Posted on 10/31/2011 5:00:13 PM PDT by Colofornian
The dead -- and funerals for them -- figured heavy into the history of Mormon theology.
Did you know that two of the most distinctive Mormon doctrines were first revealed at a location where the focus was on the dead? two teachings that serve as the heart of the Mormon version of their gospel? and that these two doctrines are not taught in the Book of Mormon? despite the reality that another Mormon scripture Doctrines & Covenants repeatedly claims that the Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the gospel (20:8-9)
Why would a book touted to proclaim "the fulness of the gospel" contain absolutely NOTHING about the most prominent distinctive Mormon emphasis re: salvation and exaltation?
What are these teachings?
· Baptism for the dead
· Worthy Mormon members in good standing with the church can become gods (the word Mormons use is exalted or exaltation)
In both cases, Joseph Smith used funeral services -- the funeral services of: ^ Seymour Brunson (Aug. 15, 1840) ^ and King Follett (April 7, 1844) ...to reveal these new teachings.
Baptism for the dead has since become Mormon canonized scripture; but the other teaching that you can become a god has never been added to the added revelations of Mormon scriptures even though Mormons say what distinguishes them is the ability for their living prophets to become new scripture factories anytime they so choose.
The fact that these teachings are missing from the Book of Mormon, which is supposedly the fulness of the everlasting gospel, has not been lost upon critics and members of the church alike. Baptizing the dead was no small sideline activity per the Mormon founders vision:
The GREATEST RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS WORLD that God has placed upon us is to seek after our dead. (Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 356)
Hence, when Smith observed a widow at an 1840 funeral, he elaborated upon baptism of the dead -- the first public disclosure of this teaching. The widow immediately offered herself as a proxy for a baptism performed baptized by Harvey Olmstead on behalf of her deceased son, Cyrus Livingston Neymon.
This funeral service was exactly a month away of what was to be the death of the father of Joseph Smith, Jr. (Smith, Sr., died Sept. 14, 1840). Hence, the idea of baptizing someone by proxy wasnt suddenly developed during a funeral service. It happened to be around that time that Joseph Smith visited his father, near death:
Christian author Donna Morley surmised from an 1853 book by Joseph Smiths mother that a promise made by Smith to his father was the likely genesis of baptism of the dead:
You might be wondering how this baptizing-the-dead doctrine got started. Possibly it began at the deathbed of Josephs father. In Lucy Smiths biography of her son Joseph, she wrote about her dying husbands concerns. He was worried about his son, Alvin, who died without being baptized. Joseph, Jr., comforted his father by saying it was the privilege of the Saints to be baptized for the dead. [Footnote references Joseph Smiths History by His Mother, 1853, p. 265} This delighted Josephs father, and he requested that Joseph should be baptized for Alvin immediately. [p. 266] [As cited by A Christian Womans Guide to Understanding Mormonism, Donna Morley Harvest House, 2003, p. 139]
Four years later, less than three months before Joseph Smiths own death, he spoke at length at the King Follett funeral service. There he proclaimed that:
...you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves from exaltation to exaltation, until you are able to dwell in everlasting burnings and to sit in glory, as those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. His transition into that claim was a brash one: I defy all the learning and wisdom and all the combined powers of earth and hell together to refute it. (Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 4)
One has to wonder if Smith deliberately used funeral services, when emotions were high and intellectual defenses were down, to introduce controversial heretical teachings.
According to lds.org: "In a funeral sermon, the Prophet Joseph Smith declared that the spirits of righteous people who have died 'are not far from us...' (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 326, 2007).
Certainly, his nephew, Joseph F. Smith, who later became a prophet, took up this same theme at the funeral of Elizabeth H. Cannon:
In like manner our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters, and friends who have passed away from this earth may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing warning or reproof and instruction to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh. And so it is with Sister [Elizabeth H.] Cannon. She can return and visit her friends (Gospel Doctrine, 2:224, Original source: Discourse at funeral of Elizabeth H. Cannon, Journal of Discourses 22:351-352]
Joseph F. Smith was claiming there that the dead can return on "missions" as messengers to the earth, thereby making Mormons even more vulnerable to demons masquerading as ghosts.
One of Joseph F. Smiths predecessors as a prophet, Wilford Woodruff, certainly kept at a high level a certain obsession with the dead, proclaiming: There is hardly any principle the Lord has revealed that I have rejoiced more in than in the redemption of our dead
(Teachings of Presidents: Wilford Woodruff, 1998, pp. 192-193)
Smith used funerals to get his followers to take such heretical leaps. The article delves into how Smith's own father dying -- and begging Smith to be baptized for Joseph's deceased brother, Alvin, played into Smith introducing baptizing the dead in 1840.
The King Follett funeral was used to introduce Mormons into the "you can become a god" teaching...and Smith's nephew, Joseph F. Smith, used a funeral in the early 1900s to talk about how the dead -- including the one being buried -- are sent on "missions" to earth to interact with the living.
Such a teaching leaves Mormons vulnerable to being influenced by spirit-entities.
Cool, Mormons are all goth and stuff. I may want to check them out after all.
Weird.
It is almost like a “super-sainthood”. As a Catholic, I don’t like the implication one bit though.
You posted this a couple days ago and it got very few hits.
Had to try again eh.
Ghouls
The Mormons dont recognize Easter...
This is probably mnore fitting a religious holiday for them...
Seriously, why do you continue to post stuff like this? It's a never ending game with you it seems. As a Mormon myself, I think you would be more successful in fighting the Church if you didn't post so many things that continually make people doubt your credibility or motivation.
The ends don't necessarily justify the means. But keep up the good work. /s
*******************
"First Presidency Easter Message
During this Easter season we again rejoice with all of Christendom and gratefully commemorate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Words cannot fully describe the magnitude of the miracle that took place within the Garden Tomb that long-ago morning, but the angelic messenger captured its essence when he said, He is not here: for he is risen. (Matt. 28:6.)
It was an event long heralded by the prophets, long looked for among the Saints of God, long awaited by those in the world of spirits, yet little understood in the world at large, for none before had overcome the grave.
The Lords resurrection completed the process of the Atonement that included His sinless life, His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His death on the cross. The Resurrection assured immortality for all, and the blessed Atonement provided a pathway to exaltation for those who will adhere to His gospel principles.
At this sacred season, we solemnly testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of all the world. We know that He lives! We know that because He lives, we too shall live again.
With the Apostle Paul we exult: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:57.)"
Rip so much for posting scripture from the Christian Bible
But I was talking about Mormons
The Mormons dont recognize Easter...
safter all their mormon jesus shed his watery blood as sweat in the garden of Gethsemanee TO “atone” them...
and not on the Cross at CalvaRY...
and instead of celebating Christmas and the birth of the LORD Jesus Christ
the Mormons celebrate the birthday of Joey Smith...with parties and cake...
praise to da man...
The Lords resurrection completed the process of the Atonement that included His sinless life, His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His death on the cross. The Resurrection assured immortality for all, and the blessed Atonement provided a pathway to exaltation for those who will adhere to His gospel principles.
_____________________________________________
I rest my case kid...
That blasphemy describes the Mormon jesus...
That is not what the LORD Jesus Christ of the Christian Bible did to save us...
Another of the never ending Colofornian distortions from the extreme anti-mormon destruction at all cost machine
Christ would have us clelbrate our christianity by becoming Christlike.
Colofornian’s brand of christianity seeks any distortion to discredit the faith in Jesus Christ of a full 12 million people .... because we don’t believe in the Nicene Creed and because we believe that God has again opened the heavens in communication with modern day prophets.
Instead of focusing on this hearsay trash generated by religious hatred ... maybe you should investigate the very real historical compromises which left Christianity forever changed from its biblical base during the Council of Nicea .... but alas,
... that would require Colofornian to remove the Beam from her own eye before she tried to remove the sliver from mine .... which, I suspect is a little too Christlike for her to attempt.
Oh brother...
You haven’t made a case, let alone rested one.
Not true.
Brand new. (Keep track)
its all so much noise, hard to tell the difference between one talking point and another.
so much hate and so little time eh
Do you believe that “worthy mormon males” can not only achieve “godhood”, but also have a harem of wives, copulating for eternity in order to populate the planet they are the “god” of?
If so, please explain how that is Biblical?
If you want to claim it’s “hatred” (liberal talking point), then explain how exposing the mormon teaching that is anti-Christian is akin to “hatred”?
Once again, you are not telling the truth. You are a liar.
The Mormons dont recognize Easter...
Nor Christmas...
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