What are the Doctrines of the LDS Church?

[abqfriend]

What are the doctrines of the LDS Church?

-I am on this site and others including Mormon Apologetics & Discussion Board

-I read many posts by many members of the LDS Church-and I get some idea of LDS Church Doctrine.

-I also get the idea that many members are not clear what is and what is not the official doctrine of the LDS Church. Some say "it just feels right." -is that doctrine?

I am Catholic.

I am aware that LDS has presidents/prophets with continued revelation-but what is doctrine? -I am aware of personal revelation to a person-but is that doctrine?

What are the official teachings/doctrines of the LDS Church?

-Where can this be found clearly?

In the Catholic Church-despite our many problems and past checkered history-our doctrine is clear-and I can find it in the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as offocial pronouncements of the Catholic Church declared as doctrine by the Vatican.

-So where can I find the official doctrine of the LDS Church-clearly spelled out?

-If I ask 10 different missionaries-will they know?-or where to find a consistent answer?

Is there an official web site with this can all be located and defined as doctrine?

Thanks -comments and help wanted.

-Carol

[Shera]

Hey Carol,

I know it can get confusing sometimes, and there is so much information. Have you checked out Mormon.org - Home yet? It is actually an "official" site of the LDS church so your questions are answered right from the source. I hope you can check it out and get those answers you are looking for. Good luck!

[abqfriend]

It is a great multi-media site-but lacks a search engine or any way to search what you are looking for. I can "ask a missionary"-but I would prefer a place to just find my answer.

Without a search engine-the site is not helpful.

-Carol

Hey Carol,

I know it can get confusing sometimes, and there is so much information. Have you checked out Mormon.org - Home yet? It is actually an "official" site of the LDS church so your questions are answered right from the source. I hope you can check it out and get those answers you are looking for. Good luck!

[BenRaines]

LDS.org would be the place to search the doctrine of the church.

Ben Raines

[abqfriend]

Site is better than the other-but the pull down menu for search-lists no section of Church Doctrine. It has listings for lessons, magazine articles, etc.

Is there anyplace where this is clearly defined?

-so far I am striking out.

-Carol

LDS.org would be the place to search the doctrine of the church.

Ben Raines

[Steve]

Carol,

I found this link on lds.org related to Mormon Doctrine:

Approaching Mormon Doctrine - LDS Newsroom

Refer to the first bullet. I hope this is helpful.

Steve

[BenRaines]

I did a google search and found this great article. While it doesn't state "This is doctrine" I think it clears up some of the statements made by members and what they believe to be doctrine.

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Brochures/What_is_Mormon_Doctrine.pdf

Ben Raines

[Elgama]

I am surprised noone provided a link to the Articles of Faith

Articles of Faith 1

here are the 13 main articles and beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in their basic form. Anything else fleshes these out and yes the missionaries should be able to give you a pass along card containing them as they usually carry them in their pocket.

-Charley

[Wingnut]

I am surprised noone provided a link to the Articles of Faith

Articles of Faith 1

here are the 13 main articles and beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in their basic form. Anything else fleshes these out and yes the missionaries should be able to give you a pass along card containing them as they usually carry them in their pocket.

-Charley

I was just going to post this as a good jumping-off point. Thanks.

[Guest DeborahC]

I posted the Articles of Faith on the Thread about the Mormon.org website

If you look through the entire website at Mormon.org - Home you find the Doctrines of the Church as explained by various Church leaders.

Edited November 19, 2008 by DeborahC

[Justice]

What are the doctrines of the LDS Church?

Here is the doctrine of the LDS Church:

3 Nephi 11:

31 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.

32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.

34 And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.

35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.

37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.

38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

41 Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth.

Everything else that the Church is and does is to help bring this about.

The "mission" of the Church is to "Bring souls unto Christ," which is the main theme of the Book of Mormon. This mission is divided into three parts:

1: Proclaim the Gospel

2: Perfect the Saints

3: Redeem the Dead

All 3 focus on bringing souls to Christ.

Let's not be confused as to what is a doctrine verse a belief, organization, quorum, auxiliary, teaching, suppliment, or any other thing that helps the Church bring about it's mission. The doctrine is fundamental and entirely listed above in Christ's words to the Nephites. In fact, He lays out the doctrines more than once in different words so the different phrases can be better understood.

Interestingly, a life-time study could be made of just these words and one could never really fully understand them. I have read these words for nearly 40 years and have only recently begun to understand some of the more simple phrases.

Edited November 19, 2008 by Justice

[abqfriend]

Very nice-I own a "Triple." but does not answer my basic question.

-Carol

Here is the doctrine of the LDS Church:

Let's not be confused as to what is a doctrine verse a belief, organization, quorum, auxiliary, teaching, suppliment, or any other thing that helps the Church bring about it's mission. The doctrine is fundamental and entirely listed above in Christ's words to the Nephites. In fact, He lays out the doctrines more than once in different words so the different phrases can be better understood.

Interestingly, a life-time study could be made of just these words and one could never really fully understand them. I have read these words for nearly 40 years and have only recently begun to understand some of the more simple phrases.

[abqfriend]

So-no listing-no search?

I have to look through the entire website?

-Carol

I posted the Articles of Faith on the Thread about the Mormon.org website

If you look through the entire website at Mormon.org - Home you find the Doctrines of the Church as explained by various Church leaders.

[abqfriend]

Link somewhat helpful. It also asks LDS members to search for themselves to understand if the LDS doctrines are true or not.

"Individual members are encouraged to independently strive to receive their own spiritual confirmation of the truthfulness of Church doctrine. Moreover, the Church exhorts all people to approach the gospel not only intellectually but with the intellect and the spirit, a process in which reason and faith work together"

Good point-but how do they do this if the doctrines are not made clear in the first place?

Is there no place that lists the doctrines-except in general terms?

-Carol

Carol,

I found this link on lds.org related to Mormon Doctrine:

Approaching Mormon Doctrine - LDS Newsroom

Refer to the first bullet. I hope this is helpful.

Steve

[Justice]

Very nice-I own a "Triple." but does not answer my basic question.

You asked what the doctrines are.

I answered your question as completely as is possible.

Now, you may have questions about "teachings, organizations, quorums, and other things" that the Church offers. But, I wanted you to know exactly what the doctrine is, and that those other things are not considered doctrine.

I appologize if the answer wasn't exactly what you wanted. All I really wanted you to know was that the focus is on Christ, and bringing all men to Him. That is the doctrine of the Church. It is that simple, and it is that beautiful.

It is not my intention to be difficult. I believe we do others a disservice, especially non-members, when we don't teach the basics when they ask questions.

Now you *should* know what constitutes the doctrines of the LDS Church if someone were to ask you. :)

[Guest DeborahC]

Abqfriend, I'm not sure exactly what your point is?

Your questions have been answered in several ways... I'm so sorry if you are having trouble understanding.

Do you have a specific doctrine in mind?

Most are being discussed in the forum in one place or another.

I'm sure a search will find you a thread on just about any doctrine you are curious about.

I'm just not sure how to help you any further.

Sorry :)

I would suggest that if you are TRULY interested in learning about the Church doctrines, you invite the missionaries to your home.

They will surely answer any questions you may have.

If that won't work for you, you might try making an appointment with the Bishop of your local Ward.

I'm sure you've seen a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic church and thus realize that there is no way all of the doctrine can be discussed in a forum such as this. Nor does the Church wish to publish it on the internet, for whatever their reasons.

Edited November 20, 2008 by DeborahC

[abqfriend]

You make my point-if I knew all the doctrines of the LDS Church-I would not be looking for them

Exactly my point.

Abqfriend, I'm not sure exactly what your point is?

Your questions have been answered in several ways... I'm so sorry if you are having trouble understanding.

Do you have a specific doctrine in mind?

Most are being discussed in the forum in one place or another.

I'm sure a search will find you a thread on just about any doctrine you are curious about.

I'm just not sure how to help you any further.

Sorry :)

I would suggest that if you are TRULY interested in learning about the Church doctrines, you invite the missionaries to your home.

They will surely answer any questions you may have.

If that won't work for you, you might try making an appointment with the Bishop of your local Ward.

I'm sure you've seen a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic church and thus realize that there is no way all of the doctrine can be discussed in a forum such as this. Nor does the Church wish to publish it on the internet, for whatever their reasons.

[Steve]

I am surprised noone provided a link to the Articles of Faith

Articles of Faith 1

here are the 13 main articles and beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in their basic form. Anything else fleshes these out and yes the missionaries should be able to give you a pass along card containing them as they usually carry them in their pocket.

-Charley

The link I provided above lists the Articles of Faith as doctrine.

Steve

[abqfriend]

Thank you everyone.

I guess you have answered my question by not answering it clearly.

There is no one place where I can find clearly spelled out what are the official doctrines of the LDS Church in searchable format.

Thank you everyone for your help.

-Carol

[Justice]

The LDS Church believes in continuing revelation, and that each member can come to know of these things for themselves.

With that in mind, and acknowleding that you are asking for more than just doctrines, there is no need to organize and compile a list such as you are asking for. If you are looking for something specific about the Church maybe someone knows where to find it. But, there is no way to compile a list of all truth. Indeed, we are not to be counsled in all things. We are to seek and find answers on our own. That is how we come to rely on the Spirit.

[Kyra]

The LDS Church believes in continuing revelation, and that each member can come to know of these things for themselves.

With that in mind, and acknowleding that you are asking for more than just doctrines, there is no need to organize and compile a list such as you are asking for. If you are looking for something specific about the Church maybe someone knows where to find it. But, there is no way to compile a list of all truth. Indeed, we are not to be counsled in all things. We are to seek and find answers on our own. That is how we come to rely on the Spirit.

Well said, that's exactly what I was thinking! It would be like a teacher giving you the answers to a test before hand. Unless you are able to study and find the answers for yourself, you'll never retain that knowledge and learn anything from it.

[Iggy]

Check this link Product Details ( Gospel Principles. Softcover book )

It is for ordering the Gospel Principles book. This is the description of the book:

This manual contains 47 chapters for teaching Sunday School Gospel Principles classes. These chapters provide an overview of basic gospel principles for investigators, recent converts, those returning to activity, and those who need or desire a stronger understanding of the gospel. May also be used as a reference in other classes. (bolding mine).

It is just $3.00, and there is no shipping charge within the continental USA.

Hope this helps you abqfriend -

[Guest DeborahC]

Perhaps being used to the huge tome of Catholic Catechism/Doctrine, you are expecting more than is necessary.

Perhaps the LDS Church has a much "simpler" set of doctrines?

In the latest Conference issue of The Ensign, Elder Gerald Causse of the Seventy taught a lesson called 'Even a Child Can Understand," which I found quite beautiful.

In it he quotes Paul's letter to the Corinthians in which he says, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14)

He also says, "...our knowledge of God does not depend on the amount of information we accululate. After all, all the knowledge of the gospel which is meaningful for our salvation can be summarized in a few points of doctrine, principles, and essential commandments, which are already there in the missionary lessons we receive before baptism. Knowing God is a matter of opening our hearts to gain a spiritual undertstanding and a fervent testimony of the truth of these few fundamental points of doctrine. Knowing God is having a testimony of His existence and feeling in one's heart that He loves us. It is accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and having a fervent desire to follow his example."

"I pray that we will know how to open our hearts like a little child and take pleasure in hearing and practicing the Word of God in all the power of its simplicity. I bear testimony that if we do this, we will gain the knowledge of the "mysteries of God and the peaceable things -- that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal (D&C 42:61)

[Elphaba]

Carol,

Based on my observations over the years, you're never going to get a consensus on what is or isn't Mormon doctrine.

The answer depends on who you ask, and you'll get a number of different responses.

The most careful answer is that it is only what is contained in the Mormon canon, i.e. the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. Anything other than those should not be considered doctrine.

On the other hand, many members believe even articles in the Ensign are doctrine, or else the Church would not have published them. Yet others insist they are not.

Additionally, many members believe talks given at General Conference are doctrine. Others insist they are not.

I have never read, or heard, of any firm answer to your question. The answer I see most often is only the Mormon canon is doctrine.

But, as you've seen, the Church's officials have not defined what is doctrine or not, so it's impossible to know for sure.

In fact, if they did so, there would be questions as to whether that was doctrine or not.

Elphaba

[Abraham]

There is a slight difference between doctrine and principles and beliefs and practices. The 13th Artical of Faith is a good place to start - and don't forget they are canonized scriptures.

Abraham