The following is a statement made by a member of NCCG on the Answering Mormonism Bulletin Board
Dear X
Thank you for you perspective, but please realize that since you are assuming the church is true, I believe you are compelled to see D&C 132 the way you do. It "must" be the right explanation and truth, for God is truthful, and the Church is true, therefore, this is "the right answer".
However, if you step back and look at the words in context of the whole chapter in Jacob 2 in the Book of Mormon, Jacob 2 is used to CONDEMN the practice of plural marriage and says that a man should have but ONE WIFE. The only reason that God would ever command the practice of plural marriage would be to "raise up seed" unto him. So the "eternal principle" taught in the book of Mormon is one wife for one husband. Indeed, anyone that practices plural marriage except they be commanded by the Lord will find themselves in a "cursed land ". "Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Host [have one wife], or CURSED be the land for THEIR SAKES." (Jacob 2:29.)
Hummm...the Salt Lake desert sounds like a pretty cursed land to me, doesn't it to you?
You see, the Holy Spirit in me teaches me something different than what you believe is true. It teaches me that plural marriage is a true principle for those God calls to practice it, such as Abraham. The Devil knows this, so in the book of Mormon, Satan chooses his words very carefully to condemn the practice, but then, makes the purpose of the practice to be as follows: "For if I will, saith Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command. My people; otherwise they shall harken unto these things [have one wife]" (Jacob 2:30).
In this way, in this one ray of light, Satan denounces the eternal principle of plural marriage, falsely turning us away from the spiritual calling that plural marriage is, turning the principle into one of "making more babies in the flesh", which is utterly false. The principle of plural marriage is eternal and righteous for those called to practice it by the Lord. It produces greater spiritual growth. But these individuals are to be called by the Spirit to enter the practice, and they know they have been so directed. (By the way, I have not been called to practice plural marriage and have no desire at this time to do so.)
So now here comes Joseph Smith hovering at a high spiritual light, and while reading the scriptures, the Holy Spirit confirms the plural marriage doctrine is true, but his mind is not clear on the matter. He's probably confused because of the book of Mormon, but realized there is a "contingency" in the book that allows for the practice, if so commanded by the Lord. So what does Satan do? He appears to Joseph and lies about the doctrine, calling him to practice the principle when he has not been commanded by the Lord to practice it. Emma never wanted to be a part of it, and part of the law is that all parties must be called into plural marriage by the Lord himself, not just one side. So, the devil appears to Joseph, flatters him that he has been called into it, and Joseph Smith begins practicing the principle of plural marriage with the WRONG FALSE SPIRIT behind it. It's done in secret, and nobody know about it except a very few. Is this the way Abraham practiced the principle?
But now the Devil has a problem. In the book of Mormon Satan tried to lie about the
principle to keep the Saints from getting into the "church of the firstborn", which church is prepared for those who are called into it by the Spirit. But now Joseph knows plural marriage is a true principle from the Bible, and the devil must counterattack. Satan therefore takes complete control of the doctrine by teaching Joseph that the "keys of the priesthood" is the ONLY authority that can be used by individuals to enter this practice and that Joseph Smith held these keys. In this way, the plural marriage principle becomes tied "to the flesh"--to the one holding priesthood keys received by the laying on of human hands. People are not called by the Holy Spirit to practice this sacred principle, but by a MAN who holds PRIESTHOOD KEYS.
HOLY MOLY, WHAT A MESS! Rather than God's Holy Spirit privately sealing people to this principle, we are going to have human beings mess around with plural marriage based on the wrong foundation and principle. And this we see the testing and trying of Joseph, struggling to understand and obey the principle, but being sandwiched in between light and darkness. We see him calling and testing other human beings by the false priesthood, checking their "loyalty" to him, and sealing human beings by bogus priesthood keys that are tied externally to the flesh, or laying on of hands. With this explanation, do we not all see and clearly understand the problems Joseph Smith was wrestling with? He feels the truth of the principle revealed to him, but then Satan mixes it up with a false priesthood, and Joseph believes it.
Well, I think the documented history of the church and the secretive and lying spirit behind the practice make perfect sense with this explanation. Joseph Smith believed in the priesthood and NOT his own conscience that would tell him NOT to lie in public about what he was doing. Does not this explanation fit the historical facts of the situation better than ANY OTHER?
X, are you going deny all the historical evidence recorded about the real Joseph Smith? Are you going to deny that he practiced this holy principle in secret, contrary to the way it was practiced in the Bible. Are you going to ignore the fact that it got so bad that Joseph Smith actually started relationships with women that were already married? He even had the nerve to offer Emma the chance to also have the same privilege of having other men of her choice, in which she about threw up at the thought? Have you really looked at all the evidence surrounding Mormonism objectively to get at the truth or are you so sure about your FEELINGS that "it just has to be true this way" or "it just can't be true about this or that"? A mind that has a testimony of truth through the "testimony process" described in Mormonism will not be able to see facts and issues clearly, but will twist things to fit: "I know the LDS Church is true, therefore this or that MUST be the truth...or someone is lying here…"
In your case, you have arrogantly assumed that D&C 132 is so clear to you, without examining all the facts surrounding church history and Joseph Smith. The truth is that Satan had to change his position with Joseph Smith regarding plural marriage, and therefore, inspired him to write what he did in D&C 132. Or possibly, Joseph wrote it himself using principles he believed were true. It is crystal clear, however, that the D&C takes a definite directional change in spirit to what is clearly written in the Book of Mormon about plural marriage. In the Book of Mormon, the only purpose of the practice would be to raise up more kids, which is false. Then, in the D&C, the eternal nature of the principle is revealed, but completely perverted with a false priesthood and tied to becoming gods and goddesses according to the devil's paradigm recorded in Genesis, "ye shall become as the gods, knowing good and evil."
You want to believe the crazy contradiction and mixed-up priesthood theology established by false angels, be my guest. But for you to come back with quick answers that don't fit ALL THE FACTS is presumptuous indeed. And it's easy to do
that. You KNOW the LDS Church is true, right?
But the Holy Spirit has revealed to me exactly what went on with plural marriage and Joseph Smith, and God' personal explanation to me FITS ALL THE HISTORICAL FACTS PERFECTLY. Indeed, God even supported the devil's Book of Mormon by sending the Latter-day Saints to a cursed and barren land in Salt Lake City as His judgement for practicing plural marriage according to a false paradigm given by Lucifer. The true pattern is to received this doctrine privately by the Spirit, God calling all parties involved to practice it, allowing for greater spiritual growth through it. This spiritual calling as nothing to do with an external LDS priesthood, as recorded in the Bible.
Where is the temple ceremony and sealings in the Old Testament for Abraham's wives? Huh? Where's the data to confirm the LDS position from the Bible? Nowhere. It's a LIE!
I'm an honest person who has just told you the truth. I have no other motive in mind but to declare what is true. Are you going to start attacking my character again to ease your mind?
Are you aware that David Whitmer left the Church because a voice from Heaven told
him to? Did you know that he said that it was the SAME VOICE that told him the book of Mormon was from God? Did you also know that David Whitmer was very schooled in the New Testament and was adamantly opposed to the High Priesthood concept in the Church and that he believed Rigdon pressured Joseph Smith into establishing it? Where you aware that an evil spirit was manifested at the first ordination "High Priests". The evil power was so strong it thew a person through a window and false prophecies manifested itself in the meeting. One brother prophesied the Lord would come, and some in that room would be alive when he did. This evil was God's sign of displeasure of this High Priesthood, according to David Witmer's position. Did you realize that both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young taught that men lived on the moon? Did you know that this was actually published in the Church and taught publicly for more than 50 years?
So what is the truth about Whitmer's leaving the Church? Want the truth? Whitmer
was correct the High Priesthood, but he was deceived about the Book of Mormon by false angels. The same false angels told him to LEAVE THE CHURCH (voice from Heaven) because Whitmer would not bend to a "high priesthood" in the LDS Church, so the devil had to get him away from the church so as not to expose the error.
Here are two links you can read some of David Whitmer's viewpoints from his own
mouth.
http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/dw_let1.htm (Part I, II, III)
http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/whitmer1.htm
I ask all Latter-Day Saints with reading this post: "Which God is the truth God of Mormonism?
1) The God in the Book of Mormon that teaches the "eternal principle" is one wife, and the exception is granted only to procreate more children and grow the kingdom?
2) Or is it the God of the Doctrine and Covenants that says the "eternal principle" is to have many wives, that God the Father has more than one wife, and that to receive
the highest blessings of exaltation a person must be sealed by the eternal priesthood to more than one woman?
As a member of the church, I sincerely could not see any answers to questions such as this, and so I left the LDS Church, and found the answers I was looking for: The LDS Church is a mixed-up religion full of half-truths that are extremely difficult to detect once someone believes in the false LDS testimony process taught by the Church.
Thank you for your interest,
Clare Gregory
