December 4, 2012
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PhD studies update: early Mormon growth?
I am incredibly blessed to have a chance to continue my studies and pursue a PhD (through London School of Theology with Thorsten Moritz’ as my advisor). My dissertation topic is “Mormon Hermeneutics.” I have had nearly one year in the program–my eyes have been opened in many ways–not only to the complex theology of Mormonism, but also to the world of hermeneutics.
A great book is called “New Mormon Challenge” edited by Francis J. Beckwith, Carl Mosser, and Paul Owen. In this book they dialogue with thorough argumentation, and avoid a superficial interaction with Mormonism.
One pressing issue: In the first years of their existence in the 1830s and 1840s, why was there a swift growth in early Mormonism (in the states of NY, OH, MO, IL, etc.)?
When Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, received the “First Vision” in 1820 laying the foundation for the “Restoration” of the true church, nobody could have imagined that there would be over 14 million Mormons in the world today.
So, how was the church able to grow? The full answer to this complicated question would take much more room than this brief summary. However, some points are helpful. The author’s answer in “New Mormon Challenge” center around Joseph Smith’s acute ability to answer and resolve a number of thorny and complicated theological issues of his day. For example…
What happens when an infant dies? Joseph Smith: they go directly to heaven (See Book of Mormon: Moroni 8:8-24).
What do we do in light of so many problems in the contemporary church? Smith: The church needs to be completely restored–but not from within–it is necessary to completely start over.
Why can’t the church be like the original, apostolic church? Smith: Because there was a “Great Apostasy” after the death of the apostles, so again, there is a need for a Restoration.
Why are there so many denominations? In Mormon Scripture, Smith wrote this:
…my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. 9 My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others. 10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it? (Pearl of Great Price | JS-History 1:8 – 10)
This division in the church gave supposed proof of the apostasy of the church, and evidence that the church of his day did not contain the truth.
What does it mean that God has predestined us? (See, for example Ephesians 1.4-5: “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ…” (NIV)). Smith: We must be careful in deciding what predestination means. (In Smith’s day, there was a general “rebellion” by many against the hyper-Calvinists that seemed to have a strong influence throughout Colonial America. According the Smith, such Calvinists preached an arbitrary, capricious God who “picked” the elect without any rhyme nor reason. They also supposedly preached a stoic God without emotions, and the impossibility of human free will. Thus, Smith said that each person could choose to follow God by his own volition, and that predestination did not happen in the way the Calvinists claimed).
How can a God of love throw rebellious people into hell for eternity? Smith: In actuality, there are three levels of heaven (See the Mormon Scripture Doctrine and Covenants 76), and only the worst sinners ever go to hell. The vast majority of humanity will go to heaven (though only the faithful Mormons will reach the highest level of heaven).
What happens to those who die without ever hearing the Gospel? Smith: They do not go to hell–but they go to the lowest level of heaven.
(See Francis J. Beckwith, Carl Mosser, Paul Owen, eds., New Mormon Challenge (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 35-47).
Entire books could and should be written to adequately touch on all the issues mentioned, yet the authors implicitly challenge the Evangelical Church in many ways: We must “have an answer ready” on such challenging issues–by being faithful to Scripture contained in the Old and New Testaments. Studying how the body of Christ throughout the centuries answered these issues must also be part of our methodology. We must reach those who do not believe with pertinent answers to their poignant questions.
So, ad librorum! (latin for “to books!”…I know nothing of latin, so this might not be totally accurate. Sounded good though…)
(Below in Spanish is a briefer summary for one of my classes here in Peru of what I have written above):
¿Por qué había un surgimiento rápido del mormonismo en sus primeros años de existencia? Cuando José Smith recibió una supuesta visita del Padre y del Hijo en el año 1820 en el parte este de los Estados Unidos, nadie pudiera haber imaginado que hoy en día sería más o menos 13 millones de mormones en el mundo. ¿Cómo fue posible crecer en los primeros años de su existencia? Bueno, es una pregunta muy compleja, pero por lo menos se puede tocar algunos asuntos. Una razón sobresaliente tenía que ver con la “habilidad” de Smith y los otros líderes mormones “resolver” algunos problemas más complicados de su mundo. Por ejemplo…
¿Qué pasa cuando un infante muere? Smith: Se va directamente al cielo (véase Libro de Mormón, Moroni 8:8-24).
¿Qué hacemos en vista de tantos problemas serios en las iglesias? Smith: Hay que restaurar la iglesia y empezar de nuevo.
¿Por qué no podemos regresar a ser iguales a los de la iglesia del primer siglo? Smith: Había una apostasía total desde la muerte de los apóstoles, por eso, otra vez, hay que restaurar la iglesia.
¿Por qué hay tantas denominaciones? (“Los presbiterianos…usaban todos sus poderes del razonamiento y perspicacia para derrotar las doctrinas (de los bautistas y metodistas)…en cambio, los bautistas y metodistas fueron celosos en establecer todo de lo suyo y refutar a los demás…” (José Smith, Perla de Gran Precio; Historia de la Iglesia 1:9)). Smith: Eso es prueba de la apostasía. También, es prueba de la necesidad de que no tienen la verdad. Hay que arrancar una nueva iglesia.
¿Qué significa que Dios nos predestinó (Efesios 1.4-5)? Smith luchaba contra los calvinistas de su día, que según Smith proclamaba a un Dios de capricho al predestinar solo a algunos, y quien no tenía emociones, y que el libre albedrio de las personas no existía. Por eso, Smith aseveró que todos pudieran haber escogido a Dios por su propia cuenta y que Dios no predestina tal como dicen los calvinistas.
¿Cómo podemos decir que un Dios de amor arroja a las personas incrédulas al infierno para siempre? Smith: Hay tres niveles del cielo (véase Doctrina y Convenios 76), y solo los pecadores más fuertes se van al infierno. Es decir, la gran mayoría de los seres humanos estarán en el cielo (pero solo los mormones fieles en el cielo más alto).
¿Qué pasa con los que nunca escuchar al evangelio? Smith: No se van al infierno, solo al nivel más bajo del cielo (Véase Francis J. Beckwith, Carl Mosser, Paul Owen, eds., New Mormon Challenge (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 35-47).
