LDS! What do you think about this man's comment on your religion?

Question

I read a Korean article which was about minor religions in Korea. And this is what the 'expert' of minor religions commented about the LDS Church.(The 'expert' was a Protestant)
"Since no one's payed for serving the Church, they feel no need to study about their tenet in depth. Therefore, the LDS Church doesn't have its own certain code of beliefs. Moreover, their tenet believes that truths may change from time to time."
What do you think about his idea?
What parts do you agree and don't?
(By the way, I'm not Korean Protestant. So please don't blame me. I just wanted to know what LDS would think.)

Answer 1

The Korean protestant was an ignoramus.

Answer 2

Clearly biased for one. The protestants are typically VERY anti-Mormon.

His logic is severely flawed. He claims that BECAUSE no one is paid that no one studies in depth. Read a bit of Hugh Nibley and you'll see that this is way off. BYU is a center for scholarship. There are LOADS of professors who do this nearly full time. There's also an organization called FARMS that studies book of Mormon and looks for modern evidences.

As for "Moreover, their tenet believes that truths may change from time to time."

Um..has this guy read the Bible? Moses announced the 10 commandments...That was a BIG change. Christ comes along and practically rewrites the religion. MASSIVE change. However, no truth was changed. Think anything will change when Christ comes back to earth??? You could argue that Christ continually added "changes" during his 3 year ministry. It's not like he showed up and said "here's the new gospel" and laid it out, and then never added to it.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ believe that Jesus Christ personally guides and directs the Church. It's known as a Living church.

Why isn't it that Adam wrote all truth that God intended for his children to have? He could have preserved it for 6000 years.

The Lord has always guided his church through prophets. He did so for the first 4000 years of history. There was a prophesied apostasy, and now he continues to do the same.

Answer 3

It's interesting, and wrong. I'm glad you put "expert" in quotes. I wonder how many Mormons, if any, he has met.

Some seminary teachers, all institute teachers are paid. The church employs many people that write and produce lesson manuels, magazines, a newspaper, etc.

We are also encouraged to learn as much as we can. In high school we are encouraged to attend a class that meets for an hour five days a week called seminary. In college, or as single adults we are encouraged to attend institute classes. We spend three hours a week in church (I believe most other faiths are 1-2 hours). We read and study daily as individuals and as families. I think we are very well educated in our faith.

And our doctrines are amazingly consistent throughout the world. And we do not believe that truth changes. We believe that man changes and God adjusts to fit our needs. Just as raising a child, his needs change as he ages, or having a second child that learns differently than the first.

Answer 4

Since when does being paid for serving become the only reason for studying our tenet? This guy doesn't erally know what we believe.

In fact, we believe that "The Glory of God is Intelligence" and we are encouraged to get as much edcation as possible.


We do have a central code of beliefs, and truth never changes.

Answer 5

I think they know little about the LDS church as a whole. Perhaps in areas where people are just hearing the about the gospel for the first time, and wards are young they have a basic knowledge of the gospel; however, the LDS church as a whole has very straightforward beliefs that most members know.

Although we believe in modern revelation, we do not believe that the truths of God can change. We believe that times can change and call for a change in certain things, the doctrine remains the same. (By changes in certain things I am referring to raising the standard, such as requiring obeying the Word of Wisdom to enter the temple and such)

Answer 6

I take it the man has yet to meet a Latter-day Saint:

"Since no one's payed for serving the Church, they feel no need to study about their tenet in depth."

I think our Seminary Program & Institute of Religion Classes (and all other CES programs) beg to differ. What really blows this man's oppinion out of the water is that such programs are offered to the "rank-and-file" Mormons, not just the clergy.

"The LDS Church doesn't have its own certain code of beliefs."

Well we have a whole set of scripture all to ourselves (D&C), a Word of Wisdom (Dietary Code), Articles of Faith (like the "Mormon Creed"), more contemporary publications like "Proclamation to the World", and "God loveth his Children", etc.

"Moreover, their tenet believes that thruths may change from time to time."

Absolutely not true. Truth is truth, it stands independent of everything else. It can not logically change or then it is no longer truth, but condition. Practices have changed, and interpretations of scriptures have changes, but as our religion believes in progression, then this kind of change is inevitable even desired. Our dogma has not changed.

Answer 7

The 'expert' knows nothing about our religion. We study our religion as much as anyone. We have a code of beliefs its called the Articles of Faith. We also don't believe that truth changes, its that we discover the truth and that what we might have thought was true before wasn't true.

basically the expert, is no expert.

Answer 8

Well to say there's no "experts" in our doctrine is pretty silly. I'm thinking of our Prophet and Apostles, and man, have you ever attended a lecture from the religion proffesors at BYU!

I don't think we see truths as changing, truth is pretty absolute, but we do believe in continuing revelation where further truths can be revealed. Without a testimony of modern revelation, I could see how a Korean Protestant could interpret it the way he did.

Answer 9

Actually, our seminary and institute teachers are paid if I'm not mistaken. How do I feel about this comment? I feel that it is inaccurate. Truths do not change, but how we are commanded to react to the truths changes. I've studied my religion in great depth, and I know many who study to such depth that it bores me, and I'm a dork. Our code of beliefs are established, they are difficult to describe in a simple concise way, except by the 13 articles of faith. Try looking them up. They summarize our code of beliefs. Thank you, by the way, for being so cordial in asking your question.

Answer 10

It is based on assumptions that there is a benefit to a professional clergy. Therefore logically without trained ministers members will not understand doctrine. I doubt that he has any evidence to back this theorem.

I find the church to be very consistent because the same lessons are taught worldwide in Sunday School and Priesthood/RS. I find that through Conferences we learn and share deeper understanding of the core tenents of our faith.

Answer 11

Wow, while are you going to recover from this? it variety of feels as in case you found out no longer something with regard to the gospel once you have been a member - a minimum of no longer from the rather source besides. hear heavily. the marriage covenant - a guy could be sealed to greater effective than one spouse IF between the better halves is deceased. a guy can not be sealed to greater effective than one residing woman at a time. Polygamy isn't required for exaltation. Polygamy "earthly" isn't at the instant practiced. while we are saying we're not in touch in it, that's what we advise. Why can no longer you notice the variation, or do you in basic terms no longer choose to?? I additionally do no longer see why that's this variety of "undesirable undertaking". as far by way of fact the subsequent existence AND while it became into practiced formerly, that's not forced, that's not required neither is it unholy while practiced wisely. you're basically seeing this alongside with your carnal eyes. that's definitely a great blessing for people who've misplaced their spouse and located yet another to love. Why do you confuse the two? Being endlessly sealed to greater effective than one guy or woman by way of fact of dying, and at the instant working in direction of polygamy on earth are no longer an analogous undertaking. of direction we admit that the prepare became into formerlly energetic. Now that's not. that doesn't advise the rather doctrine has replaced, that's hasn't. it won't in any respect be practiced genuine now "in the international". all of us understand finished nicely adult men could be sealed to greater effective than one woman, IF the 1st spouse has kicked the bucket. *Qman - you're definitely genuine, there will be no person given in marriage after the resurrection. What with regard to the scripture that asserts what's optimistic in the international would be sure in heaven?? do you recognize what 'GIVEN in marriage' ability? examine that scripture heavily. Christ is asserting in the experience that your marriage isn't sealed formerly the resurrection... that's not going to in result after.