"While active in the treasure-quest, the Smith's possessed traditional implements of folk magic and the occult...it's irrational to claim that the Smi"While active in the treasure-quest, the Smith's possessed traditional implements of folk magic and the occult...it's irrational to claim that the Smiths did not actually use those objects they possessed, which were so important to their acknowledged interest in buried treasure. Joseph Smith, his family, and other early Mormons saw themselves as simply drawing upon a larger frame of reference in their religious quest." pg 322-3
This was an exhaustive research & narrative explaining the early LDS church. This narrative was neither disparaging nor pro-LDS; this was a fact & heavily-cited work. The premise of the narrative argues that Joseph Smith, his family, & the origins of the LDS church were a reflection of early America, working knowledge of occult practices & the resurgence of religious spirituality in America's Second Awakening (1790s through the 1860s...roughly).
The "magic milieu" of the Smith family included seer stones, astrology, a talisman, a dagger for drawing magic circles of treasure-digging and spirit invocation, as we as magic parchment for purification, protection, and conjuring a spirit. It is one thing to demonstrate that such beliefs and artifacts were consistent with early America's environment. It requires a different kind of analysis to determine to what extent such magic beliefs and possessions were consistent with what Jospeh Jr. amd his family described as their most important experiences. pg 134-5
The author further expounded thr occult connection to the first vision, thr development of the Book of Mormon, the Mormon scriptures, the magic world view, and rural New York. Hermetic texts and ideas were part of the occult revival occurring in Europe and the United States from the 1790s to 1820s, as astrology alchemy, the Cabala, and ritual magic. Joseph Smith lived in the midst this occult resurgence which manifested itself in published works and oral history, among common people and privileged classes, among mainstream clergymen and sectarian leaders, among Mormons and non-Mormons (pg 187).
D. Michael Quinn gave lots of arguments: etymological explanations, countless references of occult literature and concepts, origins of LDS theology from occult practices, workings dueong the equinox, the Salamander & reptile story, and 94 templates of occult sigils, parchment, & other pictures all explaining the early occult origins of the early LDS Church.
This book was a heavy reference source. Out of a total 646 printed pages, 39 were the introduction, 326 were narrative text, and 319 pages of notes & index. Overall I felt I learned quite a bit; some of the information I remember reading years ago in The Angel and the Sorcerer: The Remarkable Story of the Occult Origins of Mormonism and the Rise of Mormons in American Politics. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in early American religions history and LDS studies. Thanks!...more
I thought this was an excellent narrative explaining Joseph Smith, the first prophet, seer, & revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaI thought this was an excellent narrative explaining Joseph Smith, the first prophet, seer, & revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Richard Bushman is an LDS scholar and writer who presented this information in a non-biased format. He didn't let his beliefs overshadow the narrative nor did he try to persuade/dissuade the reader onto any opinion. His writing style clearly presented the information.
Bushman did a great job of delivering the family history and Joseph Smith's early years. He included all the major events (The First Vision, Nephi appearing at night & educating) and even the negative former facts: treasure seeking, financial problems, and teetering on the unethical "conman" persona. There was much discussion on the Book of Mormon (BoM), the formation of the early Church, the organization's episodes in Kirtland, Ohio, and Missouri, and the turbulent ordeals of those times. All of these concepts were delivered from a cultural standpoint as they related to American social history of the time & religious history of the time.
Aside from information, Bushman gave two stand-out arguments in my opinion. The first was the argument of Joseph Smith and the BoM: composition versus transcription.
The accounts of the neighbors picture an unambitious, uneducated, treasure-seeking Joseph, who had never written anything and is not known to have read anything but the Bible and perhaps the newspaper...To account for the disjuncture between the BoM's complexity and Joseph's history as an uneducated rural visionary, the composition theory calls for a precocious genius of extraordinary powers who was voraciously consuming information without anyone knowing it. pg 72
The second argument I found compelling was the translation of the Egyptian papyri to produce the Book of Abraham.
Jospeh may have heard apocryphal stories of Abraham, although the Book of Jasher was not published in English until 1829 and not in the United States until 1840. A Biblical dictionary published by the American Sunday School Union summed up man of the apocryphal elements. Whether Joseph knew of alternate accounts of Abraham or not, he created an original narrative that echoed apocryphal stories without imitating them. Either by revelation or by some instinctive affinity for antiquity, Joseph made his own late—and unlikely—entry in the ling tradition of extrabiblical narratives about the great patriarch. pg 292
Bushman also was forthcoming in making neutral stances on explaining two beliefs that distinguish LDS cultural and historical aspects. The first was the approval of polygamy in the early Church
Joseph did not marry women to form warm, human companionship, but to create a network of related wives, children, and kinsmen that would endure into the eternities. Like Abraham of old, Joseph yearned for familial plentitude. He did not lust for women so much as he lusted for kin. pg 440
The second argument, which most denominations use in the polemic, was the Law of Eternal Progression (pgs 196-202) and the King Follett Discourse
...Joseph modified the Creation story until it appeared that God had not created anything ex nihilo. He did not make the earth "out of Nothing." In Joseph's view, God assembled the earth from preexisting material and then drew a cohort of spirits from the pool of eternal intelligences. pg 421
Most Christian theologians believe if God was not the creator of all, He was no God. In Joseph's revelations, God formed individual earth's inside time and space rather than creating the universe as a whole from the outside. God did not have to create and control existence in order to be God. pg 454
Overall this was an excellent and detailed narrative explaining the LDS faith from a cultural perspective as opposed to information delivery. This was super helpful explaining the Church's organizational structure, theological tenets, and unique concepts that separate the LDS faith from other Christian denominations. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in early LDS & American history. Thanks!...more
Disclaimer: This is not a review of the religious beliefs and views of the Latter-day Saints (LDS) faith. This is merely a review of an LDS quad. I haDisclaimer: This is not a review of the religious beliefs and views of the Latter-day Saints (LDS) faith. This is merely a review of an LDS quad. I have read these books and my views on them are my own. Thank you.
*****This is a 1981 publishing of the Book of Mormon and accompanying standard works.*****
So...I have read The Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrines and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price in their entirety and it took quite some time. This is a large and heavy book called a quad among the LDS; you will always see the missionaries carrying them. The quad consists of what the LDS call "standard works" which are the four books I mentioned earlier. It comes in three sizes: large (6.5" x 9.5"), regular (5.25" x 7.25"), and compact (4.25" x 6"). The quad also has two silk ribbon book markers. The following is an outline of what is inside:
1. The Holy Bible—standard King James Version containing both Old and New Testament and is 1590 pages. After this comes an appendix containing a topical guide, a Bible dictionary, Joseph Smith translation, Biblical maps and photos (total 860 pages).
2. The Book of Mormon (BoM) in its entirety is roughly 540 pages to include an introduction, the text, and a pronunciation guide to all the names of people in the BoM.
3. The Doctrines and Covenants (D&C) contains all 138 revelations is 294 pages. The D&C is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on the earth in the last days (from Explanatory Introduction page).
4. The Pearl of Great Price contains selections from The Book of Moses, The Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith's translation of parts of The Book of Matthew, Joseph Smith's history, and the 13 LDS Articles of Faith. In total it is 61 pages.
Following all of that is another index of 416 pages. Lastly, the quad finishes with a Chronology of Church History and a series of maps and places relevant to LDS church history.
This is a great reference source I use often and read random passages. Thanks!...more
This is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. This particular booThis is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. This particular book puts in the middle colored maps (Jerusalem at the time of Christ, the Holy Land/Mediterranean at the time of the Apostles, Paul's journeys), flow charts of New Testament chronology, an in-depth chart about the Book of Revelations, and Seven Churches of Asia.
This volume gives aid to understanding the New Testament and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Each chapter is a segment that includes an introduction, notes and commentary, and points to ponder.
The book is obviously written from an LDS stance because many reference and back-up evidence comes from the Church. These sources include the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Lectures of Faith, etc. They also reference LDS figures like Joseph Smith,, Brigham Young, and Bruce R. McConkie to name a few.
I would recommend this book to aid anyone wanting to gain more understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks!...more
This is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. This volume gives aThis is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. This volume gives aid by going verse by verse of everything covered in the Pearl of Great Price (the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith's translation of Matthew, Joseph Smith's History, and the Articles of Faith. Each verse is commented and explained for the learner.
The sources sited include the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Journal of Discourses, Lectures of Faith, etc. They also reference LDS figures like Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Bruce R. McConkie to name a few.
I would recommend this entire series of student manuals. This book will aid anyone wanting to gain more understanding of the Pearl of Great Price. Thanks!...more
This is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. The book starts outThis is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. The book starts out with maps from the time of Joseph Smith to include the New England area, New York and Pennsylvania, western Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, Illinois and Iowa, and Nauvoo.
Each chapter is a section of the Doctrine and Covenants. The books goes verse by verse and gives a commentary explanation of the verse. All 138 sections are broken down and analyzed.
The text sites various LDS works to include the Book of Mormon, Lectures of Faith, various Conference Reports, History of the Church, etc. They also reference LDS figures like Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Ezra Taft Benson, and Bruce R. McConkie to name a few.
I would recommend this book (as well as the rest of the student manuals) to aid anyone wanting to gain more understanding of the Doctrine and Covenants. Thanks!...more
This is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. The book starts outThis is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. The book starts out with colored maps (Old Testament Canaan, the Old Testament World, the Empire of David and Solomon, Kingdoms of Israel, Judah, and the Mediterranean), flow charts of chronology, coinage comparisons, standard volumes/measurements/weights, and the Jewish calendar.
This volume gives aid to understanding the Old Testament. Each chapter is a segment that includes an introduction, notes and commentary, and points to ponder.
The book is obviously written from an LDS stance because many reference and back-up evidence come from the Church. These sources include the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Lectures of Faith, etc. They also reference LDS figures like Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, James E. Talmage, Ezra Taft Benson, and Bruce R. McConkie to name a few.
I would recommend this book to aid anyone wanting to gain more understanding of the Old Testament. Thanks!...more
This is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. The book starts outThis is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. The book starts out with colored maps (elevation, the Old Testament World, the course of Exodus, Old Testament Palestine), flow charts of dispensation, Abraham's lineage, and a chronology chart to include the Book of Mormon peoples (Jaredites, Nephites, and Lamanites), coinage comparisons, and standard volumes/measurements/weights, and the Jewish calendar.
This volume gives aid to understanding the Old Testament. Each chapter is a segment that includes an introduction, notes and commentary, and points to ponder.
The book is obviously written from an LDS stance because many reference and back-up evidence comes from the Church. These sources include the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Lectures of Faith, etc. They also reference LDS figures like Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Ezra Taft Benson, and Bruce R. McConkie to name a few.
Something interesting was the explanation of the Urim and Thummim, the two special seer stones or interpreters, both plural, meaning "light" and "perfections", pg. 152
I would recommend this book to aid anyone wanting to gain more understanding of the Old Testament. Thanks!...more
This is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. This volume helped This is a really nice and well-organized student manual prepared by the Church Educational System and published by the LDS Church. This volume helped me tremendously in reading through the Book of Mormon. The BoM can be daunting, hard to grasp, and choppy at times (at least to me it was). The is a great reference tool for anyone.
This volume is just like the other student manuals. Each chapter is a segment that includes an introduction, notes and commentary, and points to ponder.
The back appendices include a list of the Nephite record keepers, explanations of the plates, the Witnesses of the BoM, chronology chart, major Nephite leaders, Nephi's Vision (1 Nephi 10-14), and Zeno's Allegory of the Tame and Wild Olive Trees (Jacob 5).
The sources and references include the Doctrine & Covenants, Lectures of Faith, Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, etc. They also reference LDS figures like Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Boyd K. Packer, Ezra Taft Benson, and Bruce R. McConkie to name a few.
I would recommend this book to aid anyone wanting to gain more understanding of the Book of Mormon. Thanks!...more
This is the standard hymnal for the LDS church that you'll find in any meeting house. It is comprised of 341 hymns and is standard to a hymnal found eThis is the standard hymnal for the LDS church that you'll find in any meeting house. It is comprised of 341 hymns and is standard to a hymnal found elsewhere: the lyrics and the matching note annotations.
Of course there are some hymns that are strictly unique to the LDS faith as seen in hymn 121 "I'm a Pilgrim, I'm a Stranger" seems to account the journey of Lehi's family into the new world. Hymn 274 "The Iron Rod" which is the iron rod story from the Book of Nephi. Hymn 284 "If You Could Hie to Kolob" which can only be understood if your a hardcore LDS researcher, have read The Pearl of Great Price, or are a Mormon.
I rather enjoyed reading this book. It was a collection of stories centered around a person described as a Prophet, a Healer, and stranger who spoke mI rather enjoyed reading this book. It was a collection of stories centered around a person described as a Prophet, a Healer, and stranger who spoke many languages. These different stories come from various Nations of the Native American people like the Inca, Shawnee, Maya and Aztecs, Seminole, and from various geographic regions like Native American Oklahoma, Guatemala, Mexico, and others. The Healer was a pale-skinned man with a beard and robe who came from the ocean. [image] And just as mysteriously as he appeared he went back and became legend.
The interesting fact is the author is non-LDS and this chronicle parallels the Book of Mormon account of Jesus Christ visiting the America's after his death.
Overall pretty cool book about a topic little discussed. Thanks!...more
I took my time rereading/listening to this standard work of the Latter-day Saints (LDS) faith. The Book of Mormon (BoM) is an abbreviated account of tI took my time rereading/listening to this standard work of the Latter-day Saints (LDS) faith. The Book of Mormon (BoM) is an abbreviated account of the inhabitants of the ancient Americas from 2200 BC to 421 AD. From a geographical standpoint, some LDS scholars believe Mesoamerica to be the setting of the Book of Mormon. Other researchers believe it took place in the Great Lakes area of North America to include involving the Mound-Builder civilizations. This is called the limited-geography model which scholars use in an attempt to give geographical evidence on where the events took place.
According to the text, Lehi and his sons fled the Middle East, constructed a boat, and sailed to the American continent. The story evolves and involves many characters, events, wars, and spiritual revelations. The main groups, the Nephites and Lamanites, are the two civilizations that the book focuses on. Towards the end, after Christ's crucifixion he appeared to the ancient inhabitants before ascending into heaven. [image] Eventually the golden plates (which the BoM is etched upon) are buried in hill Cumorah by the last Nephite captain Moroni before they are slaughtered in battle against the wicked Lamanites. Eventually both civilizations and their history is erased from the annals of North American history. [image] Then, in 1823 they were discovered by Joseph Smith because angel Moroni appeared to Smith and told him where they were buried. Thus began the LDS faith. [image]
To be completely honest: I have to say it was OK, its not my favorite book. I had a difficult time with it because of the choppiness in the prose, the confusion in what seemed repetitive preaching, and the names of places/names of people. I liked the Judeo-Christian aspects and the overall story involving the Nephite and Lamanite people. I liked the faith-based core values tremendously however this fell short for me. I am not downing the LDS faith or its followers but it just didn't hit the mark for me. No disrespect or harshness intended for anyone. Thanks!...more
This book started out good but then got slow and relatively boring in my opinion. I had no problems reading the story and being able to incorporate thThis book started out good but then got slow and relatively boring in my opinion. I had no problems reading the story and being able to incorporate the LDS faith that's heavily woven into the plot. Words and phrases like Lehi, sealed in the temple, Alma, bearing testimony, and Hill Cumorah will have little to no meaning to someone who isn't familiar with the LDS religion....more
The author does a great job of delivering the facts and telling an unbiased narrative of the early Latter-day Saints (LDS) church and the events leadiThe author does a great job of delivering the facts and telling an unbiased narrative of the early Latter-day Saints (LDS) church and the events leading to the death (or martyrdom) of (the first Prophet, seer, and revelator) Joseph Smith. At the end of his life, he was being held in Carthage Jail in Illinois. He and his brother Hyrum came to their tragic end when a mob stormed the jail, shot, and killed them both on June, 27 1844. [image] I have read a lot about the LDS faith and I learned quite a few new things as they relate to the historical context of the church. Overall this was a great read. It was well-researched and fact driven giving you history in conjunction with some LDS doctrine and beliefs. I definitely recommend this book as a starting point if curious about the LDS church or have questions/doubts. You will definitely learn some things. Thanks!...more
I have studied the Latter-day Saints (LDS) faith for several years now and this book took a different angle to explain the Mormon religion. I would haI have studied the Latter-day Saints (LDS) faith for several years now and this book took a different angle to explain the Mormon religion. I would have never speculated sinister forces influencing the LDS faith until I read this book. This was a new look and shed some light on the allegations of darker, occult, and demonic origins of Mormonism.
Was Joseph Smith really visited by the angel Moroni in his room? Did Jesus and God appear to him in the wooded grove as he kneel praying? Or was he visited by demonic forces appearing to deceive Joseph Smith? Why was 23 September (also the autumn equinox and important pagan ritual date) chosen for Joseph Smith to be taught by angel Moroni? There are so many things I learned in this book. I am neither pro-Mormon nor anti-Mormon but this book presents a strong argument.
The author gives his opinions in a respectful and articulate way. These may be allegations but they are worth reading. The information presented is very clear and well-balanced.
This book raised even further questions and speculations I have about the LDS faith. I still continue my own research into the proclaimed "one true church" as all other church "creeds were an abominations" as their leaders had "become corrupt." Read this book, gather information to help form your own opinions, and have educated conversation about this religion shrouded in secrecy. Thanks!...more
This book offers a good introduction to the Mormon faith. From the historical view, as the author narrowed his focus toward today, and the many changeThis book offers a good introduction to the Mormon faith. From the historical view, as the author narrowed his focus toward today, and the many changes that had been put in place over the years, the essence of that faith becomes just a bit vague. He also explains the big differences between Mormonism and all other Christian denominations. Particularly important are four "engines" which drive Mormons and their belief system. The belief that this life is a test and part of an eternal plan of progression leads to self-improvement and achievement, long-term and eternal family binds and marriage, the focus on education and leadership, and patriotism are discussed....more
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