The LDS still think of them as the great and abominable church.
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Stop with old world views which are not current today many faiths have received a clearer understandings
It was not just the LDS in the early 19 Century many faiths believed in the folk lore!
As stated taht many converts also bring with them bagage
Early Saints brought their world views with them.
The same thing, of course, continues to happen today.
Excerpt
Why, some might ask, would some Latter-day Saints, even general authorities, misinterpret the Book of Mormon’s meaning of the “great and abominable church”? As I’ve noted in other writings, the Church was not restored in a cultural vacuum.
Early Saints brought their world views with them.
The same thing, of course, continues to happen today.
In the early days of the Restored Church many Protestants were anti-Catholic and believed that the Roman Catholic Church was the “mother of harlots and abominations” mentioned by John in his Revelation (17:5).
Anti-Catholic articles were printed in major frontier newspapers, Catholics were at times treated to violence, and Catholic doctrines were referred to as “‘repugnant’” and “‘blasphemous.’”
Prior to the early nineteenth century, Roman Catholicism “had been branded as an illegal form of worship in New York.
Members of this communion were not permitted to proselyte, erect cathedrals, nor celebrate public Mass.” (Backman, 59.)
Anti-Catholicism is as old as the Reformation. Martin Luther himself referred to the popes collectively as the “‘whore of the devil.’” (Vogel, 59 and Wright, 2:568.) Adam Clarke’s popular nineteenth-century Bible commentary equated the “great whore that sitteth upon many waters” (Rev. 17:1) with the Catholic Church. (Vogel, 60.)
Some early nineteenth-century Protestant writings referred to the Roman Catholic Church as “‘the whore’” and the “‘mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.’” (Ibid.) Yet other religious figures of the day believed that not only were Catholics part of the “the whore,” but so were competing Protestants. (Ibid., 61.) From comments of early Latter-day Saints it becomes obvious that the Saints were familiar with such anti-Catholic rhetoric.
In 1835, for instance, Oliver Cowdery mentioned that several Protestant groups including Baptists and Presbyterians referred to the Catholic Church as “‘the Beast.’” (Ibid., 60.) George Q. Cannon (George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses [June 11, 1871], 14:167), Orson Pratt (Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses [January 25, 1874], 16:347), John Taylor (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses [October 8, 1882], 23:262), as well as articles in the Messenger and Advocate (3:9, 513), and the Times and Seasons (3:15, 815 and 4:10, 149), all pointed out that Protestants referred to the Catholic Church as the “mother of harlots.”
Like some of these nineteenth-century religious leaders, several early Saints noted that the children (Protestants) of the “mother of harlots” were as corrupt as the parent organization. (Orson Pratt [1850], 44.) A bad tree, these Saints argued, produces bad branches. (Times and Seasons, 3:15
“Did I build on any other man’s foundation?” Joseph once asked. “I have got all the truth which the Christian world possessed, and an independent revelation in the bargain....” (HC, 6:479).
“There is some truth in all religions, in heathendom as well as in Christendom,” observed Orson Whitney. “And it is the truth in those systems that perpetuates them, not the errors with which the truth is mixed.
There are millions of good, honest people all over the world, in all the churches, but they have not the fulness of the Gospel. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is its one depository. This is the claim we make.
This is the ‘Mormon’ attitude.” (Orson F. Whitney, Conference Report [October 1929], 29.) “Although I was going to say I am not a Universalist,” John Taylor once remarked, “but I am, and I am also a Presbyterian, and a Roman Catholic, and a Methodist, in short, I believe in every true principle that is imbibed by any person or sect, and reject the false.
If there is any truth in heaven, earth, or hell, I want to embrace it, I care not what shape it comes in to me, who brings it, or who believes in it, whether it is popular or unpopular. Truth, eternal truth, I wish to float in and enjoy.” (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 1:155.)
In a 1909 Conference, Charles Callis gave a good overview of the LDS view of other churches (especially in regards to the early days of the restored church) when he said:
Some people say, “Is not the religion of my father and mother good enough for me? They were good people, and if I can live to be as good as my father and mother, I am satisfied.” But, in that, men and women deceive themselves. Our fathers and mothers lived up to the best light they had before the gospel was restored.
They obeyed God to the best of their ability, when they lived up to the measure of truth He gave unto them. But the Lord in this day hath spoken unto the people and commanded that they should obey the fullness of the everlasting gospel. (Charles A. Callis., Conference Report [April 1909], 19.)
In conclusion, while some – though not all – Latter-day Saints through the years have connected the Book of Mormon’s “great and abominable church” to Roman Catholicism (just as many Protestants read the same thing into John’s “mother of harlots”), when we read what the text (1 Nephi) actually says (exegesis) rather than what we read into the text (eisegis), we find that the Book of Mormon (and hence official LDS doctrine) is not anti-Catholic.
We also understand, in the context of the times, that early Latter-day Saints understood that while other faiths were apostate, they nevertheless were often inspired and embraced many truths. The Saints offered such believers added truths.
1 At times LDS missionaries have referred to the Catholic Church as the “GA” (pronounced gee-ay) – an acronym for “Great and Abominable.” Use of acronyms among LDS missionaries is not limited to the Catholic Church.
Some missionaries refer to those belong to the Jehovah’s Witnesses as jay-dubs (short for JW’s). Even within the Church such acronyms are often used by missionaries or members. “GA,” for example, can also refer to a “general authority” (which can make things ironically confusing), and “SP” for “stake president,” “MP” for “mission president,” and so on.
2 Methodist leader Roger Williams, for instance, believed that the Church of England was “‘a daughter... of the great whore of Rome.’” (See Vogel, 61.)
Michael R. Ash
As stated that many converts also bring with them bagage
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Resty, WHY are you using the JoD as a source? I thought that wasn’t doctrine?
Honey, it wasn’t the lowly european converts it was JOSEPH SMITH and your other leaders. So, it is disingenous at best to say that the LDS dissing of the Catholic church is ‘old folk lore’.
Your church was built upon trashing Christianity and Micheal Ash’s spin is NOT LDS doctrine nor is it what has been taught for the last 150+ years.
Also
The LDS still think of them as the great and abominable church.
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Stop with old world views which are not current today
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See ???
Joey Smith is parse...
Plus being a big fat embarassment...
They obeyed God to the best of their ability, when they lived up to the measure of truth He gave unto them. But the Lord in this day hath spoken unto the people and commanded that they should obey the fullness of the everlasting gospel. (Charles A. Callis., Conference Report [April 1909], 19.)
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So did Charles Callis have lots of wives ???
Was he living the restored “new and everlasting covenant” of polygamy in 1909 ???
Early Saints brought their world views with them.
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Yeah and when thewy got to Utah they had those virtues knocked out of them and were forced to take on the filth of mormonism...