Interesting! Can I ask: in what sense do you mean he confirmed to you this doctrine? I assume there’s a metaphor here re. “speak.”
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For me, it’s often a forceful feeling of “Yes, this is right” when I read or study it.
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Thank you for explaining.
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Happy to answer! I may expound more on these questions in a blog post in a few days.
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When you do, can you try to answer: “it feels right” is unacceptable in other areas of study; why’s it a valid justification here?
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I wrote more on my blog in response your questions the other day. Thanks for asking. bjhomer.blogspot.com/2014/04/mormon
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Thanks. Not sure I understand. Are you saying “ ‘this communication came from God’ is not a hypothesis I’m trying to falsify”?
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But I am saying that it's difficult to apply the traditional hypothesis model of inquiry to revelation. Does that help?
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Yep, that’s what I needed to hear; thank you.
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I would also assert that there are many things which are true, but not verifiable in that way. (e.g. 'My wife loves me.')
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Hm. There are observations which could falsify that hypothesis, though. Are there observations which could falsify your faith?
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Well, there are the trivial, somewhat nonsensical cases. A "revelation" that grass is made of cheese, for example. (…)
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More generally, it's difficult, because the signal is mixed with our own thoughts and emotions. "Did I just misinterpret?"
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But if one perceived revelation is false, how do I explain others that were true, and contained new information?
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Are there no alternative explanations for the source of that information? Can you falsify that information?
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(thread resurrection) blog post from this morning on falsifying faith: timesandseasons.org/index.php/2014
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