Whether faith promoting or fraught, the idea of being blessed figures prominently in Latter-day Saint teachings. Common use of words like ‘earning’ and ‘qualifying’ can make it hard not to view blessings as transactional. How can we make sense of blessings we receive—or those we don’t? What is our part in obtaining specific outcomes and righteous desires? Can our faithful actions influence God’s will? In this discussion, Cynthia and Susan attempt to find a little peace on a sticky topic.
Notes:
Abound with Blessings, by Elder Dale G. Renlund, April 2019
Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved, by Kate Bowler
For People Podcast: Consent, by Bishop Rob Wright
Death, the Prosperity Gospel and Me, by Kate Bowler, February 2016
God Can’t: How to Believe in God and Love after Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils, by Thomas Jay Oord
Rachel Taylor
Great episode (love all your episodes). What was missing from this one for me was mentioning the research that has been done on the effects of prayer/fasting on the sick/injured individual. It’s fascinating stuff with some pretty large research projects showing that prayer/fasting does have an effect, even if the sick/injured individual doesn’t know that groups are praying for them. Most interesting of all for me, is that denomination/LDS priesthood doesn’t matter when it comes to the power of prayer.
Susan Hinckley
Thanks, Rachel. I’m interested in this too, so I did mention it in the episode but only in passing to acknowledge that a lot of research has been done, and you can find results that support varying conclusions. But I love the idea that coming together in support of someone has an impact, regardless of how that support is expressed.