There are several passages of scripture, beautiful and complete, in the Doctrine and Covenants.  The New Song is one of them.  D&C 84:99-102.

98
Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together sing this new song, saying:

99
The Lord hath brought again Zion;
The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel,
According to the election of grace,
Which was brought to pass by the faith
And covenant of their fathers.

100
The Lord hath redeemed his people;
And Satan is bound and time is no longer.
The Lord hath gathered all things in one.
The Lord hath brought down Zion from above.
The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.

101
The earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength;
And truth is established in her bowels;
And the heavens have smiled upon her;
And she is clothed with the glory of her God;
For he stands in the midst of his people.

102
Glory, and honor, and power, and might,
Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy,
Justice, grace and truth, and peace,
Forever and ever, Amen.

 

I woke up this morning with the idea that the reason most of our wards are so placid and pleasant is because we aren’t trying to accomplish much.

I’ve seen the most growth in myself on my mission and in my marriage, both of which have had their times of being volatile.

The early church had all sorts of embarrassing drama and infighting; they were trying to build zion, and succeeded to a significant extent.

Zion is the pure in heart.  There are no poor among her.  And so on.

These are the standard definitions of Zion.  They are good.

I just found a new one.

(more…)

“G,” the masses clamor, “do you have something you could share about D&C 81-84 after everyone except the clamoring masses are done with them?”

“Yes, my masses,” I reply.  “Clamor no more.”

(more…)

My newlywed daughter and her husband were at a garage sale looking at some furniture.  One of them said, with emphasis, ‘I can’t put books on missing shelves.”  Said that way, it came out like poetry.

On the family chat, they suggested we all try to make poems out of it.  It was a lot of fun. Some were supremely silly, some had Mother Goose energy, one wasn’t doggerel, but my favorite was this one.

Cultural Christianity

You can’t put books on missing shelves

You can’t make saints of Keebler elves

You can’t have Christ without the cross

You can’t refine and keep the dross