Although a devout Catholic; I have always had an interest with these groups that sprang up during the Second Great Awakening in the United States. They all have a common theme. Very apocalyptic and also having a theme of restoration of in their minds what Christianity was to begin with. The three I’ve read the most about are the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Seventh Day Adventists. Although if you asked anyone from these groups about the others, they would call the others blasphemous. But there is an overwhelming theme. A charismatic leader who makes a claim to some revelation, knowledge of the end of the world, and redemption only through them.
I would say of the three, Mormonism takes the cake for absurdity. It has a classic NRM view that everyone can become a god. Very New Age. It claims there’s this book inspired by God, which was translated by golden plates after Moroni directed him and claimed he met God the Father, Jesus, and John the Baptist. They tell him all the churches are wrong. Interestingly if you brought the doctrines of Mormonism back in time to even the most ridiculous heresies of the day, it would be regarded as blasphemous even to them.
The Book of Mormon has so many problems it is unbelievable, comical even. Animals, weapons, plants that didn’t even exist in the Americas are present. The Book also has a strong resemblance to a book , The View of the Hebrews written five years earlier by Ethan Smith. It in speculation was inspired by 2 Esdras 13:41( 4 Esdras in Vulgate appendix), which says that the Ten Tribes traveled to a far country, “where never mankind dwelt” which Smith interpreted to mean North America. All of the “witnesses” apostasised, a fact I always make known when they blab about an apostasy in early Christianity. Also there’s more than one Mormon organization, the largest is in Salt Lake City but another in Independence Missouri is quite large as well. How do we know which one is right? The Book of Abraham turned out to be nothing but an old Egyptian funeral rite when translated by people who actually know hieroglyphics last century. Something I’ve come to realize is the whole notion of feelings meaning truth doesn’t bode well. I could read Paradise Lost or the Imitation of Christ and it makes me feel good but I’m not going to say its scripture.
I’ve come to realize if you are a Mormon you must just ignore history all together. And as for people who convert to it, it’s sad but you know what; the Catholic Church has terrible catechsis and any simple minded person could fall for their bs unfortunately.
Don’t forget the Catholic Church has many more private revelations of Jesus and Mary than Joseph Smith. The difference, private revelation cannot add or subtract from public revelation.
Joseph Smith was a false prophet and a fraud. And this may sound crazy but all that stuff about Kolob and all makes it one step short of Scientology. Why this group is always brought up on here is beyond me.
