An Ugly Attack on Mormons

article.nationalreview.com ^ | December 3, 2008 | Jonah Goldberg

[Publius804]

An Ugly Attack on Mormons

The easiest targets for an organized campaign against religious freedom of conscience.

By Jonah Goldberg

Did you catch the political ad in which two Jews ring the doorbell of a nice working-class family? They barge in and rifle through the wife’s purse and then the man’s wallet for any cash. Cackling, they smash the daughter’s piggy bank and pinch every penny. “We need it for the Wall Street bailout!” they exclaim.

No? Maybe you saw the one with the two swarthy Muslims who knock on the door of a nice Jewish family and then blow themselves up?

No? Well, then surely you saw the TV ad in which two smarmy Mormon missionaries knock on the door of an attractive lesbian couple. “Hi, we’re from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!” says the blond one with a toothy smile. “We’re here to take away your rights.” The Mormon zealots yank the couple’s wedding rings from their fingers and then tear up their marriage license.

As the thugs leave, one says to the other, “That was too easy.” His smirking comrade replies, “Yeah, what should we ban next?” The voice-over implores viewers: “Say no to a church taking over your government.”

Obviously, the first two ads are fictional because no one would dare run such anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim attacks.

The third ad, however, was real. It was broadcast throughout California on Election Day as part of the effort to rally opposition to Proposition 8, the initiative that successfully repealed the right to same-sex marriage in the state.

What was the reaction to the ad? Widespread condemnation? Scorn? Rebuke? Tepid criticism?

Nope.

The Los Angeles Times, a principled opponent of Proposition 8, ran an editorial lamenting that the “hard-hitting commercial” was too little, too late.

[Elsie]

The Question: The GODHEAD with TWO physical bodies?

You seemed to have ANSWERED a different one.

[Elsie]

No problem. I try to admit when I’m wrong.

(Slithering away doesn’t seem to become me.)

[netmilsmom]

>>(Slithering away doesn’t seem to become me.)<<

Somehow, I’ve learned to do it well. XD

When Our Lord wants me humble, he humiliates me. I think I need to learn quicker!

[Zakeet]

I am not a mormon, but I do speak Hebrew, and don’t believe what you posted [HERE] is accurate.

Presumably, you were talking about, "Praising Satan by chanting Hebrew words in the ceremony whose translation is Marvelous Lucifer."

In fact, Mormons have changed their chant over time from "Pay Ale Ale" to "Pale Hale Hale!" to "Pay Lay Ale." This LDS SOURCE explains that, According to Joseph Smith, the phrase "Pay Hale Hale" is supposed to be from the pure Adamic language and means "Oh God, hear the words of my mouth!"

In his book 1984 The God Makers, Ed Decker explained to some length how the term coincidentally also means oh marvelous Lucifer in Hebrew. The chant was eliminated in 1990, in the opinion of many, in response to Decker's criticism.

[greyfoxx39]

“Actually, all the pieces are in the scriptures, they are just not put together for the same reason Jesus spoke in parables.”

[Reno232]

Of course Delphiuser has already addressed this issue very succinctly recently as you well know. You also fail to cite the scriptures speaking of the prophets & their multiple wifes. Why is that Elsie? Are you ignoring those scriptures just to try & win the argument?

[Zakeet]

As to your post(s) Utah Lighthouse ministry is an anti site. ... Their purpose is to destroy our religion, and you want to use them in a debate as a source to be debated? are you serious?

I have found Utah Lighthouse Ministry far more credible than the LDS Church

For example, on the matter of the First Vision, the Tanner's have documented with annotations direct from Mormon historical documents the nine different versions of the vision. You can review them at your convenience HERE, where you will see rather profound differences. You will also note the first account did not appear until 1830-31 – and the official account did not appear until 1838 – a full eighteen years after it purportedly happened and at the exact moment when Joseph Smith greatly needed a magnificent event to shore up his authority and silence critics.

Mark Hofmann was a documents forger who foisted several dozen fake documents onto Mormon Church Leadership. Hofmann's amazing discoveries were purchased by devout Mormons and the donated to the Church. Writings favorable to Mormonism were placed on prominent display – writings deemed damaging to the cause were secreted away.

Hofmann's most famous fabrication was the Salamander Letter. In this writing, supposedly by Book of Mormon Witness Martin Harris, a tenth version of the First Vision surfaced. Fortunately for the Mormon Church, the first account of the visitation was extended back in time a full five years to the mid-1820's. Unfortunately for the Church, in this telling Joseph was visited by an elf who took the form of a salamander.

Mormon leadership verified the authenticity of the letter, apparently relying in large part on the opinion of forensic documents examiners. Based on his vast knowledge of Mormonism, Gerald Tanner on the other hand immediately denounced the document as a fraud. Tanner was proven right.

The effects of the Salamander Letter haunt the Mormon Church to this day.

As can be seen in the photograph above, two Mormon Prophets, Spencer Kimball and Gordon Hinckley, were among the duped.

President Hinckley would later candidly admit:

I accepted [Hofmann] to come into my office on a basis of trust … I frankly admit that Hofmann tricked us. He also tricked experts from New York to Utah, however … I am not ashamed to admit that we were victimized. It is not the first time the Church has found itself in such a position. Joseph Smith was victimized again and again. The Savior was victimized. I am sorry to say that sometimes it happens. – Dew, S. (1996). Go Forward with Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, p. 432.

But according to LDS doctrine at the time, this was impossible.

In his February 26, 1980 speech at BYU titled Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet, LDS President Ezra Taft Benson maintained the Mormon Church President spoke with inerrant authority on "any matter, temporal or spiritual ," was "not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time," and "would never lead the Church astray".

Following the Hofmann debacle, less than a decade after President Benson's pronouncement, an embarrassed Mormon Church was forced to proclaim:

Prophets are mortal men who have been ordained and chosen by God to be a mouthpiece for revelation and guidance, but that revelation only comes when God wills it, making it somewhat sporadic in both ancient and modern times. There is no expectation that every act, every decision, and every purchase by a prophet will be divinely and infallibly guided. As Joseph Smith said, "a prophet is only a prophet when acting as such." – Jeff Lindsay, The Salamander Letter and Mark Hofmann

The incident also led to the founding and naming of the Salamander Society, an organization founded by disgruntled Mormons for the purpose of Lampooning the LDS faith.

If you desire, I would be pleased to provide additional examples where the Tanner's were more truthful and/or accurate than LDS church leaders.

[Reno232]

I wonder what you would have said to the Lord in regards to what he had to say to His people, the Jews, that belonged to different churches as He was setting up His? Seems there is a lot of precedent for what the Lord told Joseph Smith.

You are a funny one Elsie. I wonder if the Lord finds you as amusing as we do?

[Jibaholic]

If you are truly interested in seeking the truth I would suggest you read through websites like this. I am not interested in investing the time that it takes to have a scriptural debate on Mormonism. Heretical sects like Mormonism and Seventh Day Adventists are simply too numerous and too small to be worth worrying about. Atheism and Islam are more pressing threats.

[MeanWestTexan]

The devil/accuser in Hebrew is variously “Satan’el” “Satarie” “Baal Davar” “Mastema,” “mastemah” (literally “hatred”) and similar phrasings.

I just don’t see it. There are legitimate theological beefs to be had without injecting nonsense.

[Zakeet]

The devil/accuser in Hebrew is variously “Satan’el” “Satarie” “Baal Davar” “Mastema,” “mastemah” (literally “hatred”) and similar phrasings. ... I just don’t see it.

Try looking here:

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! Isaiah 14:12 (NKV)

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! Isaiah 14:12 (NIV)

O Lucifer and O morning star are assigned Strong's Reference Number 1966 -- whose English pronunciation is given as heylel or hay-lale -- and whose English translation is given as the morning-star -- lucifer.

[Old Mountain man]

I LOVE IT! I’m gonna borrow a set of machinist letter stamps and put that on the business end of my 1911.

Be careful of them plastic pistols, they will break.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***We consider the Nicene Creed to be the prime example of this Apostasy.
Then give us a MORMON, point-by-point analysis of the NC to SHOW us just WHAT is so heretical about it.****

I wonder what these “churches” would do if they did not have the emperor CONSTANTINE to kick around.

There was a church built about 250 years before Constantine and the Nicene Creed. In the mosaics on the floor is a dedication to “the God Jesus”.

[Elsie]

Of course Delphiuser has already addressed this issue very succinctly recently as you well know.

Of COURSE it was 'succinct'!!

What ELSE could it be to try to muddy the water concerning the FACT that these 'leaders' IGNORED the WORD of GOD as well as the Restorative powers of the BoM!!

[Elsie]

As to your post(s) Utah Lighthouse ministry is an anti site.

HELLO!

The BIBLE is an ANTI-Mormon site!!

[Elsie]

I wonder if the Lord finds you as amusing as we do?

I wonder if the Lord finds you as deceived as I do?

[Elsie]

Be careful of them plastic pistols, they will break.

Paint the tip ORANGE and then folks'll think it's a TOY!

[Elsie]

Then give us a MORMON, point-by-point analysis of the NC to SHOW us just WHAT is so heretical about it.****

Well; we ARE still waiting for this.

[Reno232]

Actually, I have been to that website as well as many others of that ilk. I have found them to be malinformed, disingenuous, & at worst, sometimes very dishonest in their reports of what we believe. It's too bad that your info has come from this kind of source.

You seem to be a bright, cordial individual. It's far better to get info on a church from the source & then match it to your own studies. Part of the reason why many in the Mideast hate Christians so much is because of where they get their info. When they finally speak to a Christian, they get a far different perspective, & more importantly, the truth.

Wouldn't it be sad if the only account we had of Jesus Christ was that of Judas Iscariot? These sites are often a kin to that. Perhaps you & others here can ask yourself this, do theses sites match what you see in Mormons that you may associate with? There is usually a disconnect there. Mormons aren't perfect, but things just don't match.

That was one of the issues for me. I am a convert & had been to most of the conventional Christian churches in search for the truth. Things just never made sense in many areas. When I started investigating the LDS church, the anti’s came out of the woodwork. At first, some of what they said shook me, but then as I investigated more, I found that the anti’s weren't quite up front & honest in their dealings w/ the LDS church.

Ultimately, after months of research & pondering, & coming to certain conclusions, I took the matter before the Lord as He has instructed all to do in the Bible. I received that answer that could never come solely from my personal studies, or studies w/ well intentioned, albeit imperfect mortals here on earth. I received an answer to prayer from the author of all this. The answer was so profound that I could never deny it regardless of the persecution that may come from those well intentioned & not so well intentioned souls here on earth.

That's really the point here. Why rely solely on yourself or what others may think. Why not ask the Lord? He was the One who invited us to do so. I will be eternally grateful for the answer I received.

[brytlea]

Sadly, yes.