A long time ago, I dreamed about a sword. The dream was strange. It was told by the sword.

There was an Arthurian, elven style court. Noble knights and fair ladies who went forth from their shining walls into the happy green land to the sound of music. The king had a magic sword which narrated (?) the dream. They jousted, they chased the deer among the huge boles of the stout old trees. They may have had some foes scattered around that they could fight. (I have it all written down somewhere, but at this time do not recall.)

At one point there was a crack. A kind of restlessness set in. I think it was adultery but it may have been a personal affront. A quarrel. It made people angry. It didn’t really get patched up. The anger and bitterness widened. The knights and ladies started in on each other. There were killings. They fought little wars. The land was ravaged. Eventually the king turned into an orgy of destruction as did everyone who still left alive, destroying just to destroy. The magic sword could unmake things and raging the king unmade. It was the Jaredite end of the Arthurian legend. (more…)

Elder Christofferson once preached that the aim of the gospel is to draw down “perfect justice and infinite mercy” from heaven. The phrase stuck with me. Perfect justice and infinite mercy.  Infinite mercy, sure.  But who among us struts so cockily that he wants perfect justice?  Who among the wise can know that he is more sinned against than sinning?  None.

But the truly wise know, even the justice that condemns you is joyful.

(more…)

This post is about discretion and legalism. It follows up on the post The Virtue with No Name, or the Best Mormon Essay You’ll Read This Month. (more…)

No, not this essay, goose. Another essay. Which will be revealed to you later.

(more…)

In a chapter called Knights and Squires, right after a chapter where Ishmael defended the dignity of whaling on the grounds that whale oil is used to anoint the kings of England, Melville has Ishmael praise democracy and equality. Ironic, no? (more…)