Too Much Focus On Rules And Not Enough Christ?

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

This guy makes some interesting points.  He claims that his church experience consisted of too much rhetoric on rules and not enough teachings the atonement.  Has anybody else had the same experience?

 

Christ was real big on rules, as we're his servants. Shame or remorse is a useful tool of the Holy Ghost, every emotion we have serves a purpose

[Rob Osborn]

I think everyone has had their moments of rules overload in the church. The guy in the video brought up his various opinions from his poibt of view. One thing he failed to mention however is that almost every Sunday School lesson in church on Sunday revolces around the gospel of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrafice. Careful study and teaching habits taught by the church will or should lead us to God. One of the major problems we have in society is a lack of morals, a lack of chastity and a a basic misunderstanding of the importance and strength of the family. We live in a babylonian style of moral impairment. Almost every major problem in society can be traced back to a lack of morals and disregard of correct godly morals. I have worked with the youth quite a lot over the better part of the last two decades in the church in various church callings. You know what the spirit kept prompting me to emphasize over and over again to our precious youth? The absolute importance of correct sexual and moral principles. And, guess what was also equally brought to my attention by the spirit to teach? That we arent perfect beings and that ultimately we will sin, and that we can be forgiven through the atonement of Jesus Christ. This by no means in thus a ticket for moral misbehaviour but it provides hope for troubled youth to overcome the natural man, bridal their passions and learn to express this most powerful gift in the right and proper channels.

[Rivers]

Christ was real big on rules, as we're his servants. Shame or remorse is a useful tool of the Holy Ghost, every emotion we have serves a purpose

I believe Christ was more big on character than rules.

[Senator]

I believe Christ was more big on character than rules.

 

One's character is inescapably connected to his/her relationship to rules. No?

[Rivers]

Character is connected to principles.

[The Nehor]

No.

The rules create the need for an atonement. Without rules to break the atonement is meaningless sentimentality.

A fixation on the atonement in the absence of recognition of the horror of sin becomes insipid.

A fixation on rules without the hope of the atonement leads to self-righteousness amongst the stupid and those who worship an idol god and despair amongst those who understand themselves a little better.

Videos like this remind me of the drunken man on the horse. You are just going overcorrect and fall off the other side.

[Rock_N_Roll]

I believe some wards/classes do go a little over-board on the rules with not enough focus or emphasis on the Atonement, but most find a fairly good balance. And I've also noticed that it has gotten better over the past couple of decades. 

 

PS.  If you let the video go to the end, once it stops, you get links to anti-Mormon videos, including one that was secretly recorded inside the temple.  Maybe not appropriate?

[BCSpace]

This guy makes some interesting points.  He claims that his church experience consisted of too much rhetoric on rules and not enough teachings the atonement.  Has anybody else had the same experience?

 

I'd say they are one and the same.  Obedience is a major part of the Atonement.  It's how you take advantage of it.

[The Nehor]

I'd say they are one and the same.  Obedience is a major part of the Atonement.  It's how you take advantage of it.

Actually if you were perfectly obedient you wouldn't need it beyond the resurrection part. I would say repentance (and the ordinances) are how you take advantage of it. Obedience is part of repentance but nowhere near the whole.