CV75 Posted December 14, 2016 Posted December 14, 2016 (edited) 47 minutes ago, Oliver_Cowdery said: It is tricky. I do prefer that everyone would be allowed to come to their own conclusions. But I don't really see that happening in a culture that teaches that every young man must go on a mission and teach from correlated material that say the prophet can not lead the church astray and that when the prophet has spoken the debate is over and to avoid any speculation of "deep doctrine". I wish the church would stop teaching the narrative that polygamy was practiced for the sake of the widows and to solve the supposed great male shortage of the 19th century. But as a church we are not there yet. When no value judgement about Joseph's polygamy is made in church, more people can conclude the Holy Ghost is calling them to practice polygamy. If the church were to make a value judgement and teach that Joseph Smith was wrong in his practice of polygamy than it seems like it would reduce the risk of people accepting polygamy. Joseph's image would suffer, but that is a small price to pay when weighed against the problem of modern Mormon polygamy. I see it happening, irrespective of one’s summary assessment of LDS culture. What is the latest example of the Church teaching, from correlated material, that “polygamy was practiced for the sake of the widows and to solve the supposed great male shortage of the 19th century?” What is the difference between a) not placing a value judgement about Joseph's polygamy and how people choose whether or how to follow the Holy Ghost, and b) the saying, “I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves”? I think it would be possible to find that people, whether many or few, say they follow the Holy Ghost in contradicting a number of Church teachings. What is the problem of modern Mormon polygamy? If the problem is people saying and believing they act by virtue of the Holy Ghost in contradiction to Church teachings on the subject, I would say that “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior [i.e. placing a value judgement on behavior] will improve behavior.” Edited December 14, 2016 by CV75
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