mnn727 Posted June 28, 2017 Posted June 28, 2017 On 6/25/2017 at 6:17 PM, Five Solas said: Did they actually understand the reference? No, I don't.
cinepro Posted June 29, 2017 Author Posted June 29, 2017 (edited) On 6/26/2017 at 1:44 PM, HappyJackWagon said: I think the "give a talk based on a talk" phenomena is rooted in an effort to extend correlation into sacrament meetings. If people stick closely to the words of the prophet(s) then they can't go too wrong, right? You add that desire for correlation to an ever beating drum about following the prophet, Teachings for Our Times lessons based on conference talks, and manuals based on teachings of the prophets and I think the environment is created to have members parrot the leaders. Yesterday we had 3 talks in sacrament meeting all based on the same talk. We had a similar topic for Gospel Doctrine (happy coincidence ) and then the exact same talk assigned for 3rd hour. It was a fine talk and all but geesh. Talk about beating a dead horse. In Joseph McConkie's bio of his dad Bruce R., he relates this sentiment: Quote Bruce R. McConkie said "I would never quote another man unless I could first square what he said with the scriptures and unless he had said it better than I could." He added, "Last week I quoted Parley P. Pratt for the first time in my life. I did it because I could square what he said with the scriptures and because he said what I wanted to say better than I could say it." Too often in the Church, we fill our assignment to teach a particular principle by quoting an authority while at the same time excusing ourselves from the responsibility to first assure ourselves that the quotation squares with the scriptures. Dad's concern was that this practice could lead to spiritual atrophy because it shifts the responsibility for pondering and praying to someone else and thereby makes us dependent on the someone else rather than on ourselves. The Bruce R. McConkie Story, page 254. I think "spiritual atrophy" is an apt description of what can happen when we "talk on talks." Edited June 29, 2017 by cinepro 2
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