Saturday, July 26, 2025

Strangest story ever told in a Sacrament Meeting?

 


WHAT’S the strangest story you’ve ever heard told in an LDS Sacrament Meeting?

For myself, it was hand’s down, “The Parable of the Push-Ups and Donuts.” And, that’s saying a lot, considering I’m drawing on some 50-plus years of hearing Sacrament meeting talks.

For starters, the story is way too long and very repetitive. (It took up about 15 minutes time to tell it in my Sacrament Meeting and this meant that the first speaker telling this tale, stole most of the time and left only about 5 minutes for the other and second speaker.)

Secondly, there are a few versions of this story and sadly, the version told in my Sacrament Meeting in the summer of 2025 wasn’t the more applicable version titled, “Parable of the Seminary Doughnuts.” (That version, at least, has a specific LDS Church context, whereas the version told in my Ward was as if everything happened in a regular, public school classroom).

The fact that the star of this story is always a needy student who doesn’t obey rules and who was kicked out of many other classes doesn’t bode well for such a person being idolized at the end of the tale as being compared to Jesus Christ himself and his Atonement for us.

Some versions of the tale imply that this story may have really happened, but it is doubtful, based on its extreme nature and how long such an experience of doing sets of pushups for an entire class would really take. (After all, it is listed as a "parable.")

In addition, once a person -- even a trained one on pushups -- reaches their physical limit, their arms would collapse – and no matter how slowly the exhausted person is doing the exercise, they will eventually collapse rather suddenly. A person who gets tired can limp and slow down a lot if they are walking or running, but one can’t do the same for pushups.

If one ever hears this story told in a church meeting, one isn’t likely to forget it.


-If one wants to read versions of this story, just search Google for pushup story and atonement.

 NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.



 

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Attention Getter? The "Trump" Word Mentioned 20 times in Doctrine and Covenants 88...



 SCRIPTURES sometimes have multiple meanings and Doctrine and Covenants section 88 is just one example of this.

In section 88, the word "trump" is used 20 times, not trumpet, just trump.

Since this section examines the last days, before Christ's return, it doesn't seem impossible that with President Donald Trump in the news a lot these days, that "trump" is possibly an attention-getting word, with more meaning than just the musical instrument.

Hear the word "trump" a lot and one knows these are truly the latter-days.

At the least, the word trump stands out more in D&C 88 in the year 2025 than it did at any previous time.

 NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.





Sunday, July 6, 2025

A Continuance of a Full-Time Mission in the Spirit World?

      Elder Lynn Arave, left, with 3 other members of the Bath, England Mission District in late 1973.


THERE is some evidence from my own family's history and at least one other -- that at least some former full-time missionaries now in the Spirit World are continuing to proselyte former members of the same nations where they served on Earth.

My Grandfather Ray Rigby was still teaching Canadians in the Spirit World, a few years after his passing. That was also where he served during the World War I time period -- in Canada -- on a full-time mission. (I know this because of a special spiritual experience my mother had in the Logan Temple.)

One of my sisters said a member of her ward told a similar tale in her sacrament meeting involving a continued missionary effort in the Spirit World.


                                   My grandfather, Ray Rigby, on his Canadian Mission in about 1918.


(Now, everyone apparently speaks the same, single language in the Spirit World-- Adamic Tongue -- and so no special language skills are needed there, but knowing more about the national orientation of Spirit World residents and having an extra special love for them, may help in the work there.)

So, for myself someday, I may find myself teaching Southwest England residents the Gospel when I arrive in the Spirit World ...

That would be Mission Part II.

 NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.





Wednesday, May 28, 2025

The 20 Largest LDS Temples

 

           The Salt Lake Temple in its pre-renovation state.              Photo by Liz Arave Hafen.

WHAT are the largest temples in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Bigger is not always better, but nevertheless, here are the top 20, ranked by square footage -- AND, the Salt Lake Temple is more than twice the size of number two...

1.Salt Lake Temple, 382,207 square feet.

2.Los Angeles, 190,614.

3.Washington, D.C., 156,558.

4. Jordan River, 148,236.

5.St. George, 143,969.

6.Logan, 119,619.

7.Mexico City, 116,642.

8.Ogden, 112,232.

9.Seattle, 110,000.

10.Mount Timpanogos, 107,240.

11.Bountiful, 104,000.

12.Manti, 100,373.

13.Teton River Idaho, 100,000.

14.Saratoga Springs, 97,836.

15. Payson, 96,630.

16.Red Cliffs, 96,277.

17. Layton, 94,539.

18.Syracuse, 90,526.

19.Cardston, Canada, 88,562.

20.Heber Valley, 87,026.

NOTE 1: As explained by the LDS Church, "Square footage figures may be approximate since countries and regions determine square footage differently, and figures may include additions, annexes, or auxiliary buildings."

NOTE 2: The Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple is still under construction and no size is yet listed by the Church.

NOTE 3: There are 205 dedicated temples, as of May 28, 2025; 56 under construction; 121 announced; for a total of 382 temples.

SOURCE: https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/statistics/dimensions

 NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.




Friday, April 18, 2025

An LDS Look at the Cosmos….

 

A 1904 book by Nels L. Nelson, that barely scratched the surface on the cosmos and the gospel.

 

IF scriptural references to the cosmos in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are to be taken literally, then man’s physical science is pitifully off the mark in accuracy.

Here are 9 scriptural highlights:

1.   Take planets, for example. There are mortal planets, that can die; and there are immortal ones. This very concept would astound scientists.

According to D&C 88:25-26:

25. “And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—

26. Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.”

So, the Earth is currently in a mortal state, but will die before it is quickened, made immortal and is an abode for the most righteous of God’s children. How many planets out there are still mortal? Unknown, but this seems significant. Man’s scientific understanding is that planets and stars have limited lifespans, but God seems to have made a way for them to exist forever and forever.

 


2.   The Earth is a “she,” the moon is a “she” and our sun is a “he.” Thus, gender exists among stars and planets.

D&C 88:45:

45. “The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in their glory, in the midst of the power of God.”

So, does this mean that the Earth can produce planets as offspring, the Moon too, and yet the Sun not? Certainly our understanding is limited here, but the term “Mother Earth” appears correct. And, assuming it takes a union of a male and female planet to produce offspring, then that must be how planets and stars are created. (Again, we lack detail, but man’s science is light years behind the cosmic truth of God.

3. Our sun will NOT ever run out of energy, as it is sustained by a link to greater stars.

Facsimile 2 in the Book of Abraham:

“Fig. 5. Is called in Egyptian Enish-go-on-dosh; this is one of the governing planets also, and is said by the Egyptians to be the Sun, and to borrow its light from Kolob through the medium of Kae-e-vanrash, which is the grand Key, or, in other words, the governing power, which governs fifteen other fixed planets or stars, as also Floeese or the Moon, the Earth and the Sun in their annual revolutions. This planet receives its power through the medium of Kli-flos-is-es, or Hah-ko-kau-beam, the stars represented by numbers 22 and 23, receiving light from the revolutions of Kolob.”

So, while gravity may hold planets and stars in orbit, there clearly is another chain of energy, invisible to man, that maintains the power of stars and planets in the universe.

 

4.   The Earth abides the Celestial law of God, but it clearly does not like the sins of mankind, who live on it.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 88, verse 25 states:

"The earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—."

LDS Church Scriptures also states that the Earth is groaning under the weight of sin by mankind.

Doctrine and Covenants section 123, verse 7 states:

"The whole earth groans under the weight of its (mankind's) iniquity."

To groan is in response to pain or despair, based on dictionary definitions and so could man’s sins be the cause of so-called “Climate Change,” earthquakes, volcanoes and the like? Perhaps.

 

5.  Light is light. The same light that shines forth from the sun is the same light that sparks our understanding of spiritual matters.

D&C 88: 6-13:

6. “He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;

7. Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.

8. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;

9. As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;

10. And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand.

11. And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;

12Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—

13. The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.”

Again, these verses highlight how little man really knows about light and the universe. Yet, it is clear that God, Christ and Celestial beings can produce an unending and infinite amount of light, to sustain the universe forever and ever. And, it may be as simple as when God needs more matter, it produces more light; stops that light and it becomes matter and thus there is an unending supply of that too. It may be that simple.

6. There was NO "big bang," as the universe has always existed.

Eternity is forever and we, as mortals, cannot grasp that endless concept.
Whenever one tries to ponder eternity, the mortal mind rebels and lets one know it can't comprehend that idea.


However, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught: "That which has a beginning will surely have an end, take a ring, it is without beginning or end -- cut it for a beginning place and at the same time you have made an ending place ... so it is with God." ("Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 181.)
Thus, there has always been a God.
Our God, the Father, has his own Father and so forth backward into eternity. There is a plurality of endless Gods.
There's no "Big bang" needed here -- that's man's cop out for understanding.
Somehow, a "God" has always existed. If not, there will be an end.
The universe has always been here in some degree.
Joseph Smith also stated that "God himself could not create himself." And, he stated that the spirit of man has always existed.
(Joseph Smith Teachings, page 354.)
Somehow God can stop light and create matter. Since he can likely also produce endless light, there's endless matter around. He just adds "intelligences," when needed to the mix, to create life, though there may be life to some degree in all matter.

7. God is the master of time and space.



The author knows little of the mathematical nature of Einstein's theory of relativity, but he believes to God much of it is not a theory, it is practical way God does important things.
 
For example, look at Facsimile No. 2, the Figure one explanation from the Book of Abraham and you find this startling material: "Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the Celestial, or the residence of God. First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time.The measurement according to celestial time, which CELESTIAL TIME SIGNIFIES ONE DAY TO A CUBIT. One day in Kolob is equal to a thousand years, according to the measurement of this earth ..."
Interchanging a day (time) with a cubit (physical measurement)  is time/space inversion. (And this scripture was written long before Einstein came alone.)
To God then, does time becomes a short physical measurement -- one step or less?
Perhaps.
Also, the above verse states one day in Kolob equals a thousand years on earth.
Does that mean that the theory of relativity's time dilation effect is used by God to better serve his purposes? Does it mean that no one in the Pre-Earth life waits more more than a week to be born, because time is moving faster on Earth?
If so, the author perhaps waited just over 30 minutes in the Celestial realm to be born after his mother was born.



If Kolob is traveling near the speed of light, time moves much more slowly there than on Earth. Thus, our earthly test can be done in a fraction of time and it is not just h
--Now the author is certainly not the first LDS Church member, or leader to touch on relativity and the gospel, just one of the more passionate on the subject.
The book, "Science and Mormonism" did.
Also, the church's last general patriarch, Emeritus Patriarch Eldred G. Smith, talked about time dilation and and our time in mortality in his April 1966 General Conference talk, "Can You Abide Two Hours?" (Improvement Era, June 1966, pp. 512-513.
-If you would like to read Patriarch Smith's talk, go to:
http://scriptures.byu.edu/gettalk.php?ID=1461
(-NOTE: This kind of material in the Book of Abraham --plus its feel of being "scripture" -- make any dispute/debate on the Book of Abraham's origin meaningless to myself. The proof of divinity is in its content!)

8. There are "kingdoms" everywhere and there is no space where there is not one.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:36-38:

36. "All kingdoms have a law given;

37 And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.

38 And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions."

So, there are at least 9 planets in our solar system and apparently all are part of a kingdom. All are useful to God and all have specific laws given. (God's universe is one of order.)

"Outer Darkness" is where sons/daughters of perdition will end up and that may well be the empty, dark space between galaxies?

But, there is no empty of a kingdom kind of space per se in outer space.

9. A Celestial Kingdom may well be on the surface of a star.

Doctrine and Covenants 130:6-9:

6 "The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth;

7 But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.

8 The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim.

9 This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s."

A "sea of glass and fire" sure sounds like a star. 

And, while the traditional view of hell in Christianity is a hot place amidst fires, the truth may actually be the opposite. Hell will be a cold, lightless place, while heaven will be a golden place full of flaming glory and plenty of heat.

-These are just some of the Gospel truths, relating to the cosmos, contained in LDS Scripture.

 NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.






 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, February 10, 2025

The Back Story on a Fabulous Painting inside the Brigham City and the Layton Temples

 

                                                          The Brigham City Temple.

 If you happen to be a Latter-day Saint and go to the Layton Temple, or the Brigham City Temple, there’s a fabulous painting inside of Native Americans being baptized in 1873. Below is the back story on that artwork, that was prompted by the legendary “Three Nephities” --

The U.S. military wiped out more than 300 Native Americans – even women and children -- near Preston, Idaho on January 29, 1863. Now known as the Bear River Massacre, it was the largest loss of life for Native Americans in any military battle.

The survivors, part of the Northwestern Shoshone tribe, faced poverty and poor conditions for years afterward.

Sagwitch, a Shoshone Chief, was one of the few survivors of the that Massacre. In 1873, one of his fellow chiefs had a vision in which three white men visited him. One of the men told him “that the Mormon’s God was the true God … that he must be baptized, with all his Indians … stop Indian life, and learn to cultivate the earth and build houses.”

(The three white men were almost certainly the "Three Nephites.")

All the other chiefs believed the dream was true. They searched for George Washington Hill and found him in Ogden. Hill had been a missionary to the Native Americans, was trusted by them and even spoke their language. As the “Man with Red Hair,” they wanted him to preach to the tribe.

Hill was able to obtain President Brigham Young’s permission to preach to them. So, on May 5, 1873, Hill boarded a train in Ogden for Corinne and then walked 12 miles to their camp. By the day’s end, he had baptized 102 people.

Later, some of the tribal chiefs met with President Young and were soon ordained as elders. By 1875, some received their endowments in the Salt Lake Endowment House.

During the next four years, almost 1,200 members of the tribe had been baptized, buried their weapons and started a new way of life farming and ranching.

 

                                        The Layton Temple's east side.

Prior to the dedication of the Brigham City Temple in 2012, artists Linda Christensen and Mike Malm, with help from Cheryl S. Betenson, painted a mural depicting missionaries and a group of Indians during a baptismal confirmation on the banks of the Bear River in the 1870s.

The colorful mural now hangs in the Brigham City Temple baptistry – and a copy of it is in the Layton Temple baptistry too -- as a fitting tribute to the Native Americans and missionary work. (In the Layton Temple, this painting is directly east of the Baptistry Office.)

“The painting is a beautiful work of art,” Christensen said. “It represents the cooperation of two peoples in the settlement of Box Elder County and the establishment of service in the temple in northern Utah. It’s a wonderful, full-circle moment to see that event from the 1870s acknowledged in that temple, which is located just a few blocks from the Northwestern Shoshone tribal headquarters.”

SOURCE: Based on a January 24, 2013 article in the Deseret News by Trent Toone, titled, “Bear River Massacre's unexpected aftermath includes forgiveness and hope.”

 NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.