Exposing the Mormon Churc
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 Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:46 pm Post subject: TEDDY ROOSEVELT FORCING MORMON REVELATION |
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Mormon Church Second Renouncement of Section 132 - 1907
(Thank You Teddy Roosevelt and your Big Stick Policy!)
Theodore Roosevelt
State of the Union Address - 1906
I am well aware of how difficult it is to pass a constitutional
amendment. Nevertheless in my judgment the whole question of marriage
and divorce should be relegated to the authority of the National
Congress. At present the wide differences in the laws of the different
States on this subject result in scandals and abuses; and surely there
is nothing so vitally essential to the welfare of the nation, nothing
around which the nation should so bend itself to throw every
safeguard, as the home life of the average citizen. The change would
be good from every standpoint. In particular it would be good because
it would confer on the Congress the power at once to deal radically
and efficiently with polygamy; and this should be done whether or not
marriage and divorce are dealt with. It is neither safe nor proper to
leave the question of polygamy to be dealt with by the several States.
Power to deal with it should be conferred on the National
Government.
JOSEPH F. SMITH, JOHN R. WINDER, ANTHON H. LUND, In behalf of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, March 26, 1907.
Adopted by vote of the Church, in General Conference, April 5, 1907.
AN ADDRESS. THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS TO THE
WORLD
Greeting:
In the hope of correcting misrepresentation, and of establishing a
more perfect understanding respecting ourselves and our religion, we,
the officers and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, in general conference assembled, issue this Declaration.
Such an action seems imperative. Never were our principles or our
purposes more widely misrepresented, more seriously misunderstood. Our
doctrines are distorted, the sacred ordinances of our religion
ridiculed, and Christianity questioned, our history falsified, our
character traduced, and our course of conduct as a people reprobated
and condemned.
In answer to the charges made against us, for ourselves and for those
who, under divine direction, founded our religion and our Church; for
our posterity, to whom we shall transmit the faith, and into whose
keeping we shall give the Church of Christ; and before mankind, whose
opinions we respect, we solemnly declare the truth to be:
Our religion is founded on the revelations of God. The gospel we
proclaim is the Gospel of Christ, restored to earth in this the
dispensation of the fulness of times. The high claim of the Church is
declared in its title-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Established by divine direction, its name was prescribed by him whose
Church it is-Jesus the Christ.
The religion of this people is pure Christianity. Its creed is
expressive of the duties of practical life. Its theology is based on
the doctrines of the Redeemer.
If it be true Christianity to accept Jesus Christ in person and his
mission as divine; to revere him as the Son of God, the crucified and
risen Lord, through whom alone mankind can attain salvation; to accept
his teachings as a guide, to adopt as a standard and observe as a law
the ethical code he promulgated; to comply with the requirements
prescribed by him as essential to membership in his Church, namely,
faith, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and
the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, if this be
Christianity, then are we Christians, and the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints is a Christian church.
The theology of our Church is the theology taught by Jesus Christ and
his apostles, the theology of scripture and reason. It not only
acknowledges the sacredness of ancient scripture and the binding force
of divinely-inspired acts and utterances in ages past; but also
declares that God now speaks to man in this final gospel
dispensation.
We believe in the Godhead, comprising the three individual personages,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
We hold that man is verily the child of God, formed in his image,
endowed with divine attributes, and possessing power to rise from the
gross desires of earth to the ennobling aspirations of heaven.
We believe in the pre-existence of man as a spirit, and in a future
state of individual existence, in which every soul shall find its
place, as determined by justice and mercy, with opportunities of
endless progression, in the varied conditions of eternity.
We believe in the free agency of man, and therefore in his individual
responsibility.
We believe that salvation is for no select few, but that all men may
be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the
gospel.
We affirm that to administer in the ordinances of the gospel,
authority must be given of God; and that this authority is the power
of the Holy Priesthood.
We affirm that through the ministration of immortal personages, the
Holy Priesthood has been conferred upon men in the present age, and
that under this divine authority the Church of Christ has been
organized.
We proclaim the objects of this organization to be, the preaching of
the gospel in all the world, the gathering of scattered Israel, and
the preparation of a people for the coming of the Lord.
"Mormonism" seeks its converts among all classes and conditions of
society, and those who accept it are among the best men and women of
the nations from which they came-honest, industrious, virtuous, and
reverent. In their community life they are peaceable, law-abiding and
exemplary. Their instincts, traditions and training are opposed to
vice and crime. The religion they have embraced, the Church of which
they are members, condemns every form of evil, and their lives, with
few exceptions, are exponents of righteousness. Many of the early
proselytes to our faith were descendants of the Pilgrims and Puritans,
Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other leaders among the Latter-day
Saints, traced their lineage to the founders and first defenders of
the nation. Joseph Smith was a native of Vermont, and by vocation a
farmer. All trades and professions were drawn upon for the membership
of the Church. In England, its first foreign mission field, it was
mainly the middle and working classes that responded to the gospel
message. All over the world it has been the same-our converts have
been men and women of character, intelligence, and integrity. There is
nothing in "Mormonism" to attract the selfish or the vile.
The effort to differentiate the "Mormon" priesthood and the "Mormon"
people, by allowing that the latter are a good, honest, though
misguided folk, while alleging that their leaders are the
personification of all that is bad, is a most futile one. The great
majority of the male members of the Church hold the Priesthood, and
though constituting the official body of the Church, they are a
portion of the people. Priesthood and people are inseparable, and
vindicated or condemned, stand together.
The charge that the Church relies upon duplicity in the propagation of
her doctrines, and shuns enlightened investigation, is contrary to
reason and fact. Deceit and fraud in the perpetuation of any religion
must end in failure. A system of religion, ethics, or philosophy, to
attract and hold the attention of men, must be sincere in doctrine and
honest in propaganda. That the Church employs deceptive methods; that
she has one doctrine for the Priesthood and another for the people;
that she teaches one set of principles to her members in Zion, and
another to the world, is not true. Enlightened investigation is the
very means through which the Church hopes to promote belief in her
principles, and extend the beneficent influence of her institutions.
From the beginning, enlightened investigation has been the one thing
she has sought. To secure this she has sent her missionaries in all
parts of the world, especially to the centers of civilization and
enlightenment, where her literature has been freely distributed; yet
too frequently her claims have been pronounced without a hearing. At
the Columbian Exposition, which celebrated the four hundredth
anniversary of the discovery of America, the religions of the world
were represented in a great parliament, for the purpose of showing "in
the most impressive way, what and how many important truths the
various religions hold and teach in common; * * * to set forth by
those most competent to speak, what are deemed the important
distinctive truths held and taught by each religion; * * * to inquire
what light each religion has afforded or may afford to the other
religions of the world." To this gathering the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, though the most distinctively American church,
was not invited; nevertheless, she sought opportunity to place side by
side with the creeds of all the great historic faiths, a presentation
of her principles, and to voice to mankind the truths she deemed most
important and most helpful. This opportunity was denied the Church,
except upon such terms as were humiliating and subversive of the end
sought-a wider publication and a more just consideration of her faith.
After such an experience, and others of like kind, though of varying
degrees, we submit that it ill becomes our accusers to charge us with
shunning enlightened investigation.
It has been charged that "Mormonism" is opposed to education. The
history of the Church and the precepts of its leaders are a sufficient
answer to that accusation. Joseph Smith, the first President of the
Church, founded schools, and attended them as a student, as did many
of his followers under his advice and influence. Brigham Young, who
succeeded Joseph Smith, emulated him as a founder and patron of
schools; and every subsequent President of the Church, his associates,
and the people generally, have been equally zealous in that cause. In
the course of their exodus from Illinois, our people built log school
houses while halting on the Missouri river, then the frontier of the
nation; and after they had traversed a thousand miles of wilderness,
and planted their infant colony in the valley of the Great Salt Lake,
school houses were among the first buildings they erected. Such has
been the course pursued in every "Mormon" colony. The State of Utah,
now dotted with free schools, academies, colleges, and universities,
institutions which have given her marked educational prominence,
furnishes indisputable evidence that her people-mostly "Mormons"-are
friends and promoters of education. To the Latter-day Saints,
salvation itself, under the atonement of Christ, is a process of
education. That knowledge is a means of eternal progress, was taught
by Joseph Smith:-It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.-
A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge. The glory of God is
intelligence.
Whatever principles of intelligence we attain to in this life, will
rise with us in the resurrection.-He who gains in this life more
knowledge than another, will have so much the advantage in the world
to come. These were aphorisms with the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Neither is it true, as alleged, that "Mormonism" is destructive of the
sanctity of the marriage relation; on the contrary, it regards the
lawful union of man and woman as the means through which they may
realize their highest and holiest aspirations. To the Latter-day
Saints, marriage is not designed by our heavenly Father to be merely
an earthly union, but one that shall survive the vicissitudes of time,
and endure for eternity, bestowing honor and joy in this world, glory
and eternal lives in the worlds to come.
The typical "Mormon" home is the temple of the family, in which the
members of the household gather morning and evening, for prayer and
praise to God, offered in the name of Jesus Christ, and often
accomplished by the reading of scripture and the singing of spiritual
songs. Here are taught and gently enforced, the moral precepts and
religious truths which, taken together, make up that righteousness
which exalteth a nation, and ward off that sin which is a reproach to
any people. If such conditions are not a sufficient answer to the
charge that our homes are un-Christian, subversive of moral influence,
and destructive of the state's stability, then we turn to the present
generations, "Mormon" American citizens, products of our religion and
our homes, for our vindication:-Here are our sons and daughters,
submit them to any test of comparison you will; regard for truth,
veneration for age, reverence for God, love of man, loyalty to
country, respect for law, refinement of manners, and lastly, in this
issue between us and our accusers, the crowning test of all, purity of
mind and chastity of conduct. It is not inordinate self praise to say
of the generations of our people, born and reared in "Mormon" homes,
that they will compare favorably, in the Christian virtues, and in all
that makes for good citizenship, with any community in this or any
other country.
The charge that the Church is a commercial rather than a religious
institution; that its aims are temporal rather than spiritual; that it
dictates its members in their industrial activities and relations, and
aims at absolute domination in temporal affairs,-all this we
emphatically deny. That the Church claims the right
to counsel and advise her members in temporal as well as in spiritual
affairs is admitted. Leading Church officials, men of practical
experience in pioneer life, have aided the people in establishing
settlements throughout the inter-mountain west, and have given them,
gratuitously, the benefit of their broader knowledge of things,
through counsel and direction, which the people have followed to their
advantage; and both the wisdom of the leaders and the good sense of
the people are vindicated in the results achieved. All this has been
done without the exercise of arbitrary power. It has resulted from
wise counsels, persuasively given and willingly followed.
It has also been the policy of the Church to foster home industries.
Where there has been a lack of confidence in some of these
enterprises, and private capital has been afraid to invest, the Church
has furnished funds that the practicability of the undertaking might
be demonstrated; and repeatedly the wisdom of this policy has been
made manifest. Thereby the resources of various localities have been
developed, community industries diversified, and the people,
especially the poor, given increased opportunity of employment and a
better chance to become self-sustaining. We deny the existence of
arbitrary power in the Church; and this because its government is
moral government purely, and its forces are applied through kindness,
reason, and persuasion. Government by consent of the governed is the
rule of the Church. Following is a summary of the word of the lord,
setting forth the principles on which the Church government is to be
administered:
The rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers
of heaven, and the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled
only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be conferred
upon men, is true; but when they undertake to cover their sins, or
gratify their pride, their vain ambition, or exercise control, or
dominion, or compulsion, upon the souls of the children of men, in any
degree of unrighteousness, the Spirit of the lord is grieved; and when
it is withdrawn, amen to the priesthood, or the authority of that man.
No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the
priesthood, only by persuasion, by long suffering, by gentleness, and
meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge,
which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy and without
guile.
Nominations to Church office may be made by revelation; and the right
of nomination is usually exercised by those holding high authority,
but it is a law that no person is to be ordained to any office in the
Church, where there is a regularly organized branch of the same,
without the vote of its members. This law is operative as to all the
officers of the Church, from the president down to the deacon. The
ecclesiastical government itself exists by the will of the people;
elections are frequent, and the members are at liberty to vote as they
choose. True, the elective principle here operates by popular
acceptance, rather than through popular selection, but it is none the
less real. Where the foregoing facts exist as to any system, it is not
and cannot be arbitrary.
The Church officers, in the exercise of their functions, are
answerable to the Church. No officer, however exalted his position, is
exempt from this law. All decisions, rulings and conduct of officials
are subject to investigation, correction, revision and final rejection
by the general assembly of the priesthood of the Church, its final
court of appeal. Even the President, its highest officer, is subject
to these laws, and special provision is made for his trial, and, if
necessary, his deposition. Where these facts exist in any
administration of government, it cannot be justly classed as a
tyranny, nor considered a menace to free institutions.
The tithing system of the Church, so often denounced as oppressive,
and as imposing an arbitrary ecclesiastical tax, is in reality a
system of free-will offerings. True, the members, by the law of the
Church, are under moral obligation to pay one-tenth of their interest
annually. But from the very nature of the principles on which churches
exist, they being voluntary associations for the fostering of
spiritual life, and the achievement of moral and charitable ends-in
which associations membership cannot be compelled-there is no
compulsory means of collecting this or any other church revenue.
Tithing is a voluntary offering for religious and charitable purposes,
and not a scheme of extortion for the enrichment of the higher
officials. Service in the interest of the Church is given, for the
most part, without monetary compensation; where compensation is
allowed, it is moderate; the high Church officials are not rich, but
in the majority of cases are men of limited means, and where it is
otherwise, their wealth did not come from the tithes of the people;-
these facts are a complete refutation of the slander that our tithing
is a system of extortion practiced upon the people for the enrichment
of the priesthood. Like the Church government throughout, the tithing
system operates upon the principle of free will and the consent of
those who hold the faith to be divine.
Neither in mental attitude nor in conduct, have we been disloyal to
the government under whose guarantee of religious freedom our Church
was founded. The Book of Mormon proclaims America to be the land of
Zion; a land dedicated to righteousness and liberty; a land of promise
to certain branches of the house of Israel, and also to the Gentiles.
It declares that God will fortify this land against all other nations;
and "he that fighteth against Zion shall perish." By revelation to
Joseph Smith, the Prophet, the Lord declared that he had established
the Constitution of the United States through "wise men raised up unto
this very purpose." It is also our belief that God has blessed and
prospered this nation, and given unto it power to enforce the divine
decrees concerning the land of Zion, that free institutions might not
perish from the earth. Cherishing such convictions, we have no place
in our hearts for disloyal sentiments, nor is there likelihood of
treason in our conduct. Were we evil-disposed toward American
institutions, or disloyal to the United States, we would be recreant
to these principles to which by interest and education we are
attached, and would repudiate the revelations of God concerning this
land.
In reaffirming our belief in the high destiny of America, our
attachment to American institutions, and our loyalty to the United
States, we declare that these sentiments, this loyalty, have outlived
the memory of all the wrongs inflicted upon our fathers and
ourselves.
If patriotism and loyalty are qualities manifested in times of peace,
by just, temperate, benevolent, industrious and virtuous living; in
times of trial, by patience, resistance only by lawful means to real
or fancied wrongs, and by final submission to the laws of the land,
though involving distress and sorrow; and in time of war, by
willingness to fight the battle of the nation,-then, unquestionably,
are the "Mormon" people patriotic and loyal.
The only conduct seemingly inconsistent with our professions as loyal
citizens, is that involved in our attitude during the controversies
that have arisen respecting plural marriage. This practice was
introduced by the Prophet Joseph Smith, at Nauvoo, Illinois. The
practice was continued in Utah, and published to the world as a
doctrine of the Church in 1852. In the face of these facts, Brigham
Young, whose position in the matter was well known, was twice
appointed with the consent of the Senate, first by President Fillmore,
and afterwards by President Pierce, to be the governor of this
territory. It was not until 1862 that Congress enacted a law
forbidding plural marriage. This law the Latter-day Saints
conscientiously disregarded, in their observance of a principle
sanctioned by their religion. Moreover, they believed the enactment to
be violative of the Constitution, which provided that Congress shall
make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Notwithstanding
this attitude and conduct on the part of our people, no decision of
the Supreme Court upon this question was secured until 1878, more than
thirty years after the settlement of Utah; nor were determined efforts
made to enforce the law until a further period of five or six years
had elapsed. Surely this toleration, under which the practice of
plural marriage became established, binds the United States and its
People, if indeed they are not bound by considerations of mercy and
wisdom, to the exercise of patience and charity in dealing with this
question.
If it be charged by those who find extenuation for offenses committed
prior to the decision of 1878, that our subsequent duty as good
citizens was clear and unmistakable, we reply that the situation, as
viewed by some of our members, developed a conflict between duty to
God and duty to the government. Moreover, it was thought possible that
the decision of the Supreme Court might be reversed, if what was
regarded as a constitutional right were not too easily surrendered.
What our people did in disregard of the law and of the decisions of
the Supreme Court affecting plural marriages, was in the spirit of
maintaining religious rights under constitution guaranties, and not in
any spirit of defiance or disloyalty to the government.
The "Mormon" people have bowed in respectful submission to the laws
enacted against plural marriage. While it is true that for many years
they contested the constitutionality of the law of Congress, and
during that time acted in harmony with their religious convictions in
upholding by practice, as well as by spoken and written word, a
principle committed to them from God, still, when every means of
constitutional defense had been exhausted, the Church abandoned the
controversy and announced its intention to be obedient to the laws of
the land. Subsequently, when statehood for Utah became a possibility,
on condition that her constitution provide by ordinance, irrevocable
without the consent of the United States, that plural marriages should
be forever prohibited, the "Mormon" people accepted the condition by
voting for the adoption of the constitution. From that time until now
the Church has been true to its pledge respecting the abandonment of
the practice of plural marriage. If it be urged that there have been
instances of the violation of the anti-polygamy laws, and that some
persons within the Church have sought to evade the rule adopted by
her, prohibiting plural marriages, the plain answer is that in every
state and nation there are individuals who violate law in spite of all
the vigilance that can be exercised; but it does not follow that the
integrity of the community or a state is destroyed, because of such
individual transgressions. All we ask is that the same common-sense
judgment be exercised in relation to our community that is accorded to
other communities. When all the circumstances are weighed, the wonder
is, not that there have been sporadic cases of plural marriage, but
that such cases have been so few. It should be remembered that a
religious conviction existed among the people, holding this order of
marriage to be divinely sanctioned. Little wonder, then, that there
should appear, in a community as large as ours, and as sincere, a few
over-zealous individuals who refused to submit even to the action of
the Church in such a matter, or that these few should find others who
sympathized with their views; the number, however, is small.
Those who refer to "'Mormon' polygamy" as a menace to the American
home, or as a serious factor in American problems, make themselves
ridiculous. So far as plural marriage is concerned, the question is
settled. The problem of polygamous living among our people is rapidly
solving itself. It is a matter of record that in 1890, when the
manifesto was issued, there were 2,451 plural families; in nine years
this number had been reduced to 1,543. Four years later the number was
897; and many of these have since passed away.
In answer to the charge of disloyalty, founded upon alleged secret
obligations against our government, we declare to all men that there
is nothing treasonable or disloyal in any ordinance, ceremony, or
ritual of the Church.
The overthrow of earthly governments; the union of Church and state;
domination of the state by the Church; ecclesiastical interference
with the political freedom and rights of the citizen-all such things
are contrary to the principles and policy of the Church, and directly
at variance with the oft-repeated declarations of its chief presiding
authorities and of the Church itself, speaking through its general
conferences. The doctrine of the Church on the subject of government
stands as follows:
"We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and
magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law."
Such is our acknowledgment of duty to civil governments. Again:
"We believe that all governments necessarily require civil officers
and magistrates to enforce the laws of the same, and that such as will
administer law in equity and justice should be sought for and upheld
by the voice of the people (if a republic), or the will of the
sovereign.
"We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil
government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another
prescribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of
its members, as citizens, denied."
With reference to the laws of the Church, it is expressly said:
"Be subject to the powers that be, until He reigns whose right it is
to reign, and subdues all enemies under His feet."
"Behold, the laws which ye have received from my hand are the laws of
the Church, and in this light ye shall hold them forth."
That is to say, no law or rule enacted, or revelation received by the
Church, has been promulgated for the State. Such laws and revelations
as have been given are solely for the government of the Church.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds to the doctrine
of the separation of church and state; the non-interference of church
authority in political matters; and the absolute freedom and
independence of the individual in the performance of his political
duties. If at any time there has been conduct at variance with this
doctrine, it has been in violation of the well-settled principles and
policy of the Church.
We declare that from principle and policy, we favor:
The absolute separation of church and state;
No domination of the state by the church;
No church interference with the functions of the state;
No state interference with the functions of the church, or with the
free exercise of religion;
The absolute freedom of the individual from the domination of
ecclesiastical authority in political affairs;
The equality of all churches before the law.
The re-affirmation of this doctrine and policy, however, is predicated
upon the express understanding that politics in the states where our
people reside shall be conducted as in other parts of the Union: that
there shall be no interference by the state with the Church, nor with
the free exercise of religion. Should political parties make war upon
the Church, or menace the civil, political, or religious rights of its
members as such, against a policy of that kind, by any political party
or set of men whatsoever, we assert the inherent right of self-
preservation for the Church, and her right and duty to call upon all
her children, and upon all who love justice and desire the
perpetuation of religious liberty, to come to her and to stand with
her until the danger shall have passed. And this openly, submitting
the justice of our cause to the enlightened judgment of our fellow-
men, should such an issue unhappily arise. We desire to live in peace
and confidence with our fellow-citizens of all political parties and
of all religions.
It is sometimes urged that the permanent realization of such a desire
is impossible, since the Latter-day Saints hold as a principle of
their faith, that God now reveals himself to man, as in ancient times;
that the priesthood of the Church constitutes a body of men who have,
each for himself, in the sphere in which he moves, special right to
such revelation; that the President of the Church is recognized as the
only person through whom divine communication will come as law and
doctrine to the religious body; that such revelation may come at any
time, upon any subject, spiritual or temporal, as God wills; and,
finally, that, in the mind of every faithful Latter-day Saint, such
revelation, in whatsoever it counsels, advises or demands, is
paramount. Furthermore, it is sometimes pointed out, that the members
of the Church are looking for the actual coming of a Kingdom of God on
earth, that shall gather all the kingdoms of the world into one
visible, divine empire, over which the risen Messiah shall reign.
All this, it is held, renders it impossible for a "Mormon" to give
true allegiance to his country, or to any earthly government.
We refuse to be bound by the interpretations which others place upon
our beliefs, or by what they allege must be the practical consequences
of our doctrines. Men have no right to impute to us what they think
may be the logical deduction from our beliefs, but which we ourselves
do not accept. We are to be judged by our own interpretations and by
our own actions, not by the logic of others, as to what is, or may be,
the result of our faith. We deny that our belief in divine revelation,
or our anticipation of the coming kingdom of God weakens in any degree
the genuineness of our allegiance to our country. When the divine
empire will be established, we may not know any more than other
Christians who pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as
it is in heaven;" but we do know that our allegiance and loyalty to
our country are strengthened by the fact that while awaiting the
advent of the Messiah's kingdom, we are under a commandment from God
to be subject to the powers that be, until He comes "whose right it is
to reign."
"Mormonism" is in the world for the world's good. Teaching truth,
inculcating morality, guarding the purity of the home, honoring
authority and government, fostering education, and exalting man and
woman, our religion denounces crime, and is a foe to tyranny in every
form. "Mormonism" seeks to uplift, not to destroy society. She joins
hands with the civilization of this age. Proclaiming herself a special
harbinger of the Savior's second coming, she recognizes in all the
great epochs and movements of the past, steps in the march of progress
leading up to the looked for millennial reign. "Mormonism" lifts an
ensign of peace to all people. The predestined fruits of her proposed
system are the sanctification of the earth and the salvation of the
human family.
And now, to all the world. Having been commanded of God, as much as
lieth in us, to live peaceably with all men,-we, in order to be
obedient to the heavenly commandment, send forth this Declaration,
that our position upon the various questions agitating the public mind
concerning us may be made known. We desire peace, and will do all in
our power on fair and honorable principles to promote it. Our religion
is interwoven with our lives, it has formed our character, and the
truth of its principles is impressed upon our souls. We submit to you,
our fellow-men, that there is nothing in those principles that calls
for execration, no matter how widely in some respects they may differ
from your conceptions of religious truth. Certainly there is nothing
in them that may not stand within the wide circle of modern toleration
of religious thought and practice. To us these principles are
crystallizations of truth. They are as dear to us as your religious
conceptions are to you. In their application to human conduct, we see
the world's hope of redemption from sin and strife, from ignorance and
unbelief. Our motives are not selfish; our purposes not petty and
earth-bound; we contemplate the human race-past, present, and yet to
come-as immortal beings, for whose salvation it is our mission to
labor; and to this work, broad as eternity and deep as the love of
God, we devote ourselves, now, and forever. Amen.
http://www.truthandgrace.com/mormonhistory.htm |
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Jong Kim
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:14 pm Post subject: Re: TEDDY ROOSEVELT FORCING MORMON REVELATION |
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Exposing the Mormon Church wrote:
| Quote: | Never trust Mormons.
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You mean, Never trust Mohrmanns.
Das Buch Mohrmann 1:1-9
1 June 8, 1978
To all general and local priesthood officers of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world:
2 Dear Brethren:
3 As we have witnessed the expansion of the work of the Lord over the
earth, we have been grateful that people of many nations have
responded to the message of the restored gospel, and have joined the
Church in ever-increasing numbers. This, in turn, has inspired us
with a desire to extend to every worthy member of the Church all of
the privileges and blessings which the gospel affords.
4 Aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents of the
Church who have preceded us that at some time, in God's eternal plan,
all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood, and
witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has been
withheld, we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these, our
faithful brethren, spending many hours in the Upper Room of the Temple
supplicating the Lord for divine guidance.
5 He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the
long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the
Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its
divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that
flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly,
all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the
priesthood without regard for race or color. Priesthood leaders are
instructed to follow the policy of carefully interviewing all
candidates for ordination to either the Aaronic or the Melchizedek
Priesthood to insure that they meet the established standards for
worthiness.
6 We declare with soberness that the Lord has now made known his will
for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who will
hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare
themselves to receive every blessing of the gospel.
7 Sincerely yours,
SPENCER W. KIMBALL
N. ELDON TANNER
MARION G. ROMNEY
The First Presidency
8 Recognizing Spencer W. Kimball as the prophet, seer, and revelator,
and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it
is proposed that we as a constituent assembly accept this revelation
as the word and will of the Lord. All in favor please signify by
raising your right hand. Any opposed by the same sign.
9 The vote to sustain the foregoing motion was unanimous
in the affirmative.
Salt Lake City, Utah, September 30, 1978.
King James Bible, Amos 9:7-9
7 [Are] ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of
Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land
of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD [are] upon the sinful kingdom, and
I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will
not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.
9 For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among
all nations, like as [corn] is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the
least grain fall upon the earth.
Die Bibel Martin Luther, Der Prophet Amos 9:7-9
7 Seid ihr Israeliten mir nicht gleichwie die Mohren? spricht der
HERR. Habe ich nicht Israel aus Ägyptenland geführt und die Philister
aus Kaftor und die Aramäer aus Kir?
8 Siehe, die Augen Gottes des HERRN sehen auf das sündige Königreich,
daß ich's vom Erdboden vertilge, wiewohl ich das Haus Jakob nicht ganz
vertilgen will, spricht der HERR.
9 Denn siehe, ich will befehlen und das Haus Israel unter allen Heiden
schütteln lassen, gleichwie man mit einem Sieb schüttelt und kein
Stein zur Erde fällt.
John Manning wed a whore,
Though he is no Mohr.
But he is one inside!
From Das Buch Mormon he did backslide.
Priesthood ban also for pseudo Mormons,
Them that suffered Mohren raging hormones.
Resist Edom's Bormann, O ye Jews;
Now Freedom's banner waves for you.
It's always the big lie
That the masses buy.
False prophets are popular,
Like when they saluted Hitler.
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!
for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Luke 6:26
19 Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance
the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot
in the land of Egypt.
20 For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh [is as]
the flesh of asses, and whose issue [is like] the issue of horses.
Ezekiel 23:19-20
http://www.ourcivilisation.com/smartboard/shop/festjc/chap10.htm
Admittedly it is not honesty which in real life overcomes
dishonesty. In the harsh struggle for existence the stronger,
the harder capacity for self-assertion daily gains the victory and yet
it is bitter if this capacity is based upon intrigue and a burning
ambition as in the case before us.
~~Martin Bormann, the Mayor of the Palace of Hitler
Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843-44 p.299-300:
Meaning of Word Mormon
To the Editor of the Times & Seasons:
Sir: -- Through the medium of your paper, I wish to correct an
error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise; and I do
it the more cheerfully, because I hope sober-thinking and
sound-reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth, than
be led astray by the vain pretensions of the self-wise. The error I
speak of, is the definition of the word "Mormon." I has been stated
that this word was derived from the Greek word "mormo." This is not
the case. There was no Greek of Latin upon the plates from which I,
through the grace of God, translated the Book of Mormon. Let the
language of that book speak for itself. On the 523rd page, of the
fourth edition, it reads: "And now behold we have written this record
according to our knowledge in the characters, which are called among
us the "Reformed Egyptian," being handed down and altered by us,
according to our manner of speech; and if our plates had been
sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew: but the Hebrew
hath been altered by us, also; and if we could have written in Hebrew,
behold ye would have had no imperfection in our record, but the Lord
knoweth the things which we have written, and also, that none other
people knoweth our language; therefore he hath prepared means for the
interpretation thereof."
Here then the subject is put to silence, for "none other people
knoweth our language," therefore the Lord, and not man, had to
interpret, after the people were all dead. And as Paul said, "the
world by wisdom know not God," so the world by speculation are
destitute of revelation; and as God in his superior wisdom, has always
given his Saints, wherever he had any on the earth, the same spirit,
and that spirit, as John says, is the true spirit of prophecy, which
is the testimony of Jesus, I may safely say that the word Mormon
stands independent of the learning and wisdom of this generation. --
Before I give a definition, however, to the word, let me say that the
Bible in its widest sense, means good; for the Savior says according
to the gospel of John, "I am the good shepherd;" and it will not be
beyond the common use of terms, to say that good is among the most
important in use, and though known by various names in different
languages, still its meaning is the same, and is ever in opposition to
"bad." We say from the Saxon, "good"; the Dane, "god"; the Goth,
"goda"; the German, "gut"; the Dutch, "goed"; the Latin, "bonus"; the
Greek, "kalos"; the Hebrew, "tob"; and the "Egyptian, "mon." Hence,
with the addition of "more," or the contraction, "mor," we have the
word "mormon"; which means, literally, "more good."
JOSEPH SMITH.
(May 15, 1843.) T&S 4:194.
"More good" signifies freedom from Nazism.
Martin Bormann:
National Socialist and Christian conceptions are incompatible.
The Christian churches build upon men's ignorance; by contrast
N[ational Socialism] rests upon scientific foundations.
When we [National Socialists] speak of belief in God, we do not
mean, like the naive Christians and their spiritual exploiters, a
man-like being sitting around somewhere in the universe. The force
governed by natural law by which all these countless planets move
in the universe, we call omnipotence or God. The assertion that
this universal force can trouble itself about the destiny of each
individual being, every smallest earthly bacillus, can be influenced
by so-called prayers or other surprising things, depends upon
a requisite dose of naivety or else upon shameless professional
self-interest.
http://www.ourcivilisation.com/smartboard/shop/festjc/chap10.htm
James Clerk Maxwell's words on his deathbed:
What is done by what is called myself is, I feel, done by something
greater than myself in me. My interest in things has always made me
care much more for theology than for anthropology;
~~The Life of James Clerk Maxwell (1882), by Campbell and Garnett
Like the Prophet Joseph wrote, "more good" is pure Mormonism,
and Prof. James Clerk Maxwell was a Virtual Mormon. If he were alive,
he would NOT be for the Billy Grahams of the world.
James Clerk Maxwell, my physicist, saith the Lord.
(Oct. 11, 2007)
New Atlantis (1626?), by Sir Francis 'shakespeare' Bacon:
And because propagation of families proceedeth from the nuptial
copulation, I desired to know of him what laws and customs they had
concerning marriage, and whether they kept marriage well, and whether
they were tied to one wife? For that where population is so much
affected, and such as with them it seemed to be, there is commonly
permission of plurality of wives.
To this he said: "... You shall understand that there is not under
the heavens so chaste a nation as this of Bensalem, nor so free from
all pollution or foulness. It is the virgin of the world.
"I have not read of any such chastity in any people as theirs.
And their usual saying is, that whosoever is unchaste cannot reverence
himself; and they say that the reverence of a man's self, is,
next religion, the chiefest bridle of all vices."
And when he had said this the good Jew paused a little; ...
he bowed his head, and went on this manner.
"They have also many wise and excellent laws touching marriage.
They allow no polygamy.
1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom;
We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador
is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her
in battle.
2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen:
thou art greatly despised.
Obadiah 1-2
Lawd, I was born a Chinaman
Tryin' to do the best that I can
When it's time to write, hope you understand
That I was born a ramblin' man
~~Allman Brothers |
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