Posted on 04/29/2008 6:06:04 AM PDT by restornu
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.
Ah, can’t answer the question, got it. :)
Ah, can’t answer the question, got it. :)
So it’s kind of like the Muslim translation confusion over whether they are getting 72 virgins or just 72 raisins.
Actually muslims are shortchanged getting only 72 virgins compared to mormons. The possibilites of the sheer number of wives in sealed ‘celestial’ marriages is endless......
You will either get a cut and paste description from Wikipedia or something that you will NEVER be able to make sense of.
Is it a coincidence that all of these other religions essentially reduce the role of women to sex slaves, but Judaism and Christianity DON’T?
If someone went on TV today and proclaimed that he had an angel visit him and the angel told him that he should have as many wives as possible and that he should marry them as soon as they reached puberty what do you think society’s reaction would be?
Probably the same reaction the good citizens of Missouri had upon discovering the polygamous and wife stealing practices of J. Smith and ran the moral reprobates (mormons) out of town......
When yer hot; yer HOT!
Seems a bit SELF-referential, to me!
Have a nice day!:)
Not to mention the apparent use of gaelic rather than 'reformed egyptian' is problematic......
Weeellllll, we’ll see just HOW much is understood from the c&p. That’s half the fun :0
Is there a Mormon book that lists multisyllabic words to use to try to end the discussion when you don't actually have an answer?
It was not.
He was not.
Smith was a loon. If he were alive, it would be a joy to cold-cock him right in the nose.
I don't know but I figure its' title must be Cut and Run with a yellow cover.
Now, now don't be tendentious, after all that's how you wind up in the telestial realm.
Its like fishing, gotta let them play with the line a little before ya reel them in and wack them on the head.
They went to Ohio, then Missouri, then back to Illinois, and then when JS got shot, they split up into the Smith family Company (called Reorganized LDS) and the Brigham Young Brigade (who maintained the original name).
The Smith family headed to Independence, Missouri and many different offshoots went their separate ways including many of the folks back East, in Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Texas.
I'm sure you can see the difference between a "historical record" and "bias and speculation".
I said: “I’m sorry the thread didn’t work out for you”...not that it had been edited by the mod. Good for you for Un-closing it.
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