Comments on: By the Voice of My Servants

By: RoastedTomatoes

RoastedTomatoes — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The logical proposition that people want this text to support is:

IF a general authority says it THEN God has said it.

What the text actually says is:

IF God has said it THEN God will do it.

People get confused because there's a clarification that God can say things either personally or indirectly. But we need to be clear that this scripture only applies to things God says, not things general authorities say for themselves. Furthermore, the only way we can tell when GAs are speaking for God vs. themselves is by testing their words with the spirit.

I think there are two reasons people produce this kind of misreading. First, some Latter-day Saints have little experience with careful reading of texts. Second, people sometimes really want to believe something, so they find a text that's close enough to be distorted into what they want. (It's comforting to think that the GAs are infallible voices for God. It's just not true...)

By: Rusty

Rusty — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Interesting point, Kim. I hadn’t thought about that scripture in a while and forgot that people use it for that reason. I also like Roasted Tomatoes analysis.`

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

You had PEC on Father’s Day?…bummer.

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Doesn’t bother me. I don’t celebrate Father’s Day.

By: Smiles

Smiles — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

how come you don’t celebrate Father’s Day? Our ward held no PEC oe Ward Council meetings yesterday so that the men could stay at home with their families. They did the same for Mother’s Day so the men could stay home to take care of kids so moms could have a break

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I don't see the point in it. My children tell me every day they love me. They give me cards and homemade gifts all the time. I don't see the point in my children having to tell me how much they love and appreciate me on a specific day every year.

FWIW, we had PEC on Mother's Day.

By: Geoff J

Geoff J — Tue, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

used D&C 1:38 to explain how what the general authorities say is from God.

I have been forming a theory over at the Thang that God lets his servants make up many of the temporal rules for us and as long as they are within certain boundaries God then backs them as if they were his idea originally. There seem to be gobs of scriptures that support this idea.