Big Love/Mormon Temple Ceremony Understanding Why people would do something so freakish

by FormerMormon 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  FormerMormon

  Sacolton,

  They keep meticulous records on tithing donations. Around christmastime they have "Tithing settlement" where they grill you on whether you have truly contributed 10% of your income. This is in addition to Fast Offering, missionary donations etc.

  Yes there is magic underwear. It used to be angle/wrist length, but has undergone several iterations. Truly hideous to behold. Different things have been taught about proper garment usage. Some leaders have taught that it should be worn at all times, briefly/partially exposing the body during showers. Some have advocated wearing them even during sex. In recent years, there has been less emphasis on this rigid interpretation. People nowadays are genrally counseled to remove them during sex or sports.

  Funny thing is, garments are supposed to be a shield and protection not only against sin, but from physical harm. Faith promoting stories abound. But for some strange reason, the Mormon God doesn't want children to be protected by wearing garments (you get your garments after the washing and annointing ceremony)
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  FormerMormon

  Civic,

  The BOM does teach that indians received a curse of blackness for the disobedience of their parents. Strangely, they also teach people will be punished for their own sins, not others. Go figure. The curse is hereditary. Blacks were made so from Cain's cursing. The black curse is worse than the indian or chinese curses. Church leaders in the past have said some very racist and disturbing things against blacks in particular. It was often taught that people of color got that way because they were fence sitters or not valiant in their pre existence (before birth). I remember horror stories from when I was a child (pre 1978). I was told of Stake Presidents who discovered blacks in their geneology. They were stripped of their positions, stripped of their priesthood, stripped of their temple marriage and endowments, their children were likewise "tainted". Many were divorced because they were no longer "pure." So much for being all about "family". It really put the fear of god and gave me a racist start in life. They have been trying to deemphasize that ever since the 1978 reversal on blacks and the priesthood. Horny Joe had ordained blacks to the priesthood and had even called them to positions of high authority. Brigham reversed that policy and gave blacks the boot. They have NEVER recinded nor condemned their racist comments and DOCTRINAL teachings from the past.

  Yes, gods are generational. We have a great great grand god, and one day you could be one too!!
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  sacolton

  What can you tell me about Joseph claimed he translated from the papyri the "writings" of Abraham?

  What is this about Joseph Smith wearing some Jupiter talisman?
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  FormerMormon

  Civic

  I forgot to address your last question. No, becoming gods is NOT in the Book of Moron. Neither is preexistence, or temple work, or eternal marriages, baptisms for the dead nor Word of wisdom. These are all HUGE central tenets of Mormonism, yet not to be found in the BOM. 100 years of history and they forgot to mention central thesis to the gospel. Also, they had more gospel than we do. It was given to them by Jesus and is in a sealed portion of the Gold Plates. We'll get "that" when we as a people are more worthy. Or it could be that these ideas hadn't entered Joe's twisted head yet. If he had lived, I wonder what other fantastic ideas he would have come up with. He really missed his calling as a sci fi writer. It's no wonder he makes for such good material for Big Love.
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  Big Tex

  Yes, gods are generational. We have a great great grand god, and one day you could be one too!!

  Hhhmmm ... considering how unfair, cruel and difficult life on this little planet is, one would think our god used to be something of a sadist while he was mortal.
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  FormerMormon

  Sacolton,

  I typed two long responses and lost both to the web gods. Yes, he translated some egyptian papyri. Turned out to be a book of the dead. He mistranslated genders and roles (king vs slave). Name were gibberish. It's considered scripture to the LDS though. It is the source for MAJOR LDS themes like preexistence, three degree of heaven, cursing of negro's, etc. they are now saying the papyrus wasn't actually translated , instead it "inspired" smith. Smith used the words "translate" and was even involved in writing the character by character translation (which also translates as the book of the dead.)

  The papyrus was rediscovered in 1966

  I have heard he had a talisman, but haven't seen anything definitive on it. I know the church has his seer stone he found while digging a well (same one he put in a hat to translate the BOM.) It's the same stone he used when charging people to help them find buried spanish treasures.