Elder Kevin W. Pearson gave an address as a “Rising Generation” fireside in Bountiful, Utah where he made a respectable of himself spouting nonsense. He shouted at the young men the advice “Do NOT pray about whether or not you should go on a mission!” calling this a “Dumb Question!” Is he worried about the young men not receiving the proper answer from God? Is he worried about wasting God’s time? What is the huge problem here having the youth take some initiative and choose their life path according to what makes sense to them and their relationship with God? He must be worried that they might not get the emotional response from God that they should get.
Do NOT pray about whether or not you should go on a mission!! DUMB QUESTION!! (shouting)
When it’s a commandment from a living prophet and it’s your priesthood duty, that’s a given!
But you can pray to have the courage. You can pray to have a confirmation of that in your life.
But ASKING Heavenly Father, who’s commanded his prophet to command you to go, whether or not you should go, seems like – not a very good thing to be asking God. Right?
Utah Area President Elder Kevin W. Pearson, Rising Generation Fireside in Bountiful, Utah, on May 22, 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQfT0ZT2bEo
This tirade from Kevin W. Pearson, a General Authority Seventy of the church, contains several logical fallacies:
- Appeal to Authority: The statement relies heavily on the authority of a living prophet and the commandment, dismissing the act of questioning as a “DUMB QUESTION.” This is an appeal to authority fallacy, suggesting that questioning the commandment itself is inherently wrong because it comes from a higher authority.
- Circular Reasoning: The argument assumes the conclusion within its premises. It states that because it’s a commandment from a living prophet and a priesthood duty, asking whether one should go on a mission is a “DUMB QUESTION.” This is circular reasoning, as the conclusion is embedded in the premises.
- False Dilemma: The statement presents a false dilemma by framing the act of questioning as either having courage or receiving a confirmation, rather than questioning the underlying commandment. It implies that one can either accept the commandment without question or pray for courage and confirmation, ignoring the possibility of critical inquiry.
- Loaded Language: The use of terms like “DUMB QUESTION” and the suggestion that asking whether one should go on a mission is “not a very good thing to be asking God” introduces loaded language, attempting to discourage questioning by associating it with negative connotations.
Perhaps Kevin W. Pearson doesn’t know that among the First Presidency, there are no return missionaries. President Russell M. Nelson did not serve a mission, Dallin H. Oaks did not serve a mission, and Henry B. Eyring did not serve a mission. They were all busy doing other things or claim to be excused because of wars, military service, marriage, or schooling. These seem to be the same reasons young men might not serve today. Well, that and because they don’t want to. They didn’t serve a mission, so why should the youth of the church be berated by this joker about it being a dumb question to even consider? He thinks we should follow their “command” and not follow their example?
The prophet, church leaders and the apostles have never commanded young men to serve a mission either. They do strongly urge young men to serve a mission, but it has not been a commandment. President Spencer W. Kimball stated in the April 1974 general conference that every male should serve a mission.
The question has been often asked, Is the mission program one of compulsion? And the answer, of course, is no. Everyone is given his free agency. The question is asked: Should every young man fill a mission? And the answer of the Church is yes, and the answer of the Lord is yes. Enlarging this answer we say: Certainly every male member of the Church should fill a mission, like he should pay his tithing, like he should attend his meetings, like he should keep his life clean and free from the ugliness of the world and plan a celestial marriage in the temple of the Lord.
While there is no compulsion for him to do any of these things, he should do them for his own good.
President Spencer W. Kimball, Planning for a Full and Abundant Life, April 1974 General Conference
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1974/04/planning-for-a-full-and-abundant-life
This is an important distinction that Kevin W. Pearson seems to confuse. Does he now know the difference between commandments, compulsions, and callings? Who’s the dumb one now?
What about all the scriptures that tell us to pray about everything?
Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you; Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save. Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks. Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies. Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.
Alma 34:17-27
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/34?lang=eng&id=p17-p27#p17
For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint;
2 Nephi 32:8-9
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/32?lang=eng&id=p8-p9#p8
Or what about the famous scripture that all these young men will learn on their mission to teach to the investigators and friends in the missionary discussions or lessons? They will teach that they can ask God anything – will they remember the fool who told them that some things were too dumb to ask God? Someone should have told Joseph Smith that asking God which church to join was a dumb question. He might not have gone into the grove of trees and might not have had that alleged first vision. (See First Vision Timeline)
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.
James 1:5
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/james/1?lang=eng&id=p5#p5
Would he want the young men to be compelled in everything and not think for themselves? Wouldn’t that make them a slothful and unwise servant?
For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
D&C 58:26
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/58?lang=eng&id=p26#p26
Kevin Pearson employs these fallacies to discourage critical thinking and questioning of the commandment, relying on the authority of the prophet as the ultimate justification.
More Dumb Questions to Ask God
What else would he consider to be dumb questions to ask God? Should we ask if the church is true? The prophet already told us it is, so that’s out.
Should we ask if the Book of Mormon is true? That’s obvious, the prophet already told us that too!
What about asking God if Joseph translated the Book of Mormon with the peep stone he found in the well, or with the Urim and Thummim that he received with the plates? Can we ask how Joseph could have translated the plates if they weren’t even in the same room when he dictated most of them?
What about asking if Joseph translated the papyrus scrolls into the Book of Abraham and if it was really written by the hand of Abraham, or if the papyrus was only a catalyst, the current prophet doesn’t seem to have said much on the matter.
Can we ask God about the November policy and if it came via revelation from God and if the reversal only a few years later was also revelation from God, the prophet has told use these things, but they seem to be contradictory. Is he too feeble-minded at his age to be interpreting revelation from God?
Can we ask God about financial accountability and misrepresentations by the church investment company, Ensign Peak Advisors? The prophet did talk a little about it and simply said that he considers the matter closed, but he didn’t explain why the church has been hiding hundreds of billions of dollars of tithing funds from the membership and the Government. An earlier prophet told us that that information belongs to those who made the contributions, so naturally, that information belongs to the church members.
What other questions should we not ask God, since they are dumb? Anything else “seems like – not a very good thing to be asking God”? Please share your thoughts in the comments, or if you have a lot to say, consider creating a profile on wasmormon.org to share your Mormon faith deconstruction story with the many others who already have.
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