Volume 4 Foreword

Volume Four Foreword

A most pertinent topic today, particularly in the mission fields of the Church, is Evangelical Protestants and their relationship to our Church. There is theological dissonance between us that, unfortunately, has led to a general adversarial relationship. In this volume we will consider and analyze the relationship of the doctrines of presentday “orthodox” Christianity to those of the restored Church and gospel of Jesus Christ. I will focus on the few doctrinal topics I consider to be most relevant.

When I initially contemplated including these chapters in this set of volumes, a thoughtful member of my family questioned my decision. He wondered about the appropriateness of including such material in a series about our doctrines: “How does an analysis of evangelical doctrines pertain to our understanding of the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Does it really add anything meaningful?” I have learned that a careful consideration of the apostate doctrines of historical Christianity sharpens one’s understanding, perspective, and appreciation of our own doctrines. A study of evangelical doctrines functions as an effective foil. A “foil,” according to Webster, is “a person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast.” It is especially edifying, enlightening, and testimony strengthening to come to appreciate how the doctrines of the early Church of Jesus Christ devolved following the death of the apostles and how evangelical beliefs came to be.

#A Caveat

We LDS seem naturally inclined to regard all churches, outside our own to be false and apostate. It is important that we recognize significant spiritual truth and the

Lord’s influence in most all other churches.

A thoughtful CES instructor, Dr. S. Michael Wilcox, now retired, has suggested three vital conditions a student ought to observe as he strives to learn about a religion

other than his own :

1. Never compare the worst in another church to the best in your own. An example of this error has occurred when critics of the LDS Church attempt to represent the Mountain Meadows massacre as somehow typical of our Church. Some read of the extremist Muslim factions and assume they are typical of all Islam. Or, some may learn of the few pedophile priests and suspicion that many Catholic priests harbor such tendencies.

2. Accept the descriptions of another church only from those who live and love their own religion and not from those critical of their church.

3. Maintain the capacity for “divine envy.” This is the ability to appreciate, admire, and even seek after especially strong characteristics of other churches. For example, we might admire the emphasis given to worldly thought control by the Buddhists, the rigorous study of the scripture by the Jews, or the disciplined daily prayer customs of the Muslims.

I have earnestly tried to hold to these criteria in the creation of this volume. We will consider the doctrinal beliefs of the Evangelicals in four sections: (1) Evangelicals and Mormons, (2) The Nature of God, (3) Scripture, and (4) Salvation. Each of these sections will be subdivided into chapters.

See “Are All Churches Other than the Lord’s True Church Apostate?” in volume 3, chapter 13, Apostasy.

2 Personal communication.