#1 He can read can't he?
#2 Even the lot of Mormons aren't "experts on Mormon theology."
Why?
(a) Contradictions galore are rife all throughout Mormon "theology"...hundreds of them...their "trump cards" vary as to what will be given greater weight -- for that moment, anyway...until the "living prophet" trumps that...It's "quicksand" theology...shifting as the weight shifts
(b)
* Lds "seminaries" are basically high school studies. (Not even close to anything attempting to be what is otherwise known as seminaries).
* Their bishops are bishops on top of their 40-50 hour-a-week job.
* Their general authorities?
Well, rewind back to Oct. 24, 2010. Just weeks earlier, the Lds faithful had gathered for one of their two key 'y'all" come meetings in Salt Lake City, which are fed via satellite around the world to Mormons who can't make the trek to SLC. You would have thought that if an earth-shaking announcement needed to be made, it would have been made there. It wasn't. Perhaps too much media glare was on the conference. Therefore, more quietly, Lds leadership sent a world-wide circular letter to all church members. Here's two sources for that:
Source 1: Quit pestering us, church leaders tell membership in letter
Source 2 -- from a Mormon columnist, Robert Kirby: Wrestling with doctrine no match for me
From the first source:
On October 24th, the LDS First Presidency (led by Prophet Thomas S. Monson) wrote several letters that were to be read in Mormon Sunday services around the world. According to examiner.com, the first letter was “likely spurred by Boyd K. Packer’s most recent General Conference talk entitled ‘Cleansing the Inner Vessel.’ Church Headquarters has been receiving an increased amount of correspondence from its members about doctrinal issues. Because of this influx of correspondence, the First Presidency reminded and encouraged LDS church members to utilize their local church authorities – bishops, branch presidents, stake presidents, etc — before resorting to contacting Church Headquarters.” In other words, the Mormon laity was told to quit bothering their church leadership on issues related to doctrine. We can only wonder why the church is apparently receiving so many inquiries.
From the second source (Kirby): With only partial tongue in cheek, Kirby said: "According to the First Presidency’s letter, members with real doctrinal concerns were to seek the counsel of our local leaders — stake president, bishop, Scoutmaster, building custodian, etc."
Why? Well, per Kirby: "The letter...told/counseled rank-and-file Mormons to stop pestering church headquarters for clarification of church doctrine. Apparently some members get so stressed about the finer points of doctrine that they’ll fire off a letter asking for the final word. Church HQ can’t handle the demand...
So even their general authorities are self-confessed teflon artists on doctrinal queries and disputes. It just deflects right off!
This all explains...
...* Why one of the most quietly -- internally -- detested Mormon general authorities' writings was Lds "apostle" Bruce McConkie's work. Why? 'cause he had the actual temerity and audacity to write an authoritative-sounding book entitled "Mormon Doctrine." [Grassroots Mormons are still trying to weasel away from his words!]
...* The current "I'm a Mormon" campaign. Realizing that SO much of Mormonism is highly critique-able, the Mormon church seeks to bob and weave and obfuscate so that Mormonism can be as elastic as green jello! Having no real core center other than Joe Smith, Mormon leaders are hoping people will only notice the "mile wide" "diversity" component about Mormonism...and skip by the reality that it's only an inch deep theologically!
Which takes more ‘training’?
A missionary or a Bishop?