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Make no assumptions, LDS doctrine has to be said | Mormon Times

Maybe I'm just too cynical or maybe it has to do with Christ not being emphasized much in the place and time that I was active, but when Mormons attempt to stress the centrality of Jesus in their faith nowadays, it always sounds so awkward and clumsy and forced to me. I know exMo's say this all the time and always get crap for it from TBMs, but as God is my witness, I just didn't grow up in the Church feeling that Jesus was the center of my religion.

It wasn't until my mission that I learned the value of expressing my belief in Mormonism with an emphasis on Jesus, and I remember I would get so frustrated when an investigator or new member would attend a F&T meeting and hear nary a mention of Christ. I've been inactive for quite a while now, but from the sound of this article it appears things ain't changed all that much.

When we teach our children about tithing, we teach them that in small part, it represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and that as we sacrifice a little, he will give us a lot.

Baloney. That is not what we teach.

From my experience Church members do 'speak' what they see as the practical doctrine of Mormonism— and it is I think it shows the LDS Church to be more the Church of Joseph and the Brethren than the Church of Jesus. Years of Seminary and LDS meeting and Ensign articles and Conference— and what the membership gets out of all of it is what I see as implicit doctrine. They boil down all of the talks, class instruction, prophetic direction, programs etc and the resulting religion/doctrine is quite different than what is presented to the gentile public.

I know in my LDS upbringng was heavier on Authority, the Restoration, Joseph Smith, and LDS Culture/programs and lighter on Jesus and grace. That was the 70s-80s and things I believe are about Jesus now but there's still a lot of focus on other things.

I suspect this is a carryover from the Utah days when the Church was doing everything it could to separate itself from mainstream Christianity. Well, it worked. Now the Church wants to be mainstream but old habits/doctrines die hard.

It was our fault. We did not represent, at least in the time he interviewed our members, what we really believed and who we really were. We somehow left it unsaid.

I think that's because it's left unsaid most of the time. I don't think that this is something that is being done in Sacrament meetings and then somehow forgotten when the cameras turn on.

Case in point— the local Stake here had Stake Conference on Easter Sunday. My wife attended and said there was only one talk where the speaker talked about Jesus...and it was not the focus of his talk. Few people complained about the Stake meeting being planned on that day or the lack of discussion of the Jesus the Atonement. Why? Because it's normal to them. That sort of things wouldn't be tolerated in other christian churches. They are all about Jesus most of the time— Easter is a given.

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” ("History of the Church," 3:30).

I remember learning and reciting this quote on my mission but have have ever seen it payed off in the Church. Maybe people really do realize that Jesus is at the center of all those programs and assignments they are working on. They certainly don't make that clear if they do. More often I think people operate on a love/loyalty to the Church— and I think that's not by mistake. The Church is proxy for Jesus for many members in my opinion.

When was the last time we had a lesson on Jesus' central teachings such as the beatitudes and the great commandments? I do however appreciate more focus on the Atonement, but the Atonement represents more than supporting material to emphasize obedience.

moksha wrote:When was the last time we had a lesson on Jesus' central teachings such as the beatitudes and the great commandments?

Um... every fourth year we rotate between the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and D&C. Jesus Christ is in the New Testament and Book of Mormon, and we believe he is in the Old Testament and D&C as well.

Simon Belmont wrote:

moksha wrote:When was the last time we had a lesson on Jesus' central teachings such as the beatitudes and the great commandments?

Um... every fourth year we rotate between the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and D&C. Jesus Christ is in the New Testament and Book of Mormon, and we believe he is in the Old Testament and D&C as well.

Simon, please tell me that you realize you made moksha's point with your post?

From the end of the article:

In our talks, in our testimonies, in family home evening, at work, at home, on the playground and at school, we have to be obvious, conspicuous, bold in connecting everything about the gospel back to its center, Jesus Christ. It simply can’t go without saying.

That was the very first thing to go on day one of being an exmormon. And let me tell you, it felt great.

My life, my conversations, my interactions --everything I was to society no longer was required to try and set the hook; to reel in one more potential convert.

It is wonderful being an exmormon.

Simon, please tell me that you realize you made moksha's point with your post?

Only a person who's never read or attended the lessons would think that moksha's point was made.

Our theology is so rich and deep

There is no Mormon theology. lol. It is whatever you want it to be as long as you heart Joseph Smith, and the latest Mormon prophet, the rest is a free for all.