Mormon Coffee

Last Saturday’s Salt Lake Tribune (27 April) contained “A call to grace” written by Tribune journalist Peggy Fletcher Stack. It’s the story of Jonathan Hays, a newly ordained Christian minister serving in New Song Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Salt Lake City.Rev. Hays is unique in that he’s the first pastor in Utah’s PCA Church that is from Utah. According to the Tribune article, the Senior Pastor at New Song said,

“All the other pastors have moved from other places,” [Rev. Samuel] Wheatley says. “We need insiders [like Hays] who automatically understand the challenges of Protestant ministry in a predominantly Mormon culture. They know the true points of difference and true points of similarity between the two and what needs to be articulated much more clearly.”

Rev. Hays fits the bill. Growing up very active in the LDS Church, part of a multi-generational Mormon family, Jonathan Hays began looking into the history of Mormonism while he was at college. He

…was troubled by some of what he read, particularly the practice of polygamy, which the LDS Church abandoned in 1890. He could no longer reconcile what he read with what he heard from contemporary Mormon leaders.”I left the LDS Church, not to become something else, but because I didn’t think I could be LDS anymore,” he says. “I kinda had a phase of rebellion. I was upset that God would let me be part of something that wasn’t true.”

Coming into contact with Christians who had “a real relationship with Jesus,” Jonathan began to long for spiritual life. He decided to go to church one Sunday morning, but not knowing where to go, he chose the church closest to his home.

“What I experienced there was amazing,” he says. “I heard grace and I saw grace and it blew me away because I had never seen or heard it before. I knew going in there that I wasn’t good enough. I had seen it throughout my life as I tried to be a good Mormon; I knew I couldn’t do it.”That night he prayed his own version of the “sinner’s prayer” — that his life was “screwed up” and he needed help.

“I didn’t know the right way to pray, but I saw Jesus and so I leapt for him,” he says.

Well, Jesus, ever faithful, caught Jonathan Hays. I’m willing to bet Rev. Hays now sings Psalm 40, verses in which all the redeemed in Christ rejoice:

I waited patiently for the Lord;
He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.

This is God’s amazing grace.

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The bishop of the Howell [Michigan] ward of the LDS Church, Mark Briscoe, recently told a journalist that it’s painful to him when others think Mormonism isn’t a Christian religion. He identifies this notion as the “greatest misconception about the [Mormon] church.” On April 26th LivingstonDaily.com reported:

“Sometimes people would say that we’re not Christians,” [Mr. Briscoe] said. “We definitely are. We believe in Jesus Christ.”An Idaho native, Briscoe has been a Mormon his whole life, and said it is painful to have others think that his church is somehow outside the boundaries of Christianity. He said he was a high school student when he first heard the accusation.

“It was a little bit unsettling,” he said. “From my earliest memories, we talked about Jesus Christ.”

This is nothing new, of course, and if you’ve been reading Mormon Coffee for awhile you will have read my thoughts on this topic before. I keep bringing it up because I’m ever hopeful that Latter-day Saints might “get it” if they are encouraged periodically to think the issue through.

Setting aside the specific definition of “Christianity,” which Evangelicals and Mormons may disagree on until the cows come home, just think about the implications in the next part of the article:

In fact, members of the church believe that Jesus’ teachings were changed and weakened soon after the apostles died, and that this “apostasy,” or falling away from the truth, led to the withdrawal of the true church from the earth.Mormons believe that was reversed when Joseph Smith, regarded as a prophet, was visited by God and Jesus in a vision in 1820. That’s when Smith was chosen to restore the true church to the world, according to LDS doctrine. Smith translated the Book of Mormon, the sacred text of the Latter Day Saints[sic], which is based on the Bible.

The Mormons’ refer to this process as the “restoration.”

This is the LDS message. The true teachings of Jesus were changed. His followers abandoned the true faith. The true church that Jesus instituted was withdrawn from the earth, leaving behind nothing but a counterfeit. This false church — false Christianity — reigned unchallenged for nearly two thousand years until Joseph Smith restored the true church — the LDS Church — to the earth once again.

Now, what does that mean in regards to all those who call themselves “Christians” who do not presently accept Joseph Smith’s restored church? We may talk about Jesus Christ, but according to Mormonism, our faith is false. It’s based on the corrupted teachings of Jesus which finds expression in millions of apostate churches all over the world.

Mr. Briscoe is hurt if people say Mormonism isn’t Christian, yet he has no qualms in saying that historic Christianity has become an entirely perverted religion.

Though there might be disagreement over what constitutes true Christianity (Mormonism, orthodox Christianity, or something else altogether), the point I think too many people miss is that Mormonism and historic Christianity are different religions. If Mormonism is true, then historic Christianity is false, and vise-versa; one or the other is “outside the boundaries of [true] Christianity.”

In my opinion, the greatest misconception about the Mormon Church is that people think it’s just another Christian denomination. The doctrines of Mormonism do not allow for that option. I’d like everyone to know.

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It’s been said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In this case, one man’s miracle is another man’s “satanic sukerpunch.” Both men are LDS Apostles, designated as prophets, seers and revelators in the Mormon Church. Here’s what they said:

Spencer W. Kimball:

“Your Heavenly Father has promised forgiveness upon total repentance and meeting all the requirements, but that forgiveness is not granted merely for the asking. There must be works–many works–and an all-out, total surrender, with a great humility and ‘a broken heart and a contrite spirit.’”It depends upon you whether or not you are forgiven, and when. It could be weeks, it could be years, it could be centuries before that happy day when you have the positive assurance that the Lord has forgiven you. That depends on your humility your sincerity, your works, your attitudes.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, 324-325)

Jeffrey R. Holland:

“You can change anything you want to change, and you can do it very fast. Another satanic suckerpunch is that it takes years and years and eons of eternity to repent. That’s just not true. It takes exactly as long to repent as it takes to say, ‘I’ll change’–and mean it. Of course there will be problems to work out and restitutions to make. You may well spend–indeed, you had better spend–the rest of your life proving your repentance by its permanence. But change, growth, renewal, and repentance can come for you as instantaneously as they did for Alma and the sons of Mosiah.” (However Long and Hard the Road, 6. Quoted by C. Robert Line, “The Interplay between Forgiveness and Lost Opportunities,” BYU)

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by Sharon

Today is a national holiday in England — St. George’s Day. St. George was a soldier of noble birth who served in the Roman army in the early 4th century. When the Roman Emperor Diocletian began his horrific persecutions against the Christians, George responded by giving his worldly goods to the poor and publicly confessing his Christian faith. He protested against Diocletian’s persecution of Christians and boldly disobeyed orders by refusing to sacrifice to other gods. George was beheaded by Emperor Diocletian on 23 April 303 AD. George’s example of bravery in defense of his Christian brethren and faith has encouraged individuals and nations for centuries. Today St. George is honored as the patron saint of at least nine different countries.

In case you’re wondering, St. George, Utah is not named for St. George the Christian martyr, but for early LDS Apostle George A. Smith. Brigham Young named the principle settlement of southern Utah’s 1861 Dixie Mission “St. George” in Mr. Smith’s honor.

George A. Smith was a self-taught lawyer who, like St. George, defended his brethren. A description of Mr. Smith’s “most notorious case” is recorded in A Book of Mormons:

Howard Egan, a Mormon school teacher, had joined the California gold rush in 1849. While he was away, James Monroe seduced one of [Egan's] wives, who gave birth to an illegitimate child. Egan returned to Utah and killed Monroe “in the name of the Lord” because his “peace on earth” had been destroyed.

[George A.] Smith argued that “in this territory it is a principle of mountain common law, that no man can seduce the wife of another without endangering his own life….The man who seduces his neighbor’s wife must die, and her nearest relative must kill him!” The jury declared Egan not guilty.

Both of these honored men are called saints. George A. Smith gained his “saint” status by virtue of his church affiliation, while George the Christian martyr was a “saint” first by virtue of his faith in Christ; later, by the forfeiture of his life in defense of — and on account of — his faith in Christ.

I once spoke with an LDS missionary who emotionally (and very mistakenly) proclaimed that the only people who had ever died for their faith were Mormons. In honor of St. George’s Day I leave you with an excerpt from the writings of early Christian historian Eusebius:

The outrageous agonies endured by the martyrs in the Theban area, however, defeat all description. Their whole bodies were torn to shreds with clawlike potsherds until they expired. Women were tied by one foot and swung high in the air, head downward, by machines, their bodies totally naked without a stitch of clothing — the most shameful, cruel, and inhumane of all spectacles for onlookers. Others died fastened to trees: they bent down their strongest branches by machines, fastened one of the martyr’s legs to each, and then let the branches fly back to their natural position, instantly tearing apart the limbs of their victims. This went on not for a few days but for some whole years. Sometimes ten or more, at times more than twenty were put to death,…at other times a hundred men, women, and little children were condemned to a variety of punishments and killed in a single day.

I myself saw some of these mass executions by decapitation or fire, a slaughter that dulled the murderous axe until it wore out and broke in pieces, while the executioners grew so tired they had to work in shifts…

Need I cite the names or numbers of the rest or the varieties of their martyrdoms? Sometimes they were killed with an axe, as was the case in Arabia, or had their legs broken, as those in Cappadocia. At other times they were hung upside down over a slow fire, so that smoke rising from the burning wood suffocated them, as in Mesopotamia. Sometimes noses, ears, and hands were mutilated and the other parts of the body butchered, as was the case in Alexandria…

In all these trials the magnificent martyrs of Christ were so distinguished throughout the world that eyewitnesses of their courage were astounded. They provided in themselves clear proof that the power of our Savior is divine and ineffable indeed. To mention each by name would be a long if not impossible task.

I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been…

I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast…drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. (Revelation 6:9-11; 17:6)

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The student-run daily newspaper for Ohio University, The Post, recently ran an article titled, “Being Mormon in College”. In addition to interviewing a Mormon student for the article, journalist Amanda Wilcosky also spoke to the LDS missionaries on campus:

The missionaries said the founder of the religion and prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation from God in 1833 called the Word of Wisdom. In this vision, God warned Smith about certain substances that were deemed to be unhealthful. At the time, little evidence existed to support his claim, but [LDS missionaries] Wat and Patterson said that current knowledge about the dangerous effects of these substances helps to justify Smith’s revelation.

Although a law in the Book of Mormon advises that followers do not consume or use certain items, the church does not utilize threats or guilt to ensure obedience, the missionaries said.

“The church does not take away one’s agency to choose,” Patterson stressed. “They are all just recommendations that can bring more happiness in our lives.”

First of all, the Word of Wisdom came from Joseph Smith’s lips at a time when the temperance movement was sweeping across America.

As early as 1784 Dr. Benjamin Rush argued that excessive use of alcohol was bad for people, both physically and psychologically. This resulted in 200 farmers forming a temperance association a few years later in Connecticut. Another temperance association was formed in Virginia in 1800, and another in New York in 1809. By 1834 there were 5,000 temperance societies in the United States.

Tobacco was believed to be a “nerve-prostrating, soul paralyzing drug, a fleshly, ungodly lust.” Coffee and tea were considered “as bad as toddy-guzzling” and the Journal of Health (published between 1829 and 1835) recommended a vegetarian diet or a sparing use of meat for good health (see Fawn Brodie, No Man Knows My History, 166).

I’m sure the LDS missionaries are unaware of these historical facts; nevertheless, it’s a deplorable thing to tell people that the then unknown, but currently understood, dangerous effects of these substances is evidence in support of the idea that Joseph Smith was a true prophet — when it isn’t.

Furthermore, LDS missionary Elder Patterson said that the Word of Wisdom is nothing more than a “recommendation” which, if followed, will bring happiness to peoples’ lives. When was this commandment downgraded to a mere suggestion? True, the revelation was not originally understood to be a commandment, but according to LDS President Ezra Taft Benson:

In 1851, President Brigham Young proposed to the general conference of the Church that all Saints formally covenant to keep the Word of Wisdom. This proposal was unanimously upheld by the membership of the Church. Since that day, the revelation has been a binding commandment on all Church members. (“A Principle with a Promise”, Ensign, May 1983, 53)

And what about the missionaries’ reported statement that the Church doesn’t utilize threats or guilt to elicit obedience to the Word of Wisdom? LDS Apostle Boyd Packer said:

The Word of Wisdom put restrictions on members of the Church. To this day those regulations apply to every member and to everyone who seeks to join the Church. They are so compelling that no one is to be baptized into the Church without first agreeing to live by them. No one will be called to teach or to lead unless they accept them. When you want to go to the temple, you will be asked if you keep the Word of Wisdom. If you do not, you cannot go to the house of the Lord until you are fully worthy. (“The Word of Wisdom: The Principle and the Promises,” Ensign, May 1996, 17)

Just a friendly suggestion. No threats or guilt.

• Obey the Word of Wisdom or you will not be allowed to join the Church.
• Obey the Word of Wisdom or you will not be allowed to lead in the Church.
• Obey the Word of Wisdom or you will not be allowed to go to the temple.
• Obey the Word of Wisdom or you are not “fully worthy.”
• Obey the Word of Wisdom or else.

Don’t get me wrong. The LDS Church certainly has the right — and the responsibility — to require certain things from its members. What bothers me is the way the missionaries — official representatives of the LDS Church — didn’t own up to the Church’s true teachings and requirements on this. If they weren’t prepared to tell the truth about it, why say anything at all?

Maybe I’m making too much of this. Perhaps the 9th commandment has also been downgraded to a suggestion.

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Yesterday Mormon Coffee discussed a report that appeared in Deseret News on April 14th which inaccurately portrayed the death of LDS Apostle Parley P. Pratt. Today (April 17) the newspaper printed a correction:

Correction: Parley P. Pratt

Early LDS Church apostle Parley P. Pratt was killed in May 1857 in Arkansas by a man from San Francisco who blamed Pratt for the man’s estrangement from his wife, whom Pratt married. A story in Saturday’s Deseret Morning News incorrectly identified the killer and his motive.

Thank you, Deseret News.