I listened to David singing “Be Still My Soul” through the Day of Praise blog.  Thanks.  So here is my question:  did Katharina, born 310 years ago, actually believe that the One who ruled the waves and winds while He dwelt below . . . did she actually believe that the Lord she wrote of in this hymn is the Most High (Elyon) mentioned in Psalm 46?

Do LDS believe this today when they passionately sing this hymn?

Pop over at Urim and Thummim.

But I hunger for ancient Israel’s understanding of God rather than ancient England’s understanding of Gods.

Today, Scott sent me this song link to God and God alone.

If I were right in the middle of this cathedral’s music, I am sure I would be weeping tonight.

Tomorrow, Lord’s Day, we are jumping into all the implications of perichosis, jumping ahead to John 14 and John 17 – one in each other.

And “That we all may be one.” 

But does this post by ecubishop describe what John is talking about?

Can you imagine reading this verse every time you came to work?  What kind of thoughts would this quote by Paul generate for you, seeing it day after day? (more…)

Brian Hales writes in the book, Mormon Fundamentalism (Orem, UT:  Millennial Press, 2008):

In writing about Mormon fundamentalists, I am aware that they prefer to be called “fundamentalist Mormons.”  In choosing the terms I use, I do not wish to convey my disrespect.  Yet for me, a true “fundamentalist Mormon” would embrace the whole of the Church’s fundamental teachings, not just a specialized version of one or two principles, and the need for proper priesthood authority to perform valid ordinances, including baptism, would exclude freelance baptism (those performed without genuine authority) as a gateway to becoming “Mormons.”  These two concerns limit my ability to refer to “Mormon fundamentalists” as “fundamentalist Mormons.”  All major religions have “fundamentalist” factions attached to them, and the Mormon variety shares many parallels with their counterparts of other spiritual traditions.  In that context, they easily qualify as “Mormon fundamentalists.”

– Brian C. Hales, May 2008

Though I am an outsider, this conversation is intriguing.  Brian sounds like a “fundamentalist Mormon,” insisting on fundamentals.  Am I wrong on this?

Find out more at his website, Mormon Fundamentalism.

I actually agree with a statement that Dr. Millet made in his latest book, Holding Fast (Deseret, 2008). (more…)

Blake Ostler writes in his book, Exploring Mormon Thought:  The Attributes of God (2001):

In the Hebrew scripture, a member of El’s court, angels and possibly gods of foreign nations are called gods in this sense.  The various mediating principles and half-personified divine attributes found in the Hebrew writings such as debar or the divine word or Wisdom, would belong to this class.  In the New Testament, “the Word,” and “the Mediator,” are also used in this sense in the Epistles of Paul and the Gospel of John.  In such passages, Christ is viewed as a subordinate being even though he is considered as divine and meriting worship (p. 8).

Ouch.  Ouch.  Ouch.  Great.  We get to worship Jesus, but He is just a derivative or lesser of God.

As I skip over several sentences discussing LDS texts (D&C 121:32, Abraham 4:1) on gods, Blake carries on:

This use of the word “gods” is essentially equivalent to the Old Testament usage that refers to Yahweh or to Yahweh Elohim planning with and ruling over a council of gods who are subordinate to him.  As Hans-Joachim Kraus observed:

In the heavenly world Yahweh, enthroned as God and king, is surrounded by powers who honor, praise and serve him.  Israel borrowed from the Canaanite-Syrian world the well-attested concept of a pantheon of gods and godlike beings who surround the supreme God, the ruler and monarch.  In Psalm 29:1-2 the bene elohim (“sons of God”) give honor to Yahweh.  They are subordinate heavenly beings stripped of their power, who are totally dependent on Yahweh and no longer possess any independent divine nature.  In Job and the Psalter, power of this sort are called bene elohim, elim, or qedushim(“sons of God,” “gods,” and “holy ones,” Job I:6ff; Ps. 58:I; 8:5; 86:8).  But Yahweh alone is the highest God (‘Elyon) and king. . . . In Psalm 82 we have a clear example of the idea of a “council of gods.” . . . “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment.”  The “highest god” is the judge.  The gods (elohim) are his attendants.  They are witnesses in the forum which Yahweh rules alone, and in which he possesses judicial authority.  We might term the cheduth-el  “Yahweh’s heavenly court.”  All the gods and powers of the people are in his service.[3] (p. 9)

But wait a minute.  Hold on a second.  Did Blake back in 2001, see Yahweh as the head of the council in Psalm 82?  I am confused.

James Montgomery Boice wrote a few thoughts while preaching on John 10:35:

“In the last two centuries or so the orthodox view of the Bible has been denied by large segments of the church so that for many the Bible has become man’s word about God rather than God’s word to man, and its authority has been lessened.  But this was not always so.  In fact, when we turn to past ages we discover that until recently all who claimed to be Christians, even heretics, acknowledged that the Bible was infallible and authoritative. . . . It was the glory of the church that in its first sixteen or seventeen centuries all Christians in every place, despite their differences of opinion on theology or on questions of church order, exhibited at least a mental allegiance to the Bible as the supreme authority for the Christian in all matters.  It might have been neglected.  There might have been disagreements about what it actually teaches.  It might even have been contradicted.  But it was still the Word of God.  It was the only infallible rule of faith and practice”

What is your attitude on the biblical scriptures?

The song brings out the source of all blessing.

Beautiful.  Surely the MTC must sing this song.  Does anyone know?