Are all Church Teachings Malleable?
Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2024 2:16 am
Are all LDS Church teachings malleable (soft, pliable, changeable)?
Internet Mormons, Chapel Mormons, Critics, Apologists, and Never-Mo's all welcome!
https://discussmormonism.com/
The first version reveals the original story and the subsequent ones seem an embellishment to fit Joseph's circumstances at the time. Sort of when Alice was tiny and when she was 10 feet tall, the story adapts to fit the occasion.sock puppet wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2024 7:16 pmDo you believe in the tale of the First Vision? Which version?
Don't forget blind obedience. That one is pretty solid.I Have Questions wrote: ↑Tue Nov 12, 2024 8:22 amYes. Except tithing. And the one where Leaders can’t be wrong, even when they’re wrong.
This is a book I read years ago. It encapsulates some of the doctrinal developments that you may be referring to:
Nice link.MG 2.0 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 7:11 pmThis is a book I read years ago. It encapsulates some of the doctrinal developments that you may be referring to:
https://www.amazon.com/This-My-Doctrine ... 759&nodl=1
Regards,
MG
Lane
5.0 out of 5 stars Clears up a lot of messiness in Church doctrine
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2019
This is the best book out there if you want to understand the evolution of Mormon doctrine. About 35 years ago, it started to dawn on me that the Church declared absolute truth statements over time that have contradicted absolute truth statements made now. I lost my faith in relatively short order, the process having commenced during my five-year service as a bishop. To my way of thinking, the Church makes greater epistemological mistakes than I'm capable of, and seriously complicates a thinking person's life in the process. So, I figured, it's best to just grow a pair and strike out on your own. I always look back fondly, but my life has been greatly blessed by the mental clarity acquired by not having to bend the facts to the doctrine de jour, all the time. I'm that guy who hits church about half the time, sits in the back, and turns down Church callings, except for scouting and the ward Santa Claus (40 years running...). I keep my family together.
As I read the book, I kept wondering if I had had Harrell's book to frame the issue as he sees it, would I have kept the faith. I conclude that it would have made no difference, because, to my mind, my conscience has infinitely more value than the entirety of the Mormon Church. Institutions come and go, and while it's quite a struggle keeping above the fray, it's worth the effort in this life to seek clarity over the contingencies of one's particular circumstances. I had a wonderful life growing up in my little Mormon town and I loved my mission, but when it became apparent that the Church was not what I had thought it was, the mental gymnastics required to continue to conform to it ate away at my humanity. So, while this is not the case with everyone, I thought Brother Harrell's book was an uplifting exercise for me, and worthwhile for anyone interested in the evolution of Mormon theology. So, thanks for this work of immense erudition.