Has Steven Smoot taken the first step toward apostasy?

[_Dr. Shades]

If so, it's probably only a baby step, but still. . .

In his article Modern Mormon Shibboleths (and How to Avoid Them), he makes the innocent case that saints should not judge or ostracize their fellow-saints for not adhering to "Shibboleths"--aspects of LDS culture that have crept in unawares that were never informed by actual doctrine.

He lists the following as examples:

These range from what clothing to wear (white shirts, not coloured shirts; nothing form-fitting), what hairstyles to have (conservative and un-flamboyant), what food to eat and beverages to drink (no caffeine), what media to consume (don't watch rated-R movies), what sort of jewellery to wear (only one pair of earrings for women), how to act around figures of authority (always stand when a General Authority enters the room; give the presiding priesthood officer the sacrament first), and how to speak (don't swear).

I remember well that the "one pair of earrings for women" came from an actual prophet. Can a prophet's directive be merely a shibboleth, non-adherence to which having nothing to do with one's worthiness? Someone on Facebook drew attention to Smoot's article, and a commenter said that the "give the presiding priesthood officer the sacrament first" comes from the Church Handbook of Instructions itself. The commenter followed up with an observation that went something like, "Is the Handbook itself nothing more than a collection of Shibboleths?"

So, what do you think? Is Elder Smoot giving the saints valuable advice that will prevent them from negatively judging each other's worthiness, or is he opening Pandora's box wherein every member has a license to label any aspect of Mormonism that he or she doesn't like as a "Shibboleth" and ignore it?

I'd be interested in your thoughts.

(Once more, you can access the article if you click here.)

[_cwald]

Great link.

Good for Steven. I would say the handbook is about as "looking beyond the mark" as any criticism leveled at the jewish religion and Pharasies.

I remember when Gordon Hinckley made the one earring statement. That very night jwald removed all her ear jewelry but one. It was a damn shame. Fortunately that is no longer the case.

[_Lemmie]

I came face-to-face with one of these shibboleths (and failed the test) just last week when I was roundly criticized by the liberal Mormon arm of Twitter for not immediately and unquestioningly validating ex-Mormons who suppose their hurt feelings justify duplicitous behaviour.

I got that far into Smoot's blog post. Right, because Mormon shibboleths involve earrings and white shirts, while the rest of the world has shibboleths involving manners. Oh, and ex-Mormons behave duplicitously. What a whiny little brat he is.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

These kinds of musings are pretty tricky for members especially when one makes a statement like:

What is surprising, as well as disheartening, is how quickly orthodox members of the Church can mistake (often arbitrary and artificial) cultural shibboleths with inspired principles revealed by God, or even with eternal covenants made with God.

Which customs are are just virtue signaling and which ones are legitimately from God? He's kind of drawing a line in the sand by using specific examples. Unless he's willing to come here and flesh out the topic I tend to believe he's just paying lip service to individuality within Mormonism.

Maybe this is his soft first attempt to coming out a bit? A toe in the water, so to speak?

- Doc

[_Lemmie]

These kinds of musings are pretty tricky for members especially when one makes a statement like:

What is surprising, as well as disheartening, is how quickly orthodox members of the Church can mistake (often arbitrary and artificial) cultural shibboleths with inspired principles revealed by God, or even with eternal covenants made with God.

Which customs are are just virtue signaling and which ones are legitimately from God? He's kind of drawing a line in the sand by using specific examples. Unless he's willing to come here and flesh out the topic I tend to believe he's just paying lip service to individuality within Mormonism.

Maybe this is his soft first attempt to coming out a bit? A toe in the water, so to speak?

- Doc

Maybe so. However, is it a coincidence his grammar follows the same tortured, stuffed-shirt structure as DCP? Why talk like that if you are on your way out?

[_Juggler Vain]

So, what do you think? Is Elder Smoot giving the saints valuable advice that will prevent them from negatively judging each other's worthiness, or is he opening Pandora's box wherein every member has a license to label any aspect of Mormonism that he or she doesn't like as a "Shibboleth" and ignore it?

Pandora's box. His examples are not simply shibboleths in the biblical sense. They are cultural behaviors that have been adopted as explicit rules (or an "unwritten order of things"*) by the highest LDS Church authorities, usually affirming each other in a doctrinally relevant "law of witnesses" way. Examples:

Sister Bednar and I are acquainted with a returned missionary who had dated a special young woman for a period of time. He cared for her very much, and he was desirous of making his relationship with her more serious. He was considering and hoping for engagement and marriage. This relationship was developing during the time that President Hinckley counseled the Relief Society sisters and young women of the Church to wear only one earring in each ear.

The young man waited patiently over a period of time for the young woman to remove her extra earrings, but she did not take them out. This was a valuable piece of information for this young man, and he felt unsettled about her nonresponsiveness to a prophet’s pleading. For this and other reasons, he ultimately stopped dating the young woman, because he was looking for an eternal companion who had the courage to promptly and quietly obey the counsel of the prophet in all things and at all times. The young man was quick to observe that the young woman was not quick to observe.

I presume that some of you might have difficulty with my last example. You may believe the young man was too judgmental or that basing an eternally important decision, even in part, upon such a supposedly minor issue is silly or fanatical. Perhaps you are bothered because the example focuses upon a young woman who failed to respond to prophetic counsel instead of upon a young man. I simply invite you to consider and ponder the power of being quick to observe and what was actually observed in the case I just described. The issue was not earrings!

The things I am going to tell you are not explained in our handbooks or manuals either. Even if they were, most of you don’t have handbooks—not the Melchizedek Priesthood or Relief Society handbooks and the others—because they are given only to the leaders. I will be speaking about what I call the “unwritten order of things.” My lesson might be entitled “The Ordinary Things about the Church Which Every Member Should Know.” Although they are very ordinary things, they are, nevertheless, very important!

[_Ceeboo]

In his article Modern Mormon Shibboleths (and How to Avoid Them), he makes the innocent case that saints should not judge or ostracize their fellow-saints for not adhering

Well, I don't know anything about Steven - Nor do I have the slightest clue if he is on his way toward apostasy - But I do find his statement to be admirable and very decent.

I say good on him.

Peace,
Ceeboo

[_RockSlider]

I'd be interested in your thoughts.

I was always a sucker for conspiracy theories. Might as well start one. The FP/Q12 has called our dear Brother Smoot into their offices and instructed him, laid their hands upon his head and given him a new calling: Millennial Model.

The balance of keeping us Baby boomers in the dark and moving the Church to a place where the youth will remain is a great and challenging calling!

[_cwald]

...

I hated that talk from Bednar when he said it, and I hate it even more now. What a pompous ass.

[_Philo Sofee]

I doubt much Steve has taken the first road to apostasy. He is trying his best to be reasonable......oh wait, that's what I did........