Is Mormonism a Restoration of the Primitive Church
or a Blending of Greek Philosophy and Western Christianity?
Second and Third century Christian Neoplatonist and Gnostic thought can be found in Mormon doctrine as well as in the Book of Mormon and other scriptures published by Joseph Smith:
- Mormonism borrows the Neoplatonist view adopted by Origen of the immortality of the soul and Plato's own view of the eternal nature of Intelligence's that predate the soul while it rejects Platonic belief in the transmigration of souls.
- Mormonism borrows the Neoplatonist view of a "fall of man" (2 Nephi 2:4, 2 Nephi 2:25-26, 2 Nephi 9:6, Mosiah 3:16,19,26, Mosiah 4:7, Alma 12:22, Alma 18:36, Alma 22:13, Helaman 14:16, Mormon 9:12, D&C 93:38, Moses 6:48, JST Genesis 6:49, all copied at the bottom of this page***). Nowhere in the Bible is "the fall of man" or "the fall of Adam" mentioned, a concept that didn't make it into Christianity until after the 2nd century. (Keep in mind that Nephi supposedly lived before Plato and Plotinus)..
- Mormonism borrows the belief in secret knowledge from the Gnostics while rejecting the Gnostic notion that the Creator was "a stupid, arrogant, idiot who made this place of muck and dirt and filth and suffering and thought 'Gee what a good boy am I. I'm proud of myself. I'm God. I'm God alone, just me.' [According to the Gnostics this "God" was actually] the lowest of all the archons." (Phillip Cary, PhD, Eastern College, PA). In order to pass on this secret knowledge to it's members it adopted the ritual forms and covenants developed during the Middle Ages by Western Catholic Holy Orders and used forms of these rituals in the Endowment Ceremony in it's Temples. Among the covenants Mormons make in their temples are covenants based on forms of the vows of Chastity, Obedience, and Poverty much like the followers of St. Francis make, symbolized for Franciscans by the three knots in their belts made of rope. It is very significant that both Franciscan and Mormon temple ritual roots both go back to the times of the Crusades and other Holy Orders such as the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar were a major military Holy Order along with the Hospitallers (today best known as the Knights of the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of Malta) and the Teutonic Knights. The Knights Templar were the fore runners of the Masonics and from Masonic temples and rituals, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young adapted the Mormon temple rituals. It is no small wonder that there is a striking similarity between Mormon temple rituals and those rituals developed during the time of the Crusades. Mormon temple rituals are based on the rituals and covenants used in Medieval Catholic Holy Orders as well as those to be found today at the Catholic Easter Vigil Mass, having been celebrated in a similar fashion each year all the way back to St. Ambrose in the 4th century A.D.
- Mormonism borrows the Platonic concept of eternal matter that was organized into the created world by the One.
I have not been able to find a single early Christian movement recorded in the New Testament or in the first two centuries after the resurrection of our Lord that is reflected by the "restored" LDS church. In fact, rather than a restoration of the primitive church, Mormonism appears to reflect a collection of Western Christian beliefs as diverse as the melting pot of American herself:
- Mormonism borrows the sacrament of Confirmation without realizing that this is a Western sacrament meant to confirm one's own infant baptism.
- Mormonism overlooks most of the book of Romans and has not come to grips with what Paul was talking about when he speaks of grace and the fallen nature of mankind. (Although Mosiah 3:16 states the post second century orthodox position on the fallen nature of all mankind INCLUDING INFANTS: "And even if it were possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.")
- The form of it's Sunday Worship services appears to be based on those established in the American Baptist denomination.
- It adopted the American Puritan view that America was the new chosen land and that Zion would be built on this continent (the Puritans called Boston the new Zion). Brigham Young's trek West was a reenactment of the events lived in ancient Israel and was a fulfillment of the American Puritan influence, an influence that also led to the near extermination the indigenous population of North America, treating the Indians as though they were Cananites and Americans were the new children of Israel given the whole continent by God as was embodied in the national policy of Manifest Destiny.
***Fall of Adam and of Man scriptures:
2 Nephi 2:4
And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.2 Nephi 2:25
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.2 Nephi 2:26
And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.2 Nephi 9:6
For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.Mosiah 3:16
And even if it were possible that little children could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins. (Especially interesting since this is a very good re-statement of the Orthodox belief on children and the fallen nature of all humans, young and old).Mosiah 3:19
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.Mosiah 3:26
Therefore, they have drunk out of the cup of the wrath of God, which justice could no more deny unto them than it could deny that Adam should fall because of his partaking of the forbidden fruit; therefore, mercy could have claim on them no more forever.Mosiah 4:7
I say, that this is the man who receiveth salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the fall of Adam, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world.Alma 12:22
Now Alma said unto him: This is the thing which I was about to explain. Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people.Alma 18:36
Now when Ammon had said these words, he began at the creation of the world, and also the creation of Adam, and told him all the things concerning the fall of man, and rehearsed and laid before him the records and the holy scriptures of the people, which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem.Alma 22:13
And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.Helaman 14:16
Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death--that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.Mormon 9:12
Behold he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.D&C 93:38
Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.Moses 6:48
And he said unto them: Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe.JST Genesis 6:49
And he said unto them, Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death, and we are made partakers of misery and woe.God has not left us alone. He has given us many signs to help us find our way back to him. Don't get lost in false detours.