On March 28th, the LDS Church participated in Earth Hour by dimming the lights of the Salt Lake temple for one hour. On April 2nd, church leaders met with globalist global warming crusader Al Gore. Rumor has it that the LDS church leadership will make a statement on global warming in General Conference this weekend. Do you think that LDS Church leaders have lost their marbles?The Earth Hour web site says
YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTEOn Saturday, March 28, for the first time, the lights of the Salt Lake LDS temple were dimmed during earth hour. Does that shake your Mormon faith?
This year, Earth Hour was transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.
Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008...50 million people switch[ed] off their lights.
In 2009, Earth Hour was taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people casting their vote for Earth.
[We urge you] to VOTE EARTH [by dimming your lights] and reach the target of 1 billion votes by the time world leaders meet in Copenhagen for the Global Climate Change Conference in December 2009.
Last night, former United States vice president Al Gore met with leaders of the LDS Church
[giving] a 30-minute presentation and expressed his concerns about CO2 emissions, which was followed by several minutes of questions and answersDoes this mean that the LDS Church is now on the man-made global
Will the Church make a statement in General Conference about global warming? I'm predicting no. But I'll bet they'll talk about the importance of humankind's stewardship over the earth. That's a principle that has always been a part of Church doctrine.
warming bandwagon? Talk-show host Bob Lonsberry seemed to be worried about it on KNRS 570 this morning. (Segment begins at 1 hour, 16 minutes into the program). Here's a small part of what he said during an 8-minute segment:Most other churches in America have bought into the global wrming cult and I don't want to say I'm nervous, but if I had my druthers, I would hope the LDS Church would not...What's your take on the whole thing?
But last Saturday night when they had that cockamamey turn out your lights for an hour...deal, I was disappointed to see that the lights on the temple were turned off. As an act of symbolism, I didn't like that a bit...
...because the temple is symbolic of God and truth and I honestly think this global warming thing is an idol that is being worshiped. It is a false god. It is a cult. It is nothing short sociologically of a religion.
..and that the light would be turned out on the temple in deference to this false god that so many people are worshiping--I didn't like it.
...I wonder if Al Gore came and made his pitch as a consequence of last weekend's thing, and we've heard [our KNRS 570 newscasters] say that global warming will be discussed at this weekend's general conference. I don't know. ...I hope it's not the case.
These are filthy waters and we ought not to swim in them.
Personally, I think Bob Lonsberry has his undies bunched up a little too tight. The LDS Church has always been keen on stewardship of the earth and our environment. Dimming the lights of the temple was nothing more than an expression of the understanding of that stewardship. Al Gore's handlers contacted the LDS Church and asked for an audience. What should the LDS Church tell them--to go suck eggs?
Bob Lonsberry did say that it would take some doing for him to change his opinion on climate change if the Church made an official policy statement supporting extant theories about man's effect on the climate.
Me too.
Under the circumstances, I'd believe my Church leaders about global warming before I'd believe any scientist who claims that man is having a significant impact.
Will the Church make a statement in General Conference about global warming? I'm predicting no. But I'll bet they'll talk about the importance of humankind's stewardship over the earth. That's a principle that has always been a part of Church doctrine.
Ever since Adam and Eve walked the earth.
Great post. I was going to say something like this but you beat me to it:
ReplyDelete"The LDS Church has always been keen on stewardship of the earth and our environment."
I've always been a nature lover and had a healthy respect for the earth. I think a lot of that has come from the gospel.
The 13th article of faith says: "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things"
If we really believe this, we'll realize there is truth and goodness in a lot of places we may not be inclined to look for it.
One may not agree with Al Gore's political recommendations, but that person would be foolish and unwise to therefore shun the idea of conserving electricity or recycling, etc. If we are honest, we'll acknowledge truth wherever it is found.
Just like many LDS people probably read too much into our church leaders meeting with Bush, they will probably read too much into this meeting with Gore. I'm just glad for the consistency and balance.
When it comes to political matters the Church has never asked or expected the rank-and-file members to fall in line.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite part:
ReplyDelete"Al Gore's handlers contacted the LDS Church and asked for an audience. What should the LDS Church tell them--to go suck eggs?"
Good point. Unless I missed it, I didn't hear a single word about the environment during conference. It is interesting that the Church supported the Earth Hour, but unless they make an actual statement about global warming specifically I wouldn't read too much into it.
I suspect we all read what we want into things from time to time. At least I know I do. It's a form of wishful thinking.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I heard about the environment specifically either. What's interesting, though, is that the things that were taught (i.e. sacrifice, charity, moral purity, and avoiding greed), if implemented by the listener, will naturally result in a clean earth and a clean environment.
Agreed. I think members of the Church often forget or don't know that the Church teaches us to conserve the earth, keep it clean, and use resources wisely. I just don't know that those teachings include anything about CO2 emissions. If they really harm the earth, then I guess we have a duty to reduce them.
ReplyDeleteGreat point. But I think a lot of Church members DO know what the church teaches about earth stewardship, but they have too much fun (me sometimes included) disagreeing with environmental extremists. Part of my reason for writing this article is to hopefully remind LDS Church members that just because someone overreacts on the other side of the issue (i.e. by claiming that man is causing irreversible climate change) does not give us license in our disagreement to ignore (or to give the appearance of ignorance of) the important fact that we always need to be caring and nurturing stewards of our earth.
ReplyDeletePersonally I thought it was very funny to hear the rumors that General Conference would contain references to global warming. First of all, topics are not assigned. Secondly, how many talks were likely to be changed within the last 24 hours before the conference based on a meeting that was requested by Al Gore (as opposed to a meeting at the request of church leaders).
ReplyDeletePerhaps Gore was hoping to get something said in conference, but I would have been more surprised if something had been said than I was that nothing was said (rumors notwithstanding).
The church has a history of being impervious to scientific evidence so I think you'd be careful not to read too much into this.
ReplyDeleteSiberian Lamanites are more threatening to the bretheren than global warming. ;) (this was meant to be tongue in cheek)
Best regards.
David,
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. Gore may have been 'planting a seed' in the press in an effort to get something said.
Obi wan,
At the expense of being seen as lashing out at the tongue in cheek part, I call your attention to the fact that the Church has no problem with a variety of peoples having been in the Americas during Book of Mormon times. The scientific evidence, which the Church is not "impervious" to, but which is not used to make the Church's case, indicates that there are strains of Native Americans with a "Hebrew" origin.
When everybody else turns out their light,
ReplyDeleteeven a dimmed light will still shine bright :)