The Truth about Polygamy and Joseph Smith

books:

	• Mormonism Unmasked: Confronting the Contradictions Between Mormon Beliefs and True Christianity R. Philip Roberts B&H Publishing Group, 1998 - 184 pages average customer review:based on 48 reviews view larger image
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Excellent and educational book

This book is a must read for anyone who has left the Mormon Church and, if members of the Mormon church would read it, it would serve as a great source of information and "eye opening" for them. I believe we would see more people actually questioning something they are not encouraged to question and it would be for their own good. This book is done in a very informative and tasteful manner and is a good read.

The Truth about Polygamy and Joseph Smith

Dr. Phillip Roberts in his book Mormonism Unmasked (Nashville: B & H Publishing, 1998) provides an easy to read and thorough understanding of historic Mormonism as it relates to the subject of polygamy in the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS) church. This group broke from the Latter Day Saints years ago when the LDS changed its views on polygamy. States Roberts on this subject:

"Joseph Smith, its founder, supposedly received new, secret revelation regarding the nature of eternal marriage and polygamy. Besides a man's ability to be married in the eternities to his wife, he could add other wives as well. Those that entered these new covenants were promised that they would have 'a fullness and a continuation of the seeds [children] forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end, then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.' The revelation went on to command Joseph's wife, Emma, to 'receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God... And I command mine handmaid Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph... But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord' (Doctrines and Covenants 132:52, 61, 62, 64). With such dire warnings, many LDS women felt they could not refuse the new doctrine."

Up until this point, even though he had vindicated his polygamy via new revelation, Smith had practiced polygamy secretly, always denying it. Evangelical apologist Jerald Tanner's Mormonism - Shadow or Reality?, an in-depth, lifelong work on Mormonism, states, "Smith's polygamy was not publicly acknowledged until 1852, eight years after his death." (pp. 245-48). Mormonism would go on to change this revelation of Joseph Smith to avoid embarrassment. But herein, nonetheless, is the seedbed for Mormon practices of polygamy to this day.

I heartily recommend Mormonism Unmasked to those who desire an introductory overview of Mormon teaching in light of scriptural truth.

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Cuts through the confusion

There is a lot of confusion present within both the LDS membership and non-Mormons alike on exactly what Mormonism is and if it is Christian.

It's an emotionally charged topic and is complicated by the orthodox Christian terminology that Mormonism uses.

This book does an excellent job of getting to the main points and past the misconceptions that so often cloud discussions about Mormonism.

For example: There is nothing more fundamental to this discussion than God Himself. Mormonism's foundation of belief is based on the worship of a god who was once a human being and one of many gods. The ultimate goal of Mormonism is for the individual to achieve the same end, i.e. become gods themselves. As the book points out, this is the indisputable core doctrine of Mormonism and obviously dramatically different than Christianity.

By putting the fundamental issues at the forefront one can see clearly that Christianity and Mormonism are mutually exclusive, which then puts discussions on details like salvation, Jesus, and grace into proper perspective.

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