Friday, June 26, 2015
ENTRY 37 RESTORATION
A restoration of a church is not what is needed. What is needed is a restoration of your soul to God. Jesus Christ is sent to those who seek that restoration. When you learn to rely upon Christ, then you are brought back to that restoration.
Here is a good explanation from the following link:
RESTORATION
ENTRY 36 MARRIAGE
In a previous entry, I explained why I believe the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants is Lost Scripture.
I accept this book as scripture for a couple of reasons.
First, Joseph Smith presented the revelations as the words
of God given to him directly from God.
The authenticity of a Revelation needs to begin with a claim that the words issued
are actually the words of God. Determining if a work is revelation begins with the speaker or author who is presenting the information. Does the presentor claim the information came from God? Or does the presentor claim to be the originator of the subject? We can't make claims that exceed the author's own claims. If the author does not claim the words are revelation from God, then we cannot jump to the conclusion that the revelation is from God.
Second, once that claim is laid out before the people then
it is up to the people to determine the validity of the claim. God will provide two or three witness to the
truth of all things.
It does not take a lengthy search to find additional witnesses to the authenticity of this book.
It does not take a lengthy search to find additional witnesses to the authenticity of this book.
In the case of this record there are more than three
witnesses. The General Assembly of
August 1835 gathered together and the following individuals gave an individual
testimony to the truthfulness of the book before the assembly: WW Phelps, John Whitmer, John Smith, Levi
Jackman, Leanord Rich, NK Whitney, John Corrill, John Gould, Ira Ames, Erastus
Babbit, Wm Burges, and Thomas Gates. The
assembly as whole then “accepted and acknowledged it as the doctrine and
covenants of their faith, by unanimous vote.” At the end of their testimonies, W.W. Phelps
arose once again and read to the assembly an article on Marriage which would
also be included in the printing of the book.
This was also accepted by unanimous vote.
Third, a personal acceptance of the revelation must be
determined by study, prayer and faith. (Recall
that Faith means to exercise a personal motivation to find the will of God in
all things.) For me that personal witness comes in the form of recognizing Truths
that are more clearly laid out in the 1835 Edition. One example of such Truth is the definition and
explanation of Faith found only in this edition. Another example of Truth found in this
edition that has been subsequently lost in later editions is the definition of
Marriage. It is the harmonization of
these truths coupled with the call to repentance found within this edition that
compels me to accept it as a reliable source of revelation.
Always recognizing that Truth is eternal and unchangeable
and what I may understand as truth today may in fact prove to be false
tomorrow. Therefore it is with humility
that I assert anything to be true, acknowledging my own failings and
weaknesses. To the best of my understanding
as I seek to know the will of God, what I read in the 1835 Edition of Doctrine
and Covenants is a record of valid revelations from God.
But you will have to make that determination for your own
self.
Please take a look at the original Section 101 published in
1835. This is the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints first official declaration on Marriage.
http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835#!/paperSummary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835&p=259
Section 101 • Statement on Marriage, circa August 1835
SECTION CI.
MARRIAGE.
1 According to the custom of all
civilized nations, marriage is regulated by laws and ceremonies:
therefore we believe, that all marriages in this church of Christ of
Latter Day Saints, should be solemnized
in a public meeting, or feast, prepared for that purpose: and that
the solemnization should be perfor med by a presiding high priest, high
priest, bishop, elder, or priest, not
even prohibiting those persons who are desirous to get married, of being
married by other authority. We believe that it is not right to
prohibit members of this church from marrying out of the church, if it be
their determination so to do, but such persons will be considered weak in
the faith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Marriage should be celebrated with
prayer and thanksgiv ing; and at the solemnization, the persons to be
married, stand ing together, the man on the right, and the woman on the left,
shall be addressed, by the person officiating, as he shall be directed by
the holy Spirit; and if there be no legal objections, he shall say,
calling each by their names: “You both mutual ly agree to be each other’s
companion, husband and wife, ob serving the legal rights belonging to this
condition; that is, keeping yourselves wholly for each other, and from
all others, during your lives.” And when they have answered “Yes,” he
shall pronounce them “husband and wife” in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and by virtue of the laws of the coun try and authority vested in
him: “may God add his blessings and keep you to fulfill your covenants
from henceforth and forever. Amen.”
3 The clerk of every church should
keep a record of all mar riages, solemnized in his branch.
4 All legal contracts of marriage
made before a person is bap tized into this church, should be held sacred
and fulfilled. In asmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with
the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we be lieve, that one man should have one wife;
and one woman, but one husband,
except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again. It is
not right to persuade a woman to be baptized contrary to the will of her
husband, neither is it lawful to
influence her to leave her husband. All children are bound by law to
obey their parents; and to influence them to embrace any religious faith,
or be baptized, or leave their pa rents without their consent, is unlawful and unjust. We be lieve
that husbands, parents, and masters who exercise control over their wives,
children and servants, and prevent them from embracing the truth, will have to
answer for that sin.” [p. 251]
Please recognize an important point in this document.
The official teaching of the church in 1835 was monogamy. A man should marry only one woman. A woman should marry only one
man. The only exception offered is if a
spouse should be lost in death, then the living man or woman is free to marry
again.
This declaration was made in response to charges of
fornication and polygamy.
Subsequent years would later find the church openly teaching
polygamy as an official doctrine. See
Section 132 of the most current edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. The open practice of polygamy would not occur
in Joseph Smith’s lifetime. It would
occur later under the leadership of Brigham Young.
Just one month prior to his death, Joseph made this public
declaration on May 26, 1844:
"...What a thing it is for a man to be
accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. I am the same man, and as innocent as I
was fourteen years ago; and I can prove them all perjurers." (History
of the Church
Volume 6, page 411)
Everything publicly taught by Joseph Smith was
that a man should marry only one woman. He
unmistakably denied polygamy again and again.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints are forced to make reconciliation about the teachings of our
church as well as the narration of our history.
It is forced upon us by the duplicitous nature of the doctrines that
have been presented to us over the course of the last 180 years. This is the challenge that has been placed
before us.
Acknowledging that challenge is not evil
speaking of others, nor is it an attempt to destroy Faith. We have no need to contend about the
doctrine, but rather we can lay out the facts as they are and examine the
history under the light of truth. Let us
be honest before God and honest before our neighbors about the history. In doing so, we may recognize errors in our
traditions and repent of those errors as we discover them.
The errors are mixed in with the truth. This is for the purpose of forcing each of us
to rely on God. We are unable to rely exclusively
upon any other source. If any other
source is used to the exclusion of other sources as the authority of God’s
Truth, that source becomes an idol. A
person becomes guilty of idolatry when they declare that some leader or a book
or a church organization or a program is the source of truth and can have no error. It is painfully obvious that leaders, books
and churches have corruption within them.
Acknowledging this and sorting through the truth from error is not
destructive of faith. It is faith
building. That is to say, building your
faith in Jesus Christ who is all your faith should ever be centered on
anyway. For this reason, Christ will
never give you a person or a book or a church that “can never lead you astray.” God wants you to rely on Christ. And so He gives
you truth through a servant, through written words and through good people you
meet at church, and He lets them mix in their own opinions and then He waits
upon you to see if you will discern His voice as it is delivered through the
imperfect source. Will you hold to the
truth and forgive the error? Or will you
reject the truth because of the error?
Or will you try to serve two masters and hold to the truth and the
error?
The following is from Boyd K Packer and
is included here to illustrate how we cannot rely on any single source for
truth. We must rely upon God. Boyd K Packer, speaking on changes in the
book of revelations:
“Some have alleged that these books of
revelation are false, and they place in evidence changes that have occurred in
the texts of these scriptures since their original publication. They cite these
changes, of which there are many examples, as though they themselves were
announcing revelation, as though they were the only ones that knew of them.
“Of
course there have been changes and corrections. Anyone who has done even
limited research knows that. When properly reviewed, such corrections
become a testimony for, not against, the truth of the books.
“The Prophet Joseph Smith was an
unschooled farm boy. To read some of his early letters in the original shows
him to be somewhat unpolished in spelling and grammar and in expression.
“That the revelations came through him in any form of literary
refinement is nothing short of a miracle. That some perfecting should
continue strengthens my respect for them.
“Now, I add with emphasis that such
changes have been basically minor refinements in grammar, expression,
punctuation, clarification. Nothing
fundamental has been altered.
“Why are they not spoken of over the
pulpit? Simply because by comparison they are so insignificant, and unimportant
as literally to be not worth talking
about. After all, they have absolutely nothing
to do with whether the books are true.” (Conference Report, April
1974, page 137).
Another reason I include the talk by Boyd K Packer is
because it provides a nice counterpoint to what I am stating in this discussion
about the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants. I
am providing the best case argument I could find against my own understanding
for you to consider and decide for yourself.
I accept the declaration that a man should marry only one
wife. I believe this is consistent with
the Book of Mormon’s teachings. I believe this is consistent with the hearts
and desires of the many good women I have met in my life. I believe this is consistent with the current
teachings of the LDS Church Inc. I
believe this is consistent with the will of God.
However, some might say to me that it would be wrong to
accept the 1835 edition now that the church has discontinued that edition in
favor of the current one.
Brigham Young replaced Section 101 Marriage with what is now
called Section 132 in the 1870s. This Section
132 declares that a man must be sealed to more than one woman. It teaches that polygamy is the order of God
and the Celestial Kingdom consists of those who are sealed in polygamous unions. In 1921, the edition of Doctrine and
Covenants that we are most familiar with today was introduced. However, this edition retained Section
132. It removed the Lectures on Faith because
of inconsistencies about the Lecture’s teachings on the nature of God in
comparison to the current teachings of the church officials. However, it retained the section regarding
plural marriage despite the fact that the church had discontinued the practice
and no longer taught it as doctrine.
Undeniably, the church now teaches monogamy. So the church today is actually in harmony
with the doctrines of the 1835 edition.
Boyd K Packer has said that such a change is “insignificant”,
“unimportant”, “not worth talking about”, and has “absolutely nothing to do
with whether the books are true.” Boyd K Packer is one of my heroes since
childhood. And I agree with him that it
is a miracle that Joseph could have written something so profound as the
revelations. And I agree that things which are “basically minor
refinements in grammar, expression, punctuation, clarification” are not
something that detracts from the truthfulness of a volume writing. There is nothing wrong in correcting such
things. I see nothing wrong with even
adding more revelations. I welcome more
revelations and hope to receive more revelations in the future; from whatever
source these may come.
Yet, I must admit that the topic of marriage
is more than a minor correction. It is
an entirely new revelation that must be examined on its own to see if it will
hold up to the light. The nature of
marriage is important. Particularly in
regards to a marriage covenant to be true and faithful to my one dear wife. This is a doctrinal issue that is
significant, is important, is worth talking about and is worth consideration
for review of the truthfulness of any book.
From everything I can discern, the 1835 Doctrine and Covenant’s
declaration on marriage is correct and truthful. I will accept that explanation of marriage
over section 132. Section 101 of the
1835 D&C is also in harmony with the teachings of the LDS Church now, in
2015. The church has placed me in a
position to choose one over the other.
Which position is in accordance to the way God tests us to learn if we
love truth or if we can be persuaded by the falsehoods of men. So I accept 1835 D&C 101 which states “we
declare that we be lieve, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband”
What do you think?
Thursday, June 25, 2015
ENTRY 35 PROPHETS ARE CALLED BY GOD
This is how God gives someone a calling to represent him:
If you think that God could not call this stranger to
deliver a message for Him, then remember that Samuel the Lamanite came from
outside of the religious Nephites. He
was a stranger to the Nephites. He stood
on the wall for a short time to deliver a message of repentance. You can find Samuel's story in the Book of Mormon.
Consider also the words found in Ezekial Chapter 2 and 3. As
you read Ezekial, notice the following points:
God speaks directly to the person
(verse 1). The person sees the glory of
God (verse 23).
God sends the person to speak to the
rebellious to correct their erring traditions (verse 3).
The person is instructed to speak
in the name of God (verse 4).
The person is sent to the House
of Israel or in other words, to the religious (verse 5).
The person is taught directly by
God and therefore he must teach the people exactly as God has instructed,
otherwise the blood of the people is on his soul (verse 18).
If we recognize the voice of the
Lord as it is delivered through the prophet then we are delivered from our
destruction (verse 21).
From this passage in Ezekial, we
can see that a prophet delivers difficult words to hear and not flatterying speeches
to the rebellious people that the people may repent (verse 18).
The prophet is not sent to lead
the people, but rather to warn the people (verse 24,25).
The people repent by turning to
God and then God will lead the people (verse 21).
The prophet is the messenger
(verse 27), not the leader (verse 26) .
1 And he said unto me, Son
of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me
upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of
Israel, to a rebellious nation that
hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even
unto this very day.
4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do
send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.
5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear,
(for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
6 ¶And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid
of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost
dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their
looks, though they be a rebellious house.
7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear,
or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou
rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give
thee.
9 ¶And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me;
and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and
without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and
woe.
1 Moreover
he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak
unto the house of Israel.
3 And he
said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this
roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as
honey for sweetness.
4 ¶And he
said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with
my words unto them.
5 For
thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard
language, but to the house of
Israel;
6 Not to
many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst
not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto
thee.
7 But the
house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me:
for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.
8 Behold,
I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong
against their foreheads.
9 As an
adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be
dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
10 Moreover
he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive
in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.
11 And go,
get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak
unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God;
whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
12 Then
the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying,
Blessed be the glory of the Lord
from his place.
13 I heard also
the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and
the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.
14 So the
spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of
my spirit; but the hand of the Lord
was strong upon me.
15 ¶Then I
came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar,
and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.
17 Son of
man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the
word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18 When I say unto the
wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to
warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man
shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if
thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked
way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
20 Again,
When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit
iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou
hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness
which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at
thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn
the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he
shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
22 ¶And
the hand of the Lord was there
upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there
talk with thee.
23 Then I
arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold,
the glory of the Lord stood there,
as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.
24 Then
the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and
said unto me, Go, shut thyself within
thine house.
25 But
thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee
with them, and thou shalt not go out
among them:
26 And I
will make thy tongue cleave to the roof
of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover:
for they are a rebellious house.
27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy
mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and
he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
ENTRY 34 BE TRUE TO YOUR WIFE
BOOK OF MORMON POLYGAMY
Polygamy has not been a policy put
in practice in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publicly since
1890 and privately since 1912. The LDS teachings from the pulpit are at
this time of monogamy. The majority of LDS men seem uncomfortable with the idea
of polygamy and profess gladness if it never returned. The totality of LDS
women seemingly do not like the subject at all and they often declare that they
hope it never returns as a doctrine. Still, the subject of polygamy is a burden
to the LDS people. It has created confusion about doctrine. It has
created doubts about the reliability of the teachings of the church and this
has extended confusion into what the Gospel of Jesus Christ really is.
But what does the Book of Mormon actually teach about this issue?
The Book of Mormon condemns the
practice of men taking more than one wife. For example:
"And it came to pass that
Riplakish did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, for
he did have many wives and concubines..." (Ether 10:5)
And this...
1 And now it came to pass that
Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons; therefore Noah began
to reign in his stead; and he did not walk in the ways of his father.
2 For behold, he did not keep
the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own
heart. And he had many wives and concubines. And he did cause his people
to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea,
and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness. (Mosiah
11:1-2)
From the sermon of one man in the
Book of Mormon, we receive one of the most complete discourses on the topic in
all of scripture. (Jacob 2)
We are taught by Jacob that the
hearts of our wives and daughters are tender and chaste and this is pleasing to
the Lord. He would not have men break the hearts of their wives and children by
violating their trust. To do such a thing is described as an abomination.
There is no exception in the Book
of Mormon that provides an allowance for polygamy.
There has been one verse which has
often been interpreted as providing a loophole of sorts. However, a review of
that verse will demonstrate that there is not a justification found within the
verse at all. Rather, the meaning of the verse (when taken in context) is that
the taking of more than one wife is viewed by God as an abomination because of
the hardships and burdens it places on the wives and children.
THING 1 and THING 2
While reading the following in the
book of Jacob, notice how the passage is defining the word “thing”. What is the
author referring to as he uses the word "thing" in this
context?
“23 But the word of God
burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord:
This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for
they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which
were written concerning David, and Solomon his son.
24 Behold, David
and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was
abominable before me, saith the Lord.
25 Wherefore,
thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem,
by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from
the fruit of the loins of Joseph.
27 Wherefore, my
brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any
man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
28 For I, the
Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination
before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
29 Wherefore,
this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be
the land for their sakes.
30 For if I will,
saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people;
otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.
31 For behold, I,
the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my
people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people,
because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands.
32 And I will not
suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this
people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me
against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.
33 For they shall
not lead away captive the daughters of my people because of their tenderness,
save I shall visit them with a sore curse, even unto destruction; for they
shall not commit whoredoms, like unto them of old, saith the Lord of Hosts.
34 And now
behold, my brethren, ye know that these commandments were given to our father,
Lehi; wherefore, ye have known them before; and ye have come unto great
condemnation; for ye have done these things which ye ought not
to have done.
35 Behold, ye
have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken
the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children,
because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts
ascend up to God against you. And because of the strictness of the word of God,
which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds.”
(Jacob 2:23-35)
The first usage of the word “thing”
refers to that which is written concerning David and Solomon. It concerns those
written words which the men of Jacobs’s day were using to justify their own
behavior. This behavior is described as “a grosser crime” and “waxing in
iniquity” and it is described as “whoredoms”.
The “things"which are written” are
that which the men have taken from the scriptures and changed the meaning of
from the scriptures to support their own unrighteous practices. They have
“wrested” the scriptures. In this case, they did not change the actual writing
of the scripture, nor did they ignore the scripture. They were preaching from
the scriptures and reinterpreting the meaning of the words. They were teaching
out of the scriptures and yet applying definitions that were completely
opposite of the intended meaning. They used these interpretations to support
their own wicked practices. They were using the examples of David and
Solomon to establish their own doctrine which was in opposition to God’s will
in regards to chastity.
The second usage of the word
“thing” is very specific. David and Solomon had many wives and concubines and
this was “abominable” in the judgment of the Lord. The definition of
“abomination” is to take something holy and righteous that was given by God and
exploit it for selfish purposes. In this case, marriage which is holy and
righteous before God had been exploited by excess in the taking of more than
one wife.
CONTRADICTIONS
There is another statement about
David and Solomon and their wives found in the Doctrine and Covenants Section
132. It blatantly contradicts the sermon given by Jacob.
Section 132 is a discussion in and
of itself that is worth the time to investigate. My view is that Section 132 is
a corrupted document delivered under suspicious circumstances. Section 132 is
more than a “wresting” of the scriptures. It is a complete re-write or an
addition to scriptures that was not sanctioned by God, nor was the individual
who introduced it claiming that he received it from God. Instead, he claimed
SOMEONE ELSE received it from God. And yet, he claimed to be the only one
who had sealing power to act on earth to bind in heaven with the
condition that there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power
is conferred (D&C 132:7). How can a man claim to have such power and
yet provide no revelation to support that claim? Notice that the name of the
individual given sealing power in Section 132: 40-48. The individual who
introduced this document to the church in 1852 is not the same man described in
the proposed revelation. Can a man claim power to seal for eternity based
on a borrowed revelation? When a man borrows a revelation in order to
borrow other mens' wives, what is that indicative of the doctrine taught by
that man? Do you think it is reliable doctrine? This is the same error
that the people of Jacob committed. Jacob's people borrowed from the
examples of David and Solomon to provide their own authority to indulge in the
desires of their hearts. They ignored the tragic ends of David and
Solomon, but charged headlong into the same follies.
More can be said about the glaring
inconsistencies of Section 132. I hope to write more regarding this
important document in our Latter-day history. However, for now in this
entry, we are examining the Book of Mormon and what it says about polygamy. And
it clearly condemns the practice of David and Solomon in taking on more than
one wife. And it clearly condemns those who justify the practice of it by using
David and Solomon as a precedent.
THING 3 and THING 4
The third usage of the word
“things” is the “thing” in question. This is the word that has been “wrested”
in the sermon of Jacob. We will get to that word usage in a moment, but first
let’s review the last usage of “thing”.
“34 And now behold, my
brethren, ye know that these commandments were given to our father, Lehi;
wherefore, ye have known them before; and ye have come unto great condemnation;
for ye have done these things which ye ought not to have
done.”
The last use of the word “things”
is once again referring to something negative. These “things” are described as
something that they “ought not to have done”; and also something that has
brought “great condemnation” unto the people. We know that it is still
referring to that which the men of Jacob’s day were doing. They had taken the
scriptures and used them to excuse themselves in taking more than one wife.
They had rationalized something that God had forbidden them to do and it was
proving to be something that pierced the hearts of many with deep wounds.
Jacob gives no allowance for the
practice of taking more than one wife. He describes it as “abominable”,“a
grosser crime”, and “something ought not to have done”. Four times he uses the
word “thing” and the context of three of those word usages indisputably
describe this sin as “abominable” and a “grosser crime”.
Oh the irony! Jacob warns against
misusing the scriptures. Jacob warns against misrepresenting the scriptures to
practice whoredoms (Verse 23). And here in this very passage given by Jacob is
the only verse (Verse 30) in the Book of Mormon that has ever been used to
justify the taking of more than one wife. There is not one other verse in the
Book of Mormon that has ever been construed to mean that polygamy is of
God…just this one…which Jacob warned should not be used to support such a
practice.
Now take a look again at verse 30.
“For if I will, saith the Lord of
Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall
hearken unto these things.”
The word “things” as used by Jacob
has already been defined in the context of his sermon. Keeping with the context
of the Jacob’s sermon and paying attention to his warning that we should not
use the scriptures to rationalize the practice of taking more than one wife, we
can see the real meaning of verse 30.
CORRECT INTEPRETATION
The correct interpretation of verse
30 is as follows:
“For if I will, saith the Lord of
Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people and they will obey
my voice; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things which
are abominable and a grosser crime.”
We see that Jacob did not leave a
loophole for polygamy. He was condemning it. According to his teachings, if the
Lord has a will to raise up seed, how does he do it? He does this by commanding
his people. Those who will listen to his voice and keep his will are those who
become the seed of God. This is the kind of seed that Jacob was referring to.
We can see this in verses 25 and
26:
"25 Wherefore,
thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem,
by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a
righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph. 26 Wherefore,
I the Lord God will not suffer that this people
shall do like unto them of old."
Notice that the Lord intends to
raise up a righteous branch (a righteous seed) and that in the process of doing
so he leads the people out of Jerusalem and wants them to disavow themselves
from the practices of those "of old". In otherwords, to raise up this
righteous branch (righteous seed), this people must NOT do like them of old and
must NOT take more than one wife.
The Book of Mormon clarifies what
it means to raise up seed unto the Lord. It is not a reference to a massive
population. It is in reference to a family relationship. That relationship has
a father who is God himself.
" 4 For, said he, I have
repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord;
behold I am born of the Spirit. "(Mosiah 27:24)
25 And the Lord said unto me:
Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues
and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from
their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed
of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
26 And thus they become new
creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of
God. (Mosiah 27:25)
And from the New Testament we
receive the same understanding from the following:
“12 But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
“ (John 1:12-13)
From these references and others we
understand that the righteous Seed Raised Unto the Lord are those who are born
again and have become the sons and daughters of God because they are redeemed
by Christ. This redemption is a result of their desire to do the will of God,
just as Christ the Redeemer did nothing save it was the will of God. Raising
Seed Unto the Lord is not about building up a church or a nation. It is about
being born again and becoming a Son or Daughter of God.
With this understanding, please
read again the sermon of Jacob in Verse 30 where it talks about a Seed Unto the
Lord. This verse would be in complete opposition to the words in Verse 25 if it
were interpreted to mean polygamy is approved. It would also be in complete
opposition to the rest of the context of the Book of Mormon. The following
interpretation would fit the context in a much more harmonious manner:
“For if I will, saith the Lord of
Hosts, raise up sons and daughters unto me, I will command my
people and they will repent and be redeemed; otherwise they shall
hearken unto these things which prevent them from being born again.”(Jacob
2:30)
Jacob reminds the men that the
hearts of their wives and children are tender and pure before God and that the
betrayal by husbands and fathers had pierced their hearts with a deep wound
that they carried to their graves. Polygamy has been a wound to the hearts of
the LDS wives and children as well. It is plain to see in the history of its
practice. It is a subject that has created a shadow of worry for LDS women even
to this day.
WHY IT MATTERS
The doctrine is still “on the
books” in Section 132. In actuality, polygamy is still practiced in a
“spiritual” sense posthumously. LDS men can be sealed for “time and all
eternity” to more than one woman. If the first wife has passed away, then the
man can be sealed to a second wife. This has led many women to ask the
question, “Will I have to share my husband in the afterlife?”
Is the thought of sharing your
husband in the afterlife your idea of heaven or is it your idea of hell? If God
would not give a stone to a son who asked for bread (3 Nephi 14:9), why would
God give hell to a wife who asked for a faithful husband? Although some things
cannot be fulfilled in this fallen world to test our patience, what would cause
a lack of the fulfillment of righteous desires in heaven? It cannot be heaven
if it is a place where Righteous Desires go unfulfilled.
“So why was it ever necessary to
practice polygamy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?”
This question has often been asked
by every thoughtful child raised in the LDS church who comes across this topic.
What are the common responses that an LDS member might expect to hear when
asking this question? One commonly offered answer was published by the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on their official website under the following
link:
“Latter-day Saints do not
understand all of God’s purposes in instituting, through His prophets, the
practice of plural marriage. The Book of Mormon identifies one reason for God
to command it: to increase the number of children born in the gospel covenant
in order to “raise up seed unto [the Lord].”
This explanation is a
falsehood.
Remember the words of John the
Baptist? The Pharisees dismissed his authority to baptize. They ignored
the call to repent. They rationalized that their leaders could never lead
them astray because they had the proper authority. They taught that they received
authority from Moses and that they were the recipients of the promises given
to Father Abraham. For this reason, they were willing to
dismiss any message that did not come from within their chain of command
recognized by the proper lineage and by the appointment of the proper
authority. John was acting outside of the channels of stewardship
established by the sustained leaders. However, John reminded them that it
was only God who gave any man authority to act in the name of God. Any
authority had to be received directly from God and not from man. God can give
his authority to whomever HE chooses.
John said the following:
“But when he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of
vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham
to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to
raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees:
therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast
into the fire.” (Mathew 3:9)
So consider this in regards to the
rationalization that polygamy was required “to increase the number of children
born in the gospel covenant in order to raise up seed unto the Lord” or that
“there are not enough righteous men to go around in heaven”:
If God is able of these stones to
raise up children unto Abraham, then is not God able to raise up a faithful
husband to a virtuous woman? The idea that there are not enough righteous men
to go around for all the righteous women in heaven is absurd. If God is able of
these stones to raise up children unto Abraham then is not God able to raise up
seed unto the Lord through a husband and wife who are faithful to one another
and to the Lord?
If it is shown by John’s rational
that God does not need a hierarchy to establish his work; then we can also
surmise by his same rational that God can raise up children unto the Lord to
fulfill the promises of posterity from even stones. We see that God has no need
for polygamy to raise up a seed. He can easily raise up nations from just one
couple consisting of nothing more than one man and one woman. For example, from
Adam and Eve came the entire world.
Christ taught a few words
concerning marriage. He taught that Adam and Eve were made by God from the
beginning to be one flesh. He taught that a man must “leave” even his father
and mother behind and join to his wife as one. If the fidelity of marriage is
described as leaving behind even your father and even your mother to be one
with your wife, how much more so is it necessary to leave behind all others?
It is described as a relationship from two (twain) who become one. These TWO
are intended by God to be ONE. The marriage as described by the Lord is to
cleave unto her and NONE else.
“1 And it came to pass, that when
Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the
coasts of Judæa beyond Jordan; 2 And great multitudes followed him; and he
healed them there. 3 ¶The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and
saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them
at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause
shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they
twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but
one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put
asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of
divorcement, and to put her away 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the
hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but
from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put
away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another,
committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit
adultery.” (Matthew 19)
Polygamy requires that the first
wife is put away. This putting away is not as final as a divorce but it is
still a “putting away” of the first wife. The sting of that putting away is as
painful as divorce. Instead of the “twain” joined to be one, the first wife is
set aside to a degree. She is not completely abandoned, but there is a
displacement in the union.
This is in fact the example that
David set in his practice of plural wives. He easily dismissed one of his wives
when she gave voice to the pain of her own heart. David rationalized that it
was right to put Michal away when she sought to correct him. How dare she
correct him when he was made king of all Israel by God! (2 Samuel 6:21) This
was the pride within David’s heart that allowed him to break the heart of his
wife. For Michal, she was put away by David for the rest of her life because
she yearned to be married to a man who might have had a faithful heart for her.
She was already sharing her husband with other wives, but she still sought for virtue
within the king that might demonstrate his faithfulness to those that had been
given to him. Did his appetite have no end? It was this kind of heart break
that Michal was experiencing and that Jacob was witnessing among his own
people. It is this kind of heart break that can be read in the history of the
LDS church.
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark
of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16 And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David,
Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and
dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.
20 ¶Then David returned to bless
his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and
said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day
in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows
shamelessly uncovereth himself!
21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord,
which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint
me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I
play before the Lord.
22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and
will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which
thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in
honour.
Despite all of these warnings and
examples, we only need the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ to understand the
truth of these things. The most convincing scripture of all that demonstrates
that polygamy is not of God is the following:
"12 Therefore all things
whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them:
for this is the law and the prophets." (3 Nephi 14:12; Matthew 7:12)
From Christ’s simple teachings it
is easy to understand. Husbands, how much anguish would it cause you to have to
share your wife with another man? If the idea creates revulsion and anger
within you, then it is clear to see that you should not place her in that
situation in which she must share you with another. If you would not have your
spouse taken from you by another, why would you ever ask it of her?
"40 And the King shall answer and
say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto
one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Mathew
25:40)
A man’s wife is much more than the
“least of these” and Christ has taught that the pain of even the least is taken
on by Him. Her broken heart and her sorrows that she endures from the
abominations and grosser crimes of others is a burden that Christ must endure.
A husband who is One with his wife, also takes on the burdens of his wife in an
attempt to follow the Savior who takes on the burdens of all.
Polygamy is a burden on the wife
but it is a burden that no man should ask of his wife because he becomes the
source of the burden by its practice. Therefore he could not possibly consider
the practice seriously knowing that he would be the source of burden rather
than the reliever of burdens. He ought to be the one to bear her burdens as
Christ would do. He ought to be her freedom from abominations and grosser
crimes, rather than the source of such.
These two teachings of Christ are
sufficient to understand how God views the issue.
It is evident that the Book of
Mormon also teaches that the taking of more than one wife is not of God. Read
more of Jacob’s words. See what he said about the Lamanites who were identified
as the unrighteous nation.
“Behold, their husbands
love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands
and their wives love their children; and their unbelief and their hatred
towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much
better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?” (Jacob 3:7)
Observe how God was ultimately willing
to preserve the Lamanite people and in part this was because they loved their
spouses faithfully even when they would not believe in Him.
God would give them leniency for their faithfulness in marriage despite their
lack of belief in God. Yet God could not save the Nephite people because of
their infidelity in marriage despite their belief in God and
despite their religious lifestyle. It seems God will preserve a
people who do not believe in Him but do practice faithfulness in marriage. He
destroys a people who actually believe in Him but do not practice faithfulness
in marriage. What does that say about the priorities of God?
DEALING WITH DEFENSE MECHANISMS
In discussing these things, please
do not jump to conclusions. We are only talking about Polygamy and what the
Book of Mormon teaches about it. Nothing more and nothing less. For example,
what does this mean about what Joseph Smith was doing in Nauvoo? Or what about
something someone quoted Joseph Smith as saying? Or what about the teachings of
d Brigham Young? What about Sealing of Eternal Families? What about the
Priesthood? What about the idea that “God can command anything He wants
to” or the idea that “He commanded such things as a test of faithfulness”?
What about the Abrahamic Sacrifice that the early saints endured in the
practice of this thing?
What about Wilford Woodruff who declared
the president of the church can never lead the church astray?
Do you realize that he made that
statement specifically to the church in regards to polygamy? The federal
government was confiscating the property of the church because of
polygamy. Wilford Woodruff was offering concessions to the government by
agreeing to cease the practice. However, he fully intended to allow the
practice to continue in secret. He
published this statement in the newspaper as a reassurance to the LDS members
that their Celestial Marriages (Plural Marriages) would continue. He wasn't
going to lead them astray because they were going to
continue the doctrine covertly. As others stated when they
relayed Wilford’s words, "He was going to beat the devil at his own
game." This was his way of letting the people know that the
doctrine he had been teaching was absolutely necessary for salvation
was not really going away, it was just going underground. It did until further exposure of it was
brought before the government in the Smoot hearings long after the turn of the
century. What does this context reveal about the
traditions we have been handed?
We have not had time to discuss all
of these side issues that would branch off of a discussion such as this. Those
things have been set aside for another day.
We have only considered the Book of Mormon and its message which was
given to a people who believe that book was a gift from God to correct the
errors in their traditions.
Therefore please do not think that
as I write these things that I am saying that all of the teachings of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are without merit, nor am I saying
you should not go to church. I am not suggesting that you should
stop praying and begin drinking copious amounts of alcohol. In other
words, if we believe the Book of Mormon and take it at its own word, it leaves
us without a justification for this thing.
We cannot address all such topics
in one short discussion. Please don’t panic and think that all good
things are lost. Keep all of the good that you find wherever you may find it.
Trust in God and trust that He will teach you the Truth of all things, one line
upon line, one precept upon precept
Likewise a word of caution, there
are those who I gather with in prayer and for sacrament who are in polygamous
families. I consider them friends. And I do not say these things in condemnation
of them, nor do I make any implications regarding how they are to personally
work out their own salvation with God.
In terms of the greater weight of sin being placed on the shoulders of families,
the majority of sins have come from the monogamous, the religious, and the “holy”. The heart breaks of pornography and adultery and
divorce have been heaped upon the children by those preaching chastity while
failing to abide by their own professed law.
Today we have said nothing about these great sins, which are no less in
the eyes of God. In fact, these are even
greater sins by the nature of the hypocrisy.
Today we are considering only
one line of doctrine that we have inherited from our fathers. It is
a relevant discussion today because of the current issues which are in the
news. A Utah Judge has already struck down the polygamy laws in the
state of Utah. This ruling occurred in 2013. There have
been major overthrows of the concept of marriage by the United States Supreme
Court in June of 2015. And this has given some the courage to
continue to press for further changes in regards to polygamous unions. There
is an attempt to establish polygamy as a legal form of marriage within Montana
right now even as I write this in July of 2015. These changes
demonstrate that our children will be placed in a position where they must
choose whether these “new” things that are being established
by law in our lands are truly of the Will of God or if these “old” things are
the precepts of men. This discussion is primarily intended for my
children, that they may gain understanding.
And in particular, that they may gain understanding about the Book of
Mormon and what is truly written within its pages.
One stumbling block for Latter-day
Saints is the willingness to examine our own traditions. We have many
personal experiences that have validated some of our beliefs and we link
those experiences to the totality of our religion. We fear that if one
aspect of our religion proves in error that the whole of our faith would be
destroyed. We cling to the idea that it must all be true or it must all
be false. This simply is not the case. The “all or nothing” mindset
is not of God. God teaches line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little
and there a little. Christ calls the errant to return to Him. By
implication, this means if we have not yet found Him, there is some error left
within us. We ought to eagerly seek out the errors that we may understand
how to fully repent and return to the Lord. We can take joy in the
recognition of an error as it brings us closer to the Lord through repentance.
Therefore, we ought to examine all of our traditions carefully.
CONCLUSION
But honestly, aren’t you glad that
the Book of Mormon teaches a man to be faithful to his one and
only wife?
A man should be faithful to his one
true love, does not that teaching ring true?
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