Monday 25 October 2010

Christian Brands? - Latter Day Saints

Origins: 1870
Began in: America
Founder: Joseph Smith, a rather colourful character indeed!
Membership: c.14m worldwide (c. 200,000 in the UK)

Bible: The Bible (usually the King James Version) is one of the four sources of authority (known as 'The Standard Works') and is, at best, equal to, rather than having a primacy in this setting. It sits alongside the 'Book of Mormon', the 'Pearl of Great Price' and the book of 'Doctrine and Covenant'. Along with these four sources there are also 'inspired' utterances from the top table. These are 'The First Presidency' (the top man) and his counsellors (two or three advisers) and the 'Quorum of the Twelve Apostles' ('The Twelve').

The book of Mormon is claimed to be 'another' testament of Jesus - this is the book that Joseph Smith apparently translated from golden plates that he was led to by an Angel and has to be regarded as the keystone of the Mormon (they prefer Latter Day Saints by the way!) faith. The Bible is regarded as correct when errors are resolved by use of Joseph Smith's translation of it.

Beliefs: The church has gone wrong and the LDS is Jesus' answer to it. They are a corrective against the modern heresies and deviations from that which God designed. Quite recently, the LDS have moved strongly to try and convince people that they are a Christian group and of late I notice that rather than LDS they now bill themselves as the 'Church of jesus Christ'. As Jesus is at the 'centre' of their religion they see this as evidence of being Christian, so let's take a quick look at what they believe.

There is more than one god, but God (as we understand Him) has a physical body, had a childhood and is a 'perfected man'. We all have the potential in ourselves to become a god too.

The name for 'gods' is 'elohim' (which if I recall correctly is the generic term for small 'g' gods in the OT and ANE writings - God being Yaweh). Jesus is Jehovah and the Holy Spirit? Well, from those I have dialogued with, the HS was a bit of a fuzzy area. Bottom line, they're definitely not trinitarian, but they do say there are three separate beings - confused? They are (and so am I)!

God is not eternal in the 'always was, always is, always will be' sort of way - more like he's always been around and so it's been a long time (feels like an eternity sort of stuff!).

Jesus - Was with God at the creation and is the firstborn 'spirit' child of God, born of Mary and God (no inspiration - it was God as a man and Mary who made Jesus) as a man and appears as Jehovah across the OT. Died, buried and rose again into a physical body and will come again. Jesus is the way to salvation (as outlined in the Standard Works and the utterances.

Interestingly, Jesus returned to earth after the crucifixion and did miracles and the like in the US, living amongst a people called 'Nephites' whom he set aside as twelve disciples. he also appeared to Joseph Smith and has done so to various of the subsequent leaders since.

The Holy Spirit, as with Jesus, separate fron God the Father is a spiritual being but appears human and because of this physical limitation can only be in one place at a time (like the other two). To get around this the LDS use the sun as an analogy:

"The sun is in but one place but it's warmth and light, power and effect can be felt everywhere!'

The Holy Spirit is a guide who reveals the truth about Jesus and the Father, often as a sort of 'hunch' or feeling that something is right or wrong.

Are they Christian? From the problems that they have with the Creed, the Trinity, reliance upon extra-biblical material (and utterances from the top), baptising the dead and many things means I can only say 'No'!

Placing the name of Jesus Christ in a setting doesn't make that setting, or the people who gather there, 'Christian'. It's about more than just a name and the reality is that the general understanding of what an orthodox Christian faith is just isn't present! At best they are yet another Christian heresy and therefore the non-Christian 'cult' label appears fairly and accurately placed.

Over the years I have had some great friends from the LDS. We disagreed on stuff but they were really nice, family focussed, people. Sadly, being nice isn't the issue here though!

4 comments:

Revsimmy said...

I agree with your assessment, Vic.

Tecnical point - in the Hebrew bible 'a' god is 'el'. The plural is 'elohim', but this is also, and interestingly, used to denote 'the' God in some books (the 'E' of JEDP in source criticism). This is because the plural can also be used as an intensifier. Jehovah or Yahweh ('J') are variations of the tetragrammaton, the divine Name revealed to Moses at the burning bush and is usually translated 'LORD' in English Bibles. LORD God is Yahweh Elohim.

Vic Van Den Bergh said...

Whoops!

Sorry, thought I'd clicked 'save' but must have hit 'send' instead!

Was in the process of doing an edit when it went and the 'gods' bit was on the other window - now amended and hopefully betterer.:)

Often make the point about lordand LORd and am always amazed who comes back amazed that there was any difference.

Tomorrow will be fun because I've had a mail asking about 'Christadephian' - be good to see what I can remember and what I need to look up (did an essay on them a long time back during first degree - a long, long, long time ago).

thanks for comments,

V

UKViewer said...

I have family experience of the Mormons. My son married one and was given a full immersion baptism in a Mormon temple in Blackheath.

We went to support him, and frankly (I at that time was not a Christian, agnostic about all religion) I found it to be very much like a 'cult'. I was resistant to their blandishments and attempts to bring us into their fold. In particular, I refused to give information about our family and ancestors. What my son did, I am afraid I don't know.

But, it is his life to do with, what he wished. For a year or so he followed it piously and he and his wife hosted innumerable missionaries across from Utah to convert the UK.

The crunch came when his marriage broke down - he left our daughter-in-law and went off. Not taking sides was the most important factor for us. But he has now reverted to Roman Catholicism, the religion I had when he was born.

My daughter-in-law was excommunicated by the Mormon church and also by her family over this - being regarded as a 'fallen women'. Judgmental and plain wrong.

Revsimmy said...

Vic. Having been brought up in the Christadelphians (my uncle was editor of their magazine) I can probably help you out a bit there, though it is all a bit hazier 40 years on...

Christadelphians were founded in the nineteenth century by an English doctor, John Thomas, who was influenced by the Campbellites in the US. He concluded that in many respects the Christendom model of Christianity had deviated from the teaching of Jesus and the scriptures in a number of important respects.

Basically, salvation is by being baptised as a Christadelphian (as an adult, by full immersion), which conveys to the candidate forgiveness of their past sins; after that you need to keep your nose clean, though God does forgive minor sins. Like JWs and Mormons they are non-Trinitarian. Jesus is the son of God, but not God the Son, having no existence prior to his birth (well, maybe conception...). The Holy Spirit is simply an impersonal force or power of God at work in the world. These two things put them outside Nicene, orthodox Christianity.

Christadelphians also do not, as I recall, believe anyone goes to heaven. Death is a kind of "soul-sleep", after which everyone is raised in a general resurrection for judgement. Those who are condemned are annihilated (no Hell either); those who merit eternal life live that life on a renewed earth.

The restoration of the state of israel was a big thing for them in the sixties - I imagine it is much the same today.

Christadelphians place great store in teh Bible, but will argue that even the KJV (their favourite version in the 60s)has been inaccurately translated in some places.

Ignore all this if it doesn't help or your information is more up-to-date than mine.