[UtahDan]

I just wanted to respond to hoya and fusnik on the issue of whether the church's current position and past paractice are, when viewed together, ironic or not and then I am going to walk away from this debate for now.

The following statements are intended to demonstrate by analogy why I believe there is no irony and why I do not believe any explanation for what is percieved as an inconsistency by some is required:

Joseph Smith drank alcohol. It is ironic that he later revealed the word of wisdom and we are owed an explanation for this incosistency.

Nephi cut Laban's head off. Yet later when Laman and Lemuel seek to kill Lehi and Nephi, Nephi just listens as the voice of the Lord rebukes them. This is ironic that it is okay to murder sometimes but not other times and this inconsistency should be explained.

The church at one time told all membersof the church to come to the Salt Lake valley, yet now they encourage college students to go to school locally and build up the institue where they live. This is ironic and the incosistency should be explained.

At one time the members of the church lived the law of consecration but during the 20th century, the church derided "communal" and socialist forms of government as antithetical to free agency. This is ironic and requires explanation.

The children of Israel were commanded to live the law of Moses which included animal sacrifice. Christ told his disciples that they should no longer do this. This is ironic and requires explanation.


There are only two possible explanations for all of this:

1. The leaders of the church, whatever dispensation you are taking about, make things up as they go along and then offer post hoc rationalizations for their behavior (or don't or can't explain it at all).

2. God gives us instruction and guidance for our day that is often inconsistent with guidance and instruction He has given a thousand years ago, one hundred years ago, or yesterday.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I struggle to understand how one can find irony (and apparently with some relish) in the current position of the church and believe number 2 (above) to be true. If you don't believe 2 then we really are going to continue to talk past one another. Anyone who wants the last word on this may have it.