AboutMichael Kelley Expertise For a different viewpoint on Mormonism for your questions, try me. I am a staunch believer in the Book of Mormon and belong to another church (the Church of Christ)that is set up identically to the Biblical church. If there are things about traditional Mormonism that trouble you or you have questions about, just ask and you might find the answers from the Book of Mormon to be quite surprising. I have been studying the scriptures diligently for 16 years under the school of hard knocks... I may not have all of the answers but will sure go find them if I don`t. I`m strongest on Biblical and Book of Mormon doctrines, and am also somewhat familiar with Mormon history and archaeology.
Question Hello Mike,
I read that you don't believe in the 1st Presidency that Joseph Smith claimed as a revelation from God. Of a certainty, Christ is the head of his church but, do you believe that he calls a single individual to lead his people here on earth? - of course that leader being accountable and upheld by the people? thank you
Answer Hi John,
Yes, I do not believe in the 1st Presidency as an official Priesthood office. The office is not once mentioned in either Bible nor Book of Mormon (which claims to contain the "fullness" of the Gospel). Both among the Jews and the Nephites Jesus selected 12 men to be Apostles as overseers of the Church with Jesus Christ as the singular head (chief cornerstone). This is wisdom since man being fallible can lead the entire church astray. Even truly chosen men of God are not infallible and can lead a church or nation astray, so it is wisdom that God chose 12 men since it is much more unlikely that all 12 would go bonkers and drag the entire church down with them. It is similar to how the US government is founded with 3 seperate powers so that no one president can corrupt the entire government or nation. There are Biblical examples of men whom God hand picked yet they disobeyed and ultimately were completely rejected by God.
Saul was selected by God to be king over Israel yet disobeyed twice and was totally rejected by God. God chose David (who gave true prophecies of Christ) yet he multiplied wives (contrary to the Law of Moses) and murdered Uriah to hide his affair with Bathsheba. Only due to David's sincere repentence was he forgiven, yet he and the entire nation faced bitter punishments for his crime. Judas Iscariot was hand picked by Jesus to be an Apostle, and Judas performed mighty miracles just as the other apostles did, but then later betrayed Christ and committed suicide. Just because God hand picks a man does not place a seal upon them that they cannot apostatize, either in part or whole. Peter backslid when he denied Christ thrice... but repented and recovered.
The LDS concept of the 1st President is similar to the Catholic concept of the Pope. They believe God will NOT ALLOW their leader to lead them astray... I've heard MANY LDS say this verbatim. To me this is a form of idolotry which cannot possibly be pleasing to God. The church I belong to, the Church of Christ, has 12 Apostles as the church overseers, but I do not place them on a pedistal, I am painfully aware of their human weaknesses and shortcomings. Shucks I just had a recent discussion with one of them where I thought he was a little off base on a minor point of doctrine... AND HE ALLOWED ME TO DISAGREE WITH HIM. Such things are alien in the LDS or Catholic church... what church would allow a mere lay member (I hold no office) to DARE question their "highest" leader. Personally I like what Jesus taught His apostles... those who would desire to be the chiefest... let him be the servant. Jesus even showed by example by washing their feet to teach them.
Saying all that... do I believe God can call a prophet today to lead the church? Absolutely! The church of Christ has had several with the gift of prophecy. We have even had women and children prophesy. The scriptures teach this, that many can prophesy for the Lord, even many at the same time, or infants or children such as when Jesus visited the Nephites and fire and angels encircled the children and they prophesied. That does not make them the singular leader of the church though... only Jesus is the founder and chief cornerstone. The are instances in the Bible where there were 100s of prophets who lived at the same time, and in the New Testament with virgin daughters prophesied... again these were not singular leaders of the church. The concept of having a singular leader (chosen by committee of men) is quite unscriptural and leads inevitably to a cult. What is that saying, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely... God knows this and is why in His wisdom selected 12 as the overseers of the church (not the head).
I believe a prophet should only be upheld by the people when they are walking in God's ways. At times Joseph Smith did do this, and at other times he failed miserably. I am not like the antis who believe there was nothing that Smith did that was good, that he was all evil. OTOH I am not like the LDS who believe God would not allow Smith to lead them astray, because history shows me quite clearly he did, and he and his followers suffered greatly because of it. Even God warned Smith of this. Observe the following and note what I capped:
D&C 3:2 For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.
3 REMEMBER, REMEMBER that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;
4 For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.
5 Behold, you have been entrusted with these things, but how STRICT were your COMMANDMENTS; and remember also the promises which were made to you, if you did not transgress them.
6 And behold, how OFT YOU HAVE TRANSGRESSED the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.
7 For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—
8 Yet you should have been faithful; and he WOULD HAVE extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he WOULD HAVE been with you in every time of trouble.
9 Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of TRANSGRESSION, if thou art not aware THOU WILT FALL.
OK, now compare to a very similarly worded revelation given to Helaman:
Helaman 37:13 O REMEMBER, REMEMBER, my son Helaman, how STRICT are the COMMANDMENTS of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye SHALL PROSPER in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence.
14 And now remember, my son, that God has entrusted you with these things, which are sacred, which he has kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show forth his power unto future generations.
15 And now behold, I tell you by the spirit of prophecy, that if ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God, and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan, that he may sift you as chaff before the wind.
16 But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you, (for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them) behold, NO POWER of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words.
Joseph Smith, and his followers, were indeed, according to history, driven from thier homes and towns as chaff before the wind. Notice God tells Smith He WOULD HAVE protected him, while He tells Helaman He SHALL protect him. History shows Helaman leading 2000 boy soldiers against a hardened army and every one being preserved. History tells of Smith boasting of conquering his enemies only having to soon turn tail in bitter defeat and the saints driven from their homes (Farr West) with many killed. Helaman was allowed to keep the plates and Translators and add more writings to the plates while Smith had both removed from his possession immediatly after the translation was completed. I do not see in history of God's hand protecting Smith or prospering him, rather it seems he was confounded at every turn.
Ultimately whether God chose a man to restore a church, or did not and said man usurped authority... He never intended either to be as popes over said church. Also God does not take away a chosen man's free agency to rebel and sin. Even Moses was denied entrance into the promised land over one blunder. To whom much is given much is required. When a people set up one man on a pedistal as some great prophet or singular spokesman for God, they inevitably end up this this situation:
Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
I have no problem with God choosing a prophet to edify His church... but I do not trust in this prophet as if he were the replacement of Christ... I utterly reject that concept. I know many in the LDS, Catholic or other churches would be offended if I accused them of doing this, and perhaps in their minds and hearts they are not... but in practice... they do. As for me, the only one I will trust in is the Lord.
