Mormon church statement on blood atonement

Deseret News ^ | June 17, 2010

[Colofornian]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released this statement Wednesday:

In the mid-19th century, when rhetorical, emotional oratory was common, some church members and leaders used strong language that included notions of people making restitution for their sins by giving up their own lives.

However, so-called "blood atonement," by which individuals would be required to shed their own blood to pay for their sins, is not a doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

[Colofornian]

From the article: However, so-called "blood atonement," by which individuals would be required to shed their own blood to pay for their sins, is not a doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Of course, the timing of this statement being put out officially by the Mormon church on Wednesday was tied to the hangover effect of the church's teaching on blood atonement...which is why Gilmore, Taylor, and now Gardner were all executed by being shot.

So the Mormon church has been trying to untangle themselves from its hangover, which must have been caused by Brigham Young and other church leaders being drunk the blood of self-atonement. The problem is that executing by blood-shedding -- something other than hanging or gallows, HAS BEEN "Mormon doctrine" in the 20th century!!! [Elsewise, why publish a book in the 20th century, by someone who they gave the same title as the apostle Paul, by the audacious name of "Mormon Doctrine?"]

Note:

"As a mode of capital punishment, hanging or execution on a gallows does not comply with the law of blood atonement, for the blood is not shed." (Lds "apostle" Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p. 314...word "hanging" was italicized in original)

From the article: In the mid-19th century, when rhetorical, emotional oratory was common...

Do we see the deceptive spin-doctoring by Lds, Inc. -- a religious organization that's supposed to be above intentional deception?

This tersely worded statement is meant to convey that whatever was said about blood atonement, well, that was "19th century..."

The problem is that Mormon leaders commenting positively on blood atonement weren't restricted to the 19th century!

Here only 40 years ago, Joseph Fielding Smith became a "prophet" of the Lds church...and he never rescinded what he said earlier about blood atonement...in fact, he claimed Joseph Smith taught it!:

"Man may commit certain grievous sins - according to his light and knowledge - that will place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of Christ. If then he would be saved, he must make sacrifice of his own life to atone - so far as the power lies - for that sin, for the blood of Christ alone under certain circumstances will not avail. Joseph Smith taught that there were certain sins so grievous that man may commit, that they will place the transgressors beyond the power of the atonement of Christ. If these offenses are committed, then the blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins even though they repent" (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:135,138).

Lds apostle Bruce McConkie wrote Mormon Doctrine in this generation of Lds General Authorities:

"But under certain circumstances there are serioius sins for which the cleansing of Christ does not operate, and the law of God is that men must then have their own blood shed to atone for their sins." (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p. 92)

[ejonesie22]

Irony Ping.

[ChocChipCookie]

Wow. Do you know how often this has been carried out? Is it, basically, suicide?

[cherry]

I find that ALL religions taylor their "beliefs" to fit whatever lifestyle and culture they wish to establish....

my Catholic church included....(abortion advocates in positions of authority when its clearly against Catholic teaching).

so with the Mormons, they're "doctrine" has evolved to suit the situation....

[Colofornian]

Wow. Do you know how often this has been carried out? Is it, basically, suicide?

'Tis a good Q -- to wonder how many suicides have been motivated by Lds blood atonement's teachings.

There's two Q's here, in fact:
(1) How many 19th and 20th century suicides & attempted suicides among Mormons were motivated by this teaching? (It's long been known that Utah has had a high suicide rate among males)
(2) If statistics were available, has suicide-by-shooting yourself been higher in the Mormon culture (or specifically Utah) than other cultures/other states?

[Elsie]

In the mid-19th century, when rhetorical, emotional oratory was common, ...

WAS???

Hasn't this person ever turned on a TV during electioneering season?

[The Unknown Republican]

As an Ex-Mormon I can say that most of the current general membership of the LDS Church do not believe in blood atonement and many simply have never heard about it. However, the Church has taught it in its past and any amount of denial from the LDS leadership makes them look at best foolish and at worst deceitful revisionists.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Blood atonement being the reason that killer chose the firing squad yesterday, IMHO.

[Spok]

“However, so-called “blood atonement,” by which individuals would be required to shed their own blood to pay for their sins, is not a doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”

I see. They ‘misspoke’, and Brother Lee and Brother Haight were just misguided.

[Alex Murphy]

Related threads:
Brigham Young on the Insufficiency of the Blood of Christ
'Blood atonement' issue delayed in Ogden murder trial

[Little Bill]

In Utah, you have the choice between getting shot or or the needle, used to be hanging. In Washington State you have the choice between the rope or the needle, the guy chose his own end, get real.

[ejonesie22]

I can buy that.

It is not what the LDS leaders say, it's what they and their followers deny that makes it interesting...

[ejonesie22]

Prophets just ain’t what they used to be...

[CanaGuy]

Mormon Cult bashers vs. the Mormon apologetics crowd. We see a rash of these posts when "The Mittster" is about to do something, is doing something, or just did something.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Is there any controversial doctrine held by this church that has not been flat out denied. A fraud is an intentional misstatement of fact uttered with the intent to induce others to change their position. I'll bet that they will end up denying that church sanctioned polygamy ever occurred. They are seeking to convert people and get the converts money and they are willing to make false statements to do it. Polygamy, Blacks, Peep stones, Egyptian hieroglyphics, horses and elephants in the America's during historical times, American Indians as descendants of Israelites in direct contradiction of DNA evidence. Blood Atonement was taught up into recent times. All the aforementioned doctrines were promulgated by their highest authorities and are now blandly denied when it suits their fancy. How do we know that this current denial is official? Was "Ole Brigham's" utterance official? Why is this current pronouncement more official that his???

That organization should be investigated, the facts revealed and the corporation dissolved. What a blatant fraud!

[colorcountry]

Can you say damage control.

The Mormon Church can't afford to hemorrhage tithe payers

[colorcountry]

We see a rash of these posts when "The Mittster" is about to do something, is doing something, or just did something.

Was Mitt a member of the firing squad, cuz I just don't see how Mitt has anything to do with this otherwise.

[j_guru]

“It is true that the blood of the Son of god was shed for sins through the fall and those committed by men, yet men can commit sins which it can never remit.”
(LDS) Prophet, president and seer Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 54, 1856

“There is not a man or woman, who violates the covenants made with their god, that will not be required to pay the debt. The blood of Christ will never wipe that out, your own blood must atone for it...”
(LDS) Prophet, president and seer Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p. 247, 1856

“I know when you hear my brethren telling about cutting people off from the earth, that you consider it is strong doctrine, but it is to save them not to destroy them... I know there are transgressors, who, if they knew themselves, and the only condition upon which they can obtain forgiveness, would beg of their brethren to shed their blood, that the smoke thereof might ascend to God as an offering to appease the wrath that is kindled against them, and that the law might have its course.”
(LDS) Prophet, president and seer president Brigham Young,Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 53

“Men, who have been warned and forewarned, but who will associate with the wicked and take a course to commit whoredom...with a view to gratify their cursed passions; we will take them and slay them before this people.”br> (LDS) Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 173, 1857

“This is loving our neighbor as ourselves; if he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it.”
(LDS) Prophet, president and seer Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 220, 1857.

“Let me suppose a case. Suppose you find your brother in bed with your wife and put a javelin through both of them, you would be justified, and they would atone for their sins, and be received into the kingdom of God. I would at once do so in such a case; and under such circumstances, I have no wife whom I love so well that I would not put a javelin through her heart, and I would do it with clean hands.”
(LDS) Prophet, president and seer Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p. 247, 1856.

“I could refer you to plenty of instances where men have been righteously slain, in order to atone for their sins.”
(LDS) Prophet and President Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 220, 1857.

NOTE: Some of those sins are: murder, adultery, immorality, stealing, using the name of the Lord in vain, marriage to a person of the black race, covenant breakers, apostasy, lying, counterfeiting, condemning Joseph Smith or consenting to his death. The simple fact is, if the sin of lying requires that a person be killed to atone for his own sins, then every single Mormon is required to shed their own blood to atone for that sin, since there is no human being, either Mormon or otherwise, who has never lied.

[Alex Murphy]

Was Mitt a member of the firing squad, cuz I just don't see how Mitt has anything to do with this otherwise.

Agreed. I stopped paying attention to Mitt when he lost the nomination back in 2008, just like I stopped paying attention to Mike Huckabee. IMO it's the pro-Mitt crowd who (attempt to) twist a discussion about the LDS religion into a promotion of their RINO presidential candidate.

[Colofornian]

Is there any controversial doctrine held by this church that has not been flat out denied. A fraud is an intentional misstatement of fact uttered with the intent to induce others to change their position. I'll bet that they will end up denying that church sanctioned polygamy ever occurred. They are seeking to convert people and get the converts money and they are willing to make false statements to do it. Polygamy, Blacks, Peep stones, Egyptian hieroglyphics, horses and elephants in the America's during historical times, American Indians as descendants of Israelites in direct contradiction of DNA evidence. Blood Atonement was taught up into recent times. All the aforementioned doctrines were promulgated by their highest authorities and are now blandly denied when it suits their fancy. How do we know that this current denial is official? Was "Ole Brigham's" utterance official? Why is this current pronouncement more official that his??? That organization should be investigated, the facts revealed and the corporation dissolved. What a blatant fraud!

Excellent point.

I am very careful on these threads, and with posters I try to assume they are mistaken at times...deceived but not deceivers (purposefully misleading)

But you can't say that about Lds, Inc.

Statements show that we're not only about heresy from the 1850s to the 1960s...we're talking about lack of integrity and spiritual fraud at the highest levels of the Mormon church.

If the Mormon church says it's the church of integrity it pretends to be, then resignations are in order. The PR guys need to go.

And if they don't, Monson needs to step down. Lds needs to hold their own leaders accountable, instead of lip-service "sustaining" that automatically occurs at General Conferences.

Instead of being an agent of reformation, the Deseret News comes across here like Pravda, the official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.