up:: tags:: >[!summary]- # Sacrament Talk - Romans 2023-08-20 ***Remember to maintain a tone of love and understanding throughout, acknowledging that while it's essential to stand firm in our beliefs, it's equally important to respect the beliefs and perspectives of others.*** ## Outline: ### Introduction 1. **Personal experience**: Share your unique perspective as someone who works for a construction manager hired by the Church. Talk about how you regularly field questions about the Church and how it has become increasingly challenging to proclaim one's faith in a society that often views religious beliefs with skepticism or even disdain. - President Gordon B. Hinckley's excitement for building temples in the late 90s had a significant impact on me. His vision of having 100 temples built and dedicated by the year 2000 was incredibly inspiring, and it solidified my desire to be a part of something meaningful and lasting in the world of construction. The energy and enthusiasm that President Hinckley brought to this effort were contagious, and I was captivated by the idea of being a part of this historic milestone. His dedication to building temples all over the world, providing a place of peace and solace for people of all backgrounds, has stayed with me throughout my career, and it was an honor to be able to contribute to this legacy through the renovation of the St. George Temple. - Talk about how you regularly field questions about the Church: - Plumber in St. George - Architect on Anchorage (different talking to Catholics) - Architect on Toronto (compared to apparent atheists) - Conversation between Bill Williams, Emily Utt and I. Talking about the history of temple architecture. 2. **Ancient Rome**: - Draw a parallel between the ancient Roman society and our contemporary world. - Romans belief in the afterlife below 👇 ### Historical Context 1. **Rome and Religion**: - Talk about how ancient Rome had numerous deities and followed various rituals. - While there was a certain level of religious tolerance, it was conditional. The early Christians, refusing to partake in some of these rituals and openly proclaiming an exclusive path to salvation through Christ, were seen as defiant and were often persecuted. 2. **Missing Locke's Individualism**: - Introduce the concept of individualism as proposed by John Locke. Locke believed in the innate worth and rights of the individual, which is also foundational to Christian belief – that every soul is of infinite worth to God. Ancient Rome, with its stress on conformity for the sake of stability, often missed recognizing the worth of the individual, especially when that individual's beliefs challenged the status quo. - "The U.S. Constitution owes a huge debt to ancient Rome. The Founding Fathers were well-versed in Greek and Roman History. Leaders like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison read the historian Polybius, who laid out one of the clearest descriptions of the Roman Republic’s constitution, where representatives of various factions and social classes checked the power of the elites and the power of the mob. It’s not surprising that in the United States’ [early] years, [comparisons to ancient Rome were common](https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/cincinnatus/). And to this day, Rome, whose 482-year-long Republic" devolved into monarchy. - Rome, being a vast empire, was a melting pot of cultures and beliefs, and early Christians often faced skepticism, misunderstanding, and even persecution. Paul's declaration "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" (Romans 1:16) was not just a personal testimony but also a brave assertion in a society that was largely indifferent or even hostile to the message of Christ. ### Modern Parallel 1. **Triggering Faith**: Address the modern dichotomy: - On one hand, our society values individual expression and rights, yet on the other, openly proclaiming one's Christian beliefs, especially those seen as exclusive (like the belief in Christ as the only path to salvation), triggers backlash. - Discuss the irony of how a society that emphasizes acceptance and tolerance sometimes becomes intolerant of traditional religious beliefs. - When dealing with social issues regarding behavior that as Christian we can't affirm. We need to also be able to say "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" and that we refuse to rewrite the gospel of Christ to align it with the politics of the day. 3. **Recent News**: - Reference the WSJ article from this week about the Massachusetts couple denied a foster child due to their religious beliefs. Talk about how it's alarming to see foundational rights like freedom of religion being sidelined. The couple's situation serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of standing up for one's beliefs, even in the face of societal pressure. - At a Catholic Conference in Rome last year, President Oaks Offers Four Ways to Strengthen Religious Freedom. Challenges to religious freedom impact not just members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Christians in general, **but people of all faiths.** 1. Recognize That We Need Each Other and Are All Subject to Law 2. Urge Religious Tolerance 3. Let the World Know of the Good That Religion Does 4. Unite and Find Common Ground to Defend and Promote Religious Liberty - Hindu men out front of the Toronto temple. ### Conclusion 1. **Call to Action**: 1. I echo Paul's words and hope we can all not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. The gospel, with its message of love, redemption, and eternal worth, is needed more than ever in our fractured world. By living and sharing its principles, members can be beacons of light and hope. 3. **Testimony**: Share your personal testimony about the truthfulness of the gospel and the importance of standing firm in our beliefs, even when faced with societal challenges. - For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temples are more than just beautiful buildings. They are a tangible testimony to the world of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and his priesthood. These sacred spaces are where members make covenants with God, perform sacred ordinances on behalf of their ancestors, and seek personal revelation. --- Hope and Faith https://youtube.com/shorts/Kgq7WpyHqP0?feature=share ![[Pasted image 20230819122557.png]] #### Background on why I studied Rome I started researching what Romans believed. I think this is why the lessons in Romans have such a one liner zing to them in this day and age. We're moving from an individualistic "American Dream" society to a group political society and your importance is to the good of the https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/new-testament-seminary-teacher-manual-2023/romans-4-5?lang=eng #### Temples to Romans Temple rituals called into question daily by people who are working on the temple but aren’t mem In Romans, words like “righteous” and “righteousness” can be seen as synonyms for words like “just” and “justification.” #### Fall of Rome Fall of rome: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/lessons-decline-democracy-from-ruined-roman-republic-180970711/ "The U.S. Constitution owes a huge debt to ancient Rome. The Founding Fathers were well-versed in Greek and Roman History. Leaders like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison read the historian Polybius, who laid out one of the clearest descriptions of the Roman Republic’s constitution, where representatives of various factions and social classes checked the power of the elites and the power of the mob. It’s not surprising that in the United States’ [early] years, [comparisons to ancient Rome were common](https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/cincinnatus/). And to this day, Rome, whose 482-year-long Republic" devolved into monarchy. #### Locke I'm not sure I buy into the idea that USA and Rome are exactly alike. A book I read a few years back blamed wealth inequality and partisan gridlock for Rome's demise, but the USA is different in that we took from Rome but also took from individualist thinkers like John Locke What does Locke say about individualism? The gist of Locke‟s individualism can be explained in the following- **men are free and equal because the creator grants life**. No one has authority over another other than the creator. The fear of invasion led men to enter into a state of war which necessitated the formation of a civil government. https://www.researchpublish.com/upload/book/The%20Concept%20of%20Individualism-7312.pdf The right of life, liberty and property are divinely given and any rulers who fail to protect those rights may be removed by the people, by force if necessary.