Up until the 1820s it was largely accepted that revelation of God’s will through the Bible (which had been a closed canon for centuries) and agencies like prophets was done. The founder of The Latter Day Saints, Joseph Smith Jr., claimed that this was not the case. Smith alleged that he had received new revelations from God and his messengers, including new writings detailing lost biblical truths and the risen Christ’s time among the Native Americans (The Book of Mormon), had given him the knowledge to return the Church to its lost state of grace. Upon the orders of God, Smith, and his early compatriots, began their movement to return Christianity to its earliest origins, complete with new revelations.
It becomes clear quickly that these early Mormons also believed that direct authority from God the Father (later to be identified as Elohim) was necessary to return Christianity to proper form. This authority was represented in special priestly classes of Mormons and an Apostolic Succession. In this way the early LDS Church borrowed some integral elements from their Catholic and Orthodox brothers. The LDS twist on the concept of priesthood is that there are two levels of priesthood, Aaronic (the lower) and Melchizedek (the higher).
While early Mormons may have been looking to eliminate schisms, it turned out that they were just as subject to them as mainstream Christianity. Through the early days of the Mormon faith there were several schisms of the LDS flock. The largest sect, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is directly descended from the teachings of Joseph Smith Jr., is the one currently headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Towards the end of Smith’s life, he added several unique beliefs to LDS cosmology. Up until this time the LDS Church bore a great resemblance to Protestantism, but eventually that initial rejection of non-primitive Christian movements (most of which suffered from “The Great Apostasy” according to Smith) became much more pronounced. Smith taught that the Holy Trinity did not adhere to the precepts of the Nicene Creed (a belief held by almost all Christians, save some Orthodox groups which have a slightly modified version). Mormons do espouse the Oneness of the Trinity, but see it as composed of distinctly separate, fungible and non-infinite beings bound by common purpose and will.
4 Comments
Mormonism is a cult based upon the word of some guy named Joseph Smith who was probably drunk one night and thought he was talking to God. Please, give me break. Any body that would believe that story is an imbecile.
Mormonism is a complete farce like most Organized Religions. The world would be a much happier place if people stopped comparing which one of their Gods has a bigger Penis. Joseph ( Bullshit ) Smith said God told him to have multiple wives and that the wives need him in order to get into heaven. ( How fucking Convenient! ) Then, later in modern Cult Mormonism, they changed the rule and said it was not acceptable to have multiple wives. I guess God changed his mind. There must have been too many women betting booked into heaven, they needed more men to even it out. Oh, and also, no African Americans are allowed into heaven according to original Mormon doctrine. No African Americans are allowed to become priests. They have to go to their own segregated heaven, kinda like sitting in the back of the bus.
cmon don,he was just tweaking islam,forty virgins on his way to heaven….
You got that right! Kkanz, as you can see, I’m not predjudice. I hate all Organized Religions, especially Islam & any other stupid cults. This is how I turned out to be after 16 years of Catholic School from 1st Grade through College. I pray to George Carlin!