Ever had two different GAs give you instruction that exactly contradicts each other? It happened on my mission in Japan. We had a guest GA visit for a mission conference. One of the Elder’s whose Japanese wasn’t very good bore his testamony in English. The GA, who was Japanese, interupeted him and told him that he was never going to learn to love the people if he didn’t bear his testimony in Japanese. Very embarassed he gave a quick testimony and sat down. The GA then stood up and said that we all needed to SYL 100% of the time, no exceptions.

Well the next mission conference another GA is visiting. He was also Japanese. An Elder stands up and his Japanese was pretty good. He bore his testimony in Japanese. The GA stood up and ridiculed his use of ceritan Japanese phrases and told him that everybody should bear their testimony in their native language.

Well the next mission conference the president just left it entirely up to us. “Elders and sisters we’ve been given directly conflicting advice from two different general authorities. I will leave it up to you which language you feel like expressing yourself in.” I really liked my mission president and I really felt bad for him to be stuck in that position.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2011 12:42PM by peregrine.

Ya, I, Nephi, having read the 10 commandments from the Old Testament was seriously conflicted when the Lard told me to cut off Laban's head. "Thou shalt not kill, unless I tell you to, then it's okay and while you're at it, steal the dude's clothes."

Ron

Polygamy banned in the BoM then later commanded in D&C

you and your new spouse will be immediately put to death if one is black the other white.

Now its ok. Still frowned upon, but they won't kill you.

It happened in my mission as well, actually at mtc
On of the 12 one Sunday said: if we tell you to jump, start jumping, don't even ask how high, we'll tell you.

A couple of Sundays latter, another one of the 12 came and told us, if we tell you to jump, ask us why. It is healthy to ask us why. You have the right and a responsability to ask us why.

I've heard that before too. Some praising obedience without knowing why and others telling us that it's our job to know why.

I think the philosophical one is regarding 'Personal Growth' & choices, as quebec alludes us.

On one hand, Morg suggests that they want people to grow in intelligence & responsibilities, OTOH they severly limit your scope of choices.

Callings in ChurchCo are mostly a joke.
the only 'skill' they teach is how to get ppl to conform.

ever look at the bottom of a take-out bag at McD's?
they tell how many items can be placed inside!

Top Job for PH 'authority to act for God' "Elders" at stake conf.?

tell ppl where to park. Wow.

Just had this discussion (more like fight) with DH last night. He thinks that it's perfectly acceptable that the church changes commandments because according to DH, it's given to that specific group of people for a time or reason, but not necessarily everyone.

Inside I was ripping my hair out screaming at him. It got to the point that I told him that I am tired of his mean attitude and if he wants to divorce me, just get it over with. I didn't want him dragging his feet. I told I wouldn't divorce him, but that he needed to decide how he was going to live his life - loving me unconditionally or getting a new TBM Molly Mormon to take him to the CK.

I'm actually okay with commandments changing over time. I think it's a sign of honesty and growth. But in the example I gave we didn't even have time to apply the commandment before it was contradicted by another GA. To me that just shows that they don't know what they're doing and that at least one of the GAs was not divinely guided.

Just this past conference, Doyd KKK Hacker said many listening would see their kids and great-grandkids. Then Christopherockerson says the Second Coming is near.

Go figure.

I turned to my wife during BKP's talk and said, "I guess we don't have to feel guilty about not having out food storage up to date."

It seems that the lord frequently gives us conflicting commandments knowing that there is no way to obey them all. Consequently, the whole concept of prefect obedience is a sham.

Adam is told to populate the earth, but not to eat the forbidden fruit, which is the only thing that will allow him to populate the earth.

I especially like when Satan asks "Do you obey all your father's commandments?"

Trick question.

Above all that, to me it's the fact that I can no longer accept that a particular man "is closer to God than I can ever be" so he has the right to tell me what is right and what is wrong or what is true and was if false.

About the only commandment in the Bible that is time sensitive was the one about turning plowshares and pruning hooks into weapons compared with the opposite of turning the spears into pruning hooks, etc. Clearly there are times for either. But the obvious contradictions of mo commandments is hair-pulling. Indeed, the totality of mo commandments is to create unending guilt.

True missionary experience:

The Missionaries of the San Jose CA mission (2006-2012) would always tell me what transpired at zone conferences and mission conferences. Sometimes they would come straight to my home after their conference with 4 or 6 Elders and we'd all sit around and re-hash the counsel given (I'd always feed them).

On one such occasion the visiting GA was Elder Richard G. Scott of the Q12. He observed then critiqued a mock setting of missionaries giving a missionary discussion. In this example the missionaries challenged the first-time investigator to baptism. Elder Scott remarked that he would not do that, but he would only give the baptismal challenge if and only if the spirit prompted.

Then months later, on a second occasion, Elder L. Tom Perry of the Q12 was the visiting GA and he observed a similar mock setting. This time the Elders followed the previous counsel of Elder Scott and did not issue the baptismal challenge to the first-time investigator at the end of the discussion.

Perry scolded the missionaries that they must always challenge the investigator to baptism at every lesson. The Elders informed Perry that they were simply following the counsel of Scott. To which Perry stated, "I'm the senior Apostle and I over-ride Elder Scott."

And that is the dirty little secret: the non-unanimity of the Q12 and their political in-fighting . . . My stick's bigger than yours!



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2013 03:18PM by jiminycricket.