View source for Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 15

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{{H1
|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 15
|H=Response to claims made in "Chapter 15: The Arm of Flesh"
|T=[[../../]]
|A=Jerald and Sandra Tanner
|<=[[../Chapter 14|Chapter 14]]
|>=[[../Chapter 16|Chapter 16]]
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{{H2
|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/The Changing World of Mormonism/Chapter 15
|H=Response to claims made in The Changing World of Mormonism, "Chapter 15: The Arm of Flesh"
|S=
|L1=Response to claim: 431-439 - There has been no new revelation since the time of Joseph Smith
|L2=Response to claim: 431 - The Church teaches that you must let the leaders do your thinking for you
|L3=Response to claim: 433 - Joseph F. Smith said that he never received revelation
|L4=Response to claim: 434 - The Church chose to canonize two "new" revelations in order to counter claims made by the Tanners
|L5=Response to claim: 435 - The Church has never produced a copy of the revelation granting Blacks the ability to receive the priesthood
|L6=Response to claim: 437 - Brigham Young claimed that his sermons were the same as scripture
}}
</onlyinclude>	

==Response to claim: 431-439 - There has been no new revelation since the time of Joseph Smith==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
There has been no new revelation since the time of Joseph Smith.
}}
{{misinformation|This is incorrect.	
}}
{{:Question: If every President of the Church is a prophet, seer, and revelator, why have so few revelations after Joseph Smith been added to the Doctrine and Covenants?}}

==Response to claim: 431 - The Church teaches that you must let the leaders do your thinking for you==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
The Church teaches that you must let the leaders do your thinking for you.
|authorsources=<br>
#''Improvement Era'', June 1945, p.354
}}
{{disinformation|The cited article was ''specifically repudiated'' by the President of the Church.
}}
{{:Source:When the Prophet Speaks, Is the Thinking Done?}}

==Response to claim: 433 - Joseph F. Smith said that he never received revelation==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Joseph F. Smith said that he never received revelation.
|authorsources=<br>
#''Reed Smoot Case'', Vol. 1, pages 483-484
}}
{{misinformation|The authors have distorted the source that they are using. President Smith denied presenting any revelation for sustaining vote at general conference, which was true as of that date. He did not deny receiving other forms of revelation
}}
{{:Question: At the Reed Smoot Senate hearings, did Joseph F. Smith tesify that he never received revelation?}}

==Response to claim: 434 - The Church chose to canonize two "new" revelations in order to counter claims made by the Tanners==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
The Church chose to canonize two "new" revelations in order to counter claims made by the Tanners.
}}
{{propaganda|The authors have too high an opinion of themselves.  Church leaders have long insisted that new revelation comes frequently to the Church, and this long pre-dates their anti-Mormon crusade:
::So, when people say: "We ought to have revelation now as we did in the day of Joseph," we must answer, "Open your eyes; we do have revelation every day; such as we need from day to day." (John A. Widtsoe, 1939) <ref> John A. Widtsoe, "Modern Revelation and Modern Questions," ''The Deseret News'', Church Section (28 January 1939): 6.</ref>		
}}

==Response to claim: 435 - The Church has never produced a copy of the revelation granting Blacks the ability to receive the priesthood==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
The Church has never produced a copy of the revelation granting Blacks the ability to receive the priesthood.
}}
{{misinformation|Those involved [[Blacks_and_the_priesthood/Lifting_the_ban#The_Revelation|described]] the receipt of the revelation.
}}
{{:Question: Were there witnesses to the revelation that ended the priesthood ban?}}
{{:Question: What testimonies were offered regarding the revelation that ended the priesthood ban?}}

==Response to claim: 437 - Brigham Young claimed that his sermons were the same as scripture==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=The Changing World of Mormonism
|claim=
Brigham Young claimed that his sermons were the same as scripture.
|authorsources=<br>
#{{JDfairwiki|vol=13|start=95|author=Brigham Young|disc=13}}
}}
{{misinformation|The Tanners neglect to provide Brigham's detailed instructions about when and under what circumstances his sermons were scripture. Brigham explained his meaning, but the critics generally do not tell us what he means:

<blockquote>
Brother Orson Hyde referred to a few who complained about not getting revelations. I will make a statement here that has been brought against me as a crime, perhaps, or as a fault in my life. Not here, I do not allude to anything of the kind in this place, but in the councils of the nations&mdash;that Brigham Young has said "when he sends forth his discourses to the world they may call them Scripture." I say now, when they are copied and approved by me they are as good Scripture as is couched in this Bible, and if you want to read revelation read the sayings of him who knows the mind of God, without any special command to one man to go here, and to another to go yonder, or to do this or that, or to go and settle here or there. (JD 13:264, 6 October 1870)
</blockquote>
}}
* {{QuoteMining|Journal of Discourses|13:95}}


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