I am probably not going to list all the scriptural references that I'm thinking, like I have tried to in the past, because that takes extra time. But don't assume that because I don't list and explain the scriptures, that I'm not using the scriptures as a foundation and judgement for my thoughts. If you read and find what I say is unscriptural, good for you. If you see the scriptures in what I say, that's great. But be it known, that I try very hard not worry about anyone's judgements of me.

There is a cry that all we need is the scriptures, and from a certain perspective, I believe that is true. However, there can be a problem of only using scriptures, and that is we never gain a new perspective because our opinions about what the scriptures mean are already formed. And they have primarily been formed around unbelief. But if I am able to see other perspectives,1 I can then go an see what the scriptures say about that view and see if new light and knowledge isn't opened to me.

 

Notes

1. From Road to Emmaus:

“If we’re straight and narrow, we must be rigid. You know sometimes, the best to conform to the surface is to be limber, is to be adaptable, is to be willing to accept some new ideas….

“I think that what we have restored to us anticipates that there will be other streams of thought which converge with our own, and as they converge with our own, those other streams of thought are going to inform us about ideas we haven’t quite got our hands around yet.

“I think as we grow into the Buddhist world, Buddhist converts to the church are going to bring to our attention understanding about the Book of Mormon that we don’t penetrate just yet. I believe that Islam is going to bring to us some understandings and insights from the Book of Mormon that we won’t get without them. I believe that the Gospel program was intended to welcome these divergent streams of thoughts and to help us flush it out and to help us see, ‘Ah, there’s more to this than we in our little narrow, western vantage point have yet been able to discern.’” (Denver Snuffer, Road to Emmaus, questions and answer session. Disk 3, Track 3-4)

From a blog post: Part 2 of Passing Up the Heavenly Gift:

“Mormonism is a faith which simply cannot be confined to a single tightly controlled confession of faith, because it was always designed to "comprehend all truth." Think about that for just a moment. If it encompasses all truth, then it is vast in scope. Endless, really. So, at any given moment, Mormons will include those who are beginning to study the faith, those who have brought a background in Buddhism, those who have a foundation in science, or any number of other pre-conversion talents, capacities and preferences. These new believers will use those backgrounds to search into the Gospel.

“Those varieties of talents were always intended to be a blessing, even a strength, to the restoration. Any requirement for absolute uniformity will not permit those who have vastly different capacities to share in faith, even though they are honest, believing and acceptable to God.” (Denver Snuffer)

 

See Also

Article: One Eternal Round