User:InProgress/Website reviews/Kitchen1

Website review: Staylds.com

* You can still believe in a God if you want, without believing in an anthropomorphic or mean-spirited one.
* You can have a testimony of Jesus' teachings, even if you are unsure of the historical Jesus.
* You can still find great inspiration and truth in the Book of Mormon, even if you no longer view it as an historical document.
* You can still believe that Joseph Smith and President Monson were or are divinely inspired, even while simultaneously flawed.
* You can still believe that God dwells within Mormonism, while also dwelling elsewhere.
* Even though the brethren themselves often set things up as "all or nothing," "true or false," "legitimate or a complete fraud," you do not have to slavishly bow to these blatantly false dichotomies.

Don't think of it as God's one and only true and perfect church while all others as abominations. If you think that way, the church will always fall short. Instead, think of it as a bunch of men (and a few women -- in terms of leadership) who are just trying their best to fulfill their callings while balancing work, family, and personal stuff -- and stumbling a great deal along the way. Don't think of its leaders as having a direct, telephone-like communication line with God. They probably don't.
—The author of Staylds.com (http://staylds.com/docs/HowToStay.html)

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Overview

FAIR's evaluation of the web site Staylds.com

The website is a study in how to be a lukewarm member of the Church. We agree with the web site's evaluation of how some members are shaken as a result of their fundamentalist views. We do not agree with the formula presented for dealing with it.

The "Brethren's dilemma"

The site discusses what it calls the "the situation of LDS General Authorities," and implies that they are lying. It portrays General Authorities as remaining in the Church for the following reasons:

• The site claims that General Authorities are from multi-generational LDS families.
• The site claims that General Authorities' "social status" is inextricably tied to the "church's exclusive truthfulness."
• The site claims that General Authorities are too busy to study "controversial LDS Church history."
• They state that the Church "once made a sincere attempt at openness and full disclosure" of Church history, and then gave up because of "decreased activity and commitment."
• The site claims that General Authorities do not dispute anything taught by past Church leaders because they do not want to "erode their own basis of power and influence."
• The site casts doubt upon the Brethren's sincerity by stating "Assuming that the brethren are sincere believers in both the truthfulness of the church, and in its goodness," that they play a balancing game of member retention by deliberately avoiding tough questions.

It is significant to note that nothing in the list above credits the Brethren for being committed to the Church because they sincerely have testimonies of Jesus Christ and the work that they are performing. Consider Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's definition of a testimony. Elder Uchtdorf notes that,

The testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful motivating force in our lives. Jesus repeatedly emphasized the power of good thoughts and proper motives: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (DC 6꞉36)....a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will always include these clear and simple truths

• God lives. He is our loving Father in Heaven, and we are His children.
• Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and the Savior of the world.
• Joseph Smith is the prophet of God through whom the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in the latter days.
• The Book of Mormon is the word of God.
• President Gordon B. Hinckley, his counselors, and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the prophets, seers, and revelators in our day.
  

—Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Power of a Personal Testimony,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 37–39 (emphasis added)

The "Brethren's dilemma" presented by the web site completely ignores the Brethren's own stated motivations for the work that they do, and therefore implies that they are lying. Elder Uchtdorf's description of his own motivations is quite at odds with that presented by the web site.

The Brethren have "little, if any time for deep study of controversial LDS Church history?"

To help him with the translation, Joseph found with the gold plates “a curious instrument which the ancients called Urim and Thummim, which consisted of two transparent stones set in a rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.” Joseph also used an egg-shaped, brown rock for translating called a seer stone.
—“A Peaceful Heart,” Friend, Sep 1974, 7

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The site naively assumes,

In the end, we are quite convinced that a majority of them are simply not aware of peep stones, polyandry, Adam/God theory, blood atonement, the Danites, etc. Of course they have heard these terms throughout their lives, but they would have no real impetus, and most importantly, no time to study them deeply. They are super-busy men, and in their minds, the church is true -- so why dig much deeper?

It is absurd to assume that those leading the Church are unaware of its history. The implication, of course, is that if the Brethren were to become aware of these things that they would lose their faith. Many of the issues mentioned have actually been "hidden" in Church publications such as the Ensign and the Friend. (See Censorship and revision of LDS history).

"peep" stones and "seer" stones

A search of lds.org for the pejorative term "peep stone" yields nothing, as one might expect. A search for the term "seer stone" yields the following (Note that the first reference is from the children's magazine the Friend!):

• 1974: "To help him with the translation, Joseph found with the gold plates “a curious instrument which the ancients called Urim and Thummim, which consisted of two transparent stones set in a rim of a bow fastened to a breastplate.” Joseph also used an egg-shaped, brown rock for translating called a seer stone." (“A Peaceful Heart,” Friend, Sep 1974, 7)
• 1977, Richard Lloyd Anderson: "There he gave his most detailed view of 'the manner in which the Book of Mormon was translated': “Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light." (Richard Lloyd Anderson, “‘By the Gift and Power of God’,” Ensign, Sep 1977, 79)
• 1993, Russell M. Nelson: "David Whitmer wrote: 'Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine.'" (Russell M. Nelson, “A Treasured Testament,” Ensign, Jul 1993, 61)
• 1997, Neal A. Maxwell: "Martin Harris related of the seer stone: 'Sentences would appear and were read by the Prophet and written by Martin'" (Neal A. Maxwell, “‘By the Gift and Power of God’,” Ensign, Jan 1997, 36)