# Oh man.. I'm exhausted...



## J. Dean (Mar 16, 2012)

For my church history class I'm working on Mormonism and Joseph Smith, and I cannot begin to tell you how fatiguing it is.

In all candidness, this guy sounds like a Word of Faith preacher! I mean, he had revelations, his congregations were experiencing "signs and wonders", he was making up doctrine as he went along, and when he was proven wrong he either "modified" his teachings or denied the accusations.

I've heard the analogy between the televangelists and Joseph Smith before, but until I did this in-depth study I didn't realize just how much Smith had that paralleled people like Benny Hinn, Oral Roberts, Paul Crouch, etc. This is scary stuff, and to be honest it's solidifying my position as a cessationist even more, as the Mormons believe they have "speaking in tongue" experiences and other pentecostal elements in their churches.

Wow....


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## Rufus (Mar 16, 2012)

Joseph Smith had been accused of being a con-artist, many televangelists are con-artists....hmmmm.


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## Rich Koster (Mar 17, 2012)

The WoF movement came out of Kenyon's so-called personal revelations from Christ during a serious illness. Smith claims the same kind of personal revelations. I remeber him getting them from Moroni, not sure if he claimed any direct from Christ. While the details may differ, the source of the deception is the same. They put dreams down on paper and turned them into doctrine.


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## J. Dean (Mar 17, 2012)

Rufus said:


> Joseph Smith had been accused of being a con-artist, many televangelists are con-artists....hmmmm.


And he had a heck of an imagination, too! Reading the summary of the book of Mormon, it sounds like something out of a science fiction novel!

It's very sad.

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Rich Koster said:


> The WoF movement came out of Kenyon's so-called personal revelations from Christ during a serious illness. Smith claims the same kind of personal revelations. I remeber him getting them from Moroni, not sure if he claimed any direct from Christ. While the details may differ, the source of the deception is the same. They put dreams down on paper and turned them into doctrine.


He did claim one direct revelation from Christ (and the Father). His first revelation was the Father and Son supposedly telling him to not join any denomination.


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## Curt (Mar 17, 2012)

J. Dean said:


> it sounds like something out of a science fiction novel!



No. That's Scientology, silly.


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## Rich Koster (Mar 17, 2012)

J. Dean said:


> Rufus said:
> 
> 
> > Joseph Smith had been accused of being a con-artist, many televangelists are con-artists....hmmmm.
> ...



Thanks for the refresher. I haven't looked at Mormonism closely since I worked with Marie (a Mormon) in the late 90's.


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## gracea1one (Mar 17, 2012)

I'm taking an American church history class at TEDS this semester...in fact, I'm in class this weekend and we spent a considerable time on Mormonism last night. My favorite so far is the special form of Egyptian heiroglyphics (reformed egyptian) that the book of Mormon was written in, and the "special glasses" that were required to read/translate it. You just can't make this stuff up...


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## Rufus (Mar 17, 2012)

J. Dean said:


> And he had a heck of an imagination, too! Reading the summary of the book of Mormon, it sounds like something out of a science fiction novel!



Well, is it in the same sense that people criticize our faith as being irrational? (i.e. Balaam's donkey speaking, miracles, etc.*)

*I find the Balaam's donkey issue funny. It is brought up as proof that the Bible and Christianity is false becuase animals, obviously, cannot speak. But that's the point. Animals can't speak. It was a suspension of natural laws on God's part for that to happen.


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## Frosty (Mar 17, 2012)

J. Dean,

Any chance you would be willing to share some of your notes with us when you are through? I know many including myself that could probably benefit.


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