Josephine Sessions

[_grindael]

This may fit in, may not. But I found it an interesting comment by B. Young about records and what is "in print". I include both days just because Woodruff's Journals are so fascinating and filled with all kinds of things, especially the mundane. (see the 4th before Young's comments)

3[rd] Capt Burton of the British Army Called upon Presidet Young who Conversed with him Conserning his travels in Arabia India & Africa his pilgrimage to Meca &c. I accompanied him over the Presidents house & while in the observitory he took Note & sketches of the City. I walked with him through the presidets garden & premises Blacksmith shop &c. He then visited the Historians office. G A. Smith gave him an outline of the Mormon war with the United States & a history of affairs for the Last 5 years in Utah.

He is writing & publishing Extensively. He is a free noble minded man. He has traveled so extensively that he has Cast of that Cloak of prejudice and Superstition which most men have against all who do not embrace their own political & religious faith. He will tell the truth about all men & things as far as he Can obtain it. I gave him an invitation to Call upon me.

We received the Eastern mail. We obtained paper & I got one good Letter from Capt Gibson who spoke of his travels in visiting the Saints in the Eastern Country. He wrote in a vary good spirit.

4[th] I budded about 100 green gage plums into wild Stocks. I Cut about 500 buds of my best fruit for Lorenzo Snow to bud in his nursery. I paid $25 on my Territorial tax which was including County tax $51.90 City tax $20.60 x 14 ward school house tax $130. Total tax for 1860 $202.50. I spent my time in the office in the afternoon.

On sunday Evening while in Conversation at the Historians office a Brother Williams & another man Called to get Council of Presidet Young Concerning Brother Williams of Union Fort who is possessed of the Devil & has been in the mountains 60 days to try to starve himself to death but came home a living skeleton & finally Cut his throat & that did not kill him & he now wanted to drown himself. The men that Came for Counsel want the heads of the Church to unite to gether & Cast the Devil out of him. The President said if he wants to Cut his throat or drown himself [p.493] let him do it. The devil is determined to destroy his body any how. If you want the devil Cast out you may go to work & Cast him out if you Can. I shall not go down there to do it. We have devils enough to deal with up here without going abroad after them. If the devils destroy his body they will get through with him. That will be the end of there work with his tabernacle.

Brother Cannon Said there was a learned Doctor [ ] that wanted to be baptized. Believed in this work but wanted to close up his business in New York City first. Said when he was baptized that He should lay aside his practice of medicine as he believed the Lord had provided means for the healing of his Saints without the practice of medicine. He is satisfied that the doctrin of the plurality of God and that Adam is our Father is a true doctrin Revealed from God to Joseph & Brigham. For this same Doctrin is taught in some of the old Jewish records which have never been in print and I know Joseph Smith nor Brigham Young have never had access to and the Lord has revealed this doctrin unto them or they Could not have taught it.

President Young said if all that God had revealed was in fine print it would more than fill this room but vary little is written or printed which the Lord has revealed. When God restores the Priesthood and Apostleship he gives the keys to unlock the fountain of knowledge power & glory. When an Apostle is Called & ordained all the keys of the kingdom of God upon Earth are sealed upon him and God reveals his mind & will through that source to the Children of man for the government & salvation of the Children of man and he reveals much in evry age when the priesthood is upon Earth which is not written or printed. (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Vol. 5, p. 492-493, September 3-4, 1860)

[_honorentheos]

Hi tagriffy,

Ben Bag Bag, a disciple of the legendary Hillel, said, "Turn it, and turn it, for everything is in it. Reflect on it and grow old and gray with it. Don't turn from it, for nothing is better than it." He was speaking of the Torah, but it is applicable to all Scripture of course. The idea is that one needs to keep engaging and reengaging Scripture, always finding new insights, always finding new applications, always, as the Book of Mormon says, "liken[ing] all scriptures" to ourselves. The role of the community is to encourage it and give enough freedom to individuals to do exactly that.

Moreover, ben Bag Bag's insight not only applies to individuals, but to generations. One Jewish commentary I read listed some heroes of Torah scholars who brought new insights out of the Torah who continue to inspire Jewish readers to this day. His list included ibn Ezra, Maimonides, Nahmanides, and more recently, E. A. Speiser. If the author were writing today, he'd probably add Umberto Cassuto and Robert Alter to the list. Communities can encourage the development of such heroes who will push boundaries while keeping the true fundamentals intact. It is through these heroes the community as whole find new ways to "turn" the Scripture and help render it as Scripture to new generations.

Thank you for sharing this! Very interesting.

I'm curious - do you practise meditation of any kind, or some other contemplative exercise?

[_tagriffy]

I'm curious - do you practise meditation of any kind, or some other contemplative exercise?

I read. I study. I write. I participate in discussions such as this. Not on your standard lists of spiritual practices, but that's me.

[_grindael]

Bumping this... Enjoy!