What is Mormon Doctrine?

My sister and I had an interesting discussion the other day about "mormon doctrine". It seemed to us that there isn't really any "official Mormon doctirne". Rather, "mormon doctrine" is simply an interpretive tradition that is codified by practice. Let me see if I can explain with an analogy. It is much like how our laws and the Constitution work in the United States. We have the Constitution. The Constitiution is "set in stone". But the interpretation of it is not. Laws are made with the idea that they are in line with the Constitution. But the constitiution is open to interpretation and laws can change if they are deemed to be not in line with it by those in authority at the present time.
We have the scriptures. The scriptures are "set in stone". The interpretation of them is not. That is the beauty of revelation. As we recieve more light and knowledge, the intererpretation of the scriptures expands. Sometimes it even changes. Does that mean the church isn't true? Does that mean that so and so wasn't a prophet because things aren't the same now as they were when they were president of the church? Absoultely not. It means we have modern revelation.

So what do you think? "Official Mormon Doctrine" or interpretive tradition that is codified by practice?

Interpreting the Spirit

I normally go to the Gym on Monday and Wednesdays after work for a minor work out. The purpose of this is mainly just to fight off my ever growing belly. Sometimes this journey to the Gym is easier than others just by pure motivation. Yesterday, I really had little desire to go the gym, and I already new that a person I normally go with wasn’t going to make it. So my desire to go was really low. I decided that I just needed to “Man-Up” If I want to get rid of this gut I need to go to the gym. While en route to the gym I get in a car accident. Luckily no one was hurt, and I wasn’t cited or at fault. It does look like my little car is toast. But the reason I am posting this here is this, was my lack of desire to go to the gym a Spiritual Prompting to prevent this accident? If so, then had I been more in tune with the Spirit could this accident have been prevented?

Three Grand Orders of the Priesthood

I finally got some time to research out and Post on the Three Grand orders of the Priesthood and Second anointing. I decided to start a new thread on this topics. So it wouldn’t get lost at the end of the “Who says nobody’s Perfect” thread.

Sorry for the sources on this one. The fundamentalist just seem to be the only ones who have expounded on this topic that I seem to agree with. I basically read the accounts of the August 27^th 1843 discourse, in Odgen Krauts Calling and Election he has a pretty good chapter on 3 grand orders of the Priesthood, and finally I transposed what Fred Collier said in his Doctrine of the Priesthood Vol. 7 No. 8 Analyzing the Different Orders of the Patriarchal Priesthood Pages 14-15

“In was in the prophets August 27^th ,1843 discourse, wherein he stated that Abraham, before he was blessed my Melchizedek (as in Genesis 14) possessed certain Sealing Power which was sufficient to admit him into the presence of God (WJS 246) . A careful analysis of this speech reveals the following: That there are Three Different Orders of Priesthood referred to in Hebrews chapter 7. The prophet names these three orders as follows. A. The aaronic or Levitical Priesthood. B. The Patriarchal Priesthood of Abraham, which he held in three different degrees at different stages of progression in his mortal probation. Inherent within the first and lowest of these were certain Sealing Powers which Abraham held before he met Melchizedek ( as in Gen. 14), and which were sufficient to admit a man into the presence of God. This Priesthood is the same that is given in our day to the Church Patriarch and consists of Being a High Priest and Patriarch in the Melchizedek or “High Priesthood”, along with its accompanying Sealing Keys. The second stage of Abraham’s Priesthood was the higher “Patriarchal authority” Which he received from Melchizedek on the day that he met him after the slaughter of the Kings. It was on this occasion that Abraham received his Endowment, wherein he was anointed a King and Priest and entered into covenant that he would order his life in accordance with the Law of the Fulness of the Priesthood. The Prophet refers to this Priesthood as “the greatest [Priesthood] yet experienced” in the Church (WJS 245). The third and highest stage or increment in Abraham’s Patriarchal Powers came when he obtained his Second Anointing, wherein he received the Keys and Powers of Endless life, or Sealing Keys of Elijah. It is these last Sealing Powers which constitute the Fulness of the Patriarchal Priesthood. Abraham did not obtain these Keys until after he had proven himself in his probationary state, wherein among other things, at the command of God he willingly offered up his only son Isaac. So taught the Prophet Joseph Smith (TPJS 322) The Third Grand order of Priesthood which the Prophet referred to in this speech is the Priesthood which Melchizedek held. This Priesthood is clearly described in the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis chapter 14, as also in Hebrews chapter 7 and the Prophet’s speech referred to above. This last Priesthood can only be obtained direct from God, by the calling of His own voice and involves a personal covenant between God and the individual who thus receives it.”

Okay so it seems that Abraham got his Second Anointing and Third level of the Priesthood at the same time. But if this priesthood can only be obtained directly from God, than I would state that in Latter Day time that this would be another ordinance on top of the Second Anointing. So from the above article it seems that for us the Aaronic is the same as Joseph Called it, but what we call the Melchizedek, is actually the "Patriarchal Authority" and the Priesthood we receive from God himself is the Melchizedek Priesthood or the "Patriarcal Priesthood".

Does this make sense with everybody else, or did I just confuse everybody?

Gifts of the Spirt

In Doctrine and Covenants 46 and Moroni 10 it talks about gifts of the spirit. After reading these chapters it seems we are given guidance to go after these gifts. For example:

D&C 46:8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;

Moroni 10:30 And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift.

My question is this. How are we supposed to seek after these gifts? I mean the obvious answers are pray, fast, temple attendance etc. the standard Sunday school stuff. Does anyone out there have any guidance for this? I would really be interested in practical stories where people sought after gifts and received them.

One last question Moroni 10:14 speaks of one of the gifts of the spirit, “And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits;” This gift isn’t mentioned in the modern scripture of D&C 46 only discerning of spirits. Why?