Posted on 12/18/2013 4:43:30 PM PST by Colofornian
Almost half of the 164-year existence of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been led by three men who served as director-conductors of the choir for 73 of those years.
One of those men, the 3rd-ranked director-conductor (in terms of longevity), was J. Spencer Cornwall -- a veteran of leading the choir for 22 years (1935-1957). [The two who served longer were Evan Stephens, 26 years; and Jerold Don Ottley, 25 years...see List of Mormon Tabernacle Choir music directors).
Still in good standing with the church, the Mormon Church even brought Cornwall back for the 1979 tabernacle reunion event. There -- at age 91 -- Cornwall conducted one of the hymns sung for that event. Here is an 8-and-a-half minute YouTube clip of that event: J. Spencer Cornwall Conducts The Mormon Tabernacle Choir At 91 Years Old
Four years prior to Cornwall's "last hurrah" as conductor -- 1975 -- the Mormon Church-run publishing house, Deseret Book, published Cornwall's book, The Story of our Mormon Hymns. Opening this book up to page 164, we find this little interesting concessional/ confessional "nugget" written by the former MTC conductor: "''Praise to the Man' is one of the few hymns written in praise of a man. Most hymns of praise are to our Father in heaven. This hymn, however, is one of the more popular hymns of the Latter-day Saints."
Did you catch that? No, this isn't some "anti-Mormon" talking. Rather, a former Mormon Tabernacle Choir conductor -- in a book published, no less, by the Mormon Church -- sanctions open idolatry...hymns sung TO a being other than God, Himself! And they not only "concede" this but appear to be openly promoting this personality cult!
Merry Smithmas, indeed!
After all... --is this hymn tucked away in some corner? (No, says Cornwall: It happens to be "one of the more popular hymns of the Latter-day Saints."). --And have these lyrics only recently upon the scene? (No, they were based upon a poem written in August 1844...see Praise to the Man) [In other words, the Mormons have been openly worshiping Joseph Smith for about 170 years!)
Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah! Jesus annointed that Prophet and Seer. Blessed to open the last dispensation, Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.
Chorus: Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven! Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain. Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren; Death cannot conquer the hero again.
Second verse excerpt: ...Honored and blest be his ever great name!...the earth lauds his fame
Third verse excerpt: Great is his glory and endless his priesthood: Ever and ever the keys he will hold. Faithful and true, he will enter HIS kingdom, Crowned in the midst of the prophets of old.
Fourth verse excerpt: Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven; Earth must atone for the blood of that man. Wake up the world for the conflict of justice. Millions shall know "brother Joseph" again.
Wow! I mean just "wow!"
The true Gospel |
The false bad news 'gospel' of Joseph Smith-Centricism as found in 'Praise to the Man' |
| Jesus atoning for the sins of mankind by shedding his blood | All mankind will need to atone for the sin of shedding Joseph's blood -- as if all the earth was guilty of such an act! |
| Jesus HIMSELF is the "Faithful and True One" (Revelation 3:14) who is Lord and crowned King of His Kingdom | Joseph Smith is the "Faithful and true" one who "will enter HIS kingdom, crowned" |
| Kings -- like David -- extol the Lord (see Psalm 34:1 and many other Psalms) | "Kings shall extol" Joseph Smith, "and nations revere" (him) |
| Jesus' ascent is to be hailed | "Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven!" |
| Our 3-in-1 God sovereignly implements His Plan for His people | "Mingling with Gods" Joseph Smith "can plan for his brethren" |
| Millions shall know the true God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent (John 17:3) | "Millions shall know 'brother Joseph' again" |
| Sung to Jesus Christ in Christmas carol "What Child is This?": "Haste, haste to bring Him LAUD / The babe, the son of Mary" | "...the earth lauds his" (Joseph Smith's) "fame" |
| "But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." (Heb. 2:9); "He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (2 Peter 1:17) [please also see Rev. 4:9, 11; 5:12-13; 7:12] | "...Honored and blest be" Joseph Smith's "ever great name!..." |
Simply put: "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, THE ONLY God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17)
There is no "gods mingling" when you have "THE ONLY God" who receives "honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen!"
In "Praise to the Man," Kings extol a "prophet" (not Jesus Christ?)
Nations revere a "prophet" (not Jesus Christ?)
Great is his glory? (Joseph Smith's? Not Christ's?)
What Child is This? we sing and ask this season..."haste, haste to bring him LAUD -- the babe, the son of Mary" Yet Mormons sing "earth" is to "LAUD" Joseph Smith as we do Jesus Christ?? Ah, the Mormon legacy upon the world: Jesus Christ gets not only competition from Joseph Smith, but too often eclipses Christ at Christmas. And God/Jesus Christ gets competition for praise, worship, glory, honor, adoration from "peer wannabes" -- otherwise known as "The Mormons."
Sorry, but we aren't to "praise" "extol" "laud" "glorify" ANY Name beside the Divine One -- the Son of God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
When God repeats something in His revelation within close proximity, He is saying to us, "Pay SPECIAL attention."
One of the places in the New Testament where this occurs is Revelation 19:10 and 22:8-9 when John the Revelator shares His vision:
8 "I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, 'Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” (Revelation 22:8-9)
Please note: Minus Jesus Christ in His prophet role (He also held High Priest and Kingly roles), prophets are mere "servants."
Just three chapters previous within the book of Revelation, John also wrote:
10 "At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” (Revelation 19:10)
As both passages reveal, John showed real transparency in admitting that he, too, was tempted to worship a fellow servant of God (in case, an angel), but was quickly corrected: "Worship God!" (meaning "Worship Him ONLY")
Are you, Mormon one, going to continue to worship a fellow servant?
True servants of our Lord -- whether angelic or human -- "hold to the testimony of Jesus." In other words, they don't replace "a testimony of Jesus" with a testimony, witness, or confession of Joseph Smith!
So, do we...
...give a testimony of Jesus -- or of Joseph Smith?
...witness of Jesus? Or do we witness of Joseph Smith?
...confess Jesus as Savior, Lord and the Way to Heavenly Father? (Or, as a 1984 Lds Church priesthood manual claimed, along with an 1859 Brigham Young message, do Mormons confess Joseph Smith as "Ruler" of the Spirit World?)
| WHEN | WHO/WHAT | LINK/SOURCE | COMMENT |
1981-2010 |
Mormon leader proclamations where the 'testimony'/'witness' is about Joseph Smith |
||
| 2010 (September) | Christian missionaries seek to testify to Jesus Christ. What was this Lds to-be-missionary preparing for his mission seek to prepare to do, per the official Lds magazine, New Era? Well, the headline kind of gives it away: "My Testimony of Joseph Smith" Lead graph: "I wanted to prepare for my mission and was pondering some things that would strengthen my testimony. I knew that building up my testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith would greatly strengthen me and prepare me for my mission in the future." | Lds magazine, New Era: 'My Testimony of Joseph Smith' | |
| 2009 (January) | Lds Church official magazine Ensign don’t advocate “seeking a personal witness of Jesus Christ.” Not at all! Instead, it’s ...”members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles bear testimony of the prophet and share what they have gained—and what we can gain—from seeking a personal witness of him. | Witnesses of the Prophet Joseph Smith | |
| 2005 | BYU publishes a piece reviewing the Smithfest (annual Joseph Smith Memorial firesides held close to his birthday starting in 1944): "Brother Chase...published a ...volume titled Joseph the Prophet, As He Lives in the Hearts of His People...Many...Smith memorial speakers emphasized the need for all those present to obtain this personal witness of Joseph Smith...."Joseph Smith lies at the heart of it all..." Elder Benson noted, “The greatest activity in this world or in the world to come is directly related to the work and mission of Joseph Smith..." | Read more at "Praise To The Man": A Review Of The Annual Joseph Smith Memorial Sermons; see also “Praise To The Man”: A Review Of The Annual Joseph Smith Memorial Sermons [Mormon Merry Smithmas] | Why, that's "funny!" I would have thought from reading my Bible that Jesus Christ is the one who "lives in the hearts" of God's people...And that Jesus Christ "lies at the heart of it all"...And that Jesus Christ is the ONE for whom we are to "obtain" a "personal witness" to...And that Jesus Christ's "work and mission" -- along with the Holy Spirit's power, direction, and guidance is to be the True Source of "the greatest activity in this world or the world to come..." I guess I was wrong. The Mormons say it's to be Joseph Smith! |
| 2005 | "The doctrine my father taught me was that the measure of a man’s spirituality was to be found in his loyalty to Joseph Smith and the revelations given through him." | D Jensen, The Religious Educator, Vol. 6, No. 1 | "Loyalty to Joseph Smith" vs. primary loyalty to Jesus Christ = disciples for Joseph Smith operating as a personality cult! |
| 1996 | Lds "Prophet" Harold B. Lee: “We must know for certainty in our hearts and minds that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. We must know that this is indeed the Church of Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God on earth in these last days; and finally we MUST have a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.” | The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J. Williams, p. 371 | |
| 1994 (June) | Official Lds Church Magazine places Joseph Smith on par with Jesus Christ re: "shed[ding] his blood in order that the final testament, the reestablishment of the new covenant, might be in full effect.": "As suggested earlier, the life of Joseph Smith was in some degree patterned after that of his Master, Jesus Christ. That pattern holds true even when extended to its tragic conclusion. Like his Master, Joseph Smith also shed his blood in order that the final testament, the reestablishment of the new covenant, might be in full effect...Thus, to bear witness of Joseph Smith is to bear witness of Jesus Christ, who sent him, in the same way that a testimony of Christ also implies clearly a testimony of the Eternal Father, who sent Him. On the other hand, to deny Joseph Smith outright—to deny the spiritual impressions which attest to his prophetic assignment—is to deny the Lord, who sent him." | Lds Church Magazine Ensign | Hence, in the Mormon Church's eyes, Joseph Smith's the covenant establisher for the ENTIRE Church! (Not Jesus Christ) Therefore, this is why Mormons seek "to bear witness of Joseph Smith" |
| 1990 (July 29) | During a Capstone conference – a conference in which Christians are trained in witnessing to Mormons – one Sunday morning finds Hank Hanegraaff and Ed Decker walking "through Temple Square while we had some time before Hank caught a flight back to Los Angeles. As we walked through the North Visitor Center, we were amazed. That building housed the many displays dealing with the 'restoration of the gospel.' Yet, every single thing that dealt with the restoration story and Joseph Smith had been removed from public view...The South Visitor Center displayed...a picture of Jesus, under which was a statement from LDS scripture with a heading something like 'Jesus Testifies of Joseph Smith.'" | Ed Decker, Decker's Complete Handbook on Mormonism, Harvest House, 1995, pp. 340-341 | MORE role reversal! |
| 1984 | Lds "Prophet" Ezra Taft Benson supercedes Jesus' Incarnation, the Cross, the Resurrection and His Ascension as what/Who we are to "bear testimony" about in place of Joseph Smith's 'First Vision': "The First Vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith is bedrock theology to the Church...You should ALWAYS bear witness to the truth of the First Vision." | Benson's address given in Salt Lake City, May 20, 1984, p. 2, as recorded in Ezra Taft Benson, Addresses 1943-89, Church Archives – and cited in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p. 547 | |
| 1981 (Jan. 25) | Lds leader James E. Faust, speaking at the annual Joseph Smith Memorial Fireside, says: " Many of the Joseph Smith memorial speakers emphasized the need for all those present to obtain this personal witness of Joseph Smith. Elder James E. Faust put into perspective the vital role of a personal testimony, pointing out that “the beginning point of the restoration is the story of Joseph Smith. . . . Joseph Smith lies at the heart of it all. . . . Every person who claims membership in the Church must have his own personal witness concerning the truthfulness of the story of Joseph Smith. . . . That which makes [the Church] live is the individual testimony of the members of the Church.” | Read more at "Praise To The Man": A Review Of The Annual Joseph Smith Memorial Sermons; see also “Praise To The Man”: A Review Of The Annual Joseph Smith Memorial Sermons [Mormon Merry Smithmas] | So everybody in the Mormon church has to have a "personal witness" of Joseph Smith, eh? (Yeah, we kind of figured that by now) |
| WHEN | WHO/WHAT | LINK/SOURCE | COMMENT |
1857-2013 |
Mormon leader proclamations where the 'confession' is about Joseph Smith – and usually mentions/implies Smith as the 'Way' |
This goes against Romans 10:9-10 and John 14:6 in the Bible |
|
| 2013 (Feb. 10) | Faith in God? Faith in Jesus? How about Faith in Joseph Smith! "Come and bring your friends to this annual event that is sure to uplift spirits, strengthen testimonies, and renew FAITH IN OUR BELOVED PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH. See you there! Doors open at 6 pm." | Joseph Smith Memorial Fireside | Prior to this event – the annual Joseph Smith Memorial Fireside – which, for the first 30 years of its annual existence (1944-1973) was held as a competitive eclipse of Christmas in December -- celebrating Joseph Smith and his birthday...the YSA 30th (Lds) Ward promotes in the event by encouraging attenders to renew their faith in Jesus Christ? (Nope!) |
| 1982 (originally published 1954) | Making a Decision for Joseph Smith? Eventual "to be 'Prophet'" Joseph Fielding Smith: [There is] "no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith. If Joseph Smith was verily a prophet, and if he told the truth...no man can reject that testimony without incurring the most dreadful consequences, for he cannot enter the kingdom of God" | Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p.190 | Joseph Smith as "the way, the truth, and the life" eh? Joseph Smith 14:6? |
| 1974 | Deseret Book Co. publishes a book of discourses and writings of one of its top three hierarchists from the 19th century, George Q. Cannon, who announces: "If we get our salvation, we shall have to pass by him [Joseph Smith]; if we enter our glory, it will be through the authority he has received. We cannot get around him [Joseph Smith]" (Lds "apostle" George Q. Cannon) | Editor Jerreld L. Newquist, Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, Vol. 1, p. 255 Deseret Book Co. | |
| 1967 (Dec. 3) | Is God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit the source of the “greatest activity in the world?” (Think again!) Smithmas time again, 1967: Lds "Prophet" Ezra Taft Benson, speaking at the annual commemoration of Joseph Smith's birthday (Joseph Smith Memorial Firesides), proclaims: “The greatest activity in this world or in the world to come is directly related to the work and mission of Joseph Smith.” | Read more at "Praise To The Man": A Review Of The Annual Joseph Smith Memorial Sermons; see also “Praise To The Man”: A Review Of The Annual Joseph Smith Memorial Sermons [Mormon Merry Smithmas] | No credit to Jesus; no credit to the Holy Spirit. 'Tis Joseph Smith who apparently spurs "the greatest activity in this world", eh? |
| 1966 | After Lds "prophet" David O. McKay told one First President to review lds "apostle" Bruce McConkie's Mormon Doctrine book (1958), and another – Spencer W. Kimball – to be his mentor in implementing changes, McConkie comes out in his 1966 revision of the book: Therefore, this quote passed the muster of two Lds "prophets" (McKay and Kimball) and a Fir">Improvement Era, st President (Marion G. Romney): "If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation." | Mormon Doctrine, Bruce McConkie, p. 670, republished later by Deseret Book Co., owned by the Mormon Church. Last republishing date was 1978. | Well, there ya go! Joseph Smith as the savior of the world! |
| 1954 (Republished 1972) | Eventual "to be 'Prophet'" Joseph Fielding Smith: [There is] "no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith. If Joseph Smith was verily a prophet, and if he told the truth...no man can reject that testimony without incurring the most dreadful consequences, for he cannot enter the kingdom of God" | Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p.190 | Yup. A response to (or decision for) Christ becomes "accepting Joseph Smith"! |
| 1944 | "Brother Chase’s intense interest in this topic was obvious, since in the same year, 1944, he published a small volume titled Joseph the Prophet, As He Lives in the Hearts of His People. " | Read more at "Praise To The Man": A Review Of The Annual Joseph Smith Memorial Sermons; see also “Praise To The Man”: A Review Of The Annual Joseph Smith Memorial Sermons [Mormon Merry Smithmas] | |
| 1925 | Confess Joseph Smith – or you're of the antiChrist: Lds "apostle" John A Widtsoe compiled Discourses of Brigham Young and these were published by the Lds Church under its book company, Deseret. On page 435: "Whosoever CONFESSETH THAT JOSEPH SMITH WAS SENT OF GOD to reveal the holy Gospel to the children of men, and lay the foundation for gathering Israel, and building up the kingdom of God on the earth, that spirit is of God;" and every spirit that does not confess that God has sent Joseph Smith, and revealed the everlasting Gospel to and through him, is of Antichrist, no matter whether it is found in a pulpit or on a throne... | Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 435 (Original Brigham Young, 1860) | All you billions of "antichrists" out there that don't confess Joseph Smith as God's sent one...go ahead, raise your hand. (I see those hands!) Note: see note on 1860 entry |
| 1862 (July 13) | Brigham Young: "I have taught for thirty years, and still teach, that he that believeth in his heart and confesseth with his mouth that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith is his Prophet to this generation, is of God; and he that confesseth not that Jesus has come in the flesh and sent Joseph Smith with the fulness of the Gospel to this generation, is not of God, but is antichrist. All who confess that Joseph Smith is sent of God in the latter days, to lay the foundation of his everlasting kingdom no more to be thrown down, and will continue to keep his commandments, are born of God" | Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Volume 9 | This Joseph Smith as the consenter/passport/way to Heavenly Father was a common Brigham Young theme 1857-1862 |
| 1860 (Sept. 9) | Brigham Young: "For unbelievers we will quote from the Scriptures—"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." Again—"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." I will now give my scripture—"Whosoever confesseth that Joseph Smith was sent of God to reveal the holy Gospel to the children of men, and lay the foundation for gathering Israel, and building up the kingdom of God on the earth, that spirit is of God;" and every spirit that does not confess that God has sent Joseph Smith, and revealed the everlasting Gospel to and through him, is of Antichrist, no matter whether it is found in a pulpit or on a throne, nor how much divinity it may profess, nor what it professes with regard to revealed religion and the account that is given of the Savior and his Father in the Bible. They may say that they acknowledge Him until doomsday, and he will never own them, nor bestow the Holy Spirit upon them, and they will never have visions of eternity opened to them, unless they acknowledge that Joseph Smith is sent of God. Such people I call unbelievers. They tell about believing in Jesus Christ, but they might as well talk about birds understanding the Hebrew language. This statement is no more positive than true. The spirit that confesses that this is the kingdom of God and his Church has the Spirit that fills the heavenly worlds, and every other spirit is of Antichrist. All whom I call unbelievers, if they will repent of their sins, obey the requirements in the New Testament, be baptized for the remission of sins by a man who holds the key and authority to lead them into the waters of baptism, and receive the laying on of hands for the Holy Ghost, shall receive a witness that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and that he was sent of God to build up his kingdom in this last dispensation." | Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses: 8:176-177 | See "Notice how Brigham Young quotes 1 John 4:2 then says he will give his scripture which was worded like 1 John 4:2 except for a change in names. Brigham Young changed the name of Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith and added that any spirit who teaches that Joseph Smith was not a prophet is of the anti-christ." (4:03 mark of YouTube clip above) |
| 1859 (Oct. 9) | Brigham Young: "Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the veil in the great work of the last days. I can tell our beloved brother Christians who have slain the Prophets and butchered and otherwise caused the death of thousands of Latter-day Saints, the priests who have thanked God in their prayers and thanksgiving from the pulpit that we have been plundered, driven, and slain, and the deacons under the pulpit, and their brethren and sisters in their closets, who have thanked God, thinking that the Latter-day Saints were wasted away, something that no doubt will mortify them—something that, to say the least, is a matter of deep regret to them—namely, that no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are—I with you and you with me. I cannot go there without his consent. He holds the keys of that kingdom for the last dispensation—the keys to rule in the spirit world; and he rules there triumphantly, for he gained full power and a glorious victory over the power of Satan while he was yet in the flesh, and was a martyr to his religion and to the name of Christ, which gives him a most perfect victory in the spirit world. He reigns there as supreme a being in his sphere, capacity, and calling, as God does in heaven. Many will ex claim—"Oh, that is very disagreeable! It is preposterous! We cannot bear the thought!" But it is true." | Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses: 7:289-290; see also Joseph Smith Saves - Mormonism Exposed | The Second Coming of Joseph Smith? |
| 1857 (July 26) | Joseph Young (not Brigham Young) on not simply "believing" Joseph Smith, but "believing IN" Joseph Smith: "Why, it is popular by the Christian world to acknowledge Jesus to be the Savior. The Catholics all acknowledge Jesus to be the Savior. The doctrine has become popular in the world, so much so that nearly the whole world now acknowledge that Christ truly was the Savior, the Redeemer, the Son of God; and they believe on him. Will people be persecuted for this? No. You may go into all ranks of society in the world, and they will receive you, if you are a Christian; but you must mind one thing—you must not name "Mormonism" —you must not say that Joseph was a man that you believed in; for the moment you do this you are in jeopardy...Now, brethren, this is a consolation to us all. Believe in God, believe in Jesus, and believe in Joseph his Prophet, and in Brigham his successor. And I add, "If you will believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph was a Prophet, and that Brigham was his successor, you shall be saved in the kingdom of God," which I pray, in the name of Jesus, may be the case. Amen." | Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6 | See Joseph Smith Saves - Mormonism Exposed "Notice how joseph young [not brigham young] said that we must believe that Joseph Smith was prophet of God in our hearts and confess it with our mouths. This is a perversion of Romans 10:9-10 that teaches that salvation comes through belief and confession in the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (2:53 mark of Youtube clip linked) |
| 1857 (March 8) | Worshiping Joseph Smith as "Justifier": "If we can pass the sentinel Joseph the Prophet, we shall go into the celestial kingdom, and not a man can injure us. If he says, 'God bless you, come along here;' if we will live so that Joseph will justify us, and say, 'Here am I, brethren,' we shall pass every sentinel; there will be no danger but that we will pass into the celestial kingdom." | Brigham Young (Journal of Discourses 4:271) | God/Jesus alone justifies us! |
Mormons have yet another issue in tracking who should be worshiped beyond whether to include Joseph Smith in that. (And yes, if you've sung "Praise to the Man," sorry, you've already engaged in idolatry)
A discussion of Q How many gods do Mormons worship? can be found at this link. To sum it up, Lds "apostle" Bruce McConkie claimed in a 1966 "Mormon Doctrine" book that three gods -- the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost -- "are the only gods we worship."
McConkie was likely basing that upon a single Book of Mormon passage: Mormon 7:7, which advocates worship of these three (Note: Christians see these three personalities as three Persons-bonded-as-one-God). By 1982, in a BYU devotion, McConkie had a change of heart -- and was advocating that BYU students not even worship Jesus Christ ... despite five Book of Mormon passages and numerous Biblical verses encouraging such worship. McConkie seemed to be overly influenced by a single Doctrine & Covenants verse applicable to Mormons: "And gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be THE ONLY BEING whom they should worship." (D&C 20:19)
This becomes then quite problematic for the Mormon seeking whom to worship.
* Does he/she worship ONLY the Father? (D&C 20:19)
* Does he/she then go against Mormon 7:7 and not worship the Holy Spirit?
* Most FREEPER Mormons have openly stated they worship the Mormon version of Jesus Christ. And this goes along with Book of Mormon passages such as 2 Nephi 25:29; 4 Nephi 4:37; 3 Nephi 11:17; 3 Nephi 17:10. The problem becomes that if a Mormon believes Jesus to be a separate "being" than Heavenly Father, then they wind up disobeying D&C 20:19 by worshiping any "jesus"!
Hence, no wonder such worship confusion exists among Mormons!
When Mormons gave up worship of the ONLY God -- the Ultimate God -- and settled upon the "system" of worship of what Floyd McElveen called a "little tribal 'god'"...trouble abounds!
In the words of McElveen:
"Dear friend, flee from the little tribal 'god' of Mormonism, a tiny little god among millions of others, not nearly as far progressed as perhaps millions of other 'gods' before him. A god who has to have your help to save you, who could be disenfranchised at any time by a god or gods more progressed. A god only of this little speck of dust called earth, and maybe the tiny universe that surrounds it. This is not the Almighty God of the Christians, revealed in Scripture as the God of all universes anywhere and everywhere, the only one true God there is or ever will be!"
(Source: Floyd McElveen, Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith: A Search for the Truth, Good News for Lds [P.O. Box 1176, Tooele, UT, 84074], 2006, p. 151)
You don't understand that verse..........if that's what you took from it.
That's a liberal stance...btw. Used over and over again when Billy Jeff was impeached.
Solomon would say that there is nothing new under the sun.
“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?... And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?... Do you not know that we shall judge angels?... How much more, things that pertain to this life?.. If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge ? (1 Corinthians 6:1-5).
Many commands of God require the exercise of righteous judgment.
“But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6).
“And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:14,15).
“Teach and exhort these things. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wrangling of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself” (2 Timothy 6:2b-5).
“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17,18).
All these commands require the careful exercise of righteousness judgment. Do not be deceived by smooth words and flattering speech. Beware of wolves who come to you with a sheep’s skin.
We must be careful not to make unqualified judgments. But we must judge appropriately when commanded to do so.
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24).
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