This podcast discusses the importance of contextualizing facts, especially in Church History. It explores mental flexibility in seeking by study and faith, the significance of understanding perspectives, and the historical context of controversial topics. The speakers also delve into the complexity of plural marriage and the symbolic representation of the Adam and Eve story. They plan to interview experts and invite listeners to join them in studying 'mental pickle jitsu'.
Contextualizing facts is crucial in understanding church history to prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
Developing mental flexibility allows individuals to challenge assumptions, deepen understanding, and maintain faith in the face of unsettling information.
Properly contextualizing the relationship between Freemasonry and the endowment ceremony helps dispel misunderstandings and highlights Joseph Smith's efforts to restore and enhance sacred ordinances.
Deep dives
The importance of contextualizing facts in understanding church history
Contextualizing facts is crucial in understanding church history and preventing misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Facts, especially potentially shocking or scandalous ones, need to be understood within their original historical, cultural, and theological contexts. Without proper context, facts can be easily misunderstood and misused by critics to deceive and challenge the testimony of church members. Contextualization involves learning the background, historical, and cultural factors that surround the facts, and allowing that context to shape the meaning and interpretation of the facts.
The skill of mental flexibility in modifying assumptions
Mental flexibility is a crucial skill in navigating potentially challenging or faith-threatening facts. It involves the ability to identify, challenge, and modify one's own assumptions in light of new information. This skill requires humility, honesty, and a willingness to unlearn and reevaluate previously held beliefs. By being open to modifying assumptions, individuals can deepen their understanding and faith, recognizing that even prophets and church leaders can make mistakes. Mental flexibility allows for growth and continued seeking, instead of throwing away one's faith in the face of unsettling information.
The significance of contextualizing facts in understanding the endowment and Freemasonry
Context is especially important when examining the relationship between Freemasonry and the endowment ceremony in Nauvoo. Joseph Smith became a Mason in Nauvoo, and he introduced elements from Masonry into the endowment. However, it is crucial to understand that Joseph saw these elements as a restoration, incorporating true principles from Masonry into a more perfect endowment. The fact that many Nauvoo residents were Masons and did not accuse Joseph of plagiarism supports this understanding. Contextualizing the connection between Freemasonry and the endowment helps dispel misunderstandings and highlights Joseph's efforts to restore and enhance sacred ordinances.
Contextualizing Joseph Smith's Polygamy
Joseph Smith's practice of polygamy is often criticized, particularly his marriage to a 14-year-old girl. However, understanding the context is essential to neutralize the shock factor. In Nauvoo, sealing was used to create familial connections, and not all sealings were traditional marriages involving intimacy and children. Helen Mar Kimball, the 14-year-old mentioned, later wrote a book about plural marriage, providing her perspective. Her parents were involved in the sealing, and it was intended to connect the Smith and Kimball families. It's crucial to recognize that marriage customs differed in the 1840s, and a study showed that marrying at 14 was not unusual during that time.
Contextualizing the Relationship Between Freemasonry and Temple Endowment
Claims of Joseph Smith plagiarizing Freemasonry in the temple endowment require contextualization. Joseph Smith's methodology throughout the restoration involved gathering and fusing truths from multiple sources. While there are resemblances between the Masonic rituals and the endowment, the purposes and contexts are significantly different. Masonry does not focus on the creation, fall, and atonement, which are central to the temple endowment. Instead of straight borrowing, Joseph Smith modified and recontextualized elements from Masonry to suit the restored gospel's teachings. Properly understanding the context helps dispel misconceptions about the origins and nature of the temple endowment.
Facts don’t interpret themselves. People interpret facts. And the people best equipped to most accurately interpret facts are those who understand the contexts in which those facts were originally embedded. This is especially important in understanding Church History because a fact—especially a potentially shocking or scandalous sounding fact—isolated from its context is a fact certain to be misunderstood. This reality is too often leveraged by critics against Church members as a weapon of mass deception which has troubled many a testimony.
This is why in this episode of Church History Matters we discuss the crucial skill of properly contextualizing facts so we know what kind of meaning to give them and how to feel about them. We then demonstrate how this skill works with some real-life, potentially shocking examples.
