ADAPTABILITY

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#CC9900" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="043005a0dwnjzk.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="EDWARD WATSONS WEBWORLD"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B> | </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>EDWARD WATS</B><B>ON'S WEBWORLD</B></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INTRO"><U><B>INTRO</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id120.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="KNOWING TRUTH"><U><B>KNOWING TRUTH</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id121.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHY MORMONS?"><U><B>WHY MORMONS?</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INTELLECTUAL APPEAL"><U><B>INTELLECTUAL APPEAL</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id123.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PURPOSE AND USAGE"><U><B>PURPOSE AND USAGE</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>ADAPTABILITY</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id125.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHAT IS MORMONISM?"><U><B>WHAT IS MORMONISM?</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id126.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST"><U><B>THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BIBLICAL EXPERTS"><U><B>BIBLICAL EXPERTS</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id128.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="IS MORMONISM A CULT?"><U><B>IS MORMONISM A CULT?</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id129.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HISTORICAL REFUTATION VS SCRIPTURAL REFU"><U><B>HISTORICAL REFUTATION VS SCRIPTURAL REFUTATION</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CREDENTIALS"><U><B>CREDENTIALS</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BIBLICAL VIEW"><U><B>BIBLICAL VIEW</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PERSONAL NOTE"><U><B>PERSONAL NOTE</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id133.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOOK OF MORMON"><U><B>BOOK OF MORMON</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id135.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABBREVIATIONS"><U><B>ABBREVIATIONS</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> ADAPTABILITY</div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INTRO"><U><B>Introduction</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id120.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="KNOWING TRUTH"><U><B>The best way to know the Truth</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id121.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHY MORMONS?"><U><B>Why are we called “Mormons”? </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INTELLECTUAL APPEAL"><U><B>The intellectual appeal of Mormonism</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id123.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PURPOSE AND USAGE"><U><B>What these books are for and how to use them</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id124.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ADAPTABILITY"><U><B>The adaptability of Mormonism</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id125.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHAT IS MORMONISM?"><U><B>What is Mormonism?</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id126.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST"><U><B>The Church is the Bride of Christ!</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BIBLICAL EXPERTS"><U><B>The four types of biblical experts</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id128.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="IS MORMONISM A CULT?"><U><B>Is  Mormonism a Cult?</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id129.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HISTORICAL REFUTATION VS SCRIPTURAL REFU"><U><B>Historical refutation vs Scriptural refutation</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CREDENTIALS"><U><B>The issue of credentials </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BIBLICAL VIEW"><U><B>My view of the Bible</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PERSONAL NOTE"><U><B>A personal note</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id133.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOOK OF MORMON"><U><B>Coming back to the Book of Mormon</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>[MORMONISM. The Faith of the Twenty-first Century. Volume 1. Edward K. Watson. (Liahona Publications. Copyright © 1998 Edward K. Watson.) pp. lxiii-lxiv. MORMONISM: Series Introduction. All rights reserved.]</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The adaptability of Mormonism</B></div> <bR> <div>      We don't have any  creeds, or set of beliefs that the members are to abide by. The Thirteen Articles of Faith is the closest thing the church has that can be considered a creed, but they are general statements of belief instead of the narrow definitions that makes up doctrine creeds.</div> <div>      The absence of a creed has its advantages and disadvantages. The benefit of not having a creed gives the possibility of doctrinal development (both in the sense of additional revelation and doctrinal modification<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >1</FONT>) which causes the Mormon church to be vibrant and adaptive to modern society and thought.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >2</FONT> The problem of not having a creed, causes the members to have considerable doctrinal differences on matters that are not clearly defined.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >3</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>[ENDNOTES]:</B></div> <bR> <div> 1.TMC. pp. 167,204; HMALDS. pp. 199,203. All churches “evolve” over time. Ideas and concepts become more refined with new information and experience. Mormonism today (or Catholicism and Protestantism for that matter) is a lot more “mature” than what it was in the early nineteenth century. The doctrines and formulations have improved considerably. All churches experience such modification. The real issue is, “Is the evolution of the LDS church inspired by God which brings us closer to where God wants us to be?” I believe so. I see his hand guiding the church throughout time and am confident the twenty-first century church will be developed further into what God wants it to be. We are condemned by our opponents for changes in our church but they seem oblivious to the changes their own churches have experienced over the years. They sure don't like to draw attention to it.</div> <div> 2.TMC. p. 204; HMALDS. Foreword, x.</div> <div> 3.For example, every member of the church knows that the official Mormon position on the Law of Tithing requires every member to give 10% of their income to the church. Are we supposed to give ten percent of our gross income or our net? This law is not clearly defined. Some bishops say “gross,” some say “net,” others say “whatever you feel is right.”</div> <div>      Another example is the separation of Jesus from the Father. Every member knows the official Mormon position is Jesus is a separate and distinct being from the Father. What then precisely, is Jesus Christ's relationship to the Father? Is he equal? If so, in what sense? Is he subordinate? If so, in what sense? What about the Holy Ghost? Is he equal to the Father and Son? In what sense? Is he subordinate to the Father but equal to the Son? In what sense? Or is he subordinate to both the Father and the Son? If so, in what sense?</div> <div> There are numerous examples such as these that can be given to show the diversity in doctrinal belief that occurs without a creed.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca"><U>e-mail me!</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>