In recent weeks, many of us have watched with great interest as events have unfolded at the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas. While watching the many news stories, it was easy to become deeply concerned about the treatment of women and children at the ranch and within the Fundamentalist LDS Church as a whole. On the other hand, I have also been concerned about the rights of the parents and children. The whole saga is deeply disturbing and it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
A few months ago I read a book titled Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto by Brian C. Hales. It is a history of those who continued to practice plural marriage after President Woodruff?s manifesto declaring an end to the practice within the Church. It is a fascinating read about those individuals and groups who believed that President Woodruff was wrong and then continued the practice. As I progressed into this history and read about how these groups functioned, I felt impressed that I was reading a study on the fruits of apostasy.
I have been fascinated by some of the video coming out of the FLDS story, particularly those scenes showing the homes on the ranch. In a scene or two, pictures of the FLDS presidents were shown on the wall. The pictures progressed in the following order: Warren Jeffs (apparently they still think of him as their prophet), Rulon Jeffs, Leroy Johnson, John Barlow, Lorin Woolley, and John Woolley. The pictures continued right to left with John Taylor, Brigham Young, and Joseph Smith. In other places, only the picture of Warren Jeffs was visible. Hanging pictures of the prophets in one?s home is not unusual. I have a picture above my desk of all the latter-day prophets. What I found unusual is that there were no pictures of the Savior. I looked carefully through multiple scenes both on television and the Internet. If you walk into a typical LDS home, you almost always find a picture of the Savior in a prominent location. I wondered if they should change the name of their church to the Fundamentalist Church of Warren Jeffs.
This past Friday, in my daily Book of Mormon reading, I read again about Alma?s mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites (
Alma 31). Within that chapter we learn how the Zoramites corrupted the true gospel. They built a tower, which was the only place where they could pray and worship. Alma tells us that after praying, ?they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner? (Alma 31:23). Alma tells us that they failed to keep the Law of Moses and did pervert the ways of the Lord. We learn in Alma 32 that the poor among the Zoramites were cast out of their places of worship.
What happened to the Zoramites? They failed to give heed to priesthood authority and to obey the word of the Lord as it was given through his prophet. As a consequence, their faith was corrupted and they worshipped after the manner of their own desires.
What happened to the FLDS? Like the Zoramites, they failed to give heed to the duly constituted priesthood authority and disregarded the word of the Lord as given through his prophet. The FLDS, and other such polygamous groups, believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Yet they are will to be obedient to only one portion of that which the Prophet taught. The Lord, through Joseph Smith, revealed the pattern for succession in the presidency. These groups are fine with that process until it reaches Wilford Woodruff. Because President Woodruff stopped the practice of plural marriage, they believe that he no longer spoke for the Lord.
Like the Zoramites, these people fell into apostasy. Like the Zoramites, we see the fruits of their apostasy: unrighteous dominion, child brides, possible child abuse, children taken away from their parents, boys kicked out their homes and church.
In the Section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord issues a warning to all people that must be carried to the world by his disciples. If these people truly believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet, they are unable to carry out this commission from the Lord because of their actions. Their fruits speak louder than any truth they might possess. In excerpts from President Woodruff?s addresses, attached to the end of the Manifesto, he indicates that if the Church had continued the practice of plural marriage, the work of the Church would have been unable to go forward, temples would have been confiscated, and the work for the dead would have ceased.
The work of preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth and doing saving ordinances for the dead has continued because President Woodruff heeded the Lord?s counsel. Since the days of President Woodruff millions have accepted the gospel and been blessed in innumerable ways. Since the days of President Woodruff, the work for tens of millions of the dead has been done in the temples. In the almost 120 years since issuance of the manifesto, only thousands have become part of the FLDS church or the other polygamous offshoot faiths. Little or no preaching to the world has been done. President Woodruff was inspired to cease the practice of plural marriage and time has confirmed the importance of issuing the proclamation.
Read the original "Gospel Doctrine Class" post here.
The FLDS & Apostasy
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