Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader noticed an interesting heading on the news wire today. It is: Mormon Church Disciplines Author for Book.

The meat of the piece is this: a Mormon former seminary teacher has published a book in which he looks critically at the early history of the Mormon church. In his book he suggests that Joseph Smith did not translate the Book of Mormon by the gifts and power of God; but rather wrote them himself based on his own experience and knowledge of the King James Bible.

The former seminarian, Grant Palmer, has been “disfellowshipped” from his church. This seems to be a type of suspension. Just short of excommunication.

Palmer wants to remain a member of his church because the still believes in the essential beliefs and teachings of the Latter Day Saints.

Here is the interesting point for your Maximum Leader. If you accept the basic teachings and beliefs of a particular religious tradition, but might quibble with how those teachings and beliefs came to be; how faithful are you being to your church? It is an interesting mental excercise.

Take for example a person who might believe that while Jesus of Nazareth was a real person who lived and breathed on this earth. During Jesus’ time on earth he was a rabbi and taught an important (and perhaps even Divinely inspired) message. Then he was crucified and died. End of story. If one accepts the teachings of Jesus, without accepting that Jesus was God or the literal Son of God; does that still make you a Christian? Does it make you an Episcopalian or Methodist or Presbyterian?

Is thisan instance of the message being missed because the messenger is unacceptable?

And let your Maximum Leader throw one thing out there for you all to contemplate. In your Maximum Leader’s mind, churches are associations who can regulate the terms and conditions of membership as they want. Your Maximum Leader has absolutely no issue with any church/established religious organization kicking someone out for whatever cause it sees fit. If in the case of Mr. Palmer, the Church of Latter Day Saints wanted to excommunicate him for saying what the hierarchy of the Church finds unsayable; that is fine with your Maximum Leader. Your Maximum Leader supposes the question is more how how do we define ourselves in terms of religious affiliation? Is the faith in our heart more important than the faith we practice with a group? Is it possible for someone to “know” facts that point to a historical truth yet still choose to believe in their hearts a revealed or religious truth at odds with the view of historical fact?

Carry on.