So, TSCC spamming of my Facebook feed continues, but today I see a new advert:
"The Bible is the word of God. It leads us to Jesus and shows us how to follow His perfect example. Find out how biblical teachings help us find joy, meaning, and direction in life."
It's accompanied by a picture of the Bible sitting on some sort of official certificate that is largely out of focus but you can make out phrases like "The Original" and "diligently compared and rev..."
No sign or hint of the BoM. No mention of any concerns about the extent to which it's been "translated correctly." It's listed as "Come Unto Christ," to be sure there's no [accidentally] recognizing it as Mormon.
As if these hypocrites are and have always been proponents and purveyors of the Bible!
As long as their are temples with their weird ceremonies, special attire, mandatory underwear, problem screening questions for entry, restricted weddings, etc.....TSCC can not be considered mainstream.
Maybe they will mainstream temples too. Perhaps turn them into contemplative centres for general membership. You'd still have to pay a full+++ tithing for entry but you might enjoy it more or at least hate it less. Ditch the hellishly boring and repetitious movie. Skip any water-based ritual - too dangerous in pandemic and post-pandemic times. No more communally-shared clothing or mass gatherings in small dark spaces or all that standing up, sitting down and eternal fiddling with robes. Definitely no close encounters with old folks groping underneath your temple clothes. And absolutely no whispering cheek to cheek at the veil.
It could be a win/win for leaders and members alike.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2020 10:49PM by Nightingale.
Well, they should just go ahead and replace Moroni with Jesus when they get done renovating the SL temple. I mean, old Moroni is going to be in storage for a few years anyway...time enough for the TBMs to get used to the idea of a different statue up there.
However, if Nelson is gone (a good bet at his age) the next guy might want to ditch all the "come to jesus" stuff and go back to the BOM as the keystone of the religion thing.
If they want to go 'mainstream' (I am not sure they are anywhere near that point currently} they could follow the template offered by the Community of Christ, ex-RLDS. But that means at a minimum junking the Pearl of Great Price, the cult of the 'temple' and associated rituals as well as compulsory tithing (as it currently exists). My instinct is that when Oaks takes over, it will be a swift return to a very hardline, uncompromising traditional position- he'll be an Ezra Taft Benson for the 21st Century.
Perdition Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My > instinct is that when Oaks takes over, it will be > a swift return to a very hardline, uncompromising > traditional position- he'll be an Ezra Taft Benson > for the 21st Century.
Missions in our area are setting up Facebook pages for the missionaries in each individual ward. They have an 'offers' tab where there is the offer of a free Bible and a separate offer for a free Book of Mormon. Interestingly the free Bible offer is top of the page and a much bigger post and photo than the Book of Mormon offer underneath.
Their are also articles about Mormons having Wicca/Pagan symbols on their temple in Salt Lake City, Utah that points them out and they're not fake either. I 've been to that temple many times and have seen it myself. The symbols are suns, moons, stars, etc. Years ago when I was trying witchcraft, some missionaries came to my door and one of them was interested in my witchcraft book and looked through it and read some of it. His partner looked upset about it. It started because we were having a discussion about their symbolism of the 3 Mormon kingdoms. The Sun is where Jesus is, the moon is if you're half good half bad like the balance of the Yin Yang, and the star is if you're evil but haven't killed anyone, 2 more are the last resort which is outer darkness for the suicides and of course hell for the evil murderers. It's an interesting mix.
Missionaries I've encountered don't even carry the BoM or BoA anymore. They just carry a Bible and that's it. They act like they don't know what you're talking about when you bring up the racism in the BoM or BoA. They're intentionally ignorant. Ignorance is no excuse 20yrs after Google.
Mainstreaming is and will be a failure IMHO. I believe folks decide to join a new church (leaving their old church) for socialization and a place to feel uplifted from day to day struggles. The Mormon church offers virtually nothing in both aspects. It has a cold corporate structure. It only adds to stress.
I'm constantly amazed at how they ditch their own scriptures, especially the more specific parts of the BoM & D&C...
BoM tells:
can't repent after U die
must forgive others or your 'sins' (mistakes) won't be forgiven; None of the scriptures are very specific as to what forgiving / forgiveness entails.
D&C (& Bible) says restitution is 4 x the value of anything wrongfully taken; Ever hear that in a talk or lesson? How about getting a TR when U needed to repay something?