Early Christian Church Theology Either Lost or Changed Now Found in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ

In preparation for a paper I am writing I have been reading James L. Barker’s book  Apostasy from the Divine Church. In Dr. Barker’s book is a list of early Christian Church doctrines that were clearly accepted by the Apostles and early Christian Church Fathers, yet are disputed and in many cases rejected in modern Christianity. While the paper will include analyses of these doctrines, I do not have time to post the analyses here at this time. Check back in a week or so and I’ll post the paper in its entirety.

1. God as a loving Father
2. Jesus is the Son of God—a distinct being from the Father
3. The Holy Ghost is a spirit being, distinct from the Father and the Son
4. Lucifer is a spirit son of God fallen in the pre-earth life
5. Man existed with God before he came to earth
6. God is the Father of our Spirits
7. Heavenly beings are not immaterial (created ex Nihilo)
8. The soul of man is an intelligence, spirit, and body combined.
9. Some spirit children of God were more intelligent and obedient than others.
10. The world was organized by pre-existent material, rather than created ex-Nihilo
11. Jesus was chosen in the pre-mortal world to fulfill the plan of Salvation
12. Jesus was known as Jehovah before His mortal birth
13. Jesus, a distinct being from God the Father, is the Christ
14. Jesus came to fulfill the will of the Father
15. Jesus is our Redeemer
16. Jesus atoned for Adam’s transgression and redeemed mankind from death
17. Jesus atoned for the sins of individual on condition of their repentance and obedience to the gospel
18. Jesus taught the gospel, teaching it by precept and example
19. All of God’s children must kneel before the Savior and accept Him as their king and ruler
20. The two great commandments: love God and love your fellowman
21. We must keep the commandments of God if we are to show our love and devotion to Him
22. The first principles and ordinances of the gospel
23. The office of the Holy Ghost in the godhead
24. Man has agency or freedom to choose
25. The rain falls on the just and the unjust, implying God blesses those who are not righteous
26. Repentance is necessary and must be genuine
27. Asceticism is condemned by God
28. The Lord sends “witnesses” into the world to proclaim his truth
29. The Holy Ghost bears “witness” of the truth
30. The gospel of Jesus Christ was taught to Adam
31. The gospel was revealed through dispensations
32. God presented a universal plan of Salvation  for all of His children
33. All men will hear the gospel and accept or reject it before the judgment
34. Others beside Jesus Christ will preach the gospel to the dead
35. Saints were baptized for the dead
36. The second coming of Jesus Christ
37. Elias or Elijah will come prior to the Savior’s second coming
38. The Savior will reign on earth for a millennium or thousand years of peace
39. The Resurrection was a physical re-embodiment of Jesus Christ
40. Multiple resurrections—first, second, and so on
41. Man is accountable for his actions—his use of agency
42. Man will engage in eternal progression after his resurrection
43. Elements of true worship: apostolic teaching through reading the word and expounding on scripture, breaking of bread as sacrament, prayer, and hymns
44. The Lord’s Supper or Sacrament received as a covenant by those who were baptized
45. The Church received revenue in the form of tithes and voluntary offerings
46. Church organized by Jesus Christ and ordered by His Apostles and Seventy ordained with priesthood authority to represent the Savior
47. The Church was directed by revelation through the Spirit, by vision, messenger (angel), or in person (visited by God or the Son)
48. Revelation functioned for the following purposes: reveal the future and transcend human wisdom
49. Authority to run the Church was given to prophetic leaders who were endowed with power and priesthood keys
50. Revelation to all members of the Church who were worthy and sought for it
51. The Twelve Apostles were the central leadership of the Church
52. Local leaders received their authority as delegated to them by senior church leaders
53. Bishops superseded elders in authority
54. Divine authority and guidance used in the selection of church officers

Barker, James L. 1960. Apostasy from the Divine Church. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret News Press.

Unwitting “Prophetic” Commentary by Thomas Ford Regarding the Future of “Mormonism”

While listening to Past Impressions on the Mormon Channel regarding the martyrdom of the prophet Joseph Smith, Ken Godfrey quoted from Thomas Ford’s history of Illinois regarding Joseph Smith and the future of “Mormonism.” I found the quote fascinating, so I located Governor Ford’s history on Google books. Here is the quotation:

It is to be feared that, in course of a century, some gifted man like Paul, some splendid orator, who will be able by his eloquence to attract crowds of the thousands who are ever ready to hear, and be carried away by, the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal of sparkling oratory, may command a hearing, may succeed in breathing a new life into this modern Mahometanism [sic], and make the name of the martyred Joseph ring as loud, and stir the souls of men as much, as the mighty name of Christ himself. Sharon, Palmyra, Manchester, Kirtland, Far West, Adamon Diahmon [sic], Ramus, Nauvoo, and the Carthage Jail, may become holy and venerable names, places of classic interest, in another age; like Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, and Mount of Calvary to the Christian, and Mecca and Medina to the Turk. And in that event, the author of this history feels degraded by the reflection, that the humble governor of an obscure State, who would otherwise be forgotten in a few years, stands a fair chance, like Pilate and Herod, by their official connection with the true religion, of being dragged down to posterity with an immortal name, hitched on the memory of a miserable impostor. There may be those whose ambition would lead them to desire an immortal name in history, even in those humbling terms. I am not one of that number.

 

Ford, T. (1854). A history of Illinois: From its commencement as a state in 1818 to 1847. Containing a full account of the Black Hawk war, the rise, progress, and fall of Mormonism, the Alton and Lovejoy riots, and other important and interesting events. Chicago: S. C. Griggs and Co. pp. 359-360.

A few observations about Governor Ford’s quotation. First, it is clear that Mr. Ford thought that Joseph Smith’s death was the end of Mormonism in what was then its present incarnation. I think this conclusion is true from statements like “the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal of sparkling oratory, may command a hearing, may succeed in breathing a new life into this modern Mahometanism [sic].” I also included in the reference the full title of Governor Ford’s book, paying special attention to the subtitle, “The Rise, Progress, and Fall of Mormonism.” Governor Ford clearly thought that Joseph Smith’s death would end Mormonism at present. However, It did not take a century as Mr. Ford predicted for gifted orators to proclaim the martyrdom of Joseph and for people to respond to the call. In fact, the Latter-day Saint (LDS) religion never “fell” as Ford predicted and has continued to thrive ever since Joseph and Hyrum Smiths’ deaths.

What is left for any reader to decide is whether the enthusiasm for the LDS faith is the result of showy words and flashy oration or is there some other explanation for its success? In other words, the important question raised by Thomas Ford’s commentary is whether Joseph Smith was an impostor as Ford presumed or truly a prophet of God? In my opinion, the evidence lies in the product of Joseph Smith’s religion, specifically the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon as claimed by Joseph Smith is not his creation but a translation of an ancient religious text, the focus of it being the message of faith from Jesus Christ to a group of Jews living in Jerusalem approximately 600 BC. To answer the question, one must read it, analyze its message, and compare it with the gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the New Testament. That is something each individual would have to address personally. I have read it over 50 times and compared the Book of Mormon’s teachings with the Bible. My assessment is that Joseph Smith was not seeking to establish the “Mormon” religion, but was seeking to draw people to Jesus Christ. In fact, the Book of Mormon is a powerful witness of the divinity and reality of Jesus as the Son of God. See for instance 2 Nephi 25:23-26 and 3 Nephi 11.

One prediction of which Thomas Ford was accurate, at least for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: his name has become synonymous with those who betrayed Joseph Smith. However, I think that the LDS people do not view him as Pilate or Herod. I think most pity Thomas Ford for having dealt with such a difficult situation and yet failed so miserably to defend an innocent man.

LDS Seminary Gospel Teaching and Learning – 5 Part video series explaining how to find, edit, store, and retrieve LDS general conference video clips

I’m currently working on creating a mini technology course for LDS Seminary teachers, explaining how to find, edit, store, and retrieve LDS general conference quotes. The following five part series of videos will explain and demonstrate the basics for people: 

• Video 1: Introduction to important software tools, namely iWisoft video converter, Audacity, and Power Point.
• Video 2: Find quotes and stories from general conference using lds.org/general-conference, scriptures.byu.edu, and Google Power Search.
• Video 3: Decide which media type to use to present your general conference quotes, whether it is text, audio, video, or a hybrid text/audio presentation.
• Video 4a: Create a text and audio Power Point slide with a quotation from general conference using Audacity.
• Video 4b: Edit a general conference video using iWisoft video converter.
• Video 5: Store and find media files by naming, organizing file folders, using keywords, and Windows’ search feature.

Enjoy! Hope you find the videos useful. Love any feedback you have to offer and if you like what you see, subscribe to my YouTube channel.