Jul 22, 2012

The Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood

In the LDS Church priesthood is defined as the power and authority to act in the name of God. This right is delegated to man on earth as a sacred charge and a divine investiture of that authority. Because the priesthood is God’s own power it matters to Him how it is received and utilized, and particularly how willing and worthy the recipients are to act in His name. To receive the priesthood is to enter into a covenant, and to pledge an oath, to magnify ones office in the priesthood and to live by every word which “proceeds from the mouth of God”.

Understandably those who hold this office have a desire to want to know more about the origins of its restoration through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Joseph has stated that it was passed on to both himself and Oliver Cowdery under the hands of Christ’s Apostles Peter, James, and John. He stated that they appeared to him as angels for the express purpose of restoring the priesthood.

The exact date of the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood is not known to Church history. The prophet Joseph later deplored the neglect of record keeping during this eventful period, stating that if he had such historical data in his possession, he “..would not part with them for any sum of money.. But this has been neglected,” he said with regret. More

By Mike Tannehill Uncategorized 1 Comment

Jun 19, 2012

Ouroboros

The Ouroboros or is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. It is often used to represent repeated cycles. The philosopher Plato gave a very interesting interpretation of  the creature. He stated :

“…The living being had no need of eyes when there was nothing remaining outside him to be seen; nor of ears when there was nothing to be heard; and there was no surrounding atmosphere to be breathed; nor would there have been any use of organs by the help of which he might receive his food or get rid of what he had already digested, since there was nothing which went from him or came into him: for there was nothing beside him….  his own waste providing his own food, and all that he did or suffered taking place in and by himself…” (Timaeus) More

By Mike Tannehill Uncategorized 89 Comments

Nov 27, 2011

The Mormon Christ

There has been a great deal of talk lately regarding whether or not Mormons are Christians. This is not a new argument, it is actually as old as the church itself. When the Church was first founded many thought the nickname of “Mormon” was somehow a reference to Mohammed and that the church was in fact an Islamic faith. In the here and now though the argument is made popular again because of a Mormon Presidential candidate. The press would like to know how Americans feel about having a president who comes from what some see as an unusual faith perspective. More

By Mike Tannehill Uncategorized 112 Comments

Aug 7, 2011

Faith over Falsehood

A number of the formerly faithful have stated that part of their reason for their struggles has been the theory of evolution. Their problem is science vs the creation story, or in other words can you stand alongside the prophets when the theories of men are pressuring you to move their way?

Laying aside the overwhelming doctrinal stance against evolution, such as the pre-mortal existence of all things and their ultimate resurrection, there are the statements from scientists themselves that declare the entire field of evolution bogus.

Darwin’s theory of evolution says that life on earth began with single celled life forms, which evolved into multicelled life forms, which over coutless aeons evolved into higher life forms, including man, all as the result of the chance process of random mutation followed by natural selection, without guidance or assistance from any intelligent entity like God. More

By Mike Tannehill Uncategorized 67 Comments

Jun 12, 2011

The Ties That Bind

It is a point of interest among Mormons to know which of the tribes of Israel they are related to. Most receive what is known as a “Patriarchal Blessing” that tells them this information and their duties in the kingdom of God. Since many of those that have received it are of British ancestry they discover that they are from the tribe of Ephraim and their duty is to proclaim the gospel of Christ and gather in the scattered tribes.

“But”, you may ask, ” what has Britian got to do with Israel?” Good question!

The above photograph is the Scottish Declaration of Independance written in 1317 to King Edward the Second. The seals on it represent King Robert the Bruce and the nobles of the day. It testifies to the origin and previous migrations of the Scottish people:

(Translation of a portion of the document)…

“We know, Most Holy Father and Lord, and from the chronicles and books of the ancients gather, that among other illustrious nations, ours, to wit the nation of the Scots, had been duistinguished by many honours; which passing from the great Scythia through the Mediterranean Sea and Pillars of Hercules, and sojourning in Spain among the most savage tribes through a long course of time, could nowhere be subjugated by any people however barbarous, and coming thence one thousand two hundred years after the outgoing of the peopleof Israel, they, by many victories and infinite toil, acquired for themselves the possessions in the West which they now hold….in their kingdom one hundred and thirteen kings of their own royal stock, no stranger intervening, have reigned”

It is surely deeply interesting to have this statement, so unimpeachably attested, that the ancestors of the Scottish people came from Greater Scythia. sojourning awhile in Spain, and settled in Scotland 1200 years after the going out of the people of Israel

By Mike Tannehill Uncategorized 2 Comments

Jun 3, 2011

Apologies

It was a while ago, during the senate elections actually, that I made a comment that upset a few people. The tragic shooting involving congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords had just happened and I made the remark that it was too bad that the shooter hadnt gotten ahold of Harry Reid’s itinerary. When called to the carpet for making such a statement I sought to defend it by seeking to list a supposed number of crimes against the church I felt he had commited. It was my opinion that the world and the church would be better off if Harry Reid ceased to exist. I even felt empowered in making the statement since in my view many members shared my views. More

By Mike Tannehill Uncategorized 23 Comments

May 1, 2011

Chaos vs Order

In various Apocrypha there are accounts of the Savior speaking about the creation of the Earth with the Apostles. In one such account the Lord tells them that various elements are gathered together for the creation of the earth, but that first they must be purified and cleansed. He speaks about theses elements being cleansed and decontaminated through a crucible. Only after they have been made clean are they then acceptable for use in creating a world.

Abraham was actually shown this process. His account talks about his spirit visiting a sun, the elements being brought in and refined. The whole experience was overwhelming and frightening for him. Abraham’s astronomy lesson was shown to him with a side lesson, namely that Spirits are organized in a similar manner. (see Abr. 3:18 “..as also..”) Indeed Joseph Smith taught that  ”The spirit of man is not a created being; it existed from eternity, and will exist to eternity. Anything created cannot be eternal; and earth, water, etc., had their existence in an elementary state, from eternity” (HC 3:387) More

By Mike Tannehill Uncategorized 35 Comments

Apr 24, 2011

A Law unto all things

I was doing some study for a different blog post I want to make and came across some commentary that really got me thinking and has caused me to view things in a completely different light. I thought I might share it here and get your comments and thoughts about this subject. It comes from Deseret Books “Revelations Of The Restoration” pg. 634-635. It is commentary on D&C 88:42-45

“A common Latter-day Saint heresy is that we become as God through education or the mastery of laws. The notion being that God  became God by identifying  the laws of nature and learning to live in harmony with them and how to harness them for His purposes. Our present text refutes such a notion. God is the author of law, not the co-partner with it. We do not worship law. Law, like the sectarian god, is without body, parts, and passions; it knows nothing of justice or mercy, or good or evil. It has no power to determine or change its own course. More

By Mike Tannehill Uncategorized 41 Comments

Apr 12, 2011

If you love me….

A common statement made about Christ is in reference to His love for us. God is love, God does not judge, He loves us unconditionally. This statement is no doubt the source of the traditional belief among many so called “born again christians” who add to this the idea that baptism is optional and that salvation comes by grace alone. There is no need for work on our parts, merely belief. On the far end of the spectrum is the idea that the commandents we hear taught to us are the ideas of men. God is, of course, accepting of all. We should simply be accepting of those who decry Gods Prophet in our day, we should be accepting of homosexuals and their desire to be seen as normal, we should allow anyone to believe whatever they want and stop all this talk of the one true church. I hear these types of things said often, and it is nonsense.

It must be understood that there is no salvation without a system of government. There is no salvation without a system of government for without such a system there would be nothing to be saved to. More

By Mike Tannehill Uncategorized 172 Comments