Don't write or call the GAs.....

[_truth dancer]

Today in Sacrament Meeting another letter from the first presidency was read once again reiterating the request that members not call or write leaders with questions concerning doctrine.

Its language was stronger than I remember the last few letters with the same message.

I wonder when the church will create some sort of document or resource to help members in knowing what is or is not doctrine.

FAIR is putting together quite a resource of opinions regarding LDS doctrine, and there is the LDS encyclopedia full of various opinions, and there are resources in the scriptures like the dictionary that are opinion, and of course the infamous Mormon Doctrine that is not Mormon Doctrine, but none of these are anything other than opinion.

It just seems like it would be helpful to members to actually know and/or understand what is actually LDS doctrine.

OTOH, it sometimes seems that so long as someone says they believe the church is true, that it doesn't matter what they believe.

~dancer~

[_Scottie]

OTOH, it sometimes seems that so long as someone says they believe the church is true, that it doesn't matter what they believe.

True. And the funny thing about Mormons is that they each think they have the doctrine figured out and if you do something that is against what they have figured out, it's a sin. But if you do something which they have justified, it's just fine.

I remember my ex getting SOOO mad at me because I would shop on Sundays. Yet she had NO problem going to R rated movies. She had justified that in her mind, but not shopping. Therefore, in her mind, R Rated movies were just good advice, but shopping on Sundays was a horrific sin!

[_Imapiratewasher]

If one can't ask the GA's then who can they ask? These people are the leaders of our church. They should tell us what the doctrine is. I guess that means they will only accept nice letters and calls of how amazing they are. Hmmm...

[_Trevor]

OTOH, it sometimes seems that so long as someone says they believe the church is true, that it doesn't matter what they believe.

~dancer~

I remember caring about the doctrine of Mormonism before this realization dawned on me.

by the way, that is truly sig line worthy.

[_moksha]

that it doesn't matter what they believe

Rather makes us look like Unitarians, eh?

[_Tidejwe]

Curious indeed. I also heard this in Sacrament meeting this morning. My first thought was remembering that several volumes of books were created from Joseph Fielding Smith's responses/letters answering people's questions about doctrinal matters. It makes sense to me that Apostles and prophets should be the ones to clarify unclear doctrinal issues. Every bishop has different opinions and interpretations on matters, so why refer us to them? Then again, even apostles, etc don't tend to agree with each other on many doctrinal matters (including evolution, blacks & the priesthood, whore of the earth, etc), so maybe it doesn't matter whether we ask them or a random Bishop or make up those answers ourselves.

Heh, I remember while on my mission some guy's mom was continually emailing Thomas S Monson's Official church email account spazzing about how dangerous the place was and trying to get them to close the mission and bring her little boy home. We were told not to tell our families back home any of the bad stuff that we see or that happens. Shortly after that is when I first started to notice them telling people to stop writing the GA's...unless of course you have something they'll want to use in General Conference! They never seem to mind you writing to them then.

[_sunstoned]

If one can't ask the GA's then who can they ask? These people are the leaders of our church. They should tell us what the doctrine is. I guess that means they will only accept nice letters and calls of how amazing they are. Hmmm...

That's a good question, but I think they like it that way. The GA's have learned from the mistakes of their predecessors not to get pinned down on something that might backfire or become an embarrassment latter on. Many of the doctrinal teachings by BY, JFS, and BRM are just that, an embarrassment. It's much safer focus on the evils of pornography or multiple earrings. Besides, these guys are not theologians. Their background is in business or law. They are not qualified.

[_Boaz & Lidia]

They are protecting the brethren.

If members send an odd question on doctrine, it might send the GA to Google, the great whore of truth.

Greater men have awakened.

[_bcspace]

I wonder when the church will create some sort of document or resource to help members in knowing what is or is not doctrine.

Already done. It's just a click away.

[_truth dancer]

Hi BC...

The thing is, you believe you know doctrine but as you know, others who believe they know doctrine do not agree with your particular interpretation of doctrine. In other words, all sorts of believers claim to know what is doctrine but their ideas of doctrine are dissimilar.

In addition there is quite a bit of disagreement as to where one can even locate or identify what is official doctrine.

You think an anonymous fuzzy statement on a church website is the official word on where doctrine is located, other believers completely disagree with you.

And, as I have pointed out previously, stating that doctrine is located in the scriptures or manuals isn't much of a clue. The scriptures and manuals are filled with all sorts of things that are obviously not considered doctrine.

~dancer~