WI Mormonism doesn't protestantize

[Gnomepilled]

In the late 1800s early 1900s mormonism has to radically change to survive.
Modern mormonism had nothing to do with early mormonism besides the book of mormon. It was actually closer to Pentecostalism.
Here are some changes.

1. Allowing blacks into the priesthood
2. Banning polygamy
3. Banning tongues
4. Anything Charismatic
5. The church structure was made to resemble the mainline churches
6. It abandoned Christian Socialism
7. Mormon communities resembled the Amish
8. At one point they banned beards

 

[naraht]

In the late 1800s early 1900s mormonism has to radically change to survive.
Modern mormonism had nothing to do with early mormonism besides the book of mormon. It was actually closer to Pentecostalism.
Here are some changes.

1. Allowing blacks into the priesthood
2. Banning polygamy
3. Banning tongues
4. Anything Charismatic
5. The church structure was made to resemble the mainline churches
6. It abandoned Christian Socialism
7. Mormon communities resembled the Amish

1. Blacks into the Priesthood was 1978
2. Polygamy being banned was 1890 (with a second shot of *really* don't in 1918)
3. I'm not sure what you mean by tongues. I haven't seen anything indicating the type of full on use of "speaking in tongues" in the LDS faith.
4. That needs to be defined. Yes it has Bureaucritized, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is more like Protestantism as a concept.
5. Not even close. Mainline protestantism neither has a self-perpetuating Gerontocracy (yes, it's time as an apostle, not age, to determine the next prophet, but close enough) *nor* callings of people with other jobs at the individual unit level (and the next level up) *nor* local Patriarchs.
6. United Order was pretty much gone by the end of Brigham Young's time as President of the Church (1877ish), but just sort of fixxled out.
7. The guiding definition of "Resembling the Amish" even in the late 19th century was a rejection of modern technology. The LDS while relatively remote, definitely did *not* reject modern technology. Salt Lake has never been significantly behind comparable other cities like Denver in Technology.

I'm a non-member married to a member of the LDS church for more than 25 years.

 

[Eric C Johnson]

As I see it, there are two fundamental issues ignored by the stated premise. As any Protestant will attest, Mormons are not Protestant because:

1) Nearly all Protestants are Trinitarians and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints adamantly is not.
2) Protestants believe the Canon of Scripture is closed with the Holy Bible, and the LDS Church preaches the Canon is not closed and Divine Revelation is continuous in modern times. Hence their nickname.

I am of the opinion that every theological dispute between Mormons and Protestants can be traced to one of these two sincerely held, but fundamentally irreconcilable differences. The one point of agreement is that Mormon theology is not Protestant theology and vice-versa. I just hope there will always be a home for all to worship however they may wish according to the dictates of their conscience.

 

[athgtq16129]

Modern mormonism had nothing to do with early mormonism besides the book of mormon.

I am of the opinion that every theological dispute between Mormons and Protestants can be traced to one of these two sincerely held, but fundamentally irreconcilable differences. The one point of agreement is that Mormon theology is not Protestant theology and vice-versa. I just hope there will always be a home for all to worship however they may wish according to the dictates of their conscience.

Risking going out of topic, but modern LDS beliefs have arguably little to do with the Book of Mormon itself, what separates the Utah LDS Church not just from Protestantism, but also of other denominations in the LDS movement, is their belief in the Pearl of Great Price, which is where most of their radically different theological beliefs comes from (like polytheism, apotheosis, the pre-existence, etc.).

People who ask themselves why Mormons and Protestants have a beef often ignore how absurdly divergent Mormonism is from any Abrahamic religion (I know of Protestants who say that Islam is theologically closer to Christianity than Mormonism is), Joseph Smith started to radically change his theological beliefs after 1838 or so, the "Brighamite" sects follow these beliefs codified in the Pearl of Great Price, whereas the "Josephite" and other minority sects do not, and are indeed pretty similar to mainstream Protestantism.

 

[Gnomepilled]

As I see it, there are two fundamental issues ignored by the stated premise. As any Protestant will attest, Mormons are not Protestant because:

1) Nearly all Protestants are Trinitarians and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints adamantly is not.
2) Protestants believe the Canon of Scripture is closed with the Holy Bible, and the LDS Church preaches the Canon is not closed and Divine Revelation is continuous in modern times. Hence their nickname.

I am of the opinion that every theological dispute between Mormons and Protestants can be traced to one of these two sincerely held, but fundamentally irreconcilable differences. The one point of agreement is that Mormon theology is not Protestant theology and vice-versa. I just hope there will always be a home for all to worship however they may wish according to the dictates of their conscience.

By protestant I mean aesthetically.

 

[Gnomepilled]

1. Blacks into the Priesthood was 1978
2. Polygamy being banned was 1890 (with a second shot of *really* don't in 1918)
3. I'm not sure what you mean by tongues. I haven't seen anything indicating the type of full on use of "speaking in tongues" in the LDS faith.
4. That needs to be defined. Yes it has Bureaucritized, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is more like Protestantism as a concept.
5. Not even close. Mainline protestantism neither has a self-perpetuating Gerontocracy (yes, it's time as an apostle, not age, to determine the next prophet, but close enough) *nor* callings of people with other jobs at the individual unit level (and the next level up) *nor* local Patriarchs.
6. United Order was pretty much gone by the end of Brigham Young's time as President of the Church (1877ish), but just sort of fixxled out.
7. The guiding definition of "Resembling the Amish" even in the late 19th century was a rejection of modern technology. The LDS while relatively remote, definitely did *not* reject modern technology. Salt Lake has never been significantly behind comparable other cities like Denver in Technology.

I'm a non-member married to a member of the LDS church for more than 25 years.

I was mostly just listing differences between early Mormonism and modsrn mormonism to establish a point. The challenge was to keep Mormonism the strange religion it was.

 

[The Byronic Hero]

3. I'm not sure what you mean by tongues. I haven't seen anything indicating the type of full on use of "speaking in tongues" in the LDS faith.

I grew up LDS (non-practicing now), live in Salt Lake, and had a hobby researching the history of the Church. Speaking in tongues was very much a part of the early Church, considered speaking the equivalent of angelic languages.

Gift of Tongues

Gift of Tongues

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

 

[Eric C Johnson]

By protestant I mean aesthetically.

If its aesthetics only, then I am more confused than ever. I know of no Protestant faith that builds temples in the unique manner of the LDS Church. I've never seen the soft rock bands that often were a key element of a number of the Protestant services I've attended. I could go on.
The eight point list you gave contained doctrinal/theological topics with the exception of the wearing of beards. And prior to the development of cheap textile industries in the late 1800s, everyone looked like the Amish.

 

[Eric C Johnson]

I grew up LDS (non-practicing now), live in Salt Lake, and had a hobby researching the history of the Church. Speaking in tongues was very much a part of the early Church, considered speaking the equivalent of angelic languages.

Gift of Tongues

Gift of Tongues

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

I had a number of former missionaries explain to me that the most common incidences of speaking in tongues in modern times is the "ease" in which modern missionaries learn complex foreign languages. Their opinion carried considerable credibility with me. As a Military Intelligence Company Commander, I had LDS recruits who scored 3+/3+/2+ on DLAB tests in Mandarin Chinese, Thai or Korean/Hangul but could not enlist because they never graduated from Panguitch High School before serving their mission. Those that did enlist, often outperformed DLI graduates. In my day, former missionaries in the US Army were openly referred to as the Mormon Mafia.

 

[Eric C Johnson]

Risking going out of topic, but modern LDS beliefs have arguably little to do with the Book of Mormon itself,

I would be interested in why you have reached this conclusion. Or more plainly, detail the arguably part.
Every pair of Mission Mormonaries I have run into seemed to have a first priority goal of getting a prospective convert to read the Book of Mormon. It is my understanding that if a potential convert does not profess a testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, then missionaries will refuse to baptize that person into the LDS Church. (Can anyone confirm if that is official LDS Policy?) It seems to me the Book of Mormon is a central theme in the biannual Church Conferences (another aesthetic difference from Protestants that has lasted since Joseph Smith instituted them.)

 

[athgtq16129]

I would be interested in why you have reached this conclusion. Or more plainly, detail the arguably part.
Every pair of Mission Mormonaries I have run into seemed to have a first priority goal of getting a prospective convert to read the Book of Mormon. It is my understanding that if a potential convert does not profess a testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, then missionaries will refuse to baptize that person into the LDS Church. (Can anyone confirm if that is official LDS Policy?) It seems to me the Book of Mormon is a central theme in the biannual Church Conferences (another aesthetic difference from Protestants that has lasted since Joseph Smith instituted them.)

I was talking about LDS beliefs and theology.

I said "arguably" because the book of Mormon is explicitly monotheistic and trinitarian, absolutely none of the doctrines like exaltation, plurality of gods, and the pre-existence are present in the Book of Mormon, the majority of these doctrines come from the Pearl of Great Price, hence why non-Brighamite factions in the LDS movement are very, very similar to mainstream Protestantism, such as the Community of Chris/RLDS and the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite).