Is the Gospel "Flexible", "Scalable", or both?

[Shoot_The_Moon]

Do you see the Gospel principles as:

• "Flexible" - Able to be bent, molded, or change its shape
• "Scalable" - Changes size, but keeps the same "shape" and maintains its proportions according to a fixed "scale"
• Both - A mixture of the two

[Vort]

"That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another" - Joseph Smith

The difference between the Sadducee/Pharisees - letter of the law vs. spirit of the law... The spirit of the law adapts to circumstances - everything is relative...

This is not the meaning of "the spirit of the law". In actual practice, keeping the spirit of the law is much more difficult than merely keeping the letter of the law.

• The letter of the law says "don't murder." The spirit of the law says "don't even be angry at your brother."
• The letter of the law says "don't commit adultery." The spirit of the law says "don't even look at other women in a lustful way."
• The letter of the law says "an eye for an eye." The spirit of the law says "do good unto them that hate you."
• The letter of the law says "love your neighbor." The spirit of the law says "love your enemy."
• The letter of the law says "attend your meetings." The spirit of the law says "be involved with your fellow Saints, at Church and elsewhere."
• The letter of the law says "pay your tithing." The spirit of the law says "joyfully give all you have and all you can give to the building up of the kingdom of God."
• The letter of the law says "do your home teaching"; the spirit of the law says "take watchful care in love of all those over whom you have stewardship."

Too many Latter-day Saints use the "spirit of the law" argument to try to justify some aberrant action. "I'm shopping on Sunday because that's when the sales are. But I'm keeping the spirit of the law because I only buy what's on sale, and I go to Church, and I have holly in my heart all year 'round."

Btw, I'm not saying this is what changed is doing; I am using her post as a springboard (or, more appropriately, a soapbox).

[NeuroTypical]

I guess I don't quite get the question. It seems to me that both terms "flexible and scalable" are things we humans try to do to processes and policies and whatnot, in order to make it easier to have them apply to bigger groups of people. As your business/family/etc grows, it's good to have ways of doing things that are flexible enough and scalable enough to still apply.

God doesn't need anything to be easier just because there are a lot of us. We each get individualized attention from a perfect being who knows everything there is to know about us, and is able to apply a perfect blend of mercy and justice to each of us individually.

So, I dunno.

[Vort]

I guess I don't quite get the question. It seems to me that both terms "flexible and scalable" are things we humans try to do to processes and policies and whatnot, in order to make it easier to have them apply to bigger groups of people. As your business/family/etc grows, it's good to have ways of doing things that are flexible enough and scalable enough to still apply.

God doesn't need anything to be easier just because there are a lot of us. We each get individualized attention from a perfect being who knows everything there is to know about us, and is able to apply a perfect blend of mercy and justice to each of us individually.

So, I dunno.

The intent of the question appears (to me) to be this: Is the gospel something that can and should be molded to fit societal prejudices and established norms, as opposed to having an immutable core set of beliefs at its base? And: Is the organization that carries the gospel meant only to apply to small groups -- families, small wards, etc. -- or is it supposed to be able to accommodate any number of believers? At least that's how I interpreted it. I voted "scalable" as a way of saying "no" to the former question and "yes" to the latter

[applepansy]

Its not either choice. I'm not voting.

[Backroads]

I'm going with "scalable". I don't think I was looking at all at spirit/letter of the law at all; just on how the gospel has appeared over various dispensations.

To me, flexible sounds a little too convenient. That being said, I do think things can alter depending on the people and situations. Vort brought up the letter vs spirit. I look at the 10 Commandments and the rest of the Law of Moses as something of a simplified version of all that we should be doing. It's simpler and specific, but it did provide a great framework.

Scalable, to me, makes it sound like things adjust more than change and alter. The Law of Moses was the same principles we believe in, just scaled to the situation.

I know a lot of people complain about and leave the church over seeming changes to the gospel. Those that I have studied seem to maintain the same idea--only the details of how it was brought about our different. I see that as an adjustment.

[mnn727]

neither

[applepansy]

[quote=Backroads;602251

I know a lot of people complain about and leave the church over seeming changes to the gospel. Those that I have studied seem to maintain the same idea--only the details of how it was brought about our different. I see that as an adjustment.

And some people leave because the church doesn't change to fit what they want.

[Backroads]

And some people leave because the church doesn't change to fit what they want.

You just can't please everyone.

[applepansy]

You just can't please everyone.

:lol: