My Journey Down a Rabbit Hole

Issue #5. Blood Atonement             There is another topic that was taught by early prophets of the church that has now been disavowed as a theory and is labeled as not doctrine now. This is the subject of the blood atonement. It’s easiest to explain this one by just going to some of the teachings. “Joseph Smith taught that there were certain sins so grievous that man may commit, that they will place the transgressors beyond the power of the atonement of Christ. If these offenses are committed, then the blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins even though they repent. Therefore their only hope is to have their blood shed to atone, as far as possible, in their behalf. This is scriptural doctrine, and is taught in all the standard works of the Church.” (President Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1954 , vol. 1, pp. 135-136)             Brigham Young took the doctrine of blood atonement even further. While Joseph might have emphasized the practice of

Of African descent and the Church             For over 150 years the Church has taught and sustained racially prejudiced doctrines; while attributing these teachings to God’s will. These teachings include a ban on black members from holding the priesthood and participating in the temple, and went as far as preaching death as a consequence for inter-race marriage. Recently, the Church has tried to clean up this part of its image by disavowing these past teachings.             Racist Doctrines taught very early in the church:  President Brigham Young “Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so.” ( Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol.10, p.110 ) “How long is that race to endure the dreadful curse that is upon them? That curse will remain upon them, and they never can hold the Priesthood or

Polygamy             OK, we all know that polygamy was practiced early in the church. We have D&C 132 telling us the rules about it. And now we also have 2 different essays from the church on the topic. The first one is a general essay on plural marriage , and the second is more focused on plural marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo .             Growing up, as well as on my mission, I was taught that the point of these plural marriages was to help raise up children, as well as the fact that many of the men had died or been killed along the way, and that is what was taught in D&C 132. I don’t even know where to start with this chapter in the D&C , there is so much just strange stuff. I guess I will take them one by one and pick out some key points or issues: 1.       God justified Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Solomon in having multiple wives as well as concubines 3.       “…for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same

Last updated 5/18/18 The Book of Mormon 2.1- Method of translation             As we all remember the pictures from primary showing Joseph reading straight from the golden plates as if they were a book. Then usually there was also a scribe, this individual should have been depicted as behind a sheet or otherwise unable to see the plates (but not always shown this way). But we were also taught about the Urim and Thummim, being made specifically for translating by the power of God. This item was included with the plates, very convenient, for just that purpose. Why are there so few pictures showing this? Hard to draw, we only have a rough description of the thing? That is beside the point. It turns out, that is not how the majority of the Book of Mormon was translated.             From the churches essay about the translation of the Book of Mormon we learn; “Joseph Smith and his scribes wrote of two instruments used in translating the Book of Mormon. … One instrument, called in