“This documentary examines the roots of Joseph Smith’s legacy, and its modern-day fruit. We follow the compelling testimonies of nine former fundamentalists, who shed light on this practice and lifestyle which has been shrouded in secrecy since the earliest days of Mormonism; but more importantly, they share the true freedom they have found in the Jesus Christ of the Bible.” Alternate links: Google Video (recommended), YouTube, Brightcove, blip.tv, Quicktime (268 MB). More information on this video is available at Living Hope Ministries. Related article is available here.
[SWF]http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=7652620562849262422&hl=en,400,326[/SWF]
Arron I just watched the video and am completely blown away. I don’t know how any one can deny the lies told by the mormon church; whatever branch. Thank you for this.
I think that Polygamy has been able to maintain a foothold in Utah so strongly because the LDS church has never repented of the practice, though they no longer participate. I make this argument on my blog here: http://mrhackman.blogspot.com/2006/11/when-will-utah-repent.html
With shows like HBO’s Big Love doing well, I think there is a sympathy that is developing for the polygamy lifestyle. In the SL Tribune, you will often see comments that take a “live and let live” attitude.
I think as the one man/one woman standard is eroded in America, our next step will be to see the age of consent being lowered. Sad.
To LDS: Do any of you have a link (preferably by FAIR LDS) to go over the rebuttal of this movie. I like to hear two sides of the story.
This movie is wonderful in that it has given us the point of view of former followers of Joseph Smith. Of course any person can use history to show that the original Mormons declared VERY strongly the important of polygamy. One thing that caught me is that in Doctrine & Covenants, it speaks about if a man is given 10 virgins, he is justified and hasnt committed adultery.. But yeah, what about the wives of other men that Joseph took from them. One would think they aren’t exactly virgins.. So how would a LDS member dodge this? I dont know, you can play the game of “different definitions” I guess.. To say that we have the wrong definitions of the word “Virgin”.. Any LDS have maybe another “possible” rebuttal to that?..
This video helped me understand what the true original principles the Mormon church was founded upon. It’s only when Joseph Smith died when the Mormon church went into “apostasy”. The widely accepted Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints seems only to be so because Brigham Young claimed to be a Prophet of God and had to “white-wash” (as the gentleman on the video put it) Mormonism to make it more “Christian” like.. If mainstream Mormons lived the teachings of the founding prophets, they would simply be another small offshoot of the other groups like Fundamentalists. When something is all gussy’d up and made pretty that apeels to modern people, it tends to be accepted and bought into by large numbers of people…
Have you noticed how the Mormon church becomes more “Christian-like” from Prophet to Prophet.. Joseph Smith made quite a few uh-oh’s, Brigham Young made a few less (his claim to fame I guess could be adam/god doctrine), and so on… Now we have sweet old Mr. Hinckley playing ignorant to the doctrines of the LDS Church such as God being once a man. (I can pull up references if you would like). Hiding?
Thanks for the link, I enjoyed the video. Although, I will say this. One logical criticism of their point of view is that to accept Joseph Smith’s teachings in the first place is to necessarily accept ongoing revelation. Meaning that the teachings of Joseph are not static as long as there is a living prophet with the same level of authority. Just seems to me to be a logical inconsistency.
But at the same time, there is a problem in my mind with a God who reveals something about the fullest degree of happiness to which our natural being is ordered and then years later disallows that from being achieved, to the point of excommunication. Something isn’t right about that.
Jeff,
I too, would like to hear a mormon respond to this. However, I think they will be conveniently too busy to respond.
Several FARMS researchers( including Daniel Peterson, William Hamblin, George L. Mitton, Craig Foster) have used Jacob 2:30 as their escape clause. “For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.” For example, when critiquing Ankerberg’s and Weldon’s Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Mormonism, Dr. Peterson wrote,
Following the most venerable traditions of anti-Mormonism, Ankerberg and Weldon cite Jacob 2:24-29 and Ether 10:5 to argue that the Book of Mormon condemns polygamy, and, hence, that nineteenth-century plural marriage is denounced by the Latter-day Saints’ own scriptures (p. 410). Like their predecessors, though, they carefully omit any mention of Jacob 2:30, which destroys their argument.” (FARMS Review of Books, vol. 5 (1993), p.58. See also vol. 2 (1990), p.55; vol. 6, no. 2 (1994), p.31; vol. 9, no. 1 (1997).
Jacob 2:30 destroys their argument? The fact is, Joseph Smith’s polyandry tends to destroy this type of rebuttal. Any Mormon who chooses to use Jacob 2:30 as a proof text needs to explain how bedding women who were already married was necessary to fulfill this passage. Are we to assume that the husband’s of these women were either impotent or sterile? The evidence doesn’t support this. Besides, how many children did Smith actually “raise up” using this method? Richard L. Bushman concedes, “Not until many years later did anyone claim Joseph Smith’s paternity, and evidence from the tiny handful of supposed children is tenuous” (Rough Stone Rolling, p.439).
Really an eye opener. Thanks for making this video available, every professing Christian ought to watch this, it demonstrates the power of God to really change lives, the people on the video demonstrate a love for Christ that most American Christians fail to do.
Thank you for the beautiful gift of truth. Thank you for the testimonies of what the Lord can do. I will pray for this work. Please personally thank the participants and those who made this possible. They should hear the appreciation and gratitude that this work produces, for surely, the enemy will try to steal away their gift of light and truth.
In His Love,
Nanci Peters
Maureen, isn't a bit awkward to take comfort in the unofficial speculations of a professor when they go against the teachings of the first four or five LDS prophets?
In all seriousness, why don't you just sing, "We thank thee oh God for BYU professors" instead of "We thank thee oh God for prophets"?
I encourage you to think this through more. Wishing the best for you in Christ,
Aaron
I am a happily married Mormon mother of 2 and just had a huge personal struggle with polygamy today. I stayed home from church because I could not fathom a God who considered me to be a baby making machine. After a lot of reading and great support from my husband and bishop I am so relieved and happy to say that I feel that I found the information I needed to hear. I highly recommend reading an article by Eugene England in his famous Dialogue essay about polygamy. See “On Fidelity, Polygamy, and Celestial Marriage,” 20 Dialogue 138 (Winter 1987), particularly pages 151-52. Available online, at http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/dialogue,20244.
xxMaureen