Straw Man – Mormon Quotes

Answers: Straightforward Answers to Tough Gospel Questions, pg. 216; “To build a straw man, your critic takes something he knows he can pound the stuffing out of, and he attributes it to you as your belief. He then beats it up as evidence that the doctrines of the Church aren’t true. One way for him to do that is to show where two of our leaders have said something that appears to be in conflict. The fallacy in his doing so is that he has the notion that we believe in the infallibility of prophets. Thus if Brigham Young said something that is not the doctrine of the Church, then the Church can’t be true because one of its prophets made an error. Now, Elder, do you see what is happening? Your critic is telling you that we believe in the infallibility of prophets. The truth is, we simply don’t believe that.

Matthew 13:18-23Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.  19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.  20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.  22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.  23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The prophet’s words need to be true – ALL THE TIME.  Everyone knows that all men are fallible, that is not the issue.  The issue is the message, not the messenger.

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