Traditional Christianity Vs. Mormon Christianity; Settle For Salvation, Or Strive For Exaltation?

To avoid the appearance of belittling a traditional Christian church in my community that I otherwise respect for publicly standing tall for traditional cultural values and taking heat from progressives because of it, I will not identify it by name in this post. But the graphic posted below is part of a Christmas flyer they produced.

Some traditional Christian churches offer you this:

Their motives are good. They ask you to bring at least one serious seeker of salvation to their church to qualify to win one of those TVs. Mind you, salvation's not a bad thing...it means you don't follow Satan into the unorganized universe, or outer darkness, for eternity. You don't become a son of perdition.


But the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers you this:

This picks up where salvation leaves off. This can lead you to exaltation.

What exactly does that mean? It depends upon the type of eternal future you want. If you're willing to be merely a citizen of one of our Heavenly Father's innumerable kingdoms in the future, so be it; that is a completely honorable decision. We know that both the terrestrial and the telestial kingdoms are glorious far beyond what we can imagine. Why, the Prophet Joseph Smith himself was believed to have once said that if the veil came down and we could glimpse the telestial kingdom, we would commit mass suicide just to get there faster.

But if you want to be more than just a mere citizen of the Father's realms, and actually become a FULL HEIR of the Father and a JOINT HEIR with Jesus Christ, then salvation is merely the beginning. One must progress to exaltation in order to qualify to become a full heir to the Father. And if you persevere, the payoff is Godhood. The power to create and populate worlds. As Jesus Christ Himself has said, "...worlds without number have I created" (Moses 1:33).

Salvation is comparatively easy; exaltation is hard. Exaltation goes beyond faith; one must also keep commandments. Many of these commandments will distinguish you from your peers, particularly the Word of Wisdom and the Sabbath. You may have to accept apparent and obvious inequities on the surface, such as formal Priesthood being limited only to men, with only your faith that the Lord will balance the scales in the future. You may have to wrestle with the seeming paradoxes of Mormon history from time to time, and even wonder just where in heck Zarahemla really was, and accept the fact that the answer simply may not be forthcoming in this life -- not because the Lord wants to keep you ignorant, but because He might just be merciful enough not to want to burden you with that information before you're ready. But those who have been willing to strive for exaltation have always been a patient and peculiar people.

So how about it? Are you willing to settle for salvation, or do you want to take that next step -- towards exaltation. Yes, straight is the gate, narrow is the way, and few there'll be that find it. But the rewards are incalculable. Mormonism may NOT be for everyone -- but it could be for YOU! If you think you have what it takes to become one of the Few, the Proud, the Exalted, take that first step today. Go to Mormon.org and start a chat with a missionary who's ready to help you begin the journey back to the Father.

Ex-Mormon Adam Lowe Continues To Attest To The Effectiveness Of The LDS Home Teaching Program When Implemented As Designed

Well, I certainly got a bit of a surprise today when the Mormon Times printed a submission from an ex-Mormon. Although the Mormon Times is not an official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it does tend to restrict itself to publishing faith-promoting news about the Church. It is operated by the Deseret News, which is owned by the LDS Church.

But there's a reason. This ex-Mormon, Adam Lowe, did not turn into a drama queen and launch a crusade against the Church. In fact, he continues to praise the LDS Church's home teaching program in this Mormon Times article. That's because his first home teacher, who he identifies as "Brother O", set the example for proper home teaching back in 1986. How did he do it?

-- He always taught very detailed and interesting lessons
-- Challenged the children in the family to memorize scripture verses which they were expected to recite upon his next visit.
-- Always sent cards on family members' birthdays.

Oh, and by the way, Adam Lowe's home teacher was not just an ordinary ward member. He was also a Regional Representative (abolished in 1995; supplanted by Area Seventies). A Regional Representative basically lived out of a suitcase, always traveling, visiting the wards and stakes in the area to which he was assigned. Yet he found time not only to satisfy his additional calling as a home teacher, but to take it seriously.

The example was not lost on either Adam Lowe or his father. When they went out to home teach, they researched the needs of their families. Perhaps they even prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But they tailored each visit to the specific needs of the family. Those who wanted a formal lesson got a formal lesson, while those who preferred a social visit, talking about hunting, etc., got a social visit.

Adam Lowe does not disclose the circumstances behind his departure from the Church. But to this day, the positive examples of home teaching not only by his first home teacher, but also his own father, have stayed with him. He writes:

I'm no longer a believer in Mormonism, but I will always remember the inspiring example of Brother O. Some people view home teaching as a chore, but he had a vision of how the program could touch people's lives. He was also an example of the importance of magnifying one's calling, no matter how small, as he truly believed that his responsibility to our family as our home teacher was every bit as important as his responsibility over several stakes.

Contrast this with the cavalier approach taken by many elders today. Many will wait until the 30th of the month, then make a Hail Mary last-minute visit to punch their ticket for the month so they can go back to their Elders' Quorum President and tell him what good boys they've been. That approach not only makes a solemn mockery of the program, but can inspire cynicism among members, sometimes leading to apostasy and a messy divorce from the Church.

The scriptural foundation of home teaching is the commandment for priesthood holders to "watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them" (D&C 20:53; see also D&C 20:54–55; Moroni 6:4). Through home teaching, priesthood holders join with the Lord in watching over and strengthening Church members. From the time priesthood holders are ordained to the office of teacher, they have the opportunity and responsibility to serve as home teachers. Accordingly, home teachers are assigned by priesthood leaders. They are not called, sustained, or set apart. Home teachers establish a relationship of trust with these families so that the families can call upon them in times of need. They also serve to magnify the ward bishop or branch president's calling, to avoid overloading him with problems. Proper home teaching is effective delegation of a bishop's authority.

Combined with the Visiting Teaching program, which is directed towards the women by the Relief Society, this ensures that individual Church members have multiple prospective sources of help if trouble arises. It may start out as "mandatory friendship", but genuine friendships can arise. Visiting teaching is the heart and soul of Relief Society. The purposes of visiting teaching are to build caring relationships with each sister and to offer support, comfort, and friendship. In visiting teaching, both the giver and the receiver are blessed and strengthened in their Church activity by their caring concern for one another. Scriptural justifications are contained in Mosiah 18:8–9 and Moroni 6:4

Adam Lowe is to be commended for not becoming an anti-Mormon. He's proof that ex-Mormon and anti-Mormon need not be synonymous.

Pew 2010 Forum Study Confirms 15 Latter-Day Saints, Mostly Republican, In The New 112th Congress

On November 4th, 2010, I published an update on how candidates belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fared in Congressional elections on November 2nd. It showed that the new 112th Congress would include 15 Mormons.

This has just been confirmed by the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life, which released a breakdown of the faiths and denominations of the members of the incoming 112th Congress on January 5th, 2010. It reveals that the percentage of LDS members in the new Congress is up slightly from the last session, although still greater that the percentage of Mormons in overall society. The number of Mormons increased from 14 to 15.

Latter-day Saints now comprise 2.8 percent of the body vs. 1.7 percent of the American public. LDS members make up 5 percent of the Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and 2.3 percent of the House (the latter also includes Eni Faleomavaega, the non-voting delegate from American Samoa).

-- Read the full list of members of Congress and their religious affiliations HERE, alphabetized by state.

(1). U.S. Senate:
-- Michael Crapo (R-ID)
-- Harry Reid (D-NV)
-- Tom Udall (D-NM)
-- Mike Lee (R-UT)
-- Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

(2). U.S. House:
-- Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
-- Wally Herger (R-CA)
-- Howard McKeon (R-CA)
-- Raul Labrador (R-ID)
-- Mike Simpson (R-ID)
-- Dean Heller (R-NV)
-- Rob Bishop (R-UT)
-- Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)
-- Jim Matheson (D-UT)
-- Eni Faleomavaega (non-voting delegate from American Samoa)

The Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized LDS) is also represented in Congress in the person of Leonard Boswell (D-IA). Though having just a fraction of the Utah-based LDS membership, the Community of Christ is fairly strong in Missouri, southern Iowa, and Illinois.

The LDS Church is officially committed to the principle of political neutrality. The Church’s mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to elect politicians. The LDS Church does NOT:

* Endorse, promote or oppose political parties, candidates or platforms.
* Allow its church buildings, membership lists or other resources to be used for partisan political purposes.
* Attempt to direct its members as to which candidate or party they should give their votes to. This policy applies whether or not a candidate for office is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
* Attempt to direct or dictate to a government leader.

The LDS Church further states that "Elected officials who are Latter-day Saints make their own decisions and may not necessarily be in agreement with one another or even with a publicly stated Church position. While the Church may communicate its views to them, as it may to any other elected official, it recognizes that these officials still must make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent".

Free Republic Webmaster Jim Robinson Uses Anti-Mormon Bigotry To Transform Free Republic Into Anti-Mormon Site In Between Begging For Money

During the past year, I've heard rumors of anti-Mormon bigotry on Free Republic. Occasional examination of applicable threads verified that some people posted anti-Mormon remarks (remarks that go beyond constructive criticism and simply regurgitate shopworn canards), but it appeared as if Mormons were fully permitted to rebut those remarks.

An analysis published by LDS Church Examiner Greg West on January 3rd, 2011 reveals that not only is there institutionalized anti-Mormon bigotry on Free Republic, but West even believes a full-scale anti-Mormon purge from the board is coming (for the record, it should be noted that Greg West was banned from Free Republic). From December 2008 through February 2010, West documented 702 discussions about Mormonism on Free Republic; here were his findings:

-- 144 of them or 21 percent were favorable towards the Church. However, the bulk of these consisted primarily of "devotional" or "LDS Caucus" discussions where site rules prohibit debates or hostile expressions by non-caucus members.

-- 51 neutral discussions were found for a total of 7 percent. These were generally discussions where mention of Mormons and Mormonism were incidental, such as a political discussion about Mitt Romney or Glenn Beck.

-- 507 discussions that were initiated by known anti-Mormons with the intention of bashing Mormons and their religion. That's 72 percent.

What is more disturbing to Greg West, who is also the editor of the Society for the Prevention of Anti-Mormonism website, is that it appears Jim Robinson has progressed from merely tolerating anti-Mormonism on his site to directly interfering with discussions to promote anti-Mormon bias activity. Robinson has previously let it be known that he is unfavorably disposed towards Mormonism:

"I’ll put it this way. I don’t believe a single word written by Joseph Smith or his followers when it departs from the Word of God as recorded in the Holy Bible and I’m not thrilled about people coming here to preach some false gospel from the pages of Free Republic."

In response to a question as to whether he was trying to drive Mormons away from Free Republic, Robinson was quoted as follows:

"Not at all. Just having a hard time accepting some of their threads (like this one for example) that I find extremely offensive. I’m at the point that I’m not going to allow any protected LDS/Mormon Caucus threads on FR. You can’t post offensive stuff like this and expect Christians not to object to it. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to suspend or ban or deny any Christian from objecting to what he believes is the false prophecy of Joseph Smith. Whether Mormons will feel welcome here after this or not is completely up to them individually."

Greg West's critique has now become a discussion thread on Free Republic. Further research revealed that Jim Robinson previously addressed this issue in this March 29th, 2009 discussion thread. At the time, he wrote "...Mormons have and always have had free reign to post their threads on FR just as all other religious groups have enjoyed. Free Republic defends the right to freedom of religion and has always welcomed religious discussion and always will. And Mormons have always been welcome here. I have absolutely nothing against Mormons". This implies he's only recently become more hostile toward Mormons.

Jim Robinson has a reputation for being arbitrary about who he bans. He's known to ban members for nitnoid reasons. Of course, it being his site, it's his First Amendment right to control access; I support that right unequivocally and unconditionally. It is also my equally unequivocal and unconditional right to expose and expound upon deficiencies noted at his website. Furthermore, Free Republic is notorious for constantly begging for donations and pledges, even worse than PBS does. They've got a ridiculous 2011 Q1 Freepathon in progress right now. As a matter of fact, the majority of prominent conservative sites seem addicted to begging for money; many of them spend more time begging for money than they do expounding upon the issues. As a matter of fact, it's actually the shameless money-begging that turns me off on Free Republic more than anything else.

Free Republic bills itself as "America's exclusive site for God, Family, Country, Life & Liberty constitutional conservative activists". What's ironic is that the Mormons against whom he is biased also share those views, for the most part. Once a respectable website, Free Republic is degenerating into little more than a right-wing version of Daily Kos. The fact that FR is conservative can no longer be considered a saving grace when they cater to negative biases and stereotypes about conservatives.

Free Republic is not completely without socially-redeeming value; they've just revealed another outbreak of political correctness with the editing of Mark Twain to remove racial slurs. But until Jim Robinson cleans up the site and ratchets down the money-begging to less hysterical levels, I cannot recommend that anyone register to post on the site.

Mormon Messages: Look Not Behind Thee - A New Year's Message Urging People Not To Obsess With The Past

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has produced yet another short but useful video to help ring in the New Year in the right spirit. Entitled "New Year's: Look Not Behind Thee", it features comments from patrons in a diner that focus on the importance of leaving the past behind and looking ahead to a brighter future.



The crux of the message: While it is normal and proper to look back on the past and reflect upon it to learn necessary lessons, it is not helpful to obsess with the past. The past is best used to chart a more precise course for the future.

Obsessing with the past can not only delay progress, but can actually create unnecessary antagonism and polarization. In the political realm, many have learned about and publicized new facts about American history which occasionally present the United States in a less favorable light. While updating our history with newer facts is helpful, those who have a more sinister agenda will use those new facts to promote division and hatred between Americans. It was one thing to pass laws which eliminated forced racial segregation in the United States. It's another thing altogether to replace the old racism of "Jim Crow" with the newer racism of affirmative action, which is based upon the spurious notion that we have to make up for past discrimination. Some extremists even propose "reparations" for the legacy of slavery (the last actual slave died decades ago).

Obsessing with the past in the religious realm can, in some cases, lead to apostasy. Finding out new facts about the founders of the LDS Church is interesting, and, once properly vetted, the information can be incorporated into the Church's historical banks. Unfortunately, some Mormons become obsessed with newly-released history which may place the Church's founders in a less favorable light, to the point to where they lose their faith. I recently discussed the example of Lyndon Lamborn, who was a faithful, productive member of the Church until he read a book entitled "Under The Banner Of Heaven", written by Jon Krakauer. While reading this book, he found out that the Prophet Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage. Since he was never told this by an LDS source, he became distressed and began to question his faith. He also began expressing his doubts to others within his ward. Ultimately, he was excommunicated, and has now launched an anti-Mormon crusade. Lamborn became so obsessed with "history" that he allowed the word of one non-Mormon author to supersede the testimony of sixteen Presidents of the Church, all of who were prophets, seers, and revelators.

We do not need to obsess with the past. We do not need to apologize for events not of our own making. The Second Article of Faith offers us the escape clause: "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression". While designed specifically to rebut the doctrine of original sin, by implication, it also means we are not accountable for any sins except our own. We certainly are not accountable for Joseph Smith's sins, Brigham Young's sins, or any other historical sins. We do better by judging the actions of historical figures by the morality of their times rather than the morality of our times; they may not have had as much light and knowledge available to them as we do.

Learn from the past, but use it to move forward. Don't get stuck in a rut.

Former Missouri Governor Christopher Bond Says Mormons Still Thank Him For Formally Repealing Lilburn W. Boggs' Extermination Order Of 1838

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that former Missouri Governor Christopher "Kit" Bond says Mormons still thank him for having formally repealed the Extermination Order issued against members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Governor Lilburn W. Boggs in 1838. Furthermore, Bond also says that a number of people who come to Missouri told him they came back specifically because the Extermination Order was repealed.

Bond first learned of this Order during his first term as governor in 1976 when a White House aide called and told him about it. Upon investigation, Bond learned it was officially still on the books even though it wasn't enforced. He decided it was unacceptable, and on June 25th, 1976, Bond issued an executive order rescinding it. In the official proclamation, Bond said Boggs violated constitutional rights, and expressed Missouri’s “deep regret for the injustice and undue suffering which was caused by the 1838 order.”

Bond lost his bid for re-election later than year, but ran for governor and won in 1980. He won his first campaign for U.S. Senate in 1986 and was re-elected three times. He opted not to seek re-election in 2010, although he is a highly-respected lawmaker who's had no controversy associated with his name. Utah Senator Orrin Hatch credits eliminating the Extermination Order with helping create a robust Mormon community in Missouri that includes an LDS temple in St. Louis that opened in 1997 and another under construction in Kansas City. The St. Louis Beacon publishes an impressive tribute to Christopher Bond HERE.

Boggs' order was triggered by reports of armed clashes between Mormons and non-Mormons in northwest Missouri, culminating in the Battle of Crooked River on October 25th, 1838. Two citizens of Richmond, Missouri brought Governor Boggs reports which made it appear as if the Mormons were the sole instigators. Acting on the basis of those reports, Governor Boggs, acting in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Missouri militia, ordered General John B. Clark to march to Ray County with a division of militia to carry out operations against armed Mormons. The order described the Mormons as being in "open and avowed defiance of the laws, and of having made war upon the people of this State." It stated that "the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace—their outrages are beyond all description."

A copy of the order reached General Samuel D. Lucas of the state militia by the time he encamped outside the LDS town of Far West, in Caldwell County, on October 31st. Lucas gave a copy to the LDS Colonel George M. Hinkle and other Church representatives, to whom he dictated terms of surrender, and they showed it to Joseph Smith. It was probably a significant factor in Joseph Smith's decision to surrender to Lucas.

Following Joseph Smith's surrender, arrest, and imprisonment, the governor's order was carried out by a combination of militia troops and vigilantes. It culminated in the forcible removal from Missouri of virtually all members of the Church during the winter and early spring of 1838-1839. The legality and propriety of Boggs' order were vigorously debated in the Missouri legislature during its 1839 session. The order was supported by most northwest Missouri citizens, but was questioned or denounced by others. However, no determination of the order's legality was ever made.

Aftermath: On May 6th, 1842, an attempt was made on the life of Governor Boggs. Boggs was shot by an unknown party who fired at him through a window as he read a newspaper in his study. Governor Boggs was seriously wounded by the attempt, in which he was shot in the head and neck. He made a surprising recovery, and it was attributed to his generally strong constitution. The attempt inflamed anti-Mormon sentiment, and many bigoted news articles and unfounded accusations ensued. Subsequently, Boggs emigrated to California in 1846, settling in Sonoma and becoming alcalde (mayor) of the Sonoma district in 1847. During the California Gold Rush, Boggs owned a store and did quite well. On November 8th, 1849, Boggs resigned as alcalde and became the town's postmaster. He then accepted an appointment as state assemblyman from the Sonoma District in 1852. In 1855 he retired to live on a ranch in Napa County, California where he died on March 19th, 1860. His widow Panthea died in Napa County, California on September 23rd, 1880. They are buried in Tulocay Cemetery, Napa, California.

Mormon attitudes towards Lilburn W. Boggs may have played a role in fueling the Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1857. While the bulk of the Fancher Party was from Arkansas, some people from Missouri joined them. However, Mormon attitudes towards Lilburn W. Boggs have softened with the passage of time. It is now apparent that Boggs was somewhat of an impulsive weak sister who acted on the basis of the latest information conveyed to him rather than wait to conduct a more thorough inquiry. Thus he acted more out of opportunism and fear rather than malevolence. It was Boggs' subordinates, particularly General Lucas, who were truly vindictive against the Saints and who meted out particularly harsh treatment. But since Boggs was the governor, he was considered responsible for the Saints' travails at the time.