Yesterday’s Doctrine
Can We Trust Prophets?
CES Letter Core Question
Prophets changed the policy on race and no longer practices polygamy. Plus Brigham taught disavowed Adam-God and Blood Atonement. Can we trust prophets?
Introduction
2013 “Prophets, Seers, and Revelators” throwing yesterday’s “Prophets, Seers, and Revelators” under the bus over yesterday’s racist revelations and doctrines
(A clever couplet)
Adam-God
Yesterday’s doctrine is today’s false doctrine and yesterday’s prophet is today’s heretic.
(Not a doctrine widely accepted or taught by the body of the church)
Blood Atonement
Yesterday’s doctrine is today’s false doctrine. Yesterday’s prophet is today’s heretic.
(Not a doctrine widely accepted or taught by the body of the church)
Polygamy
Yesterday's doctrine is today's false doctrine. Yesterday's prophets are today's heretics.
(A practice that God determines when it's permitted)
Black's Ban
Yesterday’s racist doctrine and revelation is now today’s “disavowed theories.”
Yesterday’s doctrine is today’s false doctrine. Yesterday’s 10 prophets are today’s heretics.
(Not a doctrine. A policy that changed)
CES Letter, Prophets Section
The core goal of this section is to try to undermine whether we can trust prophets. The letter cherry picks (a logical fallacy) a few occasions where the church has changed things and uses this to say that prophets aren't reliable
These couplets (with their loaded language) reflect insincerity and multiple inaccuracies.
There is no law of polygamy or covenant of polygamy or ceremony of polygamy. Polygamy is not a condition of the law of eternal marriage (D&C 132:7). It is a principle within the new and everlasting covenant of marriage.
Polygamy and monogamy are both practices that are included within the doctrines of the gospel (see Genesis 25:1; Jacob 2:27). God determines which of those marriage practices will be permitted or sometimes commanded according to His will and the individual circumstances of His followers on earth (Jacob 2:30). Switching from one practice to the other required no change of doctrine.
Withholding the priesthood from African-American men was based upon a policy developed by Brigham Young.Changing that policy in 1978 did not require any change of Church doctrine.
Joseph Smith taught: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Articles of Faith 9). Some new revelations will be expansive, but others may requires changes in policies and practices as the Church reacts to changing local situations and tensions.
Additional Resources:
FAIRMORMON: Mormonism and Racial Issues
“Race and Priesthood” LDS.org Essay
Revelations in the Summer of 1978: A Personal Essay on Race and the Priesthood
Black Latter-day Saints: A Faith-FULL History (2003 FAIR Conference) by Margaret Blair Young
Blacks and the Priesthood by Marvin Perkins
Blacks in the Bible (2005 FAIR Conference) by Darius Gray
Dispelling the Black Myth (2002 FAIR Conference) by Renee Olson
How to Reach African-Americans (2005 FAIR Conference) by Marvin Perkins
International Perspectives of a Black Member in a “White” Church (2004 FAIR Conference) by Alex Boye
No Johnny-Come-Lately: The 182-Year-Long BLACK Mormon Moment (2012 FAIR Conference) by Darius Gray
The Charge of “Racism” in the Book of Mormon (2003 FAIR Conference) by John A. Tvedtnes
The LDS Church and the Race Issue: A Study in Misplaced Apologetics by Armand Mauss
What Does the Book of Mormon Mean by “Skin of Blackness”? by Brant Gardner
History of Blacks and the LDS Church, ,
Africa and the Welcome Table — Margaret Young, ,
Brigham Young and Racism — Russel Stevenson Podcast, ,
Mormon FAIR-Cast 79: Does Mitt Romney belong to a “racist religion”?, ,
Elijah Able, The First Black Mormon Priesthood Holder — Fair Mormon Podcast, ,
Blacks and the Priesthood- Interview with Max Mueller- Fair Mormon Podcast, ,
Articles of Faith 13: Russell Stevenson FairMormon Conference Follow Up – Coming to Grips With Brigham Young and Race, Russell Stevenson, 0:26:24
Articles of Faith 16: Margaret Blair Young – The Heart of Africa and The Welcome Table, Margaret Blair Young, 0:39:38
Best of Fair 5: A Black Man in Zion: Reflections on Race in the Restored Gospel, Marcus H. Martins, 0:48:45
FAIR Conversations, Episode 16: Max Mueller, on blacks and the priesthood, Max Mueller, 1:29:51
FairMormon Frameworks 6: Russell Stevenson and “Elijah Ables”, Russell Stevenson, 0:49:22
Mormon FAIR-Cast 42: From Panthers to Priesthood, Ed & Wanda Willis, 1:23:13
Mormon FAIR-Cast 79: Does Mitt Romney belong to a “racist religion”?, Scott Gordon, 0:18:36
Mormon FAIR-Cast 128: Blacks in the Bible, Darius Gray, 0:47:01
Mormon FAIR-Cast 129: Skin Color & Curses, Marvin Perkins, 0:45:47
Mormon FAIR-Cast 130: Equality and Priesthood, Marvin Perkins, 0:27:34
Mormon FAIR-Cast 131: Blacks and the LDS Priesthood, Darius Gray, 0:35:59
Mormon FAIR-Cast 185: Race and the Priesthood, Russell Stevenson, 1:07:40
RiseUp Podcast – From Baptist Preacher to Mormon Teacher, the story of Wain Myers, Wain Myers, 0:36:00
RiseUp Podcast – Having conversations about the history of Blacks and the LDS Church, Russell Stevenson, 0:17:11
Articles of Faith 16: Margaret Blair Young – The Heart of Africa and The Welcome Table, Margaret Blair Young, 0:39:38
pt 1, Dispelling the Black Myth
pt 2, Dispelling the Black Myth
pt 3, Dispelling the Black Myth
pt 4, Dispelling the Black Myth
pt 1, Black Latter-day Saints: A Faith-FULL History
pt 2, Black Latter-day Saints: A Faith-FULL History
pt 3, Black Latter-day Saints: A Faith-FULL History
pt 4, Black Latter-day Saints: A Faith-FULL History
pt 1, On being a Black Man in Zion, 2006 FAIR Conference
pt 2, On being a Black Man in Zion, 2006 FAIR Conference
pt 3, On being a Black Man in Zion, 2006 FAIR Conference
pt 4, On being a Black Man in Zion, 2006 FAIR Conference
Pt 1 Reaching the Black Saints
pt 2 Reaching the Black Saints
pt 3 Reaching the Black Saints
pt 4 Reaching the Black Saints
pt 5 Reaching the Black Saints
LDS Church and the Race Issue: Study in Misplaced Apologetic
2LDS Church and the Race Issue Study in Misplaced Apologetic
3LDS Church and the Race Issue Study in Misplaced Apologetic
The Charge of Racism in The Book of Mormon by John Tvedtnes
Blacks in the Scriptures Blacks and the LDS Priesthood
Mormon Doctrine on Blacks, Race and Priesthood Restriction Explained
Blacks in the Scriptures: Skin Color & Curses
Exciting Announcement From Blacks In The Scriptures
Blacks in the Scriptures: Equality & Priesthood
Blacks in the Scriptures: Blacks in the Bible
Blacks and the Scriptures: Blacks and the LDS Priesthood
Alex Boye- An International Perspective of a Black Member in a “White” Church