08-29-2005, 04:43 PM | #1 | |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,368
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Interview with Sterling McMurrin
SM is featured in the David O. McKay biography. Interesting read.
http://www.lds-mormon.com/newell_mcmurrin.shtml Here's a quote that I think applies to cougarboard and cougarguard. Quote:
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08-29-2005, 04:47 PM | #2 |
Assistant to the Regional Manager
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Orgasmatron
Posts: 24,338
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there is a high degree of sanitization for my tastes
but if I were in leadership, I don't know what tact I would take.
Things can get out of control, with people focusing upon the negative thereby concluding there is no truth, no positives. That's what I find fascinating about some of the discussions in the McKay book: you see glimpses of how differing Apostles thought. I tend to like Hugh B. Brown's approaches to things from what I'm reading. The stern guys are probably necessary but don't appeal to my nature as much. |
08-29-2005, 05:04 PM | #3 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,368
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I had the same thought. That I liked Hugh B. Brown, and how come I didn't know much about him?
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08-29-2005, 05:48 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 10,665
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Re: Interview with Sterling McMurrin
Quote:
"There are three forces, only three, on this earth that can overcome and capture once and for all the concience of these feeble, undisciplined, creatures, so as to give them happiness. These forces are miracle, mystery, and authority. . . . We have corrected Your work and have now founded it on miracle, mystery, and authority. And men rejoice at being led like cattle again, with the terrible gift of freedom that brought them so much suffering removed from them." Along these same lines, here's an interesting essay I recently found on the Internet by the famous 19th century British poet and philospher Matthew Arnold, regarding the contrasting qualities of and tension occurring between Hellenism (i.e., Greek philosophy) and "Hebreaism" (by his definition embracing Christianity), the two intellectual/spiritual movements that made Western Civilization (sharing the same stated objective, i.e., man's perfection, though by radically different means): <http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/arnold/writings/4.html> (Warning, it's a little turgid; it gets more readable with the second paragraph.) As he notes, for sixteen hundred years Hebreaism appeared triumphant, but (and this is more clear today than in Arnold's time 140 years ago) in our modern world the tables have turned.
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Interrupt all you like. We're involved in a complicated story here, and not everything is quite what it seems to be. —Paul Auster |
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08-30-2005, 12:18 AM | #5 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Norcal
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Quote:
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08-30-2005, 12:20 AM | #6 |
Assistant to the Regional Manager
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Orgasmatron
Posts: 24,338
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I'm certain a biography has been written about him
but we've just not read it.
He was quite popular when he lived as I remember just as I was becoming a member people quoting him all the time. |
08-30-2005, 01:13 AM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: the far corner of my mind
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When I was on my mission (sometime in the dark ages) I heard
a quotation that was supposedly from Hugh B. Brown. I wrote it in the lined pages in my KJV Bible and remember it to this day. He was attributed with the statement that : "We are not as concerned with what your thoughts are as we are that you have thoughts." At the time I felt like this statement seemed somewhat radical and even dangerous (I was young and it was a long time ago) and I was suspicious that the attribution was inaccurate or fictitious, but I liked the sentiment.
I have since tracked down the more accurate version, which I understand is "The church is not so much concerned with whether the thoughts of its members are orthodox or heterodox as it is that they shall have thoughts." Don't misunderstand, I am a believing member, but I think it unlikely that this statement would be given in a pronouncement of any type by a member of the 12 today. Maybe this is because we are closer to the last of days and the last thing we need in this era of permissiveness and shallow critical thinking passing for deep philosophy is to encourage members to wander; maybe it is becasue the pronouncements of the bretheren are, like the WOW, tailored to the weakest among us. I don't know. Nonetheless, Hugh B. Brown has always been one of my favorites and I am glad there is a place like Cougarguard wherre we can occassionally discuss these things. Here is a link to his memoirs. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...571681-9770209 |
08-30-2005, 03:19 AM | #8 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Boston, MA
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Okay okay...
you've all convinced me to go buy the book now. Hope the Amazon link is working.
I've also rummaged through some of our church books (we recently moved) and found "An Abundant Life: The memoirs of Hugh B. Brown". My wife says it's a great but short read. Maybe a book list candidate... (edit: I just now noticed creekster's link to above mentioned book; sorry for the repeat) |
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