“Then Paul shook the snake off into the fire, and he suffered no harm. But they were thinking that he was about to swell or suddenly fall down dead. After they waited for a long time and saw that nothing unusual happened to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.”

Acts 28:5-6, The New Testament: A New Translation for Latter-day Saints by Thomas Wayment

A Poem from a Seer Stone

the pale ghost finger reaching
through mystery’s curtain,
always reaching

the viper’s gaping maw closing
in upon the apostle’s hand,
always gaping

the flowing wave cresting, curling
around a soon-to-be savior,
always cresting

the eddying whirlpool gorging
on the topside fishermen,
always gorging

Andromeda’s arms encircling
an anchorite star, en route
to her marriage bed,
always encircling

I am Mormonism increasing:
I am your I AM; a god man
always increasing

Notes and Questions for Discussion

Thank you for reading. What emotional or intellectual reactions did you have to this piece? Why do you suppose you had these reactions? More generally, what are your thoughts on Mormon attitudes toward Paul, and on the Mormon belief in becoming a god?

This post’s featured image is a ground-based view of the Andromeda Galaxy. Image credit: ESA/Hubble & Digitized Sky Survey 2. Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble)