The morality of the sixties and seventies inspired a generation of disdain for the morals of previous generations. Or so it seems. History documents to some degree the moral shortcomings of all ages. We can, however, see the trends of modern culture and weigh their effects. Somewhere in the mix, the slogan "God is Dead" came about. It was as if people could do whatever they wanted and somehow there were no negative consequences, at least not right away. And that is what these trendsetters wanted others to think as well.
Christian apologists have battled backed through the ages with countermeasures, and in recent decades with slogans of their own. One we've heard in modern times is that "God is not Dead". The scholarly thinkers, and Biblical apologists, keep busy creating a palatable narrative that would help keep the contradictions found in classical theology from becoming subjects of discussion among believers. Their principal approach is to remind believers that they cannot comprehend God.
For centuries the clergies of Catholicism and Protestants have fought back against agnosticism and atheism. However, even their own foundational doctrines indicate a belief in a God that was sleeping until the time of the book of Genesis. The emergence of the Book of Genesis is about 6000 years ago. Just what was God doing before that? Biblical scholars say we shouldn't ask questions they can't answer.
Agnosticism runs a broad gamut of disdain for religious principles and prevailing theological assumptions. It is based on opinions of observations from individuals who with some good reasoning are critical of the contradictions, and the conclusions of the so-called mainstream theological experts and their study of the Bible.
There are no real truth-based facts to atheism, only skepticism regarding the existing narratives of biblical philosophers and theologians. Atheism is opinion based and speculates that science has the answers, and demonstrates that the ancient dogmas of creedal Christianity don't align with observations. The contradictions between reality and an all-knowing and all-powerful being have, however, been done away with through modern revelation, and the calling of prophets in these the latter-days.
The doctrines formulated by clergy after the death of Jesus and his apostles are by and large theoretical conclusions based on speculation using biblical statements. They lost the pure teachings of Jesus and changed the church. Just as an observation starts as a scientific theory, the early philosophers and clergy without the authority of God and its enlightening revelations, developed ideas that are merely the imaginations of men speculating about what the scriptures say and mean.
Biblical theologians and scholars may be qualified in the halls of academia at some level of credibility, but they don't speak for God, and they don't speak the truth when they theorize. The preaching by modern clerics may well be sincere, and many principles of truth are encapsulated in their messages, but they fall short of the full glory of God. We have powerful images of deep space, and the self-evident truth of an endless cosmos, and yet these scholarly preachers put God in a box based on their limited understanding of the Bible. They claim this planet is the extent of God's dominion and saving grace.
For example. When you peel back the layers of teachings that dominate the mainstream Christian world, you find powers and characteristics ascribed to God that are merely fabrications of what the scholarly theologians think God should be like. That is, incorporeal, genderless, and triune in some incomprehensible manner, and does not resemble humans at all.
Most if not all Christians do claim God is all-powerful. What does this mean? If you take the ultimate sense as some teach, then God knew and knows who will be in heaven and hell before the process of creation was ever started. What then is the purpose of creation and life? We also see the contradiction of an all-powerful being that knew the outcome of creation would result in evil and suffering, and yet proceeded with the process anyway. It is as if all humans are merely pawns in some grand scheme or experiment.
What you find in modern biblical theology is a God that did nothing for all of eternity past, meaning before the book of Genesis. It is as if God is the "Big Bang" beginning 6000 years ago. The funny part is some Christian apologists point to the big bang as being the initiation of God's power. In spite of the infinite cosmos, however, only one planet emerges on which God associates with creatures and "saves" them with a modality of salvation that had here-to-fore never been attempted.
Prior to this, God had done nothing if one accepts the precept claimed by biblical purists that the Bible is the only word of God. It is as if God had been sleeping for all of eternity past and woke up one day and decided it was a good opportunity to try his hand at something new. Creating a world and humans and seeing what would happen.
Such were and are the prevailing notions of the modern sectarian Christian world. It wasn't until 1820 that these illusory dogmas and errant conclusions were exposed for what they were, the errors and philosophies of men mingled with scriptural references. The contradictions mentioned above have now been resolved and we know the true nature of God, who is our Father in heaven, a glorified male being, who has all knowledge and power to extend an opportunity to his literal spiritual offspring. God is not a mysterious genderless being.
My understanding of theology, eternal truths, and the purpose of life is based on the experience of a young man in 1820. If a person has attended a Christian church of any denomination, they have likely heard of Joseph Smith. The question is, what have they heard? It is quite likely a negative narrative based on speculation and half-truths and a multitude of defamatory soundbites.
The young Joseph was seeking answers to questions like many of us do. One was which religious affiliation he should follow, and likely deeper questions of life's purpose. He went to a grove of trees near his home to find answers by attempting to directly approach God. The result was a vision and visitation by God, the Father, and Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, his story and claims have been skewed by many as his narrative did not fit well with the biblical apologists and the prevailing doctrines of mainstream Christendom. Joseph Smith taught that God labored for six days and rested for one. The rest of Christendom seems to think that he fell asleep again. Latter-day Saints know God returned to work on and started another cycle of creation and revelation. God's work is one eternal round. It never ends.
In spite of the criticisms and opposition to his message, it has spread throughout the world. It reached me as a young man in 1973. I did as Joseph Smith did, I prayed to God for answers. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and teaches confirms the biblical truths of salvation and the promises of Jesus Christ. I attest to the effects, joy, and happiness of knowing that God is our Father, and Jesus Christ is our Savior in every sense of those terms. The truth is, God has never been asleep. He operates on his time frame, and final preparations are being carried out in these the "last days".
What came of Joseph's experience were revelations regarding the eternal and never-ending nature of the works of God. The eternal agency of man, and laws of perfect justice and mercy. It is a restoration of all things pertaining to the destiny of the earth and the establishment of God's authority to act in the name of the Lord. We learn that we are literally God's spiritual offspring, created in the image of God, male and female, and we are here to fulfill an important part of our eternal destiny. It did not begin at birth, nor does it end at death. It will bring us back to the presence of God to live as exalted beings if we will follow its precepts with faith in Jesus Christ.
The kingdom of God is again going forth the prepare the world for the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by living prophets and apostles called by Jesus as were his apostles of old. He himself stands at the head of the Church. It is His Church, and in it, the doctrines and means of salvation are taught and carried out as he directs them.
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