Saturday, May 1, 2010

Q & A with the "perfected" Millennial Mormon

I'd like to spend a few minutes responding to some questions about this blog and about myself.

Q:  Why is the blog called "Millennial Mormonism Today" when you don't write everyday?
A:  There are multiple reasons for this.  As you press forward in your millennial journey to rediscover who you are, what you will find is that you are more mindful about today and this very moment than you are about the past or the future.  It is a hellish, Telestial, natural man/woman mindset that worries and perseverates about the future (or the past).  Jesus the Christ said:  "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" (Matthew 6:34).  This is repeated in the Savior's sermon at the temple to the Nephites and in D&C 84:81-84.  The natural woman or man finds this to be a hard saying.  Who can hear it?!

Q:  Are you an apostate or excommunicated member of the church?
A:  No.  I actually hold a current temple recommend and love the church.  The church, the apostles and prophets and the temple have brought me out of the world and into the wilderness.  Jesus Christ is bringing me into the promised land.

Q:  So you don't follow the prophet?
A:  The scriptures, the laws and ordinances, the temple, the apostles and prophets (dead and living) and indeed "all things" are types and shadows of Jesus Christ (see 2 Nephi 11:4).  The apostles and prophets are special witnesses of Jesus Christ and point to him as the means and example of perfection (becoming whole, holy or complete).  The natural woman or man worships the types and shadows.  They spend most of their energy focusing on the external symbols.  A millennial mormon is more concerned with the meaning behind the type and the internal application for him or herself.  For every external type, there is a corresponding internal meaning that leads to perfection.  Thus there are external apostles and prophets and internal apostles and prophets.  There is an external temple and there is the internal temple.  There are external ordinances and internal ordinances.  It is not that the external is meaningless or of no value.  They are very valuable clues that lead us in the right direction.  But they are not ends of themselves.  Once the meaning and focus is directed to the internal, peace, joy and happiness are found.  If you are from Utah, I'm sure you are familiar with the song Jerusalem by Alphaville.  There is a profound line in that song that corresponds to my answer.  "Chasing shadows (types) leaves you feelin' blue, this situation needs a cure . . ."

Q:  So why do you stay in the church?
A:  The church continues to be a beautiful and wonderful place to work out my salvation.  God speaks to us in our own language as you well know.  The language and learning of my "fathers" (in this case the church) is helpful for me to know where I am in my internal millennial journey.  The church is the faith and tradition of my fathers and mothers.  I have friends and family there.  The dogma, doctrines, policies, rules, standards etc. are types and shadows.  I don't spend a lot of time focusing on the external.  It is the internal that counts more for me at this stage in my journey.  If I were to attend another church I would need to learn a whole new language and the message would be the same for me anyways.

Q:  Are you a "New Order Mormon"?
A:  No.  Although there is certainly significant overlap.  The difference as I see it is that Millennial Mormons tend to "believe all things" because all things are types and shadows.  I would let New Order Mormons speak for themselves on how they would like to be defined.  I do like the band New Order though.

Q:  Why do you talk about the temple?  Don't you know it's sacred?  You're not supposed to use the temple's words in common speech.
A:  The temple is one of the most profound ways we come to know Truth.  As we know, the temple is saturated with symbolism.  The entire temple endowment, past and present has been published for quite some time.  It truly is not a secret.  There are many phrases from the temple that we use in common church dialogue.  One example is the phrase:  "return and report" which is used frequently outside the temple.  I do not claim that how I see the symbolism of the temple is the correct way.  I don't speak for the church.  I am not President Monson.  I alone am responsible for what I say and believe.  It is merely my opinion.  This is as it should be.  The Brethren are correct in promoting the sacredness of temple.  On a Telestial level, this is very appropriate.  There should not be one correct interpretation of the temple's symbols.  What is sacred is the subjective internal meaning translated from those symbols for the individual.  The Internet is a miraculous thing.  It is a great symbol in and of itself of oneness and unity.  I see you the reader of this blog as one with me rather than separate.  The Telestial world is about seeing things and people, including God, as separate, whereas in millennial thought, the emphasis is placed more on oneness and unity.  Therefore the meaning of how something is sacred and when, how and where, sacred things can be expressed depends upon your mindset.

Q:  Do you believe in the literal historicity of the Book of Mormon?  What about DNA studies, etc.?
A:  For me the value of the Book of Mormon is not so much in what aspects are literal and what aspects are symbolic.  There are legion opinions about that.  As I have said before, for me, everything is a type and shadow.  Which is more important, the mirror and the reflection, or the actual person it is reflecting?  Nicodemus Mormons focus on the mirror and the reflection.  Millennial Mormons are more interested in the actual person.  It is not that the mirror or the reflection isn't valuable.  It is.  But once you are familiar with what is being reflected back, it becomes less necessary to look into it.  The Book of Mormon is a mirror and it is about you!  You are the golden plates that have been hidden (deep in the mountain side) and are now coming forth.  You are being translated correctly and published to the world.  You are the most correct book on earth.  The Nephite and Lamanite wars within you are coming to a close as Christ comes.  You are the temple in Bountiful where Christ visits.  This is what is important from my perspective.  I still get curious about if the Nephites actually existed and where they lived.  I'll smile if they ever find ancient horse bones, an "I Nephi" inscription or Middle Eastern DNA in Native Americans.  But if they don't, then it won't change the incredible meaning and peace I have found through the symbolism of the Book of Mormon.  God brought the book forth not as a history lesson but to change your life and help you to remember who you are.  The curse has not yet been lifted on the church for treating lightly the sacredness of the Book of Mormon (see D&C 84:54-57).  I sometimes wonder if we are seeing that played out now because in times past we have focused so much on the historicity and searching for an epic and romanticized perspective on the book rather than recognizing how the book applies to us individually, spiritually and internally.  You can lift the curse for yourself, and eventually it will come to pass that the curse will be lifted on the whole church collectively.

Q:  What is a Nicodemus Mormon and why do you hate them?
A:  A Nicodemus Mormon is a member of the church who is in the Telestial phase of their spiritual journey towards becoming perfected or whole (holy) and complete.  They tend to center their focus and lives on the law and the prophets.  They are akin to scribes and Pharisees.  They are named after Nicodemus, a Pharisee in the New Testament, who initially took what Jesus was saying as literal and at face value.  They tend to be uber literalists.  They tend to focus on the physical/material world and make judgements from that perspective.  I use the name "Nicodemus" (see John 3:1-9) to describe a stage in my life because he was an open minded Pharisee who became converted to the gospel and began following Jesus.  Therefore, Nicodemus Mormon is not a pejorative so much as an identifier of where one is at in their journey.  I was once a Nicodemus Mormon but now that phase of my journey is fading away as I continue to rediscover who I am.  I may sound a little harsh with them sometimes but that is consistent with the example of Jesus.  His most direct criticisms went to the scribes and Pharisees.  He was kind and merciful to sinners and prostitutes who wanted to change their lives.  This seems to me to be a mirror as to what style a person wants and needs to help them to move forward.  Some need kindness and mercy and some need something a little stronger.  I do not hate anybody.  I especially recognize the difficulty of moving beyond the Telestial.  I know it is not easy and I love those who are making the journey as well as those who choose not to in this life.



Q:  Why do you believe that we can become perfected in this life?
A:  It depends on what you mean by perfected.  I use the terms whole or complete as a way to describe a fullness of the triune nature of the soul.  The soul is made up of three parts.  Intelligence (Divine Nature), Spirit, and Body.  Intelligence is co-eternal and cannot be created or destroyed.  When all three parts are functioning in harmony and unison then a soul is said to be perfect.  Our Heavenly Father has a perfect triune soul.  Jesus Christ has a perfect triune soul.  The natural man makes a superficial judgement about perfect and tends to only look at the physical or superficial, and is concerned with rules, commandments, traditions and laws.  A millennial perspective is more interested in internal process and interaction between the three parts and how they become one.  There are many scriptures about finding this perfected process in this life.  In Matthew 5:48 Jesus commands men "to be" perfect not to "become" perfect.  It is present tense.  It is about what is going on right now inside of you.  Another scripture is in 2Peter 1:10 where Peter says we should be diligent in making our calling and election sure.  Most members of the church see this concept as something out of reach for them when it is clearly applicable to all of us.  It is meant to be in this life.  In Moroni 7:3 the prophet Mormon speaks about entering into the "rest of the Lord" in this life before our body dies!  Many members of the church are in anything but a restful state because they are in the Telestial part of their journey.  Jesus said:  "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).  That is so true.


May you always be blessed my friends.  I hope this helps to clarify your questions.

4 comments:

  1. I like your blog. Keep it up. There are few who will even get what you're talking about, but that's OK.

    Tyler

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  2. Thanks Tyler. Peace and blessing to you and your family.

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  3. I was referred to your blog by someone posting at the New Order Mormon community. What you have written resonates with me. The church for me is "true" to the extent that it takes us to a certain point. The final mountain in my opinion involves faith in Christ

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  4. The church is true as long as it is translated correctly. Thanks for reading the blog Diogenes and I'm very glad it resonates with you. It's great to have you along for the millennial ride!

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