moksha wrote:That would make the LDS stew much blander. Like Nehor, I am glad you are still a member. We need diversity beyond the flavors of Jell-O.
Harmony I'm glad when anyone lives some of the gospel rather than nothing at all and I'm glad it seems to work for you. I'm amazed you've found a bishop and SP moreover to be that understanding and willing to allow that kind of diversity of opinion. I'd hate to think what would happen if any leader ever read what I really think about the whole thing. Is this board really a safe haven where peple can express that or is it not really anonymous and hence searching for truth and expressing how you feel about it carries with it the same penalties as before cyberspace, namely ruined families and anger and veangefulness from Church leadership. I'd sure like to know.
Sadly I guess diversity of doctrinal belief is one of the most frustrating things about the modern Church to me. It's stuff like this that makes it easier to nail jello to the wall than find out what official Church doctrine is. I liked being part of an army that agreed on many major issues. It was a safe harbor at one time that helped build my faith. Now I basically have to do that on my own since what works for me doesn't work for others. Hence from a personal perspective, going to Church does me absolutely no good. I see no value in fellowship at a Church that has no concrete doctrine but rather a "diverse" range of opinion. Why go at all? It might help other people that I be there but it has nothing to offer me. With the exception of me entertaining their kids for an hour each Sunday I can't see where it does anyone else any good either.
I think most of all I really hate being asked to teach about the Church since it's becoming more difficult all the time to teach the Church doctrine without my opinion and still make it effective, motivating, interesting, and for that matter explain anything at all. On top of that the canon seems to get smaller all the time, and yet they say we have a modern prophet. Give me a break.
Here's how I see the modern lesson
Home teacher: "We love you so much. Now can you please give us that 10%.
Inactive: But why should I do that? What's in it for me?
Home teacher: Oh we can't really agree on that as a membership. GBH and a lot of seminary professors seem to want us to think like the Baptists so we can get more of them to join the Church. But some of the old followers of Bruce R. McKonckie still lurk about preaching that works are necessary for salvation. All we're allowed to say now is that we know you're supposed to give it.
Inactive: Don't you have any statements by prophets or leaders?
Home teacher: Yeah I do but they all contradict each other at some point and you can't really pin them down on anything anymore. They say being vague helps keep more people in the Church. How about this, tell me what would have to be true for you to pay that 10%.
Inactive: Oh well I guess the doctrine would have to be something like this... You're exactly right Sister Inactive. That is the doctrine and that's what we believe.
Sister Inactive becomes Sister "On Fire," She stands up to bear her testimony of why she believes. She starts to bear a thoughtful and logical testimony on what she now believes, but halfway through the bishop makes her sit down. He scolds her in his office and tells her that we can't preach that. "But that's what the missionaries told me," sister "Disillusioned" replies. The bishop asks her to state exactly what they said. He begins to twist and weave their words into an inscrutable tapestry of complex double talk. He makes a few more threats to try to keep Sister Disillusioned in line with pure fear. Sister Disillusioned starts writing about the Church trying to warn others through her experience. The bishop thinks back to the Book of Mormon and those hardened apostates that are worse now than before it all began. He still wonders why that happens, but he knows it must be Satan. He remembers to send a Christmas card to Sister Disillusioned each year asking why she was offended and to invite her into his cozy office to lecture her on why she must just get over it.
Now the gospel has had to be watered down so much to accomodate everyone that it makes even less logical sense than ever, not to mention this diversity has helped make normal Church hours some of the most boring ever.
And when the confederates saw Jackson standing fearless as a stone wall the army of Northern Virginia took courage and drove the federal army off their land.