The Muddle

This last week has again brought into sharp focus one of my more important discoveries of the past decade. It is “The Muddle” and I am surprised and appalled that I was so old before I figured it out. On the off chance some of you have not yet figured it out, here is my take on the subject.

Almost ten years ago I was working with the people at the Family History Library on some projects for the Olympics and beyond. As part of that process they suggested that I read, as background, a 100 year history of the Utah Genealogical Society which was written in 1994. The book was basically a chronology—this happened, then this happened, then this happened and so forth. When I finished I thought, “Well that was a hundred year muddle!” And it was. I myself remember the rigid, even draconian, rules for submission of work in the 60s that turned off a whole generation of all but the most dedicated and compulsive of family history folk. BUT in spite of the “muddle” they have actually accomplished a lot. Then I thought of my favorite “whipping boy” in the Church bureaucracy—the Missionary Department. Now there was an outfit in a muddle! (Although I will allow that they have improved a bit in the recent past.) And then they send 19 and 20 year old BOYS out to implement the muddle. However “miracle of miracles” it does succeed, at least to some degree. I then I thought if I am honest about it, my part of the world, both personally and professionally, is almost always in a muddle too. Yet many good things have happened.

SO—maybe “muddling” is just the modal category of the Telestial Kingdom and what is really remarkable is when we aren’t muddling. And perhaps you, like me, when those crystal clear moments happen, have assumed that “now I have finally figured it out and I am not going to be muddling in the future.” Alas, those crystal moments are almost always brought to us by the Spirit and I (and probably you too) do not live my whole life on that plane. But in spite of the muddle good things can and do happen as we seek to move forward.

Now that I have “discovered” The Muddle I see it everywhere. Perhaps the apostle Paul was describing The Muddle when he said that we see through a glass darkly.

The best thing to come out of this for me, is that I have lightened up on myself and almost everyone else too. Folk I used to critically roll my eyes at, I now just smile and say, “It’s the Muddle.” For example last year about this time as I got off TRAX by the corner of South and West Temple to walk to the Museum. I noticed a strange blue light on the North Visitors’ Center on Temple Square. In the past I would have said to myself, “Tacky, tacky, tacky.” This time I smiled and said, “Oh, somebody’s muddling.”

I have come a long way. I’m even usually willing to give a pass to all the folk who say the oddest things in church about women, although to my sadness I still have no idea how to explain in any credible way, such statements to the bright and thoughtful women I sometimes encounter outside the Church and inside too. (Although for members I usually say something like “The Spirit has witnessed the truth to our souls and so we had just better stay on for the ride. And besides, truth will prevail!”)

17 comments for “The Muddle

  1. Marjorie – thanks for your wise observations about how we respond to life’s challenges, especially your suggestion to “lighten up.” This past week I heard a presentation about customer service and the presenter had some very good advice. He asked us why we allow someone else’s bad behavior to have an impact on our otherwise good mood. I certainly need to consider that advice. I am well into my middle age years but only recently have decided to lighten up as well. And I still have plenty of moments where I forget to do so. But recently I have had the good fortune to be able to stop and consider those who used to irritate me and just accept them, even celebrate them, as part of the colorful life experience God has blessed me with. Without them my life would be less. Thanks again for making me think.

  2. Yes, we are living/in a telestial world/and we are telestial girls … and boys.

    Apologies to Madonna.

  3. The problem with the Muddle is that one person’s blue light muddle is another persons tear streaked absolute expression of joy; One woman’s order is another woman’s chaos; One’s Sexist remark is anothers guiding light. In this world of billions of different people, there are always going to be outliers from what we see as the absolute paradigms of life. We can either Love and Let go or Hurt and Hold on.

  4. Marjorie:

    This is sort of tangential, but I guess I am musing whether taste is subject to truth. I mean, in celestial nature, will we all have the same artistic taste? I guess I am thinking about the Tacky Blue light. (What is the blue light anyway? Maybe it’s not there for artistic purposes and is actually like the annoying neon exit lights mandated by law in the Lousiville Temple, which make me a little sad, but I digress into the Muddle…) Anywaym I am probably conflating the point, but thanks for giving me something to think about.

  5. This topic is an example of the principle: “Sometimes even when it’s wrong, it’s right.”

    The Lord intentionally chose some fishermen and a tax collector to be mighty preachers, prophets, seers, revelators and the leaders of his church. He intentionally sends out 19 and 20 year olds. He intentionally calls untrained men to be bishops, etc. (Oh sure, there are some “leadership training sessions” and broadcasts, but no real formal or academic training. And no callings in the ward, not even EQ president, or a counselor in the bishoprc, fully prepares or trains a man to be a bishop. The poor guys who get that calling have hands laid on their head, are handed a General Handbook of Instructions, and are then “The Bishop.” )

    I believe that the shortcomings of people who are given callings are taken into account by the Lord; and sometimes those shortcomings are even the source of intentional “challenges” that the Lord wants for both that individual and for the people they are called to serve.

    This topic reminds me of something said in a Bounty paper towels commercial on TV. “Life’s messy, clean it up.”

  6. Bookslinger – don’t feel too sorry for “those poor guys” who have the title and responsibilities of being “The Bishop” foisted upon them. While it is scary at first and definitely wearisome for the long haul, it is ultimately one of the best things that can happen to a person. As long as you stay in touch with the one who is actually in charge and don’t take yourself too seriously, it’s a great ride while it lasts. Maybe that’s what Marjorie is suggesting about life in general. Don’t muddle with things too much, just enjoy.

  7. As a followup to #8 —

    I’ve often wondered that the reason things seem “muddled” is that we infuse too much expectation on leaders and members and the Church. We perceive that things should operate “better” than they do (without us defining how “better” is and possibly ignoring our own contributions to the Muddle).

    Maybe we should recognize the Leadership of the Church for exactly what it is — muddled men, doing the best they can with the heavenly counsel and inspiration.

  8. I had to smile at your allusion to draconian submission rules for genealogy that turned off a whole generation. Count me as part of that group. An IRS auditor would seem a pleasanter alternative to the ward genealogical form checkers of those days.

  9. In the spirit of self promotion, I’m happy to point out that this post on muddling touches on some of the ideas presented in a recent post of mine, most of which were stolen from Eugene England.

    I think that the ability to forgive others their muddling is an essential lesson of this life. I’m still working on that lesson in relation to high council talks…

  10. Something like this has been a guiding philosophy for me for some time. Part of my problem though is that I have pieces of my life – generally the ones closest and most important to me like my family – that I have a harder time letting go of the “muddle” on. Easy enough to set aside the person or thing who’s presence I can get by without material effect from, but when it impacts things I really want to be a certain way right now…well, even though I need to accept the muddle, it is much harder.

    On a church level though, this has been very helpful to me in the very few but profound instances I’ve had where I came into conflict with a leader. I’ve been able (so far at least) to accept this person has a divine calling and authority that I have a need and right to tap into, even if I need to understand that as a human being they may muddle some decisions just as I do.

  11. I may have misstated, overstated my position. I think there are some big T truths out there, but far away from this Telestial sphere. So do I think everything has a right or wrong choice (art, style, etc.)? Well, no. And here is an example. A friend was going on and on one night about how EVERY choice had a right and wrong, when at just the right moment his wife poked her head in to ask “Who wants cherry and who wants apple pie?” End of discussion.

    And of course one of the things in Mormon culture that moderates our criticism of each other is that we all know that at almost any moment we (or our spouse) could be called to that very position.

  12. Great perspective. What happens, however, when the person who made the decision for the tacky blue light attempts to justify that decision with scriptures—or worse still “much fasting and prayer” led him or her to be embraced by the blue light and s/he now knows that the blue light is true.

  13. “And it was. I myself remember the rigid, even draconian, rules for submission of work in the 60s that turned off a whole generation of all but the most dedicated and compulsive of family history folk. BUT in spite of the “muddle” they have actually accomplished a lot.” This is interesting to me since I’ve been told a few times that there never was a time when you had to have the submissions checked by a ward family history person– but I distinctly remember sitting with my grandmother while she and the ward person went over her records. Hah– I’ve been vindicated. Personally, I think that current system is a muddle with a lot of inaccurate junk and repetitions, etc.

Comments are closed.