Perspective Part 3A - Letter to a Doubter Notes

The Letter to a Doubter (FAIR Podcast) (PDF) was the basis of "The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections on the Quest For Faith," a book by LDS-faithful Terryl and Fiona Givens. Here are my notes from the FAIR Podcast:

Letter to a Doubter:
Our doubt might be the result of false assumptions. For example, B. H. Roberts, a Seventy in the early twentieth century, wrestled with the question how did the numerous Indian languages develop in about a thousand years if the Lamanites were speaking Reformed Egyptian in 400 AD.  He assumed the hemispheric model for Book of Mormon--the land northward is North America and the land southward is South America.  He also assumed the Nephites and Lamanites were the only people.  Current LDS scholarship favors a limited geography (about 500 by 200 miles) and other inhabitants in North and South America. Under this model, the Lamanites were absorbed (linguistically, culturally, and genetically) into the dominate population.

There are 5 basic false assumptions:

1. The Prophetic Mantel

• Biblical prophets were not perfect (examples cited).
• Modern prophets are not infallible examples of virtue and perfection.
• Joseph Smith, "I don't want you to think that I am very righteous for I am not very righteous."
• God calls the "weak vessels" so that we faith in God and not the prophets natural abilities.
• The prophet will not lead us astray means the prophet will not teach us any soul destroying doctrine not that they'll never error.
• A prophet means they have the priesthood keys, not infallibility or righteousness.

2. Nature of the Restoration

• For the D&C: the Restoration means God is bringing the church back out of the wilderness.
• The Priesthood was lost and the truth was scattered.
• Joseph Smith brought it back into a coherent whole.

3. Mormon Exclusivity

• Joseph Smith had a Universalist view.
• Mormons don't have a monopoly on truth, righteousness, or God's approbation.

4. Efficacy of Institutional Religion

• Holiness is found it how we treat others.
• Relationships wear away our rough edges.
• The LDS perspective is that heaven has the same sociality.
• There are no Zion individuals, only a Zion community.

5. Satisfactions of the Gospel

• Discipleship is not always joyous.
• Spiritual peaks and valleys allow us to go from God's servant to God's son.