As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we tend to get a lot of flak for some of our more peculiar beliefs—usually doctrines that were revealed to the prophets a long time after the church was restored and have little or no bearing on our salvation (I like to refer to them as “Fringe Doctrines”). In particular, the Anti-Mormon community has long employed the tactic of presenting these fringe doctrines in such a way that, to the un-indoctrinated Latter-Day Saint, is often very convincing and portrays us in a negative light. The questions I am most frequently asked about the church are ones like, “How many wives do you have?” or “Don’t Mormons believe that you get your own planet?” Such questions arise from a misunderstanding of the doctrines of the Restoration and the process by which they were revealed.
A proper comprehension of Mormonism, then, is not to be acquired through a study of isolated principles taken out of context and scrutinized under a Biblical microscope—Mormonism cannot be confined to a single volume or even multiple volumes. Gaining a true understanding of Mormonism requires the student to look at the events which parallel the doctrines, principals, and organization of the church, for that is how Mormons believe that revelation is given—through a living prophet and according to the needs of his children. The prophet Joseph Smith wrote, “That which is wrong under one circumstance may be, and often is, right under another. God said, ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ at another time He said, ‘Thou shalt utterly destroy.”’ This is the principle on which the government of Heaven is conducted—by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed” (Teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith, 256). On this basis the standard works of the church can be seen as a by-product of having a living prophet which, when coupled with the Holy Ghost, becomes a catalyst for revelation.
Central to the church’s belief is the doctrine of the Atonement: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried[…] rose again the third day, and ascended into Heaven[… ] all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (TPJS, 121). The meaning of this is two-fold: First, we assert that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world; second, we base that belief upon the testimony of His chosen and ordained servants, both ancient and modern. The more witnesses we have to the divinity of Christ the stronger our claims become.
The Bible plays an important role in Mormonism—it is a testimony of Christ by ancient prophets in the Middle East and contains all the principles of the gospel, meaning the process by which God’s children can reap the benefits of the Atonement and return to live with Him. Likewise, the Book of Mormon is the witness of Christ from the ancient people of the Americas. It, too, lays out the gospel in its entirety and gives additional insight into God’s plan for His children, including many of the events that will happen across the world just prior to the Savior’s second coming and how we can prepare for them. It also helps us to establish the validity of Joseph Smith’s claim to prophethood, for if he translated it from gold plates by the power of God as he said then he was indeed a prophet of God. This is one of the main reasons we rely so much on the Book of Mormon and why enemies of the church make such an effort to discredit it.
Once we understand the role of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon in the church, we can direct our attention towards the Doctrine and Covenants, the Journal of Discourses, and the unending stream of modern revelation that continues to pour forth. These revelations come about because of questions by church leaders, persecutions faced by members of the church, and world events. For example:
- Emma Smith, the prophet’s wife, was tired of cleaning up after the slovenly habits of some of the church leaders and voiced her complaints to her husband, who took it to the Lord. The Lord’s response was Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The Section heading reads thus: “Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833[…] As a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in their meetings, the Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter; consequently he inquired of the Lord concerning it. This revelation, known as the Word of Wisdom, was the result.” The section goes on to outline substances the Lord has instructed members of the church not to put into their bodies, as well as healthful dietary habits, for “the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days” (DC 89:2).
In response to this, critics of the church often say, rather skeptically, “How convenient for Emma,” as if insinuating that Joseph fabricated yet another revelation in order to placate his wife. However, other events in church history, such as the persecution Joseph and Emma faced during the translation of the Book of Mormon or the friction between them caused by the practice of plural marriage in Nauvoo, provide sufficient evidence for us to assert that Emma’s convenience was neither the Lord’s, Joseph’s, or even her own top priority. The Word of Wisdom is a witness for itself in the lives of individuals who practice the principles; and though some of the prohibited substances such as wine and tea are touted by the scientific community as healthy, time and research may very well expose other unforeseen factors and side-effects that outweigh the health benefits of these substances, the same as has happened with tobacco and coffee.
- On September 24, 1890, President Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto which announced the end of the practice of plural marriage within the church. In various discourses, he explains his reasoning: “Which is the wisest course for the Latter-Day Saints to pursue—to continue to attempt to practice plural marriage, with the laws of the nation against it and the opposition of sixty million people, and at the cost of the confiscation and loss of all the Temples, and the stopping of all the ordinances therein, both for the living and the dead, and the imprisonment of the First Presidency and Twelve and all the heads of families in the church, and the confiscation of personal property of the people (all of which of themselves would stop the practice [italics added]); or, after doing and suffering what we have through our adherence to this principle to cease the practice and submit to the law, and through doing so leave the Prophets, Apostles, and fathers at home, so they can instruct the people and attend to the duties of the Church, and also leave the Temples in the hands of the Saints, so that they can attend to the ordinances of the Gospel, both for the living and the dead?” (DC Declaration 1, pp. 292-293). The choice was simple: obey the law or face oblivion.
Again, in response to the Manifesto critics of the church often say, “How convenient for the Mormons.” It was convenient in some respects. It was also necessary for the survival of the church. President Woodruff declared, in the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple, “All these things would have come to pass, as God Almighty lives, had not that Manifesto been given. Therefore, the Son of God felt disposed to have that thing presented to the Church and to the world for the purposes in his own mind. The Lord had decreed the establishment of Zion. He had decreed the finishing of this temple. He had decreed that the salvation of the living and the dead should be given in these valleys of the mountains. And Almighty God decreed that the Devil should not thwart it. If you can understand that, that is a key to it” (DC Declaration 1, pp. 293). It should come as no surprise that God rescinds certain of His policies at times in order to provide His children with the best possible chance at salvation.
- The Family: A Proclamation to the World was released by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on September 23, 1995, in connection with the widespread disintegration of families and society in general. It defines the term “family,” spells out family responsibilities, warns of the consequences that will happen should society continue down its slippery slope, and provides the corrective and preventative process that will avert these disastrous consequences. We are now beginning to get a taste of the end result—juvenile delinquency, soaring crime rates, crushing poverty, and a general desensitization of society.
Missionaries for the church teach five lessons from Preach My Gospel, the most up-to-date missionary handbook. They teach the most basic truths of the gospel over the course of 5 lessons to help investigators build a foundation of faith and understanding which enables them to accept our more peculiar fringe doctrines. That is how the Savior learned the gospel—He started at the bottom and mastered each new truth as it came, acting in harmony with His knowledge. For those with struggling testimonies, He gave the following counsel: “Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled” (DC 1:37). I testify that as we study the basic truths of the gospel according to the context in which they are revealed our eyes will be opened to greater mysteries of God and that the principles which seem peculiar will begin to make perfect sense. I know that God lives and plays an active role in the affairs of the world and in our own lives and that He will continue to inspire the leaders of His church with revelation specific to our present challenges, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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