Lehi’s dream tells us that the Tree of Life represents the Love of God. What the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil represents is less clear. What is in opposition to the Love of God? A clue comes from Adam’s behavior and feelings once he tasted the fruit. He experienced guilt, fear, and shame. …
Speaker: Richard C. Russell
SL09314 The Beatitudes: Intentional, In a Set, and In Order
Why did Jesus begin the supreme sermon of all time with these eight statements? What was he trying to tell us? Did he have in mind something greater than the sum of the parts? We usually treat the Beatitudes as a laundry list of the desirable traits of a Christian or the qualities associated with …
Three Real Dangers to LDS Church Members
Three Real Dangers to LDS Church Members This session discusses three real dangers for LDS Church members: certainty, literalism, unwavering obedience to leaders. Certainty discourages inquiry. Literalism creates an atmosphere of skeptical rejection of many figurative, symbolic, or metaphorically rich possibilities-and this, in turn can lead to mistaken application of scriptural texts. Unwavering obedience to …
That’s Not What It Says: Part II
That’s Not What It Says: Part II Mormonism is known for its often unique and idiosyncratic use of standard Christian vocabulary. This presentation, the second installment of a study presented at last year’s symposium, looks at the interpretations of several standard Mormon “proof texts” and considers some of the most widespread and egregiously misunderstood passages …
Good Guys In Disguise: Characters With Soiled Reputations Not Justified By The Biblical Context
The Bible is full of stories of people, David, Samson, Balaam, Thomas, Judas, of mixed reputation. Let’s consider Samson and Thomas. Samson’s reputation as a self-centered, hedonistic, prideful, egotist is at odds with God’s behavior toward him. Thomas, the doubter, seems to warn us against doing as he did and possibly meriting the same reproof …
Mormon Contributions To Christology And Understanding The Atonement
Sterling M. McMurrin once noted that even among the best Mormon theologians, one can find “a confused combination of the entire gamut of atonement theories.” Panelists in this session will attempt to bring forth clarity from this confusion, as well as suggest areas in which Mormonism has made unique contributions to Christology (how Jesus can …
That’s Not What It Says: Mistaken Mormon Exegesis
Mormonism is known for its often unique and idiosyncratic use of standard Christian vocabulary. This paper looks at the interpretations of some standard Mormon “proof texts” and considers some of the most widespread and egregiously misunderstood passages that bear directly on Mormon belief and practice. Richard C. Russell, Brian H. Stuy