What Would You Consider The Meat Of The Gospel?

[DragonLancer]

I was surprised when Jeanne  said  "The choice is still theirs to make..Dehlin, and all the other "dissenters" did not make these decisions for anyone.  Getting the meat instead of the milk changes everyone in some way" I certainly agree that getting meat will change you but I'm just stumped to know what Dehlin serves that is meat. So what do you all consider to be the meat of the Gospel? Specifics would be nice. To me a serving of meat would be a 5 minute view of the Celestial Kingdom or sure revelation on just what the Book of Revelation is trying to tell me or even the history of the Earth from God's point of view, not mans speculation and lies (re-writting history). ie: the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Come on you all school me.

 

The meat is a good analogy for anything that someone unprepared for it would choke on.  Whatever fits that description is meat.  What Dehlin delivers to people, as an example, that they are unprepared to hear, and choke on, is meat.  Dehlin believes that if he can deliver meat to people who are unprepared, that somehow they can make well-informed decisions.  Being overwhelmed with meat and seeing it in the wrong light, and falling away as a result, is not being prepared to make an informed decision.  You can get a drink from a drinking fountain, and your thirst can be satiated that way, but not from a fire hose when there is too much water and it is coming out at too high of a velocity.  A nuclear reaction in a controlled condition gives you power.  Uncontrolled, it destroys everything.

[Tacenda]

Should we baptize members without their knowledge of the meat, for instance should they study the KFD before being baptized?  I've read some exit stories about people not knowing the meat beforehand and being just a little miffed.  Just as Rock Waterman in the other thread had issues when he first heard that man become a God, he tells it in the newest podcast on MS's.  It didn't sit well at all with him.  Just as a new member that had never known about it, might be affected negatively about it.  But many join for this meat.  So why not give the milk and the meat?   

[Sanpitch]

Maybe possible converts could be taught through the milk and into the meat before they are baptized as a member.  That is what the JWs do and they have many more dedicated members than the LDS do and in less time.  Less concentration on numbers and more concentrate on dedicated members.  But I am an outsider with many family links to LDS and this gives me some interest.

 

Edited to add:  Looks like this has already been covered very well so I'll quietly back away.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Sanpitch

[BookofMormonLuvr]

Should we baptize members without their knowledge of the meat, for instance should they study the KFD before being baptized?  I've read some exit stories about people not knowing the meat beforehand and being just a little miffed.  Just as Rock Waterman in the other thread had issues when he first heard that man become a God, he tells it in the newest podcast on MS's.  It didn't sit well at all with him.  Just as a new member that had never known about it, might be affected negatively about it.  But many join for this meat.  So why not give the milk and the meat?   

 

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  Doctrine and Covenants 20:68

  68 The duty of the members after they are received by baptism—The elders or priests are to have a sufficient time to expound all things concerning the church of Christ to their understanding, previous to their partaking of the sacrament and being confirmed by the laying on of the hands of the elders, so that all things may be done in order.

  I keep trying to pound this idea home, but the churches of the Restoration are so enmeshed in tradition...

  Baptism is not about making a covenant with a particular church, it is about demonstrating your willingness to have faith, repent, and endure to the end following God's commandments. We (the churches of the Restoration) have made it about accepting our particular church and its creeds. After we have helped them receive salvation through baptism, we should teach them all things about the beliefs of our organization, and if that is fine with them, confirm them, and if not let them go, with the baptismal covenant in hand to find where they fit.

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Edited May 29, 2015 by BookofMormonLuvr

[Tacenda]

That's an awesome idea, BoM lover!  Baptize people into the kingdom of Jesus Christ and then introduce the meat and let them decide to go further before confirming them, makes complete sense.  And the relief some will have at the thought that they are baptized and make covenants as a believer in Christ.  And wish to be an angel in Christ!  Woo hoo, where do I sign up?    

[cinepro]

The milk is what is found here:

 

http://www.mormon.org/

 

As you search deeper and deeper, you get "meatier" until you finally get to the Temple, which is the meatiest (and hardest to find out about) of all.

[BookofMormonLuvr]

That's an awesome idea, BoM lover!  Baptize people into the kingdom of Jesus Christ and then introduce the meat and let them decide to go further before confirming them, makes complete sense.  And the relief some will have at the thought that they are baptized and make covenants as a believer in Christ.  And wish to be an angel in Christ!  Woo hoo, where do I sign up?    

I love the covenant the people made at the Water of Mormon...

 

 

 "8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

 9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

 10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?"

 

... so simple and beautiful. We humans sure like to complicate things.

Edited May 29, 2015 by BookofMormonLuvr

[JLHPROF]

I still think that one of the key descriptions of "meat" is being ignored.

 

Paul in describing the meat defines it as something "ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able".

 

When considering the meat of the gospel we have to recognize that it's something we cannot handle at first, not just something deep.  Something that as Joseph said:

 

"If I were to tell you all I know of the kingdom of God, I do know that you would rise up and kill me."

and

"There has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation. It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn-dodger for a wedge and a pumpkin for a beetle.  Even the saints are slow to understand."

 

These are thing things that are meat.  Not just deep, but hard to accept (chew and swallow if you will).