cinepro wrote:From a practical standpoint, I can understand why the apostles don't want 100,000 people bugging them about the location of Kolob or the number of Cumorah's. But at the same time, they can't just make a "Mormon FAQ" on the website where the clearly (and officially) answer the most commonly asked questions. What to do?
Mormon FAQ
Where is Kolob?
Uranus.
How many Cumorahs are there?
As many as FARMS needs.
“I was hooked from the start,” Snoop Dogg said. “We talked about the purpose of life, played Mousetrap, and ate brownies. The kids thought it was off the hook, for real.”
cinepro wrote:From a practical standpoint, I can understand why the apostles don't want 100,000 people bugging them about the location of Kolob or the number of Cumorah's. But at the same time, they can't just make a "Mormon FAQ" on the website where the clearly (and officially) answer the most commonly asked questions.
So they can leave it to their untrained lay-clergy to make it up as they go along.
Damn - I had a smart-ass comment all ready to go in response to your unedited version.
But yeah - the problem is that there is so much speculation and "unofficial" doctrine, that folks can't help but make it up as they go along. If the church just stuck to basics (from the beginning - it's far too late now), then I think there would be far fewer issues.
I'm actually surprised that there are people who would right to the GAs with a doctrinal question. Do they really expect an answer?
I may be going to hell in a bucket, babe / But at least I'm enjoying the ride.
-Grateful Dead (lyrics by John Perry Barlow)
cinepro wrote:From a practical standpoint, I can understand why the apostles don't want 100,000 people bugging them about the location of Kolob or the number of Cumorah's. But at the same time, they can't just make a "Mormon FAQ" on the website where the clearly (and officially) answer the most commonly asked questions.
So they can leave it to their untrained lay-clergy to make it up as they go along.
Bottom line is that they get the same questions a thousand times. There is no specific doctrine on many "peripheral issues" such as polygamy, whether or not your daughter should return from a date in a pine box rather than be de-flowered, Catholicism the great whore etc.
Bruce Mckonkie gave this his best shot over 40 years ago and got pummelled for it. Why? Better not to have any official doctrine on the embarrassing, creepy, sickening or retarded stuff - even if it was honest-to-mormon-God doctrine 100 years previous.
Now if theres any doctrine, it's damage control doctrine.
tumult wrote:Not writing to GA's is a good starting point. Hopefully people also see that they need not attend meetings that GA's speak at either.
LOL. Good one. We can only hope. ;-)
“I was hooked from the start,” Snoop Dogg said. “We talked about the purpose of life, played Mousetrap, and ate brownies. The kids thought it was off the hook, for real.”
msnobody wrote:The thought occured to me today while watching the news re: FLDS that if all the women left Mormonism, it seems it would likely cease to exist.
If only!
“I was hooked from the start,” Snoop Dogg said. “We talked about the purpose of life, played Mousetrap, and ate brownies. The kids thought it was off the hook, for real.”
Not having attended SM yesterday, I didn't hear this read. However, it doesn't surprise me. What surprises me is that they actually put it in writing. It does no good to write to the CEO's and BOD's of any other giant business. Why would anyone expect a response from the head of General Motors or Nabisco?
The church is moving further and further from being a church and closer and closer to being a business. This is simply one more giant step towards being a business. The welfare of the Saints themselves is of no concern to the 15.
I think you are being overly harsh. The Church is large and the leaders are few. They do have a lot of things to do both administratively and on the religious side too. I think saying they want you to try to solve it locally but if you cannot contact us through your SP is appropriate.
Probably that would be an insurmountable problem, if asking the SP for clarification would bring on the spotlight.
On another note, one of my DIL's was called as Relief Society president. Lord, have mercy.