What is Doctrine? What is Policy or Practice? – Mike Goodman Interview

January 10, 2019

Many have wondered, “What is considered true, eternal Doctrine and what is an inspired policy or practice?” Missionaries have been tasked with teaching the true doctrines of the church with power and authority. However, it does happen that missionaries teach things are (at times) not authoritative, or could even be something that is an interpretation on a doctrine, rather than the teachings that carry the greatest power.

But how does a missionary, or any member of the Church know the difference between doctrines and principles or whether something is a policy or practice. BYU Professor Mike Goodman is a past mission president and has served on a number of councils and committees that help to establish teaching curriculum and even those manuals and practices with regard to missionary teaching and instruction. In this interview Mike Goodman helps us learn the three main criteria for helping us to determine wether something is true and eternal, salvific (pertaining to salvation), and what the Brethren have and are teaching with consistency and authority.

Mike Goodman appeared on the Latter-day Saints Perspectives Podcast (formerly LDS Perspectives). He spoke on this similar subject and we highly recommend listening to that episode in conjunction with this episode of the Latter-day Saint MissionCast. To listen to that episode, click here.

This episode will also serve as the foundational episode for the rest of this year’s podcasting. Each month we will focus on one of the 9 basic doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In order to understand those episodes in the proper context, you will WANT to listen to this episode.

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