For the LDS Church to continue to evolve, this will have to change. More and more, the LDS Church wants to be regarded as a "mainline" Christian church and will have to continue to abandon its more, shall we say, "unique" practices. Ending and outlawing polygamy was a start. More recently, the allowing of blacks in the priesthood (1978) and changes in their temple ceremonies have been a direct result of negative publicity.
Now comes the irony. Mitt Romney, a Mormon, is running for president. Most Mormons think this is simply wonderful. Most, not all. I know many Mormons and have been interested in what they have to say about Romney. Some, of course, are mind-numbed robots that will dutifully go pull the lever for a Mormon. Others that I have spoken to have said emphatically "I'm NOT going to vote for Romney just because he's a Mormon!" And they meant it. The couple I spoke to that said this were hoping that Fred Thompson would join the race, so he was their first choice. And these aren't "jack Mormons" I'm talking about either. These are temple Mormons living in Utah, but even they have said they are to the point of wanting to throw up every time they see an article on Romney in the Deseret News, because it's just another warmed-over puff piece about him being a member of "the church".
Still another LDS member that I'm very close to doesn't even want Romney in the race. She said it's because she just doesn't want the "whole Mormon thing" in the news. This really got me to thinking. The more I think about, the more I believe that the farther Romney goes, the better it will be for the LDS Church in the long run. By that, I mean the longer Romney hangs around, and it looks like he's in the "top 3" right now, the more light will be shown on the LDS Church.
Nothing but good can come out of this. When the heart of LDS doctrine becomes more widely known in the US, the more difficult time the LDS Church will have in appealing to people who are looking for a "Christian" church. Their conversion rates have already dropped dramatically over the past 10-15 years, and this will only increase now.
With decreasing conversion rates and bad publicity what will the LDS Church do in response? My guess is they will do the same as they have before when cornered. Change.
Any precedence for this? Sure is. After Joseph Smith died, the LDS Church actually split. Some followed Smith's son, while others followed Brigham Young to Utah. The former became the Reorganized Church of LDS, while the later became the LDS church in Utah. The RLDS church slowly moved away from most of the "peculiarities" of Mormon doctrine. They now regard the Bible as the authoritative Word of God without exception (like "as far as it's correctly translated"). They also changed their name and are now the "Community of Christ". They believe in the Trinity as most traditional Christian denominations do. They are close to being little different than a traditional Christian denomination.
I believe this is also the path the Utah Mormon church will follow, albeit not without some kicking and screaming.
So, to answer your question, the LDS Church still puts much less emphasis on the Bible than do most Christians and they make it subservient to their BOM, D&C, and their "prophets". Hopefully, that will change, and hopefully soon.
How many scientists from your church are involved with the dead sea scrolls? We believe they sacred enough to finance in part and lend scientists to help in the project. Jews and LDS working together for the same thing.
As to the bible - we study it as much as we do the Book of Mormon. You see, the Book of Mormon is a companion to the bible. There is nothing in the Book of Mormon that contradicts the bible. It is simply the sacred text of the descendents of Abraham who came to America.
Each year in Sunday school we study a different text. One year is the old testament, one year the new testament and one year the Book of Mormon. Each Sunday we discuss in detail a section. What does it mean? How does it apply to our lives today? How can we become better Christians because of what we learned.
However, the most important thing that is stressed over and over is:
“We claim the priveledge of worshiping Almighty God according to our own conscience, and allow all men the same priviledge, let them worship how, where or what they may.”
You do not hear Mormons bashing the Baptists, Catholics, Jews or any other religion. We just don’t believe it is our place to tell someone that their beliefs are wrong. In fact we believe that satan’s greatest tool is to get Christians fighting each other.
“Still another LDS member that I’m very close to doesn’t even want Romney in the race. She said it’s because she just doesn’t want the “whole Mormon thing” in the news. “
Romney is going to have a lot of ‘splaining to do. While Mormon men might not be polygamists on earth, they must certainly become ones if they get a planet in order to generate enough spirit children.
But this brings up the question of if you need spirit children, you need spirit wives. Now, are any of those wives Goddesses? I mean, are Mormon men saying they are the only gender who can become Gods and frolic with the fems?
Which then brings up the question of whether there is a Mother God who should be worshipped, and if not why not?
“More and more, the LDS Church wants to be regarded as a ‘mainline’ Christian church”
Actually, you are wrong about that. We just want people to know that we believe Jesus Christ is our Savior and the Savior of the whole world. And it would be nice if “mainline” Christian church people would stop telling Mormons what they think we believe.