Somebody else watch this so I have someone to talk about this with. I joke about being Buddho-Mormon, but the full implications of following Smith's revelations about the nature of God to their logical conclusions ALREADY sounds like that. And most of this is either actual church doctrine, or adjacent to it.
I also understand now why even so many non-Mormons have been impressed with / terrified by the King Follett Discourse. It really is a uniquely American take on Christianity, but like in a spiritually cool way, instead of how we usually impact it (see MAGA). But that said, these ideas are also totally in line with pre-Orthodox schools of early Christianity, which came to similar conclusions using the same books of the Bible - namely because they, you know, ACTUALLY READ THEM.
(Compare this to Orthodoxy, which was basically taking folk religious traditions from the first 300 years of practice and twisting Scripture to fit it. Which you're not supposed to do.)
Also Smith was actually right about the early Hebrew Scriptures talking about God as but one of many who had agency in the narratives, and also Genesis absolutely does say Creation was just the Godhead applying order to preexisting primordial chaos-matter. Because most ancient creation myths are similarly about the creation of the CURRENT WORLD ORDER, they didn't need God to invent water specifically. And this seemingly minor difference with the orthodox view about God creating everything from nothing has HUGE spiritual implications, whether you take it literally or as a metaphor.
Smith recast Christianity as a universal family of eternal beings being reunited, as they learn to choose love over selfishness. Compare this to "Tell God you like Jesus or he'll get mad and torture you for all eternity," which is ABSOLUTELY what most orthodox / trinitarian denominations do with it, intentionally or not.
This really is what makes Mormonism a radical disruption of the dour, boring spiritual plodding that American Christianity had inherited from Anglicanism. At that time, and now. If you think of us all as in a family with God, it kind of makes you stop wasting time with nonsensical interpretations of Revelation that delight in Jesus murdering everyone you're allowed to hate.
It's clear now why so many people joined this movement so quickly back then, even those who never encountered Smith's implied charisma. On paper, it is a far nicer, more joyful take on the faith.
...On paper. If you follow through on things. Ideally. And don't spend the next almost 200 years meekly trying to minimize the "strange" stuff so Evangelicals and Catholics will hang out with you. For whatever reason you'd want that, blegh.
You have the coolest version of this! Stop ruining it!
Also, all this should also imply that issues of gender / sexuality are not things God would be worried about. Nor would he think you are cool because you're rich / pretty while you're alive.
2087
prguitarman
turnnoffyourmind
areudirty
dailybridgerton
