Mormonism in the Middle

Last updated on: November 21, 2017 at 4:26 pm by Dan Peterson

Mormonism in the Middle 2017-11-21T16:26:56-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Putrajaya Mosque in Malaysia
(Wikimedia Commons photo by Nazir Amin)

In a portion of the manuscript that I posted here a few days ago, I commented that Latter-day Saint theological interactions with Muslims will be easier to the extent that we can say positive things about Muhammad, whom Muslims esteem very, very highly — or, at least, to the degree that we’re not obliged to say negative things about him. Here, I continue that discussion:

Fortunately, we can say good things without cynicism or pretense. From its earliest years, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have had good things to say about Muhammad. This is one of the things that I am most proud of in the gospel. Let me explain. For many people today, even for religious people, the concept of a “prophet” has so lost its meaning that they are willing to apply the title to any person they regard as good and as having good ideas or standing up for a good cause. Thus, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy have all been called prophets. But this, it is clear from a Latter-day Saint viewpoint, is to lessen the concept of “prophet.” Not, I hasten to add, because of anything particularly wrong with these or similar people to whom the title is often applied, but because they lack the one characteristic that distinguishes prophets from other people, even from good and great ones—revelation from God, the capacity to speak authoritatively in the name of our Heavenly Father.[1]

There is another group of people in our Western society that, unlike the liberals I have just sketched, takes a very high view of prophecy. I am thinking, for example, of certain conservative Protestants. The trouble is that, where the first group was too inclusive, and was willing to call almost any good person a prophet, this group is too restrictive. They are quite willing to ascribe the origins of all world religions to the devil, and are even willing to consign all their adherents to hell. (Mormons are often assigned to the same place by the same people.) For these conservative believers, there is no truth outside of their own particular denomination or brand of religion.

I am delighted that Mormonism is in the middle. The gospel of Jesus Christ makes no apology for its claim that it is the truth and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contains all the truths needed to save us. Yet it does not take a bigoted and narrow view of truth. We are willing to accept true insights wherever we find them. “The first and fundamental principle of our holy religion,” the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “is, that we believe that we have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation or without being circumscribed or prohibited by the creeds or superstitious notions of men.”[2] President John Taylor was equally enthusiastic. “If there is any truth in heaven, earth, or hell,” he declared, “I want to embrace it, I care not what shape it comes in to me, who brings it, or who believes in it, whether it is popular or unpopular. Truth, eternal truth, I wish to float in and enjoy.”[3]“We believe in all truth,” President Joseph F. Smith agreed,

no matter to what subject it may refer. No sect or religious denomination in the world possesses a single principle of truth that we do not accept or that we will reject. We are willing to receive all truth, from whatever source it may come; for truth will stand, truth will endure.[4]

[1] Of course, God is the source of all truth, so it is perhaps a little harder to separate prophets from truth-speaking non-prophets than might at first glance appear. To the extent that even Caiaphas spoke the divinely-inspired truth, I suppose he was temporarily a kind of prophet. The principles enunciated in Doctrine and Covenants 91 seem to me to have wide application.

[2] Times and Seasons (February 1840), 54.

[3] Journal of Discourses 1:155.

[4] Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine. 5th ed. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939), 1.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 21, 2017

A reflection on one person's response to my two posts about Darwinism and atheism

Next Post

November 22, 2017 Singing hymns to . . . well, NOTHING

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the Hebrew word 'Shema' mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Rejoice Hear Bless Obey