Many critics of the Church of Jesus Christ start their claims from the false premise that our leaders are infallible. They never say it in those words, but it is heavily implied in their criticisms. They do this by using a modern lens to reinterpret the past. In the critics' defense, many members of the Church falsely believe that church leaders can make personal mistakes but cannot make theological mistakes. Often, critics display potentially questionable quotes or policies from the past to elicit cognitive dissonance. Eventually, those tricks stopped working on me. I realized that if I agree with the critics that church leaders are infallible (a false assumption) and then the critic shows me their errors, I am susceptible to leaving the Church.

Where can I find the teaching of leadership infallibility anywhere in the Church?

“And, to be perfectly frank, there have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or doctrine. I suppose the Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect beings. God is perfect, and His doctrine is pure. But He works through us—His imperfect children—and imperfect people make mistakes.” – Dieter Uchtdorf (October 2013 General Conference, Come, Join with Us, emphasis added)

“And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men. For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words-- Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble. Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall.” (emphasis added) – Doctrine and Covenants 3:6-9

“Now, was not Joseph Smith a mortal man? Yes. A fallible man? Yes. Had he not weaknesses? Yes, he acknowledged them himself, and did not fail to put the revelations on record in this book [the Book of Doctrine and Covenants] wherein God reproved him. His weaknesses were not concealed from the people. He was willing that people should know that he was mortal, and had failings. And so with Brigham Young. Was not he a mortal man, a man who had weaknesses? He was not a God. He was not an immortal being. He was not infallible. No, he was fallible.”² (Emphasis added) – George G. Cannon

Until June 1978, the Church banned black members of African descent from holding the priesthood and participating in temple ordinances.³ Two months after the restriction was lifted, apostle Bruce R. McConkie said the following:⁴

“There are statements in our literature by the early Brethren which we have interpreted to mean that the [people of African descent] would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things… Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world.

We get our truth and our light line upon line and precept upon precept. We have now had added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past. They don’t matter any more.

It doesn’t make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the [racial ban] matter before the first day of June of this year, 1978. It is a new day and a new arrangement.” (emphasis added)

On the title page of the Book of Mormon, the keystone of our religion, it says:

“And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment seat of Christ.” – Title page, Book of Mormon

Isn’t the statement above from the Book of Mormon teaching a scary yet beautiful doctrine? God calls flawed instruments who make mistakes to do His work. Doesn’t that give me hope that while I flounder, I can be a part of the building up the kingdom of God?

Doesn’t the mortal weakness of mankind make the restoration of Christ’s church and gospel all the more impressive?

With some exceptions, can’t we agree that our flawed leaders have done a good job leading church members to God? Blessing the lives of the individuals and the communities where members reside?

Christ was perfect, unlike our leaders. However, he gave what seemed like a strange lesson after feeding thousands for the second time. He said, “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:54)

“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” (John 6:66)

How did Simon Peter and the disciples react to this unusual object lesson that was superficially contrary to religious norms?

“Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:68-69, emphasis added)

If this is Christ’s Church and the apostles and prophets are his chosen mortal leaders, then where else shall I go?

Is there another organization that has more light and truth? A group that does more good? I am perfectly open to that possibility. If yes, then where is it? How do I join?

Many critics seem to misconstrue what it takes to be a leader in the Church. I am sympathetic to that sentiment because that was me. In high school, I had a bishop with whom I was at odds. To my embarrassment, I was critical of him until I was 29. Anytime I referred to him, it was in a negative way.

What happened? In 2016, I was sitting in a ward council, and out of nowhere, I was caught away in a vision of the past. My attention flashed back to 2004, and I could see a small council in my mind’s eye, like the one I was then sitting in. The bishop I was so critical of prayed. He prayed for me and my family by name. Tears streamed down my face as I realized my hypocrisy. That bishop was, in a way, me. I realized that he and I, and millions of other typical members, are the leaders of the Church. The general authorities of the Church are likewise a bunch of flawed people who are flailing their way toward light and truth.

“A Ridiculous and Inconsistent 187-year Track Record”

Jeremy Runnels states in the CES Letter:

“Why would I want my kids chanting ‘Follow the Prophet’ with such a ridiculous and inconsistent 187-year track record? What credibility do the Brethren have? Why would I want them following the prophet when a prophet is just a man of his time teaching his ‘theories’ that will likely be disavowed by future ‘Prophets, Seers, and Revelators’? If his moral blueprint is not much better than that of their Sunday School teachers? If, historically speaking, the doctrine he teaches today will likely be tomorrow’s false doctrine?”⁵ (Emphasis added)

I see what Jeremy is trying to do, but what if I used the same logic to judge the scientific method and scientific consensus at large?⁶ I was taught in grade school that Pluto is a planet, wrong. It’s a dwarf planet. It was once believed that the universe was our solar system, but that is incorrect. Conventional wisdom used to be that the earth was the center of the universe, also wrong. The Blank Slate theory, incorrect. A static universe proposed by Einstein, not true. Spontaneous generation by Aristotle? Supplanted by germ theory. Maternal impression, also wrong. Aristotelian physics superseded by Newtonian physics. The Hollow Earth theory? Nope. Phrenology? That is not true either.

Using Jeremy’s same logic, scientific skeptic “Mr. Crunnels” could have easily written the following paragraph:

“Why would I want my kids chanting ‘Use the Scientific Method’ with such a ridiculous and inconsistent 187-year track record? What credibility do scientists and scholars have? Why would I want them following the scientific consensus when scientists, academics, and scholars are just a product of their time teaching their ‘theories’ that will likely be disavowed by future ‘scientists, academics, and scholars’? If their scientific blueprint is not much better than that of non-academics? If, historically speaking, the scientific consensus they teach today will likely be tomorrow’s false theories?”

Science and academia are meaningful endeavors regardless of what “Mr. Crunnels” may say. Even with the blunders, continuing to use the scientific method is worthwhile as we stumble toward light and truth. I understand that those honestly striving will not get everything right. Trusting scientists and prophets bears some peril, but the consequences of abandoning them altogether appear far worse.

Critics have a field day with the much-maligned statement from Wilford Woodruff, “The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray.”⁷ Usually, the criticism is followed up with “what about” statements regarding the African priesthood ban or polygamy.

BYU professor Anthony Sweat, in an online video, gave this great illustration highlighting the difference between mistakes and leading astray. (punctuation added, emphasis added)⁸

“My wife and I … have seven children, and therefore, we have made a lot of mistakes, and I’ll be the first to admit that. If I brought in my seven children onto this video one by one and lined them up and said tell all the viewers of this video how many times your mother and father have made mistakes, this video would go on for hours and hours. I’m positive I’ve had to repent, I’ve had to learn, I’ve had to apologize, I’ve had to grow. However, I’m confident that if we brought in those same seven children and said, ‘Do your Mom and Dad lead your family astray?’ I’m confident that all seven of my children would say no. They lead us on the right path; they lead us in the right direction.”

So, the critic asks, “Follow a prophet, even though he may be wrong sometimes?” My answer? Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. The risk is worth it, just like it’s worth the risk of continuing the scientific method. Learning to cope with leaders and heroes who make mistakes is part of growing up. In my 20’s, I naively thought that I had lousy parents. Then I became a dad. I have earned some gray hairs. I now clearly see my parents for who they were - Flawed people who loved their children and tried their best.

The Church is our best vehicle for receiving modern revelation and for helping people. Flawless? No. I’m fine with the presence of flaws “in the vehicle.” When critics identify some defect in the vehicle, what do they want me to do, run it off a cliff? Run it off a cliff with me and my family trapped inside? No thanks. The Church and its leaders reliably point the saints to the true hero, Jesus Christ. If there is a God, and He has called a prophet on earth today, then yes, my children and I will sing with gusto, “Follow the Prophet.”

“The Church Does Not Tell the Truth”

I watched nearly every baseball game during the historic 2000 and 2001 Seattle Mariners baseball seasons. I easily spent over 300 hours watching baseball during those two years. In all those months and hours of watching baseball, I do not recall hearing the commentators discussing the history of scandals in the MLB. I did not hear about gambling scandals, briberies, conspiracies, salary collusions, substance abuse, steroid usage, sign stealing scandals, and racism. Perhaps I heard of some of these issues in passing but never got an in-depth history lesson about baseball’s questionable past. Ultimately, I am glad I did not. I was, after all, a kid in Junior High who wanted to watch some baseball.

At one point, critics of the Church convinced me that Church leaders knew that the truth claims of the restoration were false. I’m embarrassed to say this now, but at one point, I had so bought into the CES Letter narrative that I said out loud to my wife, “Do you think the Church leaders keep going with the lie because of how much good the Church does? Is that how they justify their existence?”

Once I finished my ignorant skepticism phase, I started seeing things as they really were. From the fall 2019 – spring 2021, I taught early morning seminary. We covered the last part of the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the first half of the Doctrine and Covenants. When I was called to teach seminary, I was excited to inoculate my students against the critics' complaints that “no one taught me XYZ in Church.” I did my best to cover polygamy, seer stones, controversial policies, etc. Over time, I realized something: My students did not need or care for those topics. They needed to hear that God loves them, that they can be forgiven of their sins, that they are each a precious son or daughter of God, and that Christ’s atonement can enable us to do great things. In other words, they needed to hear everything the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emphasizes.

It occurred to me that most participants (myself included) in seminary, Sunday school, young women, young men, priesthood quorums, relief society, and sacrament meetings need the gospel of Jesus Christ. I need to regularly hear the importance of daily scripture study, prayer, church attendance, repentance, faith, temple worship, family history, etc. I realized that the Church and its leaders are likely not overtly hiding anything. Instead, they were choosing to do what mattered: To focus on what I would be focused on if I were in their shoes and running a global church.

If there is someone out there like me who wants to learn more, there are plenty of resources.

I have also come to appreciate something else that the Church of Jesus Christ does. There is an ever-increasing amount of positive evidence for the Church’s truth claims, yet the Church does not focus on them. The Church's leaders are impressively committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ, even if some concept or theory seriously bolsters our claims.

Critics appear perfectly willing to float any potential theory (even if it contradicts another theory of theirs) as absolute fact. It is clear to me that critics are interested in some ideas only to the extent that those ideas support their real goal: trying to convince people to resign their membership in the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is focused on a different kind of work. When additional supportive evidence emerges, the Church has demonstrated discipline and reservation in taking victory laps. That is a sign of church leaders who are confident in the direction and focus of the Church.

Footnotes

1. Runnels, Jeremy. “Other Concerns & Questions: CES Letter.” CES Letter Foundation, https://read.cesletter.org/other/#church%E2%80%99s-dishonesty-censorship-and-whitewashing-over-its-history ↩

2. Journal of Discourses, Vol. 24, Aug. 12, 1883 ↩

3. “Race and the Priesthood.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gospel Topics, accessed on August 2^nd, 2024 from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng ↩

4. McConkie, Bruce. “All Are Alike unto God,” CES Religious Educator’s Symposium, Aug. 18, 1978,; available at speeches.byu.edu or https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bruce-r-mcconkie/alike-unto-god/ ↩

5. Runnels, Jeremy. “Prophets Concerns & Questions.” CES Letter Foundation, https://read.cesletter.org/prophets/ ↩

6. “Superseded theories in science.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikipedia Foundation, last updated April 13, 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superseded_theories_in_science#:~:text=Luminiferous%20aether%20%E2%80%93%20failed%20to%20be,on%20the%20source%20of%20electricity. ↩

7. “Official Declaration 1.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1890, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/od/1?lang=eng ↩

8. “The Unfolding Restoration Lesson 25: Continuing Revelation in the Modern Church.” YouTube, Doctrine and Covenants Central, December 23, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NsmGWsVj6o&list=PLxtDdds6EoqVut7DTobtRdyibQivL0jE7&index=24&t=1802s ↩