Sunday, December 23, 2007

Mormons belief in shedding of their own blood for remission of sins!


Can you see my car in this picture? It is just under the large snowflake at the top of the left-center part of the picture. You really have to look hard to see it!

"There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come, and if they had their eyes open to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to heaven as an offering for their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their sins, whereas, if such is not the case, they will stick to them and remain upon them in the spirit world.
"I know, when you hear my brethren telling about cutting people off from the earth, that you consider it is strong doctrine; but it is to save them, not to destroy them...."And further more, I know that there are transgressors, who, if they knew themselves, and the only condition upon which they can obtain forgiveness, would beg of their brethren to shed their blood, that the smoke thereof might ascend to God as an offering to appease the wrath that is kindled against them, and that the law might have its course. I will say further; I have had men come to me and offer their lives to atone for their sins.
"It is true that the blood of the Son of God was shed for sins through the fall and those committed by men, yet men can commit sins which it can never remit.... There are sins that can be atoned for by an offering upon an altar, as in ancient days; and there are sins that the blood of a lamb, or a calf, or of turtle dove, cannot remit, but they must be atoned for by the blood of the man."
(Sermon by Brigham Young published in the Mormon Church's Deseret News, 1856)
-----February 8, 1857 sermon
"Now take a person in this congregation who has knowledge with regard to being saved... and suppose that he is overtaken in a gross fault, that he has committed a sin that he knows will deprive him of that exaltation which he desires, and that he cannot attain to it without the shedding of his blood, and also knows that by having his blood shed he will atone for that sin and be saved and exalted with the Gods, is there a man or woman in this house but what would say, 'shed my blood that I may be saved and exalted with the Gods?'
"All mankind love themselves, and let these principles be known by an individual, and he would be glad to have his blood shed. That would be loving themselves, even unto an eternal exaltation. Will you love your brothers and sisters likewise, when they have committed a sin that cannot be atoned for without the shedding of their blood? Will you love that man or woman well enough to shed their blood? That is what Jesus Christ meant....
"I could refer you to plenty of instances where men have been righteously slain, in order to atone for their sins. I have seen scores and hundreds of people for whom there would have been a chance... if their lives had been taken and their blood spilled on the ground as a smoking incense to the Almighty, but who are now angels to the Devil... I have known a great many men who have left this Church for whom there is no chance whatever for exaltation, but if their blood had been spilled, it would have been better for them....
"This is loving our neighbor as ourselves; if he needs help, help him; and if he wants salvation and it is necessary to spill his blood on the earth in order that he may be saved, spill it....if you have sinned a sin requiring the shedding of blood, except the sin unto death, would not be satisfied nor rest until your blood should be spilled, that you might gain that salvation you desire. That is the way to love mankind."
(Sermon by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Mormon Tabernacle, printed in the Deseret News, February 18, 1857)
John D. Lee on Blood Atonement (from his confession)
In his confession, Lee offered a chilling account of one instance of blood atonement in early Utah:
"Rasmos Anderson was a Danish man who came to Utah... He had married a widow lady somewhat older than himself... At one of the meetings during the reformation Anderson and his step-daughter confessed that they had committed adultery... they were rebaptized and received into full membership. They were then placed under covenant that if they again committed adultery, Anderson should suffer death. Soon after this a charge was laid against Anderson before the Council, accusing him of adultery with his step-daughter. This Council was composed of Klingensmith and his two counselors; it was the Bishop's Council. Without giving Anderson any chance to defend himself or make a statement, the Council voted that Anderson must die for violating his covenants. Klingensmith went to Anderson and notified him that the orders were that he must die by having his throat cut, so that the running of his blood would atone for his sins. Anderson, being a firm believer in the doctrines and teachings of the Mormon Church, made no objections... His wife was ordered to prepare a suit of clean clothing, in which to have her husband buried... she being directed to tell those who should inquire after her husband that he had gone to California.
"Klingensmith, James Haslem, Daniel McFarland and John M. Higbee dug a grave in the field near Cedar City, and that night, about 12 o'clock, went to Anderson's house and ordered him to make ready to obey Council. Anderson got up... and without a word of remonstrance accompanied those that he believed were carrying out the will of the "Almighty God." They went to the place where the grave was prepared; Anderson knelt upon the side of the grave and prayed. Klingensmith and his company then cut Anderson's throat from ear to ear and held him so that his blood ran into the grave.."As soon as he was dead they dressed him in his clean clothes, threw him into the grave and buried him. They then carried his bloody clothing back to his family, and gave them to his wife to wash... She obeyed their orders.... Anderson was killed just before the Mountain Meadows massacre. The killing of Anderson was then considered a religious duty and a just act. It was justified by all the people, for they were bound by the same covenants, and the least word of objection to thus treating the man who had broken his covenant would have brought the same fate upon the person who was so foolish as to raise his voce against any act committed by order of the Church authorities."


the last paragraph of the story says this:
In 1998, Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Latter-day Saints, visited Mountain Meadows. He found himself embarrassed at the dilapidated condition of monument at the site and committed the Church to building a proper memorial. "We owe [the dead] respect," Hinckley declared, "that land is sacred ground." On September 11, 1999, a new monument was dedicated at Mountain Meadows. President Hinckley, in the afternoon sunshine, told the assembled crowd: "[The past] cannot be recalled. It cannot be changed. It is time to leave the entire matter in the hands of God."
And such is the mormon stance on much of their past. Their prophets have lied and committed polygamy in the name of God. They have given false statements on who God is and they have been passed over as not speaking for God. I tell you that not a single one of the mormon prophets speak for God! In the days of old, (OT times) prophets pointed towards Christ. Now that Jesus has come and died on the cross there is no need for further revelation. We have all the information we need!


special thanks as all of the above information was taken from: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mountainmeadows/atonement.html
(except for the last paragraph and the picture at the top of page. Did you see my car in the picture? NO? good, it's not there! it was there but I covered it up because that was in the past and I can't rely on the fact it was once there so if I can't see it now, it must not have ever been there!)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Check out the doctrine of Blood Atonement as taught by Mormonism: http://reformationnation.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-doctrine-of-blood-atonement-as-taught-by-the-mormon-organization/

And the Mormon doctrine of Blood Atonement as taught by Brigham Young: http://reformationnation.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/the-mormon-doctrine-of-blood-atonement-from-the-mouth-of-brigham-young-2/

Thanks for your post!

- The Pilgrim
from www.ReformationNation.net

pastorbrianculver said...

Thanks Pilgrim for the added links! good stuff there!

michelle said...

wow! this is quite chilling... i had no idea this stuff took place from my cursory study of mormonism... thanks for this!

pastorbrianculver said...

That is just the tip of the iceberg. I used to deliver mail in south phoenix out in Arizona. I could always tell when I was delivering mail to a mormon household. They naturally got the Ensign paper as well as other things from Salt Lake City, but the one constant that I saw truly amazed me...
are you ready for this?
Every single one of them had a subscription to...
Guns and Ammo!
Why would they have this? Because as you are probably aware they are all stockpiling food in their house. 6 month supply. Nothing wrong with that. But when it comes down to it, if something happens in the latter-days, and food is being hoarded, they will shoot anyone who tries to get their food. That food is only for mormons (specifically their own family and then other mormons!). I know one family who taught their kids (10 and 13 at the time, boys) how to "pick" locks. Why would they need to learn that? It scares me to wonder! And this was a very clean and "moral" mormon family!