How Corporatism Has Undermined and Subverted The Church of Jesus Christ

Pure Mormonism ^ | October 31, 2010 | Alan Rock Waterman

[greyfoxx39]

Author Alan Rock Waterman

Carmichael, California

"I've had a lifelong interest in what the early Latter-day Saints understood to be the "pure theology" of The Restoration, unfiltered by many of the common assumptions prevalent among a majority of modern Mormons today.

In Joseph Smith's time, a teaching was accepted as valid only if obtained through divine revelation from God. Today, much of what passes for doctrine among my fellow Saints appears to contain "the philosophies of men mingled with scripture."

I've been further intrigued by warnings of the falling away of the latter-day saints in our day as foretold in the Book of Mormon, and this blog was created as a forum for discussing some of the possible signs of that prophesied derailment."

[greyfoxx39]

Disclaimer: I am former LDS and "anti" mormonism. I post articles from official mormon sources among others, that often relate to current discussions taking place on the forum to provide a means for open discussion in the Religion forum.

 

FROM THE RELIGION FORUM MODERATOR:

Open threads are a town square. Antagonism though not encouraged, should be expected

Posters may argue for or against beliefs of any kind. They may tear down other’s beliefs. They may ridicule.

On all threads, but particularly “open” threads, posters must never “make it personal.” Reading minds and attributing motives are forms of “making it personal.” Making a thread “about” another Freeper is “making it personal.”

When in doubt, review your use of the pronoun “you” before hitting “enter.”

Like the Smoky Backroom, the conversation may be offensive to some.

Thin-skinned posters will be booted from “open” threads because in the town square, they are the disrupters.

http://www.freerepublic.com/~religionmoderator/

 Thin-skinned (emotional, whiney or mercurial temper) posters are the disruptors on open threads.

 

[greyfoxx39]

Ping

[DannyTN]

Wow

[svcw]

Vanishing lds Church......? No way, we read on FR nearly daily how lds is the fastest growing church group in the history of the universe. I mean just ten years ago there were 60K missionaries and now there are 52K. Ok, that's not a good example. But hey, they are building malls, and buildings all over the world and gathering members at a rate of 1% a year 2010 and just 20 years ago it was at a rate of growth of 2% a year. Humm that's not a good example either. Wait I got it, the over all growth rate has been 1.5% average over the last 25 years, with only 1.4% of that being babies born into lds. Ok thats better at least its growth.

[lurk]

Google has been the dagger to the Church/Corporation’s heart. People are leaving out the back door of the church by the tens of thousands.

The church will exist in some form for some time, but its best days are in the past. Its decline over the next 25 years will be epic.

[Alex Murphy]

What we think of as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, says Smith, operates today as a mere trademark of the corporation that owns the name to it. The actual church that used to go by that name, and which claims Jesus Christ as its head, does not exist today in any legally recognized form.

This should be an interesting thread. Ping to read later.

[ejonesie22]

Sounds like the “restored church” needs restoration...

It just gets better and better...

[webheart]

I found the subject to be interesting enough to merit reading the article. I got about three screen pages down, then scrolled the rest to see how long it was going to be. I really wanted to read more, but couldn’t.

I find it very difficult to read anything more than 6 paragraphs long where the author bolds, italicizes, increases the font size, indents and otherwise frequently emphasizes different parts of the text which the author somehow thinks are more important than the rest.

If the subject is interesting, the formatting changes are unnecessary. I would prefer a little more brevity and some conistency in the formatting. All of the format changes are distracting and frustrating. It takes away from the credibility of the author, and makes him look like a kook.

If emphasis is needed, it should be applied to passages that are truly revelatory, and sparingly.

[Logophile]

For a different take on church incorporation, I recommend Baptist Legal Update: Should Churches Be Incorporated?

[greyfoxx39]

Feel free to click the link at the beginning of the thread the leads to the original article entitled "Pure Mormoniam" for less "editorial comment" by the OP.

In my experience, many readers will skim longer articles. I emphasize accordingly.

[greyfoxx39]

The church will exist in some form for some time, but its best days are in the past. Its decline over the next 25 years will be epic.

The changes I have seen since I left mormonism many years ago are quite stunning.

[Normandy]

I think predictions of the collapse of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is more wishful thinking than anything else.

My view from the inside is I don’t see signs of atrophy or withering away. I see a lot of strength, unity, conviction and love. Yes, there are problems and challenges, but that’s to be expected.

I see a bright future.

Normandy

[greyfoxx39]

I see a bright future.

Your vision, your choice. This article is about the way the original mormon church has become a corporation. Did you bother to read it?

[Colofornian]

From the article: Also written into the charter of the Corporation of the President as amended was how the line of succession was to operate within the Church. In order for there to be no question as to who held the purse strings following the death of the president (the “Sole” in a ”Sole Corporation”), the Senior Apostle automatically becomes the next president of the Corporation. You thought somehow God maneuvered certain chosen men into these callings over the years so that they would one day be at the head of the line at the exact moment when God was ready to call them as the next prophet? You are so naïve.

Lds, Inc.
With a charter (not God)
which (not WHO) determines who the next "prophet" will be...

Yeah. I could just imagine it. God establishes a "corporate sole" charter where Elisha takes over for Elijah...except that they were actually "co-prophets" for about a decade...imagine that...

Or God "charters" Hosea and his prostitute wife to "take over" the prophet mantle from Amos...except that they were "co-prophets" for about a decade...hmm...imagine that...

Or God "charters Micah to assume the prophet mantle from Isaiah...except that they were contemporary "co-prophets" for about half-a-century...hmm...imagine that...

Or God "charters" Habbakuk to relieve Zephaniah as prophet"...except that Zephaniah, Habakkuk and Jeremiah were contemporary for almost 20 years -- and Jeremiah & Nahum likewise for over a decade...

[And Samuel and Nathan were simultaneous prophets for about 50 years...and 1 Kings mentions 100 true prophets alive at the same time!)

Just goes to show that the Mormon church isn't a "restoration" of ANYTHING biblical. Lds Inc. has foisted an outright lie upon their people -- and have told them to "cough up" 10% to the corporate coffers.

Despite Hebrews 1:1-2, Mormons have been told that Jesus can't speak directly to His Church on earth...even though the writer of Hebrews clearly says that in the past God spoke through prophets...now He speaks through His Son, the Living Revelation of God!

Why has Lds Inc. bumped Jesus Christ out of the picture as the Church's one Living Prophet?
Why has Lds Inc. silenced Him?
Can He not speak directly any more?

I mean it's downright hypocritical for the Lds Church to insist that God only gives one "prophet" to the church, and then to systematically exclude mention of Jesus Christ as continuing to be THAT SINGLE Living Prophet...meaning...that the Lds church has replaced Him!

Even though MANY of the Old Testament prophets were contemporaries of each other (God speaking through more than one prophet at a time), Lds Inc. "told" God that He can't do that any more -- they have shut the mouths of God speaking through more than a single prophet.. and what's worse, unlike what Heb. 1:1-2 clearly says -- that Jesus is our everlasting "prophetic" voice we hear (see John 10)...Mormons say "no" -- we've shut up Jesus' voice as well...and we ONLY hear in a church body where "ONLY here is the Lord’s prophet."

[Colofornian]

From the article: The Mormon people, you see, had untapped value: a sense of community, a uniquely productive work ethic, and best of all, a built-in propensity to be obedient to authorities. These Mormons were made to order. The Mormon leaders offered up the future tithes of the Mormon people as guarantees against their investments. The members of what used to be The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be unwitting cash cows for the benefit of their leaders. And the leaders of what used to be that church were now climbing into bed with the whore of Babylon.

"Unwitting cash cows?" Unwitting bank account feeder dupes.

Gullibles.

(Give us 10% of your income & that's your temple ticket. Your temple ticket is your freeway to godhood.)

Q What god would attach a ticket voucher you have to pay for to live with him forever?

A Only the Mormon god!

You see, Mormons essentially say that well over 99.x% of people who've ever lived and are living will live with Father-God forever. (That's reserved for married temple Mormons who jump through all the rest of perfectionist, legalistic, ritualistic Mormon hoops!!)

Other Mormons need not apply.

Singles need not apply.

Non Mormons need not apply.

If you want a new "god job" Lds Inc. is assigning to colonies around the universe, you need to become a member in the infamous White Boys Club of Lds, Inc. (Oh, well, they started accepting black members 32 years ago -- when Mitt Romney was a tithing temple Mormon at age 30...but guess what % of their membership is black?)

[Alex Murphy]

Here's the gist of the article, which draws heavily on the writings of Daymon Smith, "Mormon antropologist":

• Churches should never incorporate, because it places the church under the authority of the civil government and not under God
• The LDS church (first) stopped being "under God" and sovereign in 1829, when Joseph Smith petitioned the state of New York for permission to form a church
• By 1880, Brigham Young and the apostles of the LDS Church had become distracted with managing the profit-making, monetary interests of the LDS church. Infighting among the apostles began. The "restored gospel" was no longer being preached or promoted by them.
• By 1887, the (unincorporated) LDS Church had grown so financially and politically powerful that it threatened the East Coast's "banking establishment"
• In 1887, under the influence of the banking establishment, the United States of America "dissolved" the LDS church legally, and seized all church assets. The LDS church ceased to exist. Ending polygamy was the "cover story" given to the public, but the real reason was ending LDS church control over western politics, economics, and resources
• By 1890, the LDS leaders "kissed and made up" with the Federal government to get their assets back
• The LDS leaders formed the LDS church corporation in 1923 to protect their assets. All church assets would now (unlike before) be under the sole control and discretion of the LDS President/Prophet
• Boyd K. Packer, the current LDS President/Prophet, is "obviously" "inherently evil".

[Paragon Defender]

Another fantasy thread by the anti-Mormon activist gang on FR. /yawn

[greyfoxx39]

Boyd K. Packer, the current LDS President/Prophet, is "obviously" "inherently evil".

Monson is still Prez...Packer, I think is next in line but I'm not sure.

[Saundra Duffy]

“Its decline over the next 25 years will be epic.”

Doubt that. The Church is experiencing a revival if anything. It is exciting, fulfilling, and wonderful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have been a Baptist, for a short time a Catholic, a pentecostal/evangelical, but I have never been so full of joy and awe. The Holy Ghost is real. Heavenly Father is real. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is real. The Church is real.

The anti Mormons can go on their merry way spreading these horrible threads but it mattereth not.