Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith (Part Two)

Most faithful members feel their testimony wouldn't falter if they heard something negative about the church. It has been observed, however, that some stalwart members with real testimonies have fallen away -- and continue to fall away -- because of information that conflicts with how they understand the gospel, scripture, revelation, prophets and prophecy or church history.

Having periods of doubt isn't a sin and it isn't abnormal. Statistics show that while about 95 percent of Americans believe in God, nearly half -- including those who consider themselves to be religiously devout -- seriously question their faith from time to time.

President David O. McKay said that doubts "shook him" as a young man and for many years he was skeptical of the gospel. Later in life, as he engaged in the work of the Lord, he finally had a spiritual confirmation of the restored gospel (Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Wright, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism [Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2005], 6; The Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay [Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 2003], 163-164).

Thankfully, the church umbrella is large enough to include those who struggle with sporadic or chronic doubt. "To some," revealed the Lord, "it is given to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful" (D&C 46:13-14).

Joseph F. Smith once said that Latter-day Saints are given wide latitude for their convictions. If they are moral, believe the main principles, and exhibit a little faith, they are still welcome within the church even though they may not believe all that has been revealed (Reed Smoot Hearings, 1:97-98).

While some members can remain active through episodes of sporadic or prolonged doubt, other members may find that their doubts feed cynicism and criticism and can become stumbling blocks to a spiritual testimony. With today's technology, potential stumbling blocks are often an innocent click away.

Prior to the Internet, most active Mormons rarely purchased anti-LDS literature. Today, however, anti-Mormon propaganda is easily accessed on the Web. To makes matters worse, a member may innocently and unintentionally stumble upon LDS-critical material while doing research for a lesson or talk. Some anti-LDS sites are subtle and appear to offer legitimate information about the church or church history. Before the member is able to discern the site's agenda, he or she may have already digested a number of claims that call their faith into question.

Anti-LDS authors often tend to use a strategy of "if you throw enough mud, some of it will stick." Making charges is easy; understanding all the issues can take a lot more time and space. Thus, members may be overwhelmed by negativity, and start thinking, "if even 10 percent -- or 1 percent -- of this is true, I have a problem."

The Internet has been called "The Great Equalizer" because it brings so many different things to people all over the world at all economic levels. Critics of the church claim the Internet has pulled away the curtain that has hidden the problems with Mormonism.

While it's true that the Internet makes vast amounts of information available to people all over the globe, it's a fallacy to think that all information on the Web is equal in quality. Some articles are written by intelligent and informed authors, others by uninformed or angry authors or those who purposely bear false witness. Search engines don't rank sites by the quality of the research but rather by popularity or even according to who pays the most to have their sites listed at the top of the heap.

Unfortunately, few of us have the time to dig through all the many links on a topic and too often, people tend to believe those things that they read. The many examples of Internet myths and urban legends (even LDS urban myths) that spread like wildfire from e-mail to e-mail suggests that too many people are quick to accept -- without critical examination -- rumors and outlandish stories.

How does one distinguish the good information from the bad? With better education. The next installments will discuss the defense of the faith. Future installments will engage the mind-set and issues that can create stumbling blocks to testimony as well as sources for the "better education" that can add secular convictions to our spiritual testimonies.

For Part One, see:

Part One

From the article: Critics of the church claim the Internet has pulled away the curtain that has hidden the problems with Mormonism.

The exposed wizard-at-work reveals only one mere man behind the visions...a 14 to 16 yo teen with a very active imagination. It all comes to down to men & women placing their 100% spiritual trust in what a mere lad said he saw.

I'm reminded of what Joseph Smith's mother later wrote about approximately-aged 17 yo Joseph, Junior: "During our evening conversations, Joseph would occasionally give us some of the most amusing recitals that could be imagined. He would describe the ancient inhabitants of the continent, their dress, mode of traveling, and the animals upon which they rode; their cities, their buildings, with every particular; their mode of warfare; and also their religious worship. This he would do with as much ease, seemingly, as if he had spent his whole life among them. On the twenty-second of September, 1824, Joseph again visited the place where he found the plates the year previous; and supporting at this time that the only thing required, in order to possess them until the time for their translation, was to be able to keep the commandments of God...he fully expected to carry them home with him. (Lucy Mack Smith, edited by Preston Nibley, History of Joseph Smith, p. 83, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, 1958)

No wonder Mormons are leaving Mormondom. Even Joseph's mother in a book edited by the well-known LDS Nibley family says that before Joseph was even relayed the contents of the Book of Mormon by the "translation" process, he was giving many details based on both his "amusing" imagination -- and undoubtedly, a few books that were already circulating in his area at the time with these exact same speculations!

It's all right there, in one concise portion of Joseph Smith's mother's book on him!

How does one distinguish the good information from the bad? With better education. The next installments will discuss the defense of the faith.

Well then; with this said; let's get on with it!

NIV Acts 6:3-5
3. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them
4. and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
5. This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

NIV Acts 11:19-26
19. Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews.
20. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.
21. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22. News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
24. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
26. and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

NIV Acts 13:12
When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

NIV Acts 17:16-19
16. While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
17. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.
18. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
19. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?"

NIV Acts 18:11
So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

NIV Romans 6:17
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

NIV Romans 12:6-7
6. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

Titus 2:1
You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

Romans 6:17
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 16:17
I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

1 Corinthians 4:17
For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

1 Corinthians 11:1-2
1. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
2. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.

2 Corinthians 11:12
And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

2 Thessalonians 2:15
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

2 Thessalonians 3:6
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.

1 Timothy 1:3-4
3. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer
4. nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith.

1 Timothy 2:7
And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

1 Timothy 4:6
If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

1 Timothy 4:11-13
11. Command and teach these things.
12. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
13. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.

2 Timothy 1:13
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:2
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

2 Timothy 3:10-11
10. You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,
11. persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.

Hebrews 13:8-9
8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
9. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.

2 John 1:10
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.

Jude 1:3

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Titus 2:1
You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

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