“Where will this lead?” is also important in choosing how we label or think of ourselves. Most important, each of us is a child of God with a potential destiny of eternal life. Every other label, even including occupation, race, physical characteristics, or honors, is temporary or trivial in eternal terms. Don’t choose to label yourselves or think of yourselves in terms that put a limit on a goal for which you might strive.
What is Oaks suggesting here? He seems to be saying that whether or not you are a physical female or male is temporary or trivial in eternal terms. That your physical sexual organs are either temporary or trivial. That doesn’t fit with what I understand Mormon doctrine to be on the subject.
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
“Where will this lead?” is also important in choosing how we label or think of ourselves. Most important, each of us is a child of God with a potential destiny of eternal life. Every other label, even including occupation, race, physical characteristics, or honors, is temporary or trivial in eternal terms. Don’t choose to label yourselves or think of yourselves in terms that put a limit on a goal for which you might strive.
What is Oaks suggesting here? He seems to be saying that whether or not you are a physical female or male is temporary or trivial in eternal terms. That your physical sexual organs are either temporary or trivial. That doesn’t fit with what I understand Mormon doctrine to be on the subject.
So it's not important, but it is important. It has no eternal consequences, except it does. I have to say, this makes it all so clear!
The trick here is that these trivial things should not bother us. Even if they are so incongruent with God's will as to separate us from Him and us from our families eternally if we transgress them, they should not be important to us now. Just obey.
