Defending the Faith: Are Mormons spared from reality? Hardly

A fortress deep and mighty,

That none may penetrate.

I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.

It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.

I am a rock,

I am an island.

Dont talk of love,

But I've heard the words before; If I never loved I never would have cried . . .

I have my books

And my poetry to protect me;

I am shielded in my armor,

Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.

I touch no one and no one touches me.

I am a rock,

I am an island.

And a rock feels no pain;

And an island never cries.

But a committed Latter-day Saint cant live that way. We believe in the shockingly vulnerable God of Moses 7, who, though exalted and inexpressibly powerful, weeps for his children. Their suffering grieves and hurts him because he cares about them. Hes not an unmoved Mover. And, however inadequately, we try to be like him.

Daniel C. Peterson is a professor of Islamic studies and Arabic at BYU, where he also serves as editor in chief of the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative and as director of advancement for the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. He is the founder of Mormon ScholarsTestify.org. He blogs daily at dcpsicetnon.blogspot.com.