Max Skousen - Looking Beyond the Mark

[jb789]

Hi all,

Has anyone here read Max Skousen's "Looking Beyond the Mark" books?

I've only been able to find them as pdfs:

Max Skousen-Looking Beyond the Mark

If any have read these, what are your thoughts? Have you found them helpful for any gospel/spiritual insights?

I read them a year or so ago and found them very helpful, I'm curious what some others who have read them think of them.

Thanks =)

[HiJolly]

Max was a mystic, first and foremost. And as such, his views on religion and spirituality were extremely idiosyncratic.

So he carries on at great length about pride and "ornaments upon the tree" and doesn't realize that 90% of that message was for him alone; tailored to his weaknesses and needs. So if the reader has his exact set of weaknesses, then they are well served to read his books.

If not, then they are still of interest, but perhaps not quite as useful.

Max deeply saddened many of his fans by publishing his temple book.

He has been spoken of in other threads in this site, you can search on it.

HiJolly

[bytor2112]

Hi Jolly....you often reference being a mystic. Could you explain a bit more about being a mystic?

Thanks- Bytor

[HiJolly]

Briefly put, a mystic is someone who has had a personal experience with God, typically referred to as a "one-ness" with God. It can also include people who have successfully disciplined their left-brain into a non-functioning state, to produce an effect of right-brain only processing which is a roughly mystical state of mind. See Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight | Video on TED.com

It can also include people who haven't had the experience, but are trying for it.

Links that might help:

Mysticism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Christian Mystic Explained

What is Christian mysticism?

The Mystical Gnosis Event and the atheist

That last one is really interesting. The guy was and is an atheist. Just about made me cry when he describes seeing the old bearded guy.

HiJolly

[Seminarysnoozer]

Briefly put, a mystic is someone who has had a personal experience with God, typically referred to as a "one-ness" with God. It can also include people who have successfully disciplined their left-brain into a non-functioning state, to produce an effect of right-brain only processing which is a roughly mystical state of mind. See Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight | Video on TED.com

It can also include people who haven't had the experience, but are trying for it.

Links that might help:

Mysticism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Christian Mystic Explained

What is Christian mysticism?

The Mystical Gnosis Event and the atheist

That last one is really interesting. The guy was and is an atheist. Just about made me cry when he describes seeing the old bearded guy.

HiJolly

How is this different from having the gift of the Holy Ghost?

[HiJolly]

How is this different from having the gift of the Holy Ghost?

Well, aside from mystical states of mind being clearly linked to brain physiology, there's also the fact that you'd have to say that Mr. Richardson is a Son of Perdition, which I'm not willing to do. So I'd say it's very different, but not necessarily exclusive.

Wait---- That was a rhetorical question, right? I mean, since the Church teaches that if you're not LDS you can't have the Gift of the Holy Ghost... And I'm assuming you believe that?

HJ

Edited May 1, 2012 by HiJolly
just realized

[Seminarysnoozer]

Well, aside from mystical states of mind being clearly linked to brain physiology, there's also the fact that you'd have to say that Mr. Richardson is a Son of Perdition, which I'm not willing to do. So I'd say it's very different, but not necessarily exclusive.

Wait---- That was a rhetorical question, right? I mean, since the Church teaches that if you're not LDS you can't have the Gift of the Holy Ghost... And I'm assuming you believe that?

HJ

Thanks, I wasn't really asking about the person just the concept itself. I think I have even seen books called Mormon Mysticism.