As I have stated before in this forum, often Prophets spoke as men and with their own understanding of things, not with the spirit. Maybe Brigham Young was trying to encourage the people in a particularly trying time to keep going. Who really knows why he said what he said. BUT it has never been church doctrine, anymore than the Mary walking on the roof of the Egyptian Cathedral is Catholic Church Doctrine, or appearing under the freeway. It is simply the belief of one man and because he said it and he was a prophet, some people expounded on it and believed it also. In my 62 years I have never been taught(as in a class) that God was once a man. I have only been taught the principle of eternal progression, and even though I have heard it said by certain people, I have never been made aware of it being anything but opinion. We know the things that are gospel, they are written in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. Anything else is the writings and speculations of man, and subject to misinterpretation or are simply a man’s thoughts. They were not always on their knees receiving revelation, most of the time they were acting and speaking as man and subject to the failures of man. They forgot to take out the garbage for their wives, they acted just as you or I do now. There are times I feel spritual guidance and later find it is, as you all like to say, indigestion. Prophets had other lives besides being prophets, they were also men with human failings.
I am reading books on the lives of the Prophets of the Church and it is really amazing to hear the stories of their progression in the Church from child to Prophet. They are most always humble and when they aren’t, God takes them down a notch or two. They are men, but more inclined to inspiration from God, and more in tune to God’s promptings as regards the Salvation of Man. They have the same growth as we do in learning to make right choices, and the big difference is that they make more right choices to follow the Lord Jesus Christ than I have, or you have. Just as the Pope makes that choice and is closer to God than you or I. He still has human thoughts and failings no matter how close to God he becomes. None are perfect, except Jesus Christ.
I am sure you don’t jump on everything the Pope says and hold him to it as being straight from God. Well, we don’t hold everything the Prophet says as being straight from God. They are men, do you understand that concept? We listen, and for the most part agree, but sometimes we don’t agree because we are also men with our own thoughts and interpretations of things.
I hear many different Catholics with thoughts of their own that do not go along with the teachings of the Church, but they are still Catholics and what they believe does not change the basic doctrine of the Catholic Church. What the Pope says is not always popular or current, but sometimes it is acted upon and becomes part of the Church Doctrine. Of course it is always explained as that it is not church doctrine, but only rules to be changed if they need to be changed. For instance Latin to English, or priests and nuns celebacy, eating fish on Friday.etc etc. None of those things were present in the original church, so how do you explain the change? Are those simply the ideas of the pope thinking as a man and making changes to God’s church?
Well, I have rambled again as usual, but please do not hold our Church up to a higher level than your own. We are all human beings still.
BJ
