Mormonism’s moral foundation

[drumdude]

The order that makes human relationships into love is what makes God God.

This sounds very elegant but I'm not sure I understand the meaning of it.

[thechair]

Drumdude, I think your three points are probably an accurate summary of what the majority of doctrinal authorities in the contemporary church would say. (See, e.g., Terryl Givens's short synthesis in Wrestling the Angel, Ch. 7.) But there are some minority holdouts. For example, in 2019, I read an interesting little book entitled Who is Truth?, by Jeffrey Thayne and Edwin Gantt, seemingly active LDS, both academics. They argue for a return to the Hebrew understanding of truth over the Greek understanding, as in being true to God under covenant rather than apprehension and fealty to abstract propositions. God is truth personally. And what humans know as "good," therefore, is what we know of God. They argue that confidence in God isn't blind (and doesn't arise from curating and heeding preexisting abstract truth), but rather is born of experience. (P.58.)

This reasoning, of course, compels the authors' agreement with Nephi's account of his killing of Laban. After citing the scriptural account (1 Nephi 4:10-18), the authors state:

"There is simply no moral calculus that could have led Nephi to the same conclusions [imperative to kill Laban] without in-the-moment, specific guidance from God. Most of us instinctively recognize this. This is why none of us attempt this sort of moral math on our own. If Nephi had arrived at the same conclusions through rational analysis alone, we would believe that he had rationalized murder. It was not the reasons given that made his action the right thing to to--it was the voice of the Spirit (or in other words, Truth personified)...." (Pp. 112-113.)

In other words, if God says it, it's right. The authors quote the notorious "happiness letter," and insist that moral right is contextual.

[malkie]

In a Mormon theocracy, I wonder if Nephi would be found guilty of murdering Laban.

What, other than the 'discernment' of the leaders, would restrain anyone from claiming divine command - or at least approval - for anything we might normally consider to be a crime or, (if you prefer) a sin?

[PseudoPaul]

Mormons believe in at least 3 eternally existing properties of the universe:

1) Intelligences, of naturally varying intelligence. God did not create these. God is merely the smartest occurring one.
2) Matter and space time. God did not create this either. God is merely the organizer.
3) Moral laws. These exist as real eternal universal platonic ideals, like the idea of the rectangle and circle. God did not create these.

Christian morality is based around the idea that God is the foundation of morality. What is the foundation of Mormon morality? Because it is not God.

It seems like both atheism and Mormonism agree that morality is not grounded in God. Am I misunderstanding Mormon theology?

Nice way to put it.

[Hagoth]

Oh, did I say mysteries? Uh, I meant, uh, Deep Doctrine. Yeah. That’s the ticket!

Is that the box that's labeled "meat?" It's way in the back behind the milk, which you have to drink first, but someone left the fridge unplugged for about 180 years and even that can be difficult to choke down.

[Bought Yahoo]

Mormons believe in at least 3 eternally existing properties of the universe:

1) Intelligences, of naturally varying intelligence. God did not create these. God is merely the smartest occurring one.
2) Matter and space time. God did not create this either. God is merely the organizer.
3) Moral laws. These exist as real eternal universal platonic ideals, like the idea of the rectangle and circle. God did not create these.

Christian morality is based around the idea that God is the foundation of morality. What is the foundation of Mormon morality? Because it is not God.

It seems like both atheism and Mormonism agree that morality is not grounded in God. Am I misunderstanding Mormon theology?

Yes. I guess you completely discount the D&C and the general handbook.