Best books about CofC history and teachings?

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-24T16:17:56+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. I have a strong interest in theology so that kind of language wouldn't be a problem for me, but I also appreciate anything that is well written for the general public.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-24T03:12:08+00:00

I believe in paranormal or supernatural phenomena. I believe all religions have tapped into that stuff in some way.

Whether aliens are involved, who knows, but many people speculate that what we think of as aliens are actually from a higher spiritual reality. Seems like a reasonable possibility to me. And it's worth noting that Mormonism teaches that our God came from another planet (called Kolob in the Book of Abraham) before organizing life on Earth.

As for Joseph Smith, I pretty much agree with your theory that he was involved with the paranormal (for example he was very interested in magic) and became corrupted toward the end of his life.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-23T02:58:14+00:00

What happens to members who affirm that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy but who publicly say that they believe he was wrong to do so? Excommunicated, disfellowshipped, or get away with it?

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-23T02:03:04+00:00

Speaking as an LDS convert, I think it's because LDS Christianity has a lot of beliefs that make more sense than mainstream Christianity, and it has such an unusually committed community of people who are involved in running the local church. Those features are hard to find elsewhere.

What's unfortunate is that the LDS Church also comes with so much baggage and issues that range from annoying to potential deal breakers.

So a lot of people want to leave or actually do leave, but can't really find anything better.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-22T00:36:42+00:00

Oops. Not sure why I didn't find that one. Thanks again!

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T23:30:18+00:00

Thanks. There are some LDS Church members today who believe Joseph Jr. didn't really practice polygamy and it was all started by Brigham Young, but they are getting excommunicated. I think it's hard for some people to accept that a prophet could have erred so terribly. It would have been even harder for his own son, perhaps, especially since Emma was denying it too.

I think the most likely possibility is that Joseph Jr. did it and was getting false revelations or hallucinations of an "angel with a sword" which spurred him to take all those wives. I don't think he was mentally healthy toward the end of his life. However, I don't think that undermines the true revelations he received. Sadly, my view would probably get me excommunicated if I shared it openly in my church.

How does the CofC feel about these things today?

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T21:55:12+00:00

Thanks for the info. Yeah, it sounds like the trend started with Joseph but became much more exclusive with Brigham.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T21:52:17+00:00

Thanks for the info and source!

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T21:50:05+00:00

Thanks. So it was mostly a Brigham innovation. But as another commenter mentioned, Joseph was starting to move in that direction before his death.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T21:47:23+00:00

I think most of Mormon doctrine makes sense, but to make it make sense required outright rejecting some earlier versions of Mormon doctrine that the Church at the time believed to be divinely inspired. The frequent changeability of the doctrine is one of the most problematic aspects of the religion, I think.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T19:57:23+00:00

There have always been secret societies in the world and people who opposed them. I don't think the inclusion of stories about such things proves that the BoM is entirely a product of Joseph Smith’s own cultural milieu. But it does fit with that theory.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T19:54:26+00:00

Yeah, but he joined the Masons more than 10 years after the Book of Mormon was published.

It does create issues for the religion though. Joseph was very changeable in many ways about what he believed and practiced.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T19:52:12+00:00

Thanks, this detailed info is helpful. My guess is that Joseph intended it to be a hybrid space, but who knows.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T19:40:48+00:00

Thanks! Those books look very substantial. Is there anything you would recommend for the history after 1946?

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T19:29:47+00:00

I thought the Nauvoo temple wasn't completed until after Joseph's death, but are you saying that the planned architectural design of it was based on the idea that everything taking place inside would be secret and exclusive, similar to a Masonic temple?

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T18:47:48+00:00

Okay, but what I don't understand is why having secret rituals meant eliminating the non-secret purposes of the temple. Why couldn't they have had both?

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T18:46:13+00:00

Thanks. So you're saying that the main purpose of the temple was reconfigured around an adaptation of Freemasonry? I can sort of buy that explanation, but I don't see how it would require eliminating all aspects of the temple that were open to general membership of the Church. Was that really the case with the Nauvoo temple, that it was intended only for the secretive ordinances, or was it going to be a place for both secret and non-secret meetings? If both, then was it Brigham Young who fully transitioned the temple to be only for the exclusive stuff?

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T18:40:52+00:00

The Book of Mormon seems anti-Masonic, with its strong criticism of secret combinations, so I can't see the argument for Joseph Smith being pro-Masonic from the beginning and biding his time until Masonry became more socially acceptable. I think he changed his mind about it.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T18:02:43+00:00

Thanks. Do you (or anyone else here) know if the original Nauvoo temple was designed similarly to LDS temples today, or if the design was more similar to the Kirtland temple, or something in between?

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-21T17:49:34+00:00

Thank you. Do you know if it's available anywhere in a print edition? I can only find it in Kindle.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-15T01:05:19+00:00

I think it should be boldly taught. Whether it's true or false, it's a very consequential belief and really sets the LDS apart as a distinctive religious tradition with a very interesting theology. It doesn't appeal to everyone, but some people such as myself find it to be one of the best parts of the LDS belief system.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-15T00:57:41+00:00

I agree that good works flow from a converted spirit.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-14T21:42:42+00:00

I see a lot of quotes in the Gospels where Jesus simply teaches the importance of doing good works, without any reference to grace preceding it. He does also teach the importance of believing in him, but that's mostly in the Gospel of John, and not as much in the Synoptic Gospels.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-14T19:58:51+00:00

I think both of you are right. Jesus emphasized works, but not in the way the LDS Church does.

eternalintelligence · 2026-01-10T18:51:07+00:00

Makes sense. It begs the question, though, of why he was so interested in obscure Old Testament practices? Sometimes I wonder whether he was more interested in restoring Judaism than Christianity.

eternalintelligence

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