Monday, October 24, 2011

Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction, Part 2

















More tidbits from Richard Lyman Bushman's Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2008) and beyond.  

No tea, coffee, tobacco, or alcohol (page 47).

No pre-marital sex. Since 1890, no new polygamy in the main organizations. (Joseph Smith, Jr., had "more than thirty" wives, but that was "back in the day" -- page 87).

Tithing (10% for those who can afford it) and help for the poor.

"Work for the dead" (page 60).






(Chart source: LDS).

". . . God once was a man and had a father like everyone else. He lived on earth and was taught and advanced under the tutelage of a preceding God" (page 74). There was a chain of Gods before and there will be a chain of Gods forever . . . (which actually sounds almost Hindu to me -- cool idea).

For this cycle anyway, people will make their way out of choice from this life to one of the following after death: the Celestial Kingdom, the Terrestrial Kingdom, the Telestial Kingdom, or Outer Darkness, aka Hell (Satan and the Sons of Perdition).

Naturally, if you're a Mormon you can make it to the top -- the Celestial Kingdom -- if you play your existential cards right (which reminds me that Mormons aren't supposed to gamble and even a non-gambling but literal game of cards is considered a waste of time that may lead to worse things).

Today's Rune: Fertility.

4 comments:

JR's Thumbprints said...

No pre-marital sex? Hey ... why complain when there's marital sex to the nth degree (within limits of partners of course).

t said...

I've been reading the Bible. How it got us all captivated is what I want to know (and I have loved the Bible before.)
I mean, "the best book to read", endless quoting and misquoting, for what is basically Jewish folklore/history? Miracles and Wars have sprung out of this book. How?
And how come there are no miracles (or magic) in Mormonism?

ivan@creativewriting.ca said...

Unblievable.

In all reverence,

Jesu Cristo!

and all the latter guys.

Charles Gramlich said...

I've found that pretty much all religions have some admirable qualities. And generally some not so admirable. I guess that's just the nature of human beings who create them.