August 27 — The Only True and Living Church and a Grove of Trees. Ensign, ‘Joseph Smith—Prophet of the Restoration’, November 2009, p. 37 “If someone turns from these restored doctrines, where will he go to learn the true nature of God as taught in the grove of trees?
Where will he go to find the doctrines of the premortal existence, baptism for the dead, and eternal marriage? And where will he go to find the sealing powers that can bind husbands and wives and children beyond the grave?
“Through Joseph Smith have been restored all the powers, keys, teachings, and ordinances necessary for salvation and exaltation.” – Tad R. Callister
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Deut. 16:21 “Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.”
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While Joseph may not have planted the grove of trees, he certainly had no business going back to that place time and again to pray to a god and set up a “sacred” place.
It was in that grove of trees Smith came up with the idea of God being a risen man of flesh and bones which in turn came the other ideas of pre-mortal existence, baptisms for the dead, eternal marriage, polygamy, et al.
God wasn’t shy about letting His children know how He felt about the dangers of groves of trees and what to do about those who choose to worship in them.
As a Christian it’d be hard to miss the message in the Bible that we shouldn’t be participating in these things.
Every one of the basic tenets of Mormonism is spoken about in the Bible and we’re told NOT to participate in them, they aren’t indicative of godly behavior and they’re not true.
This encounter in the grove of trees should tell the Mormon people something is wrong.
You can know with certainty when the Church tells you we need to obey a principle because it’s what Joseph received in the grove, you better run the other way.
Pray for the Mormon you know and explain how Smith took every biblical tenet and turned it on its proverbial head.
With Love in Christ —
Michelle ✟
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