In summary, I share three aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1. Its origin and growth. 2. Highlights of its Plan of Salvation. And 3. Recent significant events. This article has a lot more information than the one I wrote in 1990. I wrote that one for a comparative religion debate that year at the University of Colorado. I was asked to represent our church at that time.
Count Leo Tolstoi’s Prophetic Perspective
A perspective can be gained from the following interview, which occurred in 1892. Dr. Andrew D. White, former president of Cornell University, was at the time serving as U.S. Ambassador to Germany. Dr. White, a frequent visitor of Count Leo Tolstoi, related the following conversation.
“Dr. White,” said Count Tolstoi, “I wish you would tell me about your American religion.”
“We have no state church in America.” replied Dr. White.
“I know that, but what about your American religion?”
Patiently then Dr. White explained to the Count that in America there are many religions, and that each person is free to belong to the particular church in which he or she is interested.
To this Tolstoi impatiently replied: “I know all of this, but I want to know about the American religion, Catholicism originated in Rome; the Episcopal Church originated in England; the Lutheran Church in Germany, but the Church to which I refer originated in America and is commonly known as the Mormon Church. What can you tell me of the teaching of the Mormons?”
“Well,” said Dr. White, “I know very little concerning them…”
Then Count Leo Tolstoi, in his honest and stern, but lovable manner, rebuked the ambassador. “Dr. White, I am greatly surprised and disappointed that a man of your great learning and position should be so ignorant on this important subject. The Mormon people teach the American religion; their principles teach the people not only of heaven and its attendant glories but also how to live so that their social and economic relations with each other are placed on a sound basis. If the people follow the teachings of this Church, nothing can stop their progress — it will be limitless. There have been great movements started in the past, but they have died or been modified before they reached maturity. If Mormonism is able to endure, unmodified, until it reaches the third and fourth generation, it is destined to become the greatest power the world has ever known.”
Upon his return to the States, Dr. White purchased a set of the Church’s canonical works and placed them in the Cornell University Library. Harold Bloom in his book, The American Religion, shares that changes have occurred over time in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will discuss that later.
Church Beginnings
Ironically, the Church had its beginning only some 60 miles north and west of Cornell near the little town of Palmyra. And it was only 72 years before this Tolstoi conversation,
In this vicinity in 1820, there was a significant religious revival. Joseph Smith, then in his 15th year was seeking to know which Church to join. In answer to his humble supplication, he was given a marvelous vision. Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ visited him. You can read his personal account in this link. In answer to his question, he was given an answer he did not expect. He was told to join none of them. He was told that the Lord would use him to restore the fullness of the gospel and the Lord’s Church.
With this First Vision to Joseph Smith, the heavens were opened again, as anciently. There followed a series of angelic ministrations. Many glorious truths were revealed. The next major heavenly manifestation resulted in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.
The Word “Mormon”
The word “Mormon” is the name of a prophet who was born about 311 a.d. in ancient America. He was commanded by the Lord to make an abridgment of his people’s history. He made his record on gold plates, which record covered the previous one thousand years. His prophet-son Moroni added significant contributions to the record. Moroni abridged the Jaredite record covering about 1700 years. The Jaredites were led by the Lord to America just after the confusion of tongues. In about 421 a.d. he buried the record in a stone box in the Hill Cumorah. The Hill Cumorah was close to Joseph’s home near Palmyra, New York.
In the year 1827, as an angelic minister, Moroni gave the gold plates to Joseph Smith to translate by the gift and power of God. He finished the translation of the abridged portion in Harmony, PA. Then the Lord instructed Joseph to go to Fayette, New York, where he was given a small set of unabridged gold plates. These plates were taken from a separate repository in the same Hill Cumorah. In Fayette, Joseph finished what we now have as the Book of Mormon. This included the abridged and unabridged portions. Both the translation and the printing were major miracles.
The Resurrected Lord came to America.
After the Savior’s crucifixion and resurrection in the old world, He descended out of heaven to the Nephites in the “Promised Land” of America. He gave the ancient Americans the same church and the fullness of the gospel, even as He had done in Judea. This fullness of the gospel is contained in the Book of Mormon. So, the Bible and the Book of Mormon stand as two witnesses of the divinity of Christ’s mission in both the eastern and western hemispheres. The most important event in human history, the Lord’s full infinite atonement is beautifully described in the Book of Mormon.
Book of Mormon Beginnings and Teachings
The beginning of the Book of Mormon tells of a people who in 600 B.C. came from Jerusalem to America. They were the descendants of the tribe of Joseph. Jacob (Israel) had given each of his twelve sons a blessing. In Joseph’s blessing, the Lord prophesied that the seed of Joseph would be given the Americas. “Joseph is a fruitful bough… whose branches run over the wall… unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills:” (Genesis 49:22-26)
The teachings of the Book of Mormon and the Bible are consistent and complementary with each other. Among many other truths, they state that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Second, repentance, Third Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; Fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
1800 Adamic phrases
The Book of Mormon language led me by the Spirit to 1,800 phrases. These distributed phrases tie back to the language of Adam and Eve. The Prophet Nephi and Joseph in Egypt both prophesied that in the last days the Bible would come into disbelief. And, the Lord’s fingerprint is in these 1,800 phrases–giving validity to all of God’s word. That these phrases occur as they do could only be by Divine design. They are distributed both over time and space. They go from Adam to modern time. And they occur independently in both the eastern (in the Bible) and western hemispheres of the earth. The Jaredites didn’t have their language confounded and spoke the Adamic language. The Adamic phraseology is by far most prevalent in their record–the Book of Ether.
The cannon of scriptures added by the Prophet Joseph Smith to the Bible are profound. More than any other prophet, they cover more than four thousand years of the Earth’s history. And amazingly, their inspired histories cover both hemispheres of the Earth.
My write up about these 1,800 phrases is here: Don’t bypass and it came to pass. I am pleased that LDS Living picked up on this amazing and inspired information. The Lord has brought forth these modern scriptures to not only validate the Bible, but to help us prepare for His glorious Second Coming. How blessed we are to have them.
The Lord’s Church and His Resurrection
In 1830 Joseph was guided to organize the Church of Jesus Christ as it was anciently constituted. It was to be a church with Twelve Apostles and Prophets and with the same organization and teachings. The number of coverts to Christ’s ancient Church exploded following His glorious resurrection. He organized the same church when He came to America after his resurrection, and everyone joined. Because his disciples in America faithfully obeyed his teachings, they were able to create the ideal ZION society. They had two hundred years of peace. As Mormon abridged their history, he shared that, “…surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.” (4 Nephi 1:16)
As explained in the Book of Mormon, many righteous persons were resurrected following the Savior’s glorious resurrection. His infinite atonement overcame death and hell. So, all the righteous from Adam and Eve down to His resurrection were also resurrected. This world-wide incredible event is little known (Matt. 27:52) and is clearly revealed in the pages of the Book of Mormon.
His resurrection is capstone to His infinite atonement and makes possible the resurrection of every human being. Because He is perfectly merciful and perfectly just, He also opened the prison doors in the spirit world. His three-day visit there gloriously included organizing missionary work there as well. We see that Heavenly Father’s perfect plan gives an opportunity for everyone to hear the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We believe the ancient Church went into apostasy. The Apostles were martyred, and the divine priesthood was lost. Apostate pagan teachings crept in. The Lord told Joseph Smith in his First Vision that, “the creeds were an abomination” in His sight. This is why there needed to be a restoration of His priesthood powers, of His Church, and of the true nature of the Godhead.
After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in 1830, the membership has also exploded. The true nature of God was restored; the fullness of the gospel was restored; the Church, as it was anciently, was restored; and priesthood powers were restored.
We Believe
We believe that all mankind are the literal spirit offspring of a loving Heavenly Father. (Ps 82:6; Acts 17:28-29) And we lived with Him in a pre-mortal existence even before this earth was created. Father laid out a plan of eternal progression and eternal happiness for each of us. His plan shared that we would come to earth and gain a physical body to house our spirit body. Here in mortality, we would gain earthly experience. And the Lord said to Abraham, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;” (Abraham 3:25). Living the Law of Love is the highest and most joyful commandment. In John 14 we learn that celestial obedience is equivalent to celestial love. (John 14:15, 21). Valiant faith in Jesus Christ opens the door to receive further blessings because of our infinitely loving Lord’s promises.
A veil was placed over our memory regarding our pre-mortal epoch so that faith could be operative here in mortality. As we heard the plan, we shouted for joy (Job 38:7) as we anticipated this growth opportunity. We fully knew that the trials, the pains, and the sufferings would be short compared to eternity. We saw that life’s challenges would give us experience. If we endured our trials well, we would be exalted on high. We saw that love, peace, and a fullness of joy were achievable goals. God’s love is the prime mover for His perfect plan of happiness. And it is our greatest opportunity here to learn to love as He loves. Christ-like love fulfills the whole law. (Matt. 22:36-40).
We further believe that those who die without hearing the fullness of the gospel in this life will have a chance to hear it in the spirit world (which is the place all of us go upon death). We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. The final judgment and resurrection will not come until everyone has had an opportunity to hear the fullness of the gospel.
Family is the Most Important Unit in Time and in Eternity
The importance of family was part of this great restoration of light and truth. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the understanding of priesthood powers and the purpose of temples. With that came the focus on the importance of family. In contrast to the typical civil ceremony “until death do you part,” marriages are performed in the temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by priesthood power for time and eternity. We believe that family love transcends the grave, and a fullness of joy is the blessing of eternal life with loved ones and with Elohim.
The Word of Wisdom
In 1833 the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith a remarkable health code. It is known as the Word of Wisdom. The Lord promised both physical and spiritual blessings for those who would follow it. It has affected my life greatly: “And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;” (D&C 89:18-21). I am the recipient of countless outpourings of the Spirit as a result of the Lord’s marvelous promise. And I have witnessed the same in the lives of countless associates.
Free Choice
Individual agency is fundamental to God’s plan to bless His children. The Lord respects our desires. We are accountable for our own sins and not for Adam’s transgression. Because of the atonement of Christ, we are freed from the bands of death, and all mankind will be resurrected. His atonement also provided that through faith in Him, we can overcome spiritual death. According to our faith and obedience, we will be rewarded one of three degrees of glory. These three are likened unto the sun (Celestial), the moon (Terrestrial), and the stars (Telestial). As one star differs from another star in glory, so also is the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:40-42; Doctrine and Covenants sections 76 and 88) Each person receives all the blessings he or she can stand to receive, because of God’s perfect mercy and justice.
Celestial glory with Heavenly Father and with our loved ones is the chosen goal for many. This we are assured as we live the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As mentioned before, this gospel includes faith in Jesus Christ, repentance from all our sins, participation in sacred gospel ordinances. Those who are faithful in Christ may enjoy temple ordinances, where we learn how to enter His presence. We then need to endure to the end. As the Apostle Paul shares, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17);” This is the path of joy as we live the Law of Love.
Choosing to follow Christ makes all the difference, as we are perfected by Him (Moroni 10:31-32). We believe in sharing the love, joy and peace the gospel brings. A large percentage of members – especially our young men and young women – voluntarily serve missions. They serve throughout the world – many of them at their own expense.
My wife and I had a wonderful experience serving a mission in West Africa (Cote d’Ivoire (1997-1999)). Learning French at age 61 was a challenge.
The prophetic nature of Tolstoi’s comments is seen in the graph below. The graph shows the growth of the Church from the time it was organized in 1830 up to the year 2,000. Around the year 2,000, worldly influences on the members of the Church has had significant impact on the growth. I’ll discuss that below.
In this graph, I plot four parameters. Notice, that the number of members correlates with the number of Book of Mormon languages. When the hearts of a language group are ready to receive the truth, then the Book of Mormon language is provided. 200 million copies of the Book of Mormon have been printed in 115 languages.
Decline in the Growth of the Church Membership
Satan, knowing the Lord’s Second Coming is close at hand, and knowing this is the Lord’s Church, has infiltrated the Lord’s Church. Fellow Christians are being persecuted by Satan and his minions as well. Young people are leaving Christianity because of the satanically driven woke movement. Satan’s influence on the members of the Church has caused the converts per thousand members to decline. That number went from 47.5 in 1981 down to 7.6 with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Now, we are seeing that number significantly turn around—going from 7.6 to 10 in 2021 and to 12.5 in 2022. The Lord is getting ready to bring forth the ideal society—the pure in heart–a ZION society, as described in the Book of Mormon.
The Lord is now gathering His children into the fold from all over the earth. Indeed, we are seeing the signs of the times, and it is exciting to be part of sharing this Message of Gladness. While Satan is spiraling the world down, the Lord’s work is spiraling up and there are glorious signs of the second coming.
Summary
In summary, we see that the gospel plan as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith is designed to bring great blessings to body, mind and spirit. And fullness of the gospel offers a fullness of joy in the world to come. The truths of the restoration are unique, in that it is the only plan that offers an equal opportunity for every human being to have eternal life. We see that the gospel message is indeed a message of gladness. It is not just for America but for the whole world. In its design, it has the potential to provide the ultimate righteous society. And it offers the greatest of all the gifts of God–the gift of Eternal Life. (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7)
We believe that this righteous society and the divine gifts are obtainable as we look to Christ. We build our foundation on the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We have the sure promise that as we do so, we shall not fall. (Helaman 5:12) As we come unto Him, He can and will bring us totally out of “Babylon,” wherein, we become “new creatures” in Christ (Mosiah 27:25-26). We seek to follow His perfect pattern to do the will of the Father in each of our personal missions. We desire to have you share in the fullness of joy promised by our infinitely loving Lord. And share this article with others as you feel to do so.
David W. Allan
PS At the 1990 language debate at CU, I met the Rabbi, the Catholic Priest, and had a good conversation with them after. There were two Protestant ministers, also an atheist, who shared their beliefs. They gave each of us seven minutes to share our beliefs. They then opened it up to the students for questions, and that went on for three hours. It was a most interesting evening. After, the Catholic priest said to me, “May I ask you a question?” I said, “Certainly,” He said, “I understand that you believe that you can become a god?” I responded with a question, “Did the Savior say, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48) He said, “I have never thought of that scripture in that way.
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