User:Joe Spencer

Where did I come from?

I live in New Mexico with my wife, my seven-year-old daughter, my four-year-old son, my two-year-old son, and my several-month-old daughter. I have degrees from Brigham Young University and San Jose State University, and am currently doing further schooling (in philosophy) at the University of New Mexico. I presently serve as the secretary to the stake young men presidency and teach lessons from the Gospel Principles manual in the high priests group. I am consistently involved in an absurd number of theology projects, most of which can be seen at a web site my wife runs.

Why am I here?

My interest in the wiki is two-fold. First, and most important, I understand the wiki to be a community: I enjoy communing here with consecrated folks who are trying to think the scriptures together. Second, it has become a sounding board for texts/topics I am studying in my personal scripture study (I even find myself doing commentary here for my study sometimes... most times). I always welcome responses, and I hope that others will edit anything I contribute for the better. Long live this project!

Where am I going?

I'm currently doing extensive work on Alma 5 for a Mormon Theology Seminar project. I've been doing this work elsewhere, but I will likely be transferring much of it to the wiki shortly.

Joseph's "Before 8 August 1839" Discourse

Because I've come more and more to be convinced that this discourse, given by the Prophet Joseph, is perhaps the most important sermon he ever gave (for understanding both how Joseph understood of his revelations and translations and how Joseph interpreted the Bible), I've decided to make a subpage of it here. I have left it completely in the original format, with all the spelling errors, etc., as it is found in Willard Richards' Pocketbook Companion (a notebook in which several of the early Brethren wrote minutes, notes from sermons, etc.). This was apparently the only record of the sermon (if it indeed was a sermon, and not something less formal).