Comments on: The Week That Was http://www.bloggernacle.org/the-week-that-was/ Sat, 26 Mar 2011 19:45:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Justin http://www.bloggernacle.org/the-week-that-was/#comment-223 Justin Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://bt.splendidsun.com/?p=50#comment-223 Whoops! Clark at Millennial Star <a href="http://www.millennialstar.org/index.php/2005/03/23/the_meaning_of_the_easter_holiday" rel="nofollow">did mention</a> the Kirtland Temple dedication. Props to him. Whoops! Clark at Millennial Star did mention the Kirtland Temple dedication. Props to him.

]]> By: Dave http://www.bloggernacle.org/the-week-that-was/#comment-224 Dave Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://bt.splendidsun.com/?p=50#comment-224 Justin, I think the "LDS liturgical calendar" diverts a lot of organizational attention to General Conference around this time. Sacrament meeting talks on Easter Sunday, as well as several Conference talks, do generally incorporate Easter themes (atonement, resurrection), but on the whole the LDS celebration of Easter seems pretty restrained. Justin, I think the “LDS liturgical calendar” diverts a lot of organizational attention to General Conference around this time. Sacrament meeting talks on Easter Sunday, as well as several Conference talks, do generally incorporate Easter themes (atonement, resurrection), but on the whole the LDS celebration of Easter seems pretty restrained.

]]> By: Justin http://www.bloggernacle.org/the-week-that-was/#comment-225 Justin Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://bt.splendidsun.com/?p=50#comment-225 I tend to agree. Regarding the liturgical calendar: just the other day I came across this interesting passage from Joseph Fielding Smith's _Answers to Gospel Questions_ on Good Friday. His answer also makes the celebration of Easter suspect. <blockquote>Why Do We Not Observe Good Friday? <b>Question</b>: "Can you please tell me why members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not observe Good Friday as other Christians do?" <b>Answer</b>: The reason why we do not observe Good Friday should be clear enough. Easter is taken from a pagan spring holiday, that was governed by the moon. The Roman Catholic Church connected the birth of the Savior with this pagan ceremony. As you know, Easter is governed by the moon, and this spring pagan festival was celebrated according to the moon, any time in March and the end of April. THE RESURRECTION DATE DID NOT VARY Now as you well know that the resurrection did not vary and it is foolish to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord at the end of March or the first of April, or middle of April or near the first of May, and put Good Friday the Friday before the Easter Sunday. I think you are wise enough to see the foolishness of it. The resurrection of the Savior does not vary year by year but it is a constant thing. Why should we follow the silly custom rather than to have one day for the resurrection?</blockquote> I tend to agree. Regarding the liturgical calendar: just the other day I came across this interesting passage from Joseph Fielding Smith’s _Answers to Gospel Questions_ on Good Friday. His answer also makes the celebration of Easter suspect.
Why Do We Not Observe Good Friday?

Question: “Can you please tell me why members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not observe Good Friday as other Christians do?”

Answer: The reason why we do not observe Good Friday should be clear enough.

Easter is taken from a pagan spring holiday, that was governed by the moon. The Roman Catholic Church connected the birth of the Savior with this pagan ceremony. As you know, Easter is governed by the moon, and this spring pagan festival was celebrated according to the moon, any time in March and the end of April.

THE RESURRECTION DATE DID NOT VARY

Now as you well know that the resurrection did not vary and it is foolish to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord at the end of March or the first of April, or middle of April or near the first of May, and put Good Friday the Friday before the Easter Sunday. I think you are wise enough to see the foolishness of it. The resurrection of the Savior does not vary year by year but it is a constant thing. Why should we follow the silly custom rather than to have one day for the resurrection?

]]> By: Ronan http://www.bloggernacle.org/the-week-that-was/#comment-226 Ronan Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://bt.splendidsun.com/?p=50#comment-226 Er, so apropos Joseph Fielding Smith, why do we even celebrate Easter Sunday, or Christmas for that matter (similarly "pagan"). He also doesn't account for the discrepancy between the Jewish (lunar) and Christian (solar calendars). Why does Passover "move around" (from the perspective of our calendar) every year? Is that "foolish"? Er, so apropos Joseph Fielding Smith, why do we even celebrate Easter Sunday, or Christmas for that matter (similarly “pagan”). He also doesn’t account for the discrepancy between the Jewish (lunar) and Christian (solar calendars). Why does Passover “move around” (from the perspective of our calendar) every year? Is that “foolish”?

]]> By: Dave http://www.bloggernacle.org/the-week-that-was/#comment-227 Dave Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://bt.splendidsun.com/?p=50#comment-227 Interesting quote, Justin, although that has to be one of the dumber explanations I've ever read. The fact that Easter is a "<a href="http://www.cresourcei.org/calendar.html" rel="nofollow">movable feast</a>" following a lunar calendar rather than an annual commemoration with a fixed date doesn't seem to stop us from recognizing and celebrating Easter Sunday, albeit in a rather low-key fashion compared to the rest of Christendom, so it certainly doesn't explain why Good Friday should not be noted and celebrated. How about this for an explanation: Mormons are iconoclasts. No one would expect a church that rejects the cross to embrace Good Friday. Interesting quote, Justin, although that has to be one of the dumber explanations I’ve ever read. The fact that Easter is a “movable feast” following a lunar calendar rather than an annual commemoration with a fixed date doesn’t seem to stop us from recognizing and celebrating Easter Sunday, albeit in a rather low-key fashion compared to the rest of Christendom, so it certainly doesn’t explain why Good Friday should not be noted and celebrated.

How about this for an explanation: Mormons are iconoclasts. No one would expect a church that rejects the cross to embrace Good Friday.

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