Does God change what he will do

[Archaea]

because of the prayers of men.

I'm aware of the Abrahamic discussions, and the Brother of Jared discussions, but do you believe somebody telling an Almighty something really changes his plans, or do we really change our plans to meet His through prayer?

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by Archaea

because of the prayers of men.

I'm aware of the Abrahamic discussions, and the Brother of Jared discussions, but do you believe somebody telling an Almighty something really changes his plans, or do we really change our plans to meet His through prayer?

Are you aware of the Common Sense discussions?

Do you have children?

Do you plans and hopes for them?

Do you sometimes change your mind after talking to them because they want something that is good and have now demonstrated sufficient maturity to receive that thing?

Or do you just have a plan for your kids and no matter what they say or what they do, you wont change that plan?

[Indy Coug]

I believe multiple paths can lead to the same end result for God's plan in any number of situations (i.e. there is not a "unique" solution). Thus, I think we can change what God might allow to happen through our individual or collective pleadings.

Of course, one could argue omniscience = predestination and whatever we end up praying for that actually happens is just a serendipitous synchronization of our will with predestiny.

There's my 2 minutes of thought on the matter.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Archaea

because of the prayers of men.

I'm aware of the Abrahamic discussions, and the Brother of Jared discussions, but do you believe somebody telling an Almighty something really changes his plans, or do we really change our plans to meet His through prayer?

This is a hard question to answer because God is not man. He doesn't make "plans" in the sense we think of them, because he already knows what will happen! And as Indy points out, it treads close to the foreordination/predestination debate.

Take the lost 116 pages, for example (a wonderful showcase of several gospel principles). The Lord clearly told Joseph more than once not to hand them over. After much persistence, God "changed his mind" and permitted them to be given to Martin. We all know the result, and how God "planned" for it to happen centuries before.

We cannot think of God, his will, and his plans, like we think of our own. Whatever choices we make, and however he answers our prayers ... it is all part of a course which he has known from the beginning.

[non sequitur]

Originally Posted by Tex

This is a hard question to answer because God is not man. He doesn't make "plans" in the sense we think of them, because he already knows what will happen! And as Indy points out, it treads close to the foreordination/predestination debate.

Take the lost 116 pages, for example (a wonderful showcase of several gospel principles). The Lord clearly told Joseph more than once not to hand them over. After much persistence, God "changed his mind" and permitted them to be given to Martin. We all know the result, and how God "planned" for it to happen centuries before.

We cannot think of God, his will, and his plans, like we think of our own. Whatever choices we make, and however he answers our prayers ... it is all part of a course which he has known from the beginning.

When you say "we cannot think of God, his will, and his plans, like we think of our own", are you saying that those things are unknowable, incomprehensible, or simply different? The distinction is important, because if they are unknowable or incomprehensible, then how can people be presumptuous enough to dogmatically expound upon them?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by non sequitur

When you say "we cannot think of God, his will, and his plans, like we think of our own", are you saying that those things are unknowable, incomprehensible, or simply different? The distinction is important, because if they are unknowable or incomprehensible, then how can people be presumptuous enough to dogmatically expound upon them?

Tex in his next life wishes to be a government lawyer acting as a bureaucrat. When I read that, I thought, "nonanswer, fluff with no content."

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by Archaea

because of the prayers of men.

I'm aware of the Abrahamic discussions, and the Brother of Jared discussions, but do you believe somebody telling an Almighty something really changes his plans, or do we really change our plans to meet His through prayer?

I think God is capable of changing his mind.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by non sequitur

When you say "we cannot think of God, his will, and his plans, like we think of our own", are you saying that those things are unknowable, incomprehensible, or simply different? The distinction is important, because if they are unknowable or incomprehensible, then how can people be presumptuous enough to dogmatically expound upon them?

No. I'm saying one cannot presume God behaves a certain way, based simply on how we behave.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by BYU71

I think God is capable of changing his mind.

Because we ask?

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Because we ask?

Of course I don't know, but personally I feel that is possible.

I am pretty sure there are recorded instances where God changed his mind due to the pleadings of one of his prophets.