NonTraditionalMom wrote:Either you follow the prophet, or you're an apostate/heretic, right?
No. That's not right. That's too extreme of a position. Brigham Young advocated we use our brains, and good reason, and don't simply follow like lemmings. That is not the plan. So...although some quotes or positions are taken to break it down to such an simplistic formulas and package that as a faithful righteous position...it simply can't be so simplistic. Or the priesthood ban wouldn't have been lifted and we'd be living polygamy, because one prophet once told us to.
You will hear lots of people's stories (ear rings, mission calls, sacrifices people have made to be obedient, miraculous cars that don't work at just the moment that if it was working would have smashed into a drunk driver coming the other way....). People like stories. They go to church to be inspired. Some stretch for inspiration through Paul H Dunn stories.
That doesn't make them right. And it doesn't make our job to correct them.
One thing I learned as a scoutmaster...the lesson manuals and programs are often outlined for you on what you should teach. Agree with them or not...the material is there for you to teach it. Have people read quotes, ask questions, follow the lesson outline and let others make the statements. I have learned I can be a neutral facilitator. I don't have to reinvent the wheel, I can just follow an imperfect scout program like I'm asked to do, and try to put my personality in it so I am honestly embracing the good things of scouts while inwardly telling myself scouts is stupid except for the part it gets boys to do stuff. Some people say every boy MUST get his eagle...and that just isn't true, and those words will never come out of my mouth. What will come out is a plan to do scouts so boys have fun. And if they don't like what comes out of my mouth, they can release me and I won't lose sleep over it. I follow my heart, focus on the purpose of things, don't try to complicate it, and try to do good things to add to the ward family.
...and I skip the things I hate. Like black and white extreme statements (which many 14F sound like, especially when taken out of context or over quoted with hyperbole).
Do you have a lesson outline, or is it a general conference talk on 14 fundamentals that you have to prepare what to ask people?
Have you read our thread discussions on the 14F?
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