Ancient writings support LDS doctrine and teachings (LDS Caucus)

Ancient writings unearthed in the last century and a half, primarily in Egypt, are lending support to doctrines and teachings of Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Brigham Young University professor of antiquities said Sunday.

C. Wilford Griggs, who has written extensively on Egypt and is working on excavating Christian burial grounds in Egypt, said scholars are now admitting that "Joseph Smith got into the antiquities" before experts in the field began their discoveries, but they won't accept his explanation.

Smith, an uneducated farm boy, claimed he translated the Book of Mormon from ancient gold plates using instruments given him by an angel, but scholars are refusing to believe that, Griggs said during a fireside, "Joseph Smith and the Egyptian Connection," at the Pleasant Grove Manila Stake Center. Some of the ancient writings have been found in the past few years.

Many scholars are now admitting that the book accepted as scripture by church members is an ancient book, but as one scholar of antiquities told Griggs, he had no problem with the gold plates and Smith's story would be acceptable "if you'd get rid of that angel."

Anciently, the fountain of Christian knowledge was Egypt and the Mediterranean region and for about 1,000 years 90 percent of the people were in the faith "until they were converted to Islam by the sword," he said.

"We are being flooded with (ancient) writings," Griggs said, describing many as coming from the biblical New Testament period. Many of the writings, now totaling about 8,000, are on papyri, but others are on metal plates. None are exactly alike, which lends historical credence to the finds.

The apostles scattered throughout the known world and established pockets of Christianity after the time of Jesus Christ, including Egypt, he said. Some of the best early Christian records were found in Egypt, where they survived because of the climate.

The traditional concept that the Bible is complete came about 400 A.D., he said. Before then Christians knew that many other writings existed.

Many of the Christian teachings found in Egyptian digs that are shared in common with Smith's teachings have to do with the temple "and how the heavens can be open to us," Griggs said.

Among those findings is the teaching of baptism by proxy for folks who have died without learning of Christ and his gospel, which centers on the resurrection.

Anciently, baptism was known as a "sealing" to go to heaven, he said. The word "sealing" is used today in LDS temples in similar fashion.

Most of the writings which have now been found were secret anciently and held back from the people until they proved their worthiness.

Some speak of the potential of their divinity, also a common theme Smith taught, which the first LDS prophet said was given to him by revelation.

"Several of the gospels ... show that revelation was alive and well in the ancient world. Revelation was a keystone," Griggs said.

Yet centuries later, revelation and temples were denounced by religious leaders, including Augustine, as unnecessary.

O no-no-no! Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir has the best Christian choir in the USA, which choir is made of members who have personally been born again in Christ, and many of them have been miracously delivered from every vice known to man, by the mighty power of God through the name of Jesus Christ.
I invite you to listen to this most excellent choir.
A personal favorite and a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ is:
http://www.truveo.com/CHURCH-MEDLEY-BROOKLYN-TABERNACLE-CHOIR-/id/107925121

http://www.truveo.com/THE-LAMB-HAS-OVERCOME-BROOKLYN-TABERNACLE-CHOIR/id/3173806720

http://www.truveo.com/NOTHING-IS-IMPOSSIBLE-the-brooklyn-tabernacle/id/2606638797
They really sound best on video or CD, though, not from you tube. I recommend that you hear the video “Brooklyn Tabernacle Live” [which can be got from the library], which is not only filled with the music of the choir but is also filled with testimonies of the power of the LORD Jesus Christ to deliver from alchohol, drugs, promiscuity, and emptiness of life.

Also, I recommend the books written by Pastor Jim Cymbala in which only Jesus Christ gets the Glory for the work of mighty deliverances and salvation among the members of Brooklyn Tabernacle, many of whom were set free from the lifestyles which only lead to early death of body, and eternal destruction afterwards.

Sandra Duffy, quote:Jesus Christ and His Atoning sacrifice was preached by Joseph Smith and continues to be preached today in the LDS Church.”unquote

Sandra, that is not true.
The Atonement was preached, once, yearly in the Day of Atonement, which was rehearsed yearly by the High Priest in Israel; who himself served in the office of “Christ/Anointed/Messiah , as a living oracle of “Jesus’ Day” -which was to come and which is come- and which is the “once for all Faith, once delivered, to the [born again] Saints” in Christ Jesus.

Only the namesake people of the New Man name [which name is “Israel”: Isaiah 49; Hosea 12:3-5; Genesis 32:24-30], were entrusted with the Oracles of “Life”, which “Life” was to come [redemption back, for Adam souls], by the finished/completed Atonement of the Kinsman’s Ransom. The ransom is come, the price is paid and that accepted Ransom price ended the remembrance of sin before the presence of Glory in the heavenlies’ Holy of Holies; from which presence, Adam, former son of God [Luke 3:38; Genesis 3] is shut out from since the fall, and could not and can not and will not, come in,to.

Those who are adopted in Christ’s Living Spirit -and His Name of New Man- proclaim His Atonement to all who want to be made whole/holy. To be made whole and complete is to be cleansed in soul by His “accepted blood”, which was sprinkled on the True Mercy Seat [the New Man body, as it hung on the cross, of the Kinsman/Redeemer to Adam] in the final act/received/accepted offering, of that “Day of Jesus‘ Atonement: and to be made whole and complete is to be born the second time in Spirit, regenerated new, into the One Living Spirit/Christ, who is come in flesh of second creation [human kind] to be our Kinsman Redeemer; and to be made whole and complete is to be born the second time in body, which is to be regenerated new into the image of the New Man, which is the hope of the Church.
That hope is the resurrection in regeneration of the body of the Adam flesh elements into the image of the “Only Begotten Son of God”, who is the only living Son of God of the Human kind. And this hope is to be consumated at His coming/return, when HE comes to receive His own and to take them to be with Him where He is [John 14:1-3].

Abraham and Isaac acted as living prophets of “that day”, which was to come, and which day had been prepared from the beginning of the world, to be fulfilled in it’s pre-appointed season; which Day was “that day“, when the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world would complete the appointment, and fulfill totally the redemption by His blood, of all Adam/Man kind.
Abraham “Saw” the “Day of Jesus”, and “rejoiced in it“, and named Mount Moriah “YHWH Seen”, when He saw “That Day” by having his eyes supernaturally opened to the Atonement to come, by the blood of the “only begotten” [only living, human being, Son of promise] -Genesis 22.

Jhn 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw [it], and was glad.

Psalm 118 the message is “Our God bound to the altar as the entry into the City of righteousness”, seen as “The Day YHWH has Made” -that day when the “Lamb was slain” for our redemption”

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord,
Through which the righteous shall enter.

21 I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.

22 The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This was the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save now, I pray, O Lord;
O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
27 God is the Lord,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.:

greyfoxx39 - Thanks for the ping.

Either a thing is true OR it is not. Personal faith has no bearing on the truthfulness of something. Either Jesus died and rose again on the third day OR He did not.

The Book of Mormon was EITHER inspired by God OR it was not. Joseph Smith was EITHER a prophet OR he was not. There is no gray area when we speak of absolute truth.

In complete agreement here. I am reminded of my 23 year old grand son, who lies with alarming regularity even when the truth would suffice. If he told me it was raining outside, I'd have a looksee out the window before searching for my bumbershoot, yet my wife continues to believe him. That's blind faith and that kind of faith in the presence of overwhelming evidence that he is a liar is insanity.

She wants what he says to be true so much that she believes what he says and is disappointed time after time.

I see Mormons in the same manner, I've read all these "mormon" threads and even before joining FR, I had studied Mormonism and it's all a crock, no matter how much the defenders want it to be true. Joeseph Smith lied and souls died. Not in a literal sense because I believe that the soul never dies. But dead never the less. If one can discover but one Joseph Smith lie, how is he to be believed about anything? There is more than one lie to be found in his writings. He was a liar period.

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