Learning truth through symbolismCategory : Media & Internet, Politics, Uncategorized, Video
Many of you may have heard about Elder Oak’s recent BYU-Idaho devotional address. I just wanted to collect some of the information here for you to read/listen to/watch. Its an important message at an important time.
First, read the full text of the talk at LDS.org, or download the MP3 at BYU-I’s devotionals archive.
Second, here’s an article the Church posted about it, along with the following Q&A video with Elder Oaks, about the talk:
Category : Divine Potential, Media & Internet, Misc, Uncategorized, Video
Elder David A Bednar of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles
I think it’s a shame that sometimes the CES firesides, which are addressed to young single adults, often go unnoticed by the rest of the Church. When given by an Apostle, they are frequently among the most direct and instructional talks that our modern Prophets give to a large audience. Luckily, they’re available on the Church website, for the rest of us.
Last Sunday Elder David A. Bednar was at BYU-Idaho and gave the CES YSA fireside. I’ve sat there in the Hart building and listened to him speak many times when he was the President of BYU-I. As awesome and powerful as those devotionals were, ever since he became an Apostle, there is definitely something different, more powerful in his teachings of the gospel and witness of Christ.
Elder Bednar spoke on the importance of our physical bodies in God’s great plan of salvation. In my opinion, he taught these doctrines with great clarity. After doing so, he warned of Satan’s methods of trying to get us to misuse or minimize (or both) our bodies. He touched upon the age-old warnings against the misuse of our bodies, but then issued warnings that might be new to many, related to minimizing the importance of our bodies by spending too much time online, watching TV, playing video games, etc., where we forget our physical body and life is lived completely through the computer or some medium other than our God-give senses.
Characteristic of just how in-touch these great men are, he even specifically named some of today’s most popular virtual worlds and online social networks such as Second Life. Its interesting too that he speaks to both ends of the spectrum: those who spend too much time at a computer, as well as those who are overly conscious of their body and/or are adicted to their own body’s drug of adrenaline.
You can listen to or watch his entire talk here:
I usually don’t post about popular media, or even current events or other things that might be related. I feel strongly that the purpose of this blog is to focus on learning doctrines, not keeping abreast of all the scholarship, events, attacks, etc that goes on in the world around us (partly because I don’t have time to post that often or keep on top of all of it). I model it on the pattern the temple teaches: it’s only when we get away from all the noise that we can internalize simple principles and doctrines that will make the real difference in our lives and then allow us to make a real difference in the lives of others.
This post goes contrary to that and addresses the recent news that the HBO show “Big Love” will show parts of the endowment ceremony on an upcoming episode. I think it’s an important thing to address, because we need to know how to properly handle these kinds of situations (they’ll only get more common).
I’d like to quote Moroni 9:25–26, with one slight modification (italicized):
25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which HBO & the world does grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.
26 And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen.
One of my mentors put it so well, I’ll just quote him:
The adversary is always coming up with new fiery darts. Withstanding them is best done by focusing on our sacred duties, rather than on the darts. For example, we can all channel our passionate feelings about the temple into more temple attendance. The adversary doesn’t want to attack the temple; he knows he can’t succeed in that. But if his attack on the temple distracts temple attenders into worry and letter-writing campaigns that take time away from temple attendance, that’s victory for him. Having only so much time, we do best to focus on our sacred responsibilities.
Anyone who plays sports knows the best way to avoid an incoming ball is to know where it is so you can catch it–or at least dodge it. In the gospel the opposite is true. The best protection against fiery darts is to ignore the darts and make sure we are strengthening our armor by focusing on doctrines, duties, and other people: the things that will make a difference.
I add my voice to that of Bryce Hammond, Terrance Olson, Orson Scott Card and others in saying that the bigger of a deal we make of this, the more attention it will get. That’s the last thing we want to happen. And to all those people who are threatening to cancel their HBO subscriptions: why do you have HBO in the first place?
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