Revised Gospel Principals Manual

[David T]

Chapter 7: The Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead (see 1 John 5:7; D&C 20:28). He is a spirit that has the form and likeness of a man

[mfbukowski]

Chapter 7: The Holy Ghost

He is a spirit that has the form and likeness of a man personage of spirit

Wow!

Why did they strike that? That's a big deal!!??

[emeliza]

Wow!

Why did they strike that? That's a big deal!!??

I think it is still saying the same thing. Doesn't personage mean the likeness of a man? Personage in the dictionary means a person or a person of distinction. So a personage of spirit would mean a spirit person. What else would a spirit person look like if not a person?

[David T]

I think they just wanted use the actual scriptural language instead of a paraphrase of it. I don't think it represents any sort of doctrinal shift.

Oh, and for those interested, I've edited the OP with an index linking to the posts with the documented changes, for easy reference and convenience. As I (or anyone else who'd like to assist!) add more posts, I'll update it as well.

[mnn727]

Wow!

Why did they strike that? That's a big deal!!??

maybe they found out "he" is really a "she" ?

[Doctor Steuss]

The Church website isn't an official publication? How so?

If you want to hold that a news release from the main arm of the Church's PR department is on par with the Ensign... rock on with your bad self.

[mfbukowski]

The Church website isn't an official publication? How so?

So everything on the church website is therefore doctrine?

[mfbukowski]

Well if I am not mistaken, Catholics believe that the Holy Ghost is a "person of spirit". "Personage"? I don't know. It seems like a de-emphasis of the fact that the HG has a "spirit body". Of course we can take this all too far. It's a little like when the chairman of the Fed makes any statement at all the markets go wild... I am not saying the doctrine has changed, but it IS interesting they tweaked that phrase, and I can't see why they did. Seems a little gratuitious to me, and the church in my experience does NOTHING without motivation of some kind of other. It is not just a grammatical or sentence structure change- it is a deliberate alteration of the phrasing, and I am just wondering why they did it.

[mfbukowski]

I think they just wanted use the actual scriptural language instead of a paraphrase of it. I don't think it represents any sort of doctrinal shift.

Oh, and for those interested, I've edited the OP with an index linking to the posts with the documented changes, for easy reference and convenience. As I (or anyone else who'd like to assist!) add more posts, I'll update it as well.

Thanks for that- again this thread is a keeper.

Maybe you are right about making it more scriptural, but perhaps even that is in keeping with the statement on doctrine on the website. Again, though, I don't want to read too much into it.

[LifeOnaPlate]

Atonement Chapter:

http://www.lifeongoldplates.com/2009/08/comparison-of-gospel-principles.html

[Calm]

I think they just wanted use the actual scriptural language instead of a paraphrase of it. I don't think it represents any sort of doctrinal shift.

Oh, and for those interested, I've edited the OP with an index linking to the posts with the documented changes, for easy reference and convenience. As I (or anyone else who'd like to assist!) add more posts, I'll update it as well.

I suggest you might want to keep this one safe somewhere as if history is a precedent in this case, there will be several future threads dealing with criticisms about how LDS are attempting to hide their past, go mainstream, etc.

Now we just need to get a version of the older one up as well to compare the three....Dr. Streuss, where are you? (he has a copy somewhere)

[cinepro]

Which teaching would that be? Not only have you failed to identify even one single teaching I might be in conflict with but you don't even seem to know what the Church's position on the matter is. For example, the 1931 statement in which the notion of "preAdamites", for or against, is declared not to be a position of the Church. In other words, I can believe that preAdamites existed without conflicting with the Church much less it's own doctrine.

Regarding the 1931 "statement", can you please provide a link to it on the Church's website? Or some mention of it on the Church's website? Can you show me where it was distributed to Church members, or made public? I'm just trying to figure out how much weight to give it.

For example, the Church recently republished the original 1909 statement from the first presidency here, for all Church members to read. If the so-called "1931 Statement" is meant to be an addendum to this statement, or otherwise considered, the Ensign was extremely negligent in not publishing it concurrently.

As for which Church teachings you are in conflict with, I will repost the excerpts from the longer quotes from post #143:

But a change was wrought over the whole face of the creation, which up to that time had not been subject to death.

If there had been death during "creation", then it would be contradictory to say that creation had, up to that time, "not been subject to death". It's saying the exact opposite of what you are saying.

The creation of a paradisiacal planet came from God. Mortality and death came into the world through the Fall of Adam.

You are suggesting that God "created" the paradisiacal planet using a process of death and mortality, then made at least a portion of it immortal after he was done. That is the exact opposite of what this teaching says.

Genesis 2 evidently teaches us about the placing of these original plants, animals, and humans on the earth in their immortal state.

You have suggested that the plants, animals and humans were "created" using a process of birth and death until they were "created", at which point God made them immortal. That is the opposite of what this teaching says.

In the morn of creation, Adam, Eve, and all forms of life existed in a paradisiacal condition.

You have suggested that all forms of life were "created" using a process of birth/death at which point God finished and made them immortal. That would mean all forms of life existed in a paradisiacal condition in the eve of creation, not the "morn".

If you can't see it, that's fine. We all have to believe what we have to believe. I'm just clarifying this point for others who might be curious about what the Church has published on the subject, and how that fits with you unusual theory.

[David T]

Chapter 8: Praying to Our Heavenly Father

Prayer has been an important part of the gospel from the beginning of the world. An angel of the Lord commanded Adam and Eve to repent and call upon God in the name of the Son (see Moses 5: 8 ) . This commandment has never been taken away. Nothing will help us draw closer to God than prayer. Prayer will help us draw closer to God. All of our thoughts, our words, and our actions are influenced by our prayers.

In addition, we can pray during our daily activities. We can pray while we are in a Church meeting, in

our house home, walking down a path or street, working, preparing a meal, or wherever we may be and whatever we may be doing.

[Scott Lloyd]

maybe they found out "he" is really a "she" ?

Nephi beheld that the Holy Ghost was in the form of a man. (I'd look up the reference but I'm sitting in a session at the FAIR Conference just now.)

[David T]

Chapter 9: Prophets of God

Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet, sailed from Jerusalem to the American continent Americas about six hundred years before the birth of Christ.

This prophet is the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has the right to revelation for the entire Church. He holds the

[mnn727]

Nephi beheld that the Holy Ghost was in the form of a man. (I'd look up the reference but I'm sitting in a session at the FAIR Conference just now.)

actually I was kidding about the HG being female, I seem to remember a couple threads in the past about this.

[David T]

Nephi beheld that the Holy Ghost was in the form of a man. (I'd look up the reference but I'm sitting in a session at the FAIR Conference just now.)

And the new edition of GP still has He there, as posted above...

The Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead (see 1 John 5:7; D&C 20:28). He is a spirit that has the form and likeness of a man

[consiglieri]

Nephi beheld that the Holy Ghost was in the form of a man. (I'd look up the reference but I'm sitting in a session at the FAIR Conference just now.)

Technically, I think it was the "Spirit of the Lord" whom Nephi beheld in the form of a man . . . and the context suggests it was Jesus; an opinion which Elder Widtsoe shared, if memory serves.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[Scott Lloyd]

And the new edition of GP still has He there, as posted above...

No need to jump at shadows.

Who's jumping? Just suggesting that, scripturally, the former wording was not wrong.

[cinepro]

Seeing these excerpts shows the great care given to each word or turn of phrase in this book. They really went over this with a fine tooth comb.

[consiglieri]

Seeing these excerpts shows the great care given to each word or turn of phrase in this book. They really went over this with a fine tooth comb.

I understand the Church has a battery of lawyers for just that purpose.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

P.S. Am I the only one who thinks lawyers are writing a lot of Church material lately?

[David T]

Chapter 10: Scriptures

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord has expanded our understanding of some passages in the Bible. The Lord inspired the Prophet Joseph to restore truths to the Bible text that had been lost or changed since the original words were written. These inspired corrections are called the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. In the Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Version of the Bible, selected passages from the Joseph Smith Translation are found on pages 797-813 and in many footnotes.

The Pearl of Great Price contains the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, and some inspired writings of Joseph Smith. The Book of Moses contains an account of some of the visions and writings of Moses, revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in June and December 1830. It clarifies doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and gives added information concerning the creation of the earth.

In addition to these four books of scripture, the inspired words of our living prophets become scripture to us. Their words come to us through conferences, Church publications the Liahona or Ensign magazine, and instructions to local priesthood leaders.

We should each study the scriptures every day. We should share these truths with our children. Our standard works should be placed where our children will see them and We should read the standard works with our children so they will learn to love them and use them for the truths they contain.

[cinepro]

Hmmm...

In addition to these four books of scripture, the inspired words of our living prophets become scripture to us. Their words come to us through conferences, the Liahona or Ensign magazine, and instructions to local priesthood leaders.

I can already see apologists spinning this comment like a top.

[David T]

The JST portion is really the key addition I wish was different, and more expansive. I feel it's explanation of what the JST was is extremely narrow and limited only to corrections and restoration of original versions, which I think will lead to confusion, and inaccuracy. Both of which are contained in the JST, but much more than that as well (new teachings incorporated into the text, re-phrasing things for modern understanding, etc. I keep posting a link, but I love BYU's discussion on their site under the header "Types of Changes" in the JST so very much.)

[Scott Lloyd]

I understand the Church has a battery of lawyers for just that purpose.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

P.S. Am I the only one who thinks lawyers are writing a lot of Church material lately?

Maybe not writing it necessarily, but reviewing it certainly, considering that in the Quorum of the Twelve, there are three lawyers I can think of off the top of my head (Dallin H. Oaks, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson). Not such a remarkable observation when the current makeup of the Twelve is considered.