Church Doctrine Regarding Church Doctrine

Whether a lifetime member of the church or a vehement on-line critic, I have found that people are rarely hesitant to use the words, “According to church doctrine…”.  Generally we let this pass, but generally, the following words in the above sentence are non-doctrinal too.  So maybe it’s time to say something.

I highly recommend a book called “Determining Doctrine” by Dennis B. Horne that addresses this problem.  The book is filled with quotes by church leaders, many lamenting how members and non-members “insist on teaching the personal opinions and speculations of past leaders as though they were the official doctrine of the church” (pg. 125).  So, what criteria should we use to recognize church doctrine?  In the quote below by Robert L. Millet, notice how he uses the word “today” a couple of times.

“In determining whether something is a part of the doctrine of the church we might ask, is it found within the four standard works?  Within official declarations or proclamations?  Is it discussed in general conference or other official gatherings by general Church leaders today?  Is it found in the general handbooks or approved curriculum of the Church today?  If it meets at least one of these criteria, we can feel secure and appropriate about teaching it.  (What Is Our Doctrine? The Religious Educator, vol 4 #3 (2003), 19.)

As LDS members, we love the church and will vigorously defend our doctrine.  Thus, in any discussion about science and religion, we have to be careful about what we allow to be declared as church doctrine.  Scientific findings in the 21st century may conflict with statements by church authorities 100 years ago.  But those discoveries do not conflict with present-day church doctrine.  This is a hard distinction for many members to make.  In any serious religious discussion, defining the term “church doctrine” and enforcing that definition can help evade a number of possible disputes.  I suggest starting out with Dr. Millet’s definition above.