Thursday night I went to the Crandall Printing Museum and The Joseph Smith Papers and doctrine of our church came into perspective even more. From the minute I entered the museum my senses came alive—different grains of wood, ink ingredients, the smell of paper, aroma of a working shop, freshly inked paper being pulled from the press, oozing globs of thick black ink, a grunt from the puller, clink of type being placed back in the case, squints from typesetters, documents strung on string from the ceiling, slice of paper cutting, hum of a modern typesetter, the jokes of the museum hosts.
There is no doubt in my mind that Johannes Guttenberg was inspired by God. To discover ink or the press or the process of making type individually would be an accomplishment in itself, but to pioneer all three and have a well-known printing business is absolutely incredible! The printing process reaffirms the sacredness of the Bible and Book of Mormon and helped me see how much God and religion governed the lives of people back then. Isn’t it interesting that once things become “easier” and “more casual” with modern technology and society we begin to pull away from God? So sad. No wonder humility is something we should always strive for.
When stories were being told by the curators of when their generation was paid to reset the type in the appropriate case, it hit me how recent the press was actually used. So many advances in every aspect of life have occurred since 1900, even in the last fifty years! Even our current Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, first swept the floor of a printer when he was a boy.
The way for the gospel to be restored on the Earth has been prepared by God. It strengthens my testimony to know that from the original press created by Guttenberg in the 15th century until the printing of the Book of Mormon, hardly anything changed. Once the gospel was restored, discovery and intelligence took off! For over four hundred years humanity lives within the bounds of basic survival necessities and since the restoration of the gospel advancements have increased tenfold!
I like attending extra things like this for class because in reality, life goes beyond the textbook and just words on a page. To fully understand something you must learn more about the process, people, and situation of the time it came forth. I really liked going to the Crandall Printing Museum—I only wish it had been a little faster-paced. I feel like the same information could have been given in about half the time; however, maybe slow-pace taught me a little more patience, the key characteristic of the printer’s trade.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Becoming Scripture
When reading writings of Joseph Smith (or any other high church leader of that period for that matter) it is interesting to note which was canonized and which was not—which teachings became “scripture.” The majority of the Doctrine and Covenants is a mix of direct revelation from the Lord and sermons from the Prophet Joseph himself. Prophets frequently record in the Book of Mormon that they have only placed inside the things which will be of greatest worth to the children of men—certainly the teachings of Joseph Smith in Nauvoo are no different.
Some of Joseph Smith’s teachings became scripture because they are of specific doctrinal importance. New ordinances were being revealed and new powers bestowed upon Joseph Smith, and with these revelations came the responsibility for recording them for future generations. For instance in section 128 “the great and grand secret of the whole matter...consists in obtaining the powers of the Holy Priesthood.” Things pertaining to the exaltation of man (the reward IN heaven) must be readily available; therefore, they are scripture. The sealing and binding power revealed to Joseph definitely counts as scripture. Later in Section 129, the skeleton of the temple endowment is laid out. While the “flesh” is obtained in the temple, progression in learning is a key principle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
I think section 132 is scripture because it deals with one of the major problems have with the LDS church—polygamy. Since this was the defining test of trust Joseph placed upon those leaders who would receive keys, it needed to be recorded for his sake and theirs. It addresses a major part of the church’s past! In this section we can read Joseph’s thinking and understand that he was under mortal strain and emotion, just like the rest of us. We are taught of accepting the commands of God and then applying them in our lives.
Some of his teachings were used to teach broader lessons. In Section 124 Joseph records four commands that he was given—1. Make a solemn proclamation of the gospel to the world; 2. Build a temple; 3. Build the Nauvoo House; 4. Restore Priesthood. While these commands dealt with specific critical church circumstances at the time, the Prophet Joseph was taught prioritization. In the scriptures, Christ taught in parables. Perhaps this is simply a type of modern parable, where the children of God can learn what is truly important—that which brings life in the life to come, the priesthood!
Other sections are harder to discern. In section 126 Brigham Young is commended by the Lord. This section could be scripture because the message of “…your offering is acceptable to me…” needed to be heard (and applied to) someone other than Brigham Young. No lesson, just encouragement was needed by someone.
D&C 132: 49: “For I am the Lord thy God , and will be with thee even unto the end of the world…”
Some of Joseph Smith’s teachings became scripture because they are of specific doctrinal importance. New ordinances were being revealed and new powers bestowed upon Joseph Smith, and with these revelations came the responsibility for recording them for future generations. For instance in section 128 “the great and grand secret of the whole matter...consists in obtaining the powers of the Holy Priesthood.” Things pertaining to the exaltation of man (the reward IN heaven) must be readily available; therefore, they are scripture. The sealing and binding power revealed to Joseph definitely counts as scripture. Later in Section 129, the skeleton of the temple endowment is laid out. While the “flesh” is obtained in the temple, progression in learning is a key principle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
I think section 132 is scripture because it deals with one of the major problems have with the LDS church—polygamy. Since this was the defining test of trust Joseph placed upon those leaders who would receive keys, it needed to be recorded for his sake and theirs. It addresses a major part of the church’s past! In this section we can read Joseph’s thinking and understand that he was under mortal strain and emotion, just like the rest of us. We are taught of accepting the commands of God and then applying them in our lives.
Some of his teachings were used to teach broader lessons. In Section 124 Joseph records four commands that he was given—1. Make a solemn proclamation of the gospel to the world; 2. Build a temple; 3. Build the Nauvoo House; 4. Restore Priesthood. While these commands dealt with specific critical church circumstances at the time, the Prophet Joseph was taught prioritization. In the scriptures, Christ taught in parables. Perhaps this is simply a type of modern parable, where the children of God can learn what is truly important—that which brings life in the life to come, the priesthood!
Other sections are harder to discern. In section 126 Brigham Young is commended by the Lord. This section could be scripture because the message of “…your offering is acceptable to me…” needed to be heard (and applied to) someone other than Brigham Young. No lesson, just encouragement was needed by someone.
D&C 132: 49: “For I am the Lord thy God , and will be with thee even unto the end of the world…”
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Church Court
Reading pages 381 and 639-648 (minutes from February 17, 1834) of “The Joseph Smith Papers” was insightful. I cannot describe the feelings I get seeing the text in the original hand of early church leaders. Staring at scans of the original manuscripts instills such a sacredness and a greater sense of urgency for how important the gospel is.
Whenever I read of the prophesy of the Civil War in the Doctrine and Covenants, I get goosebumps. The “start of the rebellion beginning with South Carolina” is recorded 36 years before it actually occurred. I wonder if Joseph and the scribes realized what they were writing of when they recorded this revelation. Surely, unless one lived through it, the devastating impact would never be fully realized. Even with the knowledge of the past and the way the Civil War shaped our young country, we still will never experience the nature of trauma that nineteenth century America survived. I keep going back to a comment Dr. Holzapfel made in lecture a few weeks ago in regards to what Lincoln said in one of his addresses to the effect of: “It is not whose side God is on that is important; rather, it is critical that you are on God’s.”
The fact that the church has a “justice system” is an interesting subject for me. While the gospel teaches forgiveness and repentance, that does not and should not override the demands of justice. Behavior has natural consequences. In these notes it was revealed that the council would be made up of twelve high priests and one to three presidents, as the case required. After hearing both sides’ evidence, the President makes a decision which is asked to be sanctioned by the council.
It struck me over and over again how the church is trying to help people make the right decisions and repent of their sin. The MAJORITY of leaders must be present to vote, DISAGREEMENT leads to REHEARING, UNCLEAR CASE then President goes to the Lord, etc, etc—the Church is extending charity to people in any way it can, yet still submitting to the demands of justice. I thought it interesting that if the exception of an appeal was ever determined by the First Presidency, a trial would be redone without any mention of past trial history. God is doing everything in His power to bring us home.
Of course, this “church law” is only to “settle important difficulties … which could not be settled by the church or the Bishop’s council to the satisfaction of the parties.” The matters that arise before church court are clearly not trivial matters, but pertain to more serious sin.
Whenever I read of the prophesy of the Civil War in the Doctrine and Covenants, I get goosebumps. The “start of the rebellion beginning with South Carolina” is recorded 36 years before it actually occurred. I wonder if Joseph and the scribes realized what they were writing of when they recorded this revelation. Surely, unless one lived through it, the devastating impact would never be fully realized. Even with the knowledge of the past and the way the Civil War shaped our young country, we still will never experience the nature of trauma that nineteenth century America survived. I keep going back to a comment Dr. Holzapfel made in lecture a few weeks ago in regards to what Lincoln said in one of his addresses to the effect of: “It is not whose side God is on that is important; rather, it is critical that you are on God’s.”
The fact that the church has a “justice system” is an interesting subject for me. While the gospel teaches forgiveness and repentance, that does not and should not override the demands of justice. Behavior has natural consequences. In these notes it was revealed that the council would be made up of twelve high priests and one to three presidents, as the case required. After hearing both sides’ evidence, the President makes a decision which is asked to be sanctioned by the council.
It struck me over and over again how the church is trying to help people make the right decisions and repent of their sin. The MAJORITY of leaders must be present to vote, DISAGREEMENT leads to REHEARING, UNCLEAR CASE then President goes to the Lord, etc, etc—the Church is extending charity to people in any way it can, yet still submitting to the demands of justice. I thought it interesting that if the exception of an appeal was ever determined by the First Presidency, a trial would be redone without any mention of past trial history. God is doing everything in His power to bring us home.
Of course, this “church law” is only to “settle important difficulties … which could not be settled by the church or the Bishop’s council to the satisfaction of the parties.” The matters that arise before church court are clearly not trivial matters, but pertain to more serious sin.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Living Art
Visiting the Museum of Art was such a peaceful experience. Every time I walk in a museum or a gallery I feel so cultured, refined, sophisticated, and connected with myself—last week was no exception.
The most intriguing part of the exhibit was the opening resin creation by Franz M. Johansen, The Rod and the Veil. I really opened my eyes for how close the spirit world is. To me, the higher figure was clothed in the veil. He seemed to be uncovering the rod bit by bit for the mortal coming up beside him. He is close by, yet allowing our agency. The cloth veil showed me what a thin existence separates us from eternity. Life is so fragile.
One of my favorite paintings was entitled Daily Bread by Lee Bennion. The main focus of the painting is a housewife adorned with a traditional apron. Her outstretched hands clutch the apron corners and hold up a loaf of bread. She wears a somber expression and stands in front of a window with geraniums growing up in the background. The predominant colors are red, yellow, and blue.
Bennion’s painting came across to me as a child’s artwork taped to the already plastered fridge would. Innocent. In the gallery of life-like images and towering figurines, this piece seemed so mortal to me which allowed me to connect to the piece. It reminded me of the Neal A Maxwell quote of “members working out their own salvation.” The woman’s offering seems so whole and complete to me because her outstretched hands seem to be holding nothing back. In mortality she is recognizing her divine nature (bread is typically a feminine task). She is sacrificing everything, including her will, for the Father.
“Daily Bread” really summarized the entire exhibit for me in one word—home. All of the paintings taught me lessons of how to return to my heavenly home. I felt the love of my Heavenly Father throughout the entire exhibit. I know my meager mortal offering, my daily bread, will somehow be sufficient through Christ’s atonement.
The exhibit made me wonder how many of the artists were LDS. The fact that many were not (those in earlier centuries) reinforces the fact that there is SOME truth in all religion. While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has the entire restored gospel, it is wonderful to realize that others really have some sense of God. All of us have an inner longing to return “home.” The Museum exhibit presented so many things that are familiar to us because they are part of the plan which we learned of in the pre-existence. On a more serious note, I came to a better understanding of how crucial gospel ordinances are and the importance of missionary work while on the earth.
I cannot wait to go back to the exhibit this week and see all of the pieces. Seeing truths of the gospel in art presents so many new peaceful perspectives.
The most intriguing part of the exhibit was the opening resin creation by Franz M. Johansen, The Rod and the Veil. I really opened my eyes for how close the spirit world is. To me, the higher figure was clothed in the veil. He seemed to be uncovering the rod bit by bit for the mortal coming up beside him. He is close by, yet allowing our agency. The cloth veil showed me what a thin existence separates us from eternity. Life is so fragile.
One of my favorite paintings was entitled Daily Bread by Lee Bennion. The main focus of the painting is a housewife adorned with a traditional apron. Her outstretched hands clutch the apron corners and hold up a loaf of bread. She wears a somber expression and stands in front of a window with geraniums growing up in the background. The predominant colors are red, yellow, and blue.
Bennion’s painting came across to me as a child’s artwork taped to the already plastered fridge would. Innocent. In the gallery of life-like images and towering figurines, this piece seemed so mortal to me which allowed me to connect to the piece. It reminded me of the Neal A Maxwell quote of “members working out their own salvation.” The woman’s offering seems so whole and complete to me because her outstretched hands seem to be holding nothing back. In mortality she is recognizing her divine nature (bread is typically a feminine task). She is sacrificing everything, including her will, for the Father.
“Daily Bread” really summarized the entire exhibit for me in one word—home. All of the paintings taught me lessons of how to return to my heavenly home. I felt the love of my Heavenly Father throughout the entire exhibit. I know my meager mortal offering, my daily bread, will somehow be sufficient through Christ’s atonement.
The exhibit made me wonder how many of the artists were LDS. The fact that many were not (those in earlier centuries) reinforces the fact that there is SOME truth in all religion. While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has the entire restored gospel, it is wonderful to realize that others really have some sense of God. All of us have an inner longing to return “home.” The Museum exhibit presented so many things that are familiar to us because they are part of the plan which we learned of in the pre-existence. On a more serious note, I came to a better understanding of how crucial gospel ordinances are and the importance of missionary work while on the earth.
I cannot wait to go back to the exhibit this week and see all of the pieces. Seeing truths of the gospel in art presents so many new peaceful perspectives.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Filled with Light
Although the same revelations lie on both sets of pages, examining the material in two places almost leaves me with the feeling of two sets of scripture. What a blessing to have truth from two marvelous perspectives! The most recent modern 2007 edition that I have is beautifully typed and bound, extremely cost-effective, and it fits comfortably in my hands. The other, found in the newly released The Joseph Smith Papers Revelations and Translations book is a place where I can see the handwriting of the earliest leaders of the church. The pages were much larger, hand written, and expensive. The sweat, tears, and heartache of the manuscript pulls you into the page.
It increased my testimony to see the detail that went into the manuscript editing. What may seem like small changes done by Joseph Smith and others can have potentially huge doctrinal impacts. Reading the pages you can see obvious points (especially when turning pages) where it looks like a sentence was repeated by Joseph (for clarity when translating) but was accidentally copied twice by the scribe and had to be crossed out later. This reminded me of our class trip to Special Collections where we learned about the tedious and rigorous scribe process. This was an extremely time consuming process which reinforces the sacredness of the work of the Kingdom.
I really enjoyed being able to see the combination of original words, edits, and who changed what. Scratch-outs offer insights to other possible scripture pronunciations for our benefit and learning. For instance if I were trying to study a certain principle in the Doctrine and Covenants, I might try looking in the manuscripts to see what words were there originally. God made sure what He wanted was there in the end, but surely similar words and concepts were confused at first. (Footnotes, almost!)
Studying the actually manuscript increased my awareness of the words on the page. At one point it references the “curtain of heaven” being drawn and reading from the original pages drew my mind to the temple. This was a connection I hadn’t thought of before! Language can be such a powerful thing when not taken so casually. Words have actual meanings and implications. They have a history and tradition! For instance, on page 295, a change was made from “celestial spirit inherits celestial body” to “celestial spirit inherits body.” You get what you are! Certainly your body is made of whatever spirit you are.
One of my favorite passages on page 299 read: "that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.” God opens our understanding as we fill our lives with His truth and goodness.
It increased my testimony to see the detail that went into the manuscript editing. What may seem like small changes done by Joseph Smith and others can have potentially huge doctrinal impacts. Reading the pages you can see obvious points (especially when turning pages) where it looks like a sentence was repeated by Joseph (for clarity when translating) but was accidentally copied twice by the scribe and had to be crossed out later. This reminded me of our class trip to Special Collections where we learned about the tedious and rigorous scribe process. This was an extremely time consuming process which reinforces the sacredness of the work of the Kingdom.
I really enjoyed being able to see the combination of original words, edits, and who changed what. Scratch-outs offer insights to other possible scripture pronunciations for our benefit and learning. For instance if I were trying to study a certain principle in the Doctrine and Covenants, I might try looking in the manuscripts to see what words were there originally. God made sure what He wanted was there in the end, but surely similar words and concepts were confused at first. (Footnotes, almost!)
Studying the actually manuscript increased my awareness of the words on the page. At one point it references the “curtain of heaven” being drawn and reading from the original pages drew my mind to the temple. This was a connection I hadn’t thought of before! Language can be such a powerful thing when not taken so casually. Words have actual meanings and implications. They have a history and tradition! For instance, on page 295, a change was made from “celestial spirit inherits celestial body” to “celestial spirit inherits body.” You get what you are! Certainly your body is made of whatever spirit you are.
One of my favorite passages on page 299 read: "that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.” God opens our understanding as we fill our lives with His truth and goodness.
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