Well, the Gospel Topics Essays are really helpful because they’re dealing
with controversial topics that we never really talked about, or if you tried
to talk about them just a few years ago, people would think that you were
a heretic in church. Also, I’ve had a couple of conversations that have
impressed me, that the church is committed to this.
One was with Elder Stephen Snow, as the church historian. I had noticed
how much material, scanned documents, the church is now making
available, without charge, for download by any researcher on the church
history library’s website. It’s amazing, it’s staggering the amount of
material that you can now download from that site. I complimented him
on that, and he just said simply, “Transparency is important; the internet is
allowing the church to do many things it couldn’t do before.”
I also had a conversation with the church historian, who related how he-
had asked President Uchtdorf of the first presidency, “How many of these
documents should we make available online?” President Uchtdorf
reportedly said, “All of it.” I’m sure that won’t include church discipline
and temple items, but what President Uchtdorf is reflecting is that the
church can withstand scrutiny. That’s why we’re willing to put up all these
documents and let the critics as well as the believers have access to them. (Transcript)
It reminds me of this quote “If we have the truth, it cannot be harmed by investigation. If we have not the truth, it ought to be harmed.” -- J. Reuben Clark
And this,
"Our homes are not as strong unless we are using [The Book of Mormon] to bring our children to Christ. Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book to expose and combat falsehoods in socialism, rationalism, etc. Our missionaries are not as effective unless they are “hissing forth” with it. Social, ethical, cultural, or educational converts will not survive under the heat of the day unless their taproots go down to the fulness of the gospel which the Book of Mormon contains."-
("The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God", Ezra Taft Benson, Jan 1988, Ensign)
It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.-
(Alma 12:9-11)
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