Letter to a Seminary Teacher & Response from a Seminary Teacher

[Jeanne]

On 3/16/2016 at 9:13 AM, rockpond said:

Last week Jana Riess published this guess post by Mette Harrison on her Flunking Sainthood blog.  It's a letter from a mom to her daughter's seminary teacher.

In the letter she discusses six topics and how they are addressed in seminary:

1. LGBT issues
2. Faith and Intellect
3. Identity
4. MIssion
5. Marriage and Family
6. Exposure to other religions

Yesterday Riess published a response from a seminary teacher (not the actual seminary teacher the letter was written to).  Here's the great response by this teacher.  You kinda have to read the first letter for the response to make sense.  But, I think it's worth it... his responses are insightful.

 

A key point that I loved after reading both letters.  First..that a mother feels open enough to share her thoughts and feel the needs of her child. But the greatest question is from the Seminary teacher...is it possible to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ without all the "otherness".  To me this is profound..as it seems to touch in every corner of today's world and especially the youth.

 

[rockpond]

15 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

But the greatest question is from the Seminary teacher...is it possible to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ without all the "otherness".  To me this is profound..as it seems to touch in every corner of today's world and especially the youth.

Absolutely... I agree... such an important question and the seminary teacher phrased it well.

p.s.  Thanks for responding to my OP.  Maybe we can get the thread back on topic!

[Ahab]

22 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

A key point that I loved after reading both letters.  First..that a mother feels open enough to share her thoughts and feel the needs of her child. But the greatest question is from the Seminary teacher...is it possible to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ without all the "otherness".  To me this is profound..as it seems to touch in every corner of today's world and especially the youth.

 

Without "all" the otherness, hmm?

Hmmm.

I think mentioning or referencing at least some of the otherness is inevitable when teaching the gospel, but that doesn't mean we can't also mention or reference all or at some of the things we have in common.

Who needs the gospel and all the blessings available through the atonement of Jesus Christ?

I would answer: Everyone

As soon as we start talking about anyone who disagrees with that answer or what I mean by the "gospel" it's inevitable,  I think, that we'll then be talking about some "other" people.

Those who agree vs those who do not agree