KevinG Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 In the Answers to Common Questions thread, there were criticisms that the LDS Church publication was not forthcoming, or accurate about questions about Mormons. If you had 1600 words to teach or preach to youth about the LDS Church, and what it is and isn't, what would you say? 1) What topics are most important to share with youth?2) What do you include or omit in the space you have to share? It would be particularly helpful to hear from those who felt the New Era article was deceptive, incomplete, or "glossed over" content.
Popular Post UtahTexan Posted March 5, 2015 Popular Post Posted March 5, 2015 I know this is simplistic, but what I would stress is that Jesus promised us he would NEVER leave us....and by having current prophets, He has kept His word. 5
JLHPROF Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 1600 words to teach or preach to youth about the LDS Church, and what it is and isn't So in order to hit the key elements I would have to mention the following: Christ (and the plan of salvation)Restoration (and Joseph Smith)Priesthood (and the authority to peform ordinances)Prophets (and the ability to receive revelatory instruction) Fitting that into 1600 words would be tough, but if carefully thought out, doable. I don't think anyone thinks the New Era article was all that incomplete. As always it was the minor changes that would have improved its accuracy. Precision in word choice matters.
CV75 Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 In the Answers to Common Questions thread, there were criticisms that the LDS Church publication was not forthcoming, or accurate about questions about Mormons. If you had 1600 words to teach or preach to youth about the LDS Church, and what it is and isn't, what would you say? 1) What topics are most important to share with youth?2) What do you include or omit in the space you have to share? It would be particularly helpful to hear from those who felt the New Era article was deceptive, incomplete, or "glossed over" content.The Articles of Faith does it in 398 words! 2
stemelbow Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 (edited) My preference? Dear youth, the gospel is the Atonement of Christ. Everything we talk about is supposed to point us to that central tenet. Sometimes at it happens we have forgotten that and have run down various paths as we preach to you. Everything else, in fact, is an appendage to that core teaching. We often blabber about rules and doctrinal complexities; we sometimes condemn people for minor indiscretions, but don't be fooled by that stuff. We are hoping for a pretty homogenized group of followers. But perhaps that isn't the best thing. Perhaps the best thing is for you to focus on the Atonement, apply it. Seek God at every opportunity. Don't just seek Him for your own gain. Seek Him in hopes you will better understand the world, better understand how to serve Him, and more importantly how to serve humanity. If you do so, perhaps you will be leading a better Church than what we are leading. Perhaps the world will be better served. That is a grand hope we have. You will see all sorts of troubling things in the world. You will learn that many of those troubling things were things done and said by leaders of the Church. Your leaders have sinned just like everyone else. You will learn of troubling practices like polygamy. Polygamy is tough to accept as it, quite often, teaches and causes oppression based on gender. If you search the history of people in the Church you will learn as polygamy was practiced all sorts of nefarious activities resulted, and some of those activities were, sadly, committed by leadership in the Church. Yes, those we’ve often said are most inspired in this world have done some pretty egregious things. You will also learn that discrimination based on race was once preached as an official doctrine. It’s disgraceful that such things have been supported by the Church. We cant’ do much about that now, though. We can only go forward, hoping our present and future actions demonstrate our hearts. We understand the difficulty troubling aspects of the Church and its history have caused for people of faith. Some will hear of disappointing or disgraceful activities from the past and will rightly feel blind-sided. Stories from history have been used to push you to be noble, faithful and brave, and there is reason to accept some of these stories as true. But some stories have been exaggerated and misused by the Church. Many parts of our history have been left out. Now, that’s pretty troubling, right there. Leaders of the Church, official materials used to teach and instruct, have misled in some cases. That was not right. It is best we find all stories that represent more myth than reality and clarify what they are. It is important we continue to be cautious we don’t continue to mislead. Honesty and openness is an essential element that we need to be better at employing. We have, no doubt, been skeptical of what we might term secular scholarly pursuits. We should not; we should never have been. We should support such pursuits always. Pursuing scientific progress can bring progress to society. Humanity has shown that in such pursuits life flourishes. Now hear this, we need to be able to embrace that which is most useful and good in the world no matter the source from which we find it. Sometimes we’ve been eager to get you to follow us and in that eagerness we’ve failed to make sure you realize our words are not the sum of what God has to offer you. Inspiration can come through anyone. We, in fact, may be missing some very vital information, because we can be, and perhaps leaders of the Church have been, a little too focused on what we can get from God directly. Just know God is God of all people on this earth and He is interested in each one of them—not just the less than one percent that is the Church. Keep in mind, that though we want the best for you, you are no more special nor favored than the other people who live on this earth. Do not fool yourself on that. The Church has used the idea that we are more blessed than others in hopes to get more out of its members. That was a mistake. In so doing the church has often produced entitlement amongst its members. Too often our meetings have turned into something akin to the story of Rameumptum. We realize we are much better served if we seek to demonstrate our gratitude in our living rather than use our thanks as a way to express our chosen-ness. Church meetings should be far more about you working with each other to serve humanity and figuring out how to do that, than about following scripts and attempting to be the most showy of the pious. Now, perhaps this little piece of writing alone can be a bit troublesome. How can the leaders of the Church be wrong about something? They are the mouthpieces of God. How can we go forward without following scripts and being instructed in nearly all we do? Just know we are not infallible. That means we are prone to make mistakes. Realize that means you will make mistakes. Learn from our mistakes. Learn from your mistakes. Enjoy life. Do not get bogged down in strict legalese doctrine. We’ve been a bit guilty of that in the past too. Be ready and open to adjust and adapt as necessary. As it is, everyone, or nearly everyone, loves truth. But truth in this sense is relative. There will always be disagreement about what represents truth on many things in this world. Experts in all fields will disagree on certain things. Leaders of the Church disagree on certain aspects of our teachings. We live with it. We ought to realize there will always be disagreements of all kinds—large ones, minor ones, critical ones. And that will mean with all the noise caused by disagreements decisions will be made that will be detrimental. We’ve made bad decisions. You’ve made bad decisions. It happens. We’re sorry it’s happened. But the principle is we need to learn from past mistakes—whether they be ours or others. That’s the important part of recording our stories, writing scripture and expressing things honestly. Learn from the past mistakes of the Church. There is a passage repeated in scripture “many are called, but few are chosen”. We are nowhere near the many are called. We need to figure out how to get there. We’ve tried and tried and have made progress, no doubt. But the grand responsibility of opening up the Church to all will fall on your shoulders. The Church should be so open and honest that’s its arms are stretched around the globe ready to gobble up anyone who shows the tiniest of interest. We’ve attempted to polish the Church so much that we’ve become too esoteric and insular. Oopsies. We need messages to stretch across the world, ringing in the ears of everyone. If God exists and wants all to hear Him, and this Church is His, we need to be much much better at reaching people. God probably makes up for our weaknesses by working strongly individually with people. It has to be the case. But we need to be far more connected with people throughout this world--probably not so much for God, but for us and for others. We just need each other. Edited March 5, 2015 by stemelbow
KevinG Posted March 5, 2015 Author Posted March 5, 2015 The Articles of Faith does it in 398 words! A+ for brevity. But I have to fail you for plagiarism. 1
CV75 Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 A+ for brevity. But I have to fail you for plagiarism. Oh that... LOL 1
carbon dioxide Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 What bugs me is Mormons are somehow expected to teach or respond to ever little thing in our doctrine or history but no other faith or group is remotely expected to do that. Billy Graham can go off on some 45 minute rant and then call people to Jesus and that is acceptable but a series of discussions by LDS missionaries hat cover at 3-4 hours of material is not remotely enough.
stemelbow Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 What bugs me is Mormons are somehow expected to teach or respond to ever little thing in our doctrine or history but no other faith or group is remotely expected to do that. Billy Graham can go off on some 45 minute rant and then call people to Jesus and that is acceptable but a series of discussions by LDS missionaries hat cover at 3-4 hours of material is not remotely enough. I guess people expect more from a Church that claims to be the one true one.
KevinG Posted March 6, 2015 Author Posted March 6, 2015 I guess people expect more from a Church that claims to be the one true one. A higher standard yes. Perfection in mortality no. Mormon 8:17 17 And if there be faults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire. 1
carbon dioxide Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I guess people expect more from a Church that claims to be the one true one.Or they expect the Church to inform a person about ever little thing before they are baptized. That would be a good way to lower baptism rates as that is their intent. Anyway, Peter hardly tells the people anything in Acts 2 before he tells them to be baptized.
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