Ben Spackman is certainly in my top 10 favorite LDS Scholars. His work is extremely insightful and easy to understand. I love to read and re-read his blog posts and other writings.
If there is any hope I have for where this could lead, it would be the adoption of some of the extra-canonical texts that may have been inspired but unrecognized as such in earlier times by the majority of Christianity. It would be good to have the old Deuterocanonical intertestimental books reincorporated with a disclaimer, as well as another look at 1st Enoch and other Enoch literature as potentially inspired. The promise from Elder Maxwell of a library of texts incorporated as scripture by the Church is long overdue, and we are literally drowning in texts that deserve some attention, even if they are not approved to the same level as the Standard Works. With a more flexible approach to scripture, I think people would be able to understand a notion of higher and lower scripture, and who knows but some of these abandoned texts may indeed be true scripture, or only require the deft look of a seer to bring them into consonance with the fulness of the Gospel.
There is good reason the Lord chose an unlearned man to bring to light the Book of Mormon. Now you tell us that we need learned and credentialed "experts" to read and understand the scriptures. That we should rely on someone who does not believe entire books or people in the bible. No thank you.
I agree that our leaders are subject to fallibility. But I support James Tour’s statements that there is currently zero evidence for organic evolution, that life originated with minerals. I do believe in epigenetic evolution which is, experience and behavior can effect what is passed on to our descendants.
Ben’s work here is awesome as always! Be sure to also check out the interview he did on FAIR’s “Me, Myshelf, and I” series. It’s really good!
Ben Spackman is certainly in my top 10 favorite LDS Scholars. His work is extremely insightful and easy to understand. I love to read and re-read his blog posts and other writings.
If there is any hope I have for where this could lead, it would be the adoption of some of the extra-canonical texts that may have been inspired but unrecognized as such in earlier times by the majority of Christianity. It would be good to have the old Deuterocanonical intertestimental books reincorporated with a disclaimer, as well as another look at 1st Enoch and other Enoch literature as potentially inspired. The promise from Elder Maxwell of a library of texts incorporated as scripture by the Church is long overdue, and we are literally drowning in texts that deserve some attention, even if they are not approved to the same level as the Standard Works. With a more flexible approach to scripture, I think people would be able to understand a notion of higher and lower scripture, and who knows but some of these abandoned texts may indeed be true scripture, or only require the deft look of a seer to bring them into consonance with the fulness of the Gospel.
There is good reason the Lord chose an unlearned man to bring to light the Book of Mormon. Now you tell us that we need learned and credentialed "experts" to read and understand the scriptures. That we should rely on someone who does not believe entire books or people in the bible. No thank you.
I agree that our leaders are subject to fallibility. But I support James Tour’s statements that there is currently zero evidence for organic evolution, that life originated with minerals.
I do believe in epigenetic evolution which is, experience and behavior can effect what is passed on to our descendants.