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Haven't Anti-Mormons Completely Destroyed the Credibility of Mormonism?
jefflindsay.com ^ | Nov. 5, 2006 | Jeff Lindsay

Posted on 02/16/2008 3:13:15 PM PST by restornu


Haven't Anti-Mormons Completely Destroyed the Credibility of Mormonism?

It is a common myth that anti-Mormon attacks have completely overwhelmed the intellectual position of Latter-day Saints, leaving us with nothing but blind faith in "warm feelings" we get about the Church. The portrayal of Mormons as idiots without any intellectual foundation in our religion is a common caricature based on deceptive marketing. With the flood of anti-Mormon arguments, books, pamphlets, movies, and Web sites, it is easy to think that Mormonism would be completely devastated if only 10% of all the things said against it were true.

I once met a new convert, a college student, in my town of Appleton, Wisconsin, who showed me a couple of thick books loaded with accusations against the Church. She was upset and angry and planning to leave the Church. I tried to calm her down, and one by one, we discussed the arguments that were bothering her. Once one attack was diffused, she raised another, and another, and I think I helped her see that there was little merit to what she had raised so far, and that the bulk of the anti-Mormon material was truly deceptive. Then she just dug in her heels and said, "Well, it doesn't matter. If only 10% of all the things in here are true, that's enough to destroy the Church!" She left the Church, and if she had lived 2,000 years ago as an early Christian convert, I'm sure she would have left the Church then, too. After all, if only 10% of the things that the anti-Christians said were true, then that would be enough to destroy Christianity, right? (Oh, how I wish modern education would help people understand that critical thinking means more than just thinking of criticism.)

Anti-Mormon literature is often ignorant of what Latter-day Saints really believe and especially ignorant of LDS authors have written in response to anti-Mormon attacks. Many of the common attacks against the Church are regurgitated arguments from the nineteenth century, arguments which have been thoroughly and carefully treated by responsible LDS writers who do much more than just talk about some warm feeling in their hearts. But the anti-Mormon writers and speakers of today make it sound as if no Mormon has ever dared to respond to their awesome arguments, and that the Church can only retreat and hide when faced with an intellectual battle.

The flaws in some standard anti-Mormon arguments have been pointed out by a number of non-LDS writers. In one interesting example, two evangelical critics of the Church, Carl Mosser and Paul Owen, presented a paper at the 1997 Evangelical Theological Society Far West Annual Meeting, April 25, 1997 that warned the evangelical community about the impressive efforts of LDS scholars and criticized the blind approach of typical anti-Mormon literature. Their article, "Mormon Scholarship, Apologetics, and Evangelical Neglect: Losing the Battle and Not Knowing It?" (later published in Trinity Journal, Fall 1998, pp. 179-205), is one of the most intriguing non-LDS articles I've ever encountered from critics of the Church. (One of several copies of it on the Web can be found at ComeToZarahemla.org, Ben Spackman's Website, or Cephas Ministry.)

Mosser and Owen note that anti-LDS writers have ignored the work of some LDS scholars who are providing "robust defenses" of the LDS faith. In preparing their paper, Mosser and Owen did something that few critics have done: they have actually read a wide variety of LDS scholarly writings. As a result, they came to the following five conclusions:

The first [conclusion] is that there are, contrary to popular evangelical perceptions, legitimate Mormon scholars. We use the term scholar in its formal sense of "intellectual, erudite; skilled in intellectual investigation; trained in ancient languages." Broadly, Mormon scholarship can be divided into four categories: traditional, neo-orthodox, liberal and cultural. We are referring to the largest and most influential of the four categories--traditional Mormon scholars. It is a point of fact that the Latter-day Saints are not an anti-intellectual group like Jehovah's Witnesses. Mormons, in distinction to groups like JWs, produce work that has more than the mere appearance of scholarship. The second conclusion we have come to is that Mormon scholars and apologists (not all apologists are scholars) have, with varying degrees of success, answered most of the usual evangelical criticisms. Often these answers adequately diffuse particular (minor) criticisms. When the criticism has not been diffused the issue has usually been made much more complex.

A third conclusion we have come to is that currently there are, as far as we are aware, no books from an evangelical perspective that responsibility interact with contemporary LDS scholarly and apologetic writings. In a survey of twenty recent evangelical books criticizing Mormonism we found that none interact with this growing body of literature. Only a handful demonstrate any awareness of pertinent works. Many of the authors promote criticisms that have long been refuted; some are sensationalistic while others are simply ridiculous. A number of these books claim to be "the definitive" book on the matter. That they make no attempt to interact with contemporary LDS scholarship is a stain upon the authors' integrity and causes one to wonder about their credibility.

Our fourth conclusion is that at the academic level evangelicals are losing the debate with the Mormons. We are losing the battle and do not know it. In recent years the sophistication and erudition of LDS apologetics has risen considerably while evangelical responses have not. Those who have the skills necessary for this task rarely demonstrate an interest in the issues. Often they do not even know that there is a need. In large part this is due entirely to ignorance of the relevant literature.

Finally, our fifth conclusion is that most involved in the counter-cult movement lack the skills and training necessary to answer Mormon scholarly apologetic. The need is great for trained evangelical biblical scholars, theologians, philosophers and historians to examine and answer the growing body of literature produced by traditional LDS scholars and apologists.

(Further analysis based on the paper of Mosser and Owen has been provided by Justin Hart in "Winning the Battle and Not Knowing It," in MeridianMagazine.com, an article in five parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. For an interesting example of the issues that Owen and Mosser have raised, see Paul Owen's rebuttal of anti-Mormon John Weldon's response to the original article of Mosser and Owen. Owen appears to be appalled at the "head-in-the-sand" approach of John Weldon, who has demonstrated the very problems that Mosser and Owen speak against in their paper and says that Weldon's anti-Mormon "intellectual narrow-mindedness" is "astounding."

Latter-day Saints who study the responses of LDS writers to anti-Mormon criticisms know that there are many excellent resources which may refute or at least defuse many of the arguments hurled against us. These resources, found at places like FARMS, The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIRLDS.org), SHIELDS, and even my little Web site (including my Mormon Answers section), do not rely on blind faith and emotional feelings to deal with the critics - though there are some tough issues like polygamy for which we don't have good answers (ugh - I really don't like polygamy!). But for many issues, Mosser and Owen are correct in observing that there are "robust defenses." In fact, many of the defenses turn the tables on the critics and leave them in intellectually untenable positions. In fact, we could turn around and ask them a few tough questions of our own -- see, for example, "My Turn--Questions for Anti-Mormons."

What is an anti-Mormon? Anyone who disagrees with you?

This is a poorly defined term, but I would say that only the activists who attack the Church in a way intended to generate misunderstanding, fear, and shock are the ones who deserve the epithet of "anti-Mormons." Many such "Mormon bashers" feel that the end justifies the means, and use tactics that are incompatible with the truthful example of Christ.

There is plenty of room for decent people to disagree with us. Sometimes I even disagree with "us." Most Protestants and Catholics who disagree with us are not "anti-Mormons" but simply people of another denomination. But when someone strives to stir up anger toward the Church and relies on misinformation or half-truths, then I'm inclined to apply the anti-Mormon label--especially when they do it for a living. On the borderline are well meaning people who feel an evangelical duty to battle "cults" (which tend to be any group that disagrees with them) and write articles regurgitating the sensationalist and shocking diatribes of full-blooded anti-Mormons. I tend to call such critics anti-Mormons as well (I sense that they usually don't mind the title, unless they are posing as "loving friends of the Mormons" in order to launch more effective assaults on our faith). Those of other faiths who disagree with us and engage in civil discourse with us about their differences are usually not "anti-Mormons" but perhaps simply critics or just adherents of a different faith.

What tactics do anti-Mormons use?

Some pastors and ministers who might consider themselves as anti-Mormons are sincere in their differences with LDS theology and write intelligently and honestly about their views. They can differ without distorting the truth and can be respectful and kind in their discussions. I guess that intelligent and honest writing doesn't sell well, because the vast majority of popular writing against the Church is ugly, deceptive, and inflammatory. This is the stuff that I tend to call "anti-Mormon."

But others are deliberately deceptive, at least in my opinion. Some know what we really believe, but go out of their way to distort it. I feel that way about Ed Decker's classic work, The God Makers. His movies and writings create the impression that temples are evil, scary places with devil worship, homosexuality, and conspiracy. He alleges that Mormons are plotting to take over the country and impose a theological dictatorship. He warns people not to pray to understand the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, frightening them with the idea that Satan will come and deceive them if they do. I think this goes beyond the sincere.

One of the strangest and most dishonest tactics of some anti-Mormons is falsely claiming to have advanced degrees in order to buttress their credibility. An amazing example is Dee Jay Nelson, who gained the trust of many people by claiming to have academic credentials and an international scholarly reputation--all of which was entirely bogus. He was a con-man who led many gullible people out of the Church during the peak of his illegitimate career as an anti-Mormon lecturer. Others include "Dr." Walter Martin and the amusing "Dr. Dr." John Ankenberg (yes, he lists himself as "Dr. Dr." as if he had two doctorates, though he lacks even one - and no real Ph.D. with two degrees would describe himself as "Dr. Dr."!). The father of anti-Mormons, Doctor Philastrus Hurlbut, was actually named "Doctor" by his parents but lacked a degree. I don't think he promoted himself as if he had the degree, but that title has been used by others to increase respect for that immoral and twice excommunicated anti-Mormon. Other questionable anti-Mormon "Drs." include John Weldon, and James White.

Michael T. Griffith has a page showing some of the tactics of a prominent anti-Mormon. It illustrates how some anti-Mormons seem to deliberately distort LDS writings to achieve their own questionable purposes. The anti-Mormon in this case is Mr. Bill McKeever, the director of the anti-Mormon group Mormonism Research Ministry. I have also corresponded with Mr. McKeever and encountered yet another tactic that typifies many of the self-appointed cult bashers on the Internet. I grew frustrated that my responses to lengthy lists of charges and allegations were largely ignored, and simply followed by other lengthy letters loaded with more allegations and accusations than I could possibly deal with. Any issue I addressed was ignored and followed by additional long letters on new topics. Soon it was clear that the communication was intended to be only one way. It took many requests and finally a complaint to McKeever's e-mail provider before Mr. McKeever would quit sending me unsolicited lengthy anti-Mormon articles.

But that may just be enthusiastic zeal. Maybe it's being overly enthusiastic that leads me to use the "anti" label with some folks. Look, it's subjective, and may be used in error sometimes.

Among the specific tactics used by those I consider anti-Mormons, an especially interesting one is their creative use of definitions to classify Mormons as a cult or as non-Christian. Ironically, the non-standard definitions they craft would also condemn Christ and His early disciples in the New Testament as cultists and non-Christians. For details, see my page, "Do Latter-day Saints Belong to a Cult?" For a tongue-in-cheek demonstration of related anti-Mormon techniques, see my spoof page about an exciting new software product, CultMaster 2000.

A useful resource for information of major anti-Mormons and anti-Mormon organizations, with links to refutational material, is the Critics Corner at Shields-Research.org.

An excellent resource exposing many anti-Mormon tactics is They Lie in Wait to Deceive, Volumes 1-4 by Robert and Rosemary Brown.

Why do evangelicals get so down on Mormons?

Daniel C. Peterson authored the following passage on the Evangelical approach:
The fact is that evangelical Protestantism represents a faction, no more, of a minority faction, no more, of Christianity. That faction arose, relatively late, in northwestern Europe, and it is still basically dominant only among those of northwestern European extraction. It is distinctly a minority in Italy and Brazil and Mexico and Spain and France and Argentina, and it is virtually invisible in Greece and Romania and Russia and Armenia and the Ukraine, to say nothing of Syria, Turkey, Egypt, and Iraq.

Latter-day Saints do not claim that their faith-group is exhaustive of Christendom. We recognize that there are Catholic and Orthodox and other Christians. Some evangelical Protestants seem reluctant, however, to grant that the Copts or the Catholics are Christians at all. Some say so implicitly, and others have told me so explicitly, under direct questioning.

Latter-day Saints do, of course, claim that God has acted to restore the true fullness of Christianity, and that that fulness is embodied in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such a claim can seem arrogant, and I, for one, would be very hesitant to make it -- indeed, I would refuse to make it -- were it not for the presupposition of direct revelation that undergirds it.

To assert, as some evangelicals have declared directly to me, that they alone are Christians, and that they have arrived at their unique Christianity by virtue of their own reading of the Bible -- implicitly dismissing the other claimants to Christianity as either preternaturally stupid or irrationally evil or some mixture of the two -- seems to me both arrogant and, in view of the fact that the preponderant majority of world "Christians" hold to different opinions, quite unlikely to be true. Even to claim that evangelical Protestants alone are "biblical" or "orthodox" Christians, seems an improbable and smug declaration.

That is the point. Ironically, Latter-day Saints rely, here, upon God's grace, where some of my evangelical interlocutors -- the ones that I have in mind -- seem quite evidently to trust in their own understanding.

But most envamgelicals, though critical of our religion, are not what I would call "anti-Mormons." In fact, many are very respectful and tolerant, in spite of their strong disagreement with our views. The evangelicals I have know over the years have largely been fine examples of Christians who were not out to defame us or stir up fear about the Mormons, and have been great people to dialog with.

What Do Scholars Think of Hugh Nibley?

Some anti-Mormons seem ignorant of Hugh Nibley's work. When forced to confront his writings, many rapidly dismiss him as irresponsible, biased, sloppy, deceitful, etc. On the other hand, there are some non-LDS folks who have pointed out a variety of flaws in Nibley's writings. While Nibley did much to advance study of the Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham, LDS people must understand that his work can be rather dated now and often contains errors that he is not around to correct now. Enjoy it, but proceed with caution. But proceed with even more caution with anything I write, for I am far less competent and qualified that he was - I'm just an amateur apologist, guys.

Regarding Nibley, as brilliant and talented as he was, he spent much of his life writing for LDS audiences, and thus may not be widely recognized by other scholars in his field. in spite of some great early publications. That's my opinion, though I have incredible respect for him, having watched him in action and having read much of his work.

Some related insight into Nibley is provided by two well educated anti-LDS writers, Carl Mosser and Paul Owen, mentioned above, whose article, "Mormon Scholarship, Apologetics, and Evangelical Neglect: Losing the Battle and Not Knowing It?," is one of the most intriguing anti-LDS articles I've ever encountered. It warns that anti-LDS writers have essentially completely ignored the significant scholarship of Hugh Nibley and many other LDS scholars who are providing "robust defenses" of the LDS faith. In preparing their paper, Mosser and Owen did something that few anti-LDS writers have done: they have actually read a variety of LDS scholarly writings. Their response, paraphrased, is: "Wake up, anti-Mormons! We're losing the intellectual war without even knowing it!" Here is what they say about Nibley:

Hugh Nibley: The Father of Mormon Scholarly Apologetics
Hugh Nibley is without question the pioneer of LDS scholarship and apologetics. Since earning his Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley in 1939, Nibley has produced a seemingly endless stream of books and articles covering a dauntingly vast array of subject matter. Whether writing on Patristics, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the apocrypha, the culture of the Ancient Near East or Mormonism, he demonstrates an impressive command of the original languages, primary texts and secondary literature. He has set a standard which younger LDS intellectuals are hard pressed to follow. There is not room here for anything approaching an exhaustive examination of Nibley's works.(1) We must confess with Truman Madsen, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Religion at Brigham Young University: "To those who know him best, and least, Hugh W. Nibley is a prodigy, an enigma, and a symbol."(2)

The few evangelicals who are aware of Hugh Nibley often dismiss him as a fraud or pseudo-scholar. Those who would like to quickly dismiss his writings would do well to heed Madsen's warning: "Ill-wishing critics have suspected over the years that Nibley is wrenching his sources, hiding behind his footnotes, and reading into antique languages what no responsible scholar would every read out. Unfortunately, few have the tools to do the checking."(3) The bulk of Nibley's work has gone unchallenged by evangelicals despite the fact that he has been publishing relevant material since 1946. Nibley's attitude toward evangelicals: "We need more anti-Mormon books. They keep us on our toes."(4)

No doubt there are flaws in Nibley's work, but most counter-cultists do not have the tools to demonstrate this. Few have tried.(5) It is beyond the scope of this paper to critique Nibley's methodology or to describe the breadth of his apologetic.(6) Whatever flaws may exist in his methodology, Nibley is a scholar of high caliber. Many of his more important essays first appeared in academic journals such as the Revue de Qumran, Vigiliae Christianae, Church History, and the Jewish Quarterly Review.(7) Nibley has also received praise from non-LDS scholars such as Jacob Neusner, James Charlesworth, Cyrus Gordon, Raphael Patai and Jacob Milgrom.(8) The former dean of the Harvard Divinity School, George MacRae, once lamented while hearing him lecture, "It is obscene for a man to know that much!"(9) Nibley has not worked in a cloister. It is amazing that few evangelical scholars are aware of his work. In light of the respect Nibley has earned in the non-LDS scholarly world it is more amazing that counter-cultists can so glibly dismiss his work.

Footnotes from the above passage:
1. FARMS is currently working on a twenty volume collection of Nibley's works, ten of which are already published (abbr. CWHN).


2. Truman Madsen, foreword to Nibley on the Timely and the Timeless: Classic Essays of Hugh W. Nibley, edited by Madsen (Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1978), ix.


3. Ibid., xiv.


4. Quoted by Madsen, ibid., xi.


5. In fact, the only substantial evangelical interaction we have seen to date is James White's 56 page (single spaced) disputation of the proper syntax of the pronoun in Matthew 16:18. This paper can be acquired from the Alpha & Omega Ministries Internet site.


6. For a sharp critique of Nibley's methodology from an LDS perspective see Kent P. Jackson in BYU Studies 28 no. 4 (Fall 1988):114-119.


7. Specific references can be found in John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co. and FARMS, 1990), 1:xviii-lxxxvii.


8. See the contributions by these men in volume one of Nibley's festschrift By Study and Also by Faith.


9. See Philip L. Barlow, Mormons and the Bible (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), 147 n. 105.

Where can I find resources to respond to anti-LDS attacks?

I think my LDSFAQ Suite offers useful answers to many common questions and allegations. Other general resources with many articles and responses include:
FARMS
The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies in Provo, Utah, is the leading organization for scholarly understanding of LDS issues, especially the scriptures. They are a tremendous source of valuable research and publications. As one of many examples from FARMS, one of the best written articles dealing with typical anti-Mormon attacks is that of Russell C. McGregor and Kerry A. Shirts, "Letters to an Anti-Mormon," FARMS Review of Books, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1999, pp. 90-298 (I said it was good, not short!).
The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIRLDS.org)
Offering many sound articles and other resources for those wishing to understand intellectual issues involving Latter-day Saint religion.
SHIELDS
A competent and diverse LDS resource for those wishing to explore LDS doctrine, history, and rebuttals to anti-Mormon allegations.
Russell Anderson's Response Page"
A collection of resources and discussion of common anti-Mormon attacks. There is also some fascinating information on some of the most famous professional anti-Mormons.
A Resource for LDS Apologetics
By Kevin Graham. A collection of articles and resources, including many articles by Kevin.

Other specific resources:



TOPICS: Apologetics; Other non-Christian
KEYWORDS: lds; mormonism
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To: tantiboh
Go read it yourself.

You've inferred that I can't read.

I obviously need help 'clarifyin'.

Would you help a lurker?

821 posted on 02/19/2008 3:55:48 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

Did you see “There will be Blood” (Daniel Day-Lewis) ???

I watched a bit of it the other night

Paul Dano plays a Messiah-like leader of a church and his demands and threats etc reminded me of Joseph Smith...


822 posted on 02/19/2008 3:56:40 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: Zakeet; Tennessee Nana; P-Marlowe; Quester
I also invite the reader of this thread to read the entire sermon and decide for him/herself whether Joseph was being humble in the manner of the Apostle Paul, or answering charges of corruption and polygamy leveled against him.

I have read the entire sermon. Joseph’s “I’m greater than Jesus” remark was not taken out of context.

Furthermore, it was not in the manner of the Apostle Paul's "literary tactic," nor was it in the manner of the Apostle Paul's "literary intent." In fact, the Apostle Paul's tactic and intent was to ensure that the people, who made up the Corinthian church, would not turn aside from Christ and the gospel of Christ.

Furthermore, 2nd Corinthians, where Paul "boasts" about his knowledge, among other things, was but to convince the people of Corinthians that he was indeed a person of authority who should be esteemed only BECAUSE he was preaching the true gospel of Christ.

Furthermore, if one first reads 1st Corinthians, Paul had already admonished this group of people to stop basing their beliefs upon persons and personalities, and actually debased himself in an effort to have them focus on Christ. Indeed, the foundation for our beliefs should be IN CHRIST.

For example, in 1st Corinthians, Paul writes:

11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.
12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ."
13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
15 that no many should say you were baptized in my name.
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void.

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles, foolishness,
24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1st Corinthians 2:

2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
4 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

And, in his first letter to Timothy, Paul writes:

1 Timothy 2:

3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires that all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all
, the testimony borne at the proper time.
7 And for this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

823 posted on 02/19/2008 3:59:07 PM PST by nicmarlo
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To: restornu

Good idea...I use ebay a lot, for certain items, that I am interested in, but for some reason, had not considered it, when looking for an old hymnal...dont know why I did not consider this....many thanks for this suggestion...I will try it out later tonite...nothing would make me happier, than finding one of those old Methodist hymnals...what I really liked about some that old Methodist hymnal, is that when a particular song had more than one melody associated with it, down through time, the old hymnal would present all the different melodies...the newer hymnal just picked one of the melodies and went with that...

Thanks for your link as well...


824 posted on 02/19/2008 3:59:18 PM PST by andysandmikesmom
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To: Colofornian

A few points. First, it’s important to remember that a revelation does not have to be canonized into scripture to be a revelation. However, since we’re talking about canonization here, we’ll stick with it.

You are correct that sections 137 and 138 were not added to the published Doctrine and Covenants until the 1981 edition. I actually did not know that.

What I am confused about is your insistence that a prophet initiate proceedings to canonize his own revelations. From the point of view of a prophet, revelation is a pretty regular thing; some have provided doctrinal exposition that has been deemed valuable, and such have been shared with the Church as such. Section 138, for example, was received on October 3, 1918, announced to the Church on the 4th, subsequently written in its entirety, and then presented to the Apostles and a few others and accepted unanimously. I do not know, but I would presume it then enjoyed widespread circulation to the members in Church publications.

I do not grasp why you see the fact that it failed to “make the cut” into the Doctrine and Covenants until later in the century as significant. The doctrine was still taught to the contemporary Church as revelation.


825 posted on 02/19/2008 4:00:11 PM PST by tantiboh (Anti-Mormons: Taking the Christ out of Christian. Doing it faster with Cut and Paste!)
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To: andysandmikesmom
In the Methodist church, I remember that every so often, there would be a new hymnal that would be used..the old hymnals would be collected up, and new ones would be distributed....and very often certain popular old hymns would be taken out of the old hymnal, and replaced with newer or different hymns...

One of my favorite friends was Claude W. Brown of McCamey, Texas. CW was a grade school dropout from Beaumont who left home as a preteen to work as a hand in the oil fields. He eventually would up in West Texas as the owner of a pipe yard. After making a ton of money in that business, he reinvested his fortune in hydrocarbon exploration. In the process, he discovered eight major oil fields, made several more tons of money, and was eventually inducted into the Permian Basin Museum's Hall of Fame.

CW Brown was an intensely religious man who served on the national board of the Methodist Church, went on dozens of missions trips to Latin America, and gave virtually every cent he ever earned to Christ -- especially to McMurry University in Abilene, Texas. In turn, they awarded him an honorary doctorate, for which he was extremely proud. His list of other accomplishments would go on for several pages.

One day, while having breakfast with Dr. Brown, I asked him what he regarded as his greatest achievement.

Dr. Brown immediately said, "I rewrote the Methodist hymnbook."

I replied, "I didn't know you had musical training."

Dr. Brown said, "I don't. In fact, I can't read a single note. That's why it was such an accomplishment!"

I then asked Dr. Brown how he got suckered into that kind of an assignment.

Dr. Brown answered with, "I didn't. I volunteered. It was a job that needed to be done, so I did it.

Dr. Brown went on to provide some additional details of his project. Apparently the Methodist Hymnal was so out of date at the time that, "Even I could tell it was bad." Using his position on the executive board and influence within the organization, Dr. Brown set up a committee, selected its members and went to work.

I've thought about that incident many times over the years. And needless to say, Dr. Brown's statement has been one of my life's philosophies.

It appears from your recollection of your days in the Methodist Church, Brown's committee was never completely disbanded.

826 posted on 02/19/2008 4:00:59 PM PST by Zakeet (Be thankful we don't get all the government we pay for)
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To: colorcountry; sevenbak

~”But NOT “Amazing Grace!””~

That may be... but we do have “I Believe in Christ.” Never was a better psalm written to glorify God and proclaim the divinity of the Savior.


827 posted on 02/19/2008 4:02:39 PM PST by tantiboh (Anti-Mormons: Taking the Christ out of Christian. Doing it faster with Cut and Paste!)
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To: restornu
In name only in your teen age years there are things I have read in the past of things you think was taught reveals you processed things through the natural man's filters.

Does this mean you are not going to answer my questions?

People can be born in the Church but they still need to gain a testimony personal testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost elsewise they continue to process through the world filters.

Does this mean you are not going to answer my questions?

Many will try to deny this but it is self evident

Does this mean you are not going to answer my questions?

In name only in your teen age years there are things I have read in the past of things you think was taught reveals you processed things through the natural man's filters.

Does this mean you are not going to answer my questions?

People can be born in the Church but they still need to gain a testimony personal testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost elsewise they continue to process through the world filters.

Does this mean you are not going to answer my questions?

Many will try to deny this but it is self evident.

Does this mean you are not going to answer my questions?

828 posted on 02/19/2008 4:04:39 PM PST by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: tantiboh
                    St. John, Chapter One
 

Joseph Smith Translation

1 In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son.

   And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son,

   and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God.

King James Version

1. In the beginning was the Word,

    and the Word was with God,

    and the Word was God.

Oh; I see.   It's REAL clear, now!

 

I'd always wondered where the JW's got THEIR inspiration for the New World Translation:

 John 1:1

Originally the Word was,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was a god.


829 posted on 02/19/2008 4:06:11 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: tantiboh
As far as I’m aware, Smith was no longer using the seer stone by the time he worked on the Bible.

Thank you for admitting he DID use the Seer Stone.

830 posted on 02/19/2008 4:07:35 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: bonfire

~”What you believe is not a secret.”~

No, it’s not. And, yet, people like you are consistently driven to embellish it. It boggles the mind.


831 posted on 02/19/2008 4:09:54 PM PST by tantiboh (Anti-Mormons: Taking the Christ out of Christian. Doing it faster with Cut and Paste!)
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To: nicmarlo

Joseph Smith said he’s superior to Christ, who is God, and the disciples that Christ picked to be His disciples, the very ones He entrusted to go out into “all the world” and preach His Gospel? My word!!
_____________________________________________

Jim Jones did much the same thing

he started out preaching from the Bible and then spurned the Bible like Joseph Smith did

and preached about himself..just like Joseph Smith did...


832 posted on 02/19/2008 4:10:36 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: P-Marlowe

You have LDS parents and family ask them !:)


833 posted on 02/19/2008 4:12:04 PM PST by restornu (Elevate Your Thoughts! Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name?)
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To: Tennessee Nana
Did you see “There will be Blood”

I want to.

It's on my list, along with "No Country for Old Men"

O Brother... them Coen boys know HOW to make a movie!!


We thought....

 
you wuz...
a TOAD!

834 posted on 02/19/2008 4:12:38 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Tennessee Nana

God shall not be mocked.


835 posted on 02/19/2008 4:14:06 PM PST by nicmarlo
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To: farmer18th

~”...but I can’t help finding some of the more ecstatic utterances of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young impossible to defend.”~

From time to time, I agree with you.

It helps me to remember that they preached in a time when it was the culture to give a fiery sermon. With no air conditioning, I suppose it’s the only way you could keep your people awake.

Smith and Young sometimes said things that we would consider over the top. That is a far cry from saying things that are doctrinally incorrect.


836 posted on 02/19/2008 4:14:08 PM PST by tantiboh (Anti-Mormons: Taking the Christ out of Christian. Doing it faster with Cut and Paste!)
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To: tantiboh
The doctrine was still taught to the contemporary Church as revelation.

BEFORE it was 'scripture'?

837 posted on 02/19/2008 4:14:12 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: restornu
You have LDS parents and family ask them !:)

Yes Honey; we SHOULD have told you sooner; but we didn't know if you could handle it:

You ARE adopted.

838 posted on 02/19/2008 4:16:18 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

The Bucket List is good

I cried at the end...

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

(I forgot..I’m supposed to be hateful and cold-hearted)


839 posted on 02/19/2008 4:20:05 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: Elsie

For a man Elsie, your demeanor displays in all the years you been post about the LDS shows that you can be cattier than women who have a tendency to be catty.

You might want to see your doctor for male Harmon shots!


840 posted on 02/19/2008 4:21:54 PM PST by restornu (Elevate Your Thoughts! Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name?)
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