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babe said:
I've seen the Mormons, and some of their offshoot groups, do this exactly. Taking the scripture in II Thess. about the "Wicked" sitting in the temple of God, showing himself he is "God", they do specifically imagine it's gonna happen in their own "temple". Complete with specific arguments about what constitutes their own special forms of "apostasy".
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I don't think all eschatology is internal and maybe the Mormon's ain't either as far as who will deceive their people.
Maybe they think the last pope or the 12th Imam will perform deceptive "signs and wonders" since their own prophet would never deceive them.
They definitely believe the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem will be their own.

I'm trying to understand where exactly you part ways with Mormons.
It sounds like you believe Smith is a prophet, but after that the prophets becomes too authoritative for your liking?
It seems like it is the structure rather than the ideology, but maybe you take issue with some their ideology as well?
 
PearlWatson said:
I don't think all eschatology is internal and maybe the Mormon's ain't either as far as who will deceive their people.
Maybe they think the last pope or the 12th Imam will perform deceptive "signs and wonders" since their own prophet would never deceive them.
They definitely believe the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem will be their own.

I'm trying to understand where exactly you part ways with Mormons.
It sounds like you believe Smith is a prophet, but after that the prophets becomes too authoritative for your liking?
It seems like it is the structure rather than the ideology, but maybe you take issue with some their ideology as well?
Click to expand...

It sounds like you really want this thread to be the longest thread ever. . . . .
 
babe said:
When it comes to "religion" my belief is about God, not anyone else.
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Joseph Smith, or Jesus, is only relevant in the context of God, our Father. Unlike most theologians as well as their own adherents, they are interesting to me because of their doctrinal statements setting God the Father out as our Father in very fact. They both were killed for doing this.
 
So I'm still looking for the PDF file that is my cousin's book. . . . the gnostic doctor delving into quantum mechanics and finding consciousness is part of the universal wave equation of all existence. . . .
 
So now I found it with a search of my email. . . . and read a bit of it again. It is actually quite enjoyable, written in an open style without careful attention to controlling the reader response. . .. and has a lot of local lore which I find curious. . . .
 
It is quite directly a product of Mormonism, though as I understand it, my cousin hasn't been any more compliant with Mormonism than I've been, in terms of ritual attendance habits. . . .
 
There is definitely an evaluation of general "American" religion, as well, from standpoint that American values have followed a trend of gnostic practice from the beginning. . . . our churches were never merely transplants of European institutions. Folks who got American mud on their boots immediately began to speak of God as a near-acquaintance, a palpable presence in their lives that anyone could know simply by reading the bible or praying in the woods. . . . And there was no need for further "authority" than that. . . . .
 
Joseph Smith, obviously, was just such an American. Call it fraud if you like, but to people like this, knowing God is a direct and personal thing, and without consulting the official manuals written by pious scholars, apologists for institutions, they come out of the woods believing they got their religion straight from God.
 
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