more about "The Occult Joseph Smith", posted with vodpod   Mormonism and the Magic World ViewAuthor: D. Michael QuinnSignature Books, 1998Reviewer: Eric JohnsonMrM.orgIntroductionThe story of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism, is absolutely incredible. Here was a young man living in the early part of the 19th century who came from a family that could not have been any more common than spring leaves on a tree. As the story goes, he claimed that he was approached by God the Father and Jesus, told that all the churches were false, and commissioned to lead the restoration of God's kingdom upon the earth, which apparently had been lost for almost two millennia. Today millions of people claim that he is more important than anyone else on earth, save Jesus Christ alone, and that his teachings on God, church structure, and new revelation were divine.Just what made this modern-day Moses tick? A number of books from both LDS and Christian authors have been written explaining their differing perspectives of the life of a man who lived only 38 years. Some of these books have caused quite a controversy. For example, Fawn Brodie was excommunicated when she wrote No Man Knows My History half a century ago. A historical biographer, Brodie did not mix her words as she described the sordid details of the life of the prophet. Hugh Nibley was so disgusted by Brodie's work that he wrote a response entitled No Ma'am, That's Not History. His response was quite a disappointment for many, even those within the LDS community.But as far as books on the life of Smith are concerned, probably no volume has stirred more overall controversy than D. Michael Quinn's 1987 first-edition book entitled Early Mormonism and the Magic World View . (The only single volume that may have caused even more hand-wringing from LDS apologists is probably Brent Metcalfe's book entitled New Approaches to the Book of Mormon. It caused such controversy that the reviewers at the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) dedicat

more about "The Occult and Joseph Smith", posted with vodpod   MORMON OPPOSITION TO THE CROSSMay it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galations 6:14)The cross is the symbol of Christianity and has been central to the preaching of the gospel of the church of Jesus Christ since its inception (1 Corinthians 1:23). To the Christian the cross represents salvation and eternal life, because it was there on the cross that Christ atoned for our sins. It reminds us of the awful cost of our redemption, and of how much we owe the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our hero, our Saviour and our life.However, Mormon women do not wear a crucifix as jewellery. And the LDS will not permit a cross to be displayed anywhere on their premises. Strangely, seeing they insist that they are Christians, they don't display any of the other symbols of Christianity anywhere on their premises either. Instead, the inside of their temple is decorated with Masonic/pagan symbols, and the external masonry with pagan, occultic and satanic symbols. (As a matter of interest, the cross is never featured alongside that type of symbolism because they oppose one another.)The LDS Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith gave the following reason for the LDS's rejection of the cross as a symbol:"........ such a custom is repugnant and contrary to the true worship of our Redeemer. Why should we bow down before a cross or use it as a symbol? Because our Savior died on the cross, the wearing of crosses is to most Latter-day Saints in very poor taste and inconsistent to our worship ..... We may be definitely sure that if our Lord had been killed with a dagger or with a sword, it would have been very strange indeed if religious people of this day would have graced such a weapon by wearing it and adoring it because it was by such a means that our Lord was put to death." (Answers to Gospel Questions, Volume 4, pages 17-18).It should be borne in mind that the LDS wrongly teaches that Christ's atonement took place in the Garden of

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