Adam, Thanks for the piece. I have pondered for years why the City of Enoch and the post 3 Nephi culture have not long narrative stories (like much of scripture) of wonderful sacrifices and joyfulness and yes, play, play, play. Instead we have zero really in the Bible and a few verses in our Book of Books. But we do have many pages of misery displayed over centuries and then, gulp, a double genocide to ponder. Think about Mormon and Moroni having watched the likely violent deaths of their spouses and children. (They can't stomach telling us details.)
The story in 3 Nephi is analogous to the Second Coming. And then--can we even grasp it?--it continues as an analogy to the War-in-Heaven. God the Son had dwelled among the Nephites for a few weeks at least, and God the Spirit for many, many years thereafter. It was as Mormon said, heaven on earth . . . for a while. Let us try to grasp how profound the freedom of uncreated intelligence goes. Let us always see that trust, hope and love are a dynamic complex--never final. It is as if this whole phony mortal life is preparation for more temptations ahead in everlasting lives in celestial worlds to come and go and come and go . . . forever. Intelligences exist in the freedom to negotiate purposes together, and to decide whether or not to keep the trust, live with hope, and act in love. And love! It is particularly problematic--for it is more or less, with you then not the other, offensive, always tempting envy. Yet so enjoyable to be worth these trade-offs. Intelligences are glorious because they choose the light out of their own darkness. No God is good by necessity. There are all sort of intelligences. The Book of Mormon starts with the end in mind: Some (many?) who go to the Tree and taste the divine love fruit that is more delicious than anything else--toss it half-eaten into the filthy river on the way to the great and spacious building . . . or for some, to other places . . . for no reason other than to exercise their freedom to do it!
But as Scooge asked the ghost of Christmas future, 'why show me these things if they cannot be altered by us now?' So yes, thanks to Mormon and Moroni warning and pointing toward Christlike love, we gentiles still have a choice to alter our future on Earth . . . and beyond. The little tribe of LDS can be modern Enochites that pour out from their temple fortresses to collaborate with many millions beyond of good-hearted souls us to build a massive Zion on this planet and in the Spirit World. We don't have the scriptural genocides as examples of what's coming for sure. Joseph Smith calculated to revolutionize the world with loving friendship--not just baptized LDSaints--and the narrative of that revolution--our Zion!--is ahead for us to freely create, not behind to be replicated. Thanks for prompting this little rant. I love your work. R
Adam, Thanks for the piece. I have pondered for years why the City of Enoch and the post 3 Nephi culture have not long narrative stories (like much of scripture) of wonderful sacrifices and joyfulness and yes, play, play, play. Instead we have zero really in the Bible and a few verses in our Book of Books. But we do have many pages of misery displayed over centuries and then, gulp, a double genocide to ponder. Think about Mormon and Moroni having watched the likely violent deaths of their spouses and children. (They can't stomach telling us details.)
The story in 3 Nephi is analogous to the Second Coming. And then--can we even grasp it?--it continues as an analogy to the War-in-Heaven. God the Son had dwelled among the Nephites for a few weeks at least, and God the Spirit for many, many years thereafter. It was as Mormon said, heaven on earth . . . for a while. Let us try to grasp how profound the freedom of uncreated intelligence goes. Let us always see that trust, hope and love are a dynamic complex--never final. It is as if this whole phony mortal life is preparation for more temptations ahead in everlasting lives in celestial worlds to come and go and come and go . . . forever. Intelligences exist in the freedom to negotiate purposes together, and to decide whether or not to keep the trust, live with hope, and act in love. And love! It is particularly problematic--for it is more or less, with you then not the other, offensive, always tempting envy. Yet so enjoyable to be worth these trade-offs. Intelligences are glorious because they choose the light out of their own darkness. No God is good by necessity. There are all sort of intelligences. The Book of Mormon starts with the end in mind: Some (many?) who go to the Tree and taste the divine love fruit that is more delicious than anything else--toss it half-eaten into the filthy river on the way to the great and spacious building . . . or for some, to other places . . . for no reason other than to exercise their freedom to do it!
But as Scooge asked the ghost of Christmas future, 'why show me these things if they cannot be altered by us now?' So yes, thanks to Mormon and Moroni warning and pointing toward Christlike love, we gentiles still have a choice to alter our future on Earth . . . and beyond. The little tribe of LDS can be modern Enochites that pour out from their temple fortresses to collaborate with many millions beyond of good-hearted souls us to build a massive Zion on this planet and in the Spirit World. We don't have the scriptural genocides as examples of what's coming for sure. Joseph Smith calculated to revolutionize the world with loving friendship--not just baptized LDSaints--and the narrative of that revolution--our Zion!--is ahead for us to freely create, not behind to be replicated. Thanks for prompting this little rant. I love your work. R