Let Me Check My Crystal Ball...

So, to use the mind that God has granted me, with the efforts to uncover truth and share that which God has seen fit to reveal to me; the first thing to look at is the most basic claim - indeed, the crux of the Mormon church being the only right and true religion left on the planet: the belief that Joseph Smith was a prophet for the Lord. That this same man (then but a boy) was visited by angels of the Lord (or the Lord himself, depending on who you ask) and was given God’s true gospel, because the religions of the time had fallen away. That he received the true gospel, but was not allowed to keep it. Merely a copy only he, himself, had seen.

Without faith in this one simple statement, that Joseph Smith was given the Word of God the Mormon faith does not have a leg to stand on. Joseph Smith was said to be a prophet. A voice for God amongst his lost and floundering people. But, is the Mormon definition of a prophet in keeping with what biblical and historical context tell us the prophet WAS to the people of Israel?

Biblically, the Hebrew terms for ‘seer’ (hozeh and ro’eh) were only mentioned in the Old Testament twenty-six times, as opposed to the Hebrew term for ‘spokesperson’ (nabi'), which is seen over 317 times. Clearly the role of Prophet was intended to be the Spokesperson of the Almighty in the majority of instances, rather than the ‘seer’.

I suppose, the reason for this distinction lies in their significance in the biblical Hebrew society. The Prophet’s significance stems from his/her connection with the Almighty. Basically, a verbal conduit through which God speaks his message and guidance to his people. The Prophets’ purpose was to act like a verbal road map. To point out to God’s people that they were heading toward a hazard, or that they were, in a very real sense, losing sight of the Lord’s calling on their lives.

They were not, ever, magic eight balls for God’s personal amusement. Their purpose was never one meant to be the megaphone for God to announce His plans: “You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this” (Deut. 18:13-14, ESV).

That prophets were guides for the people of Israel is clearly seen in the roles the prophets of the Lord took throughout the pages of the Old Testament. Of course, the question over roles is not the only issue surrounding a prophet when looking between the biblical definition and description and that of the Mormons.

Once a prophet has begun prophesying - how does one know that his words are God’s and are not simply ideas flowing from his own mind to his lips? It is not new, that a self-proclaimed prophet would seek to mislead the public in thinking that they have the Almighty’s ear. The Bible has provisions for this situation, described in Deuteronomy 18:20:

“But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or[f] who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.' ”

The disgust that is employed when referring to false prophets, throughout the Bible, is easily distinguished. The position of Prophet is to be held in a much higher standing than it seems to be viewed in the Mormon Church. Each one of the presidents of this religion have claimed to be prophets. Each one has made predictions (fortune-tellings) and some have come to fruition. Others, of course, have not. Despite the idea that a Prophet has a direct connection with God and if he prophesies wrongly it was seen as the prophet had lost the voice of God, the Mormon church is based around the idea that there must be a prophet - and that it didn’t matter a whit if the prophet was wrong.

Joseph Smith himself admitted that his prophesies, “might be of man or even of the Devil” (From Complete History of the Church 1:165). “If you hit once in ten times, that’s all right.” Hyrum Smith, a prophet, was quoted to have said this to Abraham O’Smoot in 1868 at the Provo School for Prophets.

If the true nature of the Prophet is to be believed - from the biblical point of view - they were rare, and they were limited in their purpose (guiding the people and warning of impending doom not engaging in parlor tricks prognosticating for the future). The simple idea that something considered to be a rare, and sometimes, precarious honor, could be taught in school...strikes me as quite arrogant.

Are we now to the point where we can wave a diploma in the Almighty’s face and demand He let us into His council? “But...but...I graduated from Prophet School, Lord!”

Right.

Solid Gold Watch...only $1!!!!

"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.'" -- Matt 22:37 NIV

For me, this verse, brings one question to mind.

What does 'with all your mind' entail? Clearly it is important to love the Lord, our God in this way (with everything we have) - it's mentioned in Deut 6:5, Deut 11:13, Deut 13:3, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:7; with the mind being specifically mentioned by Jesus in the three gospels - using our minds as valuable tools to exhaust in our service and worship to the Lord. It makes no sense, then, that God (or specifically Jesus) would then expect us to shut off our brains and rely blindly on faith for the Truth of His Gospel.

The Truth of His Gospel refers to the way the Mormon church interprets it.

Which, when faced with facts of a historical, scientific, mathematical AND sociological nature, crumbles like a loaf of cornbread.

Being a person of logic, intellect and reasoning (read: science nerd), I am more than a little cynical and like proof. Doubting Thomas I am not, however. I believe in the saving love that Christ showed when He died upon the cross, rescuing me and anyone who believes from our deserved fate of an eternity in Hell. How? I can't put solid irrevocable evidence that can be seen, smelled and touched out for people to examine and believe what I say. That part, must be taken on faith.

I have been told that it is this way for the Mormon faith, as well. Take essential pieces of the doctrine on faith. Indeed, faith seems to be emphasized almost to an idolatrous degree. It is true faith is important. Jesus said so to Thomas in John 20:29, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Faith is important. Vital, even, to any person who follows a Higher Being. Because a Higher Being is the Unseen, the Unknowable there is always a small kernel of doubt. Out of sight, out of mind, one could say. But, there is a huge difference between being faithful and following blindly. After all, didn't Jesus rebuke Peter when he sank in the waves? "Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (Matt 14:31).

The way the Mormons have described Faith seems more on the level with willful ignorance: deliberately shutting off the mind, turning eyes from the truth that is out there to be sought because one is arrogant enough to believe that they know all there is to know, or frightened of the possibility what they believe to be truth is, in reality, false.

Faith does not give us the the liberty to stop seeking God everywhere in the truth and physical proof that He, Himself provided upon the creation of the Earth. It should encourage us to seek Him more in the places where His Glory is present.

It may be argued that people of faith are afraid to look in the world for proof - because the world is fallen and therefore will not represent God truthfully. The world is fallen, but the world is still of God’s creation. He made it. He put his fingerprints on everything our eyes, ears and noses come across. There is no way, if God truly exists, and has placed His mark on His Creation so as to make Himself visible to those who seek Him, that anything science, history, geography, economics or any other study could dig up that would deny His presence. It makes no sense. Like a house divided in among itself, and as we learned, a house in such a state could not stand.

Peek Through The Frosted Glass

My name is inconsequential. My purpose here is to chase after the calling God has so...benevolently bestowed upon me. Indeed, I don't want to be doing His will. It's hard. Painful. And it so often leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth and disgust in my heart at my absolute suck-i-tude. I am horrible at following Him.

And yet, He still calls me.

I suppose I should start at the beginning.

I became a true follower of Christ on October 5, 2003. (Incidentally, though it happens to have nothing to do with this blog or my story, my big brother got married on that very same day this year.)

I never doubted God's presence. I just had a great many interesting, heretical and often ludicrous ideas about God, growing up. He was there, but He was married to Mother Nature, and He wasn't my King (just some benevolent dude who created the universe) and He had set the world into motion through scientific means.

Miracles had no place in my theology.

I was (and more often than not, am to this day) a being of science rather than faith.

In my mind, back then, the two could not coexist. I remember one summer, hanging out with the neighbor kids up the street who were all very, very into God and religion. I was wicked enough as a child to enjoy the absolute shock and horror on their faces when I boldly spoke out, stating I believed unflinchingly in evolution nearly every time we got together. I got a kick out of their expressions and the halting, esoteric, just-because-I-say-so arguments they flung back at me. But nothing that could be backed up, could be proven like the arguments I had built about evolution.

Proof trumped faith.

Science had my heart before God. I suppose it was only right that God reclaimed it through the use of my false god.

I became a people-pleaser in high school. I had grown tired of being the bully of my elementary days, had been humbled and very nearly broken by bullies myself in middle school and decided that it would be much easier to be nice to everyone. To go out of my way to please them. At least that way, I could maybe count them as friends rather than enemies.

That got old quite quickly. Trying to be friends with everyone I met nearly tore me to shreds. And it wasn't until my senior year that I realized why. Senior year was the first year I was in a bible study. We studied Matthew for a while and then, because people were desiring a challege (like love your enemy is not a challenge...but whatever), our leader Brian decided that we would study Revelation.

If anyone has read that book, having no background in biblical theology or any real knowledge of God, you might understand how I felt.

It was hard.

It was frustrating.

It was freaking scary.

The idea of fire and brimstone. End times and all that scared and almost scarred me. But I was also fascinated. Who was this God that saw fit to take one man and not the other as they walked up a hill. Who had chorus upon chorus of angels singing His praises every moment of every day into forever?

It was a puzzle. A puzzle I intended to solve.

I set about solving the enigma that is God. I sought understanding, because once I understood him I could step back and say, (quite smugly, I'm sure) "Ah. Okay." And go happily along in my life.

As you can hopefully tell...I don't understand God to that extent even now, nearly six years since I've started. Some times I feel like I know Him less than I did then, and others, I feel like I know Him more.

The latter was what occured when I began researching the Mormon religion. I knew Him in that moment, well enough to recognize His voice. Recognize the press of His Calling on my life.

And all of a sudden I was something I had sworn never to become.

An apologetic.

'Leave that to others, to the people who can actually influence with words, with what they say and do.' I was quite content to spend my time learning about God. Because I'm a learner. I am not a very accomplished teacher.

And still, He called me.

What could I do but answer?

So, I am attempting to gather my theological thoughts, holding the Christian faith and Mormon faith under a microscope, side by side for comparison. One is truth. One is a lie.

Stay tuned to find out which is which.