The Narrative of Suffering

Posted on April 30, 2010
Filed Under Religion | 3 Comments

gethsemane.jpgThe Buddhist reading group on LDS-Herm has been going great. One of the more interesting tangental discussions was on the place of suffering in LDS thought. It seems that suffering plays a great role in the narrative development of LDS self-identity. That is the suffering in Missouri during the Mormon wars there, the stories of the handcart migration to Utah and even some of the persecution narratives of the Utah War and then federal attacks in the 1890′s all helped develop Mormons as an unique people. That’s not the only phenomena at play in our development as a people. But it is a prominent one.

In addition there is the central position of Christ in our personal narrative. We don’t focus on it quite the way Catholics do. (You just don’t see much imagery of Christ’s torture in Mormonism) If there is an iconic imagery in Mormonism it’s more Christ in Gethsemane the day prior to the crucifixion. (Often tying together the narrative of Luke 22 with John 17) There the common folk theology is that Christ became one with us in a broad fashion such that he literally suffered what each of us suffered vicariously.


Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Heb 5:8-9)

In an LDS context it’s hard not to read the above relative to Gethsemane as well as Mosiah 15.

Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men —having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice. (Mosiah 15:7-9)

The biggest place suffering plays in LDS thought is in what we call the plan of salvation. That is we see the fall of Adam as not only a positive rather than negative event but we see it in terms of almost a Rousseau styled social contract. Mormons believe that as pre-existent spirits each of us voted to come to this world knowing it involved suffering. Not only did we know we would suffer but typically we view suffering as something essential we couldn’t experience in the presence of God yet necessary for our development and progression. (For a great example of this aspect of the Mormon worldview, consider the talk “Give Thanks in All Things” by LDS Apostle Dalin H. Oaks)

There is a sense within the LDS narrative of suffering that one is engaged in a kind of imitatio dei.

The big difference is that the narrative of suffering is a kind of narrative of overcoming. It isn’t a focus on martyrdom or even victimization, but of overcoming and triumph. (If anything perhaps a bit too much of that sort of rhetoric)

Related posts:

  1. Evolution and the Problem of Evil
  2. Levinas, Ostler and the Face of the Other
  3. The Pill and Divorce
  4. Allegory, Nephi, Nomos and Narrative
  5. The Inequality that Matters
  6. Facts about Drugs

Comments

3 Responses to “The Narrative of Suffering”
1 Michael Dorfman on May 1st, 2010 7:28 am

Which Buddhist texts are you reading on LDS-Herm?

Clenn Wallis’ Basic Teachings of the Buddha. It contains most of the main sutras.

3 Michael Dorfman on May 2nd, 2010 11:39 am

Nice. I didn’t know that collection before, but you’re right, it seems to have some of the key ones there.

I’m in the middle of doing an M.A. in Buddhist Studies, so I’m up to my ears in texts, most of which would probably not interest the casual reader– but I would recommend Gombrich’s “What the Buddha Thought” as doing a nice job of laying out the historical context for the early Buddhist teachings.

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