A great quote from Elder Richards

[Archaea]

Elder Richards in an Open Letter to College Students wrote:
"What if Hebrew prophets, conversant with only a small fraction of the surface of the earth, thinking and writing in terms of their own limited geography and tribal relations did interpret Him in terms of a tribal king and so limit his personality and the laws of the universe under his control to the dominion with which they were familiar?"

Stephen L. Richards, Improvement Era, 36 no. 8, (June 1933) 453

[Sleeping in EQ]

It's quite possible.

[Flystripper]

Originally Posted by Adam

This quote could blow the church up. If followed along, it would lead to an explosion of doctrine and culture that would change the face of the church forever. This is truly revolutionary stuff. Handle with care.

Doctrinal dynamite such as this, when wielded by a man who was an apostle at the time and eventually became a member of the First Presidency, is not easily dismissed.

However, since it was said in 1933 and has subsequently had very little effect on current church culture and doctrine, it must have been dismissed as merely opinion.

I find the statement very progressive and thought provoking despite being recorded nearly 75 years ago. I actually like where that line of thinking takes me.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Elder Richards in an Open Letter to College Students wrote:
"What if Hebrew prophets, conversant with only a small fraction of the surface of the earth, thinking and writing in terms of their own limited geography and tribal relations did interpret Him in terms of a tribal king and so limit his personality and the laws of the universe under his control to the dominion with which they were familiar?"

Stephen L. Richards, Improvement Era, 36 no. 8, (June 1933) 453

Can you provide the article in its entirety?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Can you provide the article in its entirety?

I'll look to see if I have a copy of the entire article.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I'll look to see if I have a copy of the entire article.

I would assume he expanded on this thought, so I'm curious what else he had to say on the matter.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

I would assume he expanded on this thought, so I'm curious what else he had to say on the matter.

I may have just lifted it from somebody else's talk, never having seen the entire article. I don't have many articles in total from 1933.

[YOhio]

Is this it?

http://eyring.hplx.net/Eyring/faq/ev.../openlttr.html

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by YOhio

Is this it?

http://eyring.hplx.net/Eyring/faq/ev.../openlttr.html

He was a lot more enlightened than many LDS leaders who followed him decades later.

[Indy Coug]

Unfortunately, however, the tolerance and sympathy which in modern
times have been manifest for people having divergent views have not been
shown so generously toward the Bible itself. Many of the scientific world
having discovered that the earth is round and not flat as the people of the
Old Testament evidently believed it to be have ungenerously, and it seems
to me, ruthlessly, thrown the good book into the discard with unconcealed
contempt. They point out with gloating satisfaction that the God of the
Hebrews is a capricious, jealous, tribal God fighting the battles of his
favored people and reveling in the defeat of their enemies....

It's an interesting letter.