Time: Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants

Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants

by Philip L. Barlow

A volume on time may seem a puzzling inclusion in a series exploring themes in the Doctrine and Covenants. However, some refrains remain invisible until we conceive and name them, which allows us to probe. The Doctrine and Covenants has enough to say about time, once we know how to look for it, that it might well change how we engage the gospel and our lives.

Philip Barlow goes so far as to propose that time can fruitfully be imagined as “the 0th principle of the gospel.” Time is, he says, an innate element, a precondition, and a malleable tool not only for principles whose names advertise the fact (such as Sabbath, millennium, preexistence, and prophecy), but also for every gospel precept, including faith, baptism, obedience, and love. Mastery of elements of time, for example, is what enables agency to become real rather than a mirage. Modern revelation asserts that life is a test, but also a school for knowledge, wisdom, joy, and skill. How we imagine time affects it all. Come, let us reason together.

Genres: Religion

152 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2024

Reviews

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Theological, Philosophical, Religious Treat

And a primer. And masterful.

I imagine it a challenge to write to an audience as divergent as seems likely will read this book (and any book in the series).

For this reader, the author created a work which accomplishes a perfect balance between the rigor of a strict theological treatment, and a new user’s guide to living “in sync” with Time (and what that may mean and suggest. Such a delightful balance. Inviting of further reflection whether such may lean toward application, or rigorous exploration of Truth, or both / all.

A truth-seekers delight … for truths suggested and merely hinted at.

[Chanel Earl]

This is a fun read about a topic I have been very invested in recently.

Time, as defined by Barlow, is the fabric in which we work our discipleship. It intersects with every aspect of our lives and every principle of the gospel.

I enjoyed reading about how this interaction occurs and how we (as a people) sometimes allow time to shape our actions and conceptions.

I do wish this had been longer and had covered more ideas, for example, the power of simultenaity or the ways we think about God's timing. There is much more to discuss than this slim volume allowed for, but what is here is valuable.

[Drew Tschirki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having now completed the “themes”series, this one is my favorite. Review forthcoming.

[Martin Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this were 4 or 5 stars, but not enough of it. Great sabbath work, but after that things get thin for me. I find his arguments and their connection to Time to be often tenuous.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family. Isn’t it about … time?

Yes, and so is the Gospel in general, according to Philip L. Barlow.


The fifth out of the seven books in the Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants series that I read is the one by Philip L. Barlow on time. It was one of the two books that I was most surprised to see in the list as a topic to explore in connection with the Doctrine and Covenants, since Time seemed a bit esoteric as a general topic. It made more sense as I dove in. On the one hand, Barlow has taught university-level courses about religious views on time. And, on the other, time-related topics like the sabbath day, the Second Coming, work for the dead, and impact on agency are core themes that come up throughout the Doctrine and Covenants. Thus, it works as a contribution to the series.

One thing that I have found interesting across this series is how frequently they come back to redemption of the dead as a topic. Out of the five I’ve read so far (Agency, Divine Aid, Redeeming the Dead, Revelation, Time), only one has not featured a discussion about the topic at some point in the book. Dr. Barlow features an entire chapter on the topic, discussing how family relationships span time and tie us to both the past and future. It was actually a fairly moving chapter, and I was impressed that he even worked in a J.R.R. Tolkien quote from Gandalf (a move after my own heart) to discuss preparing and preserving the world for future generations.

I also found the chapter about eschatology to be insightful and interesting. In it, Barlow discusses historical context and the ways in which the concept of preparing for the Second Coming can positively impact our lives. But, in addition, he offers some correctives to distortions of the doctrine that can negatively impact our lives. Specifically, he addresses the plausibility in our notions surrounding the nearness of the Second Coming, Karl Marx’s assertion that religion is an opiate of the masses, images of a vengeful deity, and the mental health risks of chronic urgency. It made for some fascinating discussion and thinking.

In the end, Time: Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants by Philip L. Barlow was a fantastic entry into the series and a thought-provoking study related to the Doctrine and Covenants.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first read in the Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants series. It was very enlightening. Barlow's chapter on the Sabbath—the Sabbath being a particular subset of time as well as a particular quality of time-- was lifechanging. I had several ideas in mind for separating myself from the world -- fallible constructs of men—and focusing this weekly sliver of time more on the Savior. My journey and thoughts paralleled Barlow’s in some aspects and he shared additional insight which I found extremely valuable.
His time travel nature of genealogy makes this aspect of the Gospel less intimidating and more desirous, and his commentary on the Fall and the tree of Good and Bad (or from A to Z, as in all encompassing) sheds new light on Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden.
This is a book that takes time to read and contemplate and it is time well spent.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really good, if just a touch overwrought in terms of vocabulary and sentence structure. Barlow could've made this just a touch easier to read with slightly clearer language. But that's not a complaint sufficient to justify removing a star.

Barlow here identifies aspects of time that infuse various aspects of LDS gospel thought and living: anticipation of the Second Coming, agency, the ramifications of our thinking of the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden, the Sabbath, and vicariousness. Each chapter bursts with fascinating insights. There is a lot of light here. This is the third volume I've read in the Maxwell Institute's series on themes in the Doctrine and Covenants, after the books on agency and divine aid. I found this work to be -- so far -- the most inspiring.

[MykeWeber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has pumped new life into my gospel study! So much to think about and implement in my life! I love that there are minds, like Phillip L. Barlow’s that can so wonderfully plumb the depths of concepts like this! I marked and marked the book and will return to it often. I will certainly color my perception of the Doctrine and Covenants and indeed all Scripture as I study them in this new found light!

[Jil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me think a lot. When I bought it, I was hoping it would enrich my D&C study, but it went to its own place in my head. The sections on the Sabbath and the holiness of Time were especially thought provoking.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book about time and faith and the related revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants. Barlow looks at the Sabbath, the relationship between the living and the dead, and other themes with a comprehensive and refreshing approach. Highly recommended.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fascinating and turned many things on their head for me. Scott and I enjoyed reading and discussing these principles: Sabbath day, eternal families, and the second coming of Christ, as well as time in the abstract.

[Keyth Pankau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It expanded my mind on the concept of time and I appreciate how it continually invited me to think more deeply about concepts I might think I understand.

[Justin Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapter on the Sabbath is top notch! Contains some really great ideas, like resting from the labor of self-pity and harboring grudges. I found the rest of the book to drag a bit.

[Matthew Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though provoking read. I loved the chapters on sabbath and agency. And the epilogue outlining time in relation to all principles of the Gospel.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the concepts in this book tried to break my brain, but this really is a fascinating lense through which to look at the gospel.

[Woodson Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gets 5 stars for the Sabbath and Redeeming the Dead chapters, which were, without hyperbole, life-changing.