What procedure is used to determine temple recommend questions?

[Elgama]

LOL OK back to the OP not only do the Temple Recommend questions or procedures change overtime (there have been slight changes in my 18 years as member of the church), they change for me everytime I answer them my understanding changes and the standard I hold myself too change

[Hemidakota]

I was glad the word STRIVE was put in as a replacement.... I always had a hard time with the last revision wordage.

[bl8tant]

(see "David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism" by Greg Prince).

So now I'm threadjacking your threadjack!

Prince's book is awesome. As an adult convert baptized well after President McKay's death, I never would have known much about him were it not for this book. I only wish we could have books of similar quality and scope about other Presidents of the Church.

If you haven't read it, and you're even a tiny bit interested in the modern history of the Church, I strongly commend this book to you.

[Snow]

Just wondering if anyone knows what process is used to decide which questions are asked in a temple recommend interview?

Dousing?

[Moksha]

Reference 24 on the link;

24. The parenthetical reference, to "Negroes-descendants of Ham," is found in the Manuscript History 19 June 1831. The remark made in 1841 was rather arresting:

"I referred to the curse of Ham for laughing at Noah, while in his wine, but doing no harm.... [W]hen he was accused by Canaan, he cursed him by the priesthood which he held, and the Lord had respect to his word, and the priesthood which he held, notwithstanding he was drunk, and the curse remains upon the posterity of Canaan until the present day"; (History of the Church, 4:445-46).

Hemi, could this be one of those metaphors for foolish things uttered when either under the influence of alcohol or when suffering from a hangover?

[HiJolly]

So now I'm threadjacking your threadjack!

Prince's book is awesome. As an adult convert baptized well after President McKay's death, I never would have known much about him were it not for this book. I only wish we could have books of similar quality and scope about other Presidents of the Church.

If you haven't read it, and you're even a tiny bit interested in the modern history of the Church, I strongly commend this book to you.

I agree -- this book is awesome!!

Your wish will be unfulfilled, I fear. The only reason this book could be published as it was is because all the records kept by Miss Middlemiss were not held, owned nor controlled by the Church. No correlation was involved!

HiJolly

[bl8tant]

Your wish will be unfulfilled, I fear. The only reason this book could be published as it was is because all the records kept by Miss Middlemiss were not held, owned nor controlled by the Church. No correlation was involved!

HiJolly

That makes me a sad panda, because I would love to see a similarly detailed book written about President Hinckley's tenure. They say you never forget your first prophet :)

[Moksha]

No correlation was involved!

HiJolly

So what does this say about correlation?

[Guest mormonmusic]

Can someone explain what is meant by the tern "correlation"? I know what it means from a statistical standpoint, or in general, that two variables have a relationship of some kind. But I'm not sure what it means in the LDS church other than "Correlation Council" where Ward leaders get together to coordinate their efforts. And even then, the term has been replaced with "Ward Council'.

So, what does the term correlation mean in the Church? I might be able to follow the discussion better....

[Suzie]

So, what does the term correlation mean in the Church? I might be able to follow the discussion better....

It's basically a group of people whose job is to maintain consistency in Church doctrine found in books, magazines, etc. Basically, everything is approved first by the Church Correlation Department.

[HiJolly]

Can someone explain what is meant by the tern "correlation"? I know what it means from a statistical standpoint, or in general, that two variables have a relationship of some kind. But I'm not sure what it means in the LDS church other than "Correlation Council" where Ward leaders get together to coordinate their efforts. And even then, the term has been replaced with "Ward Council'.

So, what does the term correlation mean in the Church? I might be able to follow the discussion better....

Correlation is a Church-wide effort to ensure that our teachings are unified and thus (A) people in widely separated locales get the same teachings and (B) all materials coming out of the Church are in agreement with each other.

Priesthood Correlation Program - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It first started (IMO) when Elder James E. Talmage was asked to write Jesus the Christ and The Articles of Faith in the early 1900's. At that time, he was asked to lay out a more understandable idea concerning the identity and role of Elohim, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.

Prior to this there were prophetic statements involving "Jehovah Christ" and "Jehovah God" and "Elohim Jehovah" and such, which left many LDS confused. Not to mention the confusion about "Michael" "Adam" and the "Ancient of Days". So IMO there was no denying the need for some sort of Church-wide clarification.

Today, the Correlation committee more or less makes sure no doctrinal errors or image-damaging comments are issued from LDS sources. I think the internet is causing this effort a lot of trouble. It may eventually fail, unless the Church does something quickly to regain credibility on several fronts.

It is tragic that the Church wouldn't have produced a book as good as David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. And I am very confident that this is the case. There is too much image-grooming and not enough candor coming through Correlation.

HiJolly

[Moksha]

HiJolly, would you see the elimination of any reference to polygamous marriages in the gospel doctrine books about Brigham Young and Joseph Smith as being the work of the Correlation Committee? If so, what end were they serving in making this elimination?

[HiJolly]

HiJolly, would you see the elimination of any reference to polygamous marriages in the gospel doctrine books about Brigham Young and Joseph Smith as being the work of the Correlation Committee? If so, what end were they serving in making this elimination?

If you mean the Priesthood/Relief Society manuals (ie., Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young or Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith ) then yes, the contents of those manuals is the direct responsibility of the Correlation committee. As for the reason for it, I can't say what they were thinking, or what direction they had received. I suppose it was an effort of President Hinckley's to separate us from 'questionable' historical realities, like when Pres. Hinckley said we have nothing whatever to do with the fundamentalist Mormon polygamists. That was more wishful thinking on his part, than reality. I couldn't believe he said that, when I heard it.

I could understand them not including info on Joseph's polygamy and polyandry, since he did everything he could to keep all that unknown to the public back in his day, but in Brigham Young's case, I can't see any justification for the elimination at all.

I think at this point it's a sad day when Church members only way to learn of Joseph's polygamy is FamilySearch or the anti-Mormons (or whatever they want to be called, these days). Correlation needs to deal with this, as well as things like the MMM IN SUNDAY SCHOOL and/or Sacrament meeting. Else the anti's will convert more & more internet savvy LDS away from the Church. IMO.

I love the truth, but it is a terrible master. Truth doesn't particularly care about feelings.

HiJolly

Edited June 6, 2010 by HiJolly

[Guest mormonmusic]

If you mean the Priesthood/Relief Society manuals (ie., Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young or Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith ) then yes, the contents of those manuals is the direct responsibility of the Correlation committee. As for the reason for it, I can't say what they were thinking, or what direction they had received. I suppose it was an effort of President Hinckley's to separate us from 'questionable' historical realities, like when Pres. Hinckley said we have nothing whatever to do with the fundamentalist Mormon polygamists. That was more wishful thinking on his part, than reality. I couldn't believe he said that, when I heard it.

I could understand them not including info on Joseph's polygamy and polyandry, since he did everything he could to keep all that unknown to the public back in his day, but in Brigham Young's case, I can't see any justification for the elimination at all.

I think at this point it's a sad day when Church members only way to learn of Joseph's polygamy is FamilySearch or the anti-Mormons (or whatever they want to be called, these days). Correlation needs to deal with this, as well as things like the MMM IN SUNDAY SCHOOL and/or Sacrament meeting. Else the anti's will convert more & more internet savvy LDS away from the Church. IMO.

I love the truth, but it is a terrible master. Truth doesn't particularly care about feelings.

HiJolly

When did correlation start? Was it under President Hinckley?

It sounds a bit like something I read in 1984 by George Orwell where the department of Truth went through all the articles and history books and changed it to meet current objectives. I'm sure the intent of Correlation is much more benign with goodness as its motive, but it sounds a bit like censorship and image projection based on what I see HiJolly saying.

Sadly, polygamy is part of our heritage which we can't deny. In the PBS documentary it was described as "the old man who won't go away". And I agree. We have to be up front about the old man, as he will always be a part of our heritage. And if we don't keep it alive and explained, the anti-Mormons will do that for us -- on their own terms.

As someone once said, "Tell it first, tell it all, and tell it yourself".

Otherwise you lose control of the truth, and falsehoods and speculation enter the fray.

Edited June 6, 2010 by mormonmusic

[Just_A_Guy]

When did correlation start? Was it under President Hinckley?

Good gracious, no. This nine-part series over at By Common Consent is, I think, unnecessarily jaded at times; but it draws some interesting connections between correlation and the Church's initial response to the rise of the polygamous offshoot sects in the 1920s and 30s. But the effort really began in earnest under Harold B. Lee's administration in the 1970s.