My ex (we're pretty good friends now) will occasionally ask if I'm ever coming back to church. My response is always that when I joined the church, I was taught that god is the same yesterday, today and forever. That being said, how can one reconcile all the changes that have been made to scripture, doctrine, past prophetic declarations, etc.

That, in and of itself, should be the litmus test for all that claim to have the one and only true church.

Ron

Such irony.

Hey, gimme a break. I said "should be", not "IS". ;) who peed in your cheerios?

Now there is the ultimate litmus test right there.

My family considers that a no-brainer.

(Quoting them) "God remains the same, but people and times change, so God's interaction adapts. That's why we have living prophets."

My answer to when I'll come back:

*When the church releases its finances in an annual report like other corporations do.

*When they total get rid of the temple and its cultish handshakes (and ancillary exclusive wedding ceremony).

*And... when they actually DO something about polygamy. Admit it for what it was, apologize for it, and clean up the mess it has created, and eliminate the doctrinal sections and sealings.

They could do all these things under the guise of "modern revelation" without most members missing a heartbeat. Well... except for the fact they'd find out the church is actually a business....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2010 08:22PM by jpt.

I think the litmus test is magic underwear. Who would go to a church where the bishop asks you what kind of underwear you wear?

Who'd belong to a group where it's considered perfectly OK for a leering bishop to ask teenagers intimate questions?

Especially considering that Joseph Smith spent a great deal of his life looking at the ceiling in his bedroom.

That's not doctrine!