Brigham Young's Life Philosophy

[Olavarria]

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=838&tid=2

I whole heartedly recomend that you listen to this talk by Hugh Nibley. About half of the talk is Brigham Young quotes. The talk pretty much sums up BY's life philosophy and I found it too inspriing not to share.

The name of the talk is: Exaltation and Eternal Life

[Olavarria]

too good not to bump

[LifeOnaPlate]

I'll check it out when I'm not at work.

[katherine the great]

Is there a transcript version of it? (My hearing isn't very good.)

[LifeOnaPlate]

Is there a transcript version of it? (My hearing isn't very good.)

I ask in all seriousness: are you deaf?

[katherine the great]

I ask in all seriousness: are you deaf?

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Not yet, but I'm getting there! (my vision is still perfect though!)

[William Schryver]

Is there a transcript version of it? (My hearing isn't very good.)

ktg,

I'm not aware of an official transcript, but he ultimately prepared a book that contains most of the quotes and concepts and more. It is my favorite book among the Hugh Nibley collection -- Approaching Zion. I highly recommend it. My original copy is now dog-eared and marked up extensively.

However, I will say that it is enjoyable to listen to Nibley talk. He goes 90 miles an hour, and is always inserting asides and commentary into everything. Despite all the negative things you can hear on this board and among 21st century Mormon "intellectuals," I still maintain that the church has yet to produce another genius of Nibley's caliber. At least that is my opinion on the matter.

[Drewm777]

Thank you for that link. I listened to the talk and was absolutely amazed by it. It was wonderful and insightful. It's not very often that I like a talk so much.

I highly recommend it to everyone on the board, mormon or not. What a great man Brigham Young was, and what a wonderful prophet of God.

[grego]

Despite all the negative things you can hear on this board and among 21st century Mormon "intellectuals," I still maintain that the church has yet to produce another genius of Nibley's caliber. At least that is my opinion on the matter.

And mine too, amen!

[charity]

My favorite "this is what Brother Brigham was all about" story is this one.

He was asked by a brother if the Saints would be allowed to stay in the Valley. He wanted to know whether or not he should expend his effort in planting. Brigham said to him, "If I thought I was leaving tomorrow, I would plant today."

[CMZ]

Is that like when Wilford Woodruff said, "I don't know when the Second Coming will be but I'm still planting cherry trees."?

[ssbn623]

Her Amun,

I listened to the Nibley stuff.

Thanks for posting that.

It is nice to hear something that reflects so powerfully and positively on the character of Brigham Young given the abuse some are attempting to heap upon him.

[LifeOnaPlate]

Her Amun,

I listened to the Nibley stuff.

Thanks for posting that.

It is nice to hear something that reflects so powerfully and positively on the character of Brigham Young given the abuse some are attempting to heap upon him.

You might enjoy my blog My testimony of BY as a prophet of God has increased over the last few months.

[Olavarria]

Thanks for the positive feedback.

The thing that impresses me most about BY is that he actually lived what he tought. He wasn't some San Francisco guru, chilling in his Haight Ashbury apartnent speaking nonesense.

He knew what it was like to be poor and wealthy, abased and respected. He had to leave his wife and children to serve a mission in England, had his life in danger, faced war and lost house and home 5x's. He is speaking from experioence. Being a prophet doesnt hurt either.

The way I see it, allot of what he tought was simply an expansion of the sermon on the mount. I personally have a tendancy to want to water down those teachings, but BY seems to have understood them to be just as literal and binding as Francis of Assisi did.

THESE TWO MEN HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN SOME THINK.

[katherine the great]

The way I see it, allot of what he tought was simply an expansion of the sermon on the mount. I personally have a tendancy to want to water down those teachings, but BY seems to have understood them to be just as literal and binding as Francis of Assisi did.

THESE TWO MEN HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN SOME THINK.

I must admit: I've never heard Brigham Young compared to St. Francis!

[CMZ]

It is nice to hear something that reflects so powerfully and positively on the character of Brigham Young given the abuse some are attempting to heap upon him.

Remember that Joseph Smith said that Brigham Young's name would be had for good and evil in all the world.

[solomarineris]

Her Amun,

I listened to the Nibley stuff.

Thanks for posting that.

It is nice to hear something that reflects so powerfully and positively on the character of Brigham Young given the abuse some are attempting to heap upon him.

Well,

The Difference is, you listened Hugh Nibley to vouch BY's character.

The people who have an opinion of him usually go to directly what he is written (JoD).

You will not accuse people of getting the word from the source (good or bad).

Are you?

[LifeOnaPlate]

Well,

The Difference is, you listened Hugh Nibley to vouch BY's character.

The people who have an opinion of him usually go to directly what he is written (JoD).

You will not accuse people of getting the word from the source (good or bad).

Are you?

I have no idea what you're trying to ask.

[Drewm777]

Well,

The Difference is, you listened Hugh Nibley to vouch BY's character.

The people who have an opinion of him usually go to directly what he is written (JoD).

You will not accuse people of getting the word from the source (good or bad).

Are you?

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking either. I'm guessing, however, that you haven't read most of the Journal of Discourses or that you listened to Nibley's talk. Nibley's talk is probably 85-90% direct quotes from Brigham Young. He comments very little on it.

Read the JoD (all of them) and listen to Nibley's talk, and then tell me that Brigham Young wasn't a prophet of God.

Brigham Young was as great as Moses, if you ask me. Praise the Lord

[Avatar4321]

I really liked the talk. made me think about alot.

[katherine the great]

Brigham Young was as great as Moses, if you ask me. Praise the Lord

Yes, studying about church history, I've compared Brigham Young to Moses in my mind several times. He really paralleled Moses in some stunning ways (I think.) I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the St. Francis comparison though.

[Olavarria]

Yes, studying about church history, I've compared Brigham Young to Moses in my mind several times. He really paralleled Moses in some stunning ways (I think.) I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the St. Francis comparison though.

This is what I mean by the St. Francis/BY thing:

St. Francis dedicated his life to living by the 4 gospels. The rule for his order of monks were the 4 gospels and nothing more.

When I read the teachings of BY, specifically those cited by Nibley, all I see is an expansion of the sermon on the mount.

THUS

BY and Francis are very smimiliar in that they took those teaching seriously and applied them to their logical extremes. They didn't sugarcoat the gospels or water down the Savior's demanding commandments, many of which seem stupid to the telestial mind.

How are they different?

The differences of those two men obviosly lies in their indidvudual interpretations of the gospels.

Francis obviosly believed that Jesus was single and celibate. I dont know about BY, but Orson Hyde belevied Christ was married and even a polygamous. The interpretations may be slightly different, but the goal is the same, following Jesus Christ to the letter of his teachings.

But make no mistake

Both men showed a willingness to forsake all worldly considerations for Christ and had absolute faith, that as long as they lived right, their Father would make all good and bad usefull to their indidvidual salvation.

Both men sought to imitate Christ and apply His teachings as they are literally read.

[katherine the great]

This is what I mean by the St. Francis/BY thing:

St. Francis dedicated his life to living by the 4 gospels. The rule for his order of monks were the 4 gospels and nothing more.

When I read the teachings of BY, specifically those cited by Nibley, all I see is an expansion of the sermon on the mount.

Okay. I didn't listen to the quotes, so I can't comment on that. I just know what I see when I look at Brigham Young's actions. I think of St. Francis as a nature loving, gentle soul who wrote epistles to birds, and thought of nature as something we live with--not something to conquer. His wife was "Lady Poverty" and he lived as he spoke (although I do agree that Brigham Young lived as he spoke too.) In fact, I've wondered if the word "Sissy" came from St. Francis. (I have no idea, but I've wondered...) I see Brigham Young as an alpha male who dominated everyone and everything with which he came into contact. I think he was a fabulous leader, a brilliant organizer, and the "right man for the job." But I do not think of him as a spiritual leader, or a particularly compassionate person. He was an extremely practical person.

[Programmer]

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=838&tid=2

I whole heartedly recomend that you listen to this talk by Hugh Nibley. About half of the talk is Brigham Young quotes. The talk pretty much sums up BY's life philosophy and I found it too inspriing not to share.

The name of the talk is: Exaltation and Eternal Life

I listened to this one 2 years ago. I really liked it.

[Programmer]

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=838&tid=2

I whole heartedly recomend that you listen to this talk by Hugh Nibley. About half of the talk is Brigham Young quotes. The talk pretty much sums up BY's life philosophy and I found it too inspriing not to share.

The name of the talk is: Exaltation and Eternal Life

I loved that talk!! I still have it downloaded as an MP3 from a few years ago.