The Christus statue in the North Visitors Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City
(LDS Media Library)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the midst of a global pandemic during which public religious services are being heavily reduced and even canceled, wouldn\u2019t it be great to be affiliated with a religious movement in which, although supported<\/em> by the church, devotional and instructional life was actually centered<\/em> on the home<\/em>? \u00a0A movement that has invested enormously in electronic media, including films and the like? \u00a0Media that can be safely used without any need to emerge from the safe confines of one\u2019s own house?<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
During a time of worldwide contagion, a time in which people are being discouraged even from going out to shop for groceries more than they absolutely must, a time in which they\u2019re being counseled to have enough food and medicine at home for as many as fourteen days \u2014 available for the possibility that they will come down with the ambient disease and effectively be quarantined \u2014 wouldn\u2019t it be nice to have been a member of an organization that has taught emergency preparedness for decades? \u00a0That has advised its adherents to have food and other supplies stored at home, lest they be caught unready for a crisis?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a day when global markets are in upheaval, when stocks are plummeting, when supply chains are disrupted, when customers are staying home, when businesses are suffering and employment is endangered, when savings are at risk, wouldn\u2019t it be reassuring to be a member of a religious organization that \u2014 even notwithstanding fierce criticism for doing so \u2014 has amassed a sizeable rainy day fund for just such eventualities? \u00a0A fund that, even though it may or may not itself have been substantially reduced by plunging share prices, is still large enough to maintain that religious organization\u2019s functions as far as they can be maintained through a crisis and to restore them to full health when the crisis has passed? \u00a0A fund that, beyond mere maintenance, is also able to assist members of the organization, and even non-members? \u00a0A fund that is adequate for a time when the needs of the people are not only great but, in fact, greater than normal? \u00a0A fund that is able to meet a short-term crisis without putting the core long-term responsibilities of that religious movement at risk or allowing them to suffer damage that is difficult to repair in the future?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a day when secular human institutions have been revealed as deeply vulnerable to an essentially invisible threat, wouldn\u2019t it be nice to belong to an organization that is thoroughly in the world but emphatically not of the world? \u00a0That teaches the central importance of family in this life but also affirms that family continues centrally important into the next? \u00a0That places its hope in Christ, who has overcome the world?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I think that it would be very gratifying to belong to such a religious organization, one that has been prudently led and that has given, and followed, wise counsel for this life, one that promises an eternity of joy and peace to all those who have sincerely sought to do good.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0is my shepherd; I shall not want.<\/span><\/div>\nHe maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.<\/span><\/p>\nHe restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name\u2019s sake.<\/span><\/p>\nYea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.<\/span><\/p>\nThou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.<\/span><\/p>\nSurely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0for ever. \u00a0(Psalm 23)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 In the midst of a global pandemic during which public religious services are being heavily reduced and even canceled, wouldn\u2019t it be great to be affiliated with a religious movement in which, although supported by the church, devotional and instructional life was actually centered on the home? \u00a0A movement that has invested enormously […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[7116,1809,8031,7119,9101,9098,1812,1815,9104,9092,9095],"class_list":["post-83552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-100-billion","tag-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints","tag-coronavirus","tag-ensign-peak","tag-epidemic","tag-hundred-billion","tag-latter-day-saints","tag-lds","tag-pandemic","tag-preparedness","tag-rainy-day-fund"],"yoast_head":"\n
A few hasty, coronavirus-inspired reflections<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\" In the midst of a global pandemic during which public religious services are being heavily reduced and even canceled, wouldn't it be great\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2020\/03\/a-few-hasty-coronavirus-inspired-reflections.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A few hasty, coronavirus-inspired reflections\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\" In the midst of a global pandemic during which public religious services are being heavily reduced and even canceled, wouldn't it be great\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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![\"Thorvaldsen's](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2016\/03\/800px-Christus_statue_temple_square_salt_lake_city.jpg\")
<\/a>