Does the Book of Mormon teach that God was once conceived by a heavenly father and mother? Does it teach that God started as a spirit being, came to earth and took on human flesh, and then ascended into godhood? Moroni 7:23 states, "For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men,..." To say that God is from "everlasting to everlasting" means that God did not have to be conceived because He has always existed. Saying that God knows all things means that He does not need to learn. He already knows all things. He does not need to acquire more knowledge. He is omniscient (infinite knowledge). Moroni 8:18 says, "For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity." Some people believe that God has had an unchanging purpose. This verse says that He is an unchangeable being. He has always been God in the past and will always be God in the future. According to the Book of Mormon, God did not have to start as a spririt being. He did not have to take on a human body to ascend into godhood. The Book of Mormon says that God was always God.
However, the Book of Mormon does mention someone trying to ascend into godhood. 2 Nephi 23:12-15 states, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." I think this is a message for those who want to ascend into godhood. If you are trying to become a god, your destiny is not going to be in heaven. It will be in a hotter place.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Wrath of God - Book of Mormon
I read the Book of Mormon and I mostly disagree with it. However, I do agree with the wrath of God. In the Book of Mormon, the people turned away from God time and time again. God would bring His judgement on them and they would suffer. In their suffering, they would sometimes turn back to God as He sent them preaching prophets. Then God would bless them for a while. In time, they would again turn away from God. Our country, the United States of America, has definitely turned away from God. People here don't want children to pray to God in school. Many people don't want God's word, the Bible, in school. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their homosexuality. This is now common throughout our country. In the Bible, the Israellites were very rebellious against God. Among their many sins, they offered their children in the fire as sacrifices to idols. God brought judgement on Israel. He let their enemies brutally conquer them. In our country we have aborted around 60 million innocent babies. We have a lot of blood on our hands. I believe the wrath of God is like a great lake that is held up by a tall dam. We are like some oblivious people living comfortable below the dam. Soon the lake will be full of the wrath of God and the dam will break. We will be swept away and destroyed by the great waters of the wrath of God. Yet, for a while, we have some time to repent of our sins and turn to God. God have mercy on our country - the United States of America!
Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned , and come short of the glory of God;..."
Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 5:8 - "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 10:9&10 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned , and come short of the glory of God;..."
Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 5:8 - "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 10:9&10 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Polygamy Questions
Plural marriage is a very large topic in early Mormonism. It really deserves a hundred questions, but here are ten:
1. Why does the Mormon Church claim to follow the law of the land and yet hang onto scripture that is opposed to the law of the land? Why is Doctrine and Covenants 132 still in Mormon scripture if it is illegal? Followers must choose between following Joseph Smith and scripture or following the law of the land and receiving eternal damnation!
2. If polygamy is a wicked practice in Jacob 1:15 and an abomination in God's sight in Jacob 2:24, why would God command it to be practiced in D&C 132?
3. Why does the heading for D&C132 call polygamy a new and everlasting covenant if it was already being practiced and it was outlawed in 1890?
4. Why is D&C 132:54 still included in the scriptures since it is a false prophesy? Emma Smith finally rejected polygamy and taught her sons that is was wrong. Yet she was not destroyed like Joseph Smith threatened. She lived a long life. Joseph Smith accepted polygamy and was destroyed. He was shot to death in a jail.
5. Why would D&C 132:34 say that polygamy was God's idea when the Bible says it was Sarah's idea? The Church is either printing the Bible incorrectly or this verse in D&C is false.
6. Why does D&C 132:34 say that it is necessary for the women to be virgins when a third of Joseph Smith's wives were presently married to living husbands? Examples - Lucinda Pendleton, Zina Diantha Huntington, Prescendia Lathrop Huntington, Sylvia Sessions, Mary Elizabeth Rollins, Patty Bartlett, Marinda Nancy Johnson, Elizabeth Davis, Sarah Kingsley, Ruth Vose and Elvira Annie Cowles
7. Why did Brigham Young say that Mary was married to Joseph for "time" and "sealed" to God the Father for "eternity" if it was important for women to be virgins?
8. Why did Joseph Smith marry living sisters since the Bible speaks against that practice in Leviticus 18:18? Examples - Delcena Diadamia Johnson and Almera Woodward Johnson; Sarah Lawrence and Maria Lawrence; Emily Dow Partridge and Eliza Maria Partridge
9. Why did Joseph Smith marry a mother and her daughter since the Bible speaks against that practice in Leviticus 18:17? Examples - Patty Bartlett and Sylvia Porter Sessions
10. Why does D&C 132:61 talk about the first wife giving her consent? Most of Joseph Smith's marriages were done behind Emma Smith's back.
Everlasting Covenant??? - In Matthew 22:29&30 Jesus said, "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." Deuteronomy 17:17 say, " Neither shall he multiply wives
1. Why does the Mormon Church claim to follow the law of the land and yet hang onto scripture that is opposed to the law of the land? Why is Doctrine and Covenants 132 still in Mormon scripture if it is illegal? Followers must choose between following Joseph Smith and scripture or following the law of the land and receiving eternal damnation!
2. If polygamy is a wicked practice in Jacob 1:15 and an abomination in God's sight in Jacob 2:24, why would God command it to be practiced in D&C 132?
3. Why does the heading for D&C132 call polygamy a new and everlasting covenant if it was already being practiced and it was outlawed in 1890?
4. Why is D&C 132:54 still included in the scriptures since it is a false prophesy? Emma Smith finally rejected polygamy and taught her sons that is was wrong. Yet she was not destroyed like Joseph Smith threatened. She lived a long life. Joseph Smith accepted polygamy and was destroyed. He was shot to death in a jail.
5. Why would D&C 132:34 say that polygamy was God's idea when the Bible says it was Sarah's idea? The Church is either printing the Bible incorrectly or this verse in D&C is false.
6. Why does D&C 132:34 say that it is necessary for the women to be virgins when a third of Joseph Smith's wives were presently married to living husbands? Examples - Lucinda Pendleton, Zina Diantha Huntington, Prescendia Lathrop Huntington, Sylvia Sessions, Mary Elizabeth Rollins, Patty Bartlett, Marinda Nancy Johnson, Elizabeth Davis, Sarah Kingsley, Ruth Vose and Elvira Annie Cowles
7. Why did Brigham Young say that Mary was married to Joseph for "time" and "sealed" to God the Father for "eternity" if it was important for women to be virgins?
8. Why did Joseph Smith marry living sisters since the Bible speaks against that practice in Leviticus 18:18? Examples - Delcena Diadamia Johnson and Almera Woodward Johnson; Sarah Lawrence and Maria Lawrence; Emily Dow Partridge and Eliza Maria Partridge
9. Why did Joseph Smith marry a mother and her daughter since the Bible speaks against that practice in Leviticus 18:17? Examples - Patty Bartlett and Sylvia Porter Sessions
10. Why does D&C 132:61 talk about the first wife giving her consent? Most of Joseph Smith's marriages were done behind Emma Smith's back.
Everlasting Covenant??? - In Matthew 22:29&30 Jesus said, "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." Deuteronomy 17:17 say, " Neither shall he multiply wives
MISSION and PURPOSE
Acknowledge and remember these largely forgotten women to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold."
|
Wife
|
Date
|
Age
|
Husband*
|
Emma Hale
Fanny Alger Lucinda Morgan Harris Louisa Beaman Zina Huntington Jacobs Presendia Huntington Buell Agnes Coolbrith Sylvia Sessions Lyon Mary Rollins Lightner Patty Bartlett Sessions Marinda Johnson Hyde Elizabeth Davis Durfee Sarah Kingsley Cleveland Delcena Johnson Eliza R. Snow Sarah Ann Whitney Martha McBride Knight Ruth Vose Sayers Flora Ann Woodworth Emily Dow Partridge Eliza Maria Partridge Almera Johnson Lucy Walker Sarah Lawrence Maria Lawrence Helen Mar Kimball Hanna Ells Elvira Cowles Holmes Rhoda Richards Desdemona Fullmer Olive Frost Melissa Lott Nancy Winchester Fanny Young |
Jan 1827
1833 1838 Apr 1841 Oct 1841 Dec 1841 Jan 1842 Feb 1842 Feb 1842 Mar 1842 Apr 1842 Jun 1842 Jun 1842 Jul 1842 Jun 1842 Jul 1842 Aug 1842 Feb 1843 Spring 1843 Mar 1843 Mar 1843 Apr 1843 May 1843 May 1843 May 1843 May 1843 Mid 1843 Jun 1843 Jun 1843 Jul 1843 Mid 1843 Sep 1843 1843 Nov 1843 |
22
16 37 26 20 31 33 23 23 47 27 50 53 37 38 17 37 33 16 19 22 30 17 17 19 14 29 29 58 32 27 19 14 56 |
NONE
NONE George W. Harris NONE Henry Jacobs Norman Buell NONE Windsor Lyon Adam Lightner David Sessions Orson Hyde Jabez Durfee John Cleveland NONE NONE NONE NONE Edward Sayers NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE Jonathan Holmes NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE |
* Living Husband at the time of
Marriage to Joseph Smith |
BIBLIOGRAPHY
WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City)
MORMON POLYGAMY: A HISTORY (Van Wagoner, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1989)*
MORMON ENIGMA: EMMA HALE SMITH (Newell & Avery, University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago, 1994)*
IN SACRED LONELINESS: THE PLURAL WIVES OF JOSEPH SMITH (Compton, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1997)*
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City)
* Available at the Deseret Book special order desk: (800) 453-4532 |
ETCETERA
1. PDF version of Remembering the Wives of Joseph Smith
2. What do Latter-day Saint churches believe and teach about polygamy today?
3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints praises the "balanced analysis" in the book: "In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith".
4. Did Joseph Smith have children by his plural wives? DNA research may be providing answers. 5. Why Did Joseph Smith Practice Polygamy? Apostle John A. Widtsoe discusses some common misconceptions. 6. Who created this website, and why? Excerpts from readers emails and responses. 7. Was it common in the 1800's for teenage girls to marry? U.S. Census Data and social research explain marriage patterns of the last 200 years |
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