Johannes Cassian on Tired Saints

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In a talk given at Brigham Young University in 1996, F. Enzio Busche quoted a writing of Johannes Cassian about tired saints:

John CassianIt is easier for a worldly person to come to a healing change of his life, or even to the top of perfection, than a tired saint who is fallen from his first enthusiasm, because the worldly man will go through pain and agony and, sooner or later, he will not be able to stand it any longer, and will rush in the depths of depression to the source of true cleansing. But, when somebody has begun to pollute his name as a saint, without joyfulness and enthusiasm, he will still feel safe and, therefore, will not recognize what he is missing and, therefore, he is not easy to be taught. He will say in his heart, I’m blessed. I know it all and need nobody. [Johannes Cassian, Spannkraft der Seele (Freiburg: Herder, 1981), pp. 149­50; or see John Cassian, Collations (Conferences) 4:19].1

Cassian was a religious theologian and lived ca. 360 to 435. He founded the Abbey of St. Victor, a monastic foundation in Marseille in the south of France.

The trial of faith appears to be a journey, whereas enduring to the end2 requires repeated and consistent effort.

Sources:

  1. “Unleashing the Dormant Spirit“. 14 May 1996. BYU Speeches. 12 Dec 2011.↩
  2. Matthew 24:13↩

Is Mormonism a Cult?

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Mormonism CultAt times, the question arises, Is Mormonism a cult? While this question can be problematic, the short answer is of course! Let me explain. The word cult comes from the Latin cultus and as a noun describes the “act of tilling or cultivating.”1

Cultus = Cultivating

Such a definition brings to mind the many scriptures evoking similar imagery. For example, the psalmist notes that a righteous man is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water”2, whereas Ezekiel wrote about a “plant of renown”  that would relieve hunger in the land.3 In the New Testament, Christ taught the disciples the meaning of the parable of the sower4 which Paul later drew upon in his letter to the Corinthians.5

Latter-day scripture contains similar language. Alma discoursed upon the process of revelation when he compared “the word” to a seed that a person must plant in order to receive the fruit thereof.6 Lastly, it is reported that the resurrected Moroni promised a young Joseph Smith that God would “plant” in the children the promises made to the fathers as recorded in Malachi lest the earth be smitten with a curse.7

Although just a sampling, others have noted the scriptures are replete with related imagery. (More on this later.)

Cultus = Worship

Another meaning of the Latin word cultus is the act of worship, reverence, or adoration.8 As Christians, Mormons adhere to the teachings put forth by one Book of Mormon prophet who wrote:

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.9

Borrowing a term from scholars, what some may call the modern LDS temple cult10, members find meaning in Russell M. Nelson’s statement:

The temple is the house of the Lord. The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant—the heart of the plan of salvation—is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house.11

While it’s easy to see that Mormonism definitely fits within the original meaning of the term cult, or Latin cultus, modern usage of the term has taken on a new significance.

Continue reading →

  1. Cultus. Wiktionary. 30 Oct 2011.↩
  2. Psalm 1:3.↩
  3. Ezekiel 34:29.↩
  4. Matthew 13.↩
  5. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7.↩
  6. Alma 32; cf. Matthew 13.↩
  7. See Malachi 4:5-6; cf. Doctrine and Covenants 2.↩
  8. Ibid.↩
  9. 2 Nephi 25:26.↩
  10. In the context of this article, readers may refer to Nibley, Hugh W. “Christian Envy of the Temple“. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. 14 Nov 2011.↩
  11. “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings”. May 2001. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 16 December 2008.↩

East versus West in the Book of Mormon

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One of the underlying themes in the Book of Mormon is the “two irreconcilable ideologies” as suggested by East versus West.1 Dr. Hugh W. Nibley wrote:

What we are to avoid in particular is that polarizing process that begins on the first page of the Book of Mormon and continues to the last. In the opening scene it is Egypt versus Babylon, West versus East, with Lehi’s people caught in the middle; and the book ends with the climactic confrontation at Cumorah, with Moroni caught between two wicked and warring peoples in a battle of annihilation.2

Although the Gadianton robbers played a prominent role in the downfall of that society, the practice of statecraft3 proved too enticing and ultimately led to the showdown at Cumorah.

For example, Dr. Nibley called these robbers “warlike hunting tribes” who had come from Asia thousands of years before. They occupied the land northward and weren’t discovered by the Nephites and Lamanites for over 500 years.4 And the ancient conflict between East versus West is perhaps best described in The Hierocentric State and Tenting, Toll, and Taxing that outline the ancient formation, as well as the continuation and conflicts, of states.5 Both articles point out that “Kings must be hunters” and trace the origin of state formation from the “nomads of the steppes.” In contrast, and as subtext throughout the Book of Mormon and other scripture, those who sought for and obtained the kingdom of God6 “were pilgrims and strangers” caught in between warring factions seeking for control over the “kingdoms of the world” while they themselves were allegiant to a kingdom “not of this world.”7

The process of polarization as described in the Book of Mormon started, as perhaps it always does, in families.8 Eventually it led to a great division between the people.9 A cursory reading of the chapter headings to Mormon’s writings recounts the horrific ending.

Since the book is a “type and a shadow” of the latter days, one of the questions it seems to demand of its readers is, “will this happen again?”

What do you think?

Sources:

  1. Nibley, Hugh W. The Book of Mormon a Minimal Statement. 2010. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. 23 Oct 2011; hereafter Minimal Statement.↩
  2. Polarization in the Book of Mormon.↩
  3. See the definition used in Ricks, Stephen D. Foreword. Hugh W. Nibley. The Ancient State. 1991. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. 23 Oct 2011; hereafter Foreword.↩
  4. Minimal Statement; compare Helaman 3:3-16.↩
  5. Nibley, Hugh. The Ancient State. 1991. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. 23 Oct 2011.↩
  6. Compare 3 Nephi 13:9-13 to Matthew 6:9-13.↩
  7. See Foreword.↩
  8. 4 Nephi 1:38.↩
  9. 4 Nephi 1:35.↩

Reflections of 9/11

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Last month a ceremony was held at the World Trade Center on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 (9/11) attacks. Many events were held that day including peace walks, choral performances and candlelight vigils – all in remembrance of the events of that fateful day.

Shortly after 9/11, Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet, seer, and revelator of the LDS or Mormon Church, spoke about these events in the context of the Book of Mormon when he made reference to the Gadiantons. Upon reflection, it is difficult to comprehend the full import of his remarks. At that time, he specifically warned against the impact the modern counterparts of this ancient group had upon society and suggested the people should “stand up for right and decency, for freedom . . . and the cause of liberty” as did Moroni, a military leader in the Book of Mormon.

To adherents of the Mormon faith, 9/11 was also a tragic day in church history and will likely never be forgotten, as were the events of Sept. 11, 2001 which resulted in the death of almost 3,000 people. Despite the possible parallel, it is difficult for many to conceive of a group of people seeking to “bring down the Church . . . and to take control of society” through sophistry.

Last Saturday, church members were again reminded of the seriousness of those remarks as Thomas S. Monson, the current president of the church, was escorted to the podium at general conference by two security personnel almost an hour into the meeting. Pres. Monson appeared in good spirits and was apparently “delayed en route” though security personnel remained close by.1

Whether or not all these incidents are related is unclear. But much has transpired in the last ten years. Though the identity of the secret combination remains hidden, its effect upon society is perhaps more evident in the intervening years since Pres. Hinckley spoke. The “two irreconcilable ideologies” represented in the Book of Mormon are ever present and at work today.2

It remains to be seen whether the “standard of liberty”3 will again be raised in this day and age.

Sources:

  1. Mikita, Carole and Sam Penrod. President Monson announces six new temples and program for temple patrons. 1 Oct 2011. KSL.com. 3 Oct 2011.↩
  2. Nibley, Hugh. “The Book of Mormon: A Minimal Statement”. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. 3 Oct 2011; see also Polarization in the Book of Mormon.↩
  3. Alma 46:36↩

Did the Panic of 1837 Affect the Demise of the Kirtland Safety Society?

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Many are aware of the financial panic of 1837 and the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company. In 2009, it was reported that while the panic did not directly cause the dissolution of the Society, it may have “hastened [its] failure.”1

The Kirtland Safety Society was formed in January 1837 as a joint stock association by leaders and members of the LDS Church. One of the purposes of the society, ostensibly, was to assist in liquidity matters, specifically to help turn “long-term assets [i.e. land] into short-term liquidity.”2 To date, a few of the articles about the Society appear to be written from a “traditional interpretation” of President Andrew Jackson’s “Bank War” over the ongoing operation of the Second Bank of the United States.3 This tradition,

. . . asserts that Jackson’s veto of the Bank re-charter and withdrawal of government deposits caused an inflation; Jackson’s Specie Circular and the distribution of the surplus caused a panic and depression.4

The following is a short chronology of events that preceded and coincided with the 1837 panic and the demise of the Kirtland Safety Society from an Austrian economic perspective. From this perspective,

. . . when banks create money, they do so in the form of credit. By increasing the supply of loanable funds, banks artificially lower the interest rate, inducing businessmen and entrepreneurs to make investments they otherwise would not make. Th[is] creates a boom. However, according to Austrian theory, since the interest rate was artificially distorted, the boom consists of malinvestments which are not economically justified. Eventually the malinvestments must be liquidated in a cluster of business failures called a depression. That, in brief, is the Austrian business cycle theory.5

The brief sketch below suggests:

  1. The role of a national, quasi-central bank in America was a cause of political intrigue in the years leading up to the 1837 panic.
  2. The panic was exacerbated by the Bank of England’s sudden action to “throw out all the paper connected with the United States.”
  3. The Kirtland Safety Society operated for a short time during the boom and bust period described by the business cycle theory.
  4. Members of the society held conflicting views of fractional reserve banking.6
  5. A few members of the society acted dishonestly and sought to profit from the venture.

Continue reading →

  1. White, R. McKay. “The Kirtland Safety Society: The Myths, the Facts, and the Prophet’s Good Name”. 6 Aug 2009. The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research Conference. 25 Apr 2010; hereafter Myths.↩
  2. Wimmer, Larry T. “Kirtland Economy”. 1992. Encyclopedia of Mormonism. 15 May 2011.↩
  3. Adams, Dale W. “Chartering the Kirtland Bank”. BYU Studies, Vol. 23, No. 4, 1983. 6; hereafter Chartering; see also the references to the many “moral judgments” cited in Hill, Marvin S.; C. Keith Rooker, and Larry T. Wimmer. “The Kirtland Economy Revisited: A Market Critique of Sectarian Economics”. BYU Studies, Vol. 17, No. 4, 1977. 391-475; hereafter Market Critique. For additional reading, see Sampson, D. Paul, and Larry T. Wimmer. “The Kirtland Safety Society: The Stock Ledger Book and the Bank Failure.” BYU Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4, 1972. 427-36, hereafter Ledger Book; and, Partridge, Scott H. “The Failure of the Kirtland Safety Society”. BYU Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4, 1972.↩
  4. Hummel, Jeffrey Rogers. “The Jacksonians, Banking, and Economic Theory: A Reinterpretation”. Journal of Libertarian Studies, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1978. 160; hereafter Reinterpretation.↩
  5. Reinterpretation. 160.↩
  6. See Brigham Young’s statement below in footnote 32. Although some feel this statement is representative of Brigham Young’s naïveté concerning the practice of fractional reserve banking, in point of fact, his statement is consistent with Joseph Smith’s presidential platform and the proposed role of a National Bank. See also, Monnett, Jack. Awakening to Our Awful Situation. Heber City, Utah: Nauvoo House Publishing, 2006. 90; hereafter Awakening.↩