Thursday, January 21, 2016

THE MATRIX OF MODERN MORMONISM

"You take the red pill, and I'll show you how deep the
rabbit hole goes."
When I first saw "The Matrix" back in 1999, I was blown away! It was a great movie–thougtprovoking, symbolically rich, deep and packed with great action. I loved it! 

Just a few days ago, approximately ten years after my latest viewing, I saw the movie once more. In these ten years, the movie hasn't changed, but I have. The movie, in my mind, used to be about people waking up to the truths of mormonism and shedding the blindfolds of unbelief. For quite a few years, that was a functioning paradigm for me. Now, it's completely reversed.

In the movie, Mr. Anderson goes about his daily business as a software engineer, while committing computer crimes on his spare time under the name of Neo. Mr. Anderson/Neo has this splinter in his mind, a feeling that he's in a dream which he can't wake up from, that something is wrong with the world.

Eventually, he is given the choice of the blue and red pill–blue and he will wake up in his bed believing whatever he want to believe, and red for the chance to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. Before the choice is made, Mr. Anderson/Neo, is told that he's only offered the truth. He chooses the red pill.

When Mr. Anderson/Neo is shown and has the chance to witness that the world, as he knows it, "has been pulled over your eyes to blind [him] from the truth." The cognitive dissonance makes him throw up and wish to return. Soon, he realizes that he can't, and doesn't really want to return to the state of blissful ignorance.

"The Matrix" is a movie about waking up to the state of modern Mormonism. I can't remember that I've had a splinter in my mind about it for my whole life, but when I finally got to see that there even existed a rabbit hole, I wasn't scared to tumble down it. Now, I sometimes wish that I could go back, but deep down I don't want to, and I understand that I can't–the sense of freedom, purpose, direction, understanding and clarity is something to cherish and something heretofore unknown. Today, it's more certain that there's no way back, than what lies ahead.

The red pill I challenge everyone to partake of is Robert Smith's book "Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men: Tradition in Modern Mormonism." It's a great read! Remember, all that's offered is the truth!

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