UNDERSTANDING MORMONISM A search for truth The dominant narrative is not true; it can't be sustained. The Church has to absorb all this new information or it will be on very shaky grounds (and that's what it is trying to do) and it will be a strain for a lot of people. Richard Bushman, Faithful Mormon Historian and author of Rough Stone Rolling Dec 2019 – V14 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Mysticism and Artifacts of the early church ............................................................................................................................... 4 Doctrine ...........................................................................................................................................................................................20 Mormon History.............................................................................................................................................................................93 Sacred Texts ................................................................................................................................................................................. 102 Organization................................................................................................................................................................................. 113 Corporate Mormonism .............................................................................................................................................................. 122 Mormon Culture ......................................................................................................................................................................... 146 Mormon Psycology ..................................................................................................................................................................... 149 Google and other threats .......................................................................................................................................................... 159 So What? ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 162 What’s next .................................................................................................................................................................................. 166 Recommended Reading............................................................................................................................................................. 173 Tidbits: .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 174 END NOTES................................................................................................................................................................................... 177 1 FORWARD When I realized that foundational claims made by the LDS church were false, I chose to leave the faith as a matter of integrity. This book is the result of my attempt to understand the doctrine and evolution of the movement from a non-believing perspective. I have attempted to cite accurate sources and to provide as factual and balanced an overview as possible. If you discover any errors, please feel free to provide feedback to [email protected] so that I can improve my understanding and this document. Please appreciate that Mormonism continues to change and this document is (and will likely always be) a work in progress. INTRODUCTION Mormons often feel misunderstood by those who do not share their faith. They may worry that non-believers do not understand their doctrine.1 This work hopes to introduce significant beliefs of Mormonism with some historical context to aid in better understanding the Mormon church of yesterday and today. Mormonism is complex, and any single topic covered here is generally so complex that it could be the subject of a book. This book simply introduces topics and gives references for further study. The purpose of this work is not to challenge ones beliefs or “prove” that Mormonism is made up. There are other resources which serve this purpose for those interested2. This work does not intend to be exhaustive. It does attempt to make the wealth of material which is available more accessible, in a logical narrative, so that the reader can understand: How the official narrative and the related doctrine of Mormonism has changed over the years Early church teachings and doctrines, including sources for these teachings & how they have evolved Polygamy: it’s origin, ties to temple ceremonies, and Mormon views of sexuality Mormon culture, doctrines, and how they intertwine. Mormon psychology and the role of testimonies In many cases the church allows for parallel narratives, with simplified (and factually defunct) versions of the history being used for the core church teaching materials while at the same time having more factual versions available in obscure publications for those members who are more interested in history. Through the 2nd half of the 20th century, the historically accurate versions have been marginalized i n the correlated Sunday environment. This will be explored, as well as impetus and change in rhetoric since 2010. The Church’s history can broadly be broken up into the following periods: 1) 1800-1844: - Joseph Smith: Foundations of Mormonism and the start of Polygamy. 2) 1844-1890: Growth and formalization of the movement and Polygamy. 3) 1890-1930: Transitioning away from polygamy and becoming “respectable” and “modern” 4) 1930-1960: Becoming an all-American religion and worldwide expansion 5) 1960s – 2000: Corporate Mormonism: Priesthood Consolidation3 and the mass marketing of Mormonism on a global scale. 1 “Much misunderstanding about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints revolves around its doctrine” http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/approaching-mormon-doctrine 2 See http://www.letterformywife.com/ or https://cesletter.org/ 3 https://www.lds.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-forty-three-an-era- of-correlation-and-consolidation?lang=eng 2 6) 2000 – Present: Facing the age of Google. While all of these periods are considered, emphasis is placed on the early period and the modern movement. The influence of the early leaders (especially Joseph Smith and Brigham Young) is crucial to understanding the movement, and they will receive special attention. 3 MYSTICISM AND ARTIFACTS OF THE EARLY CHURCH Figure 1 - Possible Photograph of Joseph Smith4 Figure 2 - Portrait by Sutcliffe Maudsley, 18425 Sociologist generally classify all new religions as emerging religions. They often are the result of the rejection of mainstream religion and may rely on new revelations from God. Many claim to be restorative in nature. Most have a charismatic leader, and when this leader is male, many have sexual practices which also lie outside of the norms of society. Many of them prophecy or teach of an imminent 2 nd coming of Christ. The first 60 years of Mormonism tends to fit this mold. Early Mormons expected and received the fantastic. There were new scriptures, ancient artifacts, tools for receiving direct revelations from God and performing miracles, angelic visitations, and visitations by God, Jesus, and ancient prophets. The end of the world and Christ’s second coming would happen in their lifetime. Zion would be built and a temple raised in the New Jerusalem – built right here in the USA. Devils were cast out in order to heal individuals from their sicknesses. In this section we consider some of the artifacts and general mysticism of the early church. 4 See http://www.brunson20.com/2013/05/the-joseph-smith-photograph.html This image is also used in some official church apologist materials. See https://youtu.be/dJ7oJA5E_vM?t=10m40s 5 See https://history.lds.org/exhibit/sutcliffe-and-elizabeth-foxcroft-maudsley?lang=eng 4 SEER STONES IN THE EARLY MORMON CHURCH (image)6 …upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18) THE SEER STONES OF JOSEPH Joseph Smith was born in 1805. His father was a “visionary” man and participated in a local practice of hunting after buried treasures. Special rocks or seer stones (also known as peep stones) were placed in top hats Figure 3 - The Seer Stone Joseph Smith used to dictate the and the “seer” would look at the stone in order to see Book of Mormon where missing objects or treasures could be found. These treasures were said to have been left by Spanish treasure ships, the native people, or pirates and generally believed to contain large quantities of brass, silver, or gold. Ideas regarding seer stones were likely taken from The Magus, written by Francis Barrett first published in 1801 7. Between about 1815 and 1840, the use of seer stones was popular in New York, Pennsylvania, and some surrounding areas. By the 1850s, usage had become less common and after 1880 they had