consiglieri wrote:
Well, what if a large portion of additional scripture has already been revealed in Greek mythology and lies in libraries, largely as unread as the standard works. Might such Greek scripture be considered both old and new? Old in that they have existed for thousands of years and new in that they are just now being recognized for what they have been all along—the scripture God revealed to the Greeks.
I like this. I've been particularly curious about my conception of 'myth' recently. Let me explain and relate. Perhaps it could add to the discussion.
Normally I regard a myth as a made up story. Like a legend or fairy tale. I judge it by how literal the story might be.
A recently read quote excited my thoughts to this view of myth:
Myth is the instant vision of a complex process that ordinarily extends over a long period. Myth is contraction or implosion of any process...
It defines myth by its purpose and use rather than the vehicle by which it is delivered, without regard to how accurately the entire process is recounted.
I think it ties to this discussion, in a way. Most scriptural stories are delivered 'mythically' in the sense of the latter definition. The attempt is to teach a lesson so we can learn from other's experience or to help us moralize our actions in a Christian (or other) manner. It appears that Greek mythology attempts the same.
I've always felt that reading good books often impact me in a similar manner to when I read scriptures. It has crossed my mind and tongue often of how Dostoyevsky and Solzhenitsyn, and more recently Marshall McLuhan, are scripture to me.
Anyways, I found the second explanation of what myth does extremely useful to broaden my idea of scriptures. It allows me to better appreciate the useful purpose of scriptures and language. In the end real experience supersedes myth but some experience and cycles take more than a lifetime to learn, so scriptural myths, the collected wisdom of many many generations, become useful for anticipating how our actions and decisions, whose results will play out well past our lifetimes, might play out.
For the prophesying (predictive) and revelatory side of the scriptures I'm a little more hesitant to broaden my acceptance. I've found the most expansive picture of the premortal and postmortal world in LDS scriptures. As for prophesies about how the millenium will transpire and how Christ will come - I'm not sure I care that much. It will happen however it happens, whether the accounts in the scriptures are literal or mythologized.
I'll probably connect scripture outside the standard works to the 10 tribes from henceforth :) I think that is on the right track.
