Learning: Celebrating a heritage of Mormon education efforts

Mormon Times ^ | Jan. 18, 2010 | Jason Swenson

[Colofornian]

PROVO, Utah -- Placed near the center of Brigham Young University's history-rich exhibit "Education in Zion" is a statue of the Savior encircled by a small flock of sheep.

The sculpture's location isn't merely an element of design. The entire exhibit and its celebration of eternal learning is anchored in Christ. Its stories, histories and images seem to branch out from the Lord's love and admonition to learn and share wisdom..

"As Latter-day Saints, we believe Christ is the foundation of truth," said Ann Baier Lambson, the exhibit's curator.

Indeed, Christ's truth and light define the foundation of this permanent, multimedia exhibit located in the Joseph F. Smith Building on the BYU campus. On one level, the display teaches a history lesson on the LDS Church's educational system tracing back to the Restoration. The Prophet Joseph Smith might aptly be called the first student of the church because of the remarkable things he learned, and then taught others, when he turned his mind and heart to the matters of God.

[Colofornian]

From the article: The Prophet Joseph Smith might aptly be called the first student of the church...

Wow! What a diss of the "student-disciples" picked by Jesus Christ! So was Peter or John or Matthew or Thomas the "first" student of Christ's church? (Not according to Mormonism)

And why is that? Well, to the Mormon, the so-called "restoration" is really everything -- and almost nothing counts prior to it...and to explain this, ya need to only know a bit of history about the Mormon founder, Joseph Smith.

Smith was quite a boaster. Smith said:

Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet..." (History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 408-409).

So accordingly, Mormonism holds that all of Christ's first disciples (except for the apostle John) either left the faith or left an empty legacy of apostasy in the generational followers that came after them.

Accordingly, Smith did more than to simply call Christ's followers "apostates" -- for in doing so, he labeled Jesus Christ (indirectly) to be a "false prophet." How so?

Jesus prophesied a promise that the gates of hell would not prevail against. Did Jesus tell the truth in Matt. 16:18 or not?

Same queston for the apostle Paul, who said that this church would give glory to God "throughout all generations" (Eph. 3:21) -- did He tell the truth or not? Has God received glory IN THE CHURCH throughout all generations or not?

Mormons say "no" -- therefore indirectly calling the apostle Paul also a false prophet.

Historical bottom line here: When the Lds church NOW labels Joseph Smith as the "first student of the church," what it means is that it's incorporating Joseph Smith's claim that "The followers of Jesus ran away from Him... -- and this, in fact, was Smith's very first vision...where Smith accused all Christian professors of being heart drifters and "corrupt".

See Joseph Smith - History vv. 18-21, in the Pearl of Great Price (Mormon "scripture")

(Don't believe me? Ask your Mormon co-worker or neighbor, "Tell me what you believe about the so-called 'universal apostasy'?")

[Jack Hydrazine]

The first Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, was arrested and convicted in New York and was found guilty of being a con-artist, an impostor — he was a necromancer and a charlatan. This conviction was four years before he published the Book of Mormon! Court documents prove he was a convicted criminal.
http://www.padfieldconsulting.com/mormonism/mormon-comparisons.html

Rejecting the Mormon Claim
Part 4
Joseph Smith and “Money-Digging”

As a quick refresher, Mormons claim that Joseph Smith had the “First Vision” in 1820, and then in 1823 through 1827 he was visited yearly by the angel Moroni, translated the Book of Mormon in 1828 and again in 1829, and then published it in 1830. One MAJOR problem with Mormonism is Joseph Smith’s “money-digging” background smack-dab in the middle of this period. In fact, in the first chapter of his “History” in the PofGP he explains (falsely) how the rumor of him as a money-digger got started around 1825-26. What’s “money-digging”, you ask.

“Money-digging” (also sometimes called “glass-looking”) was a con or a fraud that was practiced in the Northeastern US at that time. The con man would have a “magic stone” which he would place in his hat, and then pull his hat over his face, excluding all light. The stone would then supposedly shine and the money-digger could locate hidden treasure. People would pay the money-digger to tell them where to dig, but there was another part of the scam. When you got “close” to the treasure, the money-digger would usually tell you that the treasure had moved. The whole thing was like looking into a crystal ball or doing palm-reading. Two interesting quotes:
http://www.bibletopics.com/biblestudy/162-4.htm

[Vendome]

Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet...” (History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 408-409).

Let's see: The statement is boastful and pride cometh before the fall(which happened when he fell out of the window of the jailhouse, DEAD)

Paul, John, Peter and that Jesus guy, the Jew who knew, aren't as good as me. Neither have they performed so many works of worthiness(well that's interesting, how Jesus was an unmitigated failure in Smith's eyes)

The LDS not only ran away but failed a direct command to protect their own prophet, which if he wanted to like JC, it would have been foretold in a cool prophesy, making him a true spiritual martyr).

Uhm and who was it exactly that ran away from Jesus? I can think of only one fellow whose purchase of 30 pieces made that error but fulfilled an element of prophecy.

I know Jesus and you ain't no Jesus.

[Invincibly Ignorant]

another single issue “pile on the Mormons” post alert.

[svcw]

No it is not piling on, it is exposing a group who believes their founder, JS who said he was greater than Jesus and professes these distortions:

"As Latter-day Saints, we believe Christ is the foundation of truth," said Ann Baier Lambson.(Based on the "I am greater than Jesus they cannot believe this.)

The Prophet Joseph Smith might aptly be called the first student of the church...

What so the mighty men of the Bible are what chopped liver?

[Graybeard58]

Can you provide specific examples of necromancy as practiced by J. Smith?

[Jack Hydrazine]

Nope. I wasn’t there.

[Graybeard58]

Can you provide specific examples of necromancy as practiced by J. Smith?

Nope. I wasn’t there.

I'm as about as anti false prophet Joseph Smith as one can get and was looking for back up sources to be cited for the necromancy charge for future use but your answer is as lame as they come.

A simple, "I don't know" would have worked, without being cutesy.

[reaganaut]

another single issue “pile on the Mormons” post alert.

- - - - - -
Once again you make a baseless accusation against Colofornian.

He/She posted an entire thread JUST FOR YOU ON SOMETHING BESIDES MORMONISM and you failed to even post on it.

Shame on you.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2429880/posts?page=1

[svcw]

Hey, what about that II.

[Graybeard58]

Courtesy ping to #12

Go "Californian"!!!

[Elsie]

Learning: Celebrating a heritage of Mormon education efforts

---

I want to Learn just ONE thing...

(It's simple, too!)

It's the SAME thing that Joseph Smith 'learned' so long ago - that THING that is one of the foundation blocks of MORMONism:

"What did Joseph Smith 'learn' to be UNTRUE about PRESBYTERIANism?"

[Elsie]

Placed near the center of Brigham Young University's history-rich exhibit "Education in Zion" is a statue of the Savior encircled by a small flock of sheep.

 

Speaking of STATUES:

 

 The LDS Organization® prints Hundreds of Thousands of THIS yearly!

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1/17#17

  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; 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.”

 

 

LDS headquarters; the heart of Salt Lake City, visited by THOUSANDS daily, has this placed in prominent view:

 

 

...which reiterates the charge that "they were all wrong; they teach for doctrines the commandments of men".

[Elsie]

another single issue “pile on the Mormons” post alert.

Ah!!

You sound like just the person to post some TRUE things about MORMONism to offset THESE true things about MORMONism that have been posted already in this thread.

[Elsie]

She ignores favorable articles towards the LDS Church like contributions to Haiti and emergency relief in other parts of the world.

ranslation:

"Ignore the turd in the punchbowl - the REST of the banquet looks mighty good!"

[Elsie]

 

 

Actually; there IS one more thing I want to 'learn'.

 

Just WHERE, in the BoM, can the FULLNESS of the GOSPEL be found?

[Gamecock]

***I have been a member of Free Republic for over ten years and see posts by Californian quite often now. She scours the papers every day to find something to post about Mormons in which she can make her comments hiding behind an assumed name.***

I have never seen a post by Californian, much less one about the Mormons.

[svcw]

LDS Church like contributions to Haiti and emergency relief in other parts of the world.

You do realize they partner with islamic fascist groups - correct?