“If a faith will not bear to be investigated: if its preachers and professors are afraid to have it examined, their foundation must be very weak.”
George Albert Smith
Journal of Discourses, v. 14, p. 216
We are encouraged to examine and investigate everything. Especially our faith & our church. This is in line with what Christ taught:
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/8.32
We don’t fear truth, and when things are pure and true, they withstand any inspection or investigation or examination. Place this next to recent council from Dallin H. Oaks for when you are stumped by a church history puzzler:
I suggest that research is not the answer.
Dallin H. Oaks
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/president-oaks-counsels-young-couples-defending-the-gospel-on-the-frontline-?lang=eng
Research should not be avoided, as Dallin H. Oaks teaches. The idea that research is bad is not in line with the teachings of George Albert Smith or even with Christ. That is more in line with the Wizard of Oz.
When someone suggests we simply trust them rather than look at the facts, they deserve even more scrutiny! Church leaders have seen since the days of George Albert Smith that the foundations of the church’s truth claims are in fact very weak. Now, they’re afraid of members looking behind the curtain and their opinions and messages have changed. They have seen many reasons why members are losing faith in them and in the church, and one of these reasons is church history and reliance on truth claims. In the leaked presentation it lists “Incredulity over Church history” as one of the largest reasons people have left the church.
So, it’s no surprise that they are wanting to keep members away from that, even if they think the loss of faith is unwarranted. It may or may not be an intentional cover-up, but it’s a cover-up just the same. Stigmatizing research, is not the answer, that’s just a cover-up. They are just pulling the curtain and telling us to look elsewhere. Again, this is not in line with church leaders historically, and it’s not in line with Christ’s teachings, and it’s not in line with common sense and reason.
