What is Official Church Doctrine According to Rodney Turner
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 9:37 pm
Rodney Turner used to be a professor of religion at BYU, and later he worked for the Church at COB. It was in the Office of the First Presidency that handled doctrinal issues.
Today, if you have a doctrinal question and you call the COB you are told "Ask your bishop!"--because of course bishops are so well versed in Church doctrine and history (i'm being sarcastic here).
But, back in 1981 Rodney Turner was the "doctrinal guy" at the COB. I asked him about Adam-God. Turner told me that Brigham Young did in fact teach it. I asked, "But the Church NOW teaches the opposite? How can this contradiction be explained?"
He said (and I quote verbatim):
"Official Church doctrine is whatever the Living Prophet says it is. When he dies, his doctrines are no longer the doctrines of the Church. The New Living Prophet decides what is true and doctrine."
I asked: "What if they contradict each other?
He said: "Truth is whatever the Living Prophet SAYS it is. THAT is Truth. If the next Living Prophet teaches the EXACT OPPOSITE of the Living Prophet before him, then THAT is Truth!"
Yes, he really said that. "Truth" changes with each Living Prophet.
In other words, when Brigham Young preached that ADam was Heavenly Father, and father of our spirits, the God we pray to, the Father of the body and spirit of Jesus, THAT WAS ETERNAL TRUTH.....
But...when later Living PRophets said Adam was NOT our Heavenly Father, NOT the Father of of our spirits, and NOT the the Father of the spirit and body or Jesus, then THAT IS ETERNAL TRUTH.....
Today, if you have a doctrinal question and you call the COB you are told "Ask your bishop!"--because of course bishops are so well versed in Church doctrine and history (i'm being sarcastic here).
But, back in 1981 Rodney Turner was the "doctrinal guy" at the COB. I asked him about Adam-God. Turner told me that Brigham Young did in fact teach it. I asked, "But the Church NOW teaches the opposite? How can this contradiction be explained?"
He said (and I quote verbatim):
"Official Church doctrine is whatever the Living Prophet says it is. When he dies, his doctrines are no longer the doctrines of the Church. The New Living Prophet decides what is true and doctrine."
I asked: "What if they contradict each other?
He said: "Truth is whatever the Living Prophet SAYS it is. THAT is Truth. If the next Living Prophet teaches the EXACT OPPOSITE of the Living Prophet before him, then THAT is Truth!"
Yes, he really said that. "Truth" changes with each Living Prophet.
In other words, when Brigham Young preached that ADam was Heavenly Father, and father of our spirits, the God we pray to, the Father of the body and spirit of Jesus, THAT WAS ETERNAL TRUTH.....
But...when later Living PRophets said Adam was NOT our Heavenly Father, NOT the Father of of our spirits, and NOT the the Father of the spirit and body or Jesus, then THAT IS ETERNAL TRUTH.....