Doctrine—What Is It and Can It Change?
Complete fully understood doctrine is “Truth” and will not and cannot change. However, none of us in any sense of the word knows the complete “truth”—thus our understanding of Doctrine can and does change!
What Is Doctrine?
Doctrines are principles and concepts that form “Truth”—eternal truths needed for the salvation of men. Complete fully understood doctrine is “Truth” and will not and cannot change. However, none of us in any sense of the word knows the complete “truth” as will be discussed below… thus our understanding of Doctrine can and does change!
“And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.”
What Is the Doctrine of Jesus Christ?
Some great references concerning this topic:
- The Doctrine of Christ — Ensign April 2012, Todd Christofferson
- The Living Prophet: Our Source of Pure Doctrine — Ensign October 1998, Merrill C. Oaks
“This is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me… And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved… Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.”
Can Doctrine Change?
“We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
The principle of continuing revelation is an essential part of the kingdom of God and has always been so. During each and every dispensation of the Gospel the revealed word of God has updated/clarified and provided the proper interpretation of the word of God to the people of the time—thus providing them the Word of God for their situation and time.
Does the Lord provide doctrine to His children in its complete form? In every case the answer is NO. There is always and will always be a clarification, and perfection of the principles of the Gospel over time until we all come to a perfect knowledge and comprehend all things. Do we have a perfect understanding of the doctrines of the kingdom today? NO—for we believe that there are yet many great and marvelous things that will be revealed.
Are There Examples of This Principle in the Scriptures?
Jesus Teaches That They Must Eat His Flesh and Drink His Blood
John 6:60 — “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. Jesus turned to the Twelve: “Will ye also go away?” Then Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”
Are we to be like those disciples that walked no more with Him? Or are we to be like Peter—and profess that Jesus has the words of eternal life even if we may not understand the command or doctrine that He has just revealed? This was new doctrine to them. This was difficult for them to accept!
Jesus Teaches the Higher Law
Matthew 5:17–48 — Wherever you see the words “Ye have heard that it hath been said,” what He means is: your scriptures teach this! This is what is said in the law of Moses. Then He says “But I say unto you”—giving them a different doctrine, a different commandment, a different law that they should lead their lives by. This was new doctrine to them. This was difficult and hard for them to accept.
Paul Is Sent to the Gentiles
Matthew 15:24—teach only to the Jews. Then Acts 10:11–35—teach the gospel to all the world; God is no respecter of persons. By this experience and revelation to Peter, the Lord modified the practice of the Church and revealed a more complete doctrinal understanding. This was new doctrine to them. This was difficult for them to accept.
The Word of Wisdom
D&C 89 — The Word of Wisdom was originally given as a principle with a promise. There was no law of health that had been provided to the Church. This was new doctrine to them. Many of the individuals of the Church were addicted to substances, tobacco, alcohol, etc. In 1851 Brigham Young asked the saints to commit themselves to live it. It became a requirement for temple recommends around the 1920s. This was difficult for them to accept and live.
Blacks and the Priesthood
During the first two decades of the Church’s existence, a few Black men were ordained to the priesthood. In 1852, President Brigham Young publicly announced that men of Black African descent could no longer be ordained to the priesthood. Over time, Church leaders and members advanced many theories to explain the priesthood and temple restrictions. None of these explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church.
Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form.
As Bruce R. McConkie stated in 1978: “It doesn’t make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June of this year, 1978. It is a new day and a new arrangement… We forget all the statements that limited the gospel to the house of Israel, and we start going to the Gentiles.” This doctrine was new to them. This was difficult for them to live and accept.
Conclusion
These are not all the doctrinal changes that have occurred in the history of the Gospel. We should remember what it says in Article of Faith 9: “We believe… that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
There will be yet many great and important things that will come forth, and clarify and give greater understanding to all of the doctrines of the kingdom. We should expect and not be surprised when the Lord provides us new clarification and understanding. We should also expect these revelations to be “Hard” in many cases and difficult to accept or even understand. Should that thus cause us to lose our faith and leave the church? NO.
The church is a living church—powered by the Holy Ghost and the revelations to the members as well as to the President and Prophet by which new revelation is provided to the church that they may grow to a perfection of the knowledge of God.