My Mormon Third Eye: I See... The Kindle Prophecies

Sunday, April 15, 2012

I See... The Kindle Prophecies

I love my Kindle Fire. It is on my short list of things I could marry, if I could marry things. (the other items on the short list are chocolate orange sticks, my wife’schicken salad, the projection TV in my basement, Jen’s crabcakes,and my brother’s swimming pool). I use it for righteous purposes, like scripture study, reading President Monson's biography, and even maintaining home teaching statistics. Through my own superficially speculative scripture study, I learned that when the prophet Isaiah saw our day, he saw not only planes, trains and automobiles, but also Kindle Fires. What my conscience is wrestling with, however, was what thought of Kindles; “ye shall lie down in sorrow.”

Its right there 2^nd Nephi 7:11: “Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand—ye shall lie down in sorrow. “

We're supposed to liken the scriptures unto ourselves, so I tried it here. Hmm... lets see... I have a Kindle Fire, but I don't compass myself with sparks- its been more than a few years since I've hung out by a campfire and recklessly poked glowing coals with a stick. I sometimes do walk by the light of my Kindle Fire, however. I admit that I occasionally use it as a night light in our upstairs hallway. Is that bad?

I'm struggling with the last line of the prophecy- “ye shall lie down in sorrow.” What do I do with my Kindle that would cause me to “lie down in sorrow?” I do remember consuming facebook on my kindle some evenings just before bedtime and getting disturbed at the number of useless invitations to play online games. Those invitations actually caused me to lie down in sorrow. Is this what Isaiah saw in the future?

Some erudite gospel smartypants point out that “walking in the light of your own fire” is a reference to placing too much emotional energy in material goods at the expense of more spiritual goals- modern-day idol worship. Am I spending to much time with my Kindle? You'll have to ask my wife. Is this what Isaiah saw? Possibly...

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The Mormon Third Eye Quote of the Week

"As men of the priesthood, we have an essential role to play in society, at home, and in the Church. But we must be men that women can trust, that children can trust, and that God can trust. In the Church and kingdom of God in these latter days, we cannot afford to have boys and men who are drifting. We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. We cannot afford young adult men who are going nowhere in life, who are not serious about forming families and making a real contribution in this world. We cannot afford husbands and fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership in the home."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Priesthood Session Conference, October 2012

Why My Mormon Third Eye?

When I politely excused myself in the middle of dinner to make a bathroom stop, how did Mom know that I had uneaten peas in my pocket to flush down the toilet? When I came home late from a youth dance and slid quietly into bed to avoid waking parental units, how did Dad know, without looking at the car, that I smashed in the front bumper? When I watch my daughter play a video game, how do I know that she's not ready for her Geometry final?

Its the Third Eye. The notorious eye in the back of the head, the extra view of life that God blesses parents striving to do the right thing so they can see more of life than the children they chase after.

Our third eye also permits us to see things and feel emotions that are too refined, too far on the edge of our standard two-eyed peripheral vision to enjoy in its fullness. I've learned that I have a Mormon Third Eye; that is, as a life-long, fully-dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have unique perspective on how the doctrines of the gospel and the demands of my faith in them intersect every other part of my mortal existence to create the entertaining, self-deprecating kaleidoscope of my life.

So... for those of you bold and bored enough to read this far, every so often I'll be sharing here what my Mormon third eye sees. Third eyes are relatively huge; they see the humorous, the entertaining, the embarrassing, the beautiful, the inspirational, and even the moral and political; however, they tend to ignore the evil, depressing and destructive: there is enough of that in world already!

The Four Secrets to Successful Living

Always Go Where There is Free Food - This includes ward and work parties, wedding receptions and missionary open houses; the money you spend to buy the ingredients for the world-famous triple chocolate cake you bring doesn’t count.
Never Pay Full Price for Anything – See my posts on Black Friday escapades for more information on this.
Never, Ever Press the Red Button - Usually, if you are faced with a red button somewhere, don’t press it – it usually means trouble. For example, the red button launches the missiles. Do yourself a favor and don’t press it.
Any Problem You Face Can Be Solved With Bungee Cords and Duct Tape - Bungee cord and duct tape technology has saved many marriages and ward parties. I’m not just talking about problems with plumbing or keeping groceries from bouncing around the trunk; I know of relationship and family issues that have been solved with creative applications of these two substances.