Posted by:
Cold-Dodger
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Date: August 18, 2022 05:49PM
"The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it," said Joseph Smith Jr.
What do Mormons believe in 2022? They believe that no principle, teaching, claim, fact, or axiom that cannot be appended to the restored gospel as defined by the Brethren can be true, even if the evidence is staring them in the face and the fumes thereof are in their nostrils. They will sneeze, say it isn't real, chase away any of their own number half-persuaded by it, then shoot the messenger and go back to business as usual and try to ignore all the empty seats.
When you hear the hullabaloo about postmodernism, remember that modernism was what Mormonism was founded as a reaction to: as if to say Biblical literalism can be modern. Smith taught that spirits were made of matter and took up space and heaven existed in these three dimensions the same as anything else. He taught that there were certain laws that even God could not break and that heavenly messengers had empirical qualities that could help you detect a true messenger from a devil. He was trying to modernize Christianity with how popular science was understood at the time. The resultant traces of Modernism in Mormonism are why people sometimes say it's a thinking man's religion.
But what is it now? A decaying stump of post-modernist emotions-don't-care-about-your-supposed-facts self-service. They will, if they must, hew down the very mainstream stock of Mormonism and cast it into the fire and only a remnant of true believing lunatics will be left, but they will imagine it to be more than enough to meet the Lord at his coming. There is no saving it. The only thing you can do is leave it, shake the dust of your feet, and then support politicians who will make policy that keeps the freaks away from power. As much as they try to preach the Word, try to reason with people to accept empiricism, logic, and sound education. As much as they call you a liberal devil or a socialist, show forth a humanist example more like what Christ teaches. Make them socially choke on their ego-centrism until they fold like cheap chapel chairs and seek a better project worthy of the human spirit. Mostly just try to forget about them; they aren't that important in the global scheme of things.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2022 05:52PM by Cold-Dodger.