Quote:
Originally Posted by Indy Coug
It is better than one man perish than an entire nation perish and dwindle in unbelief.
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The great irony of Mormonism is that the highest leaders have much less of a literalist approach than the average member.
One of the most shocking, eye-opening experiences of my life was when Elder Ballard came to the MTC and the missionaries around me kept saying: "We're standing 20 feet away from a person who has seen and touched Jesus Christ!" My first thought was: "Wow. You guys are nuts. I had no idea there were people like you in this religion."
President Hunter always openly proclaimed that his revelation came by the still small voice, just like it comes to the average member.
President Kimball was my dad's uncle, and my dad was very close to him personally. My dad came to understand quite clearly that President Kimball's experiences were just like President Hunter described. President Kimball also discussed the blacks and the priesthood issue with the family, including extended family, for many, many years prior to changing the policy. But it was definitely a policy that he set out to change, as he was very sensitive to racial discrimination issues. It wasn't something mystical or magical that this "revelation" came to him.
Brigham Young struggled himself because he admitted that he was unable to receive visions like Joseph Smith did, and for quite some time, he felt that he was not a prophet as Joseph was.
These are fallible, good, inspired prophets.
Mormonism is about searching for truth and thinking and discussing and praying. It's not about blind acceptance. Having fantasies about our leaders chit-chatting with God face to face or dreaming that the words of the prophets are somehow directly the voice of God... I just don't see any reason to take this kind of attitude toward the prophets.
I believe in listening to them and praying and striving to heed their counsel, but I don't believe in interpreting their words as the literal word of God.
Tex thinks my attitude is a threat to Mormonism. I think his attitude is more of a threat, because it's a precarious testimony that relies on a literal interpretation and denies the facts. I hate to break it to you, Tex, but there simply weren't elephants and horses in the Americas in precolumbian times.