-------FOOTINGS AND FOUNDATION FIRST------

In this blog, as the title suggests, I will be expressing personal thoughts concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A bit of background about the vocabulary in the blog title might be appropriate.

EUAGGELION or GOOD TIDINGS or GOSPEL

Euaggelion is Greek and is pronounced ay-you-ang-gay'-lee-on — There is a double gamma in the word accounting for the glottal "n" sound.). It's meaning in English is roughly translated as "good message" or "good tiding." The prefix eu- is an adverb and means "well." But, a literal translation of the word — "well message" — is not idiomatic English. (Agathos is the Greek equivalent to "good" —I just knew that you were dying to know that important and salient fact...) The "aggelion" means message or tiding and is related to the verb "aggelo", which means to carry a message. In English, we have the word Gospel as the equivalent to euaggelion, which comes from the old English, God-spell. ( I apologize that I am unable to use the Greek alphabet for Greek words. It is just part of the inadequacies of BLOGGER.)

MORE FOOTINGS AND FOUNDATION — And, a necessary word about the above picture.

First: MY APOLOGIES

1. My apologizes to the World Book Encyclopedia Company, their Childcraft division, and the artist David Cunningham for rudely borrowing the illustration on pages 296 and 296 of volume 12 (LOOK AND LEARN) for this blog. It's just that I've never seen a better illustration of perspective.

2. My apology to you — I scanned the image above from an open book — not desiring to cut the pages out and tape them together. This particular volume made it through seven "rug rats/house apes" (four boys and three girls) in marvelous condition, considering the book's usage since 1981. So, I hope that you will overlook the imperfect copy of the illustration.

Perspective is a concept that entered the western world via the humanities, specifically art and artists. Rushing past a treatise on perspective's development in the arts — the word perspective has taken on more meaning and application than just trying to display three dimensions on a two dimensional surface. Perspective also deals with how human beings "view" things, whether real or abstract. It has everything to do with the process of creating an inner "picture" of reality — whatever that is — and interpreting the world around us. Sometimes, one's perspective can be anywhere from "slightly out of whack" (such as viewing the speed indicator in the dash of a moving car while sitting in the passenger's seat) to "royally screwed up" (the proverbial committee of sight challenged gentlemen trying to arrive at an accurate description of an elephant while only feeling one portion of the pachyderm).

So, to sum up, my reason for including PERSPECTIVE in the title was to suggest that my 65 plus years on this planet with the accompanying experiences have suggested some alternate ways of viewing the world that have benefited me and just might benefit others.

LASTLY (well, almost) — principles are nothing new to Latter-day Saints. We begin our childhood learning about "FIRST PRINCIPLES" as soon as we can talk and understand. An Article of Faith of the Church talks about "first principle and ordinances" belonging to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the necessity of living the principles as well as receiving the ordinances. So, I will also be touching on many principles as a part of this blog — and, hopefully I will not be wresting or mangling those principles.

Finally (really), we Latter-day Saints have our own religious vocabulary — someone (I think it was Orson Scott Card) called it Mormon Speak. One of the mainstays of our vocabulary includes the word TESTIMONY. That word out in the world usually is used in a judicial setting, in front of a judge and sometimes jurors. What we Mormons mean by testimony is the personal witness which has come to each of us through the ministration of the Holy Ghost. So, when we say that we have a testimony, we mean that we have received this personal witness concerning Christ, etc. Further, when we "bear our testimony," usually what we are doing is witnessing concerning Jesus Christ and his atoning mission here in mortality. There is a passage of scripture that relates very well to what I mean. It is taken from the Bible, specifically from REVELATION 19 and states:

10 And I afell at his feet to bworship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy cfellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the dtestimony of Jesus is the spirit of eprophecy.
(copied from Mormon.org, scriptures app -- quote from KJV)

When John was about to fall at the feet of the angel and worship him, the angel stopped him and reminded him that he, himself was one of the former prophets and his fellow servant and of his brethren who had the TESTIMONY of Jesus. Then he explains to John that the testimony (witness Gk. martyrese) of Jesus is the SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. (If you don't know us Latter-day Saints, you must realize that we wholeheartedly accept Paul's statement to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 12, about not having us ignorant about spiritual gifts. We believe in them, we accept them. WE EXPERIENCE THEM, just as the former-day saints did.)

Additionally, the Apostle Paul told the saint in Corinth:

1 Cor. 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can asay that Jesus is the bLord, but by the cHoly Ghost. (quote from KJV)

There are currently millions of Latter-day Saints around this fair globe who have the witness of Jesus Christ through the ministration of the Holy Ghost. We all KNOW that he is God the Son, the Redeemer of mankind. As the above scriptures say, this witness is the spirit of Prophecy.

(A parting thought: What of those who witness of Christ without knowing it by the spirit of prophecy, id est, the Holy Ghost? Would that make said witness a false prophet?)

Saturday, August 3, 2013

MUSIC — AND, THE SPOKEN WORD

 MUSIC
 
The better half and I made a day trip to Salt Lake City Tuesday last. It was my desire to attend one of the daily organ recitals on Temple Square so that I could get a "fix", musically speaking. I am an "Organ Groupie" — I love the pipe organ (that's love in the cathexis sense) and am enthralled with most of its literature. (Actually, I appreciate ALL GOOD MUSIC.)

The Tabernacle organ was being repaired, so the recitals were being held across the street in the Conference Center. The Organist for the day was Richard Elliot. That was a plus for us both. Rick is a very talented and accomplished musician. Another plus for us, he happens to be married to my wife's cousin, Elisabeth Ballentyne, granddaughter of Aunt Nora BENCH cox. We've been able to get to know them somewhat at family reunions, etc. It's nice when the "man of the hour" knows you personally...

 
-the Conference Center Organ-
Rick is at the console in the lower left.
Rick talking with some people who were in front of us.
He was sweet and condescending, allowing us to get a
picture with him.

We actually attended both the 12:00  and 2:00 PM recitals. The program was beautiful and Rick's improvisations on Come, Come, Ye Saints and "a familiar melody" were well done. Actually, the familiar melody was different piece on both programs.

...AND THE SPOKEN WORD

I suspect that most every Latter-day Saint is acquainted with the Lord's comment on music in Section 24 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which was a revelation given to Emma Smith, the Prophet's wife. She was instructed to put together a hymnal with the following words:

11 And it shall be given thee, also, to make a selection of asacred bhymns, as it shall be given thee, which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church.
 12 For my soul adelighteth in the bsong of the cheart; yea, the dsong of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.

At least we know how He feels about the song of the heart from the righteous.


I happened onto some interesting commentary about music in a book that I read recently which more than confirmed the feelings I've had about music for decades. That is, all music has a spiritual quality and origin to it. All music reveals its spiritual origin, whether good, indifferent, or evil. The book I was reading was the near death experience of a Latter-day Saint in Idaho. The book is THE MESSAGE by Lance Richardson. The passage of the book relating to music (in case you get your hands on a copy) is on pages 74 - 75. A young woman explains to him,

 "We are using music to learn important important eternal truths. MUSIC IS A MOST POWERFUL CONDUCTOR OF THE SPIRIT. We use music to help us in our learning process."

"All music?" I asked.

Well, let's say all true music. In your world you have much that could never be conducive to the Holy Spirit... I'm sure you have experienced it. Haven't you listened to selections of music and have been moved to tears? Quite often, when you are moved to tears, it is because the Spirit is intensely present..."

"...I was left with a most certain validation that music is a great tool of God. Great truths may be learned by using uplifting music as a conductor of the Spirit. I have always enjoyed music, buy I gained a much deeper respect for its eternal purpose."     (yes, all the emphasis in the above quote is mine)

I know by a multitude of sweet, personal. spiritual experience that what Brother Richardson was taught is true. I'm most grateful to Heavenly Father for the supernal gift of music in my life.  And, I'm grateful to my earthly father for the seed of music he planted in me, and to my older brothers, who's spiritual sense and impeccable musical tastes have lead me to the best, the most sublime, and worthy music available here in this benighted world.  







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WORLDS WITHOUT NUMBER




HUBBLE ULTRA DEEP FIELD



Just about everyone in the world has seen this image. (It's expandable of you click on it.) The Hubble Telescope people at NASA did a time exposure of a empty place in the sky (about the size of a grain of sand at arm's length). In this small empty field, Hubble found at least 10,000 galaxies. Since then, they have theorized that there are over 200 million galaxies in the Universe!

Just think about the billions of stars in one galaxy. Then multiply that number by ten thousand. Then, think about 200 million or more galaxies! It's mind boggling!

Because I am a Christian and a Latter-day Saint, I have to accept that this is all the handiwork of God the Father (Elohim) and God the Son (Yahweh). L. D. S. scriptures and theology tell me that this is true. For instance, The prophet Enoch, as quoted in the Book of Moses, who is in a state of wonderment at the weeping of the Creator exclaims:


29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst aweep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?
30 And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of aearths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy bcreations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever;
Moses 7: 29 -30 (copied from LDS.ORG website. Highlights are mine)


I really don't think that we have the experience in our mortal minds to grasp the significance of a number that large. The superlatives we use to describe deity are even weak -- omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent -- to describe a being capable of creating to such a magnitude and being in a through all of it.-- as Enoch in bewilderment observes, yet HE is there.

Were it not for my back ground as a Latter-day Saint, the first question I would be asking myself as a Christian would be, "WHY ALL OF THIS CREATION?"

The next question would be, " AND, JUST ONE PLANET FILLED WITH HIS CHILDREN?"





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