Backyard Professor Responds to Pres. Russell M. Nelson GC talk 2023 Be Peacemakers

[Philo Sofee]

https://youtu.be/wEdZnkUzcXs

My response to President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints General Conference talk April 2, 2023 Sunday morning session. He said be peacemakers. I respond to his comments.

[Jersey Girl]

I just listened to this. in my opinion you have got it exactly right my friend. Exactly right.

[Philo Sofee]

I just listened to this. in my opinion you have got it exactly right my friend. Exactly right.

You are very kind my dear. I thank you... Your influence is seldom ever acknowledged, but it is there and seriously strong, though too silent.

[Jersey Girl]

Maybe sometimes the best thing to do isn't talking. Maybe sometimes the best thing to do is be still.

[MG 2.0]

https://youtu.be/wEdZnkUzcXs

My response to President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints General Conference talk April 2, 2023 Sunday morning session. He said be peacemakers. I respond to his comments.

Hi Kerry, how would you manage this “dialogue” you’re referring to when at the end of the day the church is a Theocracy and not a Democracy? And a follow up question, if the church was a Democratic institution rather than Theocratic institution wouldn’t we have another Community of Christ?

As it is, the CofJCofLDS has a mandate. A four fold mission.

Third question, if the church became a pure Democracy rather than a Hierarchal Theocracy, would there be a risk of that four fold mission being disrupted to the point that the church would cease to be what the mission statement and/or stated purpose(s) of the church are?

It seems to me that if Dialogue were to ‘rule the day’ we would then have a similar situation to the ancient followers of Jesus and the different paths that were taken. Ultimately resulting in various practices/doctrines/views in regards to the nature of God, what He expects of us, doctrinal underpinnings, etc.

That might be the way you might like to see things move…but the question I would have is whether or not that’s the direction, or directions, God Almighty would like to see things move.

Amos 3:7 comes to mind.

Anyway, I appreciated your sentiment in regards to more civil language and interaction and your appreciation for President Nelson’s teachings in this respect.

Regards,
MG

[sock puppet]

Hi Kerry, how would you manage this “dialogue” you’re referring to when at the end of the day the church is a Theocracy and not a Democracy? And a follow up question, if the church was a Democratic institution rather than Theocratic institution wouldn’t we have another Community of Christ?

* * *

Regards,
MG

Once upon a time, the canon of scripture was added to, subtracted from only by vote of the members such as at GC. For example, the canonization of the Article on Marriage, Lectures on Faith, and the Pearl of Great Price. By vote. The Lectures on Faith canonized in 1835 by vote of the assembled. Joseph Smith "During the month of January [1835], I was engaged n the schoold of the Elders, and in preparing the lectures on theology for publication the book of Doctrine and Covenants." HoC 2:180. In the introduction to the 1835 edition, Joseph Smith accepted responsibility for "every principle advanced" and that it was revelations "Carefully Selected From the Revelations of God." But then quietly removal of the Lectures on Faith? In a 2.23.1921 letter to George Albert Smith, James E. Talmage reported that "preliminary steps have already been taken toward a thorough revision of the Doctrine & Coventants, and we all know that the current editions, as printed in this country and in Liverpool, contains [sic] many errors by way of omission. Moreover there are certain improvements by way of Section Headings, amplification of notes, ... ." In the 1921 Doctrine and Covenants introduction, the Lectures on Faith were demoted from among the carefully selected revelations from god to just "Certain lessons, entitled 'Lectures on Faith,' which were bound with the Doctrine and Covenants in some of its former issues, are not included in this edition. Those lessons were prepared for use in the School of the Elders...but they were never presented nor accepted by the Church as being otherwise than theological lectures or lessions." See generally The 'Lectures on Faith': A Case Study in Decanonization by RS Van Wagoner, 1987.

Since the Article on Marriage espoused one man, one wife, it too had to go in light of what Joseph Smith did. (Classic example of preaching one thing while doing another.) It was replaced in the 1860s with Section 132, "the Principle."

Sure, the PoGP is still there, but that stinky turd is ignored. How many times was it quoted by the Brethren in talks this past weekend?

Oh, and let's not forget when voting actually meant something in the Mormon church. In October 1843, general conference was essentially reduced to a 'trial'--Joseph Smith's attempts to get the members to kick Sidney Rigdon out of the First Presidency. Oops, the Theocracy did not get its way--by democratic vote, Sidney was retained.

It has only been since Joseph Smith died that the successors to the movement that migrated to Utah have had people removed from GC if they vote against sustaining everything shoved down their throats. The Mormon church was once not so autocratic; there was a time it did not resemble Putin's Russian Federation.

Isn't it marvelous? Isn't it a wonder?, Or as the Great One used to comment, this has been another installment in Know Your Religion.

[Jason Bourne]

https://youtu.be/wEdZnkUzcXs

My response to President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints General Conference talk April 2, 2023 Sunday morning session. He said be peacemakers. I respond to his comments.

Great comments Philo!

[Philo Sofee]

https://youtu.be/wEdZnkUzcXs

My response to President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints General Conference talk April 2, 2023 Sunday morning session. He said be peacemakers. I respond to his comments.

Great comments Philo!

Thank you Jason, that means a lot to me...