Christmas Book Citations Discourses of Brigham Young Part 1

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And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism welcome this addition the viewpoint on Mormonism.

I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson, my colleague, M. R. M. We continue looking at books that were given away as Christmas gifts by the first presidency between the years 1981 and 2017. Today we want to look at a book that was given as a gift for Christmas of 1992. It's called the discourses of Brigham Young, and it includes select quotations of Brigham Young primarily taken from the Journal of discourses, a 26 volume set of sermons, mainly Brigham Young sermons, though there were others that were listed in that 26 volume set. But today we want to discuss a certain word that now is taboo. If you're a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and that is the word Mormonism.

Remember back in 2018. To be precise. It was August 16, 2018 when the new president Russell M. Nelson, who became president in January 2018 made an announcement and telling members of the church and I guess you could also say Eric people in general that they should not use the word Mormon or LDS as substitutes for the full name of Nelson's religion, which of course is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we naturally found this to be very odd given the fact that the word Mormon LDS Mormonism has been used really since the beginning of this movement. Nobody seem to have a problem with that word. Back then, but for some reason this really bothered Russell M. Nelson and so he not only came out in August 2018 telling people not to use these terms but then he doubled down in general conference of October 2018, going so far as to say that you offend Jesus and you give Satan a victory when you use terms like this and so we wanted to look at what the discourses of Brigham Young had to say on this topic and of course there's a lot of things that Brigham Young is cited as saying in this book, but today we just want to look at the topic of Mormonism as it's found in the discourses of Brigham Young.

One thing I want to add to what you just said Bill is that I think Russell M. Nelson took away the best brand name possible because they even had a video called what about the Mormons and I am a morning campaign we have these different uses within the church and so if you are to go to the website today you have to type in the words church of Jesus Christ.org when it was so simple before you go to LDS.org or Mormon.org and so here you have this wonderful word Mormon and LDS easy to identify with and you're telling people don't use it any longer.

You raise an excellent point, and I want to ask this question are Latter Day Saints offending Jesus and giving a victory to Satan when they still go to their computers and type in LDS.org because I find I do that I'm not about to type church of Jesus Christ.or takes too long. It's it's convenient to do that so I type LDS.org because I know it's going to redirect to the new name of that URL, so are we. All offending Jesus, are we giving the victory to Satan. When we do that are Latter Day Saints giving the victory to Satan when they do that for the sake of convenience makes it hard for the rest of us as well because we have this religion and what you call it any longer because you can call it Mormonism you're supposed to call it, the religion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and me. That's very cumbersome or bucolic Christianity. And I think a lot of Latter Day Saints would maybe like that to simplify Mormonism discolor Christianity because Mormonism and Christianity are said to be synonymous. I think Leonard some Latter Day Saints probably would like that. I think even Russell Nelson would probably like that. But what's interesting is Nelson didn't do that in 2018.

He did not say that is the preferred title. We would like. I guess you could say I give him credit for that because I think you would open himself up to with an enormous amount of criticism, especially from people such as us. But let's get back to the book discourses of Brigham Young together by John with so a Mormon apostle. What did Brigham Young say using the word Mormonism. He actually set a lot of page 448. For instance, he says our religion is called Mormonism because the ancient records revealed that Joseph Smith were entitled the book of Mormon.

According to the instructions given to him by the Lord, but I will call it the plan of salvation devised in the heavens for the redemption of mankind from sin and their restoration to the presence of God and that comes from Journal discourses, volume 9, page 149 we should mention that when Brigham Young uses the word Mormonism, or at least that's the way it was recorded in the Journal discourses. There are quotation marks around it now, so Mormons might say see that shows that that's not a term that we would probably normally use and I don't know if I would go along with that argument. Brigham Young doesn't seem to have a problem with the title just because it's an quotation mark certainly doesn't mean that he sees this as a derogatory term. In fact, that quote that you just gave Eric seems to tell me that he has no problem at all with that word.

Mormonism. Another quote comes from page 448 and he said that Mormonism has opened up light removing the curtain from the broad sunshine. It has lighted up the souls of hundreds of thousands and they have been made to rejoice in the light of truth Journal discourses, volume 8, page 129 and I'm sure someone like Brigham Young would want to put a positive spin on what Mormonism is all about. Of course if you were to talk to many Latter Day Saints especially many of those who are having serious doubts about the doctrines of the LDS church. It certainly does not seem to resonate with them quite in that fashion. In fact, it causes a lot of Latter Day Saints to look at the specific doctrines of Mormonism to be very troubled when they start examining the history of Mormonism, especially the history that the church itself is starting to admit to openly and have made easy access to. I might say that's probably something that we should mention it's not that the church is all of a sudden starting to be more honest and a lot of these areas, though some yes it's just that they've now made it easier to find them give you an example was Russell M. Nelson, who back in 1993 actually mentions the seer stone that Joseph Smith used for the translation of the book of Mormon.

Now this comes out later on where the church officially admits this in gospel topics, essays and such and some might assume will now there be an honest whereas they were hiding this before, not really. They were hiding it completely.

It's just that it wasn't mentioned a whole lot now because of the Internet it's easy to find this information and so it does tend to look like. The church has been hiding it in the past when in many cases I wouldn't say that that's actually true.

Another quote comes from page 448 of discourses of Brigham Young. I feel happy. Mormonism has made me all I am and the grace the power and the wisdom of God will make me all that I ever will be, either in time or eternity. The let me ask you this question if you were to say I feel happy and you're going to point to the source of your happiness. Would you point to your religion, or which you point to your Savior and see that's the difference I think between a lot of Latter Day Saints and evangelical Christians because it's not the religion that makes us happy. It's what Jesus has done for us and I think we would point to the Savior. I think you make a good point there. Most evangelicals always tend to want to give Jesus credit for the good that they have found in their life. As a result of his sacrifice on the cross and his bodily resurrection. Yet Mormonism you find. Many times they point to what the church has done for them now as Christians we believe the church is composed of individuals who have been forgiven of their sins. That's what comprises the church but not in Mormonism. It's an organization it's a structure and the only true church.

According to Mormonism of courses according to them is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints a quote that's related to that is found on page 452 he says Mormonism has done everything for me that ever has been done for me on the earth.

It has made me happy. It has made me wealthy and comfortable me stop you. When you said wealthy, yet it sure did that he was the president of the church. He lived quite well as the leader of the church and I'm sure he was very comfortable. If you've ever visited the beehive house downtown. They give tours to that building. You're going to see that Brigham Young.

He was probably the original 1% back there in the 19th century. You could say quote and it has filled me with good feelings with joy and rejoicing, but bill we care about happiness. We hear about being filled with good feelings, is that the purpose of having a relationship with Jesus Christ will certainly that can be a byproduct and we do have joy even admits our trials, but happiness is not usually one of the characteristics that I use in a witnessing situation with an individual hey I'm happy because I'm a Christian, you are to be one to that will certainly wouldn't be my argument especially with the idea that joy is an attitude that we have and it is one of the fruit of the spirit, but cannot hear of happiness as being one of those fruit. Then he says this on page 455 Mormonism keeps men and women, young and handsome and when they are full of the spirit of God.

There are none of them but what will have a glow upon their countenances and this is what makes you and me young for the spirit of God is with us and within us will technically Brigham Young was young because of his last name, but I think it's kinda silly at that Mormonism keeps men and women, young and handsome young and handsome. I know this is purely subjective, but if you look at some of the pictures of the early pioneers I don't know if most people would describe those individuals as young and handsome. That's an interesting attribute that Brigham Young gives to the followers in his church. I wonder when he said that if there were people looking at each other like really is that what happens but were not able to give all of the citations from discourses of Brigham Young that he talks about Mormonism. But if anybody wants to go and see those and go to MRM.org and in the search engine type in Christmas gifts. The first article that will pop up contains links to all of the books in the Christmas series that you mention from 1981 to 2017 including the 1992. Discourses of Brigham Young so you can see the quotes that we've given today, which may be you've never heard of before and see some of the other ones there from the 1992 Christmas gift that was given by the first presidency to other general authorities and employees. Again, this is a block that has the word Mormonism in it. I wonder if Russell M.

Nelson would've ever given away. This book tomorrow were going to continue looking at the discourses of Brigham Young. There is so much in this book that we can talk about but we didn't want to take this week just to examine some of the things that were found in this book and as Eric has mentioned a book that was considered worthy enough to give as a Christmas gift by the first presidency in 1992. Thank you for listening. If you would like more information is research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website www.rm.org you can request our free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you join us again as we look at another viewpoint is sharing your faith with the light of day seem to know what their church is taught in several basic topics. For this reason, this research ministry has provided its crash course is a crash course, Mormonism includes concise articles highlighting what LDS leaders and church manuals have taught on issues that will probably come up in a typical conversation.

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