Aug2012 Ensign Article Discussion

[Anonymous]

dash1730 wrote:

I like the statement of Hugh B Brown

Quote:

“Preserve, then, the freedom of your mind in education and in religion, and be unafraid to express your thoughts and to insist upon your right to examine every proposition. We are not so much concerned with whether your thoughts are orthodox or heterodox as we are that you shall have thoughts.”

http://president.byu.edu/documents/brown.htm

I try very hard to not let TBM’ers opinions bother me. But sometimes it’s harder than others.

I read both articles this morning — they appear to address a similar topic, but are quite opposite. the Aug2012 article essentially pushes the read scriptures and crawl into a hole approach to faith…Hugh B. Brown teaches to be open.

then I read this gem this morning:

Isaiah 29:9 wrote:

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

The strength and truth of the doctrine of Christ, however, rest not upon the debate of experts but upon the sacred testimonies of His chosen disciples. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared, “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven.”

Quote:

What do you think about this article?

Right now, I like finding my own way. I equate confusion, doubt, and even questioning with progress and vitality — and even charity as questioning and doubt frees the person of the judgmentalism that comes with thinking you or the apostles know everything. AS someone once said, the mark of a free man is the ever present uncertainty about whether he is right…

I think the debate of experts and the sacred testimonies of His chosen disciplines are all valid sources of grist for the mill. I think the author has left out a key stakeholder, contributor, and placeholder in the truth-discernment process — the individual. And taken all the fun out being a Mormon (just kidding on that last one, sort of).

[Anonymous]

I read the Ensign with the same approach as the editorial section of the newspaper. Some things I agree with others I am in direct opposition to. To me the Ensign is full of editorial and opinion. Some good some really bad.

As far as confusion goes it is only confusing if you keep trying to fit church theology into your world view. The picture is much clearer when you just accept the best available evidence on face value. No mental gymnastics required.

[Anonymous]

I was also quite fond of the this quote from the Hugh B. Brown article:

Quote:

I would also like to read some words by the Honorable John Gardner, former secretary of health, education, and welfare under Lyndon B. Johnson, having to do with current problems:

The possibility of coherent community action is diminished today by the deep mutual suspicions and antagonisms among various groups in our national life.

As these antagonisms become more intense, the pathology is much the same. . . . The ingredients are, first, a deep conviction on the part of the group as to its own limitless virtue or the overriding sanctity of its cause; second, grave doubts concerning the moral integrity of all others; third, a chronically aggrieved feeling that power has fallen into the hands of the unworthy (that is, the hands of others). . . .

Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: An excessively simple diagnosis of the world’s ills and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all. . . . Blind belief in one’s cause and a low view of the morality of other Americans–these seem mild failings. But they are the soil in which ranker weeds take root . . . terrorism, and the deep, destructive cleavages that paralyze a society.3

Of course this applies to religions but it also applies to nationalism, political parties, communities, civic groups etc. I think it is important to point out that many of the “religious” problems that we discuss are in no way confined to religion.

[Author]

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