All My Gettings

It's been a while since I've been stunned by a testimony. I mean, floored, starring up at the pulpit thinking, "did they really just say that?". I have a theory about this based on the fact that, in Utah, being Mormon is normal, so we push the fringe out, whereas elsewhere being Mormon is weird, so the there's some wagon-circling out in the mission field. The fact that my current ward is in a bougie suburb probably doesn't encourage the off-kilter types to make it out for services. But, at any rate, I had a jaw-dropper today in sacrament meeting.

Church, as usual, was neither particularly thrilling nor all that soul-crushing. Testimonies weren't anything to write home about until about five minutes before the end when a monthly regular gets up. He starts talking about work, because he always seems to, and then, I may have wandered for a minute, but he says at one point, "I know it's important to keep a journal. Since what's recorded on earth is recorded in heaven, our journals will hold others accountable for the things they do."

That's right, this guy believes in a literal hit list of people who've pissed him off in his life. I'm not sure, but I think, that maybe, this runs contrary to the central Christian message, right? Oh, and this quote by Joseph:

If you do not accuse each other, God will not accuse you. If you have no accuser you will enter heaven, and if you will follow the revelations and instructions which God gives you through me, I will take you into heaven as my back load. If you will not accuse me, I will not accuse you. If you will throw a cloak of charity over my sins, I will over yours—for charity covereth a multitude of sins. What many people call sin is not sin; I do many things to break down superstition, and I will break it down.

Sigh...I love Joseph. Thankfully, in much larger proportion and depth than I am flabbergasted by members of the Church.