Part 2 of our primer to Buddhism covers the history of Siddhartha Gautama and the teachings of the Buddhist holy book, the Dhammapada.

We cover the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, samsara, moksha and dharma in this primer to entry-level Buddhism. Broken into two parts, Part 1 takes a stab at correcting the eastern principles that have been wrested from their original context, misinterpreted, and westernized.

C.S. Lewis compared Christianity to a hallway. He said it is "like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall, I have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in. It is true that some people may find they have to wait in the hall for a considerable time, while others feel certain almost at once which door they must knock at. I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do get into the room you will find that the long wait has done some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise. But you must regard it as waiting, not as camping. You must keep on praying for light. And, of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house. And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and its paneling."

Gal 5:13 tells us we "have been called to freedom." But it is easy for us to misunderstand the liberty Paul commends to us. Does freedom from law mean freedom to sin? Paul warns us not to use our freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence (Gal 5:13). We were once slaves to sin (Rom 6:20) but now we have become slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:22).

No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness. It's undeniable that Joseph Smith was a creative genius, but do his idiosyncrasies challenge our notions of his noble prophethood? "The public is wonderfully tolerant," said Oscar Wilde. "It forgives everything but genius." Perhaps as Latter-day Saints we'd do well to forgive or even extol Joseph's genius. How preferable to a whitewashed history!

This is a talk I gave in my ward on Mother's Day. It explores the concepts of Heavenly Mother and the senior leaders' urgent injunctions for women to "step forward, take your rightful place in your homes, in your community, and in the kingdom of God  more than you ever have before."

We dismiss the Savior's teachings about turning the other cheek and going the extra mile by parrying that these hackneyed concepts are impractical. But did Matthew 5:39-42 have something else in mind when preaching nonviolence? Ralph Waldo Emerson said “peace cannot be achieved by violence, only by understanding.” In this episode, we explore the concept of a participatory propitiation, an opportunity extended to us during the Millennium to undergo the same experience through which our Savior passed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Such a shared experience could bring about a harmonizing of hearts and a Millennial peace.

Included in Bruce R. McConkie’s “Seven Deadly Heresies” list was the notion that there could be progression between kingdoms of glory. He said people “neither progress from one kingdom to another, nor does a lower kingdom ever get where a higher kingdom once was. Whatever eternal progression there is, it is within its sphere.” This supposition, however, comes in direct conflict with a host of other church leaders who have voiced support for the idea of progress from kingdom to kingdom. Joseph and Hyrum, James E. Talmage, B.H. Roberts, and J. Reuben Clark among others believed in eternal increase from one kingdom to the next.

“See the old gnarled olive trees and see our Savior on His knees,” says Russell M. Nelson.  Countless prophets have encouraged us to “walk in the footsteps of our Savior.” If we’re invited to partake in His glory by way of suffering with Him (Romans 8:17) is it robbery to think our own paths may someday pass through Gethsemane? Philippians 2:6 tells us to imagine ourselves equal with God. Can we forgive according to Matt 5:44? Is forgiving merely forgetting? Or does forgiveness mean we bless those who curse us and thank our antagonists for the lessons they alone can teach us?  They say there are no solitary saints. Perhaps heaven is a place where we love one another in full view of our imperfections.

Some people are privileged to experience personal encounters with the "other side" by passing beyond the veil and mortally reviving to tell the tale. Near-death experiences, or NDEs, reveal a great deal about the Spirit World. This episode explores reports from beyond the veil, including telepathic communication between spirits and the powerful influence angels and demons can have on the human family. Some near-death experiencers in this episode are LDS and others are Christian, but all report that the warmth of the other side transcends grudges, anger, and pain and "reconciles us to God."