FAIR Study Aids/Seminary/Old Testament/Week 31

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Week 30

A FAIR Analysis of: Seminary: Old Testament Teacher Resource Manual

Week 32

Day 1: Jeremiah 30–33

From the manual section: "{{{section}}}"
"Jeremiah prophesied about many wonderful events that would happen in the last days."

Commentary
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Day 2: Jeremiah 34–52

From the manual section: "{{{section}}}"
"The Lord reveals the future to His prophets to prepare and bless those who will listen."

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From the manual section: "{{{section}}}"
"The Lord accepts the repentant but punishes the rebellious, regardless of their family line or nationality."

Commentary
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Day 3: Lamentations

From the manual section: "{{{section}}}"
"Church membership alone will not save us; we must be faithful and valiant."

Commentary
Evangelical Christians claim that salvation comes through "faith alone" (sola fide) and they accuse Latter-day Saints of holding to an un-Biblical belief of "works-based salvation."

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• Mormonism and Christianity/Grace and works/Salvation by faith alone

From the manual section: "{{{section}}}"
"The Lord and His prophets have great mercy and compassion for sinners and willingly help them repent."

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Day 4: Ezekiel 1-3

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Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Jeremiah was preaching of impending destruction to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. If the job of a prophet is to "watch over and warn the people of impending danger," why doesn't the prophet predict natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis?

Response

•  ^{[needs work]}

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•  ^{[needs work]}

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Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
Some critics say that Latter-day Saint prophets aren't really "prophets" because they don't prophesy by foretelling unknown events. They commonly issue challenges such as, "If Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet, tell me one event that he's prophesied." Do LDS prophets "prophesy"?

Response
Prophets have many roles, only one of which is to prophesy future events. Most modern LDS prophets have been forthtellers rather than foretellers. The key issue is the possession of divine authority, in that they give whatever message(s) God wishes communicated to His children.
For more information

• Do latter-day prophets prophesy?

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Common criticisms related to this lesson topic
The manual teaches us to follow the prophet's counsel. Critics distort this by claiming that we must always follow the prophet's counsel without question.

Response

• Critics use a statement made in the Ward Teachers' Message published in the Improvement Era in June 1945 to claim that members must do whatever Church leaders say without question. Critics use a statement made in the Ward Teachers' Message published in the Improvement Era in June 1945 to claim that members must do whatever Church leaders say without question. The statement is presented by the critics as follows:

Any Latter-day Saint who denounces or opposes, whether actively or otherwise, any plan or doctrine advocated by the "prophets, seers, and revelators" of the Church is cultivating the spirit of apostasy.... Lucifer ... wins a great victory when he can get members of the Church to speak against their leaders and to "do their own thinking."...

When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done. When they propose a plan—it is God's plan. When they point the way, there is no other which is safe. When they give direction, it should mark the end of controversy.

• Response from President George Albert Smith regarding the statement:

I am pleased to assure you that you are right in your attitude that the passage quoted does not express the true position of the Church. Even to imply that members of the Church are not to do their own thinking is grossly to misrepresent the true ideal of the Church, which is that every individual must obtain for himself a testimony of the truth of the Gospel, must, through the redemption of Jesus Christ, work out his own salvation, and is personally responsible to His Maker for his individual acts.

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• "When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done."

From the manual section: "{{{section}}}"
"Our priesthood leaders are like watchmen. They protect those they serve by watching over and warning them of impending danger."

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Further reading

None