Does Mormon Doctrine Change?
Doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (sometimes erroneously called the [http://www.mormon.org Mormon Church), do not change. Policies, however, do evolve as continuous revelation is received. This is consistent with Christ's primitive church, and the LDS Church is the restoration of that original church.
After the crucifixion of the Savior, the apostles continued to teach the gospel among the Jews. When Peter was in Joppa, however, he was approached by a group of gentile believers. The Lord prepared Peter for this event by revelation. Peter had a vision of unclean animals, lowered in a cloth gathered by its four corners. The Lord told him not to consider anything unclean that the Lord had declared clean. The Lord also told Peter that gentiles sought him, and not to refuse. Peter would not have entered a gentile household at all, had he not received this revelation. The gentiles were not only rapt listeners to the word of God, but received the Holy Ghost. (See Holy Bible, Acts 10.)
Peter related the experience to the other apostles, and together, they reasoned and prayed. Through additional revelation, they realized it was time to take the gospel to the gentiles. This was not a change in doctrine, but a change in policy.
In the same manner, the apostles counseled with the Lord regarding requiring gentile Christians to keep aspects of the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses had been fulfilled. This does not necessarily mean that it was done away — the Law of Moses contained the foundation of the gospel — faith, repentance, baptism, and sacrifice. Jesus Christ ended sacrifice by the shedding of blood, but many Israelite Christians wanted to keep circumcision and the dietary laws and to require gentile Christians to follow suit. Through prayer and revelation, it was decided by the apostles that Christians should not have to be circumcised, nor should they be required to keep all the Jewish dietary laws, but should avoid eating blood and things sacrificed to idols, and things strangled. Again, this was a change of policy, not doctrine. The doctrine remained belief on Jesus Christ, and Him crucified and resurrected, who died for our sins. The ordinances of baptism and conferring the Holy Ghost did not change. (See Acts 15.)
