The church is not so much concerned with whether the thoughts of its members are orthodox or heterodox as it is that they shall have thoughts.

Last night I heard yet another NPR piece about "Book of Mormon: the musical" (they love it, of course) which featured some rather misplaced humor from the show's producer, Scott Rudin, in discussing an experience he had with a former member while watching the show (the man became very emotional and Rudin laughed about the silliness of it on the air). Anyways, they played a clip from one of the songs right after the interview, in which the end of the chorus goes a little like this: "I am a Mormoooooon/and Mormons just believe!"

This, more than anything else I've heard about this show, riles me up and tells me that as many times as Trey Parker and Matt Stone claim they've read the actual Book of Mormon and as much as they claim to have studied Mormon culture, they still understand nothing about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I consider myself a fairly intelligent type of person, and I have never, not since I left the mists of childhood and became a sentient adult, been the sort to "just believe". I know dozens of highly educated, reasonable individuals, who nevertheless believe strongly in the Church and especially in the doctrines of Jesus Christ. Have we all fallen victim to blind belief? Does the Church itself encourage that kind of following?

To answer that, I'll quote Hugh B. Brown, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve during most of the middle of the last century-


"There are altogether too many people in the world who are willing to accept as true whatever is printed in a book or delivered from a pulpit. Their faith never goes below the surface soil of authority. I plead with everyone I meet that they may drive their faith down through that soil and get hold of the solid truth, that they may be able to withstand the winds and storms of indecision and of doubt, of opposition and persecution...

"I have been very grateful that the freedom, dignity, and integrity of the individual are basic in church doctrine. We are free to think and express our opinions in the church. Fear will not stifle thought. God himself refuses to trammel free agency even though its exercise somtimes teaches painful lessons. Both creative science and revealed religion find their fullest and truest expression in the climate of freedom.

"I admire men and women who have developed the questing spirit, who are unafraid of new ideas as stepping stones to progress. We should, of course, respect the opinions of others, but we should also be unafraid to dissent - if we are informed. Thoughts and expressions compete in the marketplace of thought, and in that competition truth emerges triumphant. Only error fears freedom of expression.

"We should be dauntless in our pursuit of truth and resist all demands for unthinking conformity. No one would have us become mere tape recorders of other people's thoughts. We should be modest and teachable and seek to know the truth by study and faith...We must preserve freedom of the mind in the church and resist all efforts to suppress it. The church is not so much concerned with whether the thoughts of its members are orthodox or heterodox as it is that they shall have thoughts."

And that's all I have to say about that.