“What should be different about a Mormon Christmas?” [Why Joseph Smith's birthday! Of course!]

Lds.org: New Era Magazine (official publication of the Lds Church) ^ | December 1976 | Helen K. Richards

[Colofornian]

SNIP

This special season has greater importance for the Latter-day Saints than for others because we not only observe the birthday of the Savior but also the birthday of our Prophet, Joseph Smith.

Joseph Smith, the great Prophet chosen by our Heavenly Father to usher in the last dispensation, was born on December 23, 1805, just two days before December 25, which the world observes as the birthday of Jesus Christ.

December 23 should be a day of great importance in every Latter-day Saint home, a day of remembering and honoring one of the great prophets of God, a day to pay tribute to a man whose life and mission has had a tremendous influence on the lives of every one of us.

SNIP

[StormPrepper]

"(Well, hey, the more Moses went to Pharaoh, the more stiff-necked he got...so it doesn’t surprise me to see some Mormons “dig in” and pull out the xtra dosage of Joseph Smith veneration)"

When Jesus tried to restore the gospel to the Jews they wouldn't accept the change. They were so steeped in tradition they couldn't accept the new way as being true. Even Jesus Himself couldn't change their hearts. The more they couldn't prove Jesus wrong, the meaner they got. So it doesn't surprise me to see more and more vitriol thrown at the Prophet Joseph Smith and those that came after him.

[StormPrepper]

"Except you do know that the Mormon Church hasn't -- yet -- inserted Joseph Smith into the text of Hebrews 1:1-2"

Matthew 10:25
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

[StormPrepper]

You'll be happy to know that my family just finished our family home evening. We sang Silent Night, then we read about the first vision.

We discussed why God didn't accept any of the man made creeds. We also discussed that Joseph saw that God the Father has a body, which totally dispelled all that false doctrine be taught about the nature of God.

In our family prayer we thanked Heavenly Father for the Prophet Joseph Smith and for his sacrifice to bring us the restored gospel. We thanked Him for our family, our home, for being members of His Church. We thanked Him for sending us our Savior Jesus Christ and closed in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

We've decided to make this a new family tradition. On December 23, from now on, we'll read the first vision. Then on December 24 we'll read about Jesus' birth.

Thanks again for giving us the idea.

[Elsie]

Then I can follow it up with the Revelation of John....

While totally IGNORING the revelation of Brigham; a MUCH later prophet.

Got any explanation as to WHY you are so silent about being DAMNED by one of your OWN prophetsw?

[Elsie]

They were so steeped in tradition they couldn't accept the new way as being true.

Polygamy: How it all got Started

 

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Joe: Hey Emma!   Guess what!?

 

Emma: You KNOW I hate these guessing games! What is it, Dear?

 

Joe: I heard a voice, probably the Lord, tell me I must take other wives.

 

Emma: WHAT!?   You ding bat!  Don't you KNOW what our precious BOOK says?   After all; YOU are the one that translated it!

 

Joe: Books; schmooks.   All I know is I've been COMMANDED to take other wives and you are to OBEY ME!!!

 

 

Emma:      "Though shalt NOT commit ADULTERY!!!"

 

 

Joe: Silly Woman!  You KNOW better than to take things out of CONTEXT!!!

 

 

 

 

 

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...and the rest is HISTORY...

 

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THE BOOK OF JACOB
THE BROTHER OF NEPHI

CHAPTER 2

 

  24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.
  25 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.
  26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.
  27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
  28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
  29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.
  30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.
  31 For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands.
  32 And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.

 

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Or even HERE:

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 1 Timothy 3:2-3
 2.  Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
 3.  not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

 

 

1 Timothy 3:12
   A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.

 

 

 Titus 1:6
   An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

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Emma: That's IT!   I'm LEAVING your sorry *!!! 

  

            Can't you EVER get straight what GOD tells you???

 

          Doctrines and Covenants 49:16 Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one ^awife, and they twain shall be ^bone flesh, and all this that the ^cearth might answer the end of its creation;

 

 

 

 

Joe:  DARN you Emma; you were TOLD to accept this!!   Wait!!!   I hear a voice again!!!

 

 

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THE
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

SECTION 132

 

  51–57, Emma Smith is counseled (commanded) to be faithful and true; 58–66, Laws governing the plurality of wives are set forth.

 

 

  51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to ^aprove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.

  52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, ^areceive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.

  53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been ^afaithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.

  54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and ^acleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be ^bdestroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

  55 But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an ^ahundredfold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of ^beternal lives in the eternal worlds.

  56 And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid ^aforgive my servant Joseph his trespasses; and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein she has trespassed against me; and I, the Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to ^brejoice.

[Elsie]

If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

The "Caractors" are the only tangible evidence in existence related to Smith's story.

No gold plates, no brass plates, no peep stones, no Urim and Thummim...

only these "Caractors," not a single one of which is in the purported languages.

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Smith's translation of the Caractors. According to Martin Harris (Joseph Smith - History, 1:64), "I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated,* and he said they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters."

Speak right up now in all truthfulness. Isn't it revealing how Smith started out making a stab at creating believable "caractors" but quckly gave up and produced nothing but squiggles, ending up wih a series of nothing more than crude little scribbles? Yet Professor Anthon supposedly translated them!

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*Harris must have had two or three pieces of paper with him—one with characters and a translation of them (on the same paper or a separate one) and one with untranslated characters—quite likely the "Caractors." Some Mormon "scholars" have gone out on a limb, sawed it off, and knocked themselves out trying to translate from these true Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic characters a segment that would correspond with a verse from 1 Nephi.

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Modern-day experts in Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic. In 1829, any knowledge of these languages possessed by U.S. scholars would have been rudimentary at best. Expertise in them has vastly improved since then. So go ahead, do it. Get any modern expert in these languages to identify which of these "Caractors" are Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac and Arabic. Better still, accept the claim of Mormon apologists that Anthon did indeed so testify and that his appraisal of the Caractors was correct. (Op. cit, pp. 73-75)

Save your money! Samples of Assyriac/Aramaic and Arabic writing:

 

What say you? Which of Smith's "Caractors" resemble the Assyriac and Arabic ones? No need to pay experts for their analysis. A child could accurately check this out. These writing systems have remained constant for well over 3000 years.

[Elsie]

We discussed why God didn't accept any of the man made creeds.

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Here is MORMONism's own creed:

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Articles of Faith

The Articles of Faith outline 13 basic points of belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Prophet Joseph Smith first wrote them in a letter to John Wentworth, a newspaper editor,
in response to Mr. Wentworth's request to know what members of the Church believed.
They were subsequently published in Church periodicals.
They are now regarded as scripture and included in the Pearl of Great Price.

 

THE ARTICLES OF FAITH
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
History of the Church, Vol. 4, pp. 535—541

 

 

1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
   
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
   
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
   
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
   
5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
   
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
   
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
   
8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
   
9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
   
10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
    
11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
    
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
    
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Joseph Smith

 

[Elsie]

MORMONism's own creed:

with not one, but TWO ...and so forth.s in it!

How ACCURATE!

How PRECISE!!

How STUPID Mormons must be!!!

[Colofornian]

When Jesus tried to restore the gospel to the Jews they wouldn't accept the change. They were so steeped in tradition they couldn't accept the new way as being true. Even Jesus Himself couldn't change their hearts. The more they couldn't prove Jesus wrong, the meaner they got. So it doesn't surprise me to see more and more vitriol thrown at the Prophet Joseph Smith and those that came after him.

Sorry, but this where you & Mormonism "miss the boat" here:

Jesus HIMSELF IS the Gospel. Jesus HIMSELF is the good News.

Yeah, the Messiah was promised in the Old Testament; and hence, that's why Paul could write in the book of Romans that Abraham exercised faith in this coming Messiah...but the "Gospel" wasn't "fleshed out" until the Son of God was "fleshed out."

Iow, there wasn't a "gospel" to "restore"; rather there was a "Gospel" to embrace as prophesied in the Old Testament.

Beyond that, the better parallel here is Paul in Acts 17...where it was said of the Bereans that they were more "noble" than the Thessalonians, because they "searched" the Scriptures (the Old Testament) to see if what Paul was saying was "so."

IoW, they judged the latter revelation by the former revelation. It wasn't simply written off -- like Mormonism attempts to do -- as "man-made tradition."

In fact, the Mormon prophets are sooo bad at dumping & dismissing "Scripture" based upon this frowning-attitude upon God's Word...that they wind up saying things like:

"Brother Brigham took the stand, and he took the Bible, and laid it down; he took the Book of Mormon, and laid it down; and he took the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and laid it down before him, and he said: ‘There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work of God from the beginning of the world, almost, to our day.’ ‘And now,’ said he, ‘when compared with the living oracles [living prophets] those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books.’
Source: [a manual the lds church uses presently to indoctrinate students]

In Lds "Prophet" Ezra Taft Benson's infamous "14 Fundamentals" speech in 1980, he quoted the above...and then added as his "second" fundamental:

"The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works."

It's almost like Lds leaders that just because you can attach a calendar to God's Word, it becomes "moldy" and therefore they readily discard it. (As if a universal God who isn't a relativist can't speak to all cultures with enduring absolutes)

[Tennessee Nana]

When Jesus tried to restore the gospel to the Jews
___________________________________________

Source please

Bible scripture only...

[Elsie]

So it doesn't surprise me to see more and more vitriol thrown at the Prophet Joseph Smith and those that came after him.

If I were a MORMON; I worry a LOT more about the vitriol (PROPHECY?) thrown at ME!

#38

[Elsie]

Bible scripture only...

That part got removed, remember?

You'll find it restored in the JST.

Oh... Wait....

[AppyPappy]

I’m shocked you missed the “It happened to Jesus and it happens to Joseph Smith” therefore Jesus == JS reference.

And Jesus came to create a new Covenant, not restore the old one. In some respects, the LDS doctrine is a restoration to the Old Law of human works and sacrifice.

[greyfoxx39]

In our family prayer we thanked Heavenly Father for the Prophet Joseph Smith and for his sacrifice to bring us the restored gospel. We thanked Him for our family, our home, for being members of His Church.

This just SCREAMS CULT!

A cult of Christianity

A cult of Christianity is a group of people, which claiming to be Christian, embraces a particular doctrinal system taught by an individual leader, group of leaders, or organization, which (system) denies (either explicitly or implicitly) one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian faith as taught in the sixty-six books of the Bible.

Source: Alan Gomes, Cult: A Theological Definition, excerpt from "Unmasking The Cults"

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1. "Central doctrines" of the Christian faith are those doctrines that make the Christian faith Christian and not something else.
   
   
   1. The meaning of the expression "Christian faith" is not like a wax nose, which can be twisted to mean whatever the speaker wants it to mean.
      
      
   2. The Christian faith is a definite system of beliefs with definite content (Jude 3)
      
      
   3. Certain Christian doctrines constitute the core of the faith. Central doctrines include the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and salvation by grace through faith. These doctrines so comprise the essence of the Christian faith that to remove any of them is to make the belief system non-Christian.
      
      
   4. Scripture teaches that the beliefs mentioned above are of central importance (e.g., Matt. 28:19; John 8:24; 1 Cor. 15; Eph. 2:8-10).
      
      
   5. Because these central doctrines define the character of Christianity, one cannot be saved and deny these.
      
      
   6. Central doctrines should not be confused with peripheral issues, about which Christians may legitimately disagree.
      
      Peripheral (i.e. non-essential) doctrines include such issues as the timing of the tribulation, the method of baptism, or the structure of church government. For example, one can be wrong about the identity of "the spirits in prison" 1 Peter 3:19) or about the timing of the rapture and still go to heaven, but one cannot deny salvation by grace or the deity of Christ (John 8:24) and be saved.
      
      
   7. All Christian denominations -- whether Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant -- agree on the essential core. The relatively minor disagreements between genuinely Christian denominations, then, cannot be used to argue that there is no objectively recognized core of fundamental doctrine which constitutes the Christian faith.

[freedomlover]

“In some respects, the LDS doctrine is a restoration to the Old Law of human works and sacrifice.”

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What you said, and I love the way you hijacked the pompous “restoration” term.

The more laws, the more opportunity for man to gain power over his fellow man (not to mention the lower, female, class).

All in the name of God, IMHO the worst part of it. If you disagree with us that man should have control over his fellow man, than you are disobeying God.

But then what can you expect from those who continue to believe even after the Book of Abraham fraud.

[SZonian]

"...vitriol thrown at the Prophet Joseph Smith and those that came after him..."

They've earned and deserve every lick of it...especially JS.

Can't see why so many mormons refuse to "change their hearts" either when shown the true nature and character of JS and those that came after him....

Cuts straight to the heart of the warnings written of in the Bible...

The attempted projection wasn't too subtle either...I disagree with mormonism so I'm "mean"? Heh.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[StormPrepper]

"...vitriol thrown at the Prophet Joseph Smith and those that came after him..."

They've earned and deserve every lick of it...especially JS."

"Joseph Smith, Jr., and his companions were imprisoned in Liberty Jail for four and a half months during the coldest part of the Missouri winter.

Food was scanty, of poor quality and frequently poisoned.[citation needed] Some of the prisoners suspected that they were sometimes fed human flesh, but comments by the guards regarding 'Mormon beef' probably had reference to cattle stolen from the Mormons. Their friends on the outside were occasionally able to bring them wholesome food.

No bedding was provided, so the prisoners were forced to sleep on the stone floor with only a bit of loose straw for comfort."

"They've earned and deserve every lick of it...especially JS."

"On the night of March 24, 1832, Joseph Smith had stayed up late caring for his 11-month-old son, Joseph, who was sick with the measles. "

Snip

"The Prophet had finally gone to sleep on a trundle bed when a mob of a dozen or more men who had been drinking whiskey broke into the home."

“The mob burst open the door and surrounded the bed in an instant, and … the first I knew I was going out of the door in the hands of an infuriated mob."

“They then seized me by the throat and held on till I lost my breath. After I came to, as they passed along with me, about thirty rods from the house, I saw Elder Rigdon stretched out on the ground, whither they had dragged him by his heels. I supposed he was dead. I began to plead with them, saying, ‘You will have mercy and spare my life, I hope.’ To which they replied, ‘… Call on yer God for help, we’ll show ye no mercy.’”

"After some discussion, the mob “concluded not to kill me,” the Prophet related, “but to beat and scratch me well..."

"They ran back and fetched the bucket of tar, when one exclaimed, with an oath, ‘Let us tar up his mouth;’ and they tried to force the tar-paddle into my mouth; I twisted my head around, so that they could not; and they cried out, ‘… Hold up yer head and let us giv ye some tar.’ They then tried to force a vial into my mouth, and broke it in my teeth. All my clothes were torn off me except my shirt collar; and one man fell on me and scratched my body with his nails like a mad cat. …"

"They've earned and deserve every lick of it...especially JS."

"With my flesh all scarified and defaced, I preached to the congregation as usual, and in the afternoon of the same day baptized three individuals.”1 Joseph and Emma’s son, Joseph, died five days after the mob attack as a result of being exposed to the cold night air while suffering from the measles."

"They've earned and deserve every lick of it...especially JS."

After being beaten and permanently scarred by the mob, the next day Joseph preached a sermon on forgiveness.

"Can't see why so many mormons refuse to "change their hearts" either when shown the true nature and character of JS and those that came after him...."

Because liars, apostates, and evil men make up their own "truth". I'm supposed to throw out the personal revelation I've received from God...because of what you say? To have the type of character that can teach forgiveness after the hell he went through? I hope I can have half the character that Joseph Smith had.

"They've earned and deserve every lick of it...especially JS."

Whatever gospel you follow that taught you that this is right, I want no part of.

[SZonian]

A pretty long reply to a pretty short comment...I’ve learned that the longer a reply, the less is really being said...I’ll keep mine concise for you though.

JS got everything he “earned”...among many failings, the greatest is that he was a false prophet and if what he went through was God’s way of passing judgement, so be it.

[fishtank]

True Christianity preaches the cross of Christ.

[truth_seeker]

There is a highly successful organization, which holds this among their traditions:

“...attraction rather than promotion...”

I think I speak for others, in saying that these Daily Obsessionals are far, far from being any sort of an attraction.

Fortunately most Christians exhibit better judgment, and actually try to be an attraction. Your little crew here, not at all.

Merry Christmas.