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Expired Commandments


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I looked at my journal recently and thought about how Mormons came to teach the importance of keeping one.

Wilford Woodruff and Spencer Kimball taught that every member should keep a journal.  However, 1979 was the last time (that I found) the strong teaching that members of the church should keep journals.

Did this commandment ‘expire?’  Are we judged according to our obedience to this prophetic counsel (commandment?) any more?

On a similar note, early church leaders preached against playing cards, but I have not heard any church leader speak on that subject in decades. Are we held to that counsel?

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Lots of commandments that aren't explicitly directed by God on scripture seem to expire if the current prophet doesn't particularly care.

A decade from now when Pres. Nelson has moved on the word Mormon may come back into more common usage for example.

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2 hours ago, SouthernMo said:

I looked at my journal recently and thought about how Mormons came to teach the importance of keeping one.

Wilford Woodruff and Spencer Kimball taught that every member should keep a journal.  However, 1979 was the last time (that I found) the strong teaching that members of the church should keep journals.

Did this commandment ‘expire?’  Are we judged according to our obedience to this prophetic counsel (commandment?) any more?

On a similar note, early church leaders preached against playing cards, but I have not heard any church leader speak on that subject in decades. Are we held to that counsel?

Can't copy the link on my phone for some reason. I found one by President Eyring in Oct 2007.

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51 minutes ago, Rain said:

Can't copy the link on my phone for some reason. I found one by President Eyring in Oct 2007.

I read that talk, and I’m not sure it affirms the teaching of decades ago to keep a journal. The talk is more about seeing and recognizing God’s goodness.  A quote from his talk to underline that point:

“My point is to urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep with those you love and serve. But you and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done.”

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4 hours ago, SouthernMo said:

I looked at my journal recently and thought about how Mormons came to teach the importance of keeping one.

Wilford Woodruff and Spencer Kimball taught that every member should keep a journal.  However, 1979 was the last time (that I found) the strong teaching that members of the church should keep journals.

Did this commandment ‘expire?’  Are we judged according to our obedience to this prophetic counsel (commandment?) any more?

On a similar note, early church leaders preached against playing cards, but I have not heard any church leader speak on that subject in decades. Are we held to that counsel?

They were probably just speaking as men.

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3 hours ago, carbon dioxide said:

I don't keep a journal because I think if I would not want to read it, why should anyone else want to read it.

Your great great grandchildren in a hundred years will want to know about how primitive our lives were!  And all the sacrifices you made just to use a computer without a neural interface.

Typing on a keyboard?  Wow!  And having to spell words without just thinking them?

Oh my gosh!  You could break a nail that way!

And not being able to clone new organs and actually not expect to live to two hundred years old?  How could those people die so young at only 80 or 90!  How horrible!!

Edited by mfbukowski
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6 hours ago, SouthernMo said:

I looked at my journal recently and thought about how Mormons came to teach the importance of keeping one.

Wilford Woodruff and Spencer Kimball taught that every member should keep a journal.  However, 1979 was the last time (that I found) the strong teaching that members of the church should keep journals.

Did this commandment ‘expire?’  Are we judged according to our obedience to this prophetic counsel (commandment?) any more?

It isn't that the so-called "commandment" has expired. Rather, the terminology has somewhat changed. Journals, which were once referred to as diaries, are now being called "personal histories."  There is a chapter on the topic in the current Introduction to Family History Teachers Manual. There is a news article as recently as 2014. And one from 2015.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

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I don't think that journaling is a commandment.  Just because it has been advised from the pulpit doesn't give it the status of a commandment.

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13 hours ago, SouthernMo said:

I looked at my journal recently and thought about how Mormons came to teach the importance of keeping one.

Wilford Woodruff and Spencer Kimball taught that every member should keep a journal.  However, 1979 was the last time (that I found) the strong teaching that members of the church should keep journals.

Did this commandment ‘expire?’  Are we judged according to our obedience to this prophetic counsel (commandment?) any more?

On a similar note, early church leaders preached against playing cards, but I have not heard any church leader speak on that subject in decades. Are we held to that counsel?

I have seen invitation and commentary about writing our thoughts and impressions in connection with general conference, scripture study, spiritual experiences and personal history a key part of Ensign articles, CFM, Family History, FHE and other manuals and online articles. I hear it mentioned in several contexts. Like home production and storage, I think it takes on a different flavor in different generations according to the available technology and the continued development of our ethos.

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14 hours ago, SouthernMo said:

Wilford Woodruff and Spencer Kimball taught that every member should keep a journal.  However, 1979 was the last time (that I found) the strong teaching that members of the church should keep journals.

Did this commandment ‘expire?’  Are we judged according to our obedience to this prophetic counsel (commandment?) any more?

Fun words.  "Should" isn't "shalt".  "Ought" isn't "Must".  

Plus, anyone who facebooks or posts on a forum like this, is keeping a journal.  Think about that one for a minute.  

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I remember when I stopped feeling like I was sinning for not having a 2 year supply.  

We had an extremist give a presentation for our ward on food supply.  Let’s just say....she wasn’t right.  

She was so extreme with everything and suggested that minimalism was the only righteous path.  “When the world ends and you can’t feed your kids because you bought an armoire, my kids will be fed.”  

Hm, I thought.  At least my kids will be warm because I’ll have firewood. 

Then I decided I didn’t want anything to do with any form of extremism.  

But I do think being reasonably prepared in life is prudent. 

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Also, five or so years ago our camp director lost her stuff on a cabin of girls who were playing “go fish” with face cards. Fortunately the stake president was visiting and firmly told her to stand down.  

Does anyone recall the original directive not to use face cards? If there even was one? 

Edited by MustardSeed
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10 hours ago, Glenn101 said:

We need to differentiate between commandments and advice. Keeping a journal is something that would seem to be advice, although not as strongly pushed as say emergency preparedness or the like,

Glenn

Keep a journal

Plant a garden

Have a 2 year food supply

Have a 1 year food supply

Have a 6 month food supply

Have a 3 month food supply

Don't drink caffeinated soda

Don't watch R rated movies

 

We could come up with MANY other examples of advice that is given in a way that sounds like a commandment, coming from the prophet and all, but really is just advice that changes with the prophet and the times.

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4 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

Also, five or so years ago our camp director lost her stuff on a cabin of girls who were playing “go fish” with face cards. Fortunately the stake president was visiting and firmly told her to stand down.  

Does anyone recall the original directive not to use face cards? If there even was one? 

http://www.mormonthink.com/glossary/playing-cards.htm

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27 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

Awesome.  

Personal apostasy- wow Elder McConkie.  I’ll have to think on that one. 

Yup. If apostasy can get one excommunicated, it can be argued that one can be removed from church records for playing go fish.  At least according to Elder McConkie

I’m not sure if I know (or if McConkie knew) the difference between hyperbole and doctrine.

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15 hours ago, SouthernMo said:

I looked at my journal recently and thought about how Mormons came to teach the importance of keeping one.

Wilford Woodruff and Spencer Kimball taught that every member should keep a journal.  However, 1979 was the last time (that I found) the strong teaching that members of the church should keep journals.

Did this commandment ‘expire?’  Are we judged according to our obedience to this prophetic counsel (commandment?) any more?

On a similar note, early church leaders preached against playing cards, but I have not heard any church leader speak on that subject in decades. Are we held to that counsel?

I think the problem is that you perceived things to be 'commandments' that others viewed as 'invitations'.  I've noticed this a lot from former members (I don't know your situaton so I'm not making a judgment of you), but what I've seen in discussions on forums is that many no longer practicing members got fed up with all the things they thought they 'had to do' to be right with God--they felt very constricted by the gospel and overwhelmed at times.  As for me,  I heard the same  preachings, but viewed them as invitations to keep a journal and I made the decision not to.  I kept a journal when I was a teen, years later when I read through it, I seriously wanted to burn the thing!  I decided I would NOT keep a journal because I don't want anyone to know what a dufus I was--and if they still figure out what I dufus I was, at least I won't have given them the proof!! 

If you will notice Pres. Nelson's style as Prophet, you will see that much of the counsels given by him and other leaders, are not 'commandments', they are 'invitations'.  And that is how it should be (and should've been in decades past) in the gospel.  We all have agency, we can reject or accept the admonitions of our leaders and we will enjoy the blessings to the level we accept.  If we do not accept, then we acknowledge that we won't receive those blessings.  Even true commandments, like paying a full tithe, are still 'invitations' from God and our Prophets.  We still have the choice to do so, or not.  We accept the blessings or the consequences.

Not playing cards was never a commandment, it was counsel or admonishment.  It was given back decades ago when people were playing a lot of cards, women with bridge parties, men gambling and so the Prophets felt it was a time waster and an 'evil' to be avoided by the Saints.  These days, cards are mostly for playing games when there is no tv or internet and it's not the problem that it once was, therefore, no one talks about them.  That's the beauty of continuing revelation and why we are counseled to listen and heed to our modern prophets, rather than worrying so much about what past prophets said to a past generation.

 

The whole 'face cards' taboo is a hold-over from the Catholic tradition of ages ago and it was used as an explanation by well-meaning members trying to find some spiritual reason for the counsel against card playing.  The same happened with the 'no masks' policy for parties at church.  Lots of weird reasons were concocted, but it was most likely so that they would not have to worry about anonymous party crashers that might cause problems.

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