Posted on 12/08/2004 7:44:28 AM PST by fishtank
Author faces LDS discipline hearing
The Salt Lake Tribune (USA), Dec. 8, 2004 http://www.sltrib.com By Peggy Fletcher Stack
Mormon history: His text substantially differs from official versions of the church's origins
Mormon author Grant H. Palmer has been summoned to an LDS Church disciplinary hearing on Sunday, facing possible excommunication for apostasy.
The charge stems from Palmer's 2002 book, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, which challenges the traditional explanations of the faith's founding events - Joseph Smith's First Vision, the visit of the Angel Moroni, Smith's translation of ancient writings on gold plates and the restoration of the priesthood.
Palmer argues that Smith never translated anything, that the Book of Mormon reflects Smith's own 19th century milieu, not ancient America, and that Smith, considered by the faithful to be their prophet, revised the story of his visions many times to solve church disputes as they arose.
The summons is reminiscent of the 1993 sanctions imposed on six high-profile Mormon intellectuals - three men and three women - for their views on feminism, church policies and history.
Five were excommunicated and one disfellowshipped; several other people have been excommunicated or chastised in the years since.
Palmer, 64, a retired educator for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand, California and Utah, is mystified by the threat of church discipline for purportedly damaging other members' faith.
"I am very sad," Palmer said Tuesday in a phone conversation. "I love this church too much. I do not want to be excommunicated."
He realizes, though, that the book has generated controversy, especially among his former colleagues with the LDS Church Educational System (CES).
"I went to a funeral with other CES retirees recentlyand they talked about it a little," said Gerald Jones, who taught at the church's Institutes of Religion at the University of California Berkeley, Stanford and Yale.
"The feeling I got was that they were disappointed in him. They felt he was being disloyal and this book would hurt the church."
BYU scholars associated with the highly orthodox Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) issued blistering critiques, attacking Palmer's scholarship, motives and personal credentials as a church "insider."
Even more independent Mormon historians were skeptical of Palmer's reasoning.
"He presents himself as just wanting to deepen our understanding of our own history, but under his cloak, there's a dagger," said Richard Bushman, professor of history emeritus at Columbia University and author of a forthcoming biography of Joseph Smith. "Most faithful members of the church who read it will feel he's attacking their faith at its foundations."
Utah researcher Van Hale sees Palmer as open-minded and thoughtful, but one-sided in his selection of primary sources.
"He takes everybody else's statements over Joseph Smith's," said Hale, who hosts a weekly radio show, "Mormon Miscellany," and is reviewing Palmer's book for Sunstone magazine. "With that kind of bias, you are going to come up with different conclusions than most [Mormons] would."
But none of the people interviewed thought Palmer deserves to be excommunicated.
"I disagree with his bias, but I would like to think we have enough latitude in the church for someone like Grant who wants to be a member and has given a lifetimeof service," Hale said. "I don't see him as doing real harm to the church."
Neither did his local Mormon leaders - until now.
Palmer said he has had several conversations about the book with his bishop and especially his stake president in the Willow Creek Sandy LDS stake, including two formal meetings last year, all of which ended amicably. He said he was never ordered to stop speaking about history or asked to disavow his conclusions.
And the book continued to be sold to LDS faithful in places like Brigham Young University bookstore in Provo.
Palmer acknowledged he may hold unorthodox views of Mormon history - in 1988, he had grown so uncomfortable with some of what he was expected to teach that he volunteered to work for the church counseling at the Salt Lake County Jail. He said he remains deeply committedto the practice of Mormonism, paying tithing, attending church, heeding the Word of Wisdom and, he said, bearing "a strong testimony of Jesus Christ."
LDS Church spokesman Dale Bills declined to comment, saying only, "The church considers disciplinary matters to be confidential." Willow Creek Stake President Keith Adams, who issued the summons in a letter dated Nov. 28, did not return phone calls.
To all. This is a honest question I have. There have been A LOT of previous squabbling on the LDS issue, and we don't need to repeat it here.
Quite frankly you have to admire the Mormon for being true to their doctrinal decrees. With the Catholics they say they're true to their decrees but then look the other way. As for Protestants I think we're all over the board (decrees-what decrees?).
I think the Mormons sound like they are following Biblical principles in this case. If a member has committed an offense then it should be brought before the church. They have very clear guidelines as to what is permissible. I can't believe this author didn't understand what those guidelines were.
However, it is also scriptural that if a brother repents then the church must take him back. I don't know how you can recant a book or if the author now believes his research to be false. The author must recant his research or be willing to leave. Like Martin Luther you have to make a choice.
If this guy doesn't believe in Mormon history why would he care if he gets kicked out???
Because it's like saying Islam is a religion when it's a lifestyle.
"Palmer acknowledged he may hold unorthodox views of Mormon history - in 1988, he had grown so uncomfortable with some of what he was expected to teach that he volunteered to work for the church counseling at the Salt Lake County Jail. He said he remains deeply committedto the practice of Mormonism, paying tithing, attending church, heeding the Word of Wisdom and, he said, bearing "a strong testimony of Jesus Christ." "
...Because he looks like he's not ready to cut all his ties just yet.
You know, this is not really in any serious question.
It is if an active, current, Temple-going Mormon writes a book about it that is sold in LDS church owned bookstores.
Gosh, excommunication from a cult - how terrible
Not really.
It could result in loss of livelihood. In this case, I dunno, though.
I'll try to answer your honest question. The issue of whether one is excommunicated goes to a couple of factors: (1) whether one is contesting basic doctrine of the church and using their membership as a tool to spread false doctrine and is unrepentant; and (2) whether one should be disciplined in order to complete a repentance process. The LDS church does follow scriptural guidelines to try to resolve the matter as simply as possible: counseling informally, then formally through a church court process. If the person understands the conflict between what they are teaching and what the church teaches, then the person is given a chance to renounce their teaching if they wish and that renunciation probably should have the same type of distribution as the original false teaching. If the person does not wish to repent, then a possible excommunication follows. Incidentally, excommunication is only the most drastic consequence. There are lesser consequences like disfellowship which suspends some membership privileges until a set repentance period is completed. If the person wishes to repent, then he or she works directly with the local ecclesiastical leader on an individual plan to ensure the problem is solved. The breaking point isn't what one believes so much as what one teaches after being counseled and taught that the church believes differently from what one is teaching. In some situations, excommunication is deemed necessary even if the person is ultimately repentant. The belief is that the person needs to start completely over in order to fully repent and be forgiven, evne to the point of a new baptism which will help absolve the sin. This is only for extremely grievous sins and would not apply to Palmer.
Church court are highly confidential. Since word of this proceeding is out even before the proceeding, you may be sure that the news came from Palmer himself or his publisher, perhaps even in a cynical attempt to increase sales of his book. In the court, there is a council of priesthood holders who listen to each side (and each side is represented by an advocate) and then make a decision. Even if one is excommunicated, that information is not made public beyond the council which heard the proceeding except on a need-to-know basis to ensure the person isn't asked to do things he or she is no longer able to do as an excommunicated member (i.e., pray publicly for the congregation). Aside from that, no one knows the person is excommunicated unless that person wants it to be known.
I don't know if that answers your question but it is difficult to actually get excommunicated from the church unless you really want it.
More at the link I posted.
Mormon Church] Mormon Church Disciplines Author for Book
Item 9697 • Posted: Mon, Dec. 13 2004 • Weblogged by ReligionNewsBlog.com
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Associated Press (USA), Dec. 13, 2004
http://www.guardian.co.uk
By Travis Reed, Associated Press Writer
SANDY, Utah (AP) - A retired Mormon educator who wrote a book questioning whether the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints misrepresented his authority as a prophet was suspended from the church Sunday.
Because then he can't wear the special LDS underwear.
I bet they wouldn't want them back after he wore them though. they would probably let him keep them.
Well, he should have saw that one coming. :O)
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