Ryan D. Ward
THUR, JUN 1, 2023 | 7:30-9:00 pm MDT
Explore how our eternal salvation is tied to temporal liberation and justice for the least of these. Discover how this is central to the Restoration’s purpose and must become central to the current Church.
IN-PERSON GATHERING:
Home of Ed and Kristen Iversen
3582 Oak Rim Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
If there is no parking to be found near the home you can also park in the “park & ride” lot on the NW corner of 3900 South and Wasatch Blvd. Oak Rim Way is just east of the intersection on the north side.
Or join us at your home via Zoom.
Thanks to Kristen and Ed Iversen for sharing their home again with us. And thanks to Jana Spangler for continuing to host us via Zoom. Below is some helpful info for being part of a Zoom convo. I will also note below the Zoom address so that you can connect. The link is in large blue all caps. If you are not on my email list then either join at the bottom of this site’s home page or text or call me at 801-695-5036.
I’m delighted that those who can’t attend in person can join us via zoom. I’m sorry I can’t give you the same care and attention given to those in person. But if you ever can join us physically in the same space, then I hope you will. Research shows that being with people who are seen, felt, and heard in person reaps many benefits. We would be blessed by your presence.
THE CONVERSATION:
In his new book, And There Was No Poor Among Them: Liberation, Salvation, and the Meaning of the Restoration Ryan Ward argues that the Restoration is God’s explicit response to the rise of capitalism in the centuries leading up to the Industrial Revolution. Ward suggests that the “calamity” referred to in D&C 1:17 is the globalization of economic systems that prioritize profit over human life. Ward further suggests that a reclamation of the reality of salvation as temporal liberation and justice is needed for the Church to realize its potential as the body of Christ in a suffering world and that members of the Church are under a covenant obligation to do so.
What are some of the barriers, social, political, and institutional that make thinking in these expansive ways about the Restoration difficult? Are there doctrinal principles and threads that can be utilized and expanded upon to help members expand our vision of salvation in these ways? What can we do in our own families, wards, stakes, and communities to support and realize this vision of Zion? What does living the law of consecration look like in practice in our current society?
ABOUT RYAN:
Ryan Ward is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Otago. He teaches classes on drugs, addiction, behavior, and policy and research methods. He conducts research on the neurobiological basis of learning and motivations for drug use. He lives with his wife and five children in New Zealand.
- Click on the Zoom link above for either last month’s recorded conversation (if the event date has passed) or the live conversation now. If you are participating in the live conversation keep reading.
- When you are connected you will either be waiting in a lobby and will let be in shortly or you will immediately be able to see other participants. Please make sure that you muted and that your video is on if you choose to have it on. (Love to see and hear you live, but we’ll take curious lurkers also.)
- If you can’t hear the host, me, or others, find your settings and make sure you have a working microphone and speaker selected. Also, make sure you have your volume up. OR tell me or others to speak up!
ZOOM ETIQUETTE:
- Please mute your microphone before entering and when you are not speaking so noises are not heard by everyone else.
- Rather than have the whole group watch you try to get your camera or screen positioned, or play with funky green screen backgrounds, feel free to get that figured out prior to when we meet.
- Resist the urge to multitask—be with us fully if at all possible. But we’ll be grateful for whatever presence you are able to offer. Just knowing you are there is nice.
- If you are going to multitask, or wander around a lot, please turn off your video and make sure you are muted. No one wants to be distracted by you eating or using the loo.
- If you are having difficulty with the technology, don’t hold up the meeting by distracting other participants for solutions. Try Googling your problem. I do that with most of life’s problems.
- Speaking of distractions—just as when we used to meet in person in the good old days, let’s be cautious about using the chat for side conversations that may distract others. You can always ask for people’s contact info and continue your conversation—I’d love that to happen. Or, let me know, and I’ll do my darndest to give you a chance to share to the group.
- Please share air time and follow the guidelines under “Intentions” on this website.
