Posted by:
Post-Chapel Dude
(
)
Date: September 01, 2021 06:53PM
Been doing some research on this subject. On my reading of the LDS Standard Works, doing searches throughout the LDS scripture database, repentance appears to be a Protestant version in the early church: that is you confess your faults at the waters of baptism and that's it. Confession is to Christ alone and then the initiate to baptism admitting their faults ("confessing their sins") to fellow believers in public before baptism.
The concept of worthiness interviews and confession to a leader behind closed doors seems to come much later.
I have started reading Confession in LDS Doctrine and Practice by Edward L Kimball. He is an active member but even he admits a lot. For example, at one point he is like the church leader does not forgive sins in any sense like the Catholic priest absolves sin. So it occurred to me that it's mere policy to dote out your punishment. In other words, the LDS "confessional" has no supernatural effect, it is merely procedural in order to receive your ecclesiastical "punishment" (don't take the sacrament, or excommunication, etc.).
From my point of view, a lot of the emotional damage and scrupulosity and shaming that occurs in the LDS system could be avoided if they went back to the confession methods of the original LDS Church. That would be a step in the right direction. But of course we know that is unlikely to happen because the system is now affective at creating shame and perfectionism and thus tithing revenue.
Anyone know any historical scholarship on this?