Posted by:
Wally Prince
(
)
Date: December 05, 2018 12:44AM
that would have made it okay. He could have been striving to follow the example set by Joseph Smith, but didn't realize that if he didn't get the sealings done before anyone found out it could look like he was fooling around, when he was just searching for ways to get further ahead with the new and everlasting covenant.
Or if it was a same sex affair, he could have possibly just been doing field research on the doctrine of sealing men to men and did not realize that some of the rituals he and the sealing candidate(s) engaged in were not part of the doctrine.
"As most people who are familiar with Mormonism know, dedicated Mormons believe in sealing women to men and children to their parents for all eternity. Few people, however, are aware of the fact that the early Mormons sealed living men to other men in an unusual ceremony known as 'the law of adoption.' Thus a man could have any number of men adopted to himself as his sons for eternity. For example, in June, 1896, Wilford Woodruff, the fourth president of the church, gave a synopsis of his work in the ministry since 1834. He wrote the following in his journal: 'I officiated in Adopting 96 Men to Men.' (Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 1833-1898, typescript, edited by Scott C. Kenney, 1985, Vol. 9, page 408) In another synopsis for the years 1834-1885, he revealed: 'I had 45 Persons Adopted to me.' (Ibid., Vol. 8, page 352)"
{{From: "Sealing Men to Men"
https://www.google.co.kr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=11&ved=2ahUKEwitvPbu-YffAhUCU7wKHbEKCBMQFjAKegQICxAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmormonpolygamydocuments.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F12%2FMF0071.doc&usg=AOvVaw3OlYLU2DSE1XgaOzyaOi-_Richard R. Lyman was a prominent Q12 member who was exed in 1943 for unauthorized plural marriage (i.e. sleeping with a woman not his "legal" wife, just as JS did ALL THE TIME).
Lyman was an interesting case and it must have been a shock to the members at the time when he was exed. He was exed before I was born, but I remember occasionally hearing adults talking about him furtively and trying to spin it. "Well what happened to Apostle Lyman just goes to show that even the elect can fall and no matter how righteous we try to be, we always have to watch ourselves, because it is so easy to be led astray."
I would ask: "What happened to Apostle Lyman?"
They would change the subject. "Do you want a cookie?"
I'm surprised that these more recent excommunicatees don't put up more of a fight. In the cases of Lyman and George P. Lee, they thought they were doing God's will. Why didn't they do a Joseph Smith and claim that an angel with a sword made them do what they did?
Then the members could have been treated to a really fun "did not" vs. "did so" contest between General Authorities.
"An angel made me do it!"
"You lie. An angel did not appear to you!"
"Did so!"
"Did not!"
"Did so!"
"Poo Poo head!"
"Fart face!"
"Smellmeister!"
"Toilet breath!"
I would love to have seen a public fight like that between General Authorities.