What has Mormonism contributed to the world?

[_lostsheep]

I made this comment in response to a similar post:

In the music world, while W.W. Phelps was writing the horrible “Praise to the Man” (and ripping off a Scottish Folk song in the process), we had the likes of Brahms, Liszt, Schumann, Wagner, and others composing in Europe.

When Eliza R. Snow (Smith) (Young) was penning the words of the hideous poem, “If You Could Hie to Kolob” (which was ultimately paired with Ralph Vaughn Williams’ sublime music and made into a monstrosity), we had the likes of Wordsworth, Blake, Byron, Keats, Shelley, Dickinson, Frost, Longfellow, Whitman, etc., writing some of the greatest poems in the English language.

When Orson Hyde was philosophizing about God’s hair color and the nature of the space ship he uses to travel from Kolob to Earth, we had giants of philosophy like Kant, Rousseau, Goethe, Bentham, Mill, Emerson, Thoreau, and others.

When William Clayton invented his “roadometer” for measuring the distance his covered wagon travelled in a day, we had Darwin, Pasteur, Faraday, Edison, Priestley, Bell, and others.

Sure, Mormons have had a few scientists, authors, musicians, etc., but anyone that would make the above list?

Weren’t any of these people “noble and great” in the pre-existence so that they could be born into Mormon families? Wouldn’t Mormons have an overabundance of talent because they are open to the spirit and keep the Word of Wisdom? Or maybe all of the brilliant people mentioned above reached they heights they did through a Faustian bargain.

The noble and great ones were too focused on building up the kingdom to achieve much worldly success. But imagine the secular contributions that someone like Joseph Smith could have made if he wouldn't have had a fulltime job as prophet and seer.

"I am a lawyer; I am a big lawyer and comprehend heaven, earth and hell, to bring forth knowledge that shall cover up all lawyers, doctors and other big bodies."

"I combat the errors of ages; I meet the violence of mobs; I cope with illegal proceedings from executive authority; I cut the gordian knot of powers, and I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truth-diamond truth; and God is my 'right hand man'."

[_Drifting]

I made this comment in response to a similar post:

In the music world, while W.W. Phelps was writing the horrible “Praise to the Man” (and ripping off a Scottish Folk song in the process), we had the likes of Brahms, Liszt, Schumann, Wagner, and others composing in Europe.

When Eliza R. Snow (Smith) (Young) was penning the words of the hideous poem, “If You Could Hie to Kolob” (which was ultimately paired with Ralph Vaughn Williams’ sublime music and made into a monstrosity), we had the likes of Wordsworth, Blake, Byron, Keats, Shelley, Dickinson, Frost, Longfellow, Whitman, etc., writing some of the greatest poems in the English language.

When Orson Hyde was philosophizing about God’s hair color and the nature of the space ship he uses to travel from Kolob to Earth, we had giants of philosophy like Kant, Rousseau, Goethe, Bentham, Mill, Emerson, Thoreau, and others.

When William Clayton invented his “roadometer” for measuring the distance his covered wagon travelled in a day, we had Darwin, Pasteur, Faraday, Edison, Priestley, Bell, and others.

Sure, Mormons have had a few scientists, authors, musicians, etc., but anyone that would make the above list?

Weren’t any of these people “noble and great” in the pre-existence so that they could be born into Mormon families? Wouldn’t Mormons have an overabundance of talent because they are open to the spirit and keep the Word of Wisdom? Or maybe all of the brilliant people mentioned above reached they heights they did through a Faustian bargain.

The noble and great ones were too focused on building up the kingdom to achieve much worldly success. But imagine the secular contributions that someone like Joseph Smith could have made if he wouldn't have had a fulltime job as prophet and seer.

"I am a lawyer; I am a big lawyer and comprehend heaven, earth and hell, to bring forth knowledge that shall cover up all lawyers, doctors and other big bodies."

"I combat the errors of ages; I meet the violence of mobs; I cope with illegal proceedings from executive authority; I cut the gordian knot of powers, and I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truth-diamond truth; and God is my 'right hand man'."

"and I have 33...ehrm...secretaries..."

[_Buffalo]

You could make that case about Native American groups all over the country. John Browning created the repeating rifle and he was a Mormon. We can't expect Mormonism to have created a lot like some groups did simply because Mormons were born in a society that was already relatively advanced. It's not as if they could invent hospitals or the University system. Mormonism was born into a society which prizes individualism and individual Mormons have made their contributions. It wasn't as if Mormonism had to recreate the world from the collapse of the Roman Empire so we can't expect it to have contributed as much as some of the more ancient religions.

I suppose that's fair. What has ANY religion contributed in the last 200 years? Nothing really. Although as Panopticon suggested, no great individual contributor has been an active Mormon, seemingly.

[_lostsheep]

"and I have 33...ehrm...secretaries..."

That was another thing that kept brother Joseph much too busy building up the kingdom. A man has his work to do. Gotta put the shoulder to the wheel.

[_BartBurk]

You could make that case about Native American groups all over the country. John Browning created the repeating rifle and he was a Mormon. We can't expect Mormonism to have created a lot like some groups did simply because Mormons were born in a society that was already relatively advanced. It's not as if they could invent hospitals or the University system. Mormonism was born into a society which prizes individualism and individual Mormons have made their contributions. It wasn't as if Mormonism had to recreate the world from the collapse of the Roman Empire so we can't expect it to have contributed as much as some of the more ancient religions.

I suppose that's fair. What has ANY religion contributed in the last 200 years? Nothing really. Although as Panopticon suggested, no great individual contributor has been an active Mormon, seemingly.

I suppose more than some are willing to acknowledge. A faithful Catholic priest figured out the Big Bang Theory and had to convince Einstein. Religious institutions were responsible for most of the hospitals created in the United States. A university in New Orleans was created by nuns to help educate Black Americans at a time when that was frowned upon. Gregor Mendel was a Catholic priest who is considered the father of modern genetics. That's just off the top of my head.

[_cinepro]

You people are all out to lunch.

If you look at a chart of human progress, it's a flat line until 1830, at which point it spikes. When the priesthood and spirit of God were back on the Earth, it all changes. ZOOM! The industrial revolution! Bicycles! Cars! Airplanes! The Space Program! Computers! Modern Medicine!

The easier question is what hasn't Mormonism contributed to the world? Anything good, anywhere in the world for the last 180 years is because of Mormonism. Anything bad is because Satan is fighting Mormonism.

It's that easy.

[_Sethbag]

I've heard Mormons claim that the Internet was actually inspired by God to make it easier for the Gospel of Mormonism to be spread throughout the world.

If that's the case, then I have a one-word proof that God is not omniscient: Google. :-)

[_Drifting]

Scratch: All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine (grape juice), public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Mormons ever done for us?
DCP: Brought peace?
Scratch: Oh, peace - shut up!
Scratch: There is not one of us who would not gladly suffer death to rid this country of the Mormons once and for all.
Dissenter: Uh, well, one.
Scratch: Oh, yeah, yeah, there's one. But otherwise, we're solid.

[_Darth J]

One problem with the OP is that it fails to acknowledge that all of these advancements in human civilization were designed to prepare the world for Mormonism. In other words, the right question is not, "What has Mormonism contributed to the world?" but, "How can we better understand that all of these contributions were the means to the end of Mormonism's advent?"

"Preparing for the Restoration," June 1999 Ensign

The story of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ began long before the spring of 1820, when our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to young Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove. Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “Beginning in the 14th century, the Lord began to prepare those social, educational, religious, economic, and governmental conditions under which he could more easily restore the gospel for the last time among men.” Latter-day Saint leaders and authors have variously described this 500-year pre-Restoration period as the “grand design,” “great prologue,” and “prelude to the Restoration.”

[_Drifting]

One problem with the OP is that it fails to acknowledge that all of these advancements in human civilization were designed to prepare the world for Mormonism. In other words, the right question is not, "What has Mormonism contributed to the world?" but, "How can we better understand that all of these contributions were the means to the end of Mormonism's advent?"

"Preparing for the Restoration," June 1999 Ensign

The story of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ began long before the spring of 1820, when our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to young Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove. Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “Beginning in the 14th century, the Lord began to prepare those social, educational, religious, economic, and governmental conditions under which he could more easily restore the gospel for the last time among men.” Latter-day Saint leaders and authors have variously described this 500-year pre-Restoration period as the “grand design,” “great prologue,” and “prelude to the Restoration.”

I asked a TBM why had Joseph Smith copied Freemasonry.
They replied by saying that they believed that God had manipulated Freemasonry taking root in the America's at that precise moment specifically so that Joseph Smith would be exposed to it and see the parts of it that God wanted him to use.