sansfoy wrote:In your signature, you say:
why me wrote:I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. - Joseph Smith
Do you think this is true? If so, how long will it take? Most of the earth's population has never heard of this foundation, and the majority of the ones who have are little affected and dismissive. We've supposedly been in the last days for nearly two hundred years now, and yet the end is not here yet and neither has the church made great strides in converting the world. They're struggling to keep up with the other surviving 19th century American movements, in fact, let alone challenge the great world religions.
Now Pentecostalism (founded ~1910, membership 279 million) might be able to make this kind of boast, but Joseph Smith? Hmm.
Thanks for not quoting whyme's actual text (I have him on ignore). At least the words in the signature are from someone more interesting.
However, as you rightly point out, Mormonism is showing no signs of fulfilling the ambitions of its founder and his early successors. To show how far these ambitions once soared, let us remember
this frankly ludicrous document, dated April 6, 1845, which contains the following sentences:
PROCLAMATION
OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE CHURCH OF Jesus
Christ, OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
To all the Kings of the World;
To the President of the United States of America;
To the Governors of the several States;
And to the Rulers and People of all Nations:
... And now, O ye kings, rulers, and people of the Gentiles: hear ye the word of the Lord; for this commandment is for you. You are not only required to repent and obey the gospel in its fulness, and thus become members or citizens of the kingdom of God, but you are also hereby commanded, in the name of Jesus Christ, to put your silver and your gold, your ships and steam-vessels, your railroad trains and your horses, chariots, camels, mules, and litters, into active use, for the fulfillment of these purposes. For be it known unto you, that the only salvation which remains for the Gentiles, is for them to be identified in the same covenant, and to worship at the same altar with Israel. In short, they must come to the same standard. For, there shall be one Lord, and his name one, and He shall be king over all the earth.
....The courts of Rome, London, Paris, Constantinople, Petersburgh, and all others, will then have to yield the point, and do homage, and all pay tribute to one Great Centre, and to one mighty Sovereign, or, THRONES WILL BE CAST DOWN. AND KINGDOMS WILL CEASE TO BE.
Priests, bishops, and clergy, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Mahomedan, will then have to yield their pretended claims to the priesthood, together with titles, honors, creeds and names; and reverence and obey the true and royal priesthood of the order of Melchisedech, and of Aaron; restored to the rightful heirs, the nobility of Israel; or, the dearth and famine will consume them, and the plague sweep them quickly down to the pit, as in the case of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, who pretended to the priesthood, and rebelled against God's chosen priests and prophets, in the days of Moses.
...
I wonder what would happen today if the church repeated what it said to the 'Mahomedan clergy' in that document?
(Yes of course, the document is not doctrinal, and the apostles who called for it to be published worldwide in the church's name were simply speaking as ignorant bumpkins, not as apostles. So that's OK.)