Maxwell Institute Podcast #169: Where Do We Start to Build Zion? Featuring Melissa Inouye

Maxwell Institute Podcast

Religion & Spirituality, Education, Christianity

4.8 • 789 Ratings

🗓️ 13 November 2023

⏱️ 34 minutes

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Summary

Life’s resistance is the topic of my guest Melissa Inouye’s new book, Sacred Struggle: Seeking Christ on the Path of Most Resistance. Dr. Inouye works in the Church History Department, where she specializes in global Christianity and the global Latter-day Saint tradition. Her new book draws on both her professional expertise and her personal experience to think about why and how and what to do when life is just … hard. The book is divided into three sections: struggles that result from human bodies and agency, the sacredness of our fellow creatures, and the imperative to build Zion. In each case, Melissa shows how sources of resistance can transform us into beings more like our Heavenly Parents--wiser, more loving, and more aware of the entire human family. At the same time, she manages never to romanticize or minimize suffering. She’s honest about anguish, but she’s tenacious in clinging to our vision of Zion. One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is Dr. Inouye’s love of the scriptures. She turns often to scripture for truth and encouragement, and she has a way of finding new meaning in familiar words. I decided to organize our conversation around a few of the most interesting scripture discussions in the book, and I think you’ll be surprised and enlightened at what she’s found.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, and welcome to the Maxwell Institute podcast, where we seek out faith illuminating scholarship.
0:14.2	I'm Rosalind Welch, Associate Director at the Institute.
0:19.3	This season, we're exploring the questions we should be asking.
0:22.6	Thanks for joining us.
0:24.6	The year 2023 has brought devastating fires in Hawaii, Chile, and Canada.
0:31.6	Speaking of these tragedies, Elder Quentin L. Cook recently observed that life has never been easy for followers of Jesus Christ,
0:40.7	nor was it easy for the Savior to faithfully fulfill his mortal mission. He continued,
0:46.3	We lament things that will not be accomplished and songs that will not be sung. To listeners in Maui,
0:53.1	B.O.B.O.B.O.B.O. and British Columbia, we lament with you.
0:57.2	Sometimes life on the covenant path feels like wading upstream against a fierce current. Life's
1:03.7	resistance is the topic of my guest, Melissa Inouye's new book, Sacred Struggle, Seeking Christ
1:10.2	on the path of most resistance. Dr. Inouye works new book, Sacred Struggle, Seeking Christ on the Path of Most Resistance. Dr. Inouye
1:13.6	works in the Church History Department, where she specializes in global Christianity and the global
1:19.5	Latter-day Saint tradition. Her new book draws on both her professional expertise and her personal
1:25.6	experience to think about why and how and what to do when
1:30.2	life is just hard. The book is divided into three sections, struggles that result from human
1:36.5	bodies and agency, the sacredness of our fellow creatures, and the imperative to build Zion.
1:42.2	In each case, Melissa shows how sources of resistance
1:46.3	can transform us into beings more like our heavenly parents, wiser, more loving, and more aware
1:53.6	of the entire human family. At the same time, she manages never to romanticize or minimize suffering.
2:01.1	She's honest about anguish, but she's tenacious in clinging to our vision of Zion.
2:06.6	One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is Dr. Inouye's love of the Scriptures.
	...

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