J Antley: What is encompassed in the "truthfulness" of LDS?

[_Polygamy-Porter]

In the post on your blog about your skepticism over Noah's flood, I read the following:

I worry that anti-intellectualism among common members of the Church sometimes pushes critical thinkers out of the Church or suppresses them into cultural Mormonism (where they still attend meetings for social and cultural reasons but privately do not believe in the truthfulness of the LDS Church).

If you would be so kind as to please detail which doctrines, scriptures, and quotes from prophets and apostles of the LDS church fit within this box known as the "truthfulness" of the only true and living restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a.k.a. the LDS Church?

Furthermore, I am curious if you believe that God delivered these things as to allow some of his chosen LDS followers to call it pure allegory and others to defend them as pure historical facts?

Additionally, I am curious if you had served a two year mission for the LDS church, do you believe you would be allowed to express your own view on key events in the history of Christs restored church?
*paging BCSpace, paging BCSpace*

[_Polygamy-Porter]

someone please kick the Antley hill..

[_Darth J]

All truth can be circumscribed into one great hole---excuse me, whole.

"The Church is true."

[_bcspace]

Additionally, I am curious if you had served a two year mission for the LDS church, do you believe you would be allowed to express your own view on key events in the history of Christs restored church?
*paging BCSpace, paging BCSpace*

What is wanted?

[_Wisdom Seeker]

What is wanted?

I am offended!

[_bcspace]

I am offended!

Here, watch this all the way through (2:10 length):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gG2_JyYnMo

[_moksha]

Cultural Mormonism (where they still attend meetings for social and cultural reasons but privately do not believe in the truthfulness of the LDS Church).

Who is making up these definitions?

[_Yoda]

I am offended!

Here, watch this all the way through (2:10 length):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gG2_JyYnMo

LOL!

ETA--My favorite quotes from that video:

"So what if you're offended...Nothing happens!"

"I'm offended. He called me an idiot. Don't worry about it. He's a dick!"

"I'm offended by boy bands, for God's sake!"

[_Joseph Antley]

If you would be so kind as to please detail which doctrines, scriptures, and quotes from prophets and apostles of the LDS church fit within this box known as the "truthfulness" of the only true and living restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a.k.a. the LDS Church?

No, I do not think I could ever provide such a list to meet my own satisfaction, and I am extremely confident that I could not do so to your satisfaction or to others who may be reading this thread. But your point is taken.

Furthermore, I am curious if you believe that God delivered these things as to allow some of his chosen LDS followers to call it pure allegory and others to defend them as pure historical facts?

You will have to be more specific as to what "things" you are talking about that God delivered. If you are referring to the idea of an ancient global flood, I am not sure that it is accurate to say that "God delivered it." But I am often wrong about things.

Additionally, I am curious if you had served a two year mission for the LDS church, do you believe you would be allowed to express your own view on key events in the history of Christs restored church?

I do not think that any of my views on key events in LDS Church history are inconsistent with what the Church teaches about such events, except perhaps on a very superficial level. I regularly educate LDS members on little-known tidbits of Mormon history, speak openly about it at church meetings when it is relevant, have presented my research on seer stones and treasure-seeking at BYU, and anticipate presenting it at the MHA conference this summer.

[_LDSToronto]

If you would be so kind as to please detail which doctrines, scriptures, and quotes from prophets and apostles of the LDS church fit within this box known as the "truthfulness" of the only true and living restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a.k.a. the LDS Church?

No, I do not think I could ever provide such a list to meet my own satisfaction, and I am extremely confident that I could not do so to your satisfaction or to others who may be reading this thread. But your point is taken.

Furthermore, I am curious if you believe that God delivered these things as to allow some of his chosen LDS followers to call it pure allegory and others to defend them as pure historical facts?

You will have to be more specific as to what "things" you are talking about that God delivered. If you are referring to the idea of an ancient global flood, I am not sure that it is accurate to say that "God delivered it." But I am often wrong about things.

Additionally, I am curious if you had served a two year mission for the LDS church, do you believe you would be allowed to express your own view on key events in the history of Christs restored church?

I do not think that any of my views on key events in LDS Church history are inconsistent with what the Church teaches about such events, except perhaps on a very superficial level. I regularly educate LDS members on little-known tidbits of Mormon history, speak openly about it at church meetings when it is relevant, have presented my research on seer stones and treasure-seeking at BYU, and anticipate presenting it at the MHA conference this summer.

You've almost got Dan Peterson's voice in your writing. Everything from avoidance to boasting, in one neat post.

Your summit to the Maxwell Institute begins.

H.