"If Joseph Smith was a deceiver, who willfully attempted to mislead the people, then he should be exposed; his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false, for the doctrines of an impostor cannot be made to harmonize in all particulars with divine truth."
-President Joseph Fielding Smith (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 188)
2007-09-18 07:29:41 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No this statement gives us no such permission than we did not have before it was said.
We do not need this statement to give us the right to examine church doctrine, etc.
As members it is incumbent on us to verify all things through study, prayer and the Holy Ghost.
If we do not have a testimony of Joseph Smith and the doctrine of Jesus Christ we will fall away -- we cannot sustain faith without constant study and re-verifying testimony.
D
2007-09-19 05:38:36 · answer #1 · answered by Dionysus 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yup.. and what he said is true. We do question, we ask God for ourselves, and then we get the answers we need. I have had that answer, as I'm sure everyone who has asked with an open heart and mind has also. I know for a fact that he was a prophet of God, called by God, and led by God. What you fail to add to this was his statement about the fact that he was questioned many times, and each time, his story held up.
If an organization is false to begin with, it will fall. There will be very little time between when it is organized and when it falls. If the church wasn't true, or there wasn't some truth to it, it would have fallen after Joseph was killed. It wouldn't have continued. The fact that it is still together, still thriving and still bringing in members says something.
We do question, and are asked to question things all the time. If we don't know that something is true in our hearts, we can't expect to be able to follow that, or to have faith in it. Through prayer, we have the opportunity to ask God what He would have us do, and what He would have us know. Not every person that asks is going to get the same answer, and there's a reason for that, but does that mean that the church isn't true, or that Joseph lied about things? NO! It means we aren't ready for everything to be told to us just yet. We have to learn on our own, and learn little by little. Rome wasn't built in one day, and neither is our testimony of the church. It takes time, effort and lots of prayer, but God has told us that He won't leave us to wonder in the dark, so I take that to mean that He will tell me, if I ask and really want to know.
Here is a website for you to look at. Might answer some question for you about Joseph and why we believe what we do.
2007-09-18 12:30:30 · answer #2 · answered by odd duck 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a challenge that has been issued by more than one of our prophets, including Gordon B. Hinckley. It basically expresses complete confidence in the truthfulness of the work in which we are engaged. In other words, the restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith is either the most important event in modern history or the most successful fraud in modern history. We are confident that it is indeed the most important event in modern history and invite all to investigate with an open mind and honest heart, studying, pondering, praying and practicing the claims put forth, and all who do will be convinced that this work is indeed of God. So if this work is fraudulent, it should be exposed, but it never will be because it is true.
2007-09-18 09:44:17 · answer #3 · answered by rac 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
you're saying you're conscious that multiple congregations meet interior an identical development, yet you probably did no longer take it into consideration on your "calculation." There are 27,475 congregations interior the church. If we use your 350 human beings consistent with congregation selection (that's probable intense), that equals 9,616,250. Or have been you claiming that if 3 congregations use an identical development on Sunday, there could be 350 entire members between all 3 congregations? if so, you're way way low. i've got been in congregations with so lots extra beneficial than 350 members attending, and that i've got been in some with much less. My contemporary congregation tiers from one hundred fifty-200 human beings each and each Sunday...and is definitely one in all the smallest i've got ever attended. And there are 2 different congregations that meet interior an identical development - the only until now us has so lots extra members, the only after us has some much less. between the three we are probable at six hundred average attendance for the comprehensive development. I visited some in-regulations over the summer season and that they easily had over 4 hundred human beings attending purely their congregation, and 3 different congregations met interior an identical development.
2016-10-09 10:07:40 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Critique? No. sometimes only they know why some claims or counsels are made. And even then, sometimes they don't know why certain things are said. they just know it's right and needs to be done.
Examine? yes. Even if it's a statement from the prophet we are to examine leaders' statements and decide how they apply to us if at all. not doing so is following blindly and could lead to trouble even if you were to follow everything.
The point is we are allowed to freely think and examine things that leaders tell us, but we are not in a position to criticize what we may here. Just like anything we may not agree, but other people have a right to believe in what they want without criticism
2007-09-18 08:23:32 · answer #5 · answered by Coool 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
On paper, perhaps. But not in the reality of day-to-day theological and historical study.
Similarly, Paul said that if Jesus was not resurrected, then the entire Christian faith is bunk. Even that statement doesn't give Christians a comfort zone to openly question the reliability of the claim....neither does that quote.
In short, if people perceive a potential negative outcome (I will lose my faith, or my friends) as a result of an honest evaluation, they will be reluctant to approach the question openly. Whether through your quote or Paul's, those unfortunately don't provide enough for folks to honestly examine the questions at hand.
2007-09-18 07:36:43 · answer #6 · answered by QED 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There have been statements like that made by several presidents of the church over the years, and rightly so. We ask every one to find out for themselves about Joseph Smith. Either he was a prophet of God, or one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. Study his teachings, read the Book of Mormon, and be humble enough to approach God in prayer about the matter. I have, and I know that he was what he claimed to be, a prophet of God.
2007-09-18 07:47:55 · answer #7 · answered by Dave F 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Prove me now herewith, saith newwellness. How Joseph Smith was a deceiver? Many claimed he was but in truth before God, he was a prophet the first of the Modern Prophets. The Lord thy God never abandons his prophets.
2007-09-19 04:42:25 · answer #8 · answered by newwellness 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I examined and critiqued before I joined. I found that Joseph Smith was a true prophet.
2007-09-18 08:48:16 · answer #9 · answered by Isolde 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yah, and guess what?!? Joseph Smith isn't a deceiver who willfully attempted to mislead the people. Therefore he should not be exposed for lies and misguidance he did not do! :)
2007-09-18 10:51:48 · answer #10 · answered by Karen 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋