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My mom believes that the Gospel or teachings of the Church should be so simple a child can understand it. My dad feels it should be simple, but loves reading Hugh Nibley, especially about his understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Neither have had to reconstruct their faith like I have. Now is the Gospel of Jesus Christ or doctrine of Christ or church teachings always supposed to be to be so simple a child can understand it? After having my faith reconstruction, I believe the Spirit is telling it can be that simple, but the more you learn the more you don’t know about it. What are your thoughts? Since I see “the Gospel” and “the teachings” of Jesus as different things, I would say both “Yes” and “No” – respectively. I think I can explain the heart of the Gospel (what I believe it to be, at least) to an average 8-year-old in such a way that s/he will understand what I’m saying – but there are normal adults who have a hard time with the type of perspective that allows understanding of parables, for example.
Love God and your neighbor as yourself. Doesn’t get much simpler than that. I want to think it is as simple as the two great commandments but when I listen to doctrine and practices I get lost. Then I hear from the pulpit how simple the gospel is I get angry because to me it isn’t simple, it’s darned complicated. It depends on how you break it down. In the LDS doctrine, there are probably enough points of doctrine to fill a fairly hefty book (and let’s call in Mormon Doctrine 2.0). Some of these doctrines create interaction with each other in a way that make it impossible to fully reconcile. For example, we had to come to Earth to take on a physical form in order to progress to our full potential of being ‘like’ God. Yet, there’s that fella we call the Holy Ghost… But, the question we have to ask is what is the minimum set of elements of the “doctrine” that if a person understood and followed, would make them Mormon… or Christian? All points of doctrine are not on the same level of importance. It doesn’t matter so much whether the HG has or ever will have a body, but it matters a great deal that the atonement can be a source of power for raising up oneself into a new life.
So, if you can find the minimalist set of teachings that constitute Mormonism (or Christianity), then, yes, I believe is is simple enough for a child to understand.
GBSmith wrote:Love God and your neighbor as yourself. Doesn’t get much simpler than that.
^This.
:thumbup: I have this vague recollection about a pop psych book in times past about not sweating the small stuff. There’s so much of that in just about all religions if you’re not careful you’ll forget to shovel it all out of the way to get to simple part that’s what it’s all about. Primary programs, standards nights, getting fast offerings collected, reports, meetings, etc. are fine but they’re not the gospel if they’re not based on and help someone to do the important stuff. I really don’t believe in most of it anymore but I do that, love God and your neighbor and that helps me stay LDS. The Gospel can be summed up as: Love God. God loves you.
Love your neighbor. God loves your neighbor too.
Repent and forgive.
Jesus loved God, loved foreigners and outcasts, forgave his murderers.
I’m working hard on all three parts, not always succeeding.
I used to hear that the Gospel is beautifully simple and simply beautiful in another church. For them it was, but it isn’t for the LDS.
We add:
Believe in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith.
Get the priesthood. Twice.
Make sure you pay right.
Get married, have kids, seal all and sundry that are remotely related to you.
Do umpteen callings and more besides.
Well, not if you belong to the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has some pretty complicated teachings if you ask me. 🙄 I seemed to understand it, as a child. Now as an adult I feel lost among the things I feel come from Christ and the things that I don’t. It works for people until it doesn’t. It is simple until you find contradictory facts, arbitrary punishments (which fluctuate with different leaders), withholding of recommends, weddings without families, inability to question things without getting crusty looks, people who feel left out or less than (LGBT, singles, divorced, unmarried). The gospel of loving our neighbor is a simple concept. It is when men get involved in outlining the specifics that it becomes impossible for me to reconcile.
That is why I have to go back to Christ and his teachings. That brings me comfort and feels right.
1 Corinthians 13:11 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Interestingly enough this topic was explored in SM last week. We had the stake primary presidency talk about how kids know gospel truths mainly through song. I think the gospel that Jesus taught can be understood by children, but as adults and mormons we add so much stuff to the basics it gets confusing. Interesting ways to look at it. When I share the Gospel with others, bear my testimony, teach lessons, or give talks I try to keep it simple, while, at the same time, share some of my insights that help me grasp it all. I agree that sometimes as adults we can sometimes make the Gospel more complicated than it needs to be.
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