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Mormon Leader’s Doubts and Questions about the Church

Ensign, ‘Doctrinal Certainties,’ March 2015; “I can live with some human imperfections, even among prophets of God—that is to be expected in mortal beings. I can live with some alleged scientific findings contrary to the Book of Mormon; time will correct those. And I can live with some seeming historical anomalies; they are minor in the total landscape of truth. But I cannot live without the doctrinal truths and ordinances restored by Joseph Smith, I cannot live without the priesthood of God to bless my family, and I cannot live without knowing my wife and children are sealed to me for eternity. That is the choice we face—a few unanswered questions on one hand versus a host of doctrinal certainties and the power of God on the other.” – Tad R. Callister, Sunday School general president, “What Is the Blueprint of Christ’s Church?” (CES devotional, Jan. 12, 2014), cesdevotionals.lds.org.

Romans 15:4; “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

My heart grieves for Mr. Callister, and at the same time I can’t help but wonder how he reconciles the statement he made here. 

I too, can ‘live with’ the human imperfections we see in the lives of the men God chose to be His holy prophets like Jonah, Moses, Jeremiah, and Hosea, et al. However, the major difference here lies in the prophecies of these men and those of a self-proclaimed prophet named Joseph Smith. The former didn’t pronounce false prophecies, and they didn’t denounce what God had already proclaimed. Smith is guilty of both. 

Mr. Callister said – 

‘I can live with some alleged scientific findings contrary to the BoM; time will correct those’. 

Oh, this is where my heart gets sad. You could wait a billion years Mr. Callister, and problems in the BoM will still be there He also said he could live with some historical anomalies. 

How? How can he live with these ‘anomalies’ when they’re the problem? 

Finally, Mr. Callister said he couldn’t live without Smith’s revelations on the priesthood, forever families and temple ordinances…

How can he trust those things when Smith lied about the foundational canon of the Church? (Book of Mormon)

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