Joseph Smith on Diversity Among LDS
Posted in Mormon Doctrine by mormonmisc on March 10th, 2007 Read synopsis at: http://mormonmiscellaneous.com/synopses/id16.html
I assembled many sources from Joseph Smith which present his thinking. He declared that, with the restoration the heavens were opened. This created the opportunity for a great deal of new study, pondering, theorizing and new interpretation. To Joseph Smith growth demanded that the saints be free in their pursuit of greater light and knowledge. This pursuit would include gathering from new revelation, old revelation and the many truths abroad in the world. He taught that in this growth process, Latter-day Saints would be at vastly different levels of gospel advancement. This would include considerable divergence in their personal beliefs. He left doors wide open for reinterpretation and evolution in LDS belief, both personal and institutional. Full understanding of gospel and other truths would not be attained until long after the resurrection. He endorsed and defended doctrinal diversity. He refused to formulate a creed because this would stifle the freedom necessary for the growth of the saints.To demonstrate the degree of Joseph Smith’s support of doctrinal diversity I discuss three different concepts of the Godhead he endorsed concurrently during the Nauvoo period (1841-1844).
This is the live recording of a paper I presented at the Sunstone Theological Symposium held in Salt Lake City last August, 2006. It includes a response by Chuck Schofield and questions from the audience
Following the Symposium, I was invited to prepare this paper for publication in the Sunstone Magazine. This resulted in a significant expansion beyond that in the original paper. The resulting article was published in the 144th issue of Sunstone, December 2006. It includes numerous references, additional quotations and 68 footnotes with more than 100 sources used to elucidate these views of Joseph Smith.
This article is available at http://mormonmisc.podbean.com/estore-catalog/
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