"Of all the versions of Christianity (with the possible exception of the Franciscans) it is the earthiest version. The First Vision was in a grove of trees, Joseph Smith got the gold plates from the ground and then translated them with the assistance of rocks [seer stones], the restoration of the priesthood came on the banks of the Susquehanna River, and we have temples—symbolic representations of mountains. If you read through [the Doctrine & Covenants] there are some fantastic verses on the light of Christ, that soaks and saturates all of reality. Even in the Book of Mormon, the idea of wilderness and wildness highlights the salvific power of wild things. And we believe that God has a body. It’s all material stuff."
Never thought of the Restoration in this way:
"Of all the versions of Christianity (with the possible exception of the Franciscans) it is the earthiest version. The First Vision was in a grove of trees, Joseph Smith got the gold plates from the ground and then translated them with the assistance of rocks [seer stones], the restoration of the priesthood came on the banks of the Susquehanna River, and we have temples—symbolic representations of mountains. If you read through [the Doctrine & Covenants] there are some fantastic verses on the light of Christ, that soaks and saturates all of reality. Even in the Book of Mormon, the idea of wilderness and wildness highlights the salvific power of wild things. And we believe that God has a body. It’s all material stuff."
Wow, just reading through this and it is so, so good! It's hard to pick a favorite part!