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Difference between revisions of "Question: How do critics of Mormonism define "lying for the Lord"?"
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|subject=A FairMormon Analysis of MormonThink page "Lying for the Lord" | |subject=A FairMormon Analysis of MormonThink page "Lying for the Lord" | ||
|summary=MormonThink concludes that "lying was the method the church used as standard operating procedure to keep from losing its members." MormonThink also notes that "The message from current leaders is clear. Pretend that the LDS leaders are infallible, blindly obey and conform." (FairMormon note: this is a standard position taken by many ex-Mormons after their disaffection with the Church). | |summary=MormonThink concludes that "lying was the method the church used as standard operating procedure to keep from losing its members." MormonThink also notes that "The message from current leaders is clear. Pretend that the LDS leaders are infallible, blindly obey and conform." (FairMormon note: this is a standard position taken by many ex-Mormons after their disaffection with the Church). | ||
| − | | | + | |L1=Response to claim: "The official version of the First Vision by Joseph Smith....evolved after years of creative editing" |
| − | | | + | |L2=Response to claim: "Moroni is pictured floating above Joseph or next to his bed, alone in his bedroom" |
| − | | | + | |L3=Response to claim: "The LDS Church permits members and others to believe that the History of the Church was written by Joseph Smith" |
| − | | | + | |L4=Response to claim: "The famous Rocky Mountain Prophecy....was a later addition to the official church history and not predicted by Joseph Smith" |
| − | | | + | |L5=Response to claim: "In the history as it was first published by Joseph Smith, we learn that the angel's name was Nephi" |
| − | | | + | |L6=Response to claim: "Official Mormon histories have omitted references to Joseph Smith's drinking and use of tobacco" |
| − | | | + | |L7=Response to claim: "Truthful Mormon history is considered anti-Mormon" |
| − | | | + | |L8=Response to claim: Joseph "published another version with original revelations revised" |
| − | | | + | |L9=Response to claim: "Mormons' official publications remove critical references to Joseph Smith's activities as a con man" |
| − | | | + | |L10=Response to claim: "Some things that are true are not very useful" |
| − | | | + | |L11=Response to claim: "Mormon histories are not forthcoming about the statements by the three and eight witnesses" |
| − | | | + | |L12=Response to claim: "The eight witnesses did not all imagine seeing the plates or angel at the same time as the church leads people to believe" |
| − | | | + | |L13=Response to claim: " Joseph Smith never had gold plates in view when "translating" |
| − | | | + | |L14=Response to claim: "nor did he use an Old Testament instrument called the Urim and Thummim" |
| − | | | + | |L15=Response to claim: "One of Joseph Smith's first experiments with adultery began with a teen-age girl named Fanny Ward Alger" |
| − | | | + | |L16=Response to claim: "The LDS Church led by Joseph Smith, canonized monogamy as God's marriage arrangement" |
| − | | | + | |L17=Response to claim: Joseph said that "spiritual wifery" was "absolutely false and the doctrine an evil and unlawful thing" |
| − | | | + | |L18=Response to claim: "the first wife had to first give her consent in order for her husband to take another wife" |
| − | | | + | |L19=Response to claim: "Joseph Smith secretly married 17 year old Sarah Ann Whitney...He wrote to her parents who approved of the marriage, 'The only thing to be careful of is to find out when Emma comes, then you cannot be safe'" |
| − | | | + | |L20=Response to claim: Joseph "publicly denied that he practiced plural marriage" |
| − | | | + | |L21=Response to claim: "Official Mormon histories deceive readers by failing to point out that Joseph exercised poor judgment" |
| − | | | + | |L22=Response to claim: "The Manifesto of 1890 prohibiting polygamy, was in fact another attempt to dupe the U.S. government and to some extent, ordinary church members" |
}} | }} | ||
</onlyinclude> | </onlyinclude> | ||
{{endnotes sources}} | {{endnotes sources}} | ||
[[Category:One Nation Under Gods]] | [[Category:One Nation Under Gods]] | ||
Revision as of 02:29, 8 June 2017
FAIR Answers—back to home page
Question: How do critics of Mormonism define "lying for the Lord"?
Critics of Mormonism often accuse the Church (or its leaders, its missionaries, or its members) about not telling "the truth" about that which Mormons "really believe"
Generally, however, the 'truth' which the critic wishes the Church would spread bears little or no resemblance to what the Church teaches, believes, or practices. Cries for "honesty" from the critics are often nothing more than a claim that the Church must adopt the critics' perspectives, interpretations, or preoccupations.
Critics of Mormonism may portray Church members as "lying" when the critics have, instead, misinterpreted or misrepresented what the member intended
A common example of this tactic is the claim that President Hinckley lied about LDS doctrine in an interview. As the wiki link demonstrates, this claim is false and represents a misunderstanding. This particular claim is particularly ridiculous, since it supposes that President Hinckley would believe that he could deceive a national newsmagazine, interviewing him on the record!
Members of the Church are also bound by requirements of confidentiality, which is portrayed as "lying" when they meet hostile attacks with silence
Members will not discuss certain matters which they have covenanted to keep sacred, and some experiences are not to be shared unless the Holy Spirit directs. Members may be portrayed as "lying" when they meet hostile attacks with silence, or when they attempt to protect things they consider sacred by deflecting the conversation to other topics.
Church leaders who provide spiritual guidance to others operate under confidentiality rules (sometimes called a clergy-penitent relationship) which they will not set aside even if the member being counseled chooses to speak. This provides an environment in which leaders may be falsely accused or characterized by a disenchanted member, yet the leader remains unable to defend themselves. Often, charges of "lying" are one-sided reports from the disaffected, with the other party unable to respond. We should use charity and caution in judging such cases.
Church members and leaders have similar confidentiality duties as non-member counterparts in various fields. Physicians and attorneys must keep professional confidences, military personnel must keep national security secrets from the enemy, businessmen must keep trade secrets private, etc. Meeting these ethical duties is not always easy, and could leave one vulnerable to charges that one is being 'dishonest' or 'hiding the truth.' Those who seek to find fault will likely succeed.
A FairMormon Analysis of MormonThink page "Lying for the Lord"
The critical website MormonThink.com has a laundry list of 152 cases in which they claim that "lying for the Lord" was practiced. We respond to some of the more interesting or well-known issues (follow the links below for the full response to each issue).
| Claim Evaluation |
| MormonThink |
|
A FairMormon Analysis of MormonThink page "Lying for the Lord"
Summary: MormonThink concludes that "lying was the method the church used as standard operating procedure to keep from losing its members." MormonThink also notes that "The message from current leaders is clear. Pretend that the LDS leaders are infallible, blindly obey and conform." (FairMormon note: this is a standard position taken by many ex-Mormons after their disaffection with the Church).Jump to Subtopic:
- Response to claim: "The official version of the First Vision by Joseph Smith....evolved after years of creative editing"
- Response to claim: "Moroni is pictured floating above Joseph or next to his bed, alone in his bedroom"
- Response to claim: "The LDS Church permits members and others to believe that the History of the Church was written by Joseph Smith"
- Response to claim: "The famous Rocky Mountain Prophecy....was a later addition to the official church history and not predicted by Joseph Smith"
- Response to claim: "In the history as it was first published by Joseph Smith, we learn that the angel's name was Nephi"
- Response to claim: "Official Mormon histories have omitted references to Joseph Smith's drinking and use of tobacco"
- Response to claim: "Truthful Mormon history is considered anti-Mormon"
- Response to claim: Joseph "published another version with original revelations revised"
- Response to claim: "Mormons' official publications remove critical references to Joseph Smith's activities as a con man"
- Response to claim: "Some things that are true are not very useful"
- Response to claim: "Mormon histories are not forthcoming about the statements by the three and eight witnesses"
- Response to claim: "The eight witnesses did not all imagine seeing the plates or angel at the same time as the church leads people to believe"
- Response to claim: " Joseph Smith never had gold plates in view when "translating"
- Response to claim: "nor did he use an Old Testament instrument called the Urim and Thummim"
- Response to claim: "One of Joseph Smith's first experiments with adultery began with a teen-age girl named Fanny Ward Alger"
- Response to claim: "The LDS Church led by Joseph Smith, canonized monogamy as God's marriage arrangement"
- Response to claim: Joseph said that "spiritual wifery" was "absolutely false and the doctrine an evil and unlawful thing"
- Response to claim: "the first wife had to first give her consent in order for her husband to take another wife"
- Response to claim: "Joseph Smith secretly married 17 year old Sarah Ann Whitney...He wrote to her parents who approved of the marriage, 'The only thing to be careful of is to find out when Emma comes, then you cannot be safe'"
- Response to claim: Joseph "publicly denied that he practiced plural marriage"
- Response to claim: "Official Mormon histories deceive readers by failing to point out that Joseph exercised poor judgment"
- Response to claim: "The Manifesto of 1890 prohibiting polygamy, was in fact another attempt to dupe the U.S. government and to some extent, ordinary church members"
Notes