Midterm 2 Flashcards
Chronological order:
- BOM comes forth
- 1st temple dedicated
- priesthood is restored
- the first vision
- the law of consecration given
- location of Zion is identified
- The first vision
- —Moroni’s visitation and then Joseph rec. plates - The priesthood restored
- –send 1st missionaries - The BOM comes forth
- Law of Consecration is given
- Location of Zion identified
- 1st temple dedicated
- -liberty Jail revelations - war in Missouri - intro. full endowment - Martyrdom
- Beginnings
New York (1820-31)
Key events
- -Hiram Page’s seer stone and location of Zion
- -mission to lamanites
- -convert 200 ppl in Kirtland
- Two church centers
Ohio and Missouri (31-39)
Key events
- -command to gather
- -law of consecration
- -Zion revealed
- -Zion’s camp
- -1st bishop called
- -law of tithing
- -battle of fishing river
- -12 and seventy called
- -WOW
- -vision of plan of salvation
- Nauvoo
(1839-46)
Key events
- -break off RLDS/community of Christ
- –Joseph and Hyrum Smith martyred
major section
10
membership - 34,000
- Church in the west
1847 - 98
Key events
- -Brigham Young launches several efforts to live Law of Consecration
- -Pearl of Great price added to canon
- -WOW is comm.
major sections
1, 1 Official declaration
Membership - 270,000
- Expansion
1899 - 1950
key events
- -command to gather where you are
- -church welfare system during great depression
- -stakes organized
- -WOW is req. for temple recommend
church moves from the West and spreads East U.S.
section 1
membership - 1,100,000
- Worldwide church
1951 - present
Key events
- -JST made available I scriptures
- -Papyrus scrolls of Book of Abraham discovered
1 official declaration
membership - 15,000,000 +
Key revelations
D&C 37, 42, 93, 20
37
–gather to Ohio - stop translation
42
–The Law of consecration
93
–How and what we worshippers
20
–The Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ
Key revelations 2
D&C 76, 88, 89
76
- -the vision (three kingdoms)
- -sons of perdition
- -while reading John 5:29
88
- -The Olive Leaf
- -saints rec. comforter
- -light of Christ in everything
- -school of prophets
89
–The Word of Wisdom
57
- -location of Zion revealed
- -saints called to special roles in Zion
Gatherings 2 church centerperiod
Gathering officially begins in the Beginnings period (told where new Jerusalem will be located)
- -cont. to 2 church centers period - missionary work on Indian reservation in Missouri (forced to leave and convert over 200 in Ohio - becomes two church center in Missouri and Ohio)
- -Nauvoo period - large numbers of members I Britain are converted and move to America
- -Church in wets - joining church meant also giving up home to travel to physically gather together - had to gather to temple
- -worldwide church - now each member lives no more than 300 miles from nearest temple
1830 - early Sept. JS rec. rev. addressing rev. rec. by Hiram Page that also gives location of New Jerusalem
Oct. - Oliver Cowdery LEADS mission to Lamanites with goal of preaching in unorganized Indian territories near borders of Missouri
Lamanite missionaries convert more than 100 individual. - including Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge near Kirtland, Ohio
Church in the West - gather to Ohio
Gather to Ohio - rev. in 1830 -becomes D&C 37 Church members comm. to gather in Ohio and rest of 19th century…standard practice for church members gather near church HQ
–church members promised if they gather they will rec. endowment of power and Lord will reveal His Law (DC 38!!)
(WORLDWIDE CHURCH)
- -church members encouraged not to gather to church HQ but remain in their own nations to build up church there
- -church builds its first 2 temples outside continental US in Canada and Hawaii
today church members gather to stakes in own lands - over 150 temples across world
Hiram Page
1800, Vermond
–married: Catherine Whitmer (oldest Whitmer daughter)
–one of 8 witnesses to BOM
–early resident if Independence, MO - doctor/farmer
–excommunicated in Far
West
Whitmer Family had many seer stones
- -Hiram began rec. revelations through a stone “concerning the upbuilding of Zion he order of church and so forth, but which were at variance w/ order of Gods house and scriptures”
- -he claimed to have rec. about gov. of church through stone and made roles of paper full of rev. - Even Oliver and Whitmer family believed him..although revelations contradicted the NT and many modern rev.
DID HAVE A SEER STONE - now in possession of the “community of Christ” church. - break off church started by Whitmers
Who has the right to rec. revelation for the church?
Assembled a conference - subject of Hiram’s seerstone - investigated and members present (including Hiram Page) renounced the stone and rev.
Stewardship
- JS: contrary to economy of God for any member to rec. instruction for those in authority higher than themselves - if get visit from heavenly messenger…must be for his own benefit and instruction
- -fundamental principles of Gov. and doctrine in the church are vested in the keys of the kingdom
Lord tells Oliver to take Hiram aside privately and tell him these are not genuine revelations - he accepted and gave back the stone
Joseph F. Smith on avoiding deception
Many instances of delusive spirits to members of the church - sometimes. bc of transgression…or led away by false spirits that imitate a divine source - Satan himself has transformed himself to be “an angel of light”
–no person has right to induce fellow members to follow claim of divine rec. when it is in opposition to recognized authority
–Lord’s church is a “house of order” - it is NOT governed by indivi. gifts or manifestations, but by order and power of Holy Priesthood as sustained by voice and vote of church in its appointed conferences
What happened to Hiram Page’s seerstone
Bro. Hiram Page dug out of the earth a black stone and put in his pocket - when he got home he saw a sentence on it - wrote on sentence and another came on the stone until he wrote 16 pages
–ppl asked JS if its right…he didn’t know but he prayed and got rev. that the stone was of the devil - then it was broke to powder and the writings burnt “it was a work of the power of darkness”
D&C 28 - missionaries to Lamanites
go to laminates and preach gospel to them - location of Zion is not rev…no man knows where it shall be built but it shall be given after
missionaries to Lamanites:
Parley P. Pratt and Oliver Cowdery
–converts: Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge
he tells Oliver that Zion will be near the laminates - go on a mission
Parley. P. Pratt
baptized 1830 (born 1807)
- -converted by the BOM
- -opened it and read title page…read testimony of witnesses then read all day - eating was a burden…no desire for food or sleep
- –served missions to Missouri, Canada, Britain and Chile
- -original member of Quorum of 12
- -converted one future Pres. of the church (John Taylor)
- -Martyred in Arkansas
known as the “Apostle Paul of Mormonism”
he is from Ohio - converts his friend Sidney Rigdon - converts Sidney and his entire congregation of 200 that he leaves
Gather to Ohio
Gather to Ohio
- -250 miles from winter to spring of 1831
- –DC 37 - the command - first commandment concerning a gathering in this dispensation - go and assemble in his - people in Colesville had been partying with much faith
- -DC 38 - the why - a conference at the church - I will give unto you a land of your inheritance if you seek it with all your hearts
38: 32
- -“for this cause I gave unto you the comm. that. ye should go to Ohio - there I will give you my law - and there you shall be endowed with power from on high”
The main object of gathering
main object was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose…
–it is for same purpose that God gathers together his ppl in last days - to build unto the Lord a house to prepare them for ordinances and endowments, washings and anointing - JS
rev. on wars
DC 45 - hear of wars in foreign lands..but wars are in your own lands in many years
- -eastern lands - leave and go to western countries, repent and build up churches
- -with one heart and one mind father of riches that ye may purchase an inheritance
DC 87 - rev. on WAR
- -Wars shall come to pass - beg. in rebellion of S Carolina which will terminate in death and misery of many souls - time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beg. at his place
- –(87:3) - Southern states be divided against the N states - and call on other nations, even Great Britain -
- -slaves shall rise up against masters - remnants lefts I’m land will marshal themselves and become angry
87:8 - wherefore stand ye in holy places - be not moved until he day of the Lord come
Pres. Hinckley - Perilous times
Are these perilous times? They are. But there is no need to fear. We can have peace in our hearts and peace in our homes. We can be an influence for good in this world, every one of us.”
gathering still occurring in stakes…in temples
- -arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations - that the gathering together upon Zion may be for a defense…for a refuge from the storm
- -These are the STAKES IN ZION we gather at
gather to be Safe - spiritual gathering in the temple
Is gathering still happening?
Gathering in temples and stakes is a refuge from the storm
- -counsel of general authorities today - don’t flock zionword but remain in countries - honor laws of those countries and stay there to help build up Lord’s work there - strengthen hands of elders and missionaries laboring among them
- -used to teach gather in Utah largely bc that was only place in world with a temple - gathering everywhere. Korea is place for Koreans, Brazil for Brazilians… - Kimball
Oaks - With the creation of stakes and the construction of temples in most nations with sizeable populations of the faithful, the current commandment is not to gather to one place but to gather in stakes in our own homelands
D&C reading on the gathering
28, 29, 32, 35, 36
28
–Hiram Page rev. - Members and Oliver Cowdery deceived - Lord tells Oliver that Comforter can teach individually but only prophet can rec. rev. and comm. for entire church - has Keys
29
–Plan of Salvation - called to bring to pass gathering of mine elect
32
–Lord tells parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer to go to wilderness among lamanites - pray always and God will bless them
35
–Oliver and John Whitmer other calling so Sidney Rigdon called as scribe of JS Bible translations
36
–rev. to Edward Partridge - lay hand and rec. HF - teach all peaceable things of kingdom
Mission to the laminates article
Rev. before bOM completely translated…lord said plates were preserved ““that lamanites might come to knowledge of their fathers and that they may know the promises of the Lord - to believe Gospel and rely upon merits of Jesus Christ”
“that lamanites might come to knowledge of their fathers and that they may know the promises of the Lord - to believe Gospel and rely upon merits of Jesus Christ”
- –Oliver Cowdery was principal scribe - knew BOM as written primarily to the laminates
- –Oliver was first person instructed by rev, to go unto the laminates and preach gospel
- –others called and missionaries sent from west Indep. MO to Indian territory (Indian removal act)
- -in middle of Journey, stopped at Parley Pratt friends house, Sidney Rigdon - gave copy of BOM and he promised to read - in 2-3 weeks had baptized 127 ppl in Kirtland and became site of first temple
Russel M. Nelson - The gathering of scattered Israel
Abraham covenant - Lord promised to make his posterity a chosen people - BOM teaches that covenant fulfilled in latter days - we are among covenant people of Lord
–Abraham’s descendants…tribes of Israel had access to priesthood authority and blessings
Coming forth of BOM is sign that Lord has began to gather his people - BOM is central tot he work - w/o BOM fathering of Israel would not occur
- -After Kirtland temple dedicated - Heavenly messengers came with priesthood keys - Moses appeared and gave keys of gathering of Israel from 3 parts of earth - prophet Elijah appears 1836
- -WE ARE ALSO CALED TO GATHER SOULS ON OTHER SIDE OF VEIL - TEMPLE WORK
Zion is the “pure in heart” - wherever the righteous saints are
–“spiritual security will always depend on HOW one lives not WHERE one lives”
The law of consecration through history
Two church centers period
- -Law of Consecration revealed to JS (DC 42) - “the law of the church”
- -additional instructions on consecration and attempts to live law cont. through 1830s-40s
church in west
–Brigham Young launches several more efforts to live law of Consecration
Communists? = Isaac Morley contended that in order to restore ancient order in church of Christ - necessary there be a community of goods among brethren…and a number of them removed o his house and farm, build houses and worked and lived together - composed of a “big family” -
What is the laminate mission and its major effect on the church?
- take the gospel to laminates; preach to all
- Helped established a stronghold for church in Kirkland; lots of unexpected converts, lots of influential leaders
- Leads missionaries to independence, MIS
what are 5 reasons the Lord commands his saints to go to gather in Ohio
- Escape destruction of enemy
- Consecration for poor and needy
- Condense as a righteous people
- Give them his law
- To endow them with divine power
Help, care for, become righteous, give law, endow
What are DC 42s more perfect commandments - “the law”
Elders preach gospel Don't kill, steal, lie, cheat, speak bad/hurt neighbor, have a proud heart, be idle Love our spouse with all your heart Consecrate/remember poor Live together in love Do your job Don't take your brother's garment (don't be a free loader) Give your excess to my storehouse Ask for revelation Preach to all nations Govern my church according to law
remember poor - consecrate properties for their support
what are the diff. btw all things common, the united order, and law of consecration
ATC: give everything; deeded back a portion
UO: Church businesses run by church leaders not with church money
LC: We dedicate/donate time, money, talents
what are the celestial principles of consecration
- Stewardship
- -a deed of stewardship - Levi Jackman
- -who determines stewardship? - Brigham Young - rev. given and he was asked to go among churches and find out what surplus property people had - with which to fwd the building of Temple commencing in far west..went from place to place - before started he asked JS “who judges what is surplus property?” - he said “LET THEM BE THE JUDGE THEMSELVES” - Needs and Wants
- -DC 51 - Let Edward Partridge…appoint ppl their portions, every man equal according to his family. According to his circumstances and needs
- -JS to Edward - every man must be his own judge how much he should rec. and how much he should suffer to remain in hands of bishop - Consecrate (all thy property)
- -a deed of consecration - list property of O.M. Allen
- -animals, lot, materials, dent, wife and children, “all at your disposal for building up of the kingdom”
- -to consecrate property is nothing more than feeding hungry, clothing naked, visiting widow and sick - Storehouse
- -51:13 - let bishop appoint a storehouse unto church - all things both in money and meat..which are more than is needful for wants of this people be kept in hands of bishop
How consecration works (IN 1831)
- You consecrate all to church for the poor
- You rec. stewardship sufficient for your needs (Bishop to you)
- You give any surplus back to the bishop
- From surplus, your wants are sufficiently supplied
- The residue is kept in bishops storehouse for poor and needy
- Church is finances and needs are met, helping to establish Zion
HOW IT WORKED IN 1831
DC 41 - the first bishop
–Edward Partridge - appoint unto people their portions, every man equal according to his family, according to his circumstances and his wants and needs
Do we still LIVE the LAW of consecration?
Brigham Young and Consecration - it is more than 40 years since order of Enoch was introduced and rejected - one would naturally think that it is now time to begin to honor it
rediscovering the law
–“basic principle of all rev. on united order is that everything we have belongs to the lord - Lord may call upon us for any and all of property which we have, bc it belongs to him. that is the basic principle”
begin church welfare
–welfare plan is not the united order - but used to carry out the fundamentals of United Order
is the welfare system the law of consecration??
–Almost from beg. of services in church welfare I had conviction that what we are doing in welfare work is preliminary to reestablishment of law of consecration and stewardship as req. under united order”
law of sacrifice and law of consecration still in effect!!! - Hinckley
Lord has invited his children to consecrate time, means, and selves to join with him in serving others
- -his way of helping has been called living the law of consecration - in another period his way was called the united order…in our time it is called the church welfare program (Eyring)
- -names and details are changed to fit needs and conditions of people…but lord’s way is always to help those in temporal need and req. ppl who out of love have consecrated themselves and why they have to God and His work
law of tithing - DC 119
Require all surplus property to put into hands of bishop in church in Zion
- -building up mind house -lay foundation for Zion and priesthood - for debts of Pres. of my church
- -this is the beg. of tithing among my people
- -after that, those who have been tithes shall pay 1/10 of interest annually
Pres. Monson - what is the Lord’s storehouse?
- the time, talents, skills, compassion, consecrated material, and financial means of faithful church members
- –these are resources available to the bishop in assisting those in need
- -bishops have responsibility to learn how to properly use these resources
Mutual consent and consecration
- -must be done by mutual consent of both parties - to give Bishops power over how much every many has is giving Bishop more power than King
- -but to let every many say how much he needs and bishop obliged to comply his judgement is to throw Zion into confusion
- -must be balance and equilibrium of power. btwn bishop and people
Wilfoord Woodruff
“Be it known that I, Wilford Woodruff do freely covenant with my God that I freely consecrate and dedicate myself together with all my properties and affects unto the Lord for the purpose of assisting in building up his kingdom even Zion on the earth that I may keep his law and lay all things before the bishop of his Church that I may be a lawful heir to the Kingdom of God even the Celestial Kingdom.”
LAW OF CONSECRATION IS A CELESTIAL LAW, NOT AN ECONOMIC EXPERIMENT (Ezra Taft Benson)
–binding req. for entrance into the celestial kingdom
Jed Woodworth “The center place”
John the Revelator talks about a New Jerusalem (many in world confused if literal or figurative)
- -JS described as city saints must build - Called Zion
- -Lord tells JS DC 57 that Zion is located in Indep. Missouri - at time, most of land already calmed by settlers and had to negotiate
Gospel in ancient times taught from Jew to Gentiles - in modern times taught from Gentiles to Jews
Reading DC 7, 90-91, 43, 67
7
–JS and Oliver discuss John Beloved - if tried in flesh or died
90
–steps in establishing first Pres. - tells jS that when finished translation of Bible should Preside over church
91
–JS translating OT and asks about Apocypha - God says there are may things contained in there that are true and is mostly translated correctly…but many things NOT true - not needful it be translated again
43
–rev. come through one appointed and ordained
67
–to elders of church - privilege to be ordained to ministry - strip of pride, jealousies, fears
JS Bible Translation
“Rev. in Context”
- -BOM says many plain and precious parts of Bible had been lost - summer 1830 begs translation of bible to restore lost parts
- -didn’t use Greek or Hebrew texts…took current King James version of Bible as starting point and made new additions and changes as directed by HG
- -3 years - complete translation not published during his life
- -Sidney Rigdon was his scribe
1832
–he and Sidney Rigdon were working on boo of John - asked questions and led to a vision of kingdoms of glory (DC 76)
most bibles at time contained 14 books called Apocrypha - many were questioning there status as scripture
more than half of DC rev. were rec, during that 3 year period where JS translated the Bible - many were direct answers to inspired questions to understand gospel and restore plain and precious parts of Bible
Translation and historicity of book of Abraham
Book originated with Egyptian Papyri that jS translated in 1835 - Abrahm’s book status rests on faith in book as witnessed by HG
–Nephi taught that purpose of BOM was establish truth of Bible - similar…Abraham supports expands and clarifies biblical account of Abrahams life
1835
- -michael chandler arrived at church HQ in Ohio with 4 mummies and multiple scrolls of Papyrus - brought to be sold - JS saw that one contained writing of Abraham - translated after relocated to Nauvoo and published
- -like BOM recorded in lang. of King James bible
JS sold Ppayri and believed to be burned in great Chicago fire
What is the JST
- Restoration of the original text (Moses 1 is Genesis 1)
- Restoration of what once was said or done by which was never in the Bible (3 Nephi 23:6-13)
- Editing to make Bible more understandable to modern readers (JST Genesis 14:20, JST Genesis 18:32)
- Editing to bring biblical wording into harmony with truth found in other revelations or elsewhere in the Bible (JST John 1:18)
- Changes to provide modern readers teachings that were not written by the original authors (JST Romans 13)
robert Matthews - guy responsible for getting us JST
Book of Abraham
Joseph Smith Papyri - in 1947 - for a long time thought the Papyri was destroyed and lost in a fire - someone was working in the Met museum in New York and found on the back of a book the Papyri (checked and they are not the book of Abraham but we are not sure what they are yet) - In Salt Lake
What we think happened is Emma Smith held on to them and then sold to a museum in Chicago - the museum later burned down
Zion?
- City build by Enoch
- Mountain where Solomon built his temple
- Jackson County, Missouri
- City of New Jerusalem
- All of N and S America
- Pure in Heart
250 break of churches from us (one literally has 8 members in Independence - do temple ordinances)
The two church centers- the rise and fall of Zion
1831 - JS given rev. commanding him and other church leaders to journey to Missouri for church conference
—July - JS and Elders who traveled w/ him to Missouri rec. rev. declaring that Zion will be in Independence centered around a temple - many saints begin to gather in Missouri
Summer 1833 - Mob violence against saints in Missouri
–Saints in Jackson County forced to leave by local gov.
JS organizes Zion’s camp and march to Missouri to provide relief to the Saints and seek the return of church lands and property
The plat of the city Zion
june 1833 - church leaders in Kirtland dragged plat/plan for creating streets of Zion
- overly wide streets
- long, skinny lots with small street frontage
- blocks laid out in alternating directions so no ones home faced another
the SECOND plat of Zion
–1st plat most famous - cont. to make koans - New plans w/ letter from Oliver saying prev. patterns were incorrect
Purpose of city of Zion
- -place of refuge/peace/safety
- -gathering of saints
- -great city of God
requirements
- -any church member who went to Zion had to have recommend from bishop olive there
- -req. to keep law of God on land
- -needed to live all things common
The KNIGHT family in ZION
–among strangers - friendly and comfortable
Trouble in Zion timeline
BEGINS July 1833
- Mob violence begins and declaration signed to leave Jackson County, MO
- Build a temple and Lord warns Zion
- how to respond to enemies in Zion
- Church leaders meet with Governor Dunklin, tells them to appeal to local judges - inflames locals who renew attacks against saints - unroof houses and whip men - saints fought back
- saints forced out and flee - go to clay county, MO
- DC 101 why Zion was chastened and how to redeem it
- organize Zion’s camp - disbanding of Zion’s camp 1834
struggled to keep comm. in land of Zion
- -DC 98 - rev. came in consequence to persecution of Saints in MO
- -Saints in MO told told to build temple in Independence…JS dedicated land - 2 years later still no progress on temple
DC 97
why were saints not protected C 101
Let Zion rejoice - the pure in heart - while all wicked shall mourn
Saints were disobedient -forsook new covenant - suffer affliction “after much tribulation comes the blessing”
call of Zion camp
DC 103
–gather yourselves together Erin land of Zion - march from Ohio to Missouri - 1000 miles gone from May 1 to early Aug. 1834
the battle of fishing river - June 18, 1834 - large mob intent on destroying Zion’s camp gather on other side of river - attack prevented when fierce storm swept the area and rive quickly rose more than 30 feet
–JS - “God did not want you to fight. Could not organize his kingdom with 12 men to open gospel unless he took them from a body o amen who had offered their lives. and who made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham.” - trial of faith to prepare the 12
RESULTS
–FEB. 1835 - Twelve apostles and seventy organized - 9 of original apostles and scene Pres. of seventy’s quorum and all 63 members of quorum had served in Zion’s army
Reaching Zion
Always seems beyond our reach - need to understand that virtue can be gained through progressing toward Zion as in dwelling there - process as well as destination - many are perfected upon the road to Zico who will never see the city in mortality - Elder Hales
Basic Beliefs
GOD
- -we believe in one living God who meets us in the testimony of Israel
- -revealed in Jesus Christ
- -moves through all creation as the Holy Spirit
- -affirm the Trinity - God who is a community of three persons - al things that exist over their being to God
JESUS CHRIST
–Son of living God - word made flesh, savior of world, fully human and fully divine - through Jesus’s life, ministry, death and resurrection, God reconciles world and breaks down walls that divide. Christ is our peace
HOLY SPIRIT
- -giver of life, holy wisdom, true God - spirit moves through and sustains creation - endows church for missions - frees world from sin
- -transforms beliefs - wherever we find joy, peace patience, kindness, generosity, Holy Spirit IS WORKING
what is JS translation?
“Translation” NOT meant by JS to mean a literal lang. to lang. meaning
–dictionary - “act of turning into another language”
JS means divine “transmission” -adding to, taking away, clarifying, restoring original intent, rephrasing, interpreting
Robert Matthews
Spirit suggested many enlargements, background and additional concepts not found on page
–thus the term “translation” when referring to JS translation of bible differs from what normally used when one thinks of translation lang.
Chief editor of the Bible Dictionary
–said the DC and JST are not entirely separate books - they are INTERWOVEN
MAIN PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR US GETTING JST
–Wanted to use it in footnotes and needed abbreviation - not NT, or IV so JST
he formed friendship with community of christ church
was JST ever finished?
translated first part of OT then moved to NT - finished NT then moved to OT again
there are 3,410 changes from KJV Bible
–significant changes to Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, Isaiah, Matt, Luke, Romans, 1 Cor., Galations, Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, Rev.
NO changes to Ruth, Ezra, Esther, - no changes to 2 John or 3 John
never published - due to neglect on part of the Saints to provide temporal necessities by which prophet could attend to work - needed money to print the translations… rec. $207 in donations…not enough
RLDS
The Holy Scriptures
–remained in JS’s possession throughout his life - with Emma who gave to son so that Reorganized church of Jesus Christ of LDS (RLDS church) could publish it - now became Community of Christ and boo is in their possession
WHY ALL JST NOT IN SCRIPTURES?
Not bc unreliable
–bc passages of doctrinal significance were given preference - space was major factor so could not include all
theories on origins of book of Abraham
JS papyri do not contain enough material to account for contents of the book - don’t match description J gave of papyri he translated
- -text of book of Abraham contains many parallels to apocryphal writings about Abraham and many near eastern cultural concepts that would have been unknown in JS time
- -truth can only be found through careful study of its teachings, sincere prayer and confirmation of the spirit
Doctrines of book of Abraham
Priesthood - its an inheritance 0 “right belonging to the fathers” a lineage idea
–important given vs. on pharaoh who also wanted priesthood but not of right lineage
THREE P’s of Abrahamic covenant
1. Promised land
- Priesthood
- -bear this ministry and priesthood unto all nations - responsibility to proclaim gospel of Christ and invite all to rec. by proper priesthood authority the ordinances of salvation - missionary work evident of our heritage a sons of God and seed of Abraham (Bednar) - Posterity
creation
–Gods - watched until obeyed - periods or “times”
Abraham proves 5 poitns
- he is faithful to death
- he is organized to priesthood order
- he marries in the new and everlasting covenant with Sarai
- rec. promise of exalted blessings
- taught about God’s plan: premortality, purpose of life, creation, fall and Atonement
The vision - two church centers and Nauvoo
JS and Sidney Rigdon see vision together and ponder 3 kingdoms in eternal world - 12 other men in room with them
- -vision published in church newspaper, “The evening and morning star” - not well rec. by members at first
- -translatio room at John Johnson Farmhouse - Hiram, Ohio
nauvoo
–WW. Phelps writes poems for JS about next life - JS quote and talks about vision more freely and it becomes a vital part of LDS theology
Vision principles
- Church of the Firstborn
- the economy of God
- -mgmt. regulation and gov.
Gave outline of Plan of Salvation
–the Atonement of Christ makes salvation possible
overview
- vision of glory of father and son
- -both resurrected beings - Christ stands at right hand of God - all worlds created and indiv. exalted by Son - Vision of fall of Lucifer
- -Lucifer means “bearer of light” - fell bc sought to destroy man’s agency - sons of perdition
- -denied truth, denied HG, crucified Christ afresh - better to not have been born
- -must rec. HG, have heavens opened unto him, know God…then sin against him - like saying the sun does not shine while he sees it - Celestial Glory
- -rec. testimony of Jesus - believed and were baptized, cleansed and sealed by HG - Terresttrial glory
- -honorable men of earth - blinded by craftiness of men.- not valiant in testimony of Jesus - Telestial glory
- -rec. not the gospel. rec. not testimony - liars, adulterers, thrust down to Hell but redeemed at end of Millennium
why many rejected Vision at first
–apostatized bc God was not going to send everlasting punishment to sinners - but would bless honest and virtuous and truthful whether belonged to any church or not
Universalism
- -believed that God would not eternally punish sinners but that all would eventually be saved in God’s kingdom - JS’s father and grandfather believed this
- -many believed it removed incentive to keep God’s comm.
valiant in testimony of Jesus
to be valiant - magnify callings, defend truth, pay tithing, live morally clean lives, sustain leaders, keep Sabbath day holy, obey all comm.
NOT valiant
–members who know church is true - may even hold recommend - do not magnify callings - seek praise of men - conceal sins, criticize others
DC 88
Olive leaf
- -Lords message of peace to us
- -sends comforter to abide in our hearts - Holy Spirit of promise - comforter is promise of eternal life
- -light of Christ
How and what we worship - through history
2 church centers
–nature of Christ and his role in plan
expansion
–father and son and HG as godhead
worldwide church
–Living Christ proclamation
3 req. for faith
- idea that it actually exists
- correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes
- knowledge that course of life pursuing is in accordance to his will
The light of Christ
light of christ
- -light of sun, moon stars
- -fills immensity of space
- -is in all things and brings life to all things
HOLY GHOST
–personage in Godhead - not that which light every man that comes in the world
Redemption of the soul
spirit AND body are the soul of man (bc health of the body affects the spirit - WOW)
–resurrection is redemption of the soul
every spirit of man was INNOCENT from the beg. - and God redeemed man from fall, men became again in their infant state INNOCENT before God
The fate of the earth
–energy in universe if a form of
intelligence
–universe not created from nothing - elements are ETERNAL
Order of Resurrection
first resurrection
–initiated with resurrection of Christ - some resurrected with the Savior
second coming: Millennium begins morning of first resurrection cont.
–1st TRUMP - those who have celestial spirit and obey law of Christ
afternoon of first resurrection begins
–2nd TRUMP - terrestrial beings resurrected
SECOND RESURRECTION
millennium concluded
–3RD TRUMP
–telestial beings resurrected
ressurrections concluded
- -4th TRUMP
- -sons of perdition resurrected
Word of wisdom through history
two church centers
–given as counsel, not comm.
church in west
–Brigham Young asks Saints to begin to live WOW as comm.
Expansion
–Heber J Grant makes WOW req. to rec. temple recommend
4 pieces of teachings
- core eternal doctrine (atonement, baptism)
- -can’t have beliefs that differ from core doctrine - Supporting teachings - proxy baptism
- Policy teachings (can change throughout time to fit circumstances of that time)
- -priests being capable of doing proxy baptisms
- -WOW at first - Esoteric teachings - dead rejoicing (When do baptisms for them) - where Garden of Eden is…God is white
- -no problems if we have find. opinions with esoteric teachings
shakers
break off from Quakers
- -God is both male and female
- male Christ came to each as Jesus - female came as Mother Ann (founder of Shakers)
- -celibacy
- -equality of sexes
- -baptism and marriage are not essential
- -disease is a sin against God
Edward Partridge
- -was converted by mission to lamanites
- -first bishop of church
- -law of consecration
- -allows himself to be tarred and feathered in Missouri - mob gives up
Parley P. Pratt
missionary - converted by BOM
- -martyred
- -apostle Paul of mormonism
- -converted Sidney Rigdon
J Reuben Clark
helped bring about modern-day publishing and distribution of DC
- -Starts church welfare system
- -counselor in 1st Presidency
Heber J. Grant
turns word of Wisdom into req. for temple recommend
what are req. of agency?
- eternal law
- opposition
- knowledge of Good and evil
- power to choose
