LDS Articles of Faith: 10
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
I'd just like to skip this one altogether, but that would be cheating.
Operation: Desert Storm had a huge impact on my life. I like to refer to myself as an Army Brat. My dad was fortunate enough not to go to Iraq at this time, however I went to a school on a military base, and most of my friends had a parent in the Middle East during the conflict.
I remember being very excited because I thought the Gulf War was a precursor to Armageddon and the Second Coming. It was one of my favorite church topics. As a youth, I gave a talk on the Second Coming that could have put a High Councilor to shame, it was so long, researched and boring. However, I loved the topic. I thought the Second Coming was right around the corner. I even wrote a poem about how I was looking forward to it in one of my English classes.
I no longer feel the same way. This is one of the subjects that falls into my "I don't know" category, along with the Atonement and the divinity of Jesus Christ. I have an easier time accepting the divinity of Jesus Christ and the Atonement, than I do accepting the Second Coming.
I wish there would be a Millennium. I imagine a utopia with peace, justice, equality, and universal health care. But I think it is up to humanity to make those things for themselves, instead of relying on Divinity to do it for them.
As for the other aspects of this Article of Faith:
I believe that Israel has gathered. The State of Israel is an example of this. I am strongly opposed to Zionism, however.
As for the "restoration of the ten tribes," I think the Genographic Project at National Geographic is an example of this. However, I don't feel that its important for a group of people who were displaced around 2500 years to suddenly embrace that aspect of their heritage more strongly than the rest of the culture, and go marching back to the Middle East, claiming their lands.
As for Zion being built on America.. I think it shows a strong United States-centric aspect of Mormonism. That the United States is the promised land, and since we live in the United States, we are the promised people and more special than the rest of the world. I think this mindset is damaging and exclusionary, and I don't believe it. But, since the Church keeps calling itself Zion, and since members consider Salt Lake Zion, and since the early Saints called several places Zion, its possible this prophesy has been fulfilled. However, I don't think its an important aspect of theology.
I don't think this Article of Faith has an guidance about how to live or act. I think it is a statement associated with the Resorationist movement shown amoung the early Saints who strongly believed that the Second Coming was right around the corner. I think that having such a strong belief in the Second Coming can be irresponsible, because it can lead to people focusing more on their own personal worthiness, as opposed to working on making the world a better place.
4 comments:
you have given me and idea. i had never really thought about the articles of faith that much. yeah i memorized all of them at one point, but as a kid, who really thinks about what these things mean? anyways, i've been struggling to find a desire to magnify my calling (it's hard being a primary teacher). but i think what i really need to do is re-examine my beliefs. i can't teach if i don't know what i belive. there comes a time when one must do this. i guess now is the time.
I think its kind of funny, how the more anti-Mormon stuff I see, the more Mormon I feel. And then you, Leslie, being the most TBM out of the 4, are looking at my confusion and its making you reflect too.
But your encouragement contributed to my decision to make this blog. And most of the content so far is a response to your request - to continue going through my beliefs.
I'm glad I could help you too Leslie
BTW --- an original Mormon understanding of the "Gathering of Israel" was that the North American Indians (Lamanites of the lineage of Manasseh) were being "gathered together" in the Indian Territory (now Kansas) just west of the New Jerusalem (Independence, Missouri). And the most important aspect of the gathering was that Mormons were learning that they were of the lineage of Ephraim, and that they needed to gather to Jackson County to prepare for the millennium.
LDS Mormons stopped teaching that's what Joseph Smith meant here when they deleted the commandment to gather to Utah in the early 20th century.
Thanks John. I never even considered that the 10th AoF was referring to the "Lamanites." That concept does shed some new light into that AoF. This one really does seem to be a product of its time.
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