Obsessing over low-level matters

I found a wonderful, meaningful quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland* in the little Sherrie Dew book I was given for Father’s Day:

“...Not all gospel questions have answers—yet—but they will come.  In the meantime, I have a question.  What conceivable historical or doctrinal or procedural issue that may arise among any group could ever overshadow or negate one’s consuming spiritual conviction regarding [I present these in outline form]
     – the Father’s merciful plan of salvation;
     – His Only Begotten Son’s birth, mission, Atonement, and Resurrection;
     – the reality of the First Vision;
     – the restoration of the priesthood;
     – the receipt of divine revelation, both personally and institutionally;
     – the soul-shaping spirit and moving power of the Book of Mormon;
     – the awe and majesty of the temple endowment;
     – one’s own personal experience with true miracles;
     – and on and on and on?
Talk about a question!  It is a mystery to me how those majestic, eternal, first-level truths so central to the grandeur of the whole gospel message can be set aside or completely dismissed by some in favor of obsessing over second- or third- or fourth-level pieces of that whole.  To me, this is, in words attributed to Edith Wharton, truly being trapped in “the thick of thin things.”” 

I feel the both the logic and the power of his question.  I love expressive words and phrases such as these: “the soul-shaping spirit and moving power of the Book of Mormon” “the awe and majesty of the temple endowment.”  Yet we seem to live in a day when “Obsessing over second- or third- or fourth-level pieces” has become the norm.  This is not only in Church circles, but also in society in general.  Everything said by Pres. Trump, differences in Republican viewpoints, what will happen to people’s medical insurance, environmental threats, problems with the economy, problems with government, Civil War symbols, threats to police, police bias, gender bias, racial bias, bias against trans persons, bias against the handicapped, bias against the aged, bias against Moslems, bias against religion, and on and on and on, all become reasons for mighty obsessing.  And obsessions competing with obsessions.

Might these all be second- or third- or fourth-level pieces of something greater?  And that is....?

*Address to CES Religious Educators, February 6, 2015, Salt Lake Tabernacle

A Marriage to Remember

I happened to be reading an fawning article that was supportive of the decision of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell to never marry, in spite of the fact that they had a child plus he had become the father-figure for a couple of children from her prior marriage, with the illogical and absurd quote, “If we had married, we wouldn’t have stayed together.”  Yet there was a sort of grudging admission that the three children, now grown, still wished that their parents (real or de facto) were officially married.

I was reminded of a marriage I performed when I was serving as Bishop.  There was an elderly sister in our ward, who came into Church activity late in her life, went to the temple, and was well-loved in the ward.  She was outgoing and giving.  She came to me one day and asked if I would be willing to perform a marriage of her grandson. She had helped raise him.  Now at about age 35 or 40, he had a long term live-in relationship with a women and as a matter of fact had become the father-figure to (I think) her three children from a prior marriage, helping raise them to adulthood.  The grandmother had been urging them to marry for quite a long time and they had finally consented.  These people were mostly living out-of-state and to my understanding were not members of the Church.  The extended family was gathering for a Christmas celebration at the grandmother’s place in our ward.  I met with the couple and everything seemed in order for the marriage to happen.

It was to be on a Sunday, a couple of days before Christmas, at the grandmother’s house.  We were on an early meeting schedule.  As planned, I arrived at the house at about 4 pm.  The grandmother invited me in and I sat down in a chair and waited without any introductions.  The house was filled with Christmas preparations and several dozen people interacting.  After a few minutes the grandmother stood up and got people’s attention.  She said something to the effect of, “We have a guest with us.  This is Bishop Lewis from my LDS ward.  He has come here to perform the marriage of ____________ and __________.   The group in attendance included the grown children of the women, other relatives, and even grandchildren as I recall.  Apparently, no one had been warned that this marriage was going to happen. There was an obvious murmur that went through the group and then a very spontaneous clapping and happy cheers.

I performed the ceremony
and left the excited and happy family to go home to start our own Christmas.  But I will always remember the joyfulness associated with this marriage celebration, and have concluded that intuitively people feel that marriage is good and desirable no matter their backgrounds or practices.