Item Detail
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26280
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1
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10
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English
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Dissenters : Portraying the Church as Wrong So They Can be Right Without It
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Interpreter : A Journal of Mormon Scripture
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10
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Orem, UT
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The Interpreter Foundation
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77-121
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This essay addresses the reasons many persons have left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In particular, there are those who publicly assert the Church is not led by inspired leaders so they can feel at peace about their decision to leave it. One common argument used to justify their estrangement is the "Samuel Principle," which ostensibly would require God to allow his followers on earth to go astray if they chose any level of unrighteousness. Problems with this interpretation are presented including examples from religious history that show that God's primary pattern has been to call his errant followers to repentance by raising up righteous leaders to guide them. Also explored are the common historical events that dissenters often allege have caused the Church to apostatize. The notion that the Church and the "Priesthood" could be separate entities is examined as well. The observation that Church leaders continue to receive divine communication in order to fulfill numerous prophecies and that a significant number of completely devout Latter-day Saints have always existed within the Church, obviating the need for any dissenting movement, is discussed. In addition, several common scriptural proof-texts employed by some dissenters and their ultimate condition of apostasy are analyzed.
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Collected Discourses Delivered by President Wilford Woodruff, his two Counselors, the Twelve Apostles and Others, Volumes 1-5, 1886-1898
History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Period I : History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, by Himself
Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism : The Generations After the Manifesto
My Kingdom Shall Roll Forth : Readings in Church History
Opening the Heavens : Accounts of Divine Manifestations 1820-1844
Political Deliverance : The Mormon Quest for Utah Statehood
Questions on plural marriage : With a selected bibliography and 1600 references
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith
The Council of Fifty and Its Members, 1844 to 1945
The Words of Joseph Smith : The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph