Mormon Musings

In response to critics’ arguments as to the origin of the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley published the following parable: A young man once long ago claimed he had found a large diamond in his field as he was plowing. He put the stone on display to the public free of charge, and everyone took sides. A psychologist showed, by citing some famous case studies, that the young man was suffering from a well-known form of delusion. An historian showed that other men have also claimed to have found diamonds in fields and been deceived. A geologist proved that there were no diamonds in the area but only quartz. . . . When asked to inspect the stone itself, the geologist declined with a weary, tolerant smile and a kindly shake of the head. . . . A sociologist showed that only three out of 177 florists’ assistants in four major cities believed the stone was genuine. A clergyman wrote a book to show that it was not the young man but someone else who had found the stone. Finally an indigent jewele...

“May the integrity of our souls have a sign that reads in bold black letters ‘NOT FOR SALE AT ANY PRICE’ so that it might be said of us, as it was of Hyrum Smith, “Blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart” ( D&C 124:15 ). Elder Tad R. Callister -“Integrity- Foundation of a Christlike Life,”  Ensign , Feb. 2013, 55

“Some are willing to set aside the precious gospel truths restored by Joseph Smith because they get diverted on some historical issue or some scientific hypothesis not central to their exaltation, and in so doing they trade their spiritual birthright for a mess of pottage. They exchange the absolute certainty of the Restoration for a doubt, and in that process they fall into the trap of losing faith in the many things they do know because of a few things they do not know.” Tad R. Callister ,  “Joseph Smith—Prophet of the Restoration,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 37

Recognizing the Lord’s Hand Naturalism’s explanations of the origins of life and the miracle of our bodies often appear convoluted when placed side by side with the simple truths of the revealed word and divine scripture. With its 107 million cells, connected to the brain by over 1 million neurons, the eye is more perfect than any camera ever invented. It caused Charles Darwin to humbly admit, “That the eye with all its inimitable contrivances … could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest sense.”   1 The Psalmist wrote, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” ( Psalm 53:1 ). Such a foolish disbeliever ought to look at his hands. Seventy muscles contribute to hand movements. Much of the rest of the body is devoted to optimizing the complex function of the hand. There are no muscles in the fingers. The sole purpose of the forearm, its muscles and bones, is to move and position the hand. To observe a miracle, look at a baby’s ...

"What then is this integrity that is such a dominating force in determining greatness?" he asked. "Integrity is a purity of mind and heart that knows no deception, no excuses, no rationalization, nor any coloring of the facts. It is an absolute honesty with one's self, with God, and with our fellow man." "Integrity is the foundation upon which character and a Christlike life are built," he said. "If there are cracks in that foundation, then it will not support the weight of other Christlike attributes that must be built upon it." Elder Tad L. Callister, BYU Devotional, Dec 6, 2011