How do we ask questions at church?

[Guest MormonGator]

8 minutes ago, Rob Osborn said:

Trust me, I know this all too well.

I'm sure you do. 

It's fun to look down on people for asking what we think are stupid questions, but if we're being objective and fair, every single one of us from you to me-everyone-has asked questions that someone has thought are stupid. I admire people who ask questions because it shows they can admit they don't know everything and want to learn something. 

[Rob Osborn]

2 hours ago, MormonGator said:

I'm sure you do. 

It's fun to look down on people for asking what we think are stupid questions, but if we're being objective and fair, every single one of us from you to me-everyone-has asked questions that someone has thought are stupid. I admire people who ask questions because it shows they can admit they don't know everything and want to learn something. 

Yes. I ask myself stupid questiobs all the time. Its helped me to understand the gospel far greater than most. There are no stupid questions.

[Vort]

4 minutes ago, Rob Osborn said:

There are no stupid questions.

• "Officer, would your supervisor approve of you letting me off with a mere warning?"
• "Want to see me to pee on this electric fence?"
• "So, Mister Unstable Tough Guy with an Attitude Problem and a Loaded Firearm, has anyone ever told you that you're as ugly as you are stupid?"

[The Folk Prophet]

1 minute ago, Rob Osborn said:

Its helped me to understand the gospel far greater than most.

9 minutes ago, Rob Osborn said:

There are no stupid questions.

There aren't?

[The Folk Prophet]

 

[zil]

1 minute ago, The Folk Prophet said:

There aren't?

No, only stupid questiobs.  There are lots of those.

[The Folk Prophet]

 

[askandanswer]

5 hours ago, changed said:

 

uncertainty exists in everything.  In our current state, we cannot "know" anything for certain, so our beliefs are a choice of what we want to pursue, what we want to talk ourselves into, what we hope, what we want to have faith in - our beliefs reflect our personality, our character.  

It's bad to teach that there are concrete answers, that we can prove anything... better to teach that uncertainty is what this life is full of, that questions do not have concrete answers, and the best we can do is follow the path that leads to hope, joy, love, peace, kindness etc.  to think about what we want our character to be.  

  

I think the above comments come closer to causing me offence than anything I have read in quite some time. I have built my life, and am trying to build the eternal future of my family on certain certainties, knowledge, and absolute truths

There are places where uncertainty does not exist.

There is NO UNCERTAINTY about the existence of God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, and their love for us, none at all, 

There is NO UNCERTAINTY that God has a plan for us and that if we follow it fully we will return to Him.

There is much we can know, and the value of this knowledge is immense.

I KNOW that God exists, that the Plan of Salvation is real, that the scriptures are true, that Thomas S Monson and all his predecessors are true and living prophets of God, either in this life or the next,

I KNOW that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that through His atoning sacrifice, I can repent and be saved from my sins. 

And there are many many more things that I and I believe most members of this forum absolutely KNOW.

There are concrete answers.

The CONCRETE ANSWER to the question of whether there is life after death is yes.

The CONCRETE ANSWER to whether God knows and loves me is yes.

And there are many more questions to which there are absolute CONCRETE ANSWERS

I reject the idea that my beliefs are a result of what I have talked myself into. My gospel related beliefs, and knowledge are a product of revealed truth and guide what I choose to pursue and should be shaping my personality and eternal character.

I reject the idea that uncertainty is that this life is full of. Rather than teaching that life is full of uncertainty, we should be trying to teach faith. truth and our divine identity and purpose - there are no better antidotes to the fear, hopelessness and worry that so often accompany excessive uncertainty. 

 

[Guest MormonGator]

31 minutes ago, Rob Osborn said:

Its helped me to understand the gospel far greater than most. 

We all bow to your advanced knowledge and you amaze us with your humility. 

[Vort]

Just now, MormonGator said:

We all bow to your advanced knowledge and you amaze us with your humility. 

You swine.

[unixknight]

In all the times I've been in Elder's Quorum or Gospel Doctrine, I've never felt like I couldn't ask questions.  In fact, sometimes the teacher welcomes a rousing discussion because they didn't prepare for the lesson and nothing's a better time filler than a tangent where everyone has something to say.  (Heck, once I was the one teaching that day in EQ and wasn't prepared, so I was COUNTING on it.) 

It seems to me if someone feels like their questions are stifled, then either they asked the wrong person or they didn't like the answer they got when they asked... Or maybe they never tried to ask and use this notion of a closed off environment as an excuse.  I dunno.  Not a mind reader (even though my wife apparently expects me to be one) but anyone who's been to my ward on a Sunday would find the accusation that the Church stifles discussion to be hilarious.

Heck, a former Bishop of mine even praised me when I asked weird questions. 

[Rob Osborn]

2 hours ago, The Folk Prophet said:

There aren't?

Except for that one. 

[Rob Osborn]

2 hours ago, unixknight said:

In all the times I've been in Elder's Quorum or Gospel Doctrine, I've never felt like I couldn't ask questions.  In fact, sometimes the teacher welcomes a rousing discussion because they didn't prepare for the lesson and nothing's a better time filler than a tangent where everyone has something to say.  (Heck, once I was the one teaching that day in EQ and wasn't prepared, so I was COUNTING on it.) 

It seems to me if someone feels like their questions are stifled, then either they asked the wrong person or they didn't like the answer they got when they asked... Or maybe they never tried to ask and use this notion of a closed off environment as an excuse.  I dunno.  Not a mind reader (even though my wife apparently expects me to be one) but anyone who's been to my ward on a Sunday would find the accusation that the Church stifles discussion to be hilarious.

Heck, a former Bishop of mine even praised me when I asked weird questions. 

Its been my experience though that you are generally not going to get people to open up and ask questions and then get a lively discussion that derails a lesson. It happens but not very often. The questions and discussions in these forums are different than what you see in church. Its more open and easy to ask and get more in depth in online forums than you get at church.

[SilentOne]

Who said anything about knowing it ALL?

Just a little scriptural evidence that knowledge is possible:

Quote

God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now;

D&C 121:26

Quote

And if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous; therefore thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, convince them of the error of their ways.

D&C 6:11

Quote

For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

Moroni 7:16

 

[Sunday21]

Ldsnewsroom has a number of essays on controversial topics.http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/topics-and-background/

Here is the link to polygamy http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/topic/polygamy

[Rob Osborn]

5 hours ago, MormonGator said:

We all bow to your advanced knowledge and you amaze us with your humility. 

Someday you too can be a Jedi master.

[Guest MormonGator]

11 hours ago, Rob Osborn said:

Someday you too can be a Jedi master.

If that means being trained by you, consider me a Sith. 

[askandanswer]

16 hours ago, changed said:

so you are not a fan of Gödel's incompleteness theorems or Uncertainty principle ... more of a Calvanist / Determinism fan?  

ok - all joking aside, For now we see through a glass, darkly    
 

This life is about faith, not knowledge... 

"They profess that they know God...Titus 1:16   We will not know, we will not see "face to face" until we are in our perfected form.

 

 

1. I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead.

He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed.

He lives to bless in time of need.

[Rob Osborn]

6 hours ago, MormonGator said:

If that means being trained by you, consider me a Sith. 

in due time you shall be Lord Gator.

[Sunday21]

Annoying questions/comments in Sunday School class