This is Scripture Roundtable 50 from The Interpreter Foundation, in which we discuss the Doctrine & Covenants Gospel Doctrine Lesson #46, “Zion—The Pure in Heart,” focusing on scriptures in D&C 57, 64, 82, 97, 105, Moses 7, and Articles of Faith 1:10, bringing in various insights to help us better understand the scriptures and church history. These roundtables will generally follow the 2013 Gospel Doctrine schedule of scriptures, a few weeks ahead of time.
Panelists for this roundtable include Andrew Smith, Martin Tanner, and Shon Hopkin.
Some highlights of this discussion include:
-
The usage of Zion in the scriptures
-
Community versus Individuality in the Gospel
This roundtable is also available as an audio podcast, and will be included in the podcast feed. You can listen by pressing the play button or download the podcast below:
Podcast: Download (Duration: 46:51 — 16.1MB)
I really enjoyed the ideas of community and comparing American individualism vs. communal societies.
When Shon Hopkin was talking about the joy of the return of the city of Enoch, I noticed something this time around that I had never noted before. In Moses 7:62 it talks of of the second coming and of an Holy City and of a New Jerusalem. The idea of a New Jerusalem seemed odd to me for the first time. Because the book of Moses was received as revelation while studying the Pentateuch. During the life of Moses there was no old Jerusalem, because Jerusalem as a city or an idea didn’t exist yet. And in the life of Enoch, who pre-dated Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, and Moses, even less so. So why do the panelists believe the book of Moses has this reference to “New Jerusalem”?
Very interesting podcast.
There’s something going on in the world at the moment. Many voices are rising, talking about the changes that our societies must face in order to build a new and better world. As if there was a “spirit of Enoch” spreading across the globe. Interestingly enough I don’t hear many people of our faith talking about such life changing concepts. It’s seems like all is well in “zion” (I guess the Lord here is using Zion as “the church”).
I’d like to hear more ideas coming from church members about organic food, sharing economy, car sharing, alternative energy, ecology, moneyless societies, open source softwares, creative commons materials, ecovillages, antiwar mindset,home education, direct democracy (maybe “theodemocracy” as Joseph would say 😉 etc.
In my ward I try to talk about those things but they look at us as if we were aliens. I do not believe that it is vital to use open source softwares in order to build Zion but I do believe that a shift in the way we see things in absolutely necessary. Old ways vs new ways (as Eisenstein sees it). Old ways vs the Lord’s ways (as we see it).
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
Albert Einstein
We can’t build Zion in the same way we’ve built our modern societes. Or we will fail, once again.