#207: Temple Bound

The account of the Glowing stones in the story of the brother of Jared may sound improbable but there is precedent in a number of ancient documents that support the same glowing stones in the Ark of Noah, and for Abraham and for Adam. I wonder, though, how Joseph Smith knew about them. I guess he must have been a prophet. But the story is more than just interesting...it is a primer on how faith leads to knowledge, and what is possible to achieve if we will just believe.I invite you to listen in, and comment if you like; I'd love to hear from you.

Nothing too profound today...just an interesting discussion on the repeated use of the term '40 days and 40 nights.' When we see this number in the scriptures should we take it literally or figuratively? And in a more general sense, when are statements literal and when are they symbolic? How can we tell...and does it matter?I invite you to tune in and find out.

Temples have been fundamental to the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints since the beginning of the restoration. but I'm not sure that everyone in the church realizes that, or understands why that is so. In this episode we will take a deep dive into Temples, their purpose, and why they are so important to the Lord's plan that a completely new and unique church had to be formed just so they could once again bless the earth.

Welcome to "The Book of Mormon, Digging Deeper" with Mark Swint.Join us as we explore the remarkable details of the Book of Mormon through scripture, history, geography, ancient civilizations, and the doctrines of the Restoration.Through thoughtful questions, historical research, and a closer examination of scripture, we discover connections that can deepen our understanding and strengthen our faith. Truth is revealed more fully when we dig a little deeper.

Many of the people of the world are beset by three primary and fundamental questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? and Where am I going when I die? These are perfectly normal questions that anybody with normal curiosity would ask...and I propose that the answers to all three of these, if properly understood and held by everyone on earth, would fundamentally change the very nature of this mortal experience.

The number one rule for telling a lie is "Keep it simple! Do not put in too many details! Details will undue the best lies." So, for those people who think that Joseph Smith foisted a bold and preposterous lie on an unsophisticated and gullible people with his silly and fanciful Book of Mormon, I say, let's look at the actual words and see if we can spot the lies. Afterall, the devil is in the details, as they say, so it would be expected that the Book of Mormon would be long on claims and short on details. But amazingly, that is not the case!  The Book of Mormon is literally full of details, in fact, it seems there is almost an over-abundance of details. So, have we given the critics the ammunition they need to discredit this great book? I think not. I invite you to listen and see what you think.

Faith...either you have it or you don't  ... right? Wrong. Faith is one of those uniquely particular traits which allow you to have all of it, or just part of it. You can believe as much as you want, or as little. You can exercise great amounts of faith at times, and at other times, not so much. And you can have faith in some things while at the same time lacking that same faith in others. The Lord has made us amazing promises, and we know his word can be counted upon; and yet, for some reason it is sometimes so hard to do as he asks, even knowing what he has in store for us. Why is that? What makes believing and having faith in the things the Lord has told us so hard, when we are quick to declare that we believe him and have faith jn him? That, my friends, is one of the great mysteries of life.Let's talk about that.

Daily life can be, at times, overwhelming. so many different forces and issues vying for our attention all the time. Today, more than ever, we all need a way to silence the cacophony and find peace in an unpeaceful world. In this episode we explore prayer, meditation and vision quests as ways to step outside our normal busy lives, even if just for a brief time through communication with a higher power.Approaching God is a deeply spiritual and personal matter. It can be accomplished in a number of different ways. But a truly transformative experience generally requires a truly intentional and focused effort.  We'll talk about that.

Signs and Wonders...are they real or just the hopeful imaginings of gullible minds? And how do we recognize signs and wonders if, indeed, we do think they are real? when the rains come after a drought, are they sent by God or are they just the natural timing of the weather? when great destruction befalls a people...was that the hand of God, or just bad luck?And of what value are signs and wonders. We discuss all of this in this newest episode: Signs and Wonders. I hope you will listen in.

It seems unfair...some people are born into the gospel; some people are born in lands where the gospel is not available.  Some people are born during today's age of enlightenment; others were born in the depth of the dark ages. How can that be fair? How can the Savior fairly judge all the people of the world, when they come from and lived in such different worlds?There must be a way to balance the playing field, as they say. there has to be an equalizing factor that, in the end, satisfies the demands of justice while acknowledging the blessings of mercy and understanding. I hope this episode can answer some of those questions.