tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7470536077683229440.post7528578260717358821..comments2023-11-02T09:09:22.129-04:00Comments on Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord: M. Russell Ballard's New Media: A Source of Active Member Missionary ParticipationDr. Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18061544604584544836noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7470536077683229440.post-77291569551767597402008-05-02T00:12:00.000-04:002008-05-02T00:12:00.000-04:00John: Actually Aaron has some valid concerns. Ma...John: Actually Aaron has some valid concerns. Many of his questions though have been dealt with by others who do research. They are no different questions than Elder Ballard might be asked by any other reporter who is not LDS. He is welcome to express his opinions whether we answer the questions to his satisfaction is another thing. I don't think we should make personal attacks he is merely trying to raise concerns that he thinks are valid. I think we should try to answer his concerns about the issues themselves.<BR/><BR/>Aaron: I passed your post on as I said I would. You defended yourself well enough.Dr. Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18061544604584544836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7470536077683229440.post-40736340977641793622008-05-02T00:11:00.000-04:002008-05-02T00:11:00.000-04:00John: Actually Aaron has some valid concerns. Ma...John: Actually Aaron has some valid concerns. Many of his questions though have been dealt with by others who do research. They are no different questions than Elder Ballard might be asked by any other reporter who is not LDS. He is welcome to express his opinions whether we answer the questions to his satisfaction is another thing. I don't think we should make personal attacks he is merely trying to raise concerns that he thinks are valid. I think we should try to answer his concerns about the issues themselves.<BR/><BR/>Aaron: I passed your post on as I said I would. You defended yourself well enough.Dr. Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18061544604584544836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7470536077683229440.post-77626295344659184222008-05-01T21:49:00.000-04:002008-05-01T21:49:00.000-04:00"Wolf in sheep's clothing" implies I'm portraying ..."Wolf in sheep's clothing" implies I'm portraying myself to be something that I'm not. But I am unabashedly a critic of the Mormon church, and as you can tell from my blog post, I am openly critical of Mormon leaders like Ballard for not having the integrity to definitively deal with compelling doctrinal issues in public.<BR/><BR/>Also, if you think it's wolf-like to ask questions on issues that sincerely concern me, then that would be your problem. In fact, that only reinforces my view of Mormonism as generally fostering within members an unwillingness to answer pointed, compelling, important doctrinal questions when answers have the potential to harm the precious image of the LDS institution.Aaron Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385127979306952044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7470536077683229440.post-51990021169761507392008-05-01T21:19:00.000-04:002008-05-01T21:19:00.000-04:00dr.b,Probably you can tell by his questions, but A...dr.b,<BR/>Probably you can tell by his questions, but Aaron is the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing here.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15202646143398045061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7470536077683229440.post-64114707011386116152008-04-30T23:43:00.000-04:002008-04-30T23:43:00.000-04:00That'd be great, thanks.I'm aware of the various i...That'd be great, thanks.<BR/><BR/>I'm aware of the various institutional venues, but thanks again. Regarding repentance, I'd specifically like him to deal with Kimball's six-step model of prerequisite repentance required for forgiveness (especially when contrasted with the Robinsonian model of repentance being promoted by BYU professors). I would ask him:<BR/><BR/> * Are the main tenets of Spencer W. Kimball’s <A HREF="http://www.mormonwiki.org/Miracle_of_Forgiveness" REL="nofollow">The Miracle of Forgiveness</A> spiritually oppressive and unbiblical? Was Kimball correct in saying that “trying” was insufficient, and that only successful, permanent, comprehensive abandonment of sin (from practice and the desires of the mind) brings complete forgiveness?<BR/><BR/>I would also ask:<BR/><BR/> * Was God the Father potentially once a <A HREF="http://www.mormonwiki.org/Lorenzo_Snow_couplet_theology#Did_Elohim_sin_in_the_past.3F" REL="nofollow">sinner</A>? Does the mainstream Mormon sect provide rock-solid, official assurance that God the Father never sinned?<BR/> * Can “virgin” be <A HREF="http://www.mrm.org/topics/jesus-christ/redefining-virgin-birth-mormonisms-teaching-concerning-natural-conception-jesus" REL="nofollow">redefined</A> to refer to one who has not had relations with a mortal man, although perhaps has had relations with an immortal man?<BR/> * Was not only the priesthood ban, but also the <A HREF="http://www.mrm.org/topics/miscellaneous/black-skin-and-seed-cain" REL="nofollow">Curse of Cain</A> teaching, erroneous and dishonorable to God? Why doesn’t the mainstream Mormon institution issue a public declaration equivocally condemning the Curse of Cain teaching?<BR/> * Was Brigham Young right to cover up Mormon involvement in the <A HREF="http://www.mrm.org/topics/historical-issues/mountain-meadows-massacre" REL="nofollow">Mountain Meadows Massacre</A>?<BR/><BR/>These are the questions I posted on my blog.Aaron Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385127979306952044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7470536077683229440.post-91363817428467411572008-04-30T21:46:00.000-04:002008-04-30T21:46:00.000-04:00I will pass your post along to him. Maybe he will...I will pass your post along to him. Maybe he will address it in one of his Public Affairs announcements that he puts out each week. He has been giving press conferences all over the U.S. I know he has addressed the topic of repentance many times in the LDS General Conferences for the past thirty years. The LDS leaders use the official website for everything lds.org to say what they have to. That gives it an official stamp of approval. You can check out the LDS Newsroom for recent issues he has addressed.Dr. Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18061544604584544836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7470536077683229440.post-73733959189281679532008-04-30T18:16:00.000-04:002008-04-30T18:16:00.000-04:00Of course Ballard is an extremely busy man. What I...Of course Ballard is an extremely busy man. What I am saying is that he needs to manage his time such that he spends meaningful time in public in a manner that:<BR/><BR/> - uses the God-given medium of the internet<BR/><BR/> - comes with an institutional stamp of "official"<BR/><BR/> - addresses pressing doctrinal issues<BR/><BR/>I have outlined some suggested topics on my <A HREF="http://blog.mrm.org/2008/04/hiding-behind-skirts/" REL="nofollow">blog post</A>. I have a hard time thinking that an issue like repentance---something that is so basic to authentic Christianity---is not important enough for him to clarify.Aaron Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385127979306952044noreply@blogger.com