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Randall Paul's avatar

Brother Barlow,

Thanks for opening this vital conversation among our members. Behind your exposition lies the wonderful question: Why would a loving heavenly parent be so parsimonious in revealing the true religion clearly via divine messengers to all people all the time and everywhere? It does not abrogate free agency one wit. Is it perhaps the divine plan to allow rivalry over the true religion to create a test of love over our treatment of ‘heretics and infidels and counterfeiters and seducers’ —that is people like us in the eyes of our critics? (Pardon my rhetorical question!)

Love to you, CRP

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Samuel B. Hislop's avatar

Wonderful essay. Thank you so much for writing it!

Commenting on Nephi's vision in 1 Nephi 13 and 14, President Oaks also wrote this:

"Because no religious denomination—Christian or non-Christian—has ever had 'dominion' over all nations of the earth or the potential to bring all the saints of God down into 'captivity,' this great and abominable church must be something far more pervasive and widespread than a single 'church,' as we understand that term today. It must be any philosophy or organization that opposes belief in God. And the 'captivity' into which this 'church' seeks to bring the saints will not be so much physical confinement as the captivity of false ideas."

Perhaps we can apply this logic to the definition of the church of God--that it must be far more pervasive and widespread than a single church.

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