Spiritual Cheetos
This post was inspired by another great post at "By Common Consent."
Just think about what a new convert learns in a very short period of time. He/She learns about the nature of the God, that Jesus Christ is the very Son of God, that man has divine parentage and potential, about the plan of salvation and a pre-mortal existence and the great pre-mortal council. He/she learns about God's pattern of revelation, about new scripture including the Book of Mormon, D&C, and Pearl of Great Price. He/She learns about continuing revelation, the apostasy and restoration, and living prophets. Then the convert learns about what God expects of him/her including the law of chastity, word of wisdom, tithing, etc. And then he/she learns about the temple, work for the dead, the eternal marriage and families. And on top it all off, he/she learns a whole new culture; sometimes in a matter of a couple months. This is the meat of the Gospel.
No disrespect, but I don't consider the content of my blog and that of the bloggernacle to be either milk or meat. Rather, I think the spirtual nutritive value to be more on the order of cheetos or twinkies.
I wonder if bloggers are a bit biased against the milk and meat or “basic beliefs.” We like the Athenians spend our “time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17: 21). Also, do we build up blogs “to become popular in the eyes of the world?” (1 Ne. 22: 23) Or at least the bloggernacle? Don't get me wrong, I love cheetos (especially the crunchy kind), and blogging and reading blogs. But, I don't expect to that this hobby will get me into heaven any sooner and I have yet to have anyone read my blog and join the church.
3 comments:
Very good point, yet your posts are helpful as I work on my RS lessons.
I read a few comments that others had posted to your blogs.
Generally they are negative and anti, so I just stick to your posts. If a person is not already converted, or seeking, they won’t suddenly become so just by reading a well written blog.
Some of your posts have been so good and a blazing testament of truth. I’ve appreciated reading them. Sometimes a post is so good that I want to read the comments, and then am surprised to see the blindness of those who respond negatively. I want to respond to what they say, but then I think “If you are responding negatively to such a good post, then another dose of “smelling salt” will not wake you either. So no response is best to some comments.
Truth cannot be proven, when the seeker is not looking for truth, even with the most obvious proof; especially when they are desperately trying to prove truth wrong, as a way of rationalizing something in their life.
A seeker of truth needs not all the fanfare. But, a few rescued pages from a burnt book, that has no cover, is sufficient for gaining a testimony. (the conversion of Vincenzo Di Francesca in “How rare a possession”)
The church grew in the past and continues to grow with nothing more than testimony and copies of the book of Mormon.
All the technology in the world is nothing if you aren’t ready to seek and ask. When you are ready to seek and ask, then all the technology in the world is not required. Once converted, then what a blessing all that technology is though!
I remember talking with a guy once about the gospel. He said he would join the church if I could answer some questions first. I knew there were answers to his questions but I needed to find them. So I asked for a few days to search the answers and come back. After days of research I went back excited to share the answers. He said, never mind, when can I get baptized? I said, but what about the questions!?
He had gained his own testimony and all the superficial doubts resolved themselves. His doubts were like whacking at the leaves and branches, but while I was gone he converted, on his own, at the root.
I was excited for him, but said “I’ve found the answers to your questions, so you’re going to hear them anyway!” hehe He graciously listened, but I could tell that he didn’t care so much about what I was saying, he was more eager to move on to set a date for baptism.
My answers could not provide that burning testimony. Had he not become converted on his own, my answers would’ve only given way for him to find new questions, doubts and concerns.
I’ve had similar conversations with others, and when I answer their “big concerns” they only skip onto other concerns. The seeds of doubt will always bear fruit of more doubt, no matter how many times you resolve it.
I'm not a blogger or even a reader of bloggs, but I've enjoyed some of the information I've found from stumbling onto yours. I did like this analogy of the cheetos. :-)
Thanks
I read a few comments that others had posted to your blogs.
Generally they are negative and anti, so I just stick to your posts. If a person is not already converted, or seeking, they won’t suddenly become so just by reading a well written blog.
Some of your posts have been so good and a blazing testament of truth. I’ve appreciated reading them. Sometimes a post is so good that I want to read the comments, and then am surprised to see the blindness of those who respond negatively. I want to respond to what they say, but then I think “If you are responding negatively to such a good post, then another dose of “smelling salt” will not wake you either. So no response is best to some comments.
Truth cannot be proven, when the seeker is not looking for truth, even with the most obvious proof; especially when they are desperately trying to prove truth wrong, as a way of rationalizing something in their life.
A seeker of truth needs not all the fanfare. But, a few rescued pages from a burnt book, that has no cover, is sufficient for gaining a testimony. (the conversion of Vincenzo Di Francesca in “How rare a possession”)
The church grew in the past and continues to grow with nothing more than testimony and copies of the book of Mormon.
All the technology in the world is nothing if you aren’t ready to seek and ask. When you are ready to seek and ask, then all the technology in the world is not required. Once converted, then what a blessing all that technology is though!
I remember talking with a guy once about the gospel. He said he would join the church if I could answer some questions first. I knew there were answers to his questions but I needed to find them. So I asked for a few days to search the answers and come back. After days of research I went back excited to share the answers. He said, never mind, when can I get baptized? I said, but what about the questions!?
He had gained his own testimony and all the superficial doubts resolved themselves. His doubts were like whacking at the leaves and branches, but while I was gone he converted, on his own, at the root.
I was excited for him, but said “I’ve found the answers to your questions, so you’re going to hear them anyway!” hehe He graciously listened, but I could tell that he didn’t care so much about what I was saying, he was more eager to move on to set a date for baptism.
My answers could not provide that burning testimony. Had he not become converted on his own, my answers would’ve only given way for him to find new questions, doubts and concerns.
I’ve had similar conversations with others, and when I answer their “big concerns” they only skip onto other concerns. The seeds of doubt will always bear fruit of more doubt, no matter how many times you resolve it.
I'm not a blogger or even a reader of bloggs, but I've enjoyed some of the information I've found from stumbling onto yours. I did like this analogy of the cheetos. :-)
Thanks
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