It's been around for many years. One of those things among Mormons, like "Pioneer Trek," that's legendary and most church members have met at least one person who has personally experienced it. Hadn't heard much of it in recent years. Perhaps it went underground a bit after September 11, 2001. But just today I've heard two references to this object lesson in Mormon theology. Two separate verifications that the Plane Crash Object Lesson is alive and well. Perhaps making a comeback?
And I thought (a sniggeringly fearful little thought in the back of my mind) that the Dept. of Homeland Security ought to be keeping a file on this, no? Not that I agree with governmental spying on its citizens but, jeebus! -- getting to mormon heaven via a plane crash?
What the ...
Chanson is right, why not do something that's likely to change minds such as The Global Change Game?
I'll tell you why. Just a little guess now, but if my own past beliefs serve as fair context: because Christian fundamentalists believe the world needs to be saved and they don't believe the world can be saved without apocalyptic change. They believe the world was born to be burned. The only true heaven being a post-earthlife reward for enduring in faith and obedience to the end in this "fallen" world.
In sunday school our favorite topic for gobsmacking discussion was the last days. The end-times. We speculated in ambulance-chasing morbidity that perhaps we might live to see the beginning of the end of the world. That in fact there were many signs all around that such times were imminent. And the rewards that would be ours if we remained faithful and true to the end. As a child, I was entranced.
Now they're role-playing plane crashes as the doorway to heaven?
Scary. I'm scaring myself. Shut-up, Matt. Now.
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PS. Here's a link to the Plane Crash object lesson. I think we'll have more to discuss later.
4 comments:
I think I may have played "Pioneer Trek" in Seminary. It's a type of role-playing game, isn't it? Where you select what items you take, and then various disasters hit while you're crossing the plains...?
All I remember from it was that various non-player-characters kept running out of food, and you'd have to decide whether to give them food since it means you might run out before arriving. But my brother (John) had loaded up his wagon with the cheapest and lightest foodstuff on the list (dried pumpkin) so he always had something to feed the poor, starving NPCs. Personally, I don't remember whether I made it or not...
No what I had in mind but interesting nonetheless. And you can't remember how you did? Did you even graduate from seminary? :P I did, but only by promising to do home study which I then did not do.
The "Pioneer Trek" I'm thinking of is where we dressed-up like pioneers, got dropped-off in the west desert, and pulled handcarts around for 3 days. I'll have to do a post on that one.
Hi Matt,
Man, you just brought up some memories... I helped my wife organize the plane crash for the youth in my ward once.
I remember feeling very inadequate throughout the entire thing, watching everybody get emotional and teary towards the end.
I'm glad I'll never have to go through that mind-job again.
Cheers.
Hello, LWM. Thanks for dropping by and therewith introducing me to your blog and story. Looks very interesting. Anyone who has survived a lightning strike, a come-to-god moment, the mormon temple, and then still found their way out in just one year ... anyone like this has my respect.
Here's to good questions and crazy-ass answers.
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