Steps to the Endowment.
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2006-07-20
Family Altar Followup
I am sorry that I disagree strongly with mullingandmusing #61, but my beliefs indicate that the Prophets and Apostles place us upon the track, and initiate us into our journey, but it is ultimately a road we must travel by our own initiative.
I strongly caution people against that type of blind faith which would lead one to take for face value current prophetic statements and forsake those long held (or short held) sacred ideas of generations past.
The best I can tell it: My religion is boundless. Limitless. There is no end to the knowledge I seek, and the more I acquire the thirstier I become for it. I choose not to stop at the face value of things, where most people do stop at face value. They have their way, and I don't blame them for it. If that is what they want, I respect that in them, and I think they are still fully capable of being worthy and good members of the Church, of attaining all the blessings of the Gospel. But for those of us who choose the other path, to explore deeper, and to try to live according to all the truth we can acquire, for those of us who feel our own salvation may even depend on such things, I will always feel a need to defend our position, because it is often threatened by the majority who choose not to partake. As for me, I am motivated to proceed down the strait and narrow path. Because I have this motivation, if I stop the search, I have denied the Holy Ghost and my faith becomes dead: That type of religion is dead to me.
I strongly caution people against that type of blind faith which would lead one to take for face value current prophetic statements and forsake those long held (or short held) sacred ideas of generations past.
The best I can tell it: My religion is boundless. Limitless. There is no end to the knowledge I seek, and the more I acquire the thirstier I become for it. I choose not to stop at the face value of things, where most people do stop at face value. They have their way, and I don't blame them for it. If that is what they want, I respect that in them, and I think they are still fully capable of being worthy and good members of the Church, of attaining all the blessings of the Gospel. But for those of us who choose the other path, to explore deeper, and to try to live according to all the truth we can acquire, for those of us who feel our own salvation may even depend on such things, I will always feel a need to defend our position, because it is often threatened by the majority who choose not to partake. As for me, I am motivated to proceed down the strait and narrow path. Because I have this motivation, if I stop the search, I have denied the Holy Ghost and my faith becomes dead: That type of religion is dead to me.
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I strongly caution people against that type of blind faith which would lead one to take for face value current prophetic statements and forsake those long held (or short held) sacred ideas of generations past.
At any given moment, the statements of the living leadership supercede all past doctrine. The living leaders have been saying so for years.
The problem with that position when it stands by itself ("blind") is that it also legitimizes any break off that has a shred of legitimate-sounding evidence. For example, James Harmston of TLC, or Warren Jeffs of the FLDS, or even something as basic as the Community of Christ (RLDS) - For whatever they say must supercede whatever anyone who went before them said, and contradictions are thus "ok", but obviously, this is not so. In order to truly evaluate the CORRECTNESS of doctrine and legitimacy of the Priesthood authority, you must always work from the original, authentic source, and proceed forward to the present. At the point where you see schism, divergence, apostasy, that could be recognized as an apostacy. That's it. Without this type of methodology, the word of the current Catholic Pope would still be holding true to this day, in spite of being very different from early Christianity. The real question is how much deviation, or how much "bad spirit" feeling constitutes total apostasy? How do you answer to this, my friend?
Now I pointed out that I said blind faith, but you'll also notice I said take for face value. I'm not saying the current Prophet has no clout, no ability to supercede, but I am saying that you need to evaluate and comprehend their statements within the larger context of the history of Christ's church.
Also, I think that the statements of the living leadership do not supercede anything but the statements of previous prophets, where a REVELATION is required to supercede a revealed doctrine.
Just to be clear, my comment was intended to be ironic, something of a mockery of circular reasoning. It reminds me of the idea that a President of the Church could never try to lead the Church astray -- an idea put forth by a President of the Church. Not that I automatically disagree with that idea, but it's funny that few members of the Church seem to see the problem with self-referential statements.
Well, if you study Isaiah it isn't so hard to discern that some of our leaders will indeed lead us astray. I guess thats what got Avaraham Gileadi in hot water when he wrote his translation of Isaiah.
Interesting blog Jeff. I found you through the Snarkernackle and I think I'll keep reading.
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