What is necessary for our salvation?

- I borrowed this because I like it -

Mormons get to have it both ways.

They malign others for cherry-picking the doctrines they're willing to believe/follow, while doing it themselves. They ignore big swaths of their own scriptures/doctrine by using excuses like "it's not necessary for our salvation", but it's utterly arbitrary what they "pick and choose" as necessary or not.

What standard do they sort by? What determines what's "necessary" and what's not?

The scriptures are supposed to BE the standard, yet they apply some other standard to the scriptures that allows them to deselect parts of them. What is the standard then? The prophets? OK, so you have a prophet who can, and does, supercede scripture...why have scripture then? If there are parts of scriptures that aren't necessary for salvation, but EVERYTHING the prophet says IS necessary...then heck, ditch the scriptures in favor of the prophet.

Oh but the prophet is bound by the scriptures? Oh, only the ones that are necessary for our salvation? But he himself decides that? And what about the words of prophets that are now embarrassing or controversial? The church wants to have the option of distancing itself from those teachings so a living prophet trumps a dead prophet.

....Uhhhm, I'm sensing a circular feedback loop here.

Where do we find God's will?

If we are to align our will with the will of God, how are we to know Gods will? So far, we only have the word of other men who claim to speak for God. But these men are fallible and therefore we can't assume everything they ever say is straight from God's mind.

So where is the line where Gods word ends and man's word begins? Is it really up to each individual to determine which conference talks and what lessons are the Word of God, and which ones are merely the words and opinions of men? If I pray about a talk or principle, and I receive an answer that it is just the opinion of a man, is that an acceptable conclusion?

Do I really have the option to determine, through prayer and spiritual confirmation, what applies to me and what I can disregard? Is this approach really compatible with church doctrine? If not, then that means members are required to follow every directive handed down from the Brethren, regardless of how the individual feels about the matter. If you take the church at its word, then the one-size-fits-all directions from the Brethren really must be applied to every individual, regardless of personal circumstances or tastes.

And you are then also required to follow every directive from the Brethren, even if they happen to be speaking as men.

Is there really a place in the church for gray?

Many members who learn of the troubling issues and facts that all but completely discredit the fundamental claims of the church still want to associate and attend the church.

They take a more liberal and laid back approach to doctrine and what the brethren say. But in a church that is so black and white, is there room for gray in the middle?

According to what church leaders have said, the answer is 'no.'

“Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground.”
Smith, Joseph Feilding. (1976) Doctrines of Salvation. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft. Vol 1, p. 188

…[t]hat becomes the hinge pin on which this whole cause turns. If the First Vision was true, if it actually happened, then the Book of Mormon is true. Then we have the priesthood. Then we have the Church organization and all of the other keys and blessings of authority which we say we have. If the First Vision did not occur, then we are involved in a great sham. It is just that simple. (Italics added)
from the lesson manual Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley

“I would like to say that this cause is either true or false. Either this is the kingdom of God, or it is a sham and a delusion. Either Joseph talked with the Father and the Son, or he did not. If he did not, we are engaged in blasphemy"
Hinckley: Conference Reports, October 1961, p.116

…the Book of Mormon is the keystone of testimony. Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon…if it can be discredited, the Prophet Joseph Smith goes with it. So does our claim to priesthood keys, and revelation, and the restored Church.
Benson: Ensign, November 1986

Based on what church leaders have said, and the information I now have, I have no choice but to conclude the church is a fraud.

More people are beginning to question

The church is heading into a perfect storm. The facts regarding the church's history are now readily available more than ever before. And members are feeling the urge to spend more time with their families.

As more and more people discover the legitimate questions regarding the authority of those leading the church, the more members will question why they are required to sacrifice so much for the church, at the expense of their family time.

Is it too much to ask, for our prophet to be prophetic?

Why doesn't the Prophet speak out about critical issues that pose serious consequences for the country and the world? Global warming, national debt, etc.

And if he's really a prophet, maybe he could give some direction on how to go about curing cancer. We have the Word of Wisdom to help us with improving our health. Wouldn't some prophetic guidance for curing cancer be an even bigger step to improving health? Maybe even some counsel on what causes cancer so we can avoid those things?

Is it really too much to ask that we get more from our Prophet than another anecdote about visiting a widow or a simple motivational quote like, "Dont worry, everything will work out."

I think the world deserves more than that from the one person on earth with a direct conduit to mind and will of God.

BYU is the hope for the future of the Church

I believe BYU is the glue holding this church together. Statistically, I would imagine retention rates for BYU grads is higher than those attending other schools or no school at all.

And with a degree in hand, BYU graduates are going to earn more, thus increasing their 10% contribution to the church. The church may find itself in a cash and membership crunch if they ever did away with BYU.

We must be careful what we teach our children

It's very dangerous to condition a child to "do the right thing" because the "prophet says so."

When the child discovers the prophet is just another man, and no different than anyone else, it's possible the child will lose their only motivation for making good choices.

The child may conclude that if the prophet does not actually speak for God then the only motivation to do good has been removed.

It's much better to teach a child to make good choices for the rational and logical reasons behind the good choices. This creates a much stronger foundation. Also, it teaches the child to think critically and trust their own abilities to analyze a situation.