Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

A light in the darkness for anti-correlation-ites?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • A light in the darkness for anti-correlation-ites?

    We had a meeting during the third hour of church yesterday for the youth, parents, and youth leaders. Our stake is part of a pilot program (along with some other stakes in California, Colorado and Idaho) for the next 90 days on a new teaching program which will affect youth sunday school, priesthood, and young women's classes.

    The principles behind the program focus on how the Savior taught. I believe both the youth Sunday school and priesthood/young women's teachers will be using the same manual (I haven't been able to look through the manual, yet). Each month will focus on a particular doctrine - the example given (which will be the topic for July) was the Plan of Salvation.

    As described, the manual has 6 or 7 suggestions or teaching helps for each topic, but teachers are to prepare their lessons by the Spirit and teach what they feel is best for their youth. Also, there seems to be a big emphasis on youth participation and discussion - portions of the lessons will be prepared and taught by the youth, themselves.

    Our stake is doing this for three months and will give feedback to the church.

    I thought it was very interesting that the church is looking in this direction (i.e., away from strict correlation).
    If we disagree on something, it's because you're wrong.

    "Somebody needs to kill my trial attorney." — Last words of George Harris, executed in Missouri on Sept. 13, 2000.

    "Nothing is too good to be true, nothing is too good to last, nothing is too wonderful to happen." - Florence Scoville Shinn

  • #2
    Let's see how many weeks elapse before someone busts out a Heavenly Mother and Asherah lesson.
    Everything in life is an approximation.

    http://twitter.com/CougarStats

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Indy Coug View Post
      Let's see how many weeks elapse before someone busts out a Heavenly Mother and Asherah lesson.
      I wonder if those who are so inclined are finding ways to do this already.

      I agree though that we may wish we had been careful in what we wished for.
      At least the Big Ten went after a big-time addition in Nebraska; the Pac-10 wanted a game so badly, it added Utah
      -Berry Trammel, 12/3/10

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Indy Coug View Post
        Let's see how many weeks elapse before someone busts out a Heavenly Mother and Asherah lesson.
        This is the thing... the church is either going to be a correlated program, with all of the discomfort that induces for some people; or it will have to embrace some measure of Heavenly Mother and Asherah lessons, with all of the discomfort that induces in other people.

        For me, the choice would be simple -- conversations where people can politely disagree and argue the merits of their vantage are more interesting than conversations where everyone agrees. While not a perfect fit, I think these two kinds of conversations would map pretty closely to the correlated and uncorrelated approaches to teaching Mormon views to Mormons.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by ERCougar View Post
          I wonder if those who are so inclined are finding ways to do this already.

          I agree though that we may wish we had been careful in what we wished for.
          My gut reaction is that such an approach will work well in areas where the church is solidly established and the membership as a whole have a solid grounding in the Gospel. However, I would be surprised to see this liberalized to areas where the church is newer.
          Everything in life is an approximation.

          http://twitter.com/CougarStats

          Comment


          • #6
            Correlation is crumbling. This is causing some mullahs to hold onto it with bare knuckles, but the facts of the situation will eventually force even their gnarled, miserly hands.

            Correlation isn't crumbling because of the complaints of intellectuals, although those complaints are usually valid. If anything, the correlators bristle at intellectuals' complaints and retrench.

            Correlation isn't crumbling because it wasn't implemented effectively. It was conceived in a world of centralized, mass distribution and those techniques aren't as compelling as they used to be. Too many decisions have been usurped from the locals and ensconced in the cubicles of COB bureaucrats.

            Correlation is crumbling because it doesn't meet the needs of many Church members. They find it stifiling, overly-simplified, boring, pointless, and occasionally, deceptive. Correlation has eviscerated enthusiasm for callings, in part because it has eviscerated the very notion of "calling." Leaders have tried to fill gaps by increasing the number and frequency of "assignments" but that is a temporary measure. It won't last. "Assignments" won't even get most Mormons to show up and clean their own buildings. Even Mormons can have their fill of being infantilized.

            Correlation had it's advantages, though, and one of those is how it empowered an instructor to stave off some of the most ill-considered speculations. So Indy may be right, we may be in for some old fashioned Mormon nuttiness, political ranting, and speculation. I'm willing to accept it though, as it is closer to who Mormons really are.

            Correlation also provided a modicum of protection from local leadership going off the reservation. Imagine what some mullah SP's will do with a free hand.

            But perhaps I've gotten ahead of myself. Correlation isn't dead yet and tons of bureacrats are invested in keeping it going. The powers that be will only give way as much as they absolutely have to, even if it is becoming increasingly clear that they, indeed, must give some ground. And Mormons will have to grow up a little, especially in their interactions with their fellow ward members.
            We all trust our own unorthodoxies.

            Comment


            • #7
              I think this is a move to relieve bandwidth issues on the church servers between 9PM Saturday and 9AM Sunday, where instructors worldwide download their lesson.
              Everything in life is an approximation.

              http://twitter.com/CougarStats

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by SoCalCoug View Post
                The principles behind the program focus on how the Savior taught. I believe both the youth Sunday school and priesthood/young women's teachers will be using the same manual (I haven't been able to look through the manual, yet). Each month will focus on a particular doctrine - the example given (which will be the topic for July) was the Plan of Salvation.
                I'd prefer they focus on what the savior taught instead of how, but whatever.

                Did the Savior ever teach the LDS version of the plan of salvation? I'm pretty sure he didn't, which makes this interesting to say the least.
                "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Moliere View Post
                  I'd prefer they focus on what the savior taught instead of how, but whatever.

                  Did the Savior ever teach the LDS version of the plan of salvation? I'm pretty sure he didn't, which makes this interesting to say the least.
                  I think it is interesting that there is not a book of Jesus -- Luke, John, Mathew, and lots of Paul, but no Jesus. I have come to interpret this fact as support for the notion that Jesus didn't want correlation.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by RobinFinderson View Post
                    I think it is interesting that there is not a book of Jesus -- Luke, John, Mathew, and lots of Paul, but no Jesus. I have come to interpret this fact as support for the notion that Jesus didn't want correlation.
                    That's what the Book of Mormon is for.
                    Everything in life is an approximation.

                    http://twitter.com/CougarStats

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      this like when Mcdonalds started adding geographically based menu items. For example in the northeast they got the McLobster.
                      "Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum

                      "And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Moliere View Post
                        I'd prefer they focus on what the savior taught instead of how, but whatever.
                        They did. Apparently I didn't. Much of the discussion was about what constitutes the doctrine of Christ, and then how did He teach it.
                        If we disagree on something, it's because you're wrong.

                        "Somebody needs to kill my trial attorney." — Last words of George Harris, executed in Missouri on Sept. 13, 2000.

                        "Nothing is too good to be true, nothing is too good to last, nothing is too wonderful to happen." - Florence Scoville Shinn

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Indy Coug View Post
                          That's what the Book of Mormon is for.
                          There is a book of Jesus in the BOM? Wow, I have forgotten more than I realize.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by SoCalCoug View Post
                            They did. Apparently I didn't. Much of the discussion was about what constitutes the doctrine of Christ, and then how did He teach it.
                            So when we teach the Plan of Salvation in accordance with the Savior's teachings, we'll have to leave off the preexistence, three kingdoms, spirit prison/paradise, etc. That'll be interesting.

                            FTR, the NT is my favorite canon of scripture by far and I usually teach from the 4 gospels when at all possible. I love the idea here, but I'm afraid it'll lead to more cherry picking and bad interpretations of scripture.
                            "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Mormon Red Death View Post
                              this like when Mcdonalds started adding geographically based menu items. For example in the northeast they got the McLobster.
                              I thought the McFalafel in Israel was a good effort, but apparently it got pulled.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X