28. Restoration as Surrealism; precise past-event, or vague forward-focus?

In this episode, Brendon and Skyler discuss the twenty-eighth lesson in the LDS Come, Follow Me sunday school manual. This week (July 3-9) is titled "Ye Shall Be Witnesses unto Me" and covers Acts 1-5.

We invite you to worship with us on any Sunday - either at First Baptist Church of Provo or Christ Presbyterian Church in Magna. We welcome visitors!

Sunday School: here, here, here and here

Individuals and Families

Gospel Principles: here, here, here

The New Testament Made Easier by David Ridges

History of the Church 1.297 - wherein Brigham Young speaks in tongues (twice), a little controversy ensues, and then Joseph Smith calls it "the pure Adamic language" and "of God". It also speaks of the spread of the "gift of tongues". Also see HC 1.323

The Words of Joseph Smith, compiled and edited by Andrew Ehat and Lyndon Cook - under Franklin D. Richards "Scriptural Items":

"Joseph also said that the Holy Ghost is now in a state of Probation which if he should perform in righteousness he may pass through the same or a similar course of things that the Son has." (p. 245) Footnote 26 in the cited quotation states: "George Laub's report of the 16 June 1844 discourse includes the following similar statement: 'But the Holy Ghost is yet a Spiritual body and waiting to take to himself a body, as the Savior did or as God did, or the gods before them took bodies.' Franklin D. Richards's account is less vague and represents the clearest statement on the personal identity of the Holy Ghost." (p. 305)

See here and here; also here

Lectures on Faith

"The Light of Christ" (Boyd Packer)

"Stand As True Millennials" (Russell Nelson); also here, and here

"The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner" (Ezra Taft Benson)

"Socialism and the United Order" (Marion Romney)

The Inevitable Apostasy and the Promised Restoration by Ted R. Callister

The Great Apostasy; Jesus the Christ by James Talmage

Statements of the LDS First Presidency (compiled by Gary Bergera)

• "In His birth, His ministry and glorious Resurrection, and His ascension into heaven, He symbolized the story of our own lives. He taught us that those mortal bodies of ours shall put on immortality, and that we shall rise as He rose, to inherit the glory of everlasting life. This was the purpose for which He came to earth." (Deseret News, Dec. 17, 1932) on pg. 377

Brigham Young:JD 2. 310 JD 3.247

Heber C. Kimball: JD 6.38, 125-126

Jedediah M. Grant: JD 4.49-51

The Gospel Trilogy by Cleon Skousen

"His Grace Is Sufficient" (Brad Wilcox); also here

The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil by H. Verlan Andersen

World and Prophets; Mormonism and Early Christianity; Approaching Zion by Hugh Nibley

• Nibley's teaching that the gnostic texts are a deposit of what Christ taught during the 40-days may sound intriguing to those already gnostically-inclined, like LDS. Morover, as an example, Nibley's assertion that Apocryphon of John was written by John might be usefully confronted by the treatment of Moses in (the actual) John's writings in the NT, versus this gnostic text wherein "the Savior" teaches "John" that "It is not as Moses wrote and you heard". Perhaps it may be more practical to simply invite the Nibley-disciple to publicly read aloud the pages and pages of esoteric names contained therein and see if they can keep a straight face.

Joseph Smith and World Government by Hyrum Andrus (e.g. on p.9 - he includes a quote from President George Q. Cannon stating: "We are asked, Is the Church of God, and the Kingdom of God the same organization? And we are informed that some of the brethren hold that they are separate. This is the correct view to take. The Kingdom of God is a separate organization from the Church of God.")

Conflict In the Quorum by Gary Bergera; note esp. his coverage of the disputes over the power and place of the First Presidency, and the power-move to shift the order of the Quorum of the Twelve.

The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power; The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn

In Sacred Loneliness by Todd Compton

The Mormon Jesus by John Turner; this scholar does a great job of emphasizing the dedication of the Kirtland Temple as what was seen as a kind of "new pentecost" (e.g., pp. 73-77). This was a topic not addressed in the episode.

Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? by Jerald and Sandra Tanner; they usefully note the change to the fourth Article of Faith. Originally, in the 1851 edition, it read:

• "We believe that these ordinances are: 1st, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; 2d, Repentance; 3d, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; 4th, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."

"Later Mormon historians could see that Joseph Smith had failed to mention Temple Work (Temple Work is taught to be essential for the highest exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom), so they altered Joseph Smith's words to read that Faith, Repentance, Baptism and Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost are only the "first principles and ordinances of the gospel." (p.8) Even something as simple as this has implications for the restoration narrative, and then how that narrative is superimposed upon "past dispensations".

• You can find a transcript of even the more tame mention of "penalties" - as well as the "oath of vengeance" here.

As the Tanners, cited above (pp.470, 474-475), documented - the oaths were already softened before the penalties were removed. For example:

• "We, and each of us, covenant and promise that we will not reveal any of the secrets of this, the first token of the Aaronic priesthood, with its accompanying name, sign or penalty. Should we do so; we agree that our throats be cut from ear to ear and our tongues torn out by their roots." (Temple Mormonism, p. 18)

This was changed to, in the 1968 version:

• "I, __(think of the new name) do covenant and promise that I will never reveal the First Token of the Aaronic Priesthood, together with its accompanying name, sign and penalty. Rather than do so I would suffer that my life be taken."

the second oath:

• "We and each of us do covenant and promise that we will not reveal the secrets of this, the Second Token of the Aaronic Priesthood, with its accompanying name, sign, grip or penalty. Should we do so, we agree to have our breasts cut open and our hearts and vitals torn from our bodies and given to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field." (Temple Mormonism, p. 20)

This was changed to, in the 1968 version:

• "I, __(think of the new name) do covenant and promise that I will never reveal the second token of the Aaronic Priesthood, together with its accompanying name, sign and penalty. Rather than do so I would suffer my life to be taken."

the third oath:

• "We and each of us do covenant and promise that we will not reveal any of the secrets of this, the First Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood, with its accompanying name, sign or penalty. Should we do so, we agree that our bodies be cut asunder in the midst and all our bowels gush out." (ibid., p. 20)

This was changed to, in the 1968 version:

• "I covenant in the name of the Son that I will never reveal the first token of the Melchizedek Priesthood or sign of the nail, with its accompanying name, sign or penalty. Rather than do so I would suffer my life to be taken."

On just one page, Michael Reed summarizes well (and quickly) some of the basics of the succession crisis following the assassination of Joseph Smith: "Joseph Smith's death was unexpected and was a terrible blow. The founding prophet had left no clear successor appointed to unify and, in the words of historian Steven L. Shields, 'the church simply blew apart at the seams.' Rival claimants soon emerged, assumed the mantle, and eventually severed into distinct groups of competing organizations. For example, James J. Strang insisted that he was ordained through angelic ministry immediately at the time of Smith's death. Strang also distributed a 'Letter of Appointment' allegedly written by Joseph Smith, assigning him to gather the faithful to a new center of the church in Voree, Wisconsin.

Sidney Rigdon led a group of Mormons to Pennsylvania and Lyman Wight brought another to Texas. William Smith came forward as the last surviving brother of the fallen prophet, Alpheus Cutler claimed leadership through his membership in Joseph Smith's elite 'Council of Seven,' and David Whitmer claimed leadership based on an 1834 appointment as Smith's successor. After some successes, the movements of all of these successors effectively faltered and most of the Mormons who remained in the Midwest were eventually gathered into the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints under the leadership of the deceased prophet's eldest son, Joseph Smith III.

As president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1844, Brigham Young was also a strong candidate for succession as church president. Beyond his rank, as a polygamist, Brigham Young appealed to the core of Mormon leaders in Nauvoo, who were also engaged in the practice. As historian D. Michael Quinn noted, Brigham Young's followers naturally did not want 'a new church president who would brand polygamist wives as whores.'" (Banishing the Cross, pg.24)

Jason Wallace: here, here, and here

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen

Grace and Glory by Geerhardus Vos

The City of God by St. Augustine; also, e.g.:

• "What was more proud than for me to have asserted - wondrous madness! - that I was something naturally that you [God] are? For although I am changeable and this was manifest to me by my very desire to be wise - so that from a worse state I could become better - I was nevertheless preferring even to suppose that you were changeable rather than that I was not what you are." (Confessions 4.15.26)

Core Christianity; Christless Christianity; Rediscovering the Holy Spirit by Michael Horton (also here, here, and here)

Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray

The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin

The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til by Lane Tipton

The Forgotten Trinity by James White

Simply Trinity by Matthew Barrett

The Trinity: An Introduction by Scott Swain

The Triune God by Fred Sanders

The Holy Spirit by Christopher Holmes

The Ascension of Christ by Patrick Schreiner

Perspectives on Pentecost by Richard Gaffin

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God; Concise Theology by J.I. Packer

Union with the Resurrected Christ by G.K. Beale

One with Christ by Marcus Peter Johnson

Divine Government: God's Kingship in the Gospel of Mark by R.T. France

The Kingdom of God and the Church by Geerhardus Vos

The Coming of the Kingdom by Herman Ridderbos

Kingdom Through Covenant by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum

Property and Riches in the Early Church by Martin Hengel

Francis of Assissi and His World by Mark Galli

Poverty in the Theology of John Calvin by Bonnie Pattison

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization by Anthony Esolen

The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark

Religion and the Rise of Capitalism by Benjamin Friedman

The Bourgeois Trilogy by Deirdre McCloskey

Idols of Nations by Roland Boer

God and Mammon by Mark Noll

The Enchantment of Mammon by Eugene McCarraher