Saturday, October 5, 2019

On my relationship with my God and my faith community

 I have found the following talk by Elder Oakes before he joined The First Presidency helpful in knowing how to receive personal revelation and how to follow the current prophet.


With a church based on continual revelation there is bound to be some ebb and flow in her teachings and Doctrine.  Look at the changes Joseph Smith experienced between the New York Period and the Nauvoo Period.  There were very many radical changes in teachings and doctrine.  With Brigham Young there was some push back from Josephs later Nauvoo teachings.  The church has largely ignored Joseph’s last speech “The King Follett Sermon” until very recently.  Wilford   Woodruff pushed back from the Adam God Theory, the practice of being sealed in the Temple to great men and prophets, and returned to the early practice of being sealed to our own kin.   Pres Nelson is pushing back from central correlation and moving to a family center, church supported model.

... "but all the men in the United States cannot prevent a man from thinking. There are not Apostles enough in the Church to prevent us from thinking, and they are not disposed to do so; but some people fancy because we have the Presidency and Apostles of the Church they will do the thinking for us. There are men and women so mentally lazy that they hardly think for themselves. To think calls for effort, which makes some men tired and wearies their souls. Now, brethren and sisters, we are surrounded with, such conditions that it requires not only thought, but the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Latter-day Saints, you must think for yourselves. No man or woman can remain in this Church on borrowed light." (J. Golden Kimball. April 1904 General Conference)

I love and enjoy the time, I spend with my faith community.  I am well respected in the community.  I am not willing to let it govern my personal relationship with God or in how I receive Personal Revelation.  This is a tip rope I am more than willing to walk.

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I love to collect thoughts. I would love to collect some of yours, if they are mindful and respectable.