Restoring the Ancient Church:by Barry Robert Bickmore
Introduction
A Restoration Church
Joseph Smith--The Prophet Of The Restoration
A Bold Claim and an Exacting Test
Methods
Apostasy and Restoration
The Apostasy--A History
The Apostasy Foretold
The Apostasy--Rebellion in the Church
"The Last Time"--The Totality of the Predicted Apostasy
The Loss of Apostolic Authority in the Church
The Rebellion Continues
Hermas and the Final Curtain Call
Politics and Christianity
Floundering in the Dark
Directions of Apostasy
Jewish Christianity
Gnostic Christianity
Catholic Christianity
Christianity in the Greek World
The Influx of Greek Philosophy
Philosophy vs. Revelation
The Effect of the Apostasy
The Loss of Spiritual Gifts
The Necessity of Spiritual Gifts
Grasping At Straws
The Montanist Crisis
The Closing of the Canon of Scripture
Missing Scripture?
Which Scripture?
Editing the Scriptures
Interpretation of Prophecy Without Prophets?
The Necessity of a Restoration
The Restitution of "All Things"
Elias and the "Restoration of All Things"
The Angel of the Restoration
Chapter Notes
Note 1: Upon This Rock . . .
The Gates of Hades
Further Objections
A Witness to the Wickedness of the World
Note 2: Monasticism-Replacing the Spiritual Gifts
The Doctrine of God and the Nature of Man
The LDS Godhead vs. the Mainstream Trinity
The LDS Concept of the Godhead
The Godhead of the Bible
One God or Three?
What Kind of Being is God?
The Mainstream Trinity
The Nicene Creed
"Of One Substance"
More on the "Being" of God
From "the One True God" to "the One"
The God of Israel and the God of the Philosophers
The Abandonment of Anthropomorphism
The Anthropomorphic God of the Bible
Anthropomorphism in Early Christianity
The Son Becomes the Anthropomorphic God
"God is a Spirit"-That is, Corporeal
Allegorical Interpretation
The Transcendent God
Creation "Ex Nihilo"
The Adoption of a New Doctrine
The Earliest Christians and Creation
Reasons for the Change
A New Terminology
Theological Implications of Creation Ex Nihilo
Joseph Smith on the Creation
From Godhead to Trinity
The Problem of "Monotheism"
Yahweh-Prince of Angels, Second God
Jesus as Yahweh-Prince of Angels, Second God
The Subordination of the Son and Spirit
Problems With Subordinationism
The "Word" Becomes the "Logos"
Jesus Becomes an Abstraction
A Portion of the "Divine Substance"
The Impassible Logos
The "Only Begotten" Son
The Monarchian Crisis
"Of One Substance"
The Arian Crisis
The Council of Nicea and its Aftermath
The Mystery of the Trinity
The Origin and Destiny of Man
The Premortal Existence
The Latter-day Saint Doctrine
The Pre-Existence of Christ
The Pre-Existence in Early Christianity
The Loss of the Doctrine of Pre-Existence
Deification
Deification in the Bible
Deification in Early Christianity
Objections to the LDS Doctrine
Objections Answered
The Deification of God
Conclusion: The True Nature of the Universe
Chapter Notes
Note 1: The "Angel of God's Presence" in Abraham 1:15-16
The "Angel(s) of the Presence"
Jesus as Yahweh and the "Angel of the Presence"
Conclusion
Note 2: The Pre-Existence in Judaism
Salvation History and Requirements
Adam and the Fall
Adam and Eve-the First Members of the Human Family
Adam and Michael
The Necessity of the Fall
Original Sin and Original Guilt
The Mainstream Doctrine of Original Sin
Latter-day Saints and Original Sin
The New Testament and Original Sin
The Sinful Nature
"Total Depravity" and Predestination
Original Guilt
The Road to Salvation in Mortality
Dispensations-a Gospel for All Ages
Christianity Before Christ
Degrees of Truth
The Law of Moses and the Gospel
The Loss of the Doctrine of Dispensations
Faith, Grace, and Works
All Have Sinned
Salvation by Grace
By Grace Through Faith
Faith and Works
Eternal Security? The Bible Says "No!"
Eternal Security? The Fathers Say "No!"
Baptism
The Necessity of Baptism
Baptism by Immersion
Infant Baptism
The Laying on of Hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost
From Death to the Resurrection
The World of Spirits
The Spirit World in LDS Thought
The Spirit World in Early Christian Thought
An End to the Torments of Hell
Bridging the Gulf of Separation
The Preaching to the Spirits in Prison
Mainstream Christian Avoidance of the Issue
The Early Christians on the Preaching Mission
Baptism for the Dead
Baptism for the Dead According to Paul
Baptism in the Spirit World
Baptism of Resurrected Beings-A Variation on the Theme
Baptism for the Dead Among the Cerinthians and Marcionites
Baptism for the Dead as an Esoteric Rite
Objections to the LDS Practice of Baptism for the Dead
The Resurrection
The Resurrection Body in the New Testament
Christian Confusion About the Resurrected Body
Joseph Smith on the Nature of the Resurrected Body
The Early Christians on the Nature of the Resurrected Body
The Power of Embodiment
The Millennium
A Literal Millennial Reign
Spiritualizing the Millennium
Three Degrees of Glory and Outer Darkness
The LDS Doctrine of Degrees of Glory
Sun, Moon, and Stars as Types of the Degrees of Glory
More Ancient Witnesses to the Three Degrees of Glory
Other Systems of Multiple Heavens
Outer Darkness
The Loss of the Doctrine of Degrees of Glory
Chapter Notes
Note 1: Adam's Vision of His Posterity
Note 2: Translated Beings
Note 3: Worlds Without End
Church Organization and Life
Church Organization
Priesthood Authority
The Necessity of Ordination
The "Priesthood of All Believers"
The Priesthoods of Aaron and Melchizedek
Specific Priesthood Offices
Apostles and Prophets
The Seventy
Patriarchs
Local Officers
High Priests after the Order of Melchizedek
The Purpose of Priesthood Offices
Church Life
The Lord's Day
Worship
The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
Water, Wine, or Water and Wine?
Changes in the Doctrine of the Sacrament
Anointing the Sick
Tithes, Offerings, and the United Order
Consecration and Tithing
Fast Offerings
The Temple
Esotericism and the Latter-day Saints
Why Secrecy?
Esoteric Doctrines and the Latter-day Saints
The Endowment
Esotericism in Early Christianity
Esoteric Doctrines
Secrecy in the New Testament
Secrecy in the Post-Apostolic Church
The Content of the Secret Tradition
Secret Rites
Baptism and Eucharist as "Mysteries"
Were There Other "Mysteries"?
"Orthodox" Christian Rites: The Mysteries of Clement
The Secret Tradition Transmitted in a "Mystery"
The "Drama of Truth"
The "Ring-Dance" or "Prayer Circle"
The Linen Garment
The Secret Teaching
"Orthodox" Christian Rites: The Later Rituals of Baptism and the Eucharist
The Renunciation of Satan
Initial Anointing and Baptism
Second Anointing
The White Garment
The Prayer Circle
Passwords and Signs
Third Anointing
The Sacraments Become Exoteric
Gnostic Christian Rites
The True Gnosis
The Gospel of Philip
The Pistis Sophia, the Two Books of Jeu, and Related Documents
The Acts of John
The End of Esotericism
The Fight Against Gnosticism
From Gnosticism to Mysticism
Trivialization of the Esoteric Doctrine
Augustine and the End of Esotericism
Heavenly Marriage
Eternal Marriage
LDS Belief and Practice
The Reticence of Jesus
Early Christian Evidence
Changes in the Marriage Doctrine
Plural Marriage
Polygamy and the Mystery of Marriage
Heavenly Mother
The Hebrew Goddess
Heavenly Mother in Jewish Christianity
The Gnostic "Sophia"
The Female Aspect of God in Catholic Tradition
Chapter Notes
Note 1: Jewish Esoteric Rites
Essene Initiation
Year Rites
Instruction in the Mysteries
Note 2: Gnostic Jewish Esoteric Rites
Note 3: Greek Mystery Religions
Note 4: Masonry & Mormonism
Note 5: Mixing of Ritual Elements
Conclusions
