Latter-Day Saints who cannot trust their prophets’ public doctrinal statements are building their houses on shifting sands. There is no scriptural precedent allowing prophets or other religious leaders latitude to preach heretical doctrines about God from the pulpit. And, a prophet who is right half the time could not lead the church in the truth. God doesn’t send His children false prophets–that’s a job for the Father of Lies.

The Mormon church stands or falls on its prophets. Every LD Saint has to make the decision on whether they’re going to buy into the whole package or just pick and choose thier doctrine (implicitly calling the Mormon prophets false/mistaken/liars, etc.).

Perhaps President Hinkley needs to take a break from PR work and building malls and temples to unify the doctrine in the church so the people aren’t left to figure these crucial things out for themselves.

what you are addressing in what we as latter-day saints find ourselves probably for the most part almost unconciously and regulary.

there is such a thing as official doctrine, unofficial doctrine that is true, things that leaders have said that we believe, things that leaders have said that are just their opinion, doctrinal types of things that have been revealed to us personally and that we keep to ourselves…the list could go on i’m sure. we just have to file them properly into the correct file keeping them in proper perspective.

i’m sure that those areas are sure to become more clearcut as time goes on for us.

If the KFD is not doctrine, Joseph Smith was a false prophet speaking heresy in the name of God.

Deuteronomy 18:20
‘But the prophet who shall speak a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’

It hardly puts the LDS prophets in a good light to reject what they say because you don’t want to believe it–regardless of how ignorant, racist, or blasphemous it may seem–the only alternative is that they spoke heresy in the name of God. This ‘pick and choose your doctrine’ mentality is exactly the opposite of what the LDS church is supposed to stand for.

regarding what president Hinckley said, i think what he was saying that it’s not official doctrine that we will be God like God is God in that we will create our own planets, etc.

do i believe that though? you bet ya.

for me there is a simple and yet astounding conclusion to the so called adam god theory, but it came from my personal prayerful pondering of the issue so i hold it personal.

the same can be said about things relating to the temple especially for me regarding the coats of skins.

Read D&C 132:20- “Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.”

Sometimes prophets voice opinion and other times they voice doctrine, they will say which one it is. JS, BY and others sometimes had mere opinions on subjects that may or may not be correct. But… if Joseph Smith said it was true… it’s true!

Steve -

That is the joy of the KFD - there is no difference.

As for doctrine - our living prophet is living doctrine. What the prophet teaches is binding, in my opinion, for the present. A future prophet may teach otherwise, and that becomes binding. Otherwise, why have modern prophets at all, if canonization is the only means to get doctrine.

My answer for the question - that all individuals are co-eternal with God. We were not created, but are unique, individual beings with the ability to choose and be independent.

You state and I agree that we can reign with Christ. The scriptures are clear that we are also joint heirs with Christ. Christ is a god, he created this earth and much more. If I rule with him and I inherit what he inherits then it seems to me I’ll be a god also with his same power, authority, rulership (if that’s a word) and abilities.

Why does there seem to be some barrier to thinking we can actually become a god?

If God is our Father - a perfect father - and He loves me then doesn’t He want me to have everything He has and more? I do for my children and I’m certainly not perfect. And I get tremendous joy when I see my kids succeed and do better than I have done. My kids are so much better than me in so many ways it’s amazes me. Why would God be any different than me?

And who cares what a church manual says? Some manuals teach a miraculous restoration of the ten tribes. Others teach we gather the tribes via missionary work. For years when teaching I had to skip sections of manuals that covered that dark skin is a curse crap. Even primary manuals contained that hate talk. I think you can still find that bigoted nonsense in some current publications. That doesn’t make it any less than utter rubbish that an individual member should feel free to ignore or reject.