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.
If marriage is essential to achieve exaltation, why did Paul say that it is good for a man not to marry (1 Corinthians 7:1)?
Why does the Mormon Church teach that we can be married in heaven when Jesus said in Matthew 22:30 that in the resurrection men neither marry, nor are they given in marriage?
ANSWER: Hi G,
I will be happy to answer your questions. Please note that I am ex-LDS and belong to the Church of Christ that believes in the Bible and Book of Mormon (BoM).
You bring up a couple of valid points that I fully agree with. In both the Bible and BoM Jesus not once ever taught Celestial Marriage or anything remotely like unto it. It is for this very doctrine that I left the Utah faction and joined a church that actually follows the scriptures of the Bible and BoM.
Paul did teach that it is good to not marry, but this was mainly intended towards those who were called to devote their entire lives to service of God such as missionaries. This does not mean Paul had anything against marriage at all. While Jesus never married (contrary to some LDS beliefs) He did promote marriage and performed his first miracle at a marriage feast. Jesus even compared His church as being His bride (in a spiritual sense) and that He was the groom.
Jesus plainly taught in the Bible that the WORTHY shall neither be married nor shall be given in marriage (getting married). This flies in the face of LDS dogma. Who do you trust? Man or the Son of God?
If the BoM not once ever teaches Celestial Marriage, not even hints at it, and the Bible strongly opposes the concept... where did the LDS get this doctrine from and why? Clearly if the BoM contains the "fullness of the Gospel" as it claims to have, surely God would have caused it to be contained within the BoM.
So where and why did the LDS come up with this doctrine? Of course they will say it is "Latter Day Revelation and who are we to question God". Of course I would not dare to question God and His wisdom, but I do question man and whether his revelations actually came from God or from his own desires, or the devils. Jesus plainly warned us to beware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing., We also have many scriptural examples of men whom God had chosen but who had backslid and erred, and others apostatized completely (King Saul and Judas Iscariot come to mind). Joseph Smith himself was rebuked in a direct revelation for often disobeying God and yielding to his own carnal desires and the persuasions of men.
Personally I believe the LDS leadership manufactured the doctrine of Celestial Marriage as a tool to make the future doctrine of polygamy more palatable and seductive to the women. Any good Christian knows polygamy is wrong... and the BoM flatly condemns the practice calling it a whoredom and abomination before God, no excuses. But if these men desiring to have many wives and live as the kings of old... they would have to trick their wives into accepting it... so I believe they conjured up this false doctrine to trick the women into accepting it, using it as a Trojan Horse. Even so, even under the guise of becoming "Heavenly Fathers and Heavenly Mothers" according to LDS dogma, quite frequently the women who did join in Temple Marriages and were "Sealed for life and eternity" absolutely HATED the situation. According to Young's journals he said many of his wives constantly complained and whined about the situation, some described it as a "Perfect flood of tears" and "I have not been happy a single day for five years". Hardly anything rosy like eternal bliss in the afterlife. What many of Youngs wives realized was, deep down in their hearts, they knew their husband was committing adultery when he was in the arms of the other women. All Temple marriages did was to provide a smokescreen to get the women to do something they naturally would have opposed.
The LDS still practice Celestial Marriage today because to admit that their leader led them astray and polygamy was never of God... would destroy their entire foundation, and that is just too much to believe for them... far better it is to continue a dead and vain work of futility and mockery to God, than to admit they were wrong and dispense with this nonsense. Many churches have false doctrines or leaders... and their flocks continue to support them because for them to face the truth is too hard for them to handle. It is sad and unfortunate but part of human nature.
Also another problem I have with the LDS concept of Celestial Marriage is their desire to be "Exalted" or "Exaltation". The scriptures strongly teach only God is exalted, and he who exalts himself shall be abased. Couple that with the LDS concept of "Man becoming as God's" and "Heavenly Fathers and Heavenly Mothers" who will procreate eternally and rule over their own worlds.... well that is nothing more than pagan idolatry. I cannot imagine God being pleased with any of this nonsense.... it is not only of none effect, it is actually a sin, setting up other gods, no less than praying to statues of stone.
I hope this helps answer some of your questions, feel free to ask others if you wish.
God Bless,
Mike
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QUESTION: Thank you for your answer Mike.
Though I am curious about the statement you made "...of Christ that believes in the Bible and Book of Mormon". Would you please elaborate on this? I've never heard of such a sect.
Thanks.
g
Answer Hi G,
There are about 100 different sects that came from the original Church of Christ that was restored April 8th, 1830. Most are very small and some quite kooky such as some LDS offshoots that still promote polygamy. I know of only a few factions that have any significance, the LDS which is by far the largest, the Church of Jesus Christ, the RLDS (now called the Community of Christ) and the group I joined called the Church of Christ (also known as the Temple Lot or Hedrickites).
Soon after Joseph Smith was used by God to translate the Book of Mormon and restore the Church of Christ (as it was originally called, and termed in the Book of Mormon) Smith soon became lifted up in pride and followed the ideas of those who infiltrated the early church. This led to many false doctrines, and I believe, punishments from God ultimately leading to the early church being driven from their homes and Smith's untimely death. Many saw these things entering the early church and eventually separated before Smith's death and formed the Church of Christ and returned back to the teachings of the scriptures (Bible and BoM). Soon after Smith's death the church split apart to the four winds with Brigham Young taking many to Utah where polygamy and other false doctrines were introduced. Others refused to follow Young such as Smith's wife Emma and his son and they formed the RLDS faction, which has since liberalized and abandoned the BoM. Most of the other sects have dwindled to insignifacance while the Utah faction has multiplied. Most Utah LDS aren't even aware of the other factions, and dismiss us out of hand if they find out. It is not uncommon for the largest churches to be the most false as we have seen with some Bible only churches.
As best as I have been able, I have thoroughly researched all of the factions and have found only one, the Church of Christ, that actually follows the Bible and BoM with diligence. Doctrine for doctrine the BoM teaches identically to the Bible. All of the false doctrines that Bible only Christians find objectionable with the LDS are utterly absent in the BoM, and even strongly opposed. Doctrines such as polygamy are repeatedly condemned in the BoM without exception. Other LDS doctrines such as Celestial Marriage, Baptism for the Dead, the 1st Presidency, a Changing God, man becoming Gods and the like are all either absent or strongly opposed by the BoM.
Feel free to check it out. They are far from perfect but I have found that they teach the simple Biblical Christianity much better than any of the other factions. Feel free to ask specific doctrinal questions if you like about the Church of Christ or our differences with the LDS.
