How can we determine what the LDS Church actually teaches?

[_Darth J]

In the recent "Mormons and Noah" thread, we have two believing Latter-day Saints who defend the LDS Church telling us conflicting things about whether something is official doctrine.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17103

If you read through this thread, you will see that bcspace says that it is the official doctrine of the LDS Church that the flood at the time of Noah covered the whole world---that it was a global, not a local, flood.

Simon Belmont, on the other hand, maintains that the LDS Church has no official position whether the flood was global or local. He also says that he and bcspace are free to disagree. From page of 3 that thread (Simon Belmont is addressing me):

bcspace and I can disagree. Your attempt to pit us against each other is an utter failure.

It is one thing to have a difference of opinion or belief. However, whether or not the LDS Church officially teaches something is an issue of objective fact.

So, we cannot rely on Latter-day Saints on the internet to tell us what the Church actually teaches, because, as shown, they contradict each other.

What about apologists? Can we rely on apologists to tell us what the LDS Church actually teaches?

No. As I have shown through numerous examples, Mormon apologists frequently contradict the teachings of the Church.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15412&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

All right. What about just going straight to the Church to find out what it teaches?

Well, it turns out that this is not a legitimate method, either. As Simon Belmont continually asserts, if you refer to actual teachings of the LDS Church to show what the Church teaches, then you are "quote mining."

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15581&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

So, can we look to people who no longer believe in the Church, or who criticize the Church, to find out what the Church teaches?

No. Obiwan, another faithful Latter-day Saint and defender of the Church, has informed us all that "anti-Mormons" do not know, do not understand, or lie about what the Church teaches. An example of his mantra that all unbelievers are lying/misrepresenting/do not know/do not understand can be found on the first page of this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16722&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

What is anti-mormon is misrepresenting and overstating and ignoring certain facts. I've explained so far why you et al are.

Also, Obiwan has made it clear that critics of the Church do not have the mental capacity to understand church doctrine, anyway. From page 2 of this thread:

viewtopic.php?p=420277

You anti's are mental retards....

(ellipses in original)

Okay......can we just go directly to God?

No. As The Nehor explained on this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13128&p=324883&hilit=rated+r

God may reveal something to you that is different from what He has inspired His designated prophets, seers, and revelators to teach.

So, to summarize, we cannot rely on the following things to find out what the LDS Church teaches:

---believing members of the Church
---apologists for the Church
---the Church itself
---people who don't believe in the Church
---God

Would anyone like to suggest how we can determine what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially teaches?

[_Molok]

I suppose you could always pray about it, right?

[_Darth J]

I suppose you could always pray about it, right?

Nope.

If you noticed from the OP, The Nehor explained that God may tell us something different from what He told His designated prophets, seers, and revelators.

[_Buffalo]

So, to summarize, we cannot rely on the following things to find out what the LDS Church teaches:

---believing members of the Church
---apologists for the Church
---the Church itself
---people who don't believe in the Church
---God

Would anyone like to suggest how we can determine what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially teaches?

The answer is simple: the church has neither doctrine nor teachings. It takes no position on anything. Unless it does. But it didn't if it makes it look bad now. Unless that changes.

[_Molok]

I suppose you could always pray about it, right?

Nope.

If you noticed from the OP, The Nehor explained that God may tell us something different from what He told His designated prophets, seers, and revelators.

Of course, I see now. My mistake. I think the only option left for you Darth is to just decide what official doctrine is to suit your needs at any given time. That seems to work for everyone else well enough.

[_Fence Sitter]

The problem Darth is you are not considering THE doctrine upon which all other doctrine is based. "That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another."

[_Rambo]

On my mission I was always told whatever had the church logo on it was church doctrine. I believed this for a long time.

It is funny on my mission and after my mission I would listen to members discuss what church doctrine was in sunday school class. This would usually end up in some sort of arguement or one person pretending they know a lot more about the subject than the other person. I remember getting different answers about what church doctrine was all the time from members of the church that had been in the church for years. No wonder I was confused and I still am confused what church doctrine is because I really don't think anyone does know what it is.

[_Dwight Frye]

Would anyone like to suggest how we can determine what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially teaches?

http://www.mormonmentality.org/2009/05/31/determining-doctrine-using-excel.htm

[_Darth J]

Some people are more visual than verbal thinkers. To help the former, I offer the following visual on approaching LDS doctrine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbyekup6i6U

[_zeezrom]

Can someone remind me why it's important to know what is doctrine and what is not?