Comments on: Nothing is Simple, Even This Garbled Post

By: Azzurra

Azzurra — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 02:06:19 +0000

Buon luogo, congratulazioni, il mio amico!

By: Rusty

Rusty — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 15:15:41 +0000

Oops, good catch Chris. I just changed it.

By: Chris Williams

Chris Williams — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 12:54:49 +0000

I just finished reading a book called Everything Good Is Bad For You... Wait, isn't it called Everything Bad Is Good For You? Because if everything good is really bad for me, I need to start making even more changes in my life.

By: Bret

Bret — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 06:16:42 +0000

Good points Hal.

Now if you can give me a simple understanding of the word “forthright” (as in speaking forthrightly) I’ll understand my patriarchal blessing better:)

By: Hal H.

Hal H. — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 21:50:43 +0000

I suspect the word ‘simple’ isn’t as simple as we are using it. I like the word and tend to think it means ‘with clarity’ and not simple-minded. ‘Simple-minded’ to me means that we are refusing to see some essential elements of an idea. That of course should be avoided.
When I was in school one of my professors challenged us to use simple language in our writing. He said, if we could explain a concept using language and sentence structure that any normal adult could understand, then that was evidence that we truly understood that concept ourselves. I always liked that idea. (I sometimes read things that make me wish the writer had learned this idea.)
If having clarity is what people mean when they say the gospel is simple, then I’m all for it.

By: Don Clifton

Don Clifton — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 17:04:00 +0000

I think the simplicity of the gospel is that anyone can qualify for the Celestial Kingdom…accept Jesus as our saviour and strive to keep the commandments. We don’t have to keep them perfectly or even understand them, we just have to do OUR best. We are judged on our efforts, not on a comparison chart.

However, the doctrines are not simple as you point out. Even what appears to be simple doctrines, tithing, WoW are open to a lot of discussion and interpretation and that’s good. Think how dull the church and living the gospel would be if everything was completely clear cut and letter of the law.

By: Rusty

Rusty — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 14:52:33 +0000

Jacob,
Your point is well-taken. I think what I’m trying to say is that on the surface so many things seem very simple, and that’s good because it helps us make decisions. But the reality is that none of those things are truly simple if you make a real effort to understand them. Tithing for instance. You can say that you’re living it pefectly, but it’s only perfect according to that person’s definition of increase. There are a number of posts in the nacle showing many different understandings of what increase means.

And I’m not saying that we should make an effort to take out the simplicity of the gospel, I’m just saying that it’s not as simple as we sometimes would like to think.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 06:45:41 +0000

So, I guess I can prescribe some time in the bloggernacle for the next person in my ward who tells me “the gospel is really simple” or “tithing is one law we can all be perfect in”? I’ll send them to 9moons and you can straighten them out.

By: Bret

Bret — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 04:28:07 +0000

This is a post that has been in my thoughts for a good couple of years now. You could almost say this is a post on moderation as well as un-simplicity.

I very much agree with what you’re saying, but with a caveat. The gospel IS simple in that ANYone can follow it and its principles.(Not that you said otherwise, of course, but for clarity’s sake) Doing and understanding things perfectly? Of course not. Anyone from anywhere can qualify themselves for exaltation though.

By: Don Clifton

Don Clifton — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 22:01:36 +0000

Rusty, I need to show this post to your mother. Then the next time she is explaining what she did in minute detail to you, she can justify it using your own words.

I guess “Even the simple is complex” would sum up your thoughts?