LDS church publishes an article teaching about Lent

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Not really impressed by it, what do you think of it?
Here is the link to the church on-line magazine, to read the whole thing you have click on the link “read the rest of the story” at the bottom.
 
zaffiroborant said:
Not really impressed by it, what do you think of it?
Here is the link to the church on-line magazine, to read the whole thing you have click on the link “read the rest of the story” at the bottom.
Click to expand...
It is how they perceive it.

I am thankful for the gift of my Catholic faith and all the treasures that come with it.
 
Dorothy said:
It is how they perceive it.

I am thankful for the gift of my Catholic faith and all the treasures that come with it.
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👍

It was interesting to read how the author tried to link receiving ashes with going to confession. I couldn’t read the whole article, just to silly to continue, but that part stood out for me. I really feel sorry they miss out on the richness of believing in the truth of Christ’s Church.
 
zaffiroborant said:
Not really impressed by it, what do you think of it?
Here is the link to the church on-line magazine, to read the whole thing you have click on the link “read the rest of the story” at the bottom.
Click to expand...
Official LDS magazines can be found here: lds.org/magazine/?lang=eng

There are magazines, such as, LDS Living, Meridian, Sunstone, etc. that cater to LDS audiences, but which are not official LDS publications. Of course, there is the Deseret News owned by the LDS Church, but is a commercial publication. (There may be other commercial ventures owned by the LDS Church that I cannot recall at this moment.) I hope this helps…
 
zaffiroborant said:
Not really impressed by it, what do you think of it?
Here is the link to the church on-line magazine, to read the whole thing you have click on the link “read the rest of the story” at the bottom.
Click to expand...
I understand some of their objections to Ash Wednesday and possibly Lent. I mean Ash Wednesday was instituted by the Catholic Church as was the imposition of ashes. But at the same time it does act as a powerful reminder of the beginning of Lent and our own mortality and need for repentance. I do find it odd they don’t see any value in Lent itself however, particular with the symbolism of Christ preparing for his ministry. And that the author objects to it since it’s only from scripture rather than being taught by Christ. Did not Christ teach us through his actions as well as his words?

And the objections to Holy week where the author claims are particularly odd. Firstly, “But we don’t believe in reacting them as many people do during lent.” and yet he spends a portion of the article talking about how Mormons do exactly that with their weekly “Sacrament” which is a reenactment of the Last Supper. And his misunderstanding of Catholic and near-Catholic practices during Holy Week on the whole is probably the biggest misconception he has in the article.
 
I see the author tries to be slyly suggestive:
The reasons why they wanted people to go to confession is debatable. Many scholars say it was for money, others say it was out of concern for the welfare of souls. Personally I will give them the benefit of the doubt.
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Responses to the article:
  1. Ash Wednesday (“die cinerum,” Day of Ashes) dates back to the 8th century. That’s the 700’s. Aelfric talks in the 900’s about how everybody Christian strews ashes on their heads, with a Horrible Example of a guy who skipped church on Ash Wednesday and got gored by a boar a few days later.
The article said: “…the Catholic Church decided on the first day of Lent to be the one day a year that everyone would be required to go to confession. After confession they will receive an ash Cross on their forehead, this mark on your forehead was a way to distinguish a believer who had gone to confession, and a believer that has not.”
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Actually, most Western Catholics through the ages made a point of going to Confession before the fasting part of Lent started. Hence “Shrove Tuesday” (Confession Tuesday), because that was the last chance to get your pre-Lent preparation done. (Also helpful if you did any sinning during the pre-Lent Carnival time.)

There has never been any requirement that you go to Confession before receiving ashes; on the contrary, Ash Wednesday usually includes priests urging people in their sermons to go to Confession and to perform other acts of penitence.

But in the older forms of the Mass, Ashes were received before Mass even began, instead of right after the sermon (as in the Ordinary Form of the Latin Rite Mass today). So priests could hardly be exhorting people who already had their ashes to go to Confession before receiving their ashes.
“The mark on the forehead has become a point of persecution for many people. They act like if you don’t have the cross on your forehead, it means you’re not Christian.”
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If anybody ever acts that way to you, you have my Catholic permission to laugh in their face! Some people wear their ashes all day, some people don’t. Also, Ash Wednesday has never been a Holy Day of Obligation (although as Aelfric demonstrates, many people do feel an obligation exists). Not all Catholics receive ashes. Many Christians who are not Catholics do receive ashes, either at Catholic churches or at their own. Catholics of the various Eastern Rites don’t receive ashes, not because they are against it but because it was never an Eastern custom. (Both East and West have chosen their own points of continuity and discontinuity with Jewish Biblical customs.) As for me, I’m sorry if I ever have to miss out, and I’m glad to see people participating. But there’s nothing wrong with people who don’t.
  1. The really interesting thing about this article is that it seems that some Mormons are running into a lot of Protestants as well as Catholics who take Lent and Ash Wednesday seriously, and that they feel they have to teach against these practices.
Catholics are always repenting their sins and always renewing their connection to the Covenant through the various Sacraments. But we also have seasons for repentance and preparation, because they help. We reenact Jesus’ life, because it helps. (And considering the well-known huge use of sacred drama in Latter Day Saints’ private Temple ceremonies, it’s a little silly to complain because we do this stuff openly.)
 
They aren’t sure if there was Lent before the 10th Century?! Come on, they aren’t even trying to do the least amount of research for this!
 
Eric_Prine said:
They aren’t sure if there was Lent before the 10th Century?! Come on, they aren’t even trying to do the least amount of research for this!
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Quite frankly if the LDS really pushed research into any religious topic they know many members would learn the truth and leave.
 
Sounds like a response some Protestants might give when asked about Lent. “It’s man made, therefore we don’t care or think it’s bad to practice it.”

The article needed to reflect on LDS Fasting, what they do and believe is Godly fasting as opposed to this “man made” Lent.
 
Important thing to note: this article is not published by the LDS church. Rather, it is a blog entry by a person whom is LDS.
 
The reasons why they wanted people to go to confession is debatable. Many scholars say it was for money, others say it was out of concern for the welfare of souls. Personally I will give them the benefit of the doubt.
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How about the belief that Jesus was walking around the state of Missouri? :rolleyes:

Is that debatable?
 
gazelam said:
Official LDS magazines can be found here: lds.org/magazine/?lang=eng

There are magazines, such as, LDS Living, Meridian, Sunstone, etc. that cater to LDS audiences, but which are not official LDS publications. Of course, there is the Deseret News owned by the LDS Church, but is a commercial publication. (There may be other commercial ventures owned by the LDS Church that I cannot recall at this moment.) I hope this helps…
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LDSLiving is owned by the LDS church.
 
jane_doe said:
Important thing to note: this article is not published by the LDS church. Rather, it is a blog entry by a person whom is LDS.
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And the blog is re-published by LDSLiving which is owned by the LDS church.
 
So this isn’t what the LDS believe regarding Lent and Ash Wednesday? If this blog wasn’t a trusted blog then why was it republished and cited in an LDS online magazine?
 
This article has already disgraced my Facebook feed. It is full of misinformation and is essentially an anti-Catholic screed. No citations at all for the so-called “facts” about Lent and Ash Wednesday. Plenty of straw men for the LDS author to beat up on.

I did get a good chuckle from one of the points made in the intro to the article. “While a good chunk of the Christian world is preparing for Lent…” I would say that the Christians who observe Lent/Great Fast is more than a “good chunk”. More like the vast majority since it would include Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and Lutherans at a minimum.

Not shocked by such an ignorant article, but I don’t know why we should expect anything better from an LDS blogger who couldn’t bother with doing a minimum amount of research and editing.
 
iepuras said:
Not shocked by such an ignorant article, but I don’t know why we should expect anything better from an LDS blogger who couldn’t bother with doing a minimum amount of research and editing.
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I don’t expect better from an LDS blogger, much like any other church I expect any and everything from individual members. I do expect better from church owned publications, from churches I expect thoughtful and respectful publications, without the misrepresentation and contempt shown in this blog that the LDS church chose to highlight through it’s magazine.
 
gazelam said:
Official LDS magazines can be found here: lds.org/magazine/?lang=eng

There are magazines, such as, LDS Living, Meridian, Sunstone, etc. that cater to LDS audiences, but which are not official LDS publications. Of course, there is the Deseret News owned by the LDS Church, but is a commercial publication. (There may be other commercial ventures owned by the LDS Church that I cannot recall at this moment.) I hope this helps…
Click to expand...
Another corporation owned by the LDS Church is Deseret Book. LDS Living is a division of Deseret Book.

Knowing Deseret Book, an editor approved the blog entry, not a member of the Mormon hierarchy. Heck, it was probably even a woman editor with no priesthood authority. I wouldn’t say that is an endorsement by the First Presidency or the Twelve. But neither would I say the blog entry misrepresents the LDS Church.

Are you saying the blog entry is a misrepresentation of what the LDS Church would teach from its nonprofit websites?
 
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