Beyond Mitt's Underwear: Part 1: Apostasy and Restoration
Mitt Romney is sewing up the nomination for President. Mormons are excited about the first modern Mormon candidate. (Joseph Smith announced his candidacy for President of the United States in January 1844, but was killed several months later.) Everyone else is curious about Mormons. Unfortunately, most people only seem to know they don’t drink coffee or alcohol, send missionaries all over the world, and wear temple garments. Unfortunately, lots of people will ridicule Mitt with magic underwear jokes, which is too bad, because there’s a whole lot more to the Mormon faith than that. Also unfortunately, most Mormons are either unaware of or simply gloss over perplexing and fascinating details of a uniquely American folk religion.
I should start with the obvious disclaimer that there’s a difference between what the LDS gospels say, what the general authorities of the Church say, and what most Mormons currently believe and practice. I can’t say whether Mitt wears temple garments, I can just say that the general authorities say that he should.
The Great Apostasy, First Vision, and Restored Gospels
Prophet Joseph Smith grew up in a Masonic household in the burned-over district of upstate New York. The Second Great Awakening had created a variety of folk religions practicing dowsing, séances, group marriage, and other unconventional practices. In 1832 Joseph Smith wrote that back in 1820 he had knelt down in a grove of trees near Palmyra, New York and asked God which church was true. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to tell him that all churches were teaching incorrect doctrines. There were true ordinances as practiced by Adam in the Garden of Eden, but these practices had been corrupted by the “whore of all the earth” - the "great and abominable church" which was founded by the devil. (The temple endowment ceremony used to feature Satan enlisting help from a Protestant preacher, but that portion was removed in 1990.) It was Joseph Smith’s duty to expose the flaws and corruption of existing churches, and restore the church to its original form, correcting the lies of Satan and the mistakes of men in earlier churches. The first principles and ordinances of the Mormon gospel are now the same in Adam’s day as they are today. When the Mormons moved to Missouri, Smith revealed that the Garden of Eden was in North America and that Adam performed Mormon rituals at Adam-ondi-Ahman on Spring Hill in Daviess County, Missouri. Mormons still believe that before the Second Coming Jesus will return to Spring Hill where the prophets will return the priesthood keys to Adam, who will return them to Jesus.
Part 1: Apostasy and Restoration
Part 2: Scriptures
Part 3: Preexistence, Creation, and Plan for Salvation
Part 4: Ordinances
Part 5: Temple Recommend and Splinter Groups
Part 6: My Thoughts
I should start with the obvious disclaimer that there’s a difference between what the LDS gospels say, what the general authorities of the Church say, and what most Mormons currently believe and practice. I can’t say whether Mitt wears temple garments, I can just say that the general authorities say that he should.
The Great Apostasy, First Vision, and Restored Gospels
Prophet Joseph Smith grew up in a Masonic household in the burned-over district of upstate New York. The Second Great Awakening had created a variety of folk religions practicing dowsing, séances, group marriage, and other unconventional practices. In 1832 Joseph Smith wrote that back in 1820 he had knelt down in a grove of trees near Palmyra, New York and asked God which church was true. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to tell him that all churches were teaching incorrect doctrines. There were true ordinances as practiced by Adam in the Garden of Eden, but these practices had been corrupted by the “whore of all the earth” - the "great and abominable church" which was founded by the devil. (The temple endowment ceremony used to feature Satan enlisting help from a Protestant preacher, but that portion was removed in 1990.) It was Joseph Smith’s duty to expose the flaws and corruption of existing churches, and restore the church to its original form, correcting the lies of Satan and the mistakes of men in earlier churches. The first principles and ordinances of the Mormon gospel are now the same in Adam’s day as they are today. When the Mormons moved to Missouri, Smith revealed that the Garden of Eden was in North America and that Adam performed Mormon rituals at Adam-ondi-Ahman on Spring Hill in Daviess County, Missouri. Mormons still believe that before the Second Coming Jesus will return to Spring Hill where the prophets will return the priesthood keys to Adam, who will return them to Jesus.
Part 1: Apostasy and Restoration
Part 2: Scriptures
Part 3: Preexistence, Creation, and Plan for Salvation
Part 4: Ordinances
Part 5: Temple Recommend and Splinter Groups
Part 6: My Thoughts