More Thoughts on Scriptures

I just found some fascinating videos as I was wasting time on YouTube. They’re called Tom’s Language Files, and are found here.

In each short clip, Tom talks about a curious and intriguing facet of the study of linguistics. On the surface, that’s cool enough, but it’s really a lot about humans, society, and culture, all as expressed by their language.

It made me think even more about our scriptures. A long time ago, here and here, I wrote about where our scriptures come from and how that impacts how we should use them.

In particular, the video clips from Tom that got me thinking the most were the ones where he talks about the difficulties in translating one concept from one language to another. Like this one: https://youtu.be/2TtnD4jmCDQ  At one point, he talks about the problems of electronic translation systems: https://youtu.be/GAgp7nXdkLU

So, God, in His powerful purity, teaches concepts of Truth to human prophets, who have to figure out some way to write down the concepts in a complicated and messy human language. Sometimes many years later, some other human tries to translate that into another messy human language with a completely different cultural framework, and hopes that somehow it still makes sense. Many of the books of the Bible have gone through several generations of translations to be what we have now.

Now, I want to make it clear. I believe in our scriptures. I believe the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price all are words that came from a loving God, who wants us to use those words to learn how to take care of each other.

I also am learning that as I read my scriptures, it’s not a good idea to get too hung up on words and phrases, and rather than debating the meaning of this verse or that chapter, to focus on a bigger picture of the instructions God is sending to me, personally.

Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.

Mark's Other Blog Posts: name post, name post,

My Epiphany

I had a bit of a spiritual epiphany the other day.  An epiphany is one of those moments when you see, with sudden clarity, what you really should have known all along.  For a long, long time, the debate had raged about Joseph Smith.  Is he an inspired prophet of God, or con man and a charlatan?  Is he a sex-driven madman that stole his friend’s wives, or a fierce opponent of polygamy? The historical debate rages.

Of course, over the years, I’ve gained my own testimony, and formulated my own understandings.

Then I read this post at the Pure Mormonism blog, and I was fascinated to read the information there and the interpretations thereof.  It turns out that the historical evidence isn’t always what it seems.  New documents are constantly being found, old documents are re-examined and understood in different light.

But what really hit me as the epiphany wasn’t the historical evidence that shook or supported my faith.  It was the sudden realization that we really don’t know what we think we know.  All of the ideas and interpretations and assumptions we’ve all made about Joseph Smith’s life are just that, and no more.  There is simply not enough empirical evidence to say with any certainty who he was as a person.

Perhaps the truest words every written about him are, “No man knows my history.”  People have been saying for years how the Church’s “official” history is glossed over and even inaccurate.  Well, it looks more and more that the anti-mormon histories are no more sure. 

The cool thing about that, and the source of my epiphany, is that, once again, it really comes down to testimony.  Do you believe that he translated the Book of Mormon?  Do you believe that he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ?  Historical evidence will not prove nor disprove it.  Prayer alone will. 

...And I believe it.




Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.

Mark's Other Blog Posts: Dutch Oven Berried Chicken, New Song: "The Chapel"

What Do We Really Know?

Another little bit of blasphemy, brought to you by Mo'Boy

I was reading one of my old posts, about the Trinity, and I saw a couple of comments there that I'd either missed or forgotten about.  They were postings by a couple of other Christians trying to convince me that I was all wrong.  On of them tried to show, using the scriptures of the Bible, that the Mormon concept of the Godhead is all wrong, and that the Mainstream Christian concept of the Trinity is all right.

You say Tomato...

For me it comes down to the question:  What do we REALLY know about God?  We have the words written in books that tell us all about God, and how he has, and will interact with us humans.

The challenge comes with the realization that these books are hard to understand at best, and that so many people understand the same words in so many different ways.  We pour over the words, and we study them, and we look at them in the context of our own experiences.  We also try and learn the historical contexts surrounding when they were written.  And we come up with lots of different conclusions. And that's assuming that we're even using the same translation, or even the same edition of the same translation.

But it's the Word of God!

Sure, but what did God mean when he said it?  And was it really God that said that phrase, or was that something of more historical note?  And how many mouths, ears, and hands did it pass through on its way from God to me?

The only thing I can KNOW is what I can personally experience, and, religiously speaking, that means that the only things I KNOW is what speaks from God's spirit to mine.  What it tells me is that (except for a few of my own missteps), the path of belief that I'm on is working.

I'm starting to feel that God values our faith and our search as much as he values our salvation.  Look at it this way.  IF God is omnipotent, and can do anything he wants to, he could appear today, announce his presence, and clearly state to everyone in the whole world which religion is the right one and which path we should all be walking.  Seriously, if he wanted to, he could get a press conference together and just say it. 

There are a lot of reasons why he probably doesn't do that.  For one, I'm not sure that everyone would believe Him if He did.

But a big reason is (in my own imagination) that it's important for us to seek Him and find Him on our own.  The ones that truly search for the truth will eventually find it.  And they'll be able to handle it when they find it.





Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.

Mark's Other Blog Posts: Moroccan Lamb Tagine 

Heavenly Father

I was reading in Psalms the other night, and came across this in number 127, starting in verse 3:

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."

I've read this one before, and even heard it quoted from the pulpit.  Usually, I've heard it in reference to earthly fatherhood.  It's all about a man looking back on his posterity and finding "joy and rejoicing".  It's a cool feeling.  I've been there.

That night, however, I got to thinking about it from God's perspective.  And suddenly, I thought about this also-famous verse in the Book of Moses:

"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

We are his children, and we are his heritage.  We are also his work and his glory.  It's a cool feeling.




Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.

Some Thoughts on Revelation and "The Word of God"

A friend of mine (who isn't a Christian, BTW) had this to say on his blog:

"Was this really a problem that the Bible isn't conservative enough? I have to confess to not having heard of Conservapedia - The Trustworthy Encyclopedia before. Apparently they have decided the Bible is too liberal in its language and so on. So they are instituting a "retranslation" effort of the Bible to purge it of its liberal bias. Apparently they are starting with the KJV to remove anything they assume to be too liberal in terms of language, ideas etc.

"So now, if you are looking for the actual, unvarnished literal Word-O-God, you will have even more "literal translations" to choose from!

"Someone tell me again which literal translation is literally the Word-O-God?"

I made a few comments, which you can read if ya wanna.

But, here, in Mo' Boy, I want to talk about some of the other thoughts his comment inspired. Some of these thoughts, by way of disclaimer, are *MY* thoughts, and not necessarily canonized doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But then, most of what I write here in Mo' Boy is such, anyway...

We get our scriptures through our prophets. And that makes for a very interesting circumstance, because that means that everything that God says to us comes to us through another human. God, for some reason, doesn't directly write us messages. I, personally, would really enjoy reading that particular Twitter Feed, but He doesn't choose to work that way.

So, partly to clarify my own thoughts, and partly for the benefit of my non-Mormon, non-Christian friend, I'm gonna think out loud for a few minutes.

There are several ways that we get our written scriptures:

Taking Dictation

I read once that sometimes when Joseph Smith was receiving revelations he would just begin writing, in a sort of "automatic writing" kind of way. When you read chapters like this, it comes across very much in a sort of "Word of God" kind of Tone. It's often in (if you'll pardon the pun) first-person omniscient point of view. A really good example is the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Another good example, off the top of my head, is the whole Book of Malachi, in the Old Testament.

Go Tell it on the Mountain

Another method is when God gives a marvelous spiritual experience or a vision to someone, and then tells them to go write about it. One good example of this is the story of Nephi's Vision(That originates as Lehi's Dream), which starts in Chapter 11 of 1 Nephi and goes on for a number of chapters after that.

The experience that we Mormons all know as the "First Vision" of Joseph Smith is another good example, as is the entire Book of Revelation.

This method is different from the first because, although I firmly believe that the experiences the prophets experience are no less divine, the words themselves are not directly the "Words of God." This means that the word were written by a flawed human being, sometimes days, sometimes even years after the fact.

It's All History

The last bit of scripture we get are the stories. These are tales, stories, and histories written by an archivist using his own (albeit often inspired) insight. Another flawed human is choosing which histories to include, and writing them into the text. Almost the entire Old Testament is this kind of writing. The four Gospels were written this way.

The whole story of the conflict between Nephi and his brothers, Laman and Lemuel, is colored, I believe, by the fact that it was written by Nephi, from his point of view, many many years later. Is it any wonder he comes off as the good guy?

The whole reason we name the Book of Mormon after that ancient American prophet is that he compiled and abridged all of the records of his people.

I don't mean to diminish the spiritual nature of the scriptures, nor to imply that I don't believe that they're inspired. But I think that God allows us to learn from each other, often centuries or even millenia later.

The Title Page of the Book of Mormon, which was actually translated from the Golden Plates themselves, carries this clarification: "And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ."

And none of these things even take into account how often the book of scripture has been translated from one flawed and human language into another, in the hope that it can be understood by people of a totally different background and culture..

So, the sooner we get past all that, and not stress out over the details of the words, and get to the real messages that are underlying, the better off we'll be.


Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: More Work on "Martyrs", Healthy Dutch Oven Recipes,

The Zeezrom Syndrome

Since I wrote that last blog post on the Book of Mormon story of Zeezrom, I thought it would be interesting to see if there were any other bloggers/writers out there who had shared some insights into the man and his life.

I found that one man, Rod J Vessels, had actually written a whole book about him, called, "The Zeezrom Syndrome"

Immediately I was fascinated, and I started to look up some of the references there in the Google search. Even though there were a lot of mentions of the book at various sites, there was precious little information about it. A few pages gave me some basic hints, but none of them actually told me what "The Zeezrom Syndrome" actually IS.

I was, however, intrigued. I love the story (I mentioned it's one of my all-time favorite Book of Mormon stories). It turned out that I had some Affiliate money stored up in my account over at Amazon, so I went ahead and bought it. When it arrives, I'll read it and review it here.

In the meantime, here are some other references which I found interesting:

• A review over at Irreantum (The Association of Mormon Letters)
• A transcription of a radio interview with Bro. Vessels. Very enlightening and interesting, but it still didn't really explain the Syndrome (not in my mind, anyway).
• An article at a psychic website (yes, you read that right) that compares it to the "Eye of the Needle Syndrome" (whatever that is).

Based on my brief encounters with second and third hand information about the book, I'm guessing that the Zeezrom Syndrome has something to do with being caught up in pride and materialism, bringing on lessened spirituality.

But that's just a guess.

More to come on this great Book of Mormon Mystery!


Mark has a lifelong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormon Church). Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his Dutch Oven blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: A Birthday Dutch Oven Gathering, and Keyword Analysis Research,

Book of Mormon Story - Save the Lawyer!

"Martyr", the song I wrote and posted last week, was inspired by the story of Alma and Amulek, from the Book of Mormon. As I was reading it, researching the song, I was reminded of the story that bookends that one. It's one of my all-time favorite Book of Mormon story. That's the conversion of Zeezrom.

Zeezrom starts out, in chapter 11 of the book of Alma, as a lawyer trying to trip up Alma and Amulek. He tries a few strategies to try and trick them in their words, and at one point, even tries to buy them out of their testimonies.

But Alma and Amulek can sense, by the Spirit, his trickery and they call him on it. And this catches him off guard. Before long, his questions start to get sincere. Pretty soon the crowd is getting more and more angry at Alma and Amulek, and as Zeezrom starts to stand up for them, they get mad at him, too. Pretty soon they haul the two missionaries off to jail.

In what I imagine is their "trial" they are accused. Because Zeezrom is a lawyer, I imagine that he was working for their defence. Who knows what the Nephite due process was at that time in the Book of Mormon, but there must have been some set order to things. In the end, the bad guys run Zeezrom out of town. At that point, he's pretty much a believer.

He travels to another town, where another family of believers takes him in, feeds him, and cares for him. It turns out that he's so wracked by guilt over all the things he'd done over the years, persecuting and (I imagine) prosecuting the righteous, that he's in bed, sick with a fever.
I wonder if he was there at the scene of the martyrdom, of the burning. For him to see the righteous being burned a live, with their scriptures, and knowing that he'd played a role in inciting the people to that point must have eaten away at his soul. Small wonder he lay in bed.

Then, after Alma and Amulek tear down the walls of the prison the come to the town where he is. When Zeezrom hears that they're alive, he takes courage and sends for them. He must've wondered if they'd harbour any resentment for him. It must've taken some courage for him to send for them.

They come to Zeezrom, and with no recrimination or anger at all, bless him and heal his illness. Zeezrom jumps to his feet, praising God, and "...went from that time forth, to preach unto the people."

So many of the stories of the Book of Mormon are about armies, generals, leaders, and history. This is one of my favorites because it's very personal. One man makes a complete turn around. It just gives hope for me, too.


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com


More by Mark: Mark's Black Pot: Dutch Oven Swirled Bread

Martyrs

It's not a very common thing for me to write a new song these days. But the muse started smacking me upside the head tonight. I know that sounds painful, but it's cool.

In Alma, Chapter 14, in the Book of Mormon, it tells the story of Alma and Amulek witnessing the burning of the scriptures and the believers in a horrific place of martyrdom. At one point, Amulek suggests they use the power of God to stop the carnage, and Alma says that the Spirit of God is holding him back, saying that they're being welcomed up unto God in Glory. That thought always stuck with me. From our point of view, here on earth, these scenes of humans mistreating and murdering other humans is terrifying and saddening. From God's perspective, he's welcoming them home, knowing that they held firm to their beliefs.

So, I wanted to write a song about the martyrs in and for the Book of Mormon, but more from that more joyful perspective. I'm imagining that I'm one of the angels called up into the choir to welcome them back.

It's a work in progress. The middle verse, about Haun's Mill, needs some work. I did some research, but it's tough to sum it all up in six lines. I'll keep redoing it all and gel it all together.


Martyrs

By Mark Hansen
7/19/09

The fires rise high on a moonless night
Marked by shouts and cries of fright
The scriptures burning up in ash and smoke

As they throw the scared believers in
Two men think to stop the din
But a still voice whispers, "No", to let them go

Chorus
They've stood up to the last
Their sorrows now have past
Their souls are rising fast
And I'll join with the choirs and sing
And sing the martyrs home

It's just about 4:00 when the men ride in
The time for the truce was at an end
In the blacksmith's shop they ready their final stand

The riders surround and open fire
And in the end, when they retire
The blood of eighteen souls is on their hands

Chorus
Who stood up to the last
Whose sorrows now have past
Their souls are rising fast
And I'll join with the choirs and sing
And sing the martyrs home


In an Illinois Jail, four men wait
For the end of the story brought by fate
One man sings a hymn in the evening sun

A shouting mob rushes up the stairs
Bullets fly and bullets tear
And a prophet and his brother's lives are done

Chorus
And they've stood up to the last
Their sorrows now have past
Their souls are rising fast
And I'll join with the choirs and sing
And sing the martyrs home


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Alex Boye, the Cell Phone, and the Book of Mormon

The other weekend, at the music festival, Alex Boye presented a little bit comparing how we treat our cell phones compared to our Books of Mormon. Afterward, I did a little search, and found the same bit on some other blogs and sites. It’s really cool because it makes you think about which fills a bigger role in your life. Here’s the text:

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Book of Mormon like our cell
phones?

• What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
• What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
• What if we flipped through it several times a day?
• What if we spent an hour or more using it each day?
• What if we used it to receive messages from its text?
• What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
• What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
• What if we used it as we traveled?
• What if we used it in case of an emergency?

Now, at the time, Alex took it a little bit further, and to catch his extension, click to the youtube video of him presenting it at a fireside and see. I’m not gonna spoil it for you. It’s cool.

It’s kinda funny for me, because I have one of those PDA smart phones. So, I actually carry my Book of Mormon IN my cell phone! Alex laughed when I showed him that. Even still, I could stop and read it more than I do.

He’s also asked for everyone that watches the video there to post their testimonies of the Book in the comments section. He talked about how cool it would be to get a million testimonies. I read through some of them (there were about a hundred when I was there), and I felt very inspired. I left mine there, and I’d like to encourage you all to as well.


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Whither the Listener?

Over on the LDS Musicians yahoogroup we’ve been having this discussion as to how important the audience is or should be to the musician. Should they target their writing to a particular audience, or should they create independent of who’s listening?

I’ve talked and written about this one a few times, like here and here, but I thought I’d share here, the post I made to the group:


Writing for the Audience v Writing for Yourself


This has been a really interesting discussion. Like I do on so many other issues, I find myself sitting on the fence on this one as well.

John Newman and I used to have this discussion, based on the old question: “If a tree falls in the forest and there’s nobody there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

At first, my argument was to the effect that it doesn’t matter if there’s anyone there to hear it. As it falls, it still creates waves. It’s simple science, and there’s no discussion nor philosophy involved.

But John countered that those waves are nothing but changes in air pressure, until it gets picked up by an ear and re-interpreted as sound. He said that it doesn’t become “sound” until it is heard.

The philosophical implication there is that without a hearer, there is no sound, only pressure waves. That means that it has to be a communication. It’s not just an outpouring of noise. The D&C kinda talks about this, too. In section 50, starting at verse 17, He talks about how the preacher and the listener both need to be in tune with the spirit for the communication to happen.

Now, there is some value in writing songs that are very personal. They help us sort out things in our minds. They are truly self-expressive. Sometimes, I write songs like this and I know that nobody else is ever gonna “get it”, and I’m fine with that. I’ve written some songs that are so personal that I’m not sure I’ll ever share them. Sometimes, I do, and it surprises me how many other people can find meaning in it. “Toy Soldiers” is a good example of this. I’m constantly amazed how many other people find themselves in what was originally a very personal song.

Other times I write songs that are intended to go out to particular groups. “He’s Out There” is a good example of that.

Most of the time, I write what hits me. While I’m writing or editing, I try to be clear enough that my audience can understand it, because I think it’s important to communicate. I AM thinking of my audience, but I’m usually not driven by it. Does that make sense?

Perhaps the real question that we should be asking is: “If a singer sings in the woods and there’s no one there to hear him, does he make a difference?”


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Religion and Politics...

I’ve been thinking about some things, political things, lately, and I started contemplating these two (seemingly) contradictory scriptures:

“O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh.” 2 Ne. 4: 34

- And -

“Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;” D&C 58: 27

On one level, these seem to say the opposite thing. The first scripture says to rely on the Lord for all guidance and success. The second scripture says to go out on your own and do stuff.

I got to thinking about this when I started thinking about the nature of politics and religion. If we are all praying to the same God for guidance in our world and our politics, why are so many of us getting so many different responses? If we’re not supposed to trust our own “arm”, then we should rely on Him, right? So, why all the differences?

It even makes me wonder if I should be praying for help as I choose my candidates. As I’ve been contemplating it, I’ve come to two parallel conclusions that seem to answer it in my mind.

Some things are directed by God.

Some things He leaves up to us.

See, God’s all about us learning things. That’s the whole purpose in the creation of the earth. I think a large part of that is letting us make choices and letting us make mistakes, as well as find successes. There are some things that He definitely takes a strong hand in. This happens on the big, historical picture, as well as on the scale of the individual person. There are some things He just doesn’t care about, like what color shirt I wear. In between all of that, there are a lot of choices that we have to make, and He often lets us make them on our own. Sometimes, He even inspires us to make certain choices that are right for us, but which might not be right for someone else. Sometimes he lets our choices be clouded by our own life’s experiences. Why? Because that’s how we learn from them.

So, I think that I shouldn’t be praying about which candidate He wants me to vote for. Instead, I should be praying for clarity and understanding so that I can make a better choice based on my own life’s learning.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

The One-Two Punch

This afternoon, I was cleaning my house while listening to conference. We often do things like that, while listening to the speakers. But when Elder Holland came on and started his speech, I was transfixed.

It’s been a while since I’ve heard anyone take a stand like that and declare those kinds of truths with that kind of conviction. This was not simply a man bearing his testimony, though it was that as well. This was a man, with authority from a prophet of God, spelling out in clear terms that the world can hear, that we believe in a Godhead, rather than in the “traditional trinity”, and that the scriptures bear that out as truth. I can’t remember how many times in his talk I almost busted out crying.

Then the next speaker (I don’t remember his name) clarified the need for an open canon, and ongoing revelation. While not as forceful in tone, he also spoke with authority, and clarified that we do believe in the Bible, and that the additional scriptures we accept as truth support and clarify the Bible.

In recent years, there has been a certain amount of effort to join the world religious community. We’ve spent considerable effort trying to show that we’re pretty normal people who like to blend in with society. That’s all well and good, but, wow, if felt great to hear someone really shake it up and lay it down!

I imagine it’ll ruffle a few feathers in Traditional Christendom. I’ve already seen it ruffle a few feathers in the bloggernacle. It sure encouraged me to take my own stand!

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Loving Your Enemies

This one’s been kinda bouncing around my head some lately. It all stared when a friend of mine mentioned that he can love someone he doesn’t like. I started wondering about that. How can I love someone I don’t like? If someone irritates me, annoys me, bothers me, or even hates me, how can I love him?

First off, I’m not talking romantic love. That’s obvious. I irritate, pester, and annoy my wife on a regular basis, and yet she still claims to love me. Go figgure.

No, I’m talking about the charitable love I’m supposed to have for my fellow man. You know, that troublesome “second greatest commandment”? “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matt. 22: 39

How do you do that?

Matthew shares some more advice from the Savior: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” Matt. 5: 43-44

All of the Lord’s examples are things that you do for your enemies. Bless them, do good for them, pray for them. I read once a long time ago that to really love someone with a charitable love, then you have to truly want what’s best for them, regardless of how that impacts you, directly.

So, even if someone annoys me or even does me direct harm, I can still want what’s best for them. I can still work toward them getting that thing that’s best for them. Who knows, it might actually make it so they don’t annoy/hate/harm me anymore!

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Chapter and Verse, a Year Ago!

I was just jumping through my archives, as I do from time to time. I'll often play this "What was I doing a year ago?" game.

Well, it turns out that a year ago, I launched the introductory playtesting website for my scripture card game "Chapter and Verse". And then, I blogged about it!

A lot has changed in that last year. A lot of playtesting, a lot of development. Even though it's the same game, it's also drastically different. I mean, we're up to version 5.4 of the rules! And that's just the beta rules! Still, I think we've got a good game now, with a solid system, and cool-to-play cards (even if they don't look schnazzy yet).

Come on over and try it out. Let me know how it works for you


MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

MoreThoughts on Consecration

Tonight, I was reading in an LDS site, http://latter-day.com/consecra.htm, a series of quotes about the Law of Consecration. There were a lot that were cool, but a couple of them hit me the hardest.

One of the biggest misunderstandings of the Law of Consecration is that it’s another form of Communism. Take from the rich and give to the poor. From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs. This spells economic disaster, in the eyes of folks like Ayn Rand.

But recently, I read a forum posting where someone suggested that Consecration was just a religious version of Communism. I replied that I always thought that Communism was Satan’s failed attempt to mimic Consecration.

This first quote addresses the fears that in a Consecrated world, there would be too many slackers trying to live off the work and efforts of others. This is, of course, true of the current welfare state. It is also not true of Zion. If you have these kind of selfish people, then you don’t have Zion. And others that are critical and judgmental of the efforts of others are under equal condemnation. In Zion, you don’t have snarky backbiting. ALL must buy in and work, at whatever they are best suited for.

“The truths of the gospel, or things as they really are, confront not just the Korihors, but all of us. The lazy individual meets, head on, truths about the essentialness of work. The selfish and idle rich meet, head on, the truths about our need to share: they must also ponder the need to accept, one day, the law of consecration. The selfish and idle poor collide with the harsh truths about covetousness and envy.”

--Neal A. Maxwell, Things As They Really Are, p.8

A second quote also struck me:

“Consecration is a celestial law. This persecution and expulsion [from Missouri] never would have occurred had the people observed the law which the Lord required. That law was simply the law of consecration -- a law of the celestial kingdom. It was a law which, if observed, would have made the people the richest and wealthiest of any people in the world. There would not have been a poor Latter-day Saint in their midst. Every man would have had all he needed to make him happy and comfortable, so far as financial matters were concerned.”

--Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p.163-164

I was fascinated by two aspects of this quote. One is that it was the disobedience of the saints which ultimately brought about the antagonism in Illinois. We frequently think that we were the innocent victims of Satan-induced hatred. Were we not willing to share? Were we too high and mighty?

I also find it very interesting that a prophet tells us that if we were to live in accordance with the Law, we would be the richest people in the world. I’m reminded of the time whe the Nephites had “everything in common”, and lived in total peace and harmony. Read the entire book of Fourth Nephi. In other words, the best way to get rich is to make sure that everyone else is rich, too. Or, in other other words, the best way to live is to make sure that others live well, too.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

My Testimony

It’s very late.

My mind is fried.

But my thoughts, for some reason, are turning to my blog, and you, the kind folks that occasionally pop up here to read my rantings and my frustrations.

Like some of you, I read in the bloggosphere, and I read a lot of the bloggernacle. It’s funny, but even though MoBoy is one of the oldest blogs in the ‘nacle, I’ve always gotten this sense of being on the fringes, on the outside. Like I’m not really in the bloggernacle, but rather sitting on a blanket outside on the lawn, listening to the choir while I’m waiting to get into the conference.

Maybe if I were more controversial, or wrote more thought-provoking posts. Or maybe if I simply wrote MORE posts, and didn’t wait weeks in between, I might be more read and more accepted.

Oh, well…

One thing I’ve been feeling of late, as I read here and there in the blogs, is a real need to go on the record with my own personal testimony. It’s not often that I stand in F&T and bear my soul. I don’t know why. Still, there are times when I feel like I have to say it. It needs to come out of me, like a song does.

I know the church is true. I feel it every time I’m in the bench in sacrament meeting. My main calling right now is to lead the choir, and last week we were rehearsing “How Firm a Foundation” and I almost broke down crying as I heard my choir sing it. “That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”

I don’t get to feel it so much when I’m teaching my primary class, but I think that has a lot more to do with the chaos a bunch of 5 year olds can bring to a room. Cute kids. Crazy, too…

Still, I know it’s true. I feel it when I read the Book of Mormon. I haven’t done that much lately because I decided to finally read the Old Testament all the way through (I’m in Joshua, now). But occasionally, I’ll still flip some screens on my Palm and read a bit of Alma, or Mosiah, one of my personal favorites (If you want to learn how to lead a country, how politics should work, read King Benjamin’s tower speech over and over).

I know it’s true. I feel it when I read the Doctrine and Covenants. Say what you will about Joseph Smith. I know he’s a flawed human like all of us, but I know his prophetic calling was (and still is) divine. Praise to the Man!

I know it’s true because I see it in my children’s eyes. They don’t know enough to think it through just yet. Their faith is way more pure than mine. I can still remember Brendon’s tears when, as a four-year-old, we told him he couldn’t go into the temple to meet Jesus. We had told him that it was the Lord’s House, so naturally, he thought he could just walk up, ring the doorbell and meet Him. Like Greg Simpson sings, “I need faith like that”.

Most of all, I know it’s true, because I’ve studied it and prayed about it. Over the years, I’ve gotten the confirmation that I’m on the right path. I may not be walking it quite as directly or as quickly as I should be, but I’m on it. And those are steps in the right direction.

I know it’s true.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Service, Story Time

Twice, now, in as many weeks, I’ve been face-to face with beggars. For some reason, I always feel funny. A big part of me always wants to go over and give some money. I usually do. At the same time, a big part of me is conscious of a lot of social pressure not to.

We’re not really helping them, we’re told. We should give to organizations and shelters, not to beggars. They’ll just use the money unwisely. And this is not just the external society I’m hearing. These are people in the church talking this way.

But the scriptures continuously tell us to “turn not the beggar away”, and Mosiah tells us “we are all beggars” before God.

So, why am I embarrassed to walk over and hand them my spare change?

Maybe I’m embarrassed because that’s all I give. Maybe I’m embarrassed that I have so much, and that so much of it is trivial nonsense, and they seem to have so little. I’ve probably spent hundreds of dollars in the last year on game cards, for example. And there I see someone who has no work, no shelter, no life.

Maybe I’m embarrassed that so many others are critical of the beggars, and so I, too, can be the brunt of their judgment. But ultimately, that would be a good thing, wouldn’t it? If I could take their scorn?

I don’t know. But I still like to go and throw a few coins or bills their way.

A couple of stories come to mind.

One of them was given me by a good friend, and is posted at his website:

A re-write of a Biblical Parable:

A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half-dead.

And by chance there came down that way the man's stake president: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side, saying: "I'm sure glad I'm not his bishop."

And likewise the man's bishop, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, stopping and watching for signs of self-reliance. Seeing none, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise the man's quorum leader, when he was at the place, did take out his cell phone and did leave a voice message for the home teacher. And the man's home teacher, when he did hear the message, did sigh exceedingly, knowing there was nothing he could do - having made his quarterly visit the month before.

And finally did the Relief Society president pass by, determining immediately to call the Compassionate Service leader to have the sisters deliver a meal to the dying man's family.

Which now of these, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

The other one, I don’t have a source for.

It’s a story of a sermon given by a preacher in church one Sunday. He’d spent the morning meeting with some of the poor members of his congregation, and hearing their sad circumstances, and their struggles. As he walked into the chapel to start the meeting, he shared their frustration and then got angry.

When the time came for him to stand and deliver his sermon, he began by saying, “There are people in our very congregation who will go hungry tonight, and most of you don’t give a $%#!”

A hush swept the chapel, and he continued. “…But what really gets me angry is that you were all more shocked when I said the word $%# than you were when I said that there were people in our very congregation going hungry tonight.”

And then he walked out and the meeting was over.

So, I’m fully aware, as I’m writing this, who I’m incriminating. I’m not certain that I would be the Samaritan to help the man and pay for his treatment. I’m not certain that I would be shocked about the news of people going hungry, but I know I’d be shocked if my bishop swore from the pulpit.

Would I be shocked into action?

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Tithing

-Or-

Sex and Money

THAT ought to get people’s attention…

One of my favorite scriptures of all is D&C 130: 20-21:

“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

“And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”

And the reason why I love it is that it explains so much about why we have commandments. Match this one up with this one from King Benjamin, in Mosiah Chapter 2, starting in v21:

“I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

“And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

“And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

“And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?”

OK, here’s where I’m going with this.

There are two laws that I’ve had experience with that have demonstrated this principle to me. One is the law of Tithing, the other is the law of Chastity. The interesting thing is that they show the principle in different ways, and at different times.

First, tithing, since that’s what I was setting myself up to talk about first anyway. There was a time in my life when I was doing music full-time. Each week, the survival of our family relied on my ability to find recording and live sound projects. And each week, I relied on paying my tithing to help me. I could see it as a direct correlation. The weeks I paid my tithing, I had gigs. The weeks where I forgot, it was slow. It was that obvious.

I didn’t get rich. But I was able to take care of my family. I have a powerful, first hand testimony of the value of paying tithing. By that, I mean, the value of me paying my tithing. The Lord doesn’t need my money. The church doesn’t need my money. I need to share what I have so that the Lord can open the windows of heaven and bless me.

Now, contrast that with the Law of Chastity. The only woman I have ever touched or made love to is my wife, and we didn’t do that until after the pronouncement of the blessings (a temple wedding ceremony lasts about 2 minutes and is one of the most powerful blessings ever conferred on humans). I grew up (in my teens and early 20’s) around a lot of people who were sexually active. They often wondered why I didn’t want to get involved in that. I often wondered myself. I just knew that I had been told that it’s right not to (yet), and that at some point it would be right, and that I needed to wait until then.

Unlike the immediate experience I had with the blessings of tithing, I didn’t understand the full impact of the law of chastity until years into my own marriage. That was when I saw many of my friends and my acquaintances lose their marriages, their stability, and their happiness to a lack of fidelity and jealousy. I saw that living the law had preserved me from all that.

So, my point here is: Sometimes we see immediate results. Sometimes we take life on faith. In the end, we reap what we sow.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Prayer

I’m gonna start by talking a bit about the way that I make my music.

I start by writing the song. I come up with the lyrics, the chords, and the melody. It’s all just in my mind. The only thing I really write down is the lyrics, and sometimes the chords. I usually have an idea of what I want the recording to sound like.

When the time comes to do the recording, I start off with a program called a “sequencer”. I start by laying down the drums (using my keyboard) and a scratch bass line. I might also block out some chords on a piano or organ sound. All these notes that I’m playing are all stored on the computer. Later, I’ll replace a lot of these parts with more live sorts of playing.

While I’m putting down the basic drums, bass, and keys, I’m all using a keyboard, and playing the parts. I’m not exactly the best of players, so often my timing is off a little. Sequencers, however, have a function called “Quantizing”. It takes all the notes I’ve played and it shifts them to the nearest beat or half-beat. It basically takes my playing and locks it right into place.

But what I really wanted to talk about was prayer.

See, when I’m praying regularly, my life is a lot like that song in the sequencer. It’s like the praying tightens up my life and locks it into place. I feel the Spirit during the day, when I’m not even thinking about spiritual things. Suddenly, I’ll realize that the reason I’m smiling is that the Spirit is there. And that drives the direction of my life.

When I’m praying regularly and with Spirit, I find myself wanting to read my scriptures more. Not because I have a goal to finish by the end of the year, nor because someone said I had to, but because the thought crosses my mind, and I feel like I want to.

When I’m praying regularly, I start to notice things happening with my family, friends, and co-workers. I notice when they need help, or how I can move to make their lives easier. I can see what they need more, intuitively.

When I’m praying regularly, I get answers. And not so much miraculous voices in my head, but just clarity.

When I’m praying regularly, I understand how the Lord’s yoke could be easy. I understand how to have his image in my countenance. I understand what it means to wish you were an angel and could speak with the sound of a trump.

Even if all I do is blog about it.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com

Why Fight It?

A long time ago, I was at a Covey 7 habits training, and I saw a demonstration that had a big impact on me. Paradigm-shifting, if you will.

Covey first got a couple of guys up and told them to arm wrestle. He set up the rules. Everytime a hand hit the table, within 2 minutes or so, whoever pushed it got a dollar. He said “Go” and they struggled. Pretty soon, one of them won. Right away, they started again. By the time the few minutes were done, they’d each won a couple of dollars.

Then Covey said, “Let me show you how it’s done.”

He took the place of one of the guys, grabbed the other man’s hand, and set up for the wrestling. When he said “Go”, however, Covey just let his hand drop, and right away his opponent won. Instantly, Covey set them both up again, and right away, Covey lost a second time. After a third time, the other guy stopped trying, and Covey slipped by his guard and threw his hand to the table.

The opponent immediately threw back, and Covey let him win. But then he suddenly exerted and won. They then fell into this pattern of one hitting the table right after the other. Then, in an instant, you saw the other guy get it. When they stopped fighting and started helping each other swing back and forth, suddenly the number of table hits skyrocketed, and they both won many, many times over. Much more than the previous two guys had made.

The other night I was reading in Helaman, in Chapter 6, and I saw that same paradigm in action. I mean, here’s the Nephites and Lamanites fighting and fighting for many many generations, and all of a sudden, they suddenly realize that they don’t need to fight any more. Suddenly, without all that waste of resources and humanity in senseless killing for territory and oppression, or defending against the same, people realized that they could get a lot done, and trade flourished, and they all prospered and got very very rich.

I think that on a personal level and on a world level, we spend way too much time in conflict, and not enough time just cooperating.

MRKH
Mark Hansen
http://markhansenmusic.com