While Latter-day Saints don’t have a formal theology, the tradition is rich with revealed truth and ongoing inquiry. Yet to Be Revealed, a special issue of BYU Studies, explores meaningful questions for which the Church has not offered definitive positions. The volume highlights how prophetic teachings have, at times, emphasized different dimensions of doctrine. In this interview, editor Eric Eliason discusses topics such as God’s progress in knowledge and the King Follett Sermon, exploring how to engage varied perspectives faithfully.
Continuing Revelation and Open Questions in Latter-day Saint Theology
What is the Yet to Be Revealed issue of BYU Studies about?
Here is the description we put together for selecting the topics and giving guidance to contributors, “an anthology of essays by specialist scholars, on topics distinctive to Latter-day Saint religion, about which there have been more than one school of thought, with a significant history of discussion, that have not been authoritatively resolved.”
What was the catalyst for this issue about open questions?
Back in the early 1990s, I read in The Encyclopedia of Mormonism (which passed through rigorous scrutiny from Church headquarters) that the Restoration tradition had two main schools of thought on the nature of God’s progress.
Even though there had been strongly expressed views on both sides, neither point of view had been promulgated as official doctrine; and neither had been officially declared anathema.
I was relieved to learn that there was space for things to be unsettled.
This was a new perspective to me! Before then, my young brain was pretty black and white, as young brains often are. I thought one point of view must be right, and the other must be wrong. I was relieved to learn that there was space for things to be unsettled, as I admired and sustained the voices on all sides of this issue.
An epic conversation on this with my mother-in-law was the genesis of this book. Later, more topics came to mind. A few years ago, I shared some of them with Terryl Givens at the Mormon History Association Meeting. He said, “We should do a book!” I said, “OK.”
We were delighted when BYU Studies agreed to publish the “Yet to be Revealed” volume, both a special issue and a book.
Is there a single definition of what constitutes Latter-day Saint theology?
Heavens, no. Our lead essay by Michael Goodman considers several proposed formulations. However, they are all quite similar in their understanding that only general authorities have the divinely appointed stewardship to make any such determinations.
In previous decades, Latter-day Saint writers might have used the term “doctrine” more loosely to refer to various ideas and beliefs that have emerged in the history of our faith tradition.
More recently, the Brethren, notably Dallin H. Oaks, seem to be making a concerted effort to define the term “doctrine” more precisely, as something more like: only official Church teachings that are currently taught, through official Church channels, by the unified witness of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaking in an official capacity.
As doctrine has been more narrowly defined, it may be important to remember that doctrine is a smaller sub-category of truth. Our heritage has bequeathed us many wonderful beliefs that are still precious and worth reflecting on, even if we would not call them doctrine today.
What lessons can we learn when church leaders sometimes have different theological opinions?
A great number of things, I reckon. Maybe the Lord, for reasons we don’t yet understand, needed his servants to emphasize different things for different audiences at different times.
Maybe language is often an imperfect instrument for conveying truth.
Perhaps this is an instance of the old story where five blind men go around the corner to describe what they find, and they come upon an elephant. One grabs the trunk and says, “A snake!” The next grabs the tail and says, “A rope!” The ear, “a curtain!” The torso, “ a wall!” And a leg, “a tree trunk!”
Are they all wrong and contradicting each other? Or has each given us a useful insight pointing toward a deeper, more complex truth not yet fully seen?
Maybe they are not really “blind” after all? Maybe they are seeing much more than we do, which was nothing until they gave their report.
Doctrinal Themes with Diverse Interpretive Histories
Does God progress?
Yes. There is no disagreement that He continues to progress quantitatively in the number of his creations, bringing to pass the immortality and eternal lives of men and women on worlds without end.
As Matt Bowman shows in his chapter in the book, there has been disagreement on whether his progress is qualitative in terms of knowledge and wisdom.
Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff said that He is progressing in this way. Orson Pratt and Bruce R. McConkie said He is not.
Was Jesus married?
In our book, Chris Blythe looks closely into this, martials all the available evidence, and delivers a confident and resounding, “There is no official position.”
But a wide variety of interesting things have been said about whether Jesus was married—by interesting people, for interesting reasons.
What are some key “doctrines” that trace their roots back to the King Follett discourse?
One of the points Jim Faulconer and Susannah Morrison make in their chapter is that there are not as many key doctrines in the King Follett Sermon as Church members often suppose.
Many are also found elsewhere in Joseph Smith’s teachings.
Why does Jim Faulconer say that Church leaders rarely refer to the King Follett discourse?
Not sure. Jim Falcouner and Susannah Morrison could answer that one better. But I suspect it has to do with the previous answer.
What was the purpose of the Gold Plates if Joseph Smith rarely consulted them?
Wow, that is waaay above my pay grade. But I do know the Lord works in mysterious ways. I’m pretty sure there is something to be said for their value as an attention-getter.
The Tin Plates? Not as memorable.
Defining and Teaching Doctrine in a Living Church
Does the reality of “open questions” in Latter-day Saint theology strengthen or threaten your faith? How so?
Strengthen! No doubt about it!
Oops. I briefly imagined my own perspective as the only valid one, which is not entirely in keeping with the book’s spirit. I suppose your question is an “open question,” too.
Open questions reveal that ours is indeed a religion of revelation, rather than systematic theology. Trying to shoehorn revelation into our own tidy little mental categories, which we imagine are properly non-contradictory, may not be the best way to benefit from them.
Open questions also reveal the richness of our tradition and how every answer to a revelation seems to give rise to three new questions to ponder.
They also demonstrate that, over the years, many thoughtful Latter-day Saints have seriously pondered the implications of revealed truths.
Isn’t that exactly what we should be doing? I don’t think that is an open question.
Did You Enjoy This Article?
Further Reading
These FromtheDesk.org articles are helpful resources for learning about open questions in Latter-day Saint theology:
- Was Jesus Married?
- What Ss the Relationship Between Grace and Works?
- Love vs. Lust: Is the Song of Solomon Scripture?
- How Important Is the King Follett Discourse?
- What Is the Relationship Between Women and the Priesthood?
Open Questions in Latter-day Saint Theology
- Yet to Be Revealed: Open Questions in Latter-day Saint Theology (BYU Studies)
- A Look at Mormon Theology and Practice (Los Angeles Times)
- Dealing With Difficult Questions [PDF] (Dialogue)
- What Latter-day Saints Get Wrong About Living Prophets (Church Newsroom)
- Wrestling the Angel: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity (Oxford)
Book Information
Table of Contents
“Oh Say, What Is Truth?”: Approaches to Doctrine (Michael Goodman)
Is Sure Knowledge an Ideal for Everyone or One Spiritual Gift among Many? (Blair Dee Hodges and Patrick Q. Mason)
Is God Subject to or the Creator of Eternal Law? (James M. McLachlan)
What Is the Nature of God’s Progress? (Matthew Bowman)
Was Jesus Married? (Christopher James Blythe)
The King Follett Discourse: Pinnacle or Peripheral? (James E. Falcouner and Susannah Morrison)
Understandings of the Relationship between Grace and Works (Terryl L. Givens)
Shards of Combat: How Did Satan Seek to Destroy the Agency of Man? (Philip L. Barlow)
How Limited Is Postmortal Progression? (Terryl L. Givens)
Each Atom an Agent? (Steven L. Peck)
The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible: Ancient Material Restored or Inspired Commentary? Canonical or Optional? Finished or Unfinished? (Jared W. Ludlow)
Is the Bible Reliable? A Case Study: Were King Josiah’s Reforms a Restoration from Apostasy or a Suppression of Plain and Precious Truths? (And What about Margaret Barker?) (Eric A. Eliason)
Is the Song of Solomon Scripture? (Dana M. Pike and Eric A. Eliason)
Book of Mormon Geographies (Andrew H. Hedges)
The Book of Mormon Translation Process (Grant Hardy)
Narrating Religious Heritage: Apostasy and Restoration (Miranda Wilcox)
Civil Disobedience in Latter-day Saint Thought (Nathan B. Oman)
What Is Women’s Relationship to Priesthood? (Lisa Olsen Tait)
On the Foreknowledge of God: Time, Knowledge, Reality, Agency (Rosalynde F. Welch)
Will Things Get Better or Worse before the Second Coming?: Are the Latter-day Saints Premillenarians or Postmillenarians? (Jed L. Woodworth)
