Posted on 07/05/2007 3:00:33 AM PDT by Gamecock
The following draws from the book Is the Mormon My Brother by apologist James White. Earlier this year, Paul Kaiser reprinted a Worldview article titled 10 Mormonism Facts which generated a myriad of responses from visitors who stated that Mormons were being misrepresented and are simply our brothers & sisters in the Body of Christ. Let’s look at what Dr. White presents using LDS resources:
The First Vision
Without question the key revelation in Mormon Scripture regarding the nature of God is to be found in what is known as the First Vision of Joseph Smith. The vision itself is fundamental to all of LDS theology. Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie described the vision:
That glorious theophany which took place in the spring of 1820 and which marked the opening of the dispensation of the fullness of times is called the First Vision. It is rated as first both from the standpoint of time and of pre-eminent importance. In it Joseph Smith saw and conversed with the Father and the Son, both of which exalted personages were personally present before him as he lay enwrapped in the Spirit and overshadowed by the Holy Ghost.
This transcendent vision was the beginning of latter day revelation; it marked the opening of the heavens after the long night of apostate darkness; with it was ushered in the great era of restoration, the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:21.) Through it the creeds of Christendom were shattered to smithereens, and because of it the truth about those Beings whom it is life eternal to know began again to be taught among men. (John 17:3.) With this vision came the call of that Prophet who, save Jesus only, was destined to do more for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. (D. & C. 135:3.) This vision was the most important event that had taken place in all world history from the day of Christ’s ministry to the glorious hour when it occurred.(1)
And Mormon Prophet Ezra Taft Benson said,
Joseph Smith, a prophet of God, restored the knowledge of God. Joseph’s first vision clearly revealed that the Father and Son are separate personages, having bodies as tangible as mans. Later it was also revealed that the Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, separate and distinct from the personalities of the Father and the Son. (See D&C 130:22.) This all-important truth shocked the world even though sustained by the Bible. (2)
How is it that the creeds of Christendom were shattered to smithereens and the knowledge of God was restored by this one vision? While the story is as familiar to Mormons as John 3:16 is to Christians, we present Joseph Smith’s own recounting of the story in full, taken from the LDS Scriptures (and hence carrying canonical authority). However, we note that the account that appears in the LDS Scriptures was written in 1838, eighteen years after the events described:
14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon bysome power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)–and which I should join.
19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong;(3) and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.
20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, Never mind, all is well I am well enough off. I then said to my mother, I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true. It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy? (Joseph Smith History 1:14-20).
What does this vision, recorded in LDS Scripture, teach concerning God? First and foremost, it presents to us the concept of a plurality of gods. This arises from the fact that God the Father is a separate and distinct physical entity from Jesus Christ, His Son. God the Father is possessed of a physical body, as is the Son. This is why McConkie can claim the creeds of Christendom were smashed to smithereens, for the vision has always been interpreted by the LDS leadership to teach that God the Father is a separate and distinct person and being from the Son. The unity of Being that is central to Christian theology is completely denied by Joseph Smith in the First Vision. Hence, you have one God, the Father, directing Smith to another God, the Son.
While it is not our intention to critique these teachings at this point, it should be noted that there are a number of problems with the First Vision, and with the entire development of the LDS concept of God as well. As we noted, this version of the First Vision was not written until 1838. Previous versions, however, differed in substantial details from this final and official account. Most significantly, the presence of both the Father and the Son as separate and distinct gods is not a part of the earlier accounts.(4)
————————————————-
(1) Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine,2nd ed., rev. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966), pp. 284-285, LDSCL.
(2) Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988), p. 4, LDSCL. On page 101 of the same book, we read this strong statement:
The first vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith is bedrock theology to the Church. The adversary knows this and has attacked Joseph Smith’s credibility from the day he announced the visitation of the Father and the Son. You should always bear testimony to thetruth of the First Vision. Joseph Smith did see the Father and the Son. They conversed with him as he said they did. Any leader who, without reservation, cannot declare his testimony that God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith can never be a true leader, a true shepherd. If we do not accept this truth if we have not received a witness about this great revelationwe cannot inspire faith in those whom we lead.
(3) One of Mormonism’s leading scholars, James Talmage (and a General Authority), said the following in the General Conference of April, 1920:
This Church, therefore, from its beginning, has been unique, for the organization of the Church was forecasted in this declaration that at the time of Joseph Smiths first vision there was no Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth; and I do not see why people should take issue with us for making that statement (CR1920Apr:103).
(4) I noted a number of the historical problems with Mormonism in Letters to a Mormon Elder, pp. 88-106. For a fuller treatment of this issue, see H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters, Inventing Mormonism (Salt Lake: Smith Research Associates, 1994), pp.1-41, and Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? (Salt Lake City: Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1982), pp. 143-162.
I miss hiking. In South Florida if you step away from civilization and into nature you are in a swamp or in the ocean. I do love the ocean and the sun though. Florida’s only “real” waterfall goes down into a cave. Not much in the way of mountain streams here and the trout are sea trout.
I’m glad of the comfort that I receive knowing that my family will be together forever, that I will see my family members in the next world and we will carry on as a family. This is especially comforting since my sister died last summer and her husband died last January.
Oh yeah, Pine Lake is awesome....camping away from the maddening crowds.
Oh my gosh Girl, I am so sorry to hear of your losses. God is a wonderful comforter, counselor and friend when we are hurting.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
In the summer my family would go camping every weekend. I love to camp in tents and hike. I’m not so hot on fishing, but we loved to play in the water, build dams, and generally get each other wet.
She will learn to love it, just like she loves you. Time spent underneath God’s heavens are irreplacable.
Camping was the only vacation I could ever afford with my large family of five children. I still love it, but sleeping on the ground under the stars has lost some of its original appeal. My poor old bones can’t stand it like I used to.
He sure is. It is such a numb feeling at first, but we knew of His comfort and we knew that we were being held in His hand. And the waves of grief. But we made it through, I can now talk about her without crying. :) Thanks for your kind comments.
I finally learned to take along a 4” piece of foam to sleep on, or I take my Aerobed along. It is like sleeping in my own bed with my own pillow. And I have a one person tent. I take off the rain fly on top and can gaze at the stars. There is nothing quite like camping under the stars.
I did try a cot one year. And froze. The air circulates under the cot and you can’t keep warm.
Sorry for you losses, UG.
Oy vey!
My idea of camping in my old age is a Winnebago parked at Lake Tahoe!....I have eaten enough game to last a lifetime, but still love the little brookies, even though I let someone else do the fishin'. I will do the cooking, tho.
That's for sure. I have a cot too. It's great for storing your stuff underneath, but in the mountains of Utah, you can freeze in July. {{{shiver}}} just thinking about it.
On a weekend trip up to the observatory at Green Bank, West Vitginia, I stopped the vehicle in a secluded valley and asked my wife to step out with me. The stars were so bright in comparison to the landscape, you could literally seen a penny on the ground behind the Rodeo and the cattle far in the distance. A solitary light came over the horizon and we followed it all the way to the opposite horizon ... probably a satellite. America is getting so much light pollution, such places are now like hidden gems! There is no sensation to equal standing under a stralite sky with the Milky Way spanning from horizon to horizon. You truly feel the vastness of His creation then.
((( Ears Perk Up! )))
I have a hard time with city living. It seems I can't get alone enough to experience the solitude that is almost as important as breathing to me. I keep asking my DH to buy me a trailer or a fifth wheel, but he says you just have to take them home and clean them....so it's not a real vacation. Here's a picture of hubby cooking breakfast. (I've trained him well)
You gut and scale them, then bring ‘em on ;)
We don't have THAT in common, LOL...I'm not happy unless I'm living in a town of 50,000-100,000. Anything bigger is too big, though.
I tried living in a small town again about 28 years ago, had to pick up the kids in the middle of that CO winter and move back to the city in NM. Told hubby, "NOW I remember why I left CO."
Get the RV! It is so easy to keep it clean as you go, then when you get home you just plug it up after emptying the tanks and hosing fresh water into the tank, and you’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. I even have a whole set of clothes already in the vehicle for a week out at a time. It’s easier than living at home! Smaller digs to keep up.
LOL, I'll forward him your message, but I don't think it will help my case. We have a pyramid or trapper tent. (actually we have three). The largest is 15 x 15, next is 12 x 12 and the smallest is 10 x 10. They're made of canvas and heavy, but one man can put them up by himself (one woman can put up the small one by herself). Makes me feel like I'm living on the frontier.....I usually smell like it too after 10 days of rough camping during the archery hunt.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.