Heart of the Matter: Exploring the Intersection of Mormonism and Christianity

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From the “Mecca of Mormonism,” Salt Lake City, Utah – THIS . . . is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. . . .

“Where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity Face to Face.”

Show 38: Doctrine and Covenants 132 – Part III

Sept 22nd 2009

I'm Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion., your host. If you have family or friends who cannot get Heart through television, give them a call and tell them to go to WWW.HOTM.TV, and they can watch through streaming video from anywhere in the world!

“I was a Born-Again Mormon.” We are in back order getting hard copies back out in the stores, but we are offering the book in downloadable PDF form. Go to www.hotm.tv, and you can have the book in your hands within minutes.

Learning and Understanding Scripture

Are you taking the time to learn the Word of God? Alathea Ministries offers a no-obligation, never denominational Bible study called Calvary Campus. Christian Assemblies Meeting to Prayerfully Understand Scripture. Join us any and every Sunday at the U of U and Utah State and then Wednesday evenings in Odgen. Go to www.calvarycampus.com for more information like meeting times and directions.

Volunteer Opportunities

On Saturday, October 3rd, 11 am, we are having a volunteer meeting for our up-and-coming new television program, The Grey Generation. If you have the time and inclination, we need your help. Go to www.thegreygeneration.tv for more information.

Moment in Mormon History

Last week we had a caller ask about the LDS use of the biblical passage where Jesus tells Peter that whatever he binds on earth would be bound in heaven and how the LDS use this to justify eternal marriage. I explained a few reasons why their use of the passage is foolish because of other things Jesus said about marriage, but that I would discuss it further this week.

First of all, what was Jesus doing when He chose the twelve? He was establishing the order of the Apostolic Church, which would continue, from the directives of His first-hand witnesses, to set the order of His church once He was gone. Jesus trained them in the Gospel to take His message throughout the world. By these original twelve first-hand witnesses, the Gospel miraculously grew. And as it grew, it needed direction. The decisions made for the administration of His church were left in the hands of these chosen men.

Now, the passage in question has some preface verses and follow-up verses which give it added meaning. We call this context in Christianity. In Mormonism, they call it irrelevance. What is the context of the singular passage in Matthew 18:18 where Jesus says, “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven?”

Go back to verse 15 of Matthew 18. Here Jesus says, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Here Jesus is teaching the apostles how to handle interpersonal issues. Go to the person, he says, and tell him his fault. Got it? Then in verse 16, He continues.

So now, he is talking about someone who will not receive the one-on-one dialogue. And He says, take one or two more with you, and in the mouth of two or three witnesses EVERY word will be ESTABLISHED. Now the Lord is moving them to understand the governance of His early Church. He goes on –

So now the Lord teaches the Apostles how to handle a tough case, an obstinate soul who first neglects the face-to-face confrontation, then two or three witnesses, and then the Church itself!

And what is the result? Jesus says,

Church Decisions and Governance

“Let him be unto you as a heathen,” meaning, make the decision that the body of believers will have no fellowship with Him any longer!” And now He tells them that their decisions will be binding.

Now listen to the follow-up verses, which add further contextual support for the reason anything was previously said! He says, Again, here, relative to church decisions and governance, specifically in dealing with people and their attitudes, that He leaves the power in their hands to collectively speak on His behalf. And He finishes by stating another operational rule for them.

Misinterpretation of Marital Binding

This passage is completely misused and misapplied to the errant teaching of binding marriages on earth. We know this NOT only because of the context here, but also because of what Jesus said about marriage in other places! Listen: In Luke, Jesus lays out the place and setting in marriage, saying:

Lu 20:34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.

In Matthew, He plainly states the condition of saved people after this life

Mt 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Who are you going to believe, Jesus or Joseph?

Core Doctrines of Christianity

Over the years many people share a sort-of rhetorical syllogism with me. It goes something like this: “If Mormons are Christian, are Christians Mormon?” I don’t usually use or refer to this syllogism because it can be turned on you if you aren’t careful. Someone could state in return: “If Baptists are Christian, are Christians baptists?” And of course, the answer would reasonably be no.

There IS, however, a place for this syllogism. And the answer is in core doctrines. What is it that makes a Christian? Perhaps one of the best ways to define general Christianity would be to say that Christians share in the essentials of the Gospel. And what are the essentials? Whatever is necessary for salvation. And what things are these?

1). Believing that Jesus is the I AM – God incarnate. 2). Believing He was conceived of a virgin by the Holy Spirit. 3). Believing that He and He alone is the author and finisher of our faith. 4). Believing the Bible as inerrant. 5). Believing He was resurrected from the dead on the third day. 6). Believing that when a person believes in their heart, and confesses with their mouth that He is the Christ they shall be saved.

These essentials are shared by Christians world-wide. Altering, adding, or rejecting these essentials is akin to deconstructing a bicycle down to a single spoke of a wheel and calling it a bike. No wheels, no handle bars, no frame, no seat, no chain, or pedals, but only a single spoke, and only a fool would consider it a bike. So it is with Christianity, without Jesus being God – without a beginning or end, without a virgin birth, without salvation by grace and grace alone, without receiving the Bible as inerrant – only a fool would accept such a stripped down version as Christian.

The LDS go a step further. They not only strip away many of the plain and precious truths of Christianity, they attach their own items. Imagine a child asking for a bicycle for her birthday, and the parents take the spoke of a bike wheel, stick it in a beehive, wrap it in a prairie dress, tape a rock to the side and then hand it to her, saying, Happy Birthday, Sweety! Here’s your bicycle. Mormonism – not Christian.

Recommended Resources

We want to take a minute and recommend two outstanding resources to ANYONE wanting to research the claims of the LDS religion. The first is www.utlm.org, Utah Lighthouse Ministry. The oldest, the most reliable, the standard for LDS history and doctrine. UTLM will show you point blank, using primary source materials, how Mormon leaders have presently and over the years turned, changed, lied, and contrived what they call “the only true Church of Jesus Christ on earth.” Confirm your suspicions – go to UTLM.org.

Another resource we highly recommend is a book by Bill McKeever.

The information is there. God is calling. He wants you to be free from the fetters of religion and to have the liberty that comes through a direct relationship with Him through Jesus alone.

Speaking of fetters, of manipulation, of deception, Jesus was right on the mark when He called down “Woes” upon the scribes and Pharisees of His day. My personal

Joseph Smith's Revelation on Plural Marriage

Favorite Christian band – Adam’s Road was inspired to put these Woes to music – which they performed here on Heart a few weeks ago. Another Christian brother, Aaron Shaffaloff took their music and put it in an appropriately applied video form. Before we go to our message tonight, let’s take a look. Thanks, Adam’s Road and Aaron, for your respective work for Him and our LDS brothers and sisters.

(RUN VIDEO)

And with that, let’s have a prayer.

PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER PRAYER

Analyzing Doctrine and Covenants 132

We left off last week reading through Joseph Smith’s “revelation” on plural marriage, otherwise known as Doctrine and Covenants 132. If you want to get the most out of this series, watch the past three programs. Tonight, we pick up at verse 40 of the LDS Doctrine and Covenants 132.

Joseph Smith just finished having God talk about the polygamous practices of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David. Instead of telling it as it was – that Sarah gave Abraham her handmaid Hagar to have a child with because she took making God’s promises happen instead of waiting on Him to fulfill them – Joseph has God say:

“And why did she do it? Because this was the Law; and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises.”

Then in verses 40, God tells Joseph that he is appointed to restore all things to the earth. Being that polygamy is not only justified but claimed by God to be his Law in the lives of Abraham and David to name a few, Joseph is building a case to restore this true practice back to the earth.

Polygamy as an Eternal Law

Notice there is no commentary in these passages about there being too many women. Notice there is no commentary here about the Lord using polygamy to build up a righteous seed through the LDS. Notice there is no b.s. about only a few of the most select and holy men ought to practice it, like Gorden Hickley tried to pass off on Larry King. Joseph made it an eternal law, he said God called him to restore it to earth, he said that in order to reach the highest degree of the celestial world, it must be kept.

In verses 41 through 44 Joseph has God delineate what is adultery and what is not. In these descriptions, God tells Joseph that if a man commits adultery and his wife has not, then Joseph has the power to “take her and give her unto a man that has not committed adultery, but has been faithful; for he shall rule over many.”

In light of this power Joseph claims he has been given, he goes on and has God speak to Him mixing and mingling a Bible verse in with Joseph’s new added twists.

Sealing Powers and Human Exchange

Listen to verse 46: “And verily, verily, I say unto you, that whatsoever you seal on earth, and whatsoever you bind on earth, in my name and my word, saith the Lord, it shall be ETERNALLY bound in the heavens; and whatsoever sins you remit on earth shall be remitted eternally in the heavens; and whatsoever sins you retain on earth shall be retained in heaven.”

This statement, which Joseph took from Jesus when he spoke to his disciples on how to manage the early church, Joseph now applied to his God given power and ability to seal anything on earth eternally. He’s inching slowly toward revealing polygamy to Emma here. He is building a masterful, but convoluted and twisted case. Just listen to verse 48 as he slips in a key phrase to this whole “revelation” and his power and ability to seal matters on earth. Ready?

“And again,” he has the Lord say, “verily I say unto you, my servant Joseph, that whatsoever you give on earth (LISTEN) and to whomsoever you give any one on earth . . .” In this line, Joseph has God say that he has the ability to take and give human beings to people and have them bound eternally in heaven.

You may think this is just a guy talking or you may believe this is God talking, but let me tell you how this phrase played out: It played out where the early church leaders would literally “take” people, women, primarily, and have them sealed to themselves. Women who were in their teens. Orphans. Women who were happily married to other men. Women who were sisters. Women who were mothers and daughters.

This revelation opened the door for Joseph and Brigham and others to take and exchange people as if they were baseball cards. All in God’s name!

Now let me explain something here. I understand adultery.

Examining Joseph's Use of Divine Justification

I understand lust and messing up. I am not condemning anyone for failures in their flesh nor am I holding Joseph up to moral scrutiny. He has, as a man, to answer to His God.

BUT the problem, the heresy, the abomination, was Joseph used God’s name to justify all of this. This is what we are pointing out to people – that they are embracing a man who did not hesitate to use God’s name to justify ANYTHING.

In order to really put an exclamation point on this whole revelation so far, and to remind Emma of exactly who he was, Joseph then has audacity to have God say in the next verse, verse 49: (Listen to this)

“For I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee (Joseph) even unto the end of the world, and through all eternity; for verily I seal upon you your exaltation and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my father, with Abraham your father.”

And in the next verse he has God forgive him for all of his sins. So the stage is set. He has talked about eternal laws and made it clear that whoever reads this revelation must live it. Then he lays out a case for marriage being either of their earth or eternal, and if eternal, the gateway to becoming a GOD. Then he presents Abraham and others as participants in polygamy. Then he states that he has the power to seal and bind people – and to give them to whomever he would. And finally, before he gets into polygamy, he reminds everyone, but especially Emma, that he is promised by God to be exalted and that all his sins are forgiven.

Divine Commands and Threats

This takes us to verse 52, where Joseph has God speak to Emma.

“And let my handmaiden, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, AND who are virtuous and pure before me, (meaning, more wives) (then God says something really weird here, He says) “and those (women who Joseph seeks to have as extra wives) who are not pure, and have said they are pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord.”

What the? I mean, are there any lengths this guys wouldn’t go to fulfill his fantasies?

Joseph goes on to have God speak to Emma about supporting him, and then in verse 54 he has God threaten his wife, saying:

“But if she will not obey this commandment she shall be destroyed.”

A Warning from 'God'

Throughout much of his life, Joseph pronounces a lot of these warnings – telling people that if they didn’t do this or didn’t do that God would destroy them. In verse 56, “God reminds Emma again that she is to forgive Joseph his trespasses” (probably referring to hiding secret wives from her knowledge) and in verse 57 he has God tell her that “he is with Joseph just as he was with Abraham.”

In verse 59, Joseph has God return to the topic of men doing things in His name and by His power, and that if a person does something “according to these laws, he will not be committing sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. and God will justify him.”

It is interesting that Joseph has God here sort of justifying some acts of men, saying they are not committing sin if they do these actions according to his laws. What actions is God talking about that might appear to be sin but are not?

The Justification of Polygamy

Verse 61-62 tells us as Joseph has God say:

“If any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouses the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then he is justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given him, for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and are given unto him, therefore he is justified.”

This doctrine is still part of LDS scripture. It is believed, it is practiced spiritually in the church today, and LDS men wait for it to be reintroduced for practice – if not here, then certainly in heaven – for it is an eternal law which, according to Mormon doctrines, can NEVER be done away with.

Let me conclude by just pointing out a few key issues with verse 61 and 62 of Doctrine and Covenants 132:

“If any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse

Understanding Section 132

Another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouses the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then he is justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given him, for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and are given unto him, therefore he is justified.

Joseph's Warning

Section 132 ends with Joseph warning all women whose husbands have read and received this revelation that if they reject it, they will be destroyed, becoming a transgressor. I would suggest just the opposite. As we said years ago: Have Nothing to do with Section 132.

Contact Information

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(801) 973-8820
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First time callers appreciated. LDS callers desired.

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