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Was just thinking recently that if BRM had made it to prophet, Mormon Doctrine might be, well, Mormon doctrine. Would the modern church have been able to discount it as much if he had simply lived long enough to be prophet?

If Boyd K. Packer survives Thomas Monson and makes it to prophet, will this have the effect of enshrining some of his earlier work as the sayings of a prophet seer and revelator? Whereas if he doesn't, it would be so much easier to disregard some of the more narrow-minded statements that seem to run counter to the "big-tent" direction the church may be nudging towards. He is likely highly motivated to stick around - for legacy purposes - even if he is too frail to strike fear into the hearts of gays, feminists, intellectuals, academics, historians...

Doesn't matter. Apologists can and do dismiss any leader or person in Mormonism - all the way back to Joe Smith. Speaking as a man and misinterpreted are the two most common statements. Anything that is embarrassing or politically incorrect will be washed away with long winded Dan Peterson $10 words.

With all the spin now applied to the teachings of both, there has to be the basis of perpetual motion in there somewhere.

Would the modern church have been able to discount it as much if he had simply lived long enough to be prophet?

There's nothing to discount. The work never made it to doctrinal status.

bcspace wrote:

Would the modern church have been able to discount it as much if he had simply lived long enough to be prophet?

There's nothing to discount. The work never made it to doctrinal status.

Why were members strongly encouraged by their leaders to have a copy in their home?

The point was - do we give additional weight to the works of GAs and apostles who later become prophet?

For example, The Miracle of Forgiveness was written when Spencer W. Kimball was an apostle. Not so long ago it was recommended from the pulpit:

[quote=Richard G. Scott, LDSGC, Oct 2004] When needed, full repentance will require action on your part. If you are not familiar with the classic steps to repentance, such as confession and abandonment of sin, restitution, obedience, and seeking forgiveness, talk to a bishop or study a source such as President Spencer W. Kimball’s masterly work The Miracle of Forgiveness. [/quote]

And a whole chapter of the manual devoted to him is named for the book: [url=https://www.LDS.org/manual/teachings-spencer-w-kimball/chapter-4?lang=eng]Chapter 4: The Miracle of Forgiveness
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006), 34–45[/url]

In my childhood, Mormon Doctrine was more useful thanMiracle of Forgiveness! Once BRM made apostle whether he made prophet thereafter was in the hands of fate - he just had to outlive the other contenders (in theory anyway - he actually had a number of younger men senior to him). Mormon Doctrine doesn't get a chapter in his manual, and slips down the memory hole so much easier. Large chunks of MD are canonized as the Bible Dictionary (or not), so it could have been different.

I know this is all counterfactual meandering but it seems that if BKP does make it to prophet, even if not for long and in frail condition, his earlier statements will have the stamp of "Words of a Prophet". I don't see this as a good thing.

Infymus wrote:Doesn't matter. Apologists can and do dismiss any leader or person in Mormonism - all the way back to Joe Smith.

All the way back to elohim on Book of Abraham issues, when they assert the catalyst theory.