“One of the surest ways to avoid even getting near false doctrine is to choose to be simple in our teaching.”
—Elder Henry B. Eyring
Ensign, May 1999, 74
What do you think this means in relation to the activities of the ‘nacle?
exploring mormon culture, thought and texts
It means we’re more likely to get near to false doctrines in the ‘nacle than in places where they only are simple in their teachings. Oh well — where else should we go to dig in to the gospel beyond simple stuff? I say much better here than in Gospel Doctrine class. The Bloggernacle is a strictly opt-in coversation after all. Posted by Geoff J
I know, I know. It is just that statements like this make me wish I had a better grip on the simple stuff. In other words, it makes me wonder about my qualifications to participate in either discussion. And yes, I do have self-esteem issues. Posted by John C.
I think that the statement is specifically intended for lessons in church which people will interpret to be at least somewhat representative of the church’s position on things. People on the bloggernacle, however, are going out of their way to discuss things which they understand are not at all coming from a lesson manual. Posted by Jeffrey Giliam
Here is a broader context for the quote:”We have more control over our own preparation. We feast on the word of God in the scriptures and study the words of the living prophets. We fast and pray to invite the Spirit for ourselves and the person we would teach.Because we need the Holy Ghost, we must be cautious and careful not to go beyond teaching true doctrine. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Truth. His confirmation is invited by our avoiding speculation or personal interpretation. That can be hard to do. You love the person you are trying to influence. He or she may have ignored the doctrine they have been taught. It is tempting to try something new or sensational. But we invite the Holy Ghost as our companion when we are careful to teach only true doctrine.One of the surest ways to avoid even getting near false doctrine is to choose to be simple in our teaching. Safety is gained by that simplicity, and little is lost. We know that because the Savior has told us to teach the most important doctrine to little children. Listen to His command:”And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents” (D&C 68:25).We can teach even a child to understand the doctrine of Jesus Christ. It is therefore possible, with God’s help, to teach the saving doctrine simply. ”The talk in its entirety can be found here . Posted by John C.
It justifies S School and EQ lessons being boring and teaching to the lowest common denominator… Yawn… Posted by me