2BizE

Very well said.

Many of the Articles of Faith have origins in the restoration movement, specifically the Alexander Campbell restoration movement. Early Mormon leaders were very much involved in the Campbellite movement and the Articles of Faith reflect the milieu of that time. For example, the concept of first principles of the gospel faith, repentance, baptism was borrowed from the teachings of Campbellite minister Walter Scott. Walter Scott would visit towns in 1827-1830 and go to the school. He had a distinct five fingered hand exercise he would teach the school children who would then go home and share it with their parents to help gain interest in his nightly gospel preaching events. “As an evangelist, he would first come into a community and find a group of children.[3]: 338  He would ask them to hold up a hand, and then point to each finger and say "faith, repentance, baptism, remission of sins, gift of the Holy Spirit."[3]: 338  Once the children had learned the mnemonic, he would ask them to tell their parents that he would be preaching that same gospel that evening.[3]: 338 .” These first principles were brought from Parley P. Pratt to Joseph Smith, who then used them in the Wentworth Letter. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Scott_(clergyman)

It’s a story, a fable, told over thousands of years…it is symbolism…

You may want to read the article that everyone else on this thread are discussing about the member from Minnesota recently convicted of sexual abuse. He had a record from Utah, but was promoted to EQ President, then abused more children.

This article sounds much like what our church has done. It has sought to protect the church rather than the victims. There is a large list of abusers from our church as well. Seems to be a common thread among religions. https://mormonleaks.io/wiki/documents/6/60/INSTANCES_OF_CHILD_SEXUAL_ABUSE_ALLEGEDLY_PERPETRATED_BY_MEMBERS_OF_THE_CHURCH_OF_JESUS_CHRIST_OF_LATTER-DAY_SAINTS-2017-06.pdf https://kutv.com/amp/news/local/mormonleaks-leaked-document-sheds-light-on-lds-churchs-handling-of-seven-sex-abuse-cases

One of the most painful, deeply-personal and anguishing things I have ever done, after many, many months of religious studies and personal soul-searching was finally allowing myself to admit that what I had been taught about the church all my life was not true; that I had been deceived. The BoA was truly a huge part of this anguish and deception. For many years, LDS scholars stuck with the belief that the BoA was a literal translation from the writings from the hand of Abraham upon papyri. When it became evident, even after many years of church apologetics, that the BoA was actually common funerary text from a time nowhere close to Abraham, church scholars began to invent new theories like the missing scroll theory and the catalyst theory. These mental gymnastic theories are falling apart. When will the church finally face the hard reality?

Right, Obedience is doing what you are told regardless if it is right

I think the WoW started out as a health practice based on practices of the day (ie. John Kellog), but today has little to do with health and more to do with obedience and control.

The WoW specifically prohibits tobacco. If there isn’t tobacco in the vape, then it would be fine for WoW purposes, but vaping is still bad for health.

Why does the church policy have to have anything to do with the USA? I thought we were trying to become a world religion?

I agree with the OP. Mormonism and Mormon culture is still on the fringes of modern society. Mormonism is like a coyote scavenging for scraps on the world stage, but inside the Mormon bubble, it is seen as a broad, world religion. What the outside world still sees and thinks is 1) polygamy. Yes, Mormonism still supports pleural marriage in the afterlife. 2) Weird. The outside world looks at Mormonism as a weird, religion. 2) Sexist, racist, anti-lgbq. The church is more aligned with the Westboro Baptist church than other religions on these aspects. Sexism, racism and anti-lgbq are ideologies welded into the fabric of Mormonism that will be extremely difficult to remove.

I’m sure the church could have put that widow’s mite to better use like buying a mall, a office building, or a luxury resort.

I think the words covenant path are a fad. In a few years the term will be replaced by another fad term. This is what has seemed to happen with the terms “tender mercies” and “ponderize”. When/ if Pres. Oaks becomes president, he will probably start his own trendy term like “non-consensual immorality” ….wait, that one was already used by E. Cook…

Whoot, whoot. I’m hearing a number of progressive comments from folks on this forum who predominantly share only very conservative comments.

In other countries outside of the USA, are Mormons aligned politically similar to US Mormons where a significant percentage all belong to the same political party?

I don’t think members can separate politics from church because the church can’t separate itself from the state…especially in Utah.

It’s nice to have an apostle speak on this as he is obviously experienced with knowing all the details of what happens after death.

In all the teachings I’ve heard con Joseph Smith jr, I do not recall any parenting advice. Did he ever provide any such teachings regarding parenting and parenting of wayward children?

Interesting. So you believe the PoF is word crafted in a way that still accommodates plural marriage as an accepted doctrine currently.

If that were the case the the PoF would make space for plural marriage between a man and many women.

Is not the intent of the tax law that if you are going to receive tax deductions for donating funds to a church or charity in Australia that those funds be used in Australia?

How is it based on unchanging doctrine when the doctrine of plural marriage has already changed?

When it says “Amen to the priesthood of that man”, what does that really mean? Amen is an expression that means you are in agreement with or “so be it”. I’m a bit surprised Joseph Smith didn’t use the word “Adieu” instead.

According to the Lord, drinking wine of your own make is good, so it can’t be all bad.

If we believe we were created in the image of the Father, then half of that image was provided by the mother. What aspects of our image are from the father and what aspects are from our Morher?