2019 Alpine YSA Stake Conference: Doctrine & Clarity

I was asked to speak at the October 2019 Alpine Utah YSA stake conference about doctrine and clarity. Anyone who knows me well knows this is one of my favorite discussion topics. Enough people asked me to send them the talk afterward that I thought I'd post it here with the sources to aid in future study. Enjoy!

Doctrine & Clarity

William Shakespeare once wrote: “The prince of darkness is a gentleman” (King Lear, Act 3 Scene 4 Line 143).

I think about that a lot. While we know that truth exists, it can sometimes be difficult to ascertain because the adversary does an excellent job disguising deceit.

In conference just two weeks ago, we learned from David A. Bednar that "[Satan camouflages] spiritually dangerous ideas and actions" (Watchful unto Prayer Continually, 5 Oct. 2019), and from Gary E. Stevenson that Satan disguises sins as harmless, and that "there are forces at play today designed to deliberately lead us away from absolute truth" (Deceive Me Not, 6 Oct. 2019).

It can be difficult to sift through the information that we receive from church leaders, our social environment, and our own contemplations to determine what is true.

As we seek to understand truth, it’s particularly important that we understand doctrine.

Church Newsroom published an article in 2007 called “Approaching Mormon Doctrine” (4 May 2007). In that article, we learn:

Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church.

This is important, because it means that not everything we’re taught by church leaders is doctrine.

Doctrine is truth, and truth doesn’t change. This is what the scriptures mean when they say that “[God] is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity” (Moroni 8:18).

What does change is the way that we apply doctrines within the church. This is why personal revelation is so important to Latter-day Saints. The Church is a living entity. It’s able to thrive in different time periods, countries, and cultures because the Lord regularly provides instruction, through His prophets, about how to apply the doctrines of the church.

President Nelson said at general conference, “Please be assured that revelation continues in the church” (Closing Remarks, 6 Oct. 2019). He said this to assure us that the recent changes we’ve seen in church programs and policies are ordained of God, and that the leaders of the church are aware of our social circumstances and are seeking guidance from the Lord about how to navigate them.

But the doctrines are always the foundation—the invariable truths upon which all policies are built. 

So if we understand that there is a difference between doctrine, which is unchanging, and the application of doctrine, which is adaptable, how do we determine what is doctrine?

Approaching Mormon Doctrine sets a good baseline:

With divine inspiration, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture, official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith.

If a statement made by a church leader is doctrine, it will have roots in the scriptures, articles of faith, or official publications like “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” Doctrines are eternal truths and do not change. Policies reflect the current application of church doctrines. Policies are always grounded in doctrine, but may change over time based on revelation from God. Current policies are recorded in the Church Handbook. Church leaders may express personal opinions about doctrines or policies, but these statements are not officially binding and should not be taken as doctrine, even if presented by a general authority.

It’s important to remember that doctrines and policies are determined by God, and communicated by church leaders. In October 2014, President Nelson bore his testimony about how the leaders of the church know they have received revelation from God:

Can you imagine how the Spirit needs to move upon 15 men to bring about unanimity? These 15 men have varied educational and professional backgrounds, with differing opinions about many things. Trust me! These 15 men—prophets, seers, and revelators—know what the will of the Lord is when unanimity is reached! They are committed to see that the Lord’s will truly will be done. (Sustaining the Prophets, 5 Oct. 2014)

The Lord’s will doesn’t always match our social environment. In his recent BYU devotional, President Nelson taught, “[The leaders of the church] may not always tell people what they want to hear. Prophets are rarely popular. But [they] will always teach the truth!” (The Love and Laws of God, 17 Sept. 2019)

We live in a world that teaches the way we feel is more important than almost anything else. This is dangerous because the adversary uses the way that we feel about church leaders and policies to confuse us and make it difficult to determine what’s true. If we accept that the way we feel about something determines its truthfulness, when we feel uncomfortable about the way the church is led or the gospel is taught, we may be disinclined to accept doctrine as truth. Or, we may become convinced that things unfounded in doctrine are true.

At general conference, President Oaks warned, “let us not teach or use as official doctrine what does not meet the standards of official doctrine” (Trust in the Lord, 5 Oct. 2019). Our understanding of the doctrines do not determine their legitimacy.

If you find yourself struggling to distinguish between doctrine, application, and personal opinion, a good approach is to ask. Take care where you seek for answers, though, because you’ll find elements of truth wherever you look for it. At general conference, Elder Holland advised: when you have questions about faith, turn to people who have faith (i.e., "In matters of faith and conviction, it helps to direct your inquiry toward those who actually have some!", The Message, the Meaning, and the Multitude, 5 Oct. 2019).

The restored gospel is built entirely upon the foundation of asking difficult questions with the intent to discern truth in a world of profuse and convincing imitators. Joseph Smith asked questions, utilized his resources, earnestly sought answers from God, and opened his heart to those answers even when they made him uncomfortable.

In a 2016 devotional to BYU Idaho students, Sheri Dew taught,

We all have questions. Some are doctrinal, historical, or procedural. Some are intensely personal…When we have unresolved questions, our challenge doesn’t lie in what we think we know. It lies in what we don’t yet know…the Lord wants us to ask every probing question we can muster because not asking questions can be far more dangerous than asking them. In other words, sin makes you stupid-and so does refusing to seek after truth. (Will You Engage in the Wrestle?, 21 May 2016)

I want to add my personal testimony to Sister Dew’s, that asking questions and really seeking to understand the doctrines of the church are imperative as we’re seeking for truth. Satan tries to confuse us by camouflaging spiritually dangerous ideas and actions. Clarity comes when we learn to distinguish doctrine, from the application of doctrine, from personal opinions of church leaders and members (including our own).

The prophets and apostles receive revelation from God, who leads this church, about how to apply doctrines for the Saints of our day.

I promise that as you ask questions, study the standard works and other sources of doctrine, and converse with people who have faith, your own faith and understanding will be strengthened, and you will discover truth for yourself.