The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense Of Life (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
The Givens show that most of Mormon doctrine regarding the nature of God is not unique,even if in modern times it is regarded as unorthodox. They give numerous examples from many sources, philosophers, poets, writers, who aren't LDS, as well as many quotes from LDS scripture and prophets. I did wish the sources had been footnoted, but I think this book should be read as a meditation rather than as a thesis. The reflection is based on a passage from the Book of Mormon, where the prophet, Enoch, discovers that God can weep, and why He weeps. Some absolutely beautifully written passages. I will reread this book, maybe not cover to cover, but certain parts. I loved that the Givens presented this book in a format that one of any faith could reflect on, and gain insight from the material. Very invitational and well rounded— presenting thoughts, philosophies, quotes and poems from people of many different backgrounds, not just those of the Mormon faith. The deep material is offered in an easy to understand way and greatly enhanced my knowledge of God's love for us, our love for each other, and our eternal nature. I had to refrain myself from highlighting everything. Some favorite quotes:"We humans have a lamentable tendency to spend more time theorizing the reasons behind human suffering, than working to alleviate human suffering, and in imagining a heaven above, than creating a heaven in our homes and communities" (page 104)."nurturing hatred cankers the soul; practicing kindness and forbearance develops serenity" (page 79)."The unhappiness of sin is nothing more than our spirit rebelling against a condition alien to its true nature" (page 78)."If we only live to satisfy our physical desires, we are suffocating our spiritual selves" (page 66)."What we call the virtues are precisely those attributes of character that best suit us to live harmoniously, even joyfully, in society. Kindness only exists when there is someone to whom we show kindness. Patience is only manifest when another calls it forth. So it is with mercy, generosity, and self-control. What we may have thought was our private pathway to salvation, was intended all along as a collaborative enterprise, though we often miss the point. The confusion is understandable, since our current generation's preference for "spirituality" over "religion" is often a sleight of hand that confuses true discipleship with self-absorption" (page 105). "The poet/artist William Blake was convinced that his mind was filled with 'books & pictures of old, which I wrote & painted in ages of Eternity before my mortal life'" (page 43). "the temple Solomon builds, like the tabernacle in the wilderness, is God's sanctuary and place of refuge, not ours. For a being as good and pure as God to enter into this realm of darkness and depravity must be exquisitely painful on every level. His love impels Him to visit His people in their distress, and the temple is His shield and refuge from the full onslaught of worldly pain and evil" (page 30)."In our experience most believers, like doubters, are continually adjusting their paradigms to make better sense of the world as they experience it. Belief is fluid. So is doubt. Disillusion and readjustment work in both directions" (page 15). "The point is, neither the new believer nor the new doubter has necessarily progressed or reached enlightenment. Nor has either one necessarily forced the evidence to fit a preconceived model of belief or doubt. Rather, every time we turn our hearts and minds in the directions of giving meaning to our experiences, we are merely—and yet profoundly—arranging the evidence into a pattern—the pattern that makes the most sense to us at a given point on our journey. Evidence does not construct itself into meaningful patterns. That is our work to perform" (page 15)."The call to faith, in this light, is not some test of a coy god, waiting to see if we 'get it right.' It is the only summons, issued under the only conditions, which can allow us fully to reveal who we are, what we most love, and what we most devoutly desire. Without constraint, without any form of mental compulsion, the act of belief becomes the freest possible projection of what resides in our hearts. Like the poet's image of a church bell that only reveals it latent music when struck, or a dragonfly that only flames forth its beauty in flight, so does the content of a human heart lie buried until action calls it forth. The greatest act of self-revelation occurs when we choose what we will believe, in that space of freedom that exists between knowing that a thing is, and knowing that a thing is not" (page 12).
What do You think about The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense Of Life (2012)?
Lends understanding to my concept of the God in whom I believe. This will get a second reading.
—Christi
The first chapter is far and away the most engaging, but the book overall is excellent.
—shhreysehgal
Definitely not a quick read but well worth it.
—Juli
