The podcast explores how to determine reliable doctrine within the LDS faith, emphasizing critical thinking and faith, embracing complexity in faith, building confidence through scriptural comparison, and addressing conflicting revelations in early church history.
Evaluate doctrinal truth claims based on scripture and teachings of modern prophets for reliability.
Confirmation by the Spirit is crucial in discerning true doctrine alongside scripture and prophetic teachings.
Develop doctrinal confidence levels by aligning scripture, prophetic teachings, and personal revelation for solid understanding.
Deep dives
Importance of Scripture and Teaching in Doctrine
To determine the reliability of a doctrinal truth claim, it is crucial to consider if it is taught repeatedly in scripture and by modern prophets. The scriptures serve as the touchstone for measuring correctness and truth, and true principles are taught frequently and by many. The united voice of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is also a crucial factor. When these teachings align with scripture and are consistently taught over time, our confidence in their truthfulness grows.
The Role of the Spirit in Determining Doctrine
Confirmation by the Spirit is another important aspect in discerning true doctrine. While scripture and prophetic teachings provide a foundation, personal revelation through the Spirit is crucial to developing a personal knowledge and testimony. The Spirit can confirm the truthfulness of doctrine and guide individuals in their understanding and application of it.
The Challenge of Evaluating Doctrine
Evaluating doctrinal truth claims can be complex, as not all statements carry the same weight. Having doctrinal confidence levels is important, recognizing that some claims are more firmly established and consistently taught than others. It is essential to rely on the authoritative sources of scripture, repeated teachings of prophets, and confirmation by the Spirit to develop a solid understanding of true doctrine.
The Three Lenses of Doctrinal Reliability
The podcast episode discusses the three lenses through which doctrinal reliability can be evaluated. According to the hosts, the first lens is scripture, which is considered primary when it comes to doctrine. The teachings must be consistent and harmonious across the scriptures to gain credibility. The second lens is living prophets, who are deemed essential for guidance and direction in the modern church. While scripture is primary, the teachings of living prophets, when repeatedly taught and verified through scripture, carry great weight. The third lens is the confirmation of the Holy Ghost. The hosts emphasize the importance of personal revelation and the need to align it with the scriptures and teachings of living prophets for doctrinal reliability. They caution against revelatory confusion and advocate for the use of all three lenses in conjunction with one another to evaluate and develop confidence in doctrinal truths.
Mitigating Concerns: Scripture, Prophets, and the Spirit
The hosts discuss how to mitigate concerns regarding doctrinal confusion and misinterpretation. They emphasize the value of comparing teachings to scripture, looking for consistency and harmony. Living prophets are important in guiding the Church, and their teachings, when repeatedly verified in scripture, add further validation. The confirmation of the Holy Ghost is also crucial, but the hosts acknowledge the challenges of interpreting spiritual experiences. They highlight the need for discernment and caution against relying solely on emotional manifestations or personal opinions. The hosts stress the importance of using all three lenses in conjunction with one another to minimize doctrinal confusion and develop a solid foundation of understanding.
Just before he left home for college, eighteen year old Henry Eyring, the future world renowned LDS scientist, was invited by his father, Edward Eyring, to sit down for some fatherly counsel. After sharing his firm conviction that Joseph Smith was a true prophet whom God used to restore his church, Edward said to his son, “Now, there are a lot of other matters which are much less clear to me. But in this Church you don’t have to believe anything that isn’t true.”
In this Church you don’t have to believe anything that isn’t true. Hmm. This echoes President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s teaching when he declared, “Latter-day Saints are not asked to blindly accept everything they hear. We are encouraged to think and discover truth for ourselves. We are expected to ponder, to search, to evaluate, and thereby to come to a personal knowledge of the truth.”
So, how do we do this when it comes to theological or doctrinal truth? How can we confidently determine what is and what is not reliable doctrine so we can decide what to believe?
In this episode of Church History Matters we dive into this very question and explore three vital questions to ask when evaluating all doctrinal truth claims.
