Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Many of Jesus’ teachings were meant not to be understood. His parables were famous for disguising more than they revealed. I believe that hidden meanings are a pattern that is required of all Gospel teachings. Continue reading
The prophet Wilford Woodruff taught,
I say to Israel, the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so he will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty.
This doctrine says that the prophet will always lead the church correctly. A different, and equally accepted, doctrine maintains that prophets are just people that can make mistakes. I recently heard a story retold about the fallibility of divine revelation:
Simonds Ryder was converted to the Church in 1831. Later he received a letter signed by the Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, informing him that it was the Lord’s will, made manifest by the Spirit, that he preach the gospel. Both in the letter he received and in the official commission to preach, his name was spelled Rider instead of Ryder. Simonds Ryder “thought if the ‘Spirit’ through which he had been called to preach could err in the matter of spelling his name, it might have erred in calling him to the ministry as well; or, in other words, he was led to doubt if he were called at all by the Spirit of God, because of the error in spelling his name!” (History of the Church, 1:261). Simonds Ryder later apostatized from the Church.
For many believers there is tension between God’s perfection and the apparent mistakes in some of his earthly messages. Ironically, only someone who achieved complete confidence in a prophet could be surprised by as small an error as a spelling mistake. After a short digression, I’ll explain my way of reconciling these two doctrines. Continue reading
What arguments could possibly have convinced a third part of the hosts of heaven to surrender to Lucifer?
Five people sat around a table in the center of a bare classroom. Nothing in the room marked the passage of minutes, because time itself had not been created yet. A gentleman with bushy white eyebrows and trembling jowls spoke first. “I’m Caleb. I’m presiding at this meeting in place of Samson. He’ll join us later.
“We have allowed Rezin here to be our guest. I bet he wants to give us a missionary lesson.”
Rezin’s wide smile projected a halo of confidence. His mane of hair was arranged in a perfect part. Nobody made eye contact with him yet. “Thank you, Caleb. I’m here to represent His Highness. You should know that we haven’t given up on any of you, even though you rejected the Angel’s Plan and followed after the Opposition Plan. We never give up on anybody, ever.
“You agree with me on most issues. We agree that an earth should be created. That’s been unanimous. We all want to get the most out of the once-ever probationary experience. I’m here because I know I can help you and I want to tell you how to make the earth the best place for you.” Continue reading