February 18, 2005

Pearl of Great Price Commentary

Milton Hunter. Stevens & Wallis: 1948.

Although a logician might find fault with the circular reasoning used throughout the text, this book is truly fascinating for the non-Mormon, as it describes many of the unusual beliefs of the religion, as well as providing some historical information on the religion, its texts, and of course, Joseph Smith.

After reading about mummies, ghosts, other planets, and spiritual beings, one can't help but wonder if this was all meant as a great joke; is Eden really in Missouri? was South America really settled twice by Europeans and Mid-Easterners? But Joseph Smith's autobiographical writings seem quite sincere, so who knows if he really thought he was (or if he actually was!) visited by angels, and was actually translating "reformed" Egyptian.

One can also understand why non-Mormon Christians might view the Latter-Day Saints as deceived by Satan -- joy at the Fall of Man, ascendency to Godhead, etc., are not exactly traditional Christian concepts...