Why I love the essays

[Hagoth]

I've been thinking about how much I love the Gospel Topics essays. The church has traditionally been in the habit of not addressing tough questions, but instead having non-authoritative apologists do the dirty work for them. This worked great because they had ultimate deniability of "non-official" apologetic claims, even when apologists were employed by the church and assigned topics by The Brethren. The church could always conveniently deny the arguments and retreat at the first sign of trouble.

The essays are fascinating, first because they don't have any names attached to them, and second because they have been officially published by the church with the approval of the church's "presiding quorums, including the three-man First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles" (Steven E. Snow).

Although they were originally hyped as a magazine-full of silver bullets for doubters, the essays turned out to be just more apologetics that don't answer the questions of critics to any degree of satisfaction. Under the harsh light of critical thinking they are just more sleight-of-hand and smokescreens.

With the essays the church has officially entered the ring of apologetics and cannot back away as conveniently as they might have done with FAIR, FARMS, etc. I love that they owned up to some of the things that we crazies were going on and on about, but at the time they nailed themselves to the floor with further bad arguments.

Go church!

[slavereeno]

I still need to finish reading your annotated essays, I enjoyed you commentary quite a bit.

[moksha]

I like the analogy of beginning to strip away the layers of old discolored varnish. Is there mahogany underneath or plaster of paris?

[moksha]

'We demand to know who hung these drapes, right now!"

[Rob4Hope]

Moksha, your picture here is actually sad. Look at their faces! They look tired, angry, and worn.

I hope they think all the adoration is worth it....

[slavereeno]

Moksha, your picture here is actually sad. Look at their faces! They look tired, angry, and worn.

Yeah but that woman behind them looks so alert and perky.

[Linked]

It is great that they have finally taken a position on these tough topics. They were out of options though, people were leaving because of these topics. And FAIR seems to lead people away more often than keep them in, showing the whole world of topics that need apologetic answers, and seeing how unfulfilling those answers are when thoughtfully and objectively considered.

Not writing the essays wasn't working anymore, so they needed a place people could go to get the information where they had more control. Well, unsurprisingly, putting the same apologetics on lds.org hasn't helped much because the problem is the church has been lying and they can't hide it anymore. It may help with a future generation, if they can make it through this truth crisis.

(Steven E. Snow).

My mom's a Snow, so I had to see if me and Steve are related. We are both the third great grandson of Erastus Snow (his E is for Erastus!). Way to go Cous.

[Palerider]

Moksha, your picture here is actually sad. Look at their faces! They look tired, angry, and worn.

They also don't look happy.

I was thinking the exact same thing as you were Rob4Hope. Are these the faces of men who I would want to follow to the path of HAPPINESS???

Ever seen two people who looked more filled with their own importance?

[slavereeno]

Here you go, he's uh.. Happier? in this one?

[Rob4Hope]

Here you go, he's uh.. Happier? in this one?

Nope. I'm looking at his eyes. His mouth and lines show smile, but his eyes, way in there, don't.

This smile is shallow and hollow. Its a carefully worn mask...

You can contort your face, but the eyes are the hardest part to mask what lies beneath.

[Corsair]

I'm less and less surprised when I mention the essays to average Mormons and they have no idea what I am talking about. I also am deeply thankful for the essays and the underlying bias of the believers that wrote them. The implications expressed in the essays are unintentionally helpful although it does not come out in the average interaction with other Mormons. For example, the Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo includes this gem that most of us have read:

During the third and final appearance, the angel came with a drawn sword, threatening Joseph with destruction unless he went forward and obeyed the commandment fully.

I can only imagine the cosmic level of angst felt by whoever wrote this essay. After everything written so far, they eventually had to put the responsibility for plural marriage on God, and not on the fertile imagination (or libido) of Joseph Smith. But this puts some boundaries on the level of interaction that we might expect between a prophet and the heavens. It implies a level of importance that God clearly must have for plural marriage. Here is the short list of restored doctrines that needed a visitation:

• First Vision - God speaks to prophets once again
• Moroni appears to Joseph Smith - revealing the Book of Mormon
• John the Baptist - Aaronic priesthood restored
• Peter, James, and John - Melchizedke priesthood restored
• Elijah appears in the Kirtland temple - restoring the sealing power
• Angel with a drawn sword - plural marriage is definitely an important doctrine

Am I missing anything? Does this accurately rank "angel with a drawn sword" within the hierarchy of LDS restoration?

[WholesomeRecreation]

However, while they are a good start, they still aren't complete. What about the temple & masonry for example. The apologists agree that masonry comes from the 1200's/Scotland (if I remember correctly) and not the ancient times passed down from Adam.

[2bizE]

Moksha, your picture here is actually sad. Look at their faces! They look tired, angry, and worn.

Yeah but that woman behind them looks so alert and perky.

That is Aunt Wendy. Pres. Nelson’s wife

[RubinHighlander]

Angel with a drawn sword - plural marriage is definitely an important doctrine

AND

• Still in the D&C as a commandment

• Never an official revelation to redact it and make it no longer a commandment, but just a declaration it was no longer allowed because the COB wanted it's assets back from the Feds

This doctrine was something so essential and important that a prophet's life was threatened, yet years later it was done away with so easily. How is a new and everlasting covenant only applicable to a few generations but not applicable to us? At face value there's zero logical sense in it as a saving doctrine the way it came to be and the way it was removed. It's no wonder polygamy was and is probably the single most difficult thing to grapple with in the LDS church. By mentioning the flaming sword in the essay I think the COB just further paints itself into an ever shrinking corner.

[RubinHighlander]

Posting issue, duplicate...

[RubinHighlander]

WTC - another dupe?

[Corsair]

However, while they are a good start, they still aren't complete. What about the temple & masonry for example. The apologists agree that masonry comes from the 1200's/Scotland (if I remember correctly) and not the ancient times passed down from Adam.

I started the first hints of that historically verifiable truth about Masonry in front of my in-laws. They quickly shut me down with claims about Masonry extending clear back to the totally real King Solomon and his temple. It was clear that this was not up for discussion. Still, my children looked at me knowingly that Grandma and Grandpa were simply being strident again.

[Palerider]

Here you go, he's uh.. Happier? in this one?

Nope. I'm looking at his eyes. His mouth and lines show smile, but his eyes, way in there, don't.

This smile is shallow and hollow. Its a carefully worn mask...

You can contort your face, but the eyes are the hardest part to mask what lies beneath.

I don't know.......he might be kind of happy, but not from his way of life. I think what we have captured here is a man caught up in laughing at his own jokes. Of course the audience is obligated to laugh.......

[wtfluff]

Am I missing anything? Does this accurately rank "angel with a drawn sword" within the hierarchy of LDS restoration?

As others have mentioned... If the angel has to show up with a weapon and threaten people with it, polygamy might actually be The. Most. Important Doctrine... Ever.


Something else I love from LDS.org: (Emphasis: mine.)

There are many other forms of lying. When we speak untruths, we are guilty of lying. We can also intentionally deceive others by a gesture or a look, by silence, or by telling only part of the truth. Whenever we lead people in any way to believe something that is not true, we are not being honest.

I'd imagine in a chat with a believer, it could be really fun to read the above quote, and then read from the essays...

[slavereeno]

I started the first hints of that historically verifiable truth about Masonry in front of my in-laws. They quickly shut me down with claims about Masonry extending clear back to the totally real King Solomon and his temple. It was clear that this was not up for discussion.

This is pretty much how that went down with my parents