazon.ca/Joseph-Smiths-New-Translation-Bible/dp/0830900322

You should absolutely read David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. I think it's totally key to understanding the modern church and how we got here.

Not sure if you're willing, but have you looked at The Holy Temple?

SDS, SCLC, and SNCC were positively riddled with Communists, including active Soviet intelligence agents. The Soviets were rather cynical about their role, seeing it primarily as a means of destabilizing the American war effort and deflecting criticism from their own human rights abuses - but many of the home-grown Marxists did anticipate that their actions would trigger a Communist revolution in America. (The story of what those hardliners did when the revolution failed to materialize is a fascinating one.)

>Did Joseph Smith translate the WHOLE bible, or just parts of it?

the word "translate" here really just means that joseph smith edited the bible. he mostly made corrections here and there throughout. iirc, he didn't ever "finish" this work, but it has been published by the reorganized church of jesus christ of jesus christ of latter day saint.

>Where can I get a copy of the JS Translation?

https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Smiths-New-Translation-Bible/dp/0830900322

>How do I know, while reading the KJV of the Bible, that this verse has been translated by Joseph Smith? Then, how can I look that up?

the footnotes in the official lds copy of the kjv make note if it has been altered by the JST, but it's not complete.

>Why doesn't the church have a "Mormon Bible?"

iirc, we (the lds church) never actually owned the entire copyright to it, and so we just went with the kjv.

>Are there other versions of the bible that I can read at home that aren't so confusing?

yep, there are lots and lots of different version of the bible, some of which make it less confusing, but some parts of the bible is just a tough read sometimes no matter what the translation.

you can read more about the joseph smith translation of the bible here: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bd/joseph-smith-translation?lang=eng
and here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith_Translation_of_the_Bible