Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
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Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Today Russell.M.Nelson turns 98 years old. What are your thoughts? Has the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saint turned into a gerontocracy? Or maybe this is God's will and there is nothing wrong with it?
- gkearney
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Well senior church leadership is clearly a gerontocracy, if there something wrong with that or not as a matter of debate.
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- Robin Hood
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- Niemand
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
I actually saw the LDS specifically highlighted as a a gerontocracy in an article on the subject. The other examples given were East Germany and the USSR.
- Luke
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Hard to imagine that Joseph Smith was in his early twenties when he was beginning the Work when you consider the state of things today.
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Didn't he throw himself a great big huge Conference Center birthday bash this year?! Must be mellowing out in his old age.
- Reluctant Watchman
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Sad, really.
- Niemand
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Both of you are ridiculous. You would prefer today’s 20 something’s or better yet today’s teenagers run things?!?!
In the immortal words of Daffy Duck: Har har har; it is to laugh.
- Niemand
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
We're talking about historical facts.DesertWonderer2 wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 10:32 amBoth of you are ridiculous. You would prefer today’s 20 something’s or better yet today’s teenagers run things?!?!
In the immortal words of Daffy Duck: Har har har; it is to laugh.
What we need is spiritual worthiness and leadership. That can manifest at any age... or indeed none...
Grey hairs mean you've experience, but they don't always mean you're necessarily wise. Look at all the grey haired people who were pushing the Covid shtic far beyond what it needed to be.
- Reluctant Watchman
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
You are forgetting the capabilities of the generations before us. These men were far more mature spiritually than almost all of the men who claim to be PSRs today. I mean, just look at Moroni, called to be the commander of an army at the age of 16.DesertWonderer2 wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 10:32 am
Both of you are ridiculous. You would prefer today’s 20 something’s or better yet today’s teenagers run things?!?!
In the immortal words of Daffy Duck: Har har har; it is to laugh.
I will also add, I know many 20-somethings who are far more capable of discerning and defending truth than all of our PSRs combined. Let that sink in.
- Niemand
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Jesus died in his early thirties. There are numerous others who changed the course of history before that age. Joan of Arc & Alexander the Great to name but two.Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 11:22 amYou are forgetting the capabilities of the generations before us. These men were far more mature spiritually than almost all of the men who claim to be PSRs today. I mean, just look at Moroni, called to be the commander of an army at the age of 16.DesertWonderer2 wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 10:32 am
Both of you are ridiculous. You would prefer today’s 20 something’s or better yet today’s teenagers run things?!?!
In the immortal words of Daffy Duck: Har har har; it is to laugh.
I will also add, I know many 20-somethings who are far more capable of discerning and defending truth than all of our PSRs combined. Let that sink in.
If God wishes, he can and will use the young. Many of the great prophets were martyred before they could reach old age or even middle age.
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
I believe that as long as the Lord is ok with it, I am ok with it.
- Reluctant Watchman
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
gerontocracyReluctant Watchman wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 12:59 pmWhat is "it" that you think the Lord is ok with?
- Reluctant Watchman
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Ah, gotcha. That's one of the biggest cons of the LDS church. Just because a leader says something, we think the Lord is ok with what they say and do. The Lord picks prophets, not seniority.
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
If God would have wanted old people not to run the church, he would have made a rule about it when it was set up by him in this last dispensation. There is succession in the ranks of the church and if the president become disabled or unable to fulfill his position, those who are next in line fill in the slot. I think the Lord has it covered.Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 1:36 pmAh, gotcha. That's one of the biggest cons of the LDS church. Just because a leader says something, we think the Lord is ok with what they say and do. The Lord picks prophets, not seniority.
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
That's just the thing.. He didn't. Men did. Again, the church has been conned. Do a little more research as to how the philosophy of succession came about.onefour1 wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 1:43 pm If God would have wanted old people not to run the church, he would have made a rule about it when it was set up by him in this last dispensation. There is succession in the ranks of the church and if the president become disabled or unable to fulfill his position, those who are next in line fill in the slot. I think the Lord has it covered.
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
I don't see a difference of how Jesus set up leaders in his church back in the first century A.D. as compared to how he set it up through the prophet Joseph Smith. I am not a proponent of the infallibility of the prophet or apostles, but even Jesus trusted men enough to give them authority in the church and allowed them to rule. Why would old age be a factor in being a leader in the church?Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 1:58 pmThat's just the thing.. He didn't. Men did. Again, the church has been conned. Do a little more research as to how the philosophy of succession came about.onefour1 wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 1:43 pm If God would have wanted old people not to run the church, he would have made a rule about it when it was set up by him in this last dispensation. There is succession in the ranks of the church and if the president become disabled or unable to fulfill his position, those who are next in line fill in the slot. I think the Lord has it covered.
- Reluctant Watchman
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
It's not simply "old age", but the succession, that's where the problem is. Not to mention, ancient prophets almost universally passed on the leadership roles BEFORE they died, not at the time of passing.onefour1 wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 2:54 pmI don't see a difference of how Jesus set up leaders in his church back in the first century A.D. as compared to how he set it up through the prophet Joseph Smith. I am not a proponent of the infallibility of the prophet or apostles, but even Jesus trusted men enough to give them authority in the church and allowed them to rule. Why would old age be a factor in being a leader in the church?Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 1:58 pmThat's just the thing.. He didn't. Men did. Again, the church has been conned. Do a little more research as to how the philosophy of succession came about.onefour1 wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 1:43 pm If God would have wanted old people not to run the church, he would have made a rule about it when it was set up by him in this last dispensation. There is succession in the ranks of the church and if the president become disabled or unable to fulfill his position, those who are next in line fill in the slot. I think the Lord has it covered.
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Worldly reasons could be given that any age has its assets and liabilities. Perhaps a better question is why have the church leaders limited church leadership to ONLY old men?onefour1 wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 2:54 pmI don't see a difference of how Jesus set up leaders in his church back in the first century A.D. as compared to how he set it up through the prophet Joseph Smith. I am not a proponent of the infallibility of the prophet or apostles, but even Jesus trusted men enough to give them authority in the church and allowed them to rule. Why would old age be a factor in being a leader in the church?Reluctant Watchman wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 1:58 pmThat's just the thing.. He didn't. Men did. Again, the church has been conned. Do a little more research as to how the philosophy of succession came about.onefour1 wrote: ↑September 9th, 2022, 1:43 pm If God would have wanted old people not to run the church, he would have made a rule about it when it was set up by him in this last dispensation. There is succession in the ranks of the church and if the president become disabled or unable to fulfill his position, those who are next in line fill in the slot. I think the Lord has it covered.
And the way it operates now, God could completely withdraw Himself and the line of succession would keep going..... It's like it got set to auto pilot. No revelation required. Just don't die.
- Reluctant Watchman
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
The more nefarious aspect to this is all you have to do is knock off all of the old guys ahead of you and you're in the driver's seat. Sounds eerily familiar to Wendy Nelson's "unleashed" comment w/ regards to her husband.
- Fred
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
Which prophets since Adam and Eve were not called by God or Jesus in person, except for every one after Joseph Smith?
- Reluctant Watchman
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Re: Russell M. Nelson turns 98 today
I think it depends upon your definition of "prophet." The transition from King Benjamin to his son Mosiah was a passing of the calling of High Priest but he could be defined as a "prophet" given the 4th definition below. But we also have King Benjamin's words as to why his son was chosen to lead. Detractors could claim that as nepotism.
Prophet
1: one who utters divinely inspired revelations
2: one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight
3: one who foretells future events
4: an effective or leading spokesman for a cause, doctrine, or group