The New “Answering Gospel Questions,” Part 1: Introduction

On Dec 18, the Church announced a new section, “Guiding Principles to Help Answer Gospel Questions.” This goes along with the updated “Topics and Questions” which include both the longer and older “Gospel Topics Essays” and the much shorter “Gospel Topics.” This is quite interesting.

Five guiding principles are enumerated, each with subpoints, and all well-worth reading.

1. Center your life on Jesus Christ.
2. Be patient with yourself and others.
3. Recognize revelation is a process.
4. Consult reliable sources.
5. Work to understand the past.

There are also five guiding principles for helping others with questions, also worth reading.

1. Respond with love.
2. Listen with humility.
3. Trust in the Lord.
4. Nourish your own faith.
5. Assist them throughout their journey.

These ten points represent a significant and very positive historical shift, one I’m going to spend several posts on. I plan to write some historical 20th century context and trajectories, talk about Elder Ballard’s subtle but radical reformation, how these materials fit in, and the trajectory (trajectories?) they point to.  As noted on the Newsroom, “additional study guides will be published shortly,” so keep an eye out.

My perspective here is, of course, shaped by my training, my dissertation topic, and my research in various archives.  My examples are thus drawn somewhat narrowly, and so it’s quite possible someone who’s seen more sources than I has some broader contextual examples, additions, or correctives.

Lastly, I’m still in finish-the-darn-dissertation=mode, so I’ll work on these when my brain needs a shift, and they won’t be shiny polished.

Part 2: Historical Context

As always, you can help me pay my tuition here via GoFundMe.