The Christmas Story and Joseph Smith, Restorer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (OPEN)

greaterthings.com ^ | Lynn Ridenhour

[greyfoxx39]

This article is posted to allow open discussion of a previous thread regarding the author.

 

 

The Christmas Story and Joseph Smith, Restorer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
by Lynn Ridenhour


It's that time of year again. A time to love. A time to be a child again. A time to accept everyone & everything. It's time for the Christmas Story.

We all know it. And it's a blessed theme.

May I put a new spin on it?...

Much of the symbolism of the Christmas story, I believe, wraps around one of my favorite persons——Joseph Smith, Jr. Take, for instance, the star. Wise men from the east looked for this sign to appear in the heavens.

And the star must appear at an appointed time. It must appear on the darkest night of the year. Which happens to be, by the way, December 23rd. Joseph Smith was born on December 23rd--the darkest night of the year. The Egyptians referred to this night as the "Winter Solstice."

It was believed among the ancient Egyptians that the purpose of earth life was to prepare for eternal life with the Gods in the world to come. Everything that was, had been before. There was nothing "...new under the sun." Every person simply had to find his place on the celestial stairway, pass the guardian angels and find his way back into celestial glory.

I submit--Joseph is that Star which leads a dark world out of "Winter Solstice"-- back to the Christ child. He's the guardian messenger who has the revelations, the hidden mysteries——that lead us back into celestial glory. Especially in our dispensation, for so many grand truths were lost in the reformation.

December 23rd——Winter Solstice——Joseph Smith——the Star on that dark night——and the Christmas Story. I can see the symbolism.

Wise men from the east were called magi, or grand magi. Wise men from the grand orient lodge will follow that star until they find the babe wrapped in his stable. There was no room for the babe in the Inn (or lodge). No room for the Master in other lodges, so he was born among the common folks of his day. Nothing has changed……

There will be those of us who will follow the Master out of all lodges of perfection, even in our day——out of all false plans of salvation. They will be known as wise men who will follow the star that leads them to the Inn where the babe lies in a manger.

Joseph Smith, Jr. was one of the Wise Men of his day. I want to be one of the Wise Men of my day. I'm sure the same can be said of all of us. We want to be wise.

Wherein lies wisdom? It's found in the simplicity of the Christmas Story. It's said of the three wise men--they were learned men of the east, schooled in astronomy and the signs of the stars. Yet these three wise men followed their hearts that night and found the Gift of Love. They laid aside their wisdom and found His. They embraced the simplicity of the story. The Christmas Story is a simple story. Even a child understands. It's we adults who complicate it.

I love Joseph Smith, for he had a simple mind. (He was not simple-minded.) He played with children. He loved simple things. And he restored the simple gospel——love your neighbor as yourself. It takes a wise man to remain simple.

Jesus said an interesting thing during his sermon on the mount; "...consider the lilies of the field, how they grow...and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these" (Mt. 6:28,29).

He made reference to the "...lilies of the field," and then made reference to Solomon. Solomon, in his writings, also referred to the same flower. Hymns have been written about Solomon's classic statement, "...I AM therose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys" (Song of Solomon 2:1). As a young lad growing up in a small Baptist Church back in the hills of the Ozarks, I heard many a sermon preached on Jesus as the lily of the valley and the Rose of Sharon. I've sung the hymn "Lily of the Valley" many times.

Let me suggest another possible meaning. Joseph Smith was born on December 23rd, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont. The word "rose" means "secret unfolding." The Rose of Sharon is often the emblem for secret brotherhood. It's used as an emblem in many lodges.

I believe Joseph Smith is the Rose of Sharon. His teachings are like secrets unfolded. Like roses. Like Jesus and his sermons, you either get it or you don't. You're either part of His "wise brotherhood" who spread the simplicity of the gospel around, or you don't. Like the three wise men, you've either exchanged your worldly wisdom for his, or you haven't. Perhaps you too have decided to follow your heart--and have found the greatest story ever told. The Gift of Love in a manger, wrapped in all its plainness. You either have a revelation of the kingdom of God on this earth, or you don't. You either speak well of Joseph Smith, or you don't. You'll either come out of all other lodges and embrace the Rose of Sharon, embrace his secret unfoldings, and start spreading the gospel of simplicity——or you won't. Yes, I believe Joseph Smith was the Rose of Sharon.

He was also the Lily of the Valleys. The flower lily is white as white can be. It's known for its whiteness. The lily stands for purity and innocence. Joseph's heart, I believe, was both pure and innocent. Like a child's. Those who have sat under his teachings and who have watched him unfold his secrets, they have seen his white heart. And the lily grows in the valley. So did Joseph. His life was one of trials, trails, temptations and tears. He grew in the valley. And so do we.

Well, Jesus said, "...Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."...one of these?..."

Like one of those who follows the Rose of Sharon and his teachings of Jesus Christ. It's the Gift of Love wrapped in all its simplicity.

[Stourme]

[Colofornian babbles]

20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)

[Stourme instructs]

If you took time to actually read the chapter... you wouldn't have posted this particular scripture to me... but I'm going to file it way. Thanks!

1. Paul is talking to the individuals in the Church on the subject of knowing Christ's love. Eph 3: 19. And to know the love of Christ..

2. Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to -do- exceedingly abundantly above all... (hehehe)

3. Eph 3:21Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus... -which ever age the Church is in and in the eternities (world with out end).

He could have just said "glory in the Church" and left it at that...

But Paul took the time to mention in his council to Ephesus, that there were "ages" of the Church. Not just Church.

Which makes sense...this goes along with what Paul wrote to Thessalonia:

2 Thessalonians 2:1 - 3

1 NOW we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Wow Colofornian, thanks for sharing this. I'll use it in a lesson sometime. I'll share it with my oldest son too.. he just put his papers in to go on a mission.

[Cronos]

More rot -- you might as well ask where Jesus Christ asked people to set up the USA. What Jesus DID do is set up His Church the One Holy Apostolic Catholic Church that St. Paul is describing in Ephesians will be here to all generations. And it has been there for 2000 years under the protection of the Holy Spirit, teaching what Christ taught through His Apostles.

By their fruits ye shall know them....
the Church has been instrumental in the conversion of Europe, AFrica, Asia and the Americas. From the time of Christ, the Word has spread to Romans, to Gauls, to Britons, to Anglo-Saxons, to Goths, to Franks, to Slavs, to Vikings, to Asia, Africa and America. Pretty good fruit, eh?

[Cronos]

More rot -- you might as well ask where Jesus Christ asked people to set up the USA. What Jesus DID do is set up His Church the One Holy Apostolic Catholic Church that St. Paul is describing in Ephesians will be here to all generations. And it has been there for 2000 years under the protection of the Holy Spirit, teaching what Christ taught through His Apostles.

By their fruits ye shall know them....
the Church has been instrumental in the conversion of Europe, AFrica, Asia and the Americas. From the time of Christ, the Word has spread to Romans, to Gauls, to Britons, to Anglo-Saxons, to Goths, to Franks, to Slavs, to Vikings, to Asia, Africa and America. Pretty good fruit, eh?

[Cronos]

And of course, you dont' read the entire passage of Daniel which reads as

39And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

40And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

41And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

42And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

43And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

--> do you understand that Daniel writing in 600 BC is talkign about Nebuchadnezzars neo-Babylonian Empire as the first kingdom, then the second being the Achemenid Persian Empire, then the third (brass) being the Greek Empires, then the fourth (iron), being the Roman Empire. Then the fourth, the Roman was divided into East and West, yet the Eastern part survived until the 15th century.

Daniel describes a time of the coming of Christ, the a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. --> you also just contradicted yourself because THIS kingdom, the Christian Church was never destroyed as stated in Daniel, yet you and the Mormons make up the false statements about Great apostasy, contradicting yourself.

[Cronos]

Sorry, I never learned to speak gibberish.

Then how on earth does one read the gibberish in the book of Moroni? Do you have to stuff your head in a hat?

Here's a simplified version for you: Irenæus, in his work "Against Heresies" (A.D. 182-88), testifies to the existence of four Gospels, given by the Word and unified by one Spirit; to repudiate this Gospel or any part of it,was to sin against revelation and the Spirit of God.

[Cronos]

Sorry, I never learned to speak gibberish.

Then how on earth does one read the gibberish in the book of Moroni? Do you have to stuff your head in a hat?

Here's a simplified version for you: Irenæus, in his work "Against Heresies" (A.D. 182-88), testifies to the existence of four Gospels, given by the Word and unified by one Spirit; to repudiate this Gospel or any part of it,was to sin against revelation and the Spirit of God.

So, if a guy in 182 AD points out the existence of the Bible (which you call a document of Apostasy), and arguing it's truth, where does J. Smith come up with his false teachigns from? Did he pull them out of a hat? oh, wait, he did!

[Godzilla]

Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to -do- exceedingly abundantly above all... (hehehe) 3. Eph 3:21Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus... -which ever age the Church is in and in the eternities (world with out end).

Perhaps you should spend a little time reading the passage yourself stormy before attempt to instruct. Who is the "him" in the passage, since you convinently overlook that particular word in order to focus on the less significant portion - the church. The subject is God stormy - file that away.

But Paul took the time to mention in his council to Ephesus, that there were "ages" of the Church. Not just Church.

Not just 'ages' stormy - you are missing those key words again, but ALL AGES. tsk tsk stormy, taking away from the word of God in order to present a false view.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Name the man of sin that has been revealed, that son of perdition - specifics stormy because the two actions are related - cause and effect. The rest of the chapter characterizes specific actions of this individual. what historic person has met all these requirements.

[Stourme]

[Cronos flusters]

By their fruits ye shall know them....
the Church has been instrumental in the conversion of Europe, AFrica, Asia and the Americas. From the time of Christ, the Word has spread to Romans, to Gauls, to Britons, to Anglo-Saxons, to Goths, to Franks, to Slavs, to Vikings, to Asia, Africa and America. Pretty good fruit, eh?

Revelation 17:1 - 9

1 AND there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

How many ana-baptists died by horrible torture at the hands of the Catholic Church over the simple doctrine of Baptism? The inquisitions?

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

Fruits? 1700 years of death, destruction, and tyranny. Yea the word spread... by the point of a sword. 

Fruits? Here check this out. 

God has nothing to do with the running of the Catholic Church. So says the prophets, so says history.

[Colofornian]

But Paul took the time to mention in his council to Ephesus, that there were "ages" of the Church. Not just Church. [Stourme]

Not just 'ages' stormy - you are missing those key words again, but ALL AGES. tsk tsk stormy, taking away from the word of God in order to present a false view. [Godzilla]

Well, "bingo!" 'Zilla on noting Stourme's deletion of "ALL" as a qualifier of "AGES."

You students who want to see how 'Scripture-twisting' is done firsthand...well, Stourme has provided the 'Lab' for us today:

The apostle Paul says "ALL AGES" in Eph. 3:21...and Stourme, the word-trepse-arounder, tries to dance around that little phrase and instead comes up with: which ever age the Church is in..."

So "world without end" jumpstarting with "ALL Ages" -- IOW, forever -- once it enters into Stourme's scripture-twisting machine -- comes out which ever (as in "whichever age the Church [happens to be]...in"

Nice try, Stourme. You get an "A" for your "Outright Distortion" thesis & it earns you a nomination from me for the Inman Anti-Veritas of the Week award.

[Stourme]

[Godzilla ---]

 taking away from the word of God in order to present a false view.

[Stourme states]

I try not to complain... but this breaks the rules of the forum.

My post headings [Stourme <stuff>] was ruled on by the RM last year as being ok. My headings describe the text, not the poster.

Yours however, assigns motives... and that's against the rules.

Lets agree to obey the rules of the forum ok?

[Godzilla]

I try not to complain... but this breaks the rules of the forum.

Yes you are complaining and no this does not assign motive (ie why you would misrepresent a passage) other than what you by your words stated and the clear result. By removing a word from a passage, then assigning a different meaning to that passage is a description and the resulting errant view. Your presentation of this verse in this fashion is common among mormon apologetic sites, so it not unknown. Not unlike your statement about being proccupied by pronouns.

My post headings [Stourme ] was ruled on by the RM last year as being ok. My headings describe the text, not the poster.

Symbolism over substance - as the great one would note. However, your quote of me has been truncated and does not represent the whole of my statement - which takes it out of context. Should you desire to maintain your crayonesque manner, please cite fully.

But I'll give you a break, since I'll be in the mountains the next few days. Find a good concordance and really READ those passages in CONTEXT, it would do you a world of good.

[MHGinTN]

How very delphish of you, Mormon.

[Elsie]

bttt

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for sharing your experience and insights, dear brother in Christ!

[Cronos]

Let's review how you contradicted yourself (and by extension, if these are Mormon teachings, one of the many way Mormonism contradicts itself)

First, you say there was a great apostasy and the gospel was lost (despite Jesus' reassurances that He would be with us always, so the "great apostasy" tries to paint Christ as a liar)

Then, you point out Daniel. Daniel describes a time of the coming of Christ, the a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. -->
you also contradicted yourself because THIS kingdom, the Christian Church was never destroyed as stated in Daniel, yet you and the Mormons repeat the false and statements about Great apostasy, contradicting yourself.

This is of course along with the other fantastically false stories about the lost tribes coming to the US (an extension or amalgamation of British Israelism) which is historically, archeologically and genetically false and proven false.

[Cronos]

Nice story, though you again interpret wrongly and completely contradictory to any facts (did the nephi and leni tell your profit Joe about this?)

the Church has been instrumental in the conversion of Europe, AFrica, Asia and the Americas. From the time of Christ, the Word has spread to Romans, to Gauls, to Britons, to Anglo-Saxons, to Goths, to Franks, to Slavs, to Vikings, to Asia, Africa and America. Do you deny this?

[Cronos]

The phrase "Babylon the great" (Greek: Babulon a megala) occurs five times in Revelation (14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2, and 18:21). Light is shed on its meaning when one notices that Babylon is referred to as "the great city" seven times in the book (16:19, 17:18, 18:10, 16, 18, 19, 21). Other than these, there is only one reference to "the great city." That passage is 11:8, which states that the bodies of God’s two witnesses "will lie in the street of the great city, which is allegorically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified."

"The great city" is symbolically called Sodom, a reference to Jerusalem, symbolically called "Sodom" in the Old Testament (cf. Is. 1:10; Ezek. 16:1–3, 46–56). We also know Jerusalem is the "the great city" of Revelation 11:8 because the verse says it was "where [the] Lord was crucified."

Revelation consistently speaks as if there were only one "great city" ("the great city"), suggesting that the great city of 11:8 is the same as the great city mentioned in the other seven texts—Babylon. Additional evidence for the identity of the two is the fact that both are symbolically named after great Old Testament enemies of the faith: Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon.

This suggests that Babylon the great may be Jerusalem, not Rome. Many Protestant and Catholic commentators have adopted this interpretation. On the other hand, early Church Fathers often referred to Rome as "Babylon," but every references was to pagan Rome, which martyred Christians.

[Cronos]

Oh, and you don't agree with anabaptists either do you?

On Sept. 11, 1857, in a meadow in southwestern Utah, a militia of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, attacked a wagon train of Arkansas families bound for California. After a five-day siege, the militia persuaded the families to surrender under a flag of truce and a pledge of safe passage. Then, in the worst butchery of white pioneers by other white pioneers in the entire colonization of America, approximately 140 men, women and children were slaughtered. Only 17 children under the age of 8 - the age of innocence in the Mormon faith - were spared.

After the massacre, the church first claimed that local Paiute Indians were responsible, but as evidence of Mormon involvement mounted, it placed the sole blame for the killings on John D. Lee, a militia member and a Mormon zealot who was also the adopted son of the prophet Brigham Young. After nearly two decades, as part of a deal for statehood, Lee was executed by a firing squad in 1877. The church has been reluctant to assume responsibility - labelling Lee a renegade - but several historians, including some who are Mormon, believe that church leaders, though never prosecuted, ordered the massacre.

[Cronos]

The Greek word in this passage is horos. Of the sixty-five occurrences of this word in the New Testament, only three are rendered "hill" by the King James Version. The remaining sixty-two are translated as "mountain" or "mount." Modern Bibles have similar ratios. If the passage states that the Whore sits on "seven mountains," it could refer to anything. Mountains are common biblical symbols, often symbolizing whole kingdoms (cf. Ps. 68:15; Dan. 2:35; Amos 4:1, 6:1; Obad. 8–21). The Whore’s seven mountains might be seven kingdoms she reigns over, or seven kingdoms with which she has something in common.

The number seven may be symbolic also, for it often represents completeness in the Bible. If so, the seven mountains might signify that the Whore reigns over all earth’s kingdoms.

Even if we accept that the word horos should be translated literally as "hill" in this passage, it still does not narrow us down to Rome. Other cities are known for having been built on seven hills as well.

Even if we grant that the reference is to Rome, which Rome are we talking about—pagan Rome or Christian Rome? As we will see, ancient, pagan Rome fits it rather than Rome during the Christian centuries.

Finally, Vatican City is not built on the seven hills of Rome, nor is it built on 7 other hills it is built on Vatican Hill, which is not one of the seven upon which ancient Rome was built. Those hills are on the east side of the Tiber river; Vatican Hill is on the west.

The Church was the instrument through which the conversion of Europe, Africa, Asia and the AMericas happened -- now unless you say that God wasn't behind the conversion of your ancestors and that your beliefs are that Christ lied when He said He would be with us to the end, unless you believe that, the great apostasy is just fabulous fiction

[Cronos]

Matthew 28:20

20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Did Joe SMith tell his followers that Jesus lied?