The Sealed Book group cannot be described as an LDS splinter group. They see the LDS (Brighamite Mormons) as an apostate church, that corrupted and falsified the early Church that Joseph Smith began. I am not an apologist for them or any other group or church. I do follow the commandment to search out all things. This was the spirit with which Joseph Smith went into prayer to ask for guidance on the churches. He was answered with a direct revelation from God. I believe that anyone who sincerely seeks the truth can find it. If others take it upon themselves to establish churches, theologies, priesthoods based on the revelations of others, they are in danger of leading people astray, and this has been the history of religions since the world began. As seekers of the Truth, whether we choose to join a church, or walk a path outside of religious establishments, I don't think it matters to God, or the Truth. God wants us to find the truth in our hearts, to be transformed by it, and in our transformed state, walk in the straight paths of His Righteousness. As Psalm 1 tells us, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly ... for his delight is in the Law of the Lord God." The Law, which is written in our hearts must be meditated on Day and Night.
It is not easy to seek the truth from historical books, because the world continues to falsify, corrupt or destroy the truth wherever it may be found. However, it seems to me that the "falling away", or apostasy, is a process where people , finding it easier to follow the precepts of the world, develop churches and theologies that justify their own Worldly desires. Two ways in which we can see this process, are as follows:- we can see from the Monastic traditions, the Horologions (Books of Hours) and even the Catholic and Orthodox Churches how tbe commandment to be in prayer day and night was instituted in these early churches. The second area is Jesus commandment to leave behind all your worldly possessions, and follow me. Again, in the early churches and Monasteries we see this commandment reflected in the Rule of St Benedict and Franciscan brothers, much less in the established churches. So apostasy is found everywhere. It is up to us as individual seekers after truth to not become backsliders.
I would respectfully disagree with the description of them as not being an LDS splinter group for a couple of reasons. 1) The name of the church has always been the LDS church, even in the split between the LDS and RLDS, the RLDS still kept LDS. 2) They may reject the church after Brigham Young, but by keeping the Book of Mormon and general LDS theology, they are still a break off of the LDS church / mormon movement started by Joseph Smith. They don't repudiate J.S. thus they come out of his LDS tradition. This is particularly true if they retain Nauvoo theology and the innovations of the King Follett discourse; even if they don't they're still an LDS splinter group.
J.S. and Mormonism is a restorationist movement coming out of protestantism and the predominant ideas permeating the second great awakening. Even if you call it a "restoration" it still has a theological heritage rooted in protestantism and restorationist ideas. You can see this in its retaining of the penal substitutionary atonement theory, dispensationalism, restorationism and millenialism. All were very popular during the second great awakening - when the LDS church was founded. Same thing for the "Sealed Book group." If you don't call it an LDS splinter group, what would you call it? It's certainly not independent of any other tradition - even if it claims to be a second restoration - it's still rooted in the theology, mythology and cosmology of mormonism/LDS church - hence an LDS splinter group.
I agree with the perspective of all other churches being in apostasy right up until we hit Orthodoxy - the original Christian church that goes back to the time of Christ himself. Its beliefs and traditions, including monasticism and asceticism, have clear antecedents in the teachings of Christ, the Apostles, and Judaism (from which Christianity sprang.) The Roman Catholic church apostatized after it split from the rest of Orthodoxy and continued theological innovations. The protestants are a breakoff from the Roman Catholics - hence, also apostates, and unfortunately, Mormonism is either included in Protestantism or is an outgrowth of Protestantism in the same way that Christianity is an outgrowth of Judaism.
When it comes to criticisms of the Orthodox church, the church itself is not inerrant - the Church is a hospital for sinners - which we all are, but as a result of its apostolic succession, it will always right itself. People may apostatize, but the Church as the body of Christ will remain. In two weeks time I have another article coming out about the Great Apostasy, and a week after that the third and final in the series where I examine the claims of the Great Apostasy theory and compare them to the historical facts. You may be interested in them. Unpaid subscribers will have to wait an additional 2 weeks until they become available.
I agree that it's not easy to seek the truth from historical books, including the bible, but that's why, as Orthodox, we reject Sola Scriptura. The Scriptures were written by the Orthodox Church, for the Orthodox Church, in the context of Orthodox tradition - and it can only properly be understood through the framework of the Church and it's traditions.
Today, most people understand LDS as refering to the Utah based LDS Church. A splinter group is usually defined as "A group, such as a religious sect or political faction, that has broken away from a parent group." So an LDS splinter group would be a group that broke away from the Utah-based LDS. Although Berger himself and some of his followers may have been LDS at some time, others are RLDS, and many have no previous LDS or Mormon affiliation. However if you wish to dismiss them as "another LDS splinter group", that is your prerogative. I have no reason to defend them or their beliefs against your scepticism. I am interested in end-time prophesies and revelations, as I believe we are living in the end times and that many people will receive and are receiving revelations, dreams and prophesies, in accord with Joel 2:28, and Acts 2:17. The use of Seer stones, and the experiences described, from Joseph Smith onwards, by those using them, where ancient inscriptions written in stone or metal tablets is related to
The Urim and the Thummim which are mentioned first in Exodus 28:30, where they are named for inclusion on the breastplate to be worn by Aaron. The Urim and Thummim are described as "Powers of Shekinah Attunement" in the Keys of Enoch (Book of Knowledge), a revelation received in 1982 by Dr. JJ Hurtak of the Academy for Future Science. The Shekinah refers to the Holy Spirit in Judaic literature. According to the Keys, these crystals can be materialized to render capabilities for special work. These stones are to be placed in front of the body so that the spiritual third eye can use the crystals as a point
of focus. So the experiences described by Smith, Berger and other revelators are not unique to them, but are part of long line of revelatory gifts bestowed on God's chosen. That it is also true that such revelations are always dogmatised and incorporated into religious cults and sects, is unfortunate, but not unexpected.
Read part of it last night. It's an interesting take. Given LDS mythology around the book of mormon, it is only natural that different groups appear to claim that they have translated the sealed portion. This group is not the first. For example, there was another group that appeared in 2008; Christopher Nemelka head of the Worldwide United Foundation, has published "the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon" containing over 573 pages and 100 chapters, and has also translated the 116 pages of missing manuscript. https://www.mrm.org/christopher-nemelka
Nemelka has admitted that he wrote the Sealed portion to prove how easily people can manipulated. He also wrote;- "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) was the result of the American people transfiguring, ignoring, corrupting, and misusing the Book of Mormon in order to become the wealthiest modern religion upon the earth. Nothing that this church (or any of its factions or breakaway sects) teaches as the “gospel of Christ” is found in the Book of Mormon."
He also says that he is working for a group called Real Illuminati who wrote the book of Mormon. This group also claim that the Pentateuch was written by Greeks;-
Yeah, I saw that. The claim, however, that the Pentateuch was written by Greeks seems to be pretty far-fetched to me.
To me the issue is not brigham young and anything coming after him being warped (referring to your previous comments about brighamite.) To me the issue is the theological innovation that Joseph Smith himself engaged in, particularly in the Nauvoo period, and most importantly the Perl of Great Price and the King Follett Discourse. That radically changed LDS theology and is something Brigham Young inherited from the Prophet J.S. Most/all of Brigham Young's theological innovations were never adopted by the church. Adam God, Blood Atonement, etc. all discarded. (Though as I understand it, to his credit, he never proclaimed those as revelation from God.)
IMO, post nauvoo mormonism is arguably different in theology than what is represented in the first edition of the Book of Mormon. (Apologists could perhaps make a case that this is untrue.) But to me, that's just what happens when you write a book, and then you continue to innovate your theology over time. Once it's published and proclaimed as the word of God, it's kind of hard to go back retroactively and update it without anyone noticing.
The King Follett discourse is JS sharing his views on God and eternity with a gathered crowd. I don't see it as a new theology to be followed. I don't see it as based on the Book of Mormon even. It is Joseph as an inspired preacher giving a sermon. It contains some remarkable passages, that would be shocking to his 19th century largely protestant audience;-
"If men do not compreh[e]nd the character of God they do not comprehe[n]d themselves. what kind of a being is God?— Eternal life is to know God.— if man does not know God. has not Eternal life.— if I am so fortunate as to comprehe[n]d and explain the— [blank] let eve[r]y one sit in silenc[e] and never lift your voice again[s]t the servants of God again. . . I saw the father work out his kingdom with fear & trembling ... the head one— The head one of the God[s], brought fo[r]th the Gods.—The head one called the Gods together in grand coun[c]il— to bring fo[r]th the world."
This is totally foreign to American Protestantism, and possibly why he was murdered. I see him more as an inspired mystic who had visions of God amd was killed for it. The Book of Mormon is another story, and we can debate the origins of that, and the notion, not unique to Mormonism, that ancient Hebrews (among other groups) came to the Americas. It seems to me that the small groups of early Mormons, including members of Smiths family who did not trek to Utah, would have a closer affinity to the early Church, and not the Utah Group. That would be groups like the RLDS who do not have all the rigmorole of priesthoods and temples and baptisms for the dead. JS did establish a small church, but his main focus was on missionary work and service, not church establishment.
We may be reading different things? From the King Follett discourse:
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power, was to make himself visible, -- I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form -- like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with him, as one man talks and communes with another. In order to understand the subject of the dead, for consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how he came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see."
"As the Father hath power in Himself, even so hath the Son power -- to do what? Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious -- in a manner to lay down His body and take it up again."
"My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself."
"The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal with God himself."
This is all new theology and a radical shift away from a trinitarian metaphysical model. This is the genesis of "As man is God once was, as God is man may become." It also cements concepts of exaltation and discards creation ex-nihilo. The book of Abraham was "translated" in 1842, but it was not very well known, and its theological ideas were not fully articulated, disseminated or understood until the KFD in 1844. That is the point of full articulation and transformation of LDS theology from a type of trinitarianism to what it is today. That had nothing to do with Brigham Young. JS is killed only a few months later, so it's left - eventually - to B.Y. to spread these ideas.
The reasons why the RDLS and the LDS have different beliefs is that those who did not go to Utah rejected the KFD and the theological innovations of the nauvoo period. Some people who came forward to help form the RLDS were disaffected Mormons who had left the church before some of these innovations were announced. That and the dispute between brigham young and emma - who hated each other. B.Y. actually put her under house arrest for trying to keep JS's property that B.Y. considered property of the church.
One of the reasons they rejected certain doctrines and texts associated with the Nauvoo period, including the Book of Abraham and certain doctrinal innovations, is because they believed that these teachings were not in harmony with the original teachings of Joseph Smith and the early Church. At that period of time, many people were completely unaware of polygamy, plural marriage, and these other doctrinal innovations. One of JS's children visited Utah years later b/c he wanted to know about polygamy. He had been taught that JS did not practice it and when he learned that JS did, and that he started it in Nauvoo, he was not happy. Many things that the RLDS associated with the Utah church, which they rejected, they believed to be innovations of Brigham Young, but that's not the case. They were innovations of J.S. before his death. BY carried them forward and taught them widely.
Fascinating, another LDS splinter group with a creative spin. I look forward to reading this “sealed portion.”
The Sealed Book group cannot be described as an LDS splinter group. They see the LDS (Brighamite Mormons) as an apostate church, that corrupted and falsified the early Church that Joseph Smith began. I am not an apologist for them or any other group or church. I do follow the commandment to search out all things. This was the spirit with which Joseph Smith went into prayer to ask for guidance on the churches. He was answered with a direct revelation from God. I believe that anyone who sincerely seeks the truth can find it. If others take it upon themselves to establish churches, theologies, priesthoods based on the revelations of others, they are in danger of leading people astray, and this has been the history of religions since the world began. As seekers of the Truth, whether we choose to join a church, or walk a path outside of religious establishments, I don't think it matters to God, or the Truth. God wants us to find the truth in our hearts, to be transformed by it, and in our transformed state, walk in the straight paths of His Righteousness. As Psalm 1 tells us, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly ... for his delight is in the Law of the Lord God." The Law, which is written in our hearts must be meditated on Day and Night.
It is not easy to seek the truth from historical books, because the world continues to falsify, corrupt or destroy the truth wherever it may be found. However, it seems to me that the "falling away", or apostasy, is a process where people , finding it easier to follow the precepts of the world, develop churches and theologies that justify their own Worldly desires. Two ways in which we can see this process, are as follows:- we can see from the Monastic traditions, the Horologions (Books of Hours) and even the Catholic and Orthodox Churches how tbe commandment to be in prayer day and night was instituted in these early churches. The second area is Jesus commandment to leave behind all your worldly possessions, and follow me. Again, in the early churches and Monasteries we see this commandment reflected in the Rule of St Benedict and Franciscan brothers, much less in the established churches. So apostasy is found everywhere. It is up to us as individual seekers after truth to not become backsliders.
I would respectfully disagree with the description of them as not being an LDS splinter group for a couple of reasons. 1) The name of the church has always been the LDS church, even in the split between the LDS and RLDS, the RLDS still kept LDS. 2) They may reject the church after Brigham Young, but by keeping the Book of Mormon and general LDS theology, they are still a break off of the LDS church / mormon movement started by Joseph Smith. They don't repudiate J.S. thus they come out of his LDS tradition. This is particularly true if they retain Nauvoo theology and the innovations of the King Follett discourse; even if they don't they're still an LDS splinter group.
J.S. and Mormonism is a restorationist movement coming out of protestantism and the predominant ideas permeating the second great awakening. Even if you call it a "restoration" it still has a theological heritage rooted in protestantism and restorationist ideas. You can see this in its retaining of the penal substitutionary atonement theory, dispensationalism, restorationism and millenialism. All were very popular during the second great awakening - when the LDS church was founded. Same thing for the "Sealed Book group." If you don't call it an LDS splinter group, what would you call it? It's certainly not independent of any other tradition - even if it claims to be a second restoration - it's still rooted in the theology, mythology and cosmology of mormonism/LDS church - hence an LDS splinter group.
I agree with the perspective of all other churches being in apostasy right up until we hit Orthodoxy - the original Christian church that goes back to the time of Christ himself. Its beliefs and traditions, including monasticism and asceticism, have clear antecedents in the teachings of Christ, the Apostles, and Judaism (from which Christianity sprang.) The Roman Catholic church apostatized after it split from the rest of Orthodoxy and continued theological innovations. The protestants are a breakoff from the Roman Catholics - hence, also apostates, and unfortunately, Mormonism is either included in Protestantism or is an outgrowth of Protestantism in the same way that Christianity is an outgrowth of Judaism.
When it comes to criticisms of the Orthodox church, the church itself is not inerrant - the Church is a hospital for sinners - which we all are, but as a result of its apostolic succession, it will always right itself. People may apostatize, but the Church as the body of Christ will remain. In two weeks time I have another article coming out about the Great Apostasy, and a week after that the third and final in the series where I examine the claims of the Great Apostasy theory and compare them to the historical facts. You may be interested in them. Unpaid subscribers will have to wait an additional 2 weeks until they become available.
I agree that it's not easy to seek the truth from historical books, including the bible, but that's why, as Orthodox, we reject Sola Scriptura. The Scriptures were written by the Orthodox Church, for the Orthodox Church, in the context of Orthodox tradition - and it can only properly be understood through the framework of the Church and it's traditions.
Today, most people understand LDS as refering to the Utah based LDS Church. A splinter group is usually defined as "A group, such as a religious sect or political faction, that has broken away from a parent group." So an LDS splinter group would be a group that broke away from the Utah-based LDS. Although Berger himself and some of his followers may have been LDS at some time, others are RLDS, and many have no previous LDS or Mormon affiliation. However if you wish to dismiss them as "another LDS splinter group", that is your prerogative. I have no reason to defend them or their beliefs against your scepticism. I am interested in end-time prophesies and revelations, as I believe we are living in the end times and that many people will receive and are receiving revelations, dreams and prophesies, in accord with Joel 2:28, and Acts 2:17. The use of Seer stones, and the experiences described, from Joseph Smith onwards, by those using them, where ancient inscriptions written in stone or metal tablets is related to
The Urim and the Thummim which are mentioned first in Exodus 28:30, where they are named for inclusion on the breastplate to be worn by Aaron. The Urim and Thummim are described as "Powers of Shekinah Attunement" in the Keys of Enoch (Book of Knowledge), a revelation received in 1982 by Dr. JJ Hurtak of the Academy for Future Science. The Shekinah refers to the Holy Spirit in Judaic literature. According to the Keys, these crystals can be materialized to render capabilities for special work. These stones are to be placed in front of the body so that the spiritual third eye can use the crystals as a point
of focus. So the experiences described by Smith, Berger and other revelators are not unique to them, but are part of long line of revelatory gifts bestowed on God's chosen. That it is also true that such revelations are always dogmatised and incorporated into religious cults and sects, is unfortunate, but not unexpected.
You can download it from here --
https://thesealedbookofficial.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-Sealed-Book-DIGITAL.pdf
Read part of it last night. It's an interesting take. Given LDS mythology around the book of mormon, it is only natural that different groups appear to claim that they have translated the sealed portion. This group is not the first. For example, there was another group that appeared in 2008; Christopher Nemelka head of the Worldwide United Foundation, has published "the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon" containing over 573 pages and 100 chapters, and has also translated the 116 pages of missing manuscript. https://www.mrm.org/christopher-nemelka
And you can read it here.....
https://marvelousworkandawonder.com/tsp/index.htm
He also claims he is the reincarnation of Hyrum Smith and has the solutions to cure worldwide poverty and inequality. You'll forgive my skepticism.
Christopher Nemelka has admitted that his Sealed Portion was a forgery.
Watch from time 4:00-4:30.
https://youtu.be/a0VBYQzaVD8?si=ePyX7Jhc470wCpC4
Nemelka has admitted that he wrote the Sealed portion to prove how easily people can manipulated. He also wrote;- "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) was the result of the American people transfiguring, ignoring, corrupting, and misusing the Book of Mormon in order to become the wealthiest modern religion upon the earth. Nothing that this church (or any of its factions or breakaway sects) teaches as the “gospel of Christ” is found in the Book of Mormon."
https://christophernemelka.com/
He also says that he is working for a group called Real Illuminati who wrote the book of Mormon. This group also claim that the Pentateuch was written by Greeks;-
https://realilluminati.org/books/a-new-american-scripture/
Yeah, I saw that. The claim, however, that the Pentateuch was written by Greeks seems to be pretty far-fetched to me.
To me the issue is not brigham young and anything coming after him being warped (referring to your previous comments about brighamite.) To me the issue is the theological innovation that Joseph Smith himself engaged in, particularly in the Nauvoo period, and most importantly the Perl of Great Price and the King Follett Discourse. That radically changed LDS theology and is something Brigham Young inherited from the Prophet J.S. Most/all of Brigham Young's theological innovations were never adopted by the church. Adam God, Blood Atonement, etc. all discarded. (Though as I understand it, to his credit, he never proclaimed those as revelation from God.)
IMO, post nauvoo mormonism is arguably different in theology than what is represented in the first edition of the Book of Mormon. (Apologists could perhaps make a case that this is untrue.) But to me, that's just what happens when you write a book, and then you continue to innovate your theology over time. Once it's published and proclaimed as the word of God, it's kind of hard to go back retroactively and update it without anyone noticing.
The King Follett discourse is JS sharing his views on God and eternity with a gathered crowd. I don't see it as a new theology to be followed. I don't see it as based on the Book of Mormon even. It is Joseph as an inspired preacher giving a sermon. It contains some remarkable passages, that would be shocking to his 19th century largely protestant audience;-
"If men do not compreh[e]nd the character of God they do not comprehe[n]d themselves. what kind of a being is God?— Eternal life is to know God.— if man does not know God. has not Eternal life.— if I am so fortunate as to comprehe[n]d and explain the— [blank] let eve[r]y one sit in silenc[e] and never lift your voice again[s]t the servants of God again. . . I saw the father work out his kingdom with fear & trembling ... the head one— The head one of the God[s], brought fo[r]th the Gods.—The head one called the Gods together in grand coun[c]il— to bring fo[r]th the world."
This is totally foreign to American Protestantism, and possibly why he was murdered. I see him more as an inspired mystic who had visions of God amd was killed for it. The Book of Mormon is another story, and we can debate the origins of that, and the notion, not unique to Mormonism, that ancient Hebrews (among other groups) came to the Americas. It seems to me that the small groups of early Mormons, including members of Smiths family who did not trek to Utah, would have a closer affinity to the early Church, and not the Utah Group. That would be groups like the RLDS who do not have all the rigmorole of priesthoods and temples and baptisms for the dead. JS did establish a small church, but his main focus was on missionary work and service, not church establishment.
We may be reading different things? From the King Follett discourse:
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power, was to make himself visible, -- I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form -- like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with him, as one man talks and communes with another. In order to understand the subject of the dead, for consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how he came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see."
"As the Father hath power in Himself, even so hath the Son power -- to do what? Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious -- in a manner to lay down His body and take it up again."
"My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take his place, and thereby become exalted myself."
"The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal with God himself."
This is all new theology and a radical shift away from a trinitarian metaphysical model. This is the genesis of "As man is God once was, as God is man may become." It also cements concepts of exaltation and discards creation ex-nihilo. The book of Abraham was "translated" in 1842, but it was not very well known, and its theological ideas were not fully articulated, disseminated or understood until the KFD in 1844. That is the point of full articulation and transformation of LDS theology from a type of trinitarianism to what it is today. That had nothing to do with Brigham Young. JS is killed only a few months later, so it's left - eventually - to B.Y. to spread these ideas.
https://emp.byui.edu/jexj/new/talks/talks/JS%20KingFollettDiscourse.pdf
The reasons why the RDLS and the LDS have different beliefs is that those who did not go to Utah rejected the KFD and the theological innovations of the nauvoo period. Some people who came forward to help form the RLDS were disaffected Mormons who had left the church before some of these innovations were announced. That and the dispute between brigham young and emma - who hated each other. B.Y. actually put her under house arrest for trying to keep JS's property that B.Y. considered property of the church.
One of the reasons they rejected certain doctrines and texts associated with the Nauvoo period, including the Book of Abraham and certain doctrinal innovations, is because they believed that these teachings were not in harmony with the original teachings of Joseph Smith and the early Church. At that period of time, many people were completely unaware of polygamy, plural marriage, and these other doctrinal innovations. One of JS's children visited Utah years later b/c he wanted to know about polygamy. He had been taught that JS did not practice it and when he learned that JS did, and that he started it in Nauvoo, he was not happy. Many things that the RLDS associated with the Utah church, which they rejected, they believed to be innovations of Brigham Young, but that's not the case. They were innovations of J.S. before his death. BY carried them forward and taught them widely.