Kevin Barney is a regular person, who brings up points on the LoF, like the the LoFSerragon wrote: ↑October 30th, 2017, 12:42 pmWho is Kevin Barney? And why is his opinion being quoted as though it is more important or authoritative than others?Arenera wrote: ↑October 30th, 2017, 12:14 pmUnquestionably (if predictably) the most problematic chapter in the commentary section is Robert L. Millet’s discussion of Lecture 5 and the Godhead. Millet follows Bruce R. McConkie in arguing that Lecture 5 “is without question the most excellent summmary of revealed and eternal truth relative to the Godhead that is now extant in mortal language” (p. 221). Such unadulterated poppycock displays the Mormon harmonist tradition in its worst light; if such a statement were true, then Elders Talmage, Widtsoe and Smith should never have recommended the deletion of the Lectures from the Doctrine and Covenants. I believe this is a case where Joseph Fidlding Smith, who freely acknolwledged the doctrinal inadequacy of Lecture 5, was on much firmer ground than his son-in-law. Millet tries hard to harmonize with traditional Mormon doctrine statements to the effect that (i) there are two personages in the Godhead, (ii) the Father is a personage of spirit, and (iii) the Holy Spirit is the mind of the Father and the Son, but ultimately fails.
There is much of value in the Lectures on Faith; they certainly deserve wider study, and this volume will be a useful tool in encouraging such study. They cannot, however, seriously compete with the scriptures. Portions of the Lectures are ponderously pedantic, and some of the material is simply wrong. Call me old fashioned, but I whole-heartedly concur with the decision to remove the Lectures from the Doctrine and Covenants, and I view attempts to elevate the authority of the Lectures to a par with the scriptures themselves as misguided.
Kevin Barney
- Cannot seriously compete with scriptures.
- Some material is wrong.
- Millet/BRM comments are poppycock.
- Should have been removed, agrees with that decision.