
FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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:''Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency...and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles...counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. Isolated statements are often taken out of context, leaving their original meaning distorted.'' | :''Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency...and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles...counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. Isolated statements are often taken out of context, leaving their original meaning distorted.'' | ||
:—LDS Newsroom, "Approaching Mormon Doctrine," ''lds.org'' (4 May 2007) {{link|url=http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/approaching-mormon-doctrine}}] | :—LDS Newsroom, "Approaching Mormon Doctrine," ''lds.org'' (4 May 2007) {{link|url=http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/approaching-mormon-doctrine}}] | ||
In response to a letter "received at the office of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" in 1912, Charles W. Penrose of the First Presidency wrote: | |||
:'''Question 14''': Do you believe that the President of the Church, when speaking to the Church in his official capacity is infallible? | |||
:'''Answer''': We do not believe in the infallibility of man. When God reveals anything it is truth, and truth is infallible. No President of the Church has claimed infallibility. — {{IE|author=Charles W. Penrose|article=Peculiar Questions Briefly Answered|date=September 1912|vol=15|num=11}} | |||
{{Main|Church doctrine/Statements by Church leaders|l1=Official doctrine in the Church}}<noinclude> | {{Main|Church doctrine/Statements by Church leaders|l1=Official doctrine in the Church}}<noinclude> | ||
[[fr:Modèle:NoOfficial]] | [[fr:Modèle:NoOfficial]] | ||
</noinclude> | </noinclude> |
This is one of many issues about which the Church has no official position. As President J. Reuben Clark taught under assignment from the First Presidency:
Harold B. Lee was emphatic that only one person can speak for the Church:
This was recently reiterated by the First Presidency (who now approves all statements published on the Church's official website):
In response to a letter "received at the office of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" in 1912, Charles W. Penrose of the First Presidency wrote:
FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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