Jesus said in John 12:32-33:
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
Jesus didn’t say that all people would be saved, but that people from everywhere could and would be saved. His sacrifice was for Jew and Gentile equally. His sacrifice is for all people from all nations, languages, tribes and people, Revelation 5:9.
There is no favoritism with God. His love leaves no one out. It is inclusive and exclusive. God’s love brought the cross into His salvation plan because all sin debt must be paid. So He not only died to justify sinners, but then became the One who justifies sinners. What a marvelous Savior God has provided for sinners.
Sadly in polygamy groups, we find that they don’t lift Jesus up in their preaching and teaching. The crucifixion is more of a horror story for them rather than the power of our salvation. Instead they make a list of works to do—and not do - in order to earn eternal life. Many polygamy groups call their religion “the work”, meaning their group is Gods work and must succeed in order for them to achieve salvation, and to establish God’s eternal Kingdom on earth. The Work must succeed—and the priority work is polygamy.
We want polygamists to know that we are saved by grace alone, and no “work” or “works” will be effective or add to God’s power of salvation through the message of the Cross. Our ‘works’ is to believe in the One God has sent, John 6:29. Then we enter our eternal Sabbath and rest in Jesus’ work alone.
We thank you for your support and prayers that enable us to continue to bring Biblical truths to polygamists!
MORMON POLYGAMY HISTORY
~ It all began with Joseph Smith ~
In 1862, the United States Congress adopted the Morrill Act for the Suppression of Polygamy (also known as the Morrill Anti-bigamy Act), named for its sponsor, Justin S. Morrill, R-Vt. The act was passed in response to the perceived threat posed by polygamy, which was practiced by the Mormon in Utah.
Although the Morrill Act proved to be largely unenforceable, it did lead to some successful prosecutions for bigamy, including Reynolds v. United States (1879) in which the Supreme Court distinguished between the legal right to believe in polygamy under the First Amendment and the illegal right to practice it.
A later law however was more successful in its enforcement. In 1882 Congress adopted a more expansive law, the Edmunds-Tucker Act, which aimed to dispossess the Mormon Church of its wealth. The Court upheld this far more successful law in Late Corporation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints v. United States (1890).
It was in 1890 that the president/prophet of the Mormon church renounced the practice of polygamy in what is referred to as the Manifesto. The government returned most of the property it had confiscated. Although some fundamentalist sects continue to practice polygamy, the LDS church no longer practices it but they continue to believe it was once God’s command and in the future will be reinstated for the mainline LDS church to begin the practice again.
The LDS church also continues to wed plural wives to men after their death. They condemn plural marriage by the polygamists, but the alleged revelation from God to live polygamy remains in their unique scripture, the Doctrine and Covenants.
THIRTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. 1862 Pg 501
“An Act to punish and prevent the Practice of Polygamy in the Territories of the United States and other Places, and disapproving and annulling certain Acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah.”
“...That every person having a husband or wife living, who shall marry any other person, whether married or single, in a Territory of the United States, or other place over which the United States have exclusive jurisdiction, shall … be adjudge guilty of bigamy, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, and by imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years…” https://bhroberts.org/files/
NOTE: Despite this and other legal decisions, polygamy has not ceased with Mormon Fundamentalists and continues to spread throughout the Intermountain West.
Samuel Bateman offered a guilty plea to the many charges against him for his polygamous and sexual crimes, especially with minor children. However, his guilty plea is at risk of being thrown out because of an unmet condition of his deal that hinged on whether others charged in the case also would plead guilty.
Under the terms of Bateman's deal, prosecutors can — but aren't required to — withdraw his guilty plea, after two other men charged in the case rejected plea offers and are now headed to trial. We don’t know yet whether or not the U. S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix will withdraw Bateman’s plea.
We quote from the news report:
“Bateman's plea agreement recommends a prison sentence of 20 to 50 years, though one of his convictions carries a possible maximum sentence of life.
In his plea, Bateman, 48, acknowledged taking underage brides, having sex activity with them and arranging group sex, sometimes involving child brides.
Authorities say Bateman created a sprawling network spanning at least four states as he tried to start an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which historically has been based in the neighboring communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.”
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/guilty-plea-by-leader-of-polygamous-sect-near-the-arizona-utah-border-is-at-risk-of-being-thrown-out/ar-BB1lxttt
BRIGHAM YOUNG SAID:
“When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him.” - Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 1, p. 50
Mormon doctrine teaches that the Fall of mankind was part of a divine, foreordained plan without which mortal children would not have been born to Adam and Eve. Had not these first parents freely chosen to leave the Garden of Eden via their transgression, there would have been on this earth no human family to experience opposition and growth, moral agency (freedom of choice) ... The need for a future atonement was explained in a premortal Council in Heaven where the spirits of the entire human family were in attendance and over which God the father presided. The two principal associates of God in that council were the premortal Jesus (also known as Jehovah) and the premortal Adam (also known as Michael). It was in this premortal setting that Christ voluntarily entered into a covenant with the Father, agreeing to enhance the moral agency of humankind even as he atoned for their sins, and the Father received all honor and glory for such selflessness. (Encyclopedia of Mormonism)
“I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 370). Cited in “In Their Own Words”, Bill McKeever
“You are wrong on many things, my advice for you will be to pray and ask your Heavenly Father with faith if the Book of Mormon is true and he will reveal the truth of that book.“-- F.B.
REPLY: I did pray about it and our Great God above showed me very clearly that I could only trust the bible, that the Book of Mormon wasn't true. And by the way, science, archeology, linguistics, DNA evidence and history has also proven the Book of Mormon is not true.
“Thank you for standing up for our faith. Joseph Smith was a hinder to powerful people in politics just as Jesus was. He was killed for the same reason Jesus was.” --B.G
REPLY: Jesus Christ died for our sins, Joseph Smith died in a jailhouse gunfight because he destroyed the printing press. Smith hardly died for the same reason Jesus did.
“What a faithful ministry this is! I have learnt so much more about my own faith through you.” --S.L.
“I agree that people are held captive mentally by their fear but this group holds the children, if a captive wife leaves they take the children from her.” --A.M.
We continue to share some of the sermons preached by polygamy group founder/leader Rulon C. Allred. Knowing what he taught helps get a better understanding of the relentless grip he has had and continues to have on polygamists throughout Mormon Fundamentalism. The following excerpt was preached by Allred during the early 1940’s:
“There is one commandment that we as a people do stress, because it needs [to be] stressed, for the people have turned from it; a law we are accused of being fanatical about - the law of Celestial or plural marriage. Joseph Smith, Brigham. Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Joseph F. Smith believed in that law and lived it. Our late Joseph F. Smith said that we cannot obtain the same glory with one wife and a man cannot obtain to that fullness without living this holy law... It is the law of God and it is my testimony to you and to the nations of the earth - no man who walks on this earth who does not abide it will receive the fullness of Celestial glory.” Sermons of Rulon C. Allred, 1940-44.
Notice the use of the word LAW in his teaching about polygamy. The early Mormons used code words to express their belief in polygamy while hiding it from others. Phrases like, Celestial Marriage, The Principle, Patriarchal Marriage, Celestial Law. When asked if they practiced polygamy they would say “no”, and they denied it was a lie simply because a ‘code word’ wasn’t used.
Joseph Smith, Rulon Allred, as well as the other Mormon polygamists, taught that polygamy is a commandment of God, that it is the “fullness” of the gospel, and was required for Mormon exaltation, which is their heaven where they become gods. They taught if you knew about it and refused to practice it, you were damned for all eternity. The original Mormon polygamists taught it, Allred taught it and is still taught today in polygamy groups. They believe polygamy is for the glory of God.
OUR REBUTTAL is always to quote from the Bible about Law and Salvation:
Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
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Thanks to all who prayed for “M”, last month’s prayer request. She is doing much better. She is attending two bible studies, one in which a former Mormon lady and two former polygamous ladies are attending. She is also settling in with a supportive Christian church and is involved in a Bible Study there as well.
Just call Doris: 801-649-3103, or Email: doris@shieldandrefuge.org |
