So, Day Two in our Mormon education. Let’s start with . . .

Blood Atonement. This time I’ll bring you up to speed before I give references. In the early days it was the practice to quite literally atone for your sins through the shedding of your own blood. It wasn’t just a little blood, and you didn’t administer it yourself. For a sin such as adultery, the prophets, apostles or just about any priest (not as important as you think) or leader could convince you to willingly walk to a pre-dug grave where they would slit your throat from ear to ear, killing you. (The ear to ear thing, BTW, is because of an oath you take in the temple.) Blood atonement was sought even from people who merely left the church or spoke out against it. These people were called apostates. From the mouth of Mr. Brigham Young: “I could refer you to plenty of instances where men have been righteously slain, in order to atone for their sins.” And to the future killers: “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….” Here is an example of an actual case: “In point would be a verbally reported case of a Mr. Johnson in Cedar City, who was found guilty of adultery with his stepdaughter by a bishop’s court and sentenced to death for atonement of his sin. According to the report of reputable eyewitnesses, judgment was executed with consent of the offender who went to his unconsecrated grave in full confidence of salvation through the shedding of his blood.”

If you thought that was bad: “In Utah it has been the custom with the Priesthood to make eunuchs of such men as were obnoxious to the leaders. This was done for a double purpose: first, it gave a perfect revenge, and next, it left the poor victim a living example to others of the dangers of disobeying counsel and not living as ordered by the Priesthood.” In Nauvoo it was the orders from Joseph Smith and his apostles to beat, wound and castrate all Gentiles that the police could take in the act of entering or leaving a Mormon household under circumstances that led to the belief that they had been there for immoral purposes…. In Utah it was the favorite revenge of old, worn-out members of the Priesthood, who wanted young women sealed to them, and found that the girl preferred some handsome young man. The old priests generally got the girls, and many a young man was unsexed for refusing to give up his sweetheart at the request of an old and failing, but still sensual apostle or member of the Priesthood.

Here’s why: Jesus didn’t do a good enough job: “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.” “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…. ” All entries above are taken from: (Sermon by Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pages 53-54); also published in the Mormon Church’s Deseret News, 1856, page 235) Keep in mind that blood atonement wasn’t a radical, fanatical punishment for “serious” crimes - the purpose was to save your eternal soul.

Living Prophets and Apostles: The LDS, to this very day, believes that God still communicates to his chosen people through the Prophet. God has called prophets to lead His Church in our day, just as He did anciently. The current prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Gordon B. Hinckley. He is assisted by two counselors—Thomas S. Monson and James E. Faust. Together, they make up the First Presidency of the Church (much like Peter, James, and John after Christ’s death).

All members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are apostles and prophets. This was taken directly from the official website of the LDS.

Mountain Meadow Massacre: This is the story the book I was reading revolved around. The Mormons, anticipating a coming ‘war’ with the U.S., killed over 120 ‘Gentiles’ to take their goods and because Brigham Young told the congregation that these people were terrible and deserved to die.

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for . . . Actually, I can somewhat tell how they arrived at this spiritual conclusion. The white garment symbolizes purity and helps assure modesty, respect for the attributes of God, and, to the degree it is honored, a token of what Paul regarded as taking upon one the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:13; cf. D&C 27:15). It is an outward expression of an inward covenant, and symbolizes Christlike attributes in one’s mission in life. Garments bear several simple marks of orientation toward the gospel principles of obedience, truth, life, and discipleship in Christ

There are, however, several articles on the net that talk about the Masonic origins of the symbols on the garments. In case you didn’t know, Old Joe Smith was a Mason . . .

The women’s underwear is traditionally crotchless.

But, I’m tired and not going into all that!

I will leave you with one last thing. On a page that I can’t remember the address of, an old farmer was talking about how he got the Mormon boys to leave him alone. He said that he was on his porch one day when two Mormon boys pulled up on their bicycles and he said to them “Now do you boys really care about saving my soul, or are you just trying to get further up in that hierarchy?” The boys gave him a nasty look, a snarl, and promptly left.

Goodnight!