Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

What 2012 means to Mormons
The Washington Post's On Faith ^ | January 11, 2012 | Joanna Brooks

Posted on 01/11/2012 11:06:16 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Every Mormon I know has been watching Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign with close interest because of the kinship we feel with him. And, for his part, Romney has used Mormon social and business networks to enlist bundlers, donors, and volunteers. Those networks may play a role in key campaign states like Nevada. But it would be a mistake to believe that all Mormons plan to vote for Romney this fall. Some Mormon conservatives feel strongly about Ron Paul’s economic message, and a substantial minority of us-about 15 to 20 percent--are Democrats and will vote for Barack Obama this November.

However we vote and whatever happens to Mitt Romney, Mormons across the political spectrum are riveted by the kind of attention our faith is getting in the national media. Mormons know that our religion seems exotic and even esoteric, and we chuckle when we compare sensationalistic media depictions of Mormonism to our everyday lives. Surveys show that most Americans still have little to no understanding of what Mormons believe. Mormon habits of social insularity may inadvertently contribute to this understanding: like many religious minorities, LDS people often prefer to socialize and marry within our own communities.

But 2012 will challenge Latter-day Saints to retool their relationship to the American public and public scrutiny. Demand for information about Romney and his background will build as he marches towards the GOP nomination. Certainly there will be thoughtful, in-depth reporting on Mormon history, belief, and culture. Many Mormons are also nervous that media outlets will try to “expose” LDS temple ceremonies that the community honors in private....

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; Other Christian; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: inman; lds; mittromney; mormons; romney
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 last
To: Scoutmaster

Very interesting info, thanks!


61 posted on 01/12/2012 8:10:07 PM PST by tinamina
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Head

I find it interesting that when I tell you my personal experience with mormonISM you go to great lengths to explain that it is not the norm, so at what point when dozens of people tell you similar experiences across the country you finally start to wonder what is really going on? Or will you continually say, well I have never heard of such a thing or that is not the norm or whatever.
Jeff it is the norm, that is the problem mormonISM is not what it appears to be. Open you eyes.....


62 posted on 01/12/2012 9:50:02 PM PST by svcw (For the new year: you better toughen up, if you are going to continue to be stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: Elsie

Those would be the ones.

Fishing or campaigning?


63 posted on 01/13/2012 4:21:32 AM PST by wolfcreek (Perry to Obama: Adios, MOFO!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: Don Carlos
Peek at Journal of Discourses, Vol 3, P38, P39, P40. GG gramps Parley was pretty plain about who he favored. Mahometanism (sp?) hands down!

But WAIT!

There's MORE!!


 

“I Will Be a Second Mohammed”

In the heat of the Missouri “Mormon War” of 1838, Joseph Smith made the following claim, “I will be to this generation a second Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Alcoran [Koran] or the Sword.’ So shall it eventually be with us—‘Joseph Smith or the Sword!’ ”[1]

It is most interesting that a self-proclaimed Christian prophet would liken himself to Mohammed, the founder of Islam. His own comparison invites us to take a closer look as well. And when we do, we find some striking—and troubling—parallels. Consider the following.

  • Mohammed and Joseph Smith both had humble beginnings. Neither had formal religious connections or upbringing, and both were relatively uneducated. Both founded new religions by creating their own scriptures. In fact, followers of both prophets claim these scriptures are miracles since their authors were the most simple and uneducated of men.[2]

  • Both prophets claim of having angel visitations, and of receiving divine revelation to restore pure religion to the earth again. Mohammed was told that both Jews and Christians had long since corrupted their scriptures and religion. In like manner, Joseph Smith was told that all of Christianity had become corrupt, and that consequently the Bible itself was no longer reliable. In both cases, this corruption required a complete restoration of both scripture and religion. Nothing which preceded either prophet could be relied upon any longer. Both prophets claim they were used of God to restore eternal truths which once existed on earth, but had been lost due to human corruption.

  • Both prophets created new scripture which borrowed heavily from the Bible, but with a substantially new “spin.” In his Koran, Mohammed appropriates a number of Biblical themes and characters—but he changes the complete sense of many passages, claiming to “correct” the Bible. In so doing he changes many doctrines, introducing his own in their place. In like manner, Joseph Smith created the Book of Mormon, much of which is plagiarized directly from the King James Bible. Interestingly, the Book of Mormon claims that this same Bible has been substantially corrupted and is therefore unreliable. In addition, Joseph Smith went so far as to actually create his own version of the Bible itself, the “Inspired Version,” in which he both adds and deletes significant portions of text, claiming he is “correcting” it. In so doing he also changes many doctrines, introducing his own in their place.

  • As a part of their new scriptural “spin,” both prophets saw themselves as prophesied in scripture, and both saw themselves as a continuation of a long line of Biblical prophets. Mohammed saw himself as a continuation of the ministry of Moses and Jesus. Joseph Smith saw himself as a successor to Enoch, Melchizedek, Joseph and Moses. Joseph Smith actually wrote himself into his own version of the Bible—by name.

  • Both prophets held up their own scripture as superior to the Bible. Mohammed claimed that the Koran was a perfect copy of the original which was in heaven. The Koran is therefore held to be absolutely perfect, far superior to the Bible and superceding it. In like manner, Joseph Smith also made the following claim. “I told the Brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts, than by any other book.”[3]

  • Despite their claim that the Bible was corrupt, both prophets admonished their followers to adhere to its teachings. An obvious contradiction, this led to selective acceptance of some portions and wholesale rejection of others. As a result, the Bible is accepted by both groups of followers only to the extent that it agrees with their prophet’s own superior revelation.

  • Both Mohammed and Joseph Smith taught that true salvation was to be found only in their respective religions. Those who would not accept their message were considered “infidels,” pagans or Gentiles. In so doing, both prophets became the enemy of genuine Christianity, and have led many people away from the Christ of the Bible.

  • Both prophets encountered fierce opposition to their new religions and had to flee from town to town because of threats on their lives. Both retaliated to this opposition by forming their own militias. Both ultimately set up their own towns as model societies.

  • Both Mohammed and Joseph Smith left unclear instructions about their successors. The majority of Mohammed’s followers, Sunni Muslims, believe they were to elect their new leader, whereas the minority, Shiite Muslims, believe Mohammed’s son was to be their next leader. Similarly, the majority of Joseph Smith's followers, Mormons, believed their next prophet should have been the existing leader of their quorum of twelve apostles, whereas the minority, RLDS, believed Joseph Smith's own son should have been their next prophet. Differences on this issue, and many others, have created substantial tension between these rival groups of each prophet.

  • Mohammed taught that Jesus was just another of a long line of human prophets, of which he was the last. He taught that he was superior to Christ and superceded Him. In comparison, Joseph Smith also made the following claim.

“I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him, but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.”[4] In light of these parallels, perhaps Joseph Smith's claim to be a second Mohammed unwittingly became his most genuine prophecy of all.


[1] Joseph Smith made this statement at the conclusion of a speech in the public square at Far West, Missouri on October 14, 1838. This particular quote is documented in Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History, second edition, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1971), p. 230–231. Fawn Brodie’s footnote regarding this speech contains valuable information, and follows. “Except where noted, all the details of this chapter [16] are taken from the History of the [Mormon] Church. This speech, however, was not recorded there, and the report given here is based upon the accounts of seven men. See the affidavits of T.B. Marsh, Orson Hyde, George M. Hinkle, John Corrill, W.W. Phelps, Samson Avard, and Reed Peck in Correspondence, Orders, etc., pp. 57–9, 97–129. The Marsh and Hyde account, which was made on October 24, is particularly important. Part of it was reproduced in History of the [Mormon] Church, Vol. III, p. 167. See also the Peck manuscript, p. 80. Joseph himself barely mentioned the speech in his history; see Vol. III, p. 162.”

[2] John Ankerberg & John Weldon, The Facts on Islam, (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1998), pp.8–9. Eric Johnson, Joseph Smith & Muhammed, (El Cajon, CA: Mormonism Research Ministry, 1998), pp. 6–7.

[3] Documentary History of the [Mormon] Church, vol.4, pp.461.

[4] Documentary History of the [Mormon] Church, vol.6, pp.408–409.




64 posted on 01/13/2012 4:23:22 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Head
I’m not saying it never happens...any organization composed of millions of people will have folks, even who get into leadership, who do wrong.

Speaking of LEADERS...

Referring to the things said by MORMON leaders, shown in reply #22.

Are they RIGHT, or are they WRONG?

65 posted on 01/13/2012 4:43:38 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: wolfcreek

All the above??


66 posted on 01/13/2012 6:26:17 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: Scoutmaster


If I were the scoutmaster, I just would have sent Bob on a snipe hunt.
He's very annoying. That's probably one of many reasons I'm not a scoutmaster.

67 posted on 01/13/2012 6:28:04 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: SECURE AMERICA
What 2012 means to Mormons

Well; since NOW they claim that the Golden Plates and Hill Cumorah were in MEXICO - in MAYAN territory - not in New York, one must ASSUME that the Mayan PROPHECIES and the END of their CALENDAR...

http://philipcoppens.com/2012dvd.html

I guess getting MITT elected WOULD be the End of the World!!!

68 posted on 01/13/2012 6:37:35 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Some Mormon conservatives feel strongly about Ron Paul’s economic message, and a substantial minority of us-about 15 to 20 percent--are Democrats and will vote for Barack Obama this November.

MORMON and DEMOCRAT too?

Wow!

What a mission field!

69 posted on 01/13/2012 6:39:04 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson