Latter-Day Saint scriptures may be greener than you think


Guest LiterateParakeet
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Guest LiterateParakeet

I thought this was a thought provoking article.  It gave me some new ideas to ponder, for example this:

The Book of Mormon foresees “great pollutions upon the face of the earth”[18], linking natural disasters such as “fires, and tempests, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands”[19] to sinful behaviour like robbing and lying. This connection suggests that the environmental crisis is about more than pollutant gases in the atmosphere. It may indicate a deeper, spiritual crisis.

Here's the article link: Read the whole article here

 

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Guest Mores
38 minutes ago, LiterateParakeet said:

The Book of Mormon foresees “great pollutions upon the face of the earth”[18], linking natural disasters such as “fires, and tempests, and vapors of smoke in foreign lands”[19] to sinful behaviour like robbing and lying. This connection suggests that the environmental crisis is about more than pollutant gases in the atmosphere. It may indicate a deeper, spiritual crisis.

It's funny you quoted this line.  It was the only line in the entire article that made me go 'HUH???"

The overall point of his article is fine.  Yes, we are stewards of this planet.  Yes, we ought not pollute the earth.  Yes, we ought to conserve our resources. Yes, yes, yes. All that is correct.

But to use that word from that verse to invoke the scriptures to support today's idea of environmental protection is a HUGE stretch.  Of all the uses of the word "pollution" in scripture, EVERY SINGLE one of them refers to spiritual pollution or defiling that which is sacred (i.e. a temple).  Is the earth a temple?  I've heard that there is a beauty in it that should be cared for and preserved.  But on par with a temple?

The quoted line actually gets to that point... AFTER it makes the exact opposite point throughout the rest of the article.  Why is that line even in there?  It actually distracts from the very valid point already made.

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I am extremely wary anytime anyone (especially a politician) uses the poor or a ‘green policy’ to support their platform.  Reminds me of Judas as found in John 12:3-8.

Yes, we should always be wise stewards of the Earth.

I can't wait to get my electric VW van.

 

Or even better, Mr. fusion!

 

 

Edited by mikbone
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Guest LiterateParakeet
6 hours ago, Mores said:

It's funny you quoted this line.  It was the only line in the entire article that made me go 'HUH???"

What fun would it be if I quoted a line that didn't make one think?   :)  

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But to use that word from that verse to invoke the scriptures to support today's idea of environmental protection is a HUGE stretch. 

I didn't think it was meant to be political.  The scripture refered to is about the Last Days, our day.  I've often thought, but wasn't certain, that the enviromental issues we are seeing today are part of what we can expect before the Second Coming, but I had never connected that idea with the scriptures.  

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 Of all the uses of the word "pollution" in scripture, EVERY SINGLE one of them refers to spiritual pollution or defiling that which is sacred (i.e. a temple).  Is the earth a temple?  I've heard that there is a beauty in it that should be cared for and preserved.  But on par with a temple?

The earth as a temple?  Oh yes!  I love that.  Scriptures can have more than one interpretation, as I'm sure you know.  
 

Quote

The quoted line actually gets to that point... AFTER it makes the exact opposite point throughout the rest of the article.  Why is that line even in there?  It actually distracts from the very valid point already made.


What did you think he was saying?  Something political, apparently from earlier in your post.  As I said before, I don't think the point was to be political.  I just saw it as a message about scriptures regarding what we, today, call environmentalism.  

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Guest LiterateParakeet
5 hours ago, mikbone said:

I am extremely wary anytime anyone (especially a politician) uses the poor or a ‘green policy’ to support their platform. 

I don't think this article was intended to be political.

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Guest LiterateParakeet
3 minutes ago, mikbone said:

I think it was all the political buzzwords in the first paragraph that threw me.

It's an article from mormonnewsroom, not CNN. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

@LiterateParakeet Thank you for this post.  It is my theory that there is a strong connection between things physical and spiritual.   I agree that of all peoples - that the Latter-day Saints ought to be the most influential for a good environment of all peoples.   Most of us believe that the millennium will be a time of nature in perfect harmony and balance with human society.  I am of the other mind - that our human society will be in perfect harmony and balance with nature.  Thus I believe that the greater change will be with us Saints rather than the nature of things changing.  I believe that Joseph Smith made reference to this  during Zion's camp and the treatment of snakes.

But I also agree with @mikbone that environmentalism has become too corrupted and political.  I used to be a member of the Sierra Club and actively lobby for environmental awareness and improvements but I found myself on the complete opposite side several critical environmental issues. 

I believe there is a connection with waist and extravagant use of valuable resources and sinful practices of indulgences in personal selfishness and pride.  But like the debate over the chicken and the egg - I am not fully sure which comes first.  

I do not believe that true environmentalism is no use and leave to nature but rather wise and divinely inspired use.  Nature, all by itself, is not a glowing example of being kind to living things.  Here on earth there has been 5 major mass extinction events - all the cause of natural events.  As near as I can determine the universe is extremely hostile to life - making life the rarest and most precious thing in our universe.  If we are to become creators and caretakers of order in the universe - we need to become better stewards of such things here on earth.  I am shocked that so many maintain even their personal space in disarray.  I am concerned with children that do not keep their own room or make their own bed and parents that somehow believe it will not matter that much to their children's spiritually and success - but maybe it is a matter of being an example.  As I stated in another thread - I am concerned that so many are so out of balance with spiritual things just in their apparel and personal grooming going to one extreme or another. 

I am currently in a discussion with @The Folk Prophet about little things like being willing to clean one's own toilet as a reflection of personal spiritual development - if we are not joyfully taking care of ourselves and our own impact to our own environment - how can we take care of anything else of supposedly greater importance.   If anything is good and lovely to accomplish - we should enjoy and gladly be about doing it - if it is not good and lovely to care for and do - we should not expect anyone else to do it either.

 

The Traveler

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This article looks to me like an attempt to minister to people in their weakness and foolishness. So many are (or at least claim to be) concerned about "saving the planet", even as the moral foundations of society disintegrate before our eyes. Perhaps some few might be reached by such pandering, as it seems to me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Very Interesting thoughts here. I appreciate the insight about the earth being a temple, it would make sense that it could be the combined effects of our own pollution of collective morals and actual physical actions. I find, as I'm sure many of you do as well, that often times when a scripture can be reinterpreted many different ways it's probably that neither way is right on 100%, but that it can be a combined effort on the part of most interpretations with some exceptions. I find it fascinating that we read about really 3 main temples in the scriptures our bodies , the actual place, and the earth which I would argue is a combination of an actual place and a living thing. So therefore, could we not conclude that when we bring unclean things (be it physically, spiritually or both) that naturally the earth would become sick and need to be "baptized" by fire? I will finish by mentioning that either way you look at it we should be stewards of the earth within our own means, and interpret that how you will (kind of like how each family worships the Sabbath a bit different).

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