Tower To Truth Question:

6. Since the current LDS prophets sometimes contradict the former ones, how do you decide which one is correct?

——————————–

FAIR Answer:

Most “contradictions” are actually misunderstandings or misrepresentations of LDS doctrine and teachings by critics. The LDS standard for doctrine is the scriptures, and united statements of the First Presidency and the Twelve.

The Saints believe they must be led by revelation, adapted to the circumstances in which they now find themselves. Noah was told to build an ark, but not all people required that message. Moses told them to put the Passover lamb’s blood on their door; that was changed with the coming of Christ, etc.

No member is expected to follow prophetic advice “just because the prophet said so.” Each member is to receive his or her own revelatory witness from the Holy Ghost. We cannot be led astray in matters of importance if we always appeal to God for His direction.

————————

My Response:

Not so fast there, my friend.

• “When prophets, who are inspired by the Holy Ghost, speak, their words take precedence over other statements” (Teachings of the Living Prophets, p. 18).
• “When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done” (Improvement Era, June 1945, p. 354).
• “The Latter-day Saints hold as a principle of their faith, that … the President of the Church is recognized as the only person through whom divine communication will come as law and doctrine to the religious body; that such revelation may come at any time, upon any subject, spiritual or temporal, as God wills; and, finally, that, in the mind of every faithful Latter-day Saint, such revelation, in whatsoever it counsels, advises or demands, is paramount” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 221).
• “It would be absolutely inconsistent, unreasonable and absurd to suppose that after God had called one man and appointed him to this work, that He should pass him by and go to somebody else to accomplish the same purpose. No sensible person would accept for one moment such a proposition. To seriously contemplate any such idea would be charging the Almighty with inconsistency, and with being the author of confusion, discord and schism. The Kingdom of God never could be established on earth in any such way” (ibid).
• Also the 1986 edition of Gospel Principles says, “The Lord will never allow the President to teach us false doctrine.” However, the newest edition, available at their website, says, “The Lord will never allow the President to lead the Church astray.” Now, what’s the big difference? With the first statement, they are saying that whatever doctrine the President teaches will always be correct. With the second, they give him a bit of wiggle room, so that if he does say something wrong or contradictory (which is usually about once every time the sun rises), that somebody will catch it and correct it, so that the church is “not led astray.”

Now, what was all that about each person being able to receive his/her own “revelation” and No member is expected to follow prophetic advice “just because the prophet said so.” Each member is to receive his or her own revelatory witness from the Holy Ghost. We cannot be led astray in matters of importance if we always appeal to God for His direction.
See, “revelation” in the LDS church starts at the top, and flows down. It cannot go the other way. If a person speaks a word that contradicts the “prophet”–whether or not what the person is saying is the truth–the words of the “prophet” will negate what the other person is staying.

And saints are to believe the word of the prophet no matter what they think about it, unless it contradicts the Standard Works, which are subservient to the words of the current prophet, unless what the current prophet says….or is it….um….

I think you get the picture. Just listen to what the prophet says, don’t think about it just do it, and you won’t have anything to worry about.

Tower To Truth question:

3. Why did Brigham Young teach that Adam is “our Father and our God” when both the Bible and the Book of Mormon (Morm. 9:12) say that Adam is a creation of God? (Journal of Discourses (1852) 1:50))

—————————————-

FAIR Answer:

The problem with “Adam-God” is that we don’t understand what Brigham meant. All of his statements cannot be reconciled with each other. In any case, Latter-day Saints are not inerrantists—they believe prophets can have their own opinions. Only the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve can establish official LDS doctrine. That never happened with any variety of “Adam-God” doctrine. Since Brigham seemed to also agree with statements like Mormon 9:12, and the Biblical record, it seems likely that we do not entirely understand how he fit all of these ideas together.
Learn more here: Adam-God

—————————————

My Response:

Well, at least they got one thing right: All of [Brigham Young’s] statements cannot be reconciled with each other. His doctrine seemed to change more than the weather.

So, what did Brigham Young say about Adam, the Ancient of Days? Here is the text that is at the core of the matter (Link to the JOD). No ellipses, here is the whole text so that you may see and understand that nothing I am about to comment on is taken out of context (capitalization in the original, all emphases mine):

Our Father in Heaven begat all the spirits that ever were, or ever will be, upon this earth; and they were born spirits in the eternal world. Then the Lord by His power and wisdom organized the mortal tabernacle of man. We were made first spiritual, and afterwards temporal.

Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! about whom holy men have written and spoken-He is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do. Every man upon the earth, professing Christians or non-professing, must hear it, and will know it sooner or later. They [Adam and Eve] came here, organized the raw material, and arranged in their order the herbs of the field, the trees, the apple, the peach, the plum, the pear, and every other fruit that is desirable and good forman; the seed was brought from another sphere, and planted in this earth. The thistle, the thorn, the brier, and the obnoxious weed did not appear until after the earth was cursed. When Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, their bodies became mortal from its effects, and therefore their offspring were mortal. When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by theHoly Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the first of the human family; and when he [Jesus]

took a tabernacle, it was begotten by his Father in heaven, after the same manner as the tabernacles of Cain, Abel, and the rest of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve; from the fruits of the earth, the first earthly tabernacles were originated by the Father, and so on in succession. I could tell you much more about this; but were I to tell you the whole truth, blasphemy would be nothing to it, in the estimation of the superstitious and over-righteous of mankind. However, I have told you the truth as far as I have gone. I have heard men preach upon the divinity of Christ, and exhaust all the wisdom they possessed. All Scripturalists, and approved theologians who were considered exemplary for piety and education, have undertaken to expound on this subject, in every age of the Christian era;and after they have done all, they are obliged to conclude by exclaiming” great is the mystery of godliness,” and tell nothing.

It is true that the earth was organized by three distinct characters, namely, Eloheim [God the Father], Yahovah [Jesus], and Michael [Adam, God]

, these three forming a quorum, as in all heavenly bodies, and in organizing element, perfectly represented in the Deity, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Again, they will try to tell how the divinity of Jesus is joined to his humanity, and exhaust all their mental faculties, and wind up with this profound language, as describing the soul of man, “it is an immaterial substance!” What a learned idea! Jesus, our elder brother, was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the garden of Eden, and who is our Father in Heaven. Now, let all who may hear these doctrines, pause before they make light of them, or treat them with indifference, for they will prove their salvation or damnation.

I have given you a few leading items upon this subject, but a great deal more remains to be told. Now, remember from this time forth, and for ever,that Jesus Christ was not begotten by the Holy Ghost.

 

 

 

Hmm. I wonder what he meant by all that. Yeah, it’s, um, real difficult to figure out what he was saying. (‘Scuse me while I wipe off the sarcasm dripping from my lips.)

What strikes me as odd is that it took the LDS church some 130 years to finally admit that, um, yes, this is something Brigham Young taught. They never refuted the teaching, but they never admitted to it either. Kinda like how the Catholic Church will neither embrace (offcially) nor deny a doctrine until enough of the faithful embrace it, after which it becomes “Tradition” and thus doctrine.

But, alas, in 1981, every Mormon’s favorite apostle, Bruce McConkie, did his best to put the issue to bed in a letter to LDS in Britain:

For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.

So, in other words, only listen to the living prophet, except when he contradicts the Standard Works, which are not as important as the words of the living prophet, who doesn’t always speak for god.

Er, something.

Yes, President Young did teach that Adam was the father of our spirits, and all the related things that the cultists ascribe to him. This, however, is not true. He expressed views that are out of harmony with the gospel. But, be it known, Brigham Young also taught accurately and correctly, the status and position of Adam in the eternal scheme of things. What I am saying is that Brigham Young contradicted Brigham Young, and the issue becomes one of which Brigham Young we will believe. The answer is we will believe the expressions that accord with the teachings in the Standard Works.