Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
Tempering Iron

Tempering Iron

Last updated on: December 28, 2017 at 1:15 pm by Dan Peterson

Tempering Iron 2017-12-28T13:15:37-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

NASA public domain photograph

We’re nearing the time for New Year’s resolutions. They can be helpful, sometimes. We often focus on quantifiable goals, like losing twenty pounds or saving a thousand dollars or exercising five days a week. But the most important goals are often not measurable in such simple ways.

Two of the most important things that we might do over the next year would be to be more self-aware and to be more charitable in judging others.

On which, I cite two passages from the great and heroic Russian Nobel-laureate writer Aleksander Solzhenitsyn:

“It is not because the truth is too difficult to see that we make mistakes. . . . We make mistakes because the easiest and most comfortable course for us is to seek insight where it accords with our emotions — especially selfish ones.”

“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

***

We are sent here to improve, and one of the most important ways in which we can and must improve is in our capacity to love others. I quote, again, from the late Swiss-American psychiatrist Elizabeth Kübler-Ross:

“You have to temper the iron. Every hardship is an opportunity that you are given, an opportunity to grow. To grow is the sole purpose of existence on this planet Earth. You will not grow if you sit in a beautiful flower garden, but you will grow if you are sick, if you are in pain, if you experience losses, and if you do not put your head in the sand, but take the pain as a gift to you with a very, very specific purpose.” (Death is of Vital Importance, 1995)

***

Another installment of my regular Thursday column in the Deseret News, “Defending the Faith,” has appeared:

“An Old Testament curriculum year beckons to us (or threatens us!)”

***

I find the results of this study extremely interesting:

“Recent survey finds that Mormons contribute more financially than other denominations, but feel the least pressure to donate”

I have to say that they’re consistent with my own experience and my own impressions.

***

The inimitable Irish Latter-day Saint Robert Boylan has just published a new book entitled

Behold the Mother of My Lord: Towards a Mormon Mariology

I look forward to reading it.

***

Here’s a nice seven-minute video from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

“Defenders of the Faith”

I think that it provides a good rationale for “apologetics.”

***

A great story:

“Why Elder Packer Invited a Hostile, Less-Active Member to Speak at Stake Conference”

Uncategorized

Previous Post

December 28, 2017

"Hey, Mormons -- leave dead Jews alone!"

Next Post

December 28, 2017 Jesus and Christianity in the Qur’an

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In what town did Jesus grow up?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jericho Nazareth Bethlehem Jerusalem