Besides the interpretive lens of Marcus Borg and John Spong (discussed in my other blog posts), I also interpret Mormonism through the lens of Nietzsche's perspective to a great degree. This is not an endorsement of all things Nietzschean, as I have as much to criticize in Nietzsche's philosophy as that which I find useful. The part I find useful is his consistent emphasis on that which is organically healthy for the expansion of the species; and the individual growing creatively toward higher degrees of strength and vitality. A key component of his interpretive lens is looking at a philosophy or theology and determining whether or not it is generative or degenerative; and does it affirm life or disaffirm life. From this perspective, I would argue that original Mormonism can be seen as affirming life and is a generative life philosophy.
In other words, when one steps away from only looking at Mormonism through the interpretive lenses of positivism, scientism, skepticism and reductionism (as the Critics tend to do); and one instead begins to look at the Smith-Pratt Philosophy more through the interpretive lenses of Marcus Borg, John Spong, and Joseph Campbell -- and whether or not Mormonism is generative and life affirming (from a Nietzschean viewpoint) -- then the philosophy of Mormonism becomes more valuable and useful from these other points of view.
For more on interpreting Mormonism through a Nietzschean lens -- for example, seeing Mormonism as a remedy to passive nihilism, and containing something similar to Nietzsche's Will to Power with what I call the Will to Glory, see my blog series:
Joseph and Nietzsche: The Rough Stone Rolling and the Dynamite Satyr (Blog Series)
