When words get ruined

In going over the Articles of Faith, one of the places where I almost stopped for a tangent was on the 10th with its reference to "Zion."

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-tenth-article-of-faith.html 

It's not my only word problem. 

We have patriarchs in the church, and patriarchal blessings, which are special and good.  There may even be times when they talk about fathers as patriarchs of their family... that doesn't need to be bad. None of that takes away my desire to smash the patriarchy, with all of the other things "patriarchy" can mean.

I may feel some discomfort using the word, but the flip side is that I am sure some people will hear "smash the patriarchy" and feel very threatened. They only know about ways in which that can mean positive things.

I try and be sensitive to all sides, with decreasing sympathy the more the ignorance seems embraced.

It is also not the first time I have seen very negative uses involving "Zion."

I remember reading an article in the 80s about ZOG, the Zionist Occupied Government.

That is part of a conspiracy theory about the Jews ruling the world. Yeah, that is simplified.

I believe that particular phrasing is from The Turner Diaries, so had been around for a while before. Theories about Jewish control of the world go back much further. The reason I heard of it when I did probably relates to the murder of Alan Berg by the terrorist group The Order.

I don't want to get too caught up in writing about Palestine right now; it is a big issue and I have written about it before. I even wrote about the word "Zion" before. Still, there may be some room for reiteration.

First of all, a reminder that there were Jewish people who repatriated to Palestine before Israel existed. It didn't have to become what it is now; there were choices involved.

Secondly, criticism of Israel does not have to be anti-Semitic. There is plenty to criticize and that can be done fairly.

That being said, antisemitism is nonetheless on the rise. It creeps and blasts into these discussions all the time. 

Because that is a bigotry that goes so far back and is connected to so many really unhinged conspiracy theories, it is a bad path to follow. That may be part of its popularity in this particular climate, but it should be noted along with that how the people who made Palestine their main issue have actually made Palestinian lives worse -- along with many other lives -- while actively ignoring the requests of the Palestinian people or acknowledging any of that now.

That takes some chutzpah. 

For the Latter-Day Saints, our definition of Zion has two main elements:

1. Pure in heart
2. No poor

Without wanting to belabor the obvious, you do not get purity of heart through lies, hatred, and viciousness.

Those qualities also don't solve poverty.

We have to love each other and become better by being willing to own our mistakes and change. That is easier when motivated by love.

I think the reason there are no really successful examples of thriving, happy communism or socialism is right here. They go after their goal by trying to eliminate all their enemies; then they just keep finding more enemies. 

This is why both fascism and communism/socialism so easily end up becoming authoritarian. You would think being opposites, they would have different outcomes, but their similarities are more important, and more destructive.

If you truly want things to be better for everyone, you're going to have to learn how to love them. 

Related posts:

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2024/06/dominator-culture-and-social-media-gaza.html  

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2025/03/clarification.html 

Scripture reading update and lingering questions

I finished writing about the Articles of Faith.

It's nice having a goal in mind and accomplishing it.

There were a few places where I seriously considered taking breaks to write about a tangent that the content suggested. 

Sometimes things that are very understandably distracting start detracting. That happens a lot on the main blog.

I am going to go back over the thirteen posts and see what else I think I should cover. 

I do have some things in mind, but I also know that other people have other points of view. 

I am encouraging you to let me know if you have questions. You can post a comment (which can be done anonymously) or contact me some other way. 

For now, you may remember a different (and bigger) goal that I wrote about in February, though I started it in January, reading through all of the standard works this year:

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2026/02/reading-all-of-standard-works-in-one.html 

It has mostly gone how I have expected. 

I switched out my third Old Testament day with my Doctrine & Covenants day. That wasn't a big deal, but since the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine & Covenants are both in my triple, whereas the Old and New Testaments are in my Bible, it's just a matter of switching the books around less. 

I have also changed days for travel, so that I only took my triple to Seattle and only my Bible to Cincinnati.

Am I learning more for being in all of them around the same time? I think I am noticing some patterns better, though that is also influenced by the accrued knowledge from previous readings and from my Ensign reading, especially for 1982:

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-eight-article-of-faith.html

So much of my learning comes from reading new things, but returning to old things many times, especially for that which is spiritual, also brings great learning.

For a more specific update...

Old Testament: Lamentations
New Testament: Hebrews
Book of Mormon: 3rd Nephi
Doctrine & Covenants: Section 128

Here is the really cool thing...

Most of the Pearl of Great Price books have their obvious (at least to me) counterparts.

Moses and Abraham go with the early chapters of Genesis, Joseph Smith - Matthew goes with Matthew, and Joseph Smith - History goes at the very beginning of the Doctrine and Covenants. 

Those obvious counterparts are also all at the beginnings, but I was not sure where to put the Articles of Faith.

They were written with the Wentworth letter and you can check the dates for the different sections, so that was going to be my approach. 

It looked like the closest D&C section to the articles would be Section 128, which I got to just as I had finished blogging about the articles individually.

Sometimes things work out. 

The Thirteenth (and final) Article of Faith

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say we follow the admonition of Paul -- We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.  

I think the thirteenth is a good way of saying that we can't cover everything, but we know that there are many things that are good.

Part of this that may not be obvious is that there will be individuality. There are too many potentially good things for anyone to pursue them all. The different choices that we make can still all be good, even if they are not automatically all good.

It also serves as a reminder that we have to choose. It can be so easy to just follow the current; you can lose hours playing on your phone. We will not ultimately find satisfaction that way. We should be intentional about pursuing good.

That will mean serving others, of course, but it also means building relationships, seeking knowledge, and developing talents.

And don't forget rest is very important!

There was one other things that struck me this time. 

It is because of a talk from Elder Bednar from the last conference, "All Who Have Endured Valiantly."

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/04/16bednar?lang=eng 

He speaks on the connection between charity and enduring to the end, and he makes a good case for it. Some of the defining characteristics we have for charity are how it suffereth long and faileth not. That sounds like enduring.

Then, charity becomes they way we can endure to the end, with love.

So, seeing how the admonition of Paul goes... "We believe all things" (faith), "we hope all things" (hope), 
"we have endured many things and hope to be able to endure all things"... that sounds like endurance, and it is, but also it is charity.

Faith leads to hope which leads to charity, and that's how we make it through.

That makes sense. 

 

The Twelfth Article of Faith

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. 

I find this one a little harder with the current administration, though it is not the first time I have felt that way.

Then I see horrible behavior from people who claim to be against the government on similar grounds -- perhaps with other differences -- and I have a lot of thoughts.

There are responsibilities to living in a society. That is not just the responsibility we might have to each other under any circumstances. When we become a unit, where there are benefits to that but also restrictions and opportunities for conflict, it can be complicated and frustrating.

One thing I appreciate the phrasing is that not all governments are the same, but issues related to the social contract can still apply.

If you have a bad king -- or a bad president who would prefer being a king -- can one ethically be subject?

I believe so, but then how do we do that?

In a democracy that certainly means participating and working for the common good. 

That sounds simple enough, but there are people who feel like their vote isn't worth the bother, with other people doing things like setting ballot boxes on fire because they suspect the submitted ballots are "wrong". 

In that way it relates a lot to the eleventh article:

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-eleventh-article-of-faith.html 

If the system has an abusive hierarchy spread through it, that's corruption to fight, but it is very easy to be sure you are in the right and that other people are the problem.

It ends up taking humility and love, which often appear to be in short supply.

One important step is considering the consequences:

What message will this send? Who will receive it? What will be the effects?

I have written about this before, mainly about Palestine. Regardless, if you are inconveniencing a lot of people who can't make the changes you are hoping for, that's probably not the way to go. If the reason you are picking on them is because you are scared of the people who are in charge, or just angry that people are not properly acknowledging your superiority, those would be clear signs that you are on the wrong path, but possibly signs that are hard to admit to yourself.

It takes thought and listening. It takes wisdom, which can be difficult, but prayer can help.

It takes a lot of honesty, especially with yourself. 

And it takes integrity. 

Knowing something is terrible but thinking that the ends justify the means is unlikely to be true. It's unlikely to help.

These are difficult times. I know. Navigating them is tricky, but I have not given up hope. 

The Eleventh Article of Faith

We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.  

One of the things that annoys me the most about my fellow saints is when they develop a persecution complex on the grounds of religion.

There is a level at which it makes more sense for us than for many other Christian groups. 

Remember, I have been reading about how the Bible came to be:

https://preparedspork.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-eight-article-of-faith.html 

There have been some strong reminders about how people were persecuted for translating and printing and making the Bible available to common people. There were the persecutions that happened in England as monarch changes brought changes in the official religion and piety and devotion to previous (or not yet allowed) religions was not seen as a virtue.

That happened in other countries too. One that affects my family history was the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. It sent my Huguenot ancestors, the Bobier family, fleeing from France. They went first to Ireland, then Ontario, then into New York.

That was 1572, but we also know that many of the people who came to the American colonies to freely practice their own religions were not great about believing other people should have the same rights. Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and lots of Quakers could tell you that.

Except that we think of that as being pre-Revolutionary War. The country with freedom of religion is the one where we have the Mormon Extermination Order issued by Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs in 1838, the same year as the Haun's Mill Massacre, and President Buchanan admitting the persecution is wrong but refusing to help.

That seems like a long time ago now, but when I was a kid, the older adults around me probably had relatives they remembered who were affected by that.

I get it.

I am also aware of Catholic churches being burned in Philadelphia in 1844 and pogroms and other persecutions against the Jews in the early 20th century (with worse things coming later, yes), and persecution of Sikhs after 9/11 because turbans... I could keep going.

At some point you need to look around and see that no one is preventing you from going to church, or praying, or doing any of the things that are essential to your personal worship.  

They might, on the other hand, prevent you from trying to force other people to live by your beliefs. 

Maybe classes in public schools don't say prayers together (which I think would probably be uncomfortable for multiple people) but silent prayers are certainly offered frequently. 

Maybe some people aren't allowed to beat their children, or deny their children medical care without facing criminal penalties (though usually the child is dead by the time they talk about charges; it's not a perfect system).

And definitely, your religious beliefs do not allow you to impose rules about love, sex, or reproduction onto other people. Well, they keep trying, but based on law and precedence it should not work. 

It doesn't mean that there are no laws ever -- age restrictions regarding sexual partners are one example -- but you do not get to dictate the morality of others, and it is not a coincidence that those most interested in doing so often also tend to be abusive and terrible.

How, where, or what they may. It says it right there.

It's a good thing. 

The Tenth Article of Faith

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the Earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.  

I'm sure this one will sound weirdest, but there is a way in which any kind of religious faith sounds weird: God, atonement, angels...

Faith has its evidence, of course, the feelings and confirmations and the things you can note. 

An important aspect for me is when I can see how things work and make sense and are supportive and generous.

Therefore, what has become more clear to me is that this period of a thousand years before final judgment and like Paradise is going to be a necessary period for healing.

I know we are not the only church that believes in a Millennium, but that there are different beliefs on it.

One thing a lot of members of my church tend to focus on is that there will be temple work done, getting everything caught up that we have not had time to get done before.

I believe that, but I am so much more aware now of the suffering and unfairness and the need to make things right.

My two oldest brothers both died shortly after they were born (they were not twins; that was two separate births and deaths). We believe that my mother will get a chance to raise them. That is wonderful, and seems fairly easy.

Whether my father will be in on that, based on some of the choices he has made, is a bit more open to question.

Even more uncertain is thinking about a friend who died when her daughter was very young. That child is now grown. Of course they will still want time together, but it wouldn't be sharing the same experiences.

I don't know how all of that will work out, but I believe that it will work and in a way that is good for everyone.

That is something I believe and something that brings me joy.

Even though I feel pretty assured in my beliefs (acknowledging a lot of unknowns), I do periodically ask myself if I would be okay with being wrong. If there is nothing after, would I still want to live this way? I would. If there is something different after, would I still be okay with my choices now? I believe I would.  

I don't really know who reads this or what state of belief you have, but I do have one suggestion.

If you don't believe in God and are angry about people who do, or if you have been in the church but then fallen out... if there is something where you might be at odds with the divine, I suggest leaving some room that if things turn out to be fine... that with all of the suffering and sinning against, that there is healing and redemption... that you could be happy with that instead of still resenting it.

That is partially inspired by reading about a movie called The Rapture where someone chooses eternal purgatory rather than letting go of her anger, but also those dwarfs in The Last Battle, refusing to be taken in so denying all of their senses just to stay mad. 

At least be willing to get over it if you turn out to have been wrong.

That's an important life skill, even just here and now. 

It's huge for politics. 

The Ninth Article of Faith

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.  

Also a nice side-benefit of going through old Ensign issues, I see news updates and either remember when that changed or realize that I did not know something had changed.

When I was younger, Relief Society (for women) was on Tuesdays, Primary (for children) was on Wednesdays, and Sunday School (everyone but in different age groups), Priesthood (for men) and Sacrament Meeting (for everyone together) were on Sunday, but not consecutively. I am assuming there were youth group meetings on some night (maybe Thursday), but I don't remember.

That's multiple trips back and forth in a week. It may matter less if you all live close to the church, but that was certainly not true in some areas. In addition, when fewer women were working, there was less interference with that schedule. That was changing in the 80s.

They changed to a block meeting where it was three hours consecutively: Sacrament Meeting, Sunday school (still divided by age) and then the third hour had Primary, Relief Society, Priesthood, and Youth. I remember people making fun of how long Mormons spent in church on Sundays, but at the time it was easier to get all of the church meetings into a single three-hour block.

A few years ago it was changed to two hours. That was just adjusted again. Instead of alternating weeks on what had been the second and third hours, we now have everything each week, but compressed to half hours.

That may not sound that great and important, but there are always questions of how to make things work. People get busier and more stressed, so you want to help with that. If the answer is eliminating something, that can have other issues.

No one wants to go back to three hours; I know that. If we had never changed, how would that have worked out? There were people who skipped hours on the three-hour block, but there were people who skipped weeks with the alternating schedule.

A lot of the changes that get made are trying to get people to rely on the Spirit more, helping to meet individual and local needs at that level rather than having to be told everything from the top. That would be very helpful and valuable, but is also remarkably hard to get people to do. Sometimes there are people who think they already know everything, so they don't see the need to change. Often there are people who worry that they are not good enough to get inspiration. 

Ultimately the kingdom is full of people, and they are imperfect. The attempts to help them and work with them may seem confusing or weird or ineffective, but there is a room for a lot of beauty. 

And I firmly believe in the availability of divine help throughout all of the levels.