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Restoring the Ancient Church:
Joseph Smith and Early Christianity
by Barry Robert Bickmore

  1. Introduction
    • A Restoration Church
    • Joseph Smith--The Prophet Of The Restoration
    • A Bold Claim and an Exacting Test
    • Methods

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. Conclusions

 

 

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