LDS Church auto-pilot

[Doctor Steuss]

Meanwhile, the current president of the Community of Christ has had three revelations canonized in their Doctrine and Covenants. Every single prophet of the Community of Christ has had revelations canonized.

The heavens are still open for the living church.

[malkie]

Meanwhile, the current president of the Community of Christ has had three revelations canonized in their Doctrine and Covenants. Every single prophet of the Community of Christ has had revelations canonized.

The heavens are still open for the living church.

I know that it's been said, as a criticism of the CoC, that the CoC is a warning to the LDS about what can happen when the rules are relaxed - membership drops off, perhaps dramatically.

At the same time, one defence of the small size of the LDS church is that "few are chosen".

I'd say that's incongruent. What if a decrease in size is accompanied by an increase in "quality" - that is, in Christ-like beliefs and practices of the body of the organization and in the individual members.

I know a few members of the CoC - some online only, but some, including general officers, in person. It seems to me that they are not only liberal in the sense of accepting virtually everyone into their tent, but also in the social/political sense of supporting social equality, and in providing opportunities for members to grow in knowledge, understanding, and compassion. I don't think I've ever seen this kind of fostering of mental and outward-facing spirituality in the LDS church anywhere that I've been a member.

[MG 2.0]

Meanwhile, the current president of the Community of Christ has had three revelations canonized in their Doctrine and Covenants. Every single prophet of the Community of Christ has had revelations canonized.

The heavens are still open for the living church.

I know that it's been said, as a criticism of the CoC, that the CoC is a warning to the LDS about what can happen when the rules are relaxed - membership drops off, perhaps dramatically.

At the same time, one defence of the small size of the LDS church is that "few are chosen".

I'd say that's incongruent. What if a decrease in size is accompanied by an increase in "quality" - that is, in Christ-like beliefs and practices of the body of the organization and in the individual members.

I know a few members of the CoC - some online only, but some, including general officers, in person. It seems to me that they are not only liberal in the sense of accepting virtually everyone into their tent, but also in the social/political sense of supporting social equality, and in providing opportunities for members to grow in knowledge, understanding, and compassion. I don't think I've ever seen this kind of fostering of mental and outward-facing spirituality in the LDS church anywhere that I've been a member.

On an individual level the church teaches that one’s inner spiritual growth should extend into the world through action, service, and connection with others. Are you thinking that somehow the church does NOT encourage this or ought to do more? For example?

The church itself is a model of doing the same. The church is one of the first organizations to respond to needs throughout the world. It does so often through its own members providing service through organized efforts at the local level. At times the church also provides financial assistance.

I think we should be clear that the CofJCofLDS does a pretty good job at turning "Christ-like beliefs" into action, service, and connection with our brothers and sisters worldwide.

Regards,
MG

[I Have Questions]

Meanwhile, the current president of the Community of Christ has had three revelations canonized in their Doctrine and Covenants. Every single prophet of the Community of Christ has had revelations canonized.

The heavens are still open for the living church.

I know that it's been said, as a criticism of the CoC, that the CoC is a warning to the LDS about what can happen when the rules are relaxed - membership drops off, perhaps dramatically.

At the same time, one defence of the small size of the LDS church is that "few are chosen".

I'd say that's incongruent. What if a decrease in size is accompanied by an increase in "quality" - that is, in Christ-like beliefs and practices of the body of the organization and in the individual members.

I know a few members of the CoC - some online only, but some, including general officers, in person. It seems to me that they are not only liberal in the sense of accepting virtually everyone into their tent, but also in the social/political sense of supporting social equality, and in providing opportunities for members to grow in knowledge, understanding, and compassion. I don't think I've ever seen this kind of fostering of mental and outward-facing spirituality in the LDS church anywhere that I've been a member.

I’ve witnessed that in a few LDS members here and there. I’ve never seen it at an institutional level. I’ve seen the odd Apostle try to hint at it - I recall Uchtdorf talking about how the Church is for everyone. But then you’ll get Oaks ensuring everyone knows where the Church draws the line, explaining that the Church isn’t for everyone.

An example, transgender women who attend Church have been going to relief society lessons etc. the Church instigated a policy that said transgender women must attend Priesthood - the policy is called “Church Participation of Individuals Who Identify as Transgender”

I know of a couple of congregations that contain transgender women who have been attending relief society. I’m pleased to report that the ward leaders and members in those wards have chosen to ignore the policy and to instead continue fellowshipping those individuals within the local relief society organisation. Bravo. I wish more members would choose to do the right thing rather than blindly following the orders of a group of seriously out of touch geriatric men.

[Doctor Steuss]

I know a few members of the CoC - some online only, but some, including general officers, in person. It seems to me that they are not only liberal in the sense of accepting virtually everyone into their tent, but also in the social/political sense of supporting social equality, and in providing opportunities for members to grow in knowledge, understanding, and compassion.

There was a CoC Seventy that participated on the old FAIR board, that I corresponded with for a while. One of my favorite things in talking to him is how much he embraced Joseph Smith's admonition that followers of Mormonism accept all truth/good, "come from where it may."

One of our correspondences was shortly after he got back from living and serving on a reservation for a couple of months. While there, he went on a vision quest. Can you imagine an LDS General Authority munching peyote, hopping in a sweat lodge, and going on a vision quest? Lol.

[malkie]

I know a few members of the CoC - some online only, but some, including general officers, in person. It seems to me that they are not only liberal in the sense of accepting virtually everyone into their tent, but also in the social/political sense of supporting social equality, and in providing opportunities for members to grow in knowledge, understanding, and compassion.

There was a CoC Seventy that participated on the old FAIR board, that I corresponded with for a while. One of my favorite things in talking to him is how much he embraced Joseph Smith's admonition that followers of Mormonism accept all truth/good, "come from where it may."

One of our correspondences was shortly after he got back from living and serving on a reservation for a couple of months. While there, he went on a vision quest. Can you imagine an LDS General Authority munching peyote, hopping in a sweat lodge, and going on a vision quest? Lol.

I've told this story before, but I think it worth retelling as other examples of "can you imagine".

Several years ago I was at an event that was attended by several CoC general officers. The event organiser announced that dinner would soon be served, and a couple of the 'locals' started to bring out the folding tables and chairs. I found myself working shoulder to shoulder with another guy, and we started to chat. Turns out he was an apostle of the CoC.

I had a question that I was dying to ask, and apologized in advance if he preferred not to answer: since the Reorganized Church had officially maintained for a long time that Joseph Smith did not practise polygamy, what did he make of the fact that they had had to accept that he did. His reply: we were wrong.

[I Have Questions]

There was a CoC Seventy that participated on the old FAIR board, that I corresponded with for a while. One of my favorite things in talking to him is how much he embraced Joseph Smith's admonition that followers of Mormonism accept all truth/good, "come from where it may."

One of our correspondences was shortly after he got back from living and serving on a reservation for a couple of months. While there, he went on a vision quest. Can you imagine an LDS General Authority munching peyote, hopping in a sweat lodge, and going on a vision quest? Lol.

I've told this story before, but I think it worth retelling as other examples of "can you imagine".

Several years ago I was at an event that was attended by several CoC general officers. The event organiser announced that dinner would soon be served, and a couple of the 'locals' started to bring out the folding tables and chairs. I found myself working shoulder to shoulder with another guy, and we started to chat. Turns out he was an apostle of the CoC.

I had a question that I was dying to ask, and apologized in advance if he preferred not to answer: since the Reorganized Church had officially maintained for a long time that Joseph Smith did not practise polygamy, what did he make of the fact that they had had to accept that he did. His reply: we were wrong.

Well fair play. Has any recent LDS Apostle done similar? Did they even admit “we were wrong” when caught red-handed in a complex and deliberate scheme to defraud the tax authorities and mislead members about their own church’s financial standing? Nope.