....or is it dad? The head of the household is the patriarch of the home. What does this mean to a child that grows up in a Mormon [LDS] house? When a child grows up with these terms; head of the house, patriarch, priesthood authority, it only means one person and that is dad. He has the final say, the upper hand and sometimes the iron hand. I'm not sure if I gained more respect, or more fear of his position. I learned real early that his position was not to be toyed with, nor was it to be challenged. I remember as a small child that when my dad got dressed up in his Sunday suit, I was seeing the 'Mormon Authority' walk through the house. After this he would then leave with my brothers to the Mormon church house on Sunday mornings.
When I got to the church building on those mornings with my mom and sisters, there were many, many authoritative suits with armor [Mormon scriptures] in hand and a lordosis, head in the clouds, proud walk. I wasn't sure where I was, between the ages of three and twelve, when I was around the men with their suits on. I finally found myself more relaxed and at ease once I went down stairs to primary class at church.
At home when the 'suit' was put away and the jeans are on, the patriarch continues with his position while undercover of blue cotton and dirty work shoes. I didn't dare to get out of step of his instruction. The consequences were rough.
When I got older I learned that this same patriarch believed that he had the authority to decide the future of his offspring. I don't know how other Mormon priesthood holders believe, but I know that my patriarch believes this. I learned the light of this after a lot of heartache through many, many situations and relationships that did not have the best end results. Fear dominated my youth and I didn't know which way to turn. I wasn't taught in my growing up years how to support myself, so I didn't know what to do to get out from underneath this all powerful authority.
I learned how to be pleasing to everyone around me. I also learned how to do everything I was told. It didn't matter what the task was, as long as I did my handmaiden duty with a smile on my face and quickness in my step. That way I stayed away from the iron hand. The authority from the position that my dad holds in the Mormon church, created in me effusive, or extreme emotional behaviors that I'm learning to overcome. I still experience intimidation from time to time when he and I relate to each other. My reaction to any negatives from anyone, has always caused in me an inappropriate, overwhelming sense of guilt, which I'm learning to overcome as well. I have a very understanding and loving husband in Christian who is always there to uplift my soul with prayer and the Word.
In the recent events that have occurred in my life, I've become very aware of how much my fears and behaviors are a result of this priesthood authority, this patriarchal position stemming from my early relationship with my dad. The boundaries that I should have been able to set for myself in my early years that were designed to instill a healthy life with my mind, body, and spirit, I'm now getting to know. It's never too late to know the boundaries that will insure a wholesome, peaceful life with Jesus Christ by my side.
Here are a couple of references that the Mormon men use to verify their Authority. D&C 107. ( A not worthy verse is 107:64 which reads; "Then comes the "High Priesthood, which is the greatest of all."
"One cannot consider this matter without being impressed that the churches of the world today are missing much by not having this authority and information, nor can they get it from reading the Bible." ( A Marverlous Work and a Wonder, pg 160, Legrand Richards)
PATRIARCH
My Precious Little Book
She lives in a spiritual home where harmony, love, and beauty dwell. It is a gracious, welcoming place for those who live there and for those who visit. The handmaiden is one who helps make it so. Her heart is happy; her hands are busy as she learns to use the HOMEMAKING ARTS. (Through wisdom is an house built; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3,4)
To love is to serve. To serve is to love. The handmaiden of the Lord is blessed with special gifts of tenderness and concern for others. SERVICE and COMPASSION are part of her everyday existence. She is loved for the loving service she gives. (When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. Mosiah 2:17)
The window of her soul are open wide as the handmaiden of the Lord rejoices in being alive and part of a world filled with wonder and beauty. She finds RECREATION for her soul-spirit and body-as she lives close to the WORLD of NATURE God has created for her. (Yea, all things which come of the earth...are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; ...to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul. D&C 59:18, 19)
The handmaiden of the Lord is a product of her culture, heritage, talents, and the way she uses them. She seeks for beauty and understanding wherever it is found...in life...in books...in a song...or in prayer. CULTURAL ARTS and EDUCATION become stepping stones to the enrichment and fulfillment of her roles in life. (Whatsoever things are true,...honest,...just,...pure,...lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8)
Each handmaiden has gifts from God that are hers alone. She looks for ways of PERSONAL and SOCIAL REFINEMENT to enhance these gifts. As she meets her individual challenges in her preparation to meet the Savior, she is strong and gentle, steadfast and gracious, courageous and humble. She likes herself and accepts herself for what she is--a daughter of God. (For verily I say unto you, all those who receive my gospel are sons and daughters in my kingdom. D&C 25:1)" BEHOLD THY HANDMAIDEN, Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1974
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As I look back into this little book and read what is written above, I reflect back on the most impressionable years of my life. I have fond memories of how I strived for perfection and acceptance by adhering to the laws and boundaries that were set before me by the Mormon church. The flowery wording and the 'feel good' promises that the church gave did nothing for me in the long run. The words above are so wonderful, they are too good to be real. I spent so much time doing what I thought I should do for salvation, that my mind was totally programed to think nothing else. I grew up with hardly any ability to make any decisions for myself and I am still learning how to cope with the harsh realities of life. When I was taught how to gain comfort from God, I was never told what I really needed to be comforted from.
HANDMAIDEN 1. A woman or girl servant or attendant. 2. that which accompanies in a useful but subordinate capacity.
My heart yearned to be all that I could be and do all that I could do, so I could make it to heaven. I was never taught how to create the proper 'boundaries' I needed for my own survival. I got lost in the process of 'when you are in the service of your fellow beings', I could not see that I was getting destroyed in the whole mess. Now that I have broken away from all of the "laws" that I was required to do, I am in a hole, and I have extreme difficulty dealing with all of those years of having my head screwed on backwards.
It's not easy to pull out of the brain washing that Mormonism did to me. I pray that none of you have to go through what I went through, and still go through. I understand that time heals all wounds. I know that it's going to take a lot of time for me to heal.
BEING SAVED
"But do Latter-day Saints believe in "being saved?" If I ask my classes on campus that question with just the right Southern drawl in my voice, I can usually get about a third of them to shake their heads and say, "No, We don't believe in 'being saved.' That's those other guys, the ones of TV." What a tragedy! Of course the Latter-day Saints believe in being saved. They do now, and they always have. How can Jesus be called the Savior if he never saves anybody?" (Believing Christ, Stephen E. Robinson, 1992, page 18)
"We believe that man will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." (The Articles of Faith, Joseph Smith, Article 2)
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"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:12-21)
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"Traditional Christianity teaches that, rather than being appreciative of what God had done for them, our first parents openly defied their Creator when they ate forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they wanted the knowledge that God had. For this reason most Christians view our first parents as being selfish, greedy, arrogant, and proud.
And it is because of this defiance that most Christian churches teach that God cursed not only Adam and Eve but also their offspring whereby, from the very moment of our conception, each person is born with the same tendency to be selfish, greedy, proud, ungrateful, and rebellious, just as our original parents were. That is why when Protestants read the Bible they believe it teaches that not one person is capable of pleasing God ("And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6), because God considers all people sinners who have fallen short of His glory ("for all have sinned and fall short to the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23[-24]), and that God considers even our best efforts to do good as filthy rags ("All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6) * This verse is part of a praise and prayer to the Lord for divine deliverance, not how God considers our best efforts. . Most Christians believe there is not one person who does good ("All have turned away, they have together worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:12) *This verse is a quote from Psalm 14:1-3. Paul charges that both Jews and Gentiles alike are under the power of sin. Old Testament quotations were effective tools for teaching during the time of Paul. Jesus Christ is the only one good enough for God. because all of our thoughts are continually evil ("The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." Genesis 6:5 *This is part of the story of the flood. 'This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny over takes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.' *Under the heading, A Common Destiny for All. 'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?'" Jeremiah 17:9) *The prophet makes an observation, then asks a rhetorical question. The heart, the wellspring of life, in which wickedness must not be allowed to take root.
Christians teach that the reason why all of this is true is because of what they call "original sin," which is defined, not as any action on our part, but rather as a state of being we inherited. It is an ethical deformity in our genes that prevents us from doing anything morally good. Therefore, to believe in the doctrine of original sin is to believe that mankind doesn't have the ability to obey God's commandments. And if that is true then we are forced to conclude that all of us are being punished for Adam's sin." ( Accent on Mormon Beliefs, Original Sin, http:www. 14lds.com/sin.htm) *I added the full scripture so you can read what the writer is meaning.)
To be saved is to know that Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden. They disobeyed God's command. As a result of this disobedience, sin entered the world. It was not part of God's plan to have Adam sin. God cannot look upon sin, so it does not stand to reason that God the Father intended Adam to sin. It isn't in the nature of the Father to consider the fall. Satan, on the other hand, loves to do whatever he can to cause Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Forbidden is forbidden according to God. Something does not change, or become acceptable just because Satan comes around. We must all know that through the one man comes sin and death, and through the other man comes life and salvation.
God is a merciful God, He had to give mortal man someone to ransom in order for Himself to be satisfied. Jesus Christ was the ransom. He payed a price that none other could pay. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can ever be in the presence of the Father. Jesus Christ covered the sin of the one man who brought sin into the world. Only after we believe and confess to God that we are sinners and repent, can God come into our hearts. Then we can be justified for heaven.
A plan for salvation was set forth ever since a burnt offering to the Father was necessary in order for the Father to be satisfied. Jesus Christ was that offering who payed the ultimate price.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that Jesus Christ saves them from some of their own sins only. The official web site for the LDS has a post that defines the churches stand on the plan of salvation.
The grace of Jesus is not enough for eternal salvation for the LDS. The Christians who know that those who believe through faith we will be saved and gain eternal life. When there is love in the heart of a Christian, the things that person does should reflect the love that was given to them from God. Gods love is given to us freely by grace, or in other words, you don't have to work for it, to those who continue to have faith day by day.
Traditional Jesus
The definition of "Traditional Jesus" is referring to the Jesus of Biblical history. The Synoptic Gospels are a group of writings that give an account of the traditional Jesus. Some like to refer to this as the "Historical Jesus."
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke focus mainly on the parables, miracles, discourses, and the passion, along with many other historical events surrounding Jesus. The gospel of John focuses more on the person of Jesus. Jesus' relationships with individuals is also stressed in John more than His general contact with the public. The rest of the new testament focuses on traditional Christians and the teachings of how a Christian should live, by faith, through the traditional Jesus. (New Testament Survey pg. 131)
Mormonism itself states that they believe in a different Jesus. Bruce R. McConkie, a past apostle, states that "virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit essence who is incorporeal, uncreated, immaterial, and three-in-one with the Father and Holy Spirit." (Mormon Doctrine, pg. 269)
The statement from McConkie is further confirmed by their modern-day prophet while speaking to a group of Mormons in France. "In bearing testimony of Jesus Christ, President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints 'do not believe in the traditional Christ. 'No, I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times.'" (June 20, 1998)
The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times
Christianity: A world order or administration in which the heavens and the earth are under the political and/or spiritual government of Jesus.
Mormonism: The era after which the Church of Christ is thought to have been restored to the earth by the religious founder Joseph Smith, Jr beginning in the 1820's. In this sense, the "dispensation" refers to the administration of truth and/or priesthood by the church and its leaders, guided by revelation.
The prophet Joseph Smith wrote, "Those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fullness of times" (D&C 128:18)
David W. Patten, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said in 1838: "The dispensation of the fullness of times is made up of all the dispensations that ever have been since the world began, until this time.... All [the prophets] received in their time a dispensation by revelation from God, to accomplish the great scheme of restoration,... the end of which is the dispensation of the fullness of times, in which all [the] things shall be fulfilled that have been spoken of since the earth was made." (HC 3:51) (www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/gospel/last_days/dispensation_fullness_eom.htm)
"Mormonism teaches that there are several problems with the Bible. First, many of its books are missing, so it is only an incomplete compilation at best. Second, we are told that many plain and precious things were taken away from the Bible by that "great and abominable church," as recorded in 1Nephi 13:25-28 in the Book of Mormon. The very document requiring biblical testing discredits its only credible witness!
The final severance from biblical accountability is the continued LDS teaching that what was left of the scriptures has been so often and badly translated that our Bible is of almost no "stand alone" value. Apostle Orson Pratt summed up the LDS position when he stated, "... and who, in his right mind could for one moment, suppose the Bible in its present form to be a perfect guide? Who knows that even one verse of the whole Bible has escaped pollution, so as to convey the same sense now that it did in the original?" (Orson Pratt, The Bible Alone An Insufficient Guide, Early LDS Pamphlet, pages 44-47.)
Joseph Smith taught, "I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors." (Joseph F. Smith, The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 1938, page 327)" (www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/scripturemess.htm)
The traditional Jesus is the "only" Jesus that is taught in all Christian religions. The traditional Jesus is clearly not the Jesus that the Mormons believe. All Mormons who think that they worship the same Jesus need to take a deeper look into their core beliefs. The Mormons do not have the same blessings that comes from believing in Him, the real Jesus. I pray that the light will be shown to those who yearn to know the true Jesus.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 THE BIBLE, NIV)
Christian Sect?
This short article says it a lot better than I could ever say it myself. First of all, Mormonism is a cult. The thing that makes it a cult is the fact that they do not worship the bible Jesus. One of the biggest deceptions that the Mormons do is pray in Jesus' name. They want everyone to believe that their Jesus is the bible Jesus, when it is not in fact the bible Jesus. The source of their guidance and direction comes from the teachings of Joseph Smith which run contrary to the teachings of the Jesus of Nazareth. They grossly malign the name of Jesus like several other false religions to selfishly propagate a man made system of beliefs.
I grew up with the belief that a Mormon is a Mormon, and all other religions were wrong. I was taught that Mormons were the elect above all other religions. A Mormon is not a Christian, never has been, never will be. As far as Mormons saying that they are a Christian sect, that is a huge lie. Who ever thought that up was clever.
The Bible and The Book of Mormon - A genealogy
Part III
Laman 1Nephi 2:5
"And he [Lehi] came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam." BOM
Lamanites Jacob 1:13
"Now the people which were not Lamanites were Nephites; nevertheless, they were called Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zormites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites."BOM
Native Americans 1Nephi 13:14
"And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten."BOM
The alleged people of the Book of Mormon who are directly linked to Israelites and Judaism, has been one of the most widely debated subjects lately. There are numerous web sites that go into great detail on the matter. Instead of me taking a lot of space talking about this; I'm giving you a list of web sites that discuss this.
1. www.religioustolerance.org/lds_migr.htm
2. http:atheism.about.com/od/bookreviews/fr/LosingLostTribe.htm
3. www.sweenytod.com/mo/modules.php?name=News&file=
article&sid=1476
4. www.lds-mormon.com/lam-ind.shtml
5. www.lhvm.org/vid_dna_med.htm
6. www.rickross.com/reference/mormon/mormon34.html
7. www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon/440.htm
8. www.baptiststandard.com/2003/1_20?pages/mormon.html
There are many, many web sites. More than I can list. Google the subject yourself and you will see that there are thousands of web sites about the subject. Included in these sites are some Mormon web sites that say a totally different story. Research for yourself. I have concluded that there is a lot of time devoted to the subject and within it, the basics can get easily lost. The bottom line is, that the Mormons are trying their best to show themselves as a "true" connection to the bible where in fact, they are not. The bible would have "hints" of Mormon people in it if it were true, but it doesn't. The Book of Mormon is totally one sided and the people who believe their leaders on the authenticity of the BOM need to do a full research outside the bubble of Mormonism.
I grew up to believe that the only "true" writings and spoken word came from someone with the "proper authority". This meant that I used to only believe what the Mormon church and all of those who had authority over me said. I never questioned anything that would "stir the pot."
Now, I stir and stir and stir and stir!
