The Institutional LDS Church

The following was written by RJH for a recent post on bcc.  It concisely makes very important points about what it means to be Christain and, in particular, a LDS Church member.  Under the heading “Have concern for people,” RJH writes (with a heavy indebtedness to Lowell Bennion):

We are here to serve people not programs or institutions or things. Notice how Jesus was interested in people, particularly the alienated of society and those we would consider to be sinners. He respected the law but did not make it an end to be served. He forgave the sinner, healed on the Sabbath and spoke out  against those more devoted to rules than to people. “Even the Church is an instrument to bless people. It is not an end in itself. Man was not made for the Church, but the Church was made for people. We should not serve the Church, but rather people through the Church [quoting Bennion].” Be kind, don’t be self-righteous, and have mercy on those who “sin differently” than you do.

Amen

Transhumanism and Two 2013 Spring LDS Conference Talks

Conference talks (Spring 2013) by two General Authorities–Elder Richard G. Scott and Elder Jeffery R. Holland–address issues important to Mormon scientists and transhumanists.

During the Saturday afternoon session, Elder Scott made the following observation:

You live in a world where technological advances occur at an astounding pace. It is difficult for many of my generation to keep up with the possibilities. Depending on how technology is used, these advances can be a blessing or a deterrent. Technology, when understood and used for righteous purposes, need not be a threat but rather an enhancement to spiritual communication.

I’m not sure why he said “You live” instead of “We live,” but that is a minor quibble.  The concept of technology moving ahead at an increasingly rapid pace is a very useful observation and one that should be carefully explored.  Unfortunately, Elder Scott drops the ball by pointing out a rather mundane example of how technology can be used:  “Mark important scriptures on your [personal electronic] device and refer back to them frequently.”

Rapid technological change has caused the LDS Church all kinds of problems, and not all of them are bad.  It has encouraged change in procedures and doctrine, and a fine tuning of our history.  As change continues to accelerate, members are going to be increasing bombarded with information, not all of it positive.  And as interest groups assemble using social media, the leadership is going to have to streamline its decision-making processes.  They are going to have to seek guidance from the Lord on an ever increasing basis.  As the world and the Church evolve, members are going to have to deal with updated doctrine, procedures, and ideas.

Elder Holland, in his Sunday afternoon talk, seems to be talking to bloggers and others who have serious doubts and concerns: 

When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle.

I’m glad to hear a General Authority admit the existence of doubt, without making the doubter feel like a leper.  His talk seems very much designed for those of us (primarily the young, which is not me) who struggle to understand why there isn’t a better convergence between science, technology, and Mormonism.  After all, doesn’t Mormonism encompass all truth?

The two sentences in the above paragraph that I relate to best are:

I am not asking you to pretend to faith that you do not have.  I am asking to be true to the faith that you do have.

This sentiment is perfect.  Although I suspect that Elder Holland probably has something different in mind than I do.  I suspect that he is encouraging those who doubt to hold onto the principal doctrines and values of the institutional LDS Church.  But for me, each person has his own personal religion.  For example, no two Mormons agree on everything.  Thus, I would interpret the above two sentences as saying that each of us needs to be true to our “personal” belief system.

I do have a quibble with Elder Holland’s statement:

Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith.  It is not!” 

Elder Holland encourages all to lead with faith.  I would personally prefer that we all lead with the most honest explanation for the situation, beit faith or doubt.

Transhumanists by their very nature will sometimes be doubters.  After all, many are “cafeteria” Mormons.  But they are also optimists.  Thus, they can look at the future with a very positive, but critical, eye.  This is an attitude that most Church members need badly.  It is good to see that the General Authorities are giving at least cursory attention to both important human and futuristic issues.

Two Days with LDS Humanitarian Missionaries

In the Siem Reap region of Cambodia, I recently spent a short time shadowing LDS humanitarian missionaries–Brother and Sister Kohls–and a short-term specialist engineer (and his wife).  It was a very enlightening two days.

On the first day, we spent the entire day visiting 12 rural primary schools located in the region southeast of Siem Reap.  The humanitarian workers were looking at the drinking water needs at each school.  Some needed a better water source and others needed water treatment.  Because of limited funds, at each school delicate negotiations went on to determine the most important need.  From these negotiations, the LDS missionaries made out a priority list of small water projects they could possibly fund.

Sister Kohls (White Hair and Sunglasses) Singing with School Children Near Siem Reap (Brother Kohls is in the Blue Shirt)

On the second day, we took a small boat across the northern end of Tonle Sap (a large shallow lake located in central Cambodia) to Prektol village, a river community comprised of a mix of Cambodians and Viet Namese refugees.  At this location, LDS Humanitarian Service had helped finance a solar-powered water treatment plant that pumped water from the river, removed the sediments, and then treated it with microfiltration and UV disinfection.  At the time we were there, the UV disinfection unit was being repaired.  The inspection was carried out by short-term specialist Elder Henrie.

Elder Henrie Inspecting the Water Treatment Facility at Prektol Village

Early May, the time I was in Cambodia, is the end of the dry season.  Tonle Sap was low and the young helmsman of our traditional-looking boat had trouble negotiating the lake crossing.  On several occasions, the boat was grounded.  He also had to avoid fishing nets.  The one-hour boat trip (each way) turned out to be very pleasant.  Near where we boarded the boat is a community of lake dwellers, their homes constructed on stilts, and boats their means of getting around.

The River Village of Prektol on the Steung Sangke River

The LDS humanitarian missionaries were very sincere in their efforts and were enjoying Cambodia.  It is very encouraging to see retired LDS couples working to improve conditions in developing countries, particularly in rural areas.  Clean water has been identified by the UN as a major area of emphasis, and the LDS program with their water projects is right on target.  I can’t thank the Kohls enough for the work they are doing.  I would like to see the Church recognize the efforts of these missionaries as much as they do the procelytizing missionaries.

Constructing Swing Sets in Cambodia

One of the joys I have in life is constructing swing sets in rural areas in developing countries.  So far, my colleagues and I have installed over 20 swing sets in four countries, the lastest being Cambodia.

Recently, a friend was traveling to Cambodia to do some oversight work for his church’s humanitarian arm.  He agree to show me some of “the ropes” while he was there.  So I met up with him in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and we spent a day visiting rural schools.  After visiting 12 schools, a local school district official picked two schools to receive swing sets.  I had carried some of the smaller parts for the swing sets with me–in my checked luggage–from the United States.  But for the most part, I had to find parts in Cambodia.  This turned out to be easier than I expected.

To help me get around, my American friend had found a church member with a tuk-tuk (sort of  a rickshaw pulled by a small motor bike).  The tuk-tuk driver helped me find parts, have parts fabricated, transport parts, and construct the swing set on site.  He made my effort possible.

Swing Set Parts Loaded on the Tuk-Tuk

Over 2 day period, my tuk-tuk driver and I were able to complete two swing sets at two small rural schools.  At the first location, school was in session, so we attracted quite a crowd of students.  At the second site, villagers were ready for us and helped us assemble the swing set and cement in the footings.  At both sites, we had to do some minor–on the spot–modifications.  But the teachers and villagers were very helpful in getting the modifications made.

Installing a Swing Set in Rural Cambodia (My Tuk-Tuk Driver is Standing on the Table)

PS.  While in Siem Reap, I did take time to visit the historic Hindu temple ruin complex at Angkor Wat.

The Main Temple Complex at Angkor Wat

More Ways for LDS Women to Be Empowered

In a very thought-provoking article in Sunstone (Mar 2013), Michael J. Stevens suggests two ways that LDS women could be more involved with the actual administration of Wards and Branches:

• have women start filling the positions of ward clerk and Sunday School president (I assume counselors also); these positions do not require that one hold the priesthood
• have 12-18-year-old young women join the young men in passing the sacrament trays up and down the aisles

Stevens also suggests a way to encourage change:

Another thing we can do at the grassroots level is to muster the courage to reclaim the Law of Common Consent by exercising our right to vote “no” when we feel moved by the Spirit and/or common sense to do so.  For example, we can decide that as a matter of principle and conscience, any time a male name is put forward to fill a calling for which women are by policy excluded, we should seriously consider registering a negative vote.  There is no formal Church rule or policy against exercising our franchise as members to cast an oppositional vote; we simply aren’t used to it.  And after the meeting, whenwe are inevitably taken aside by church leaders and asked to explain our dissenting, we can share our reservations about the practice of staffing non-priesthood callings only with males.

A Conversation with Global-Health Activist Paul Farmer

The following conversation is taken from Time magazine (13 May 2013).  Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard professor and global-health expert, is the founder of the NGO “Partners in Health” and the subject of the bestselling book Mountains Beyond Mountains.

You say the very poorest don’t get health care because of a failure of imagination.  Is that really what it is?

It must be, because a lot of the technologies or the human resources that you’d need to do a good job in settings of poverty, we have them.  We have great preventives like vaccines.  We have new ways of diagnosing.  We have a lot of therapies that can save lives.  We know a lot about how to build teams who can deliver care.  So it must be a failure of imagination.

Instead of aid, you prefer the idea of “accompaniment,” of staying with people until they believe all their needs are met.  Doesn’t such an open-ended approach take more resources than we can spare?

Great health care may be less expensive than emergency or tardily administered health care.  I’ve been lucky enough to work in rural Haiti, rural Rwanda, and have seen what happens when there are judicious investments.

Does it exhilarate you more to change public policy or to physically save one guy?

In Rwanda, for example, just 10 years ago there was no community-based health-insurance scheme.  Now almost 95 percent of Rwandans are involved in at least some health-insurance scheme.  Life expectancy has almost doubled.  Child mortality has plummeted.  Death during childbirth and deaths from AIDS and tuberculosis have dropped precipitously.  Although it’s enjoyable to deliver care, it’s better to do it in a system that’s going to protect everybody.

What is the best idea you’ve ever had?

My success as a doctor has been dependent on people who can make sure patients and their families receive the services that we prescribe.  The best delivery idea we’ve had, looking at chronic disease, has been community health workers, who can accompany patients over time.

Farmer’s new book is titled To Repair the World.

Cambodian Genocide and God’s Plan of Salvation

Today near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I visited the Choeung Ek (“Killing Fields”) Genocidal Center.  At this location, approximately 10,000 Cambodians were executed by the Khmer Rouge government of Pol Pot.  Similar camps were located throughout Cambodia.  Through torture, starvation, execution, and pathetically-planned forced relocations, almost 2,000,000 Cambodians lost their lives (fully 20 percent of the county’s total population).

During my Mormon mission, I visited the only Nazi concentration in France, KL-Natzweiler, located near Struthof in the Alsace.  Here 22,000 died, including many who were the victims of medical experiments.  It is now estimated that 10-11 million men, women, and children were executed by the Nazis, including Jews (6 million), gypsies, Russians, Poles, and homosexuals.

I’ve also visited eastern Turkey, once part of the Armenian homeland.  Early in the 20th century, nearly 1 and 1/2 million Armenians lost their lives in another ethnicide.  Today, the ancient Armenian churches that have survived in eastern Anatolia are merely shells, ghosts of their former selves.  Most have not served as Christian churches for over 100 years.

At the Choeung Ek Genocide Center, the executions were particularly brutal.  They didn’t want to waste bullets, so they used axes, shovels, and other farm tools to accomplish the killing.  They used music to help masked the cries of the victims.  Among the many killed were women and children.  To remember this holocaust, there is now an information complex at the Choeung Ek site.  In the center of the complex is a giant stupa, which also functions as an ossiary for the bones of many of the victims.

Stupa at Choenung Ek Genocide Center

The intent of the Pol Pot regime was to re-orient society along proletarian lines.  Those who died or were killed were frequently either political prisoners or members of the middle class (teachers, engineers, doctors, etc.) and their families.  Although there was a component of ethnicide, Pol Pot was largely trying to make Cambodian society over according to his own sick and perverted vision, an extreme version of Maoism or Stalinism.

Skulls Stored in Choeung Ek Genocide Center Stupa

When one thinks of Cambodia, Nazi Germany, or Armenia, one wonders about God’s master plan.  With so many people living and dying in such horrible ways, what is the point of life on earth?  For example, the Mormon Plan of Salvation (or Happiness) only makes sense when an individual has some economic, political, and/or social freedom.  So many billions have not or do not have real opportunity.  Are we to believe that these billions who have suffered on earth are here to fill some hopeless role in a gigantic stage production?

Science-fiction writers suggest that maybe we are just characters in a giant computer simulation.  For the sake of the Cambodians who died at the hands of the Pol Pot regime, I hope the genocide victims were not real, just a part of my personal computer simulation.