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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   36786 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of May 5, 2025

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I don't have time to respond in full--it would require a lot of research on things I don't know off the top of my head. But let me register my prediction here that the LDS church doesn't go woke so to speak. I've already bet that they're not ever going to allow gay temple sealings, and expect the same to be true for other comparably "woke" things.

Really, writ large, the history of Mormonism has been a history of retreat from anything that made it interesting or unique. The continued existence of Fundamentalist Mormon polygamy (in remote cities across the western United States) is clear evidence that the LDS church could have survived a steadfast refusal to conform with the demands of the U.S. government on that score. But the LDS chose growth (and financial stability) over their own revealed doctrines.

Sure, we could have survived on some level, but ending polygamy isn't a fundamental betrayal of our religion the way something like ending prayer would be. If you read the proclamation ending polygamy, it pretty much explicitly says "polygamy is still doctrinal, but we're forced to discontinue it for now. It's no longer authorized." There's no doctrinal contradiction here.

replacing "translation" with "inspiration" in explanations of the Book of Abraham

The official messaging has moved in this direction, but this was always a reasonable way to interpret the word as Joseph Smith used it. He described his modifications to the Bible as a "translation" despite having no source material. A good portion of the Pearl of Great Price comes from this "translation" and includes entirely new material, not just rephrasings of Bible passages.

Generally I see the gradual softening of church messaging as consistent with the parable of the tares.

24 ¶ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The controversial doctrine is still out there, but we try to focus on the absolute most important fundamentals--the doctrine of Christ.

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