The President Of The Church We Are Studying Next Year Is . . .

[cinepro]

Keep in mind that most of his writings are from prior to his time as President of the Church (his time as president was very short). His book "Man, His Origin and Destiny", when it comes to understanding and attempting to destroy the idea of organic evolution, can be demonstrably shown as dead wrong on many, many, many counts. Other apostles were also highly opposed to it, and the President of the Church at the time wasn't incredibly pleased by it, either.

 

 

I suspect at the time he became Prophet, the whole "he said those things before he was Prophet" excuse was already being bandied about.  To which he said:

 

For more than sixty years I have preached the gospel in the stakes and missions of the Church—pleading with the Saints to keep the commandments, inviting our Father’s other children to accept the truth of salvation which has come to us by revelation in this present dispensation. All my days I have studied the scriptures and have sought the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord in coming to an understanding of their true meaning. The Lord has been good to me, and I rejoice in the knowledge he has given me and in the privilege that has been and is mine to teach his saving principles. As I ponder the principles of the gospel, I am struck forcibly by the uniform manner in which I…have taught them over the years. The truths of the gospel are everlastingly the same. Like God himself, they are the same yesterday, today, and forever. What I have taught and written in the past I would teach and write again under the same circumstances.

 

Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, October 1970, 5

 

 

President Benson also said:

 

Recently one of our Church educators published what he purports to be a history of the Church’s stand on the question of organic evolution. His thesis challenges the integrity of a prophet of God. He suggests that Joseph Fielding Smith published his work Man: His Origin and Destiny against the counsel of the First Presidency and his own brethren. . . . When one understands that the author to whom I allude is an exponent for the theory of organic evolution, his motive in disparaging President Joseph Fielding Smith becomes apparent. To hold to a private opinion on such matters is one thing, but when one undertakes to publish his views to discredit the work of a prophet, it is a very serious matter. It is also apparent to all who have the Spirit of God in them that Joseph Fielding Smith’s writings will stand the test of time.”

 

Ezra Taft Benson, This Nation Shall Endure, p. 26

 

[Stone holm]

Was thinking about spending a year in HP Quorum on Joseph Fielding Smith, and then I was thinking whether it might make sense to take a Sabbatical from Priesthood next year.....

[CV75]

Joseph Fielding Smith!

In the 1971-72 timeframe, a few years before I was able to join the Church, I was given a soft cover manual with his writings, "Answers to Gospel Questions" -- I had the impression it was a class manual but maybe it was just one of the volumes I just loked up on Google. At any rate, I found it helpful, and anything that seemed to rub me the wrong way or cause me to question paled in comparison to the witness I had received by the power of the Holy Ghost about the truthfulnes of the Church and the Book of Mormon. As one of the only sources of information of the Church I had at the time besides the scriptures (with another manual and "A Marvelous Work and Wonder"), and without any contact with the missionaries or church attendance during those years, it was a great source of strength to me while I waited to join the Church some 4-5 years later.

[David T]

In the 1971-72 timeframe, a few years before I was able to join the Church, I was given a soft cover manual with his writings, "Answers to Gospel Questions" -- I had the impression it was a class manual but maybe it was just one of the volumes I just loked up on Google. At any rate, I found it helpful, and anything that seemed to rub me the wrong way or cause me to question paled in comparison to the witness I had received by the power of the Holy Ghost about the truthfulnes of the Church and the Book of Mormon. As one of the only sources of information of the Church I had at the time besides the scriptures (with another manual and "A Marvelous Work and Wonder"), and without any contact with the missionaries or church attendance during those years, it was a great source of strength to me while I waited to join the Church some 4-5 years later.

They did use a manual of selections from that years ago, I believe.

[David T]

... now available.

 

Oh, and, umm, the text is online.

Edited September 2, 2013 by David T

[cinepro]

It's amazing to think that the Prophet in the early 1970's was born in 1876.  He was 27 years old when Wright Brothers made their first flight! 

[volgadon]

... now available.

 

Oh, and, umm, the text is online.

 

 

Isn't it interesting that we are also studying the Old Testament next year?

[David T]

Isn't it interesting that we are also studying the Old Testament next year?

 

Idid notice there is no chapter on "The Origin of Man", and the section in the Plan of Salvation chapter where his perspective could have been made explicit was quite ... non-controversial. So there's that  Sorry for those hoping for something to get people riled up about

 

In other news, sadly, the Old Testament Gospel Doctrine manual hasn't been updated for next year. My guess (hope?) is that we'll  see updated Gospel Doctrine manuals beginning with the next cycle, IE, next time Book of Mormon comes around. That would be for the 2016 year. 

 

Seminary just rolled out a new BoM manual this year, and it looks like they'll be rolling out new ones each year (Church History next year, then OT, then NT). Wouldn't be surprised if GD follows suit beginning with its next Book of Mormon year.

Edited September 2, 2013 by David T