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Passing the Heavenly Gift
After being a Mormon for forty years, the author was excommunicated by the LDS Church because he would not withdraw publication of this book. In this book he explains how Mormonism has undergone four distinct phases.
The first began in 1820 and ended with Joseph Smith’s death in 1844.
The second began upon Joseph Smith’s death and ended with abandonment of plural marriage, publicly in 1890 and privately in 1904.
In the third phase Mormonism denounced as apostasy its practice of plural wives, marking the first time an orthodox practice became grounds for excommunication.
The fourth phase began with David O. McKay and is still underway. In it Mormonism has adopted corporate management techniques to consolidate and direct central church decision-making.
The first phase was innovative and expansive, continually adding doctrine, scripture, teachings and ordinances.
Subsequent phases have curtailed, abandoned, even denounced earlier teaching and doctrine. Phases two through four have all abandoned doctrine.
Growth in these subsequent phases has been defined in terms of political influence, financial gains, cultural inroads, and population growth; while the underlying religion has been curtailed.
Today, marketing the institution has become more important to Mormon success than preserving the original religious content.
The changes from phase to phase have completely transformed Mormonism, sharing a vocabulary but redefining the terms.
Modern Mormonism has now institutionalized change.
For the first time in this book Mormonism is candidly described in terms which track the changes by examining doctrine, teachings and practices.
Interestingly, the passing of the heavenly gift was anticipated by Joseph Smith’s prophecies and the Book of Mormon.
The first began in 1820 and ended with Joseph Smith’s death in 1844.
The second began upon Joseph Smith’s death and ended with abandonment of plural marriage, publicly in 1890 and privately in 1904.
In the third phase Mormonism denounced as apostasy its practice of plural wives, marking the first time an orthodox practice became grounds for excommunication.
The fourth phase began with David O. McKay and is still underway. In it Mormonism has adopted corporate management techniques to consolidate and direct central church decision-making.
The first phase was innovative and expansive, continually adding doctrine, scripture, teachings and ordinances.
Subsequent phases have curtailed, abandoned, even denounced earlier teaching and doctrine. Phases two through four have all abandoned doctrine.
Growth in these subsequent phases has been defined in terms of political influence, financial gains, cultural inroads, and population growth; while the underlying religion has been curtailed.
Today, marketing the institution has become more important to Mormon success than preserving the original religious content.
The changes from phase to phase have completely transformed Mormonism, sharing a vocabulary but redefining the terms.
Modern Mormonism has now institutionalized change.
For the first time in this book Mormonism is candidly described in terms which track the changes by examining doctrine, teachings and practices.
Interestingly, the passing of the heavenly gift was anticipated by Joseph Smith’s prophecies and the Book of Mormon.
529 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2011
23 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 14, 2011
My hubby read this book and this is what he had to say.
I began this book with trepidation; concerned that Denver had gone too far in his willingness to "steady the ark of God." This book claims to be a possible alternative historical narrative based in discrepancies in dates and a lack of historical comments that support the current narrative. Although well written and interesting as a thought experiment, many readers would find that the work lacks a balance in positive comments that support the current historical narrative presented by the church.
Denver's main assumption is that the "fullness of the priesthood" may not have been transferred to Brigham Young due to the Nauvoo Temple not being completed, prior to the death of Joseph Smith. As stated in revelation, this act, caused the church to not only be under condemnation, but be rejected as a whole. This would have caused the sealing powers to be lost from this dispensation until some latter time.
In his book, "The Second Comforter," Denver claims to have had a personal experience with the Christ. Of which, it would be impossible for the reader to know for sure. But in this book, Denver claims that although the priesthood has continued, the sealing power has been lost to mankind. This leaves an inconsistency in these two separate writings. The Doctrine in Covenants, section 84, states that the opportunity to enter the Lord's rest is directly connected to the priesthood and the effective use of these correct ordinances, as a foundation point.
As stated in Doctrine Covenants 84: 19-22
"And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live."
Many eternal practices and truths must have been restored due to the Prophet Joseph Smith ushering in the dispensation of the fullness of times. This does not indicate that the saints or the world are prepared to follow those teachings. In preparation of this, the Savior taught his followers that nothing other then faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost would be taught to this generation, openly. An astute observer would have to agree that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has done an outstanding job in facilitating the teaching of these basic truths and their attending ordinances, of which the world is in desperate need of at this time. It is not a lack of knowledge or truth that has caused so many to fall away, but the lack of virtue. This is why Joseph Smith also taught when a man leaves the fold and fights against the Brethren you can be assured that is an adulteress man. This is why Peter also taught in connection with Calling and Election that a man should seek faith, THEN VIRTUE, and then knowledge.
For those that seek greater light and knowledge, and in conclusion of my review, there are some amazing truths and insights in this book that someone who is firm in their faith will find interesting. But I would like to suggest another book that you might find more interesting and helpful in your pursuit of knowledge.
The Book of Mormon is a gift from God given to the world in these last days, which is capable of bringing one to Christ in every real sense. It will quietly lead you to seek the peace of repentance, the covenant of baptism, and the bestowal of the gift of the Holy Gift by one having authority. This is the greatest gift given to the world in connection with the atonement of Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Ghost, you may know the truth of all things, including mysteries beyond your imagination. The Book of Mormon is the greatest book written on the earth, at this time, and contains more truth and knowledge then the combined volumes of all the books contained on this web site as a whole. An avid reader of the Book of Mormon, combined with prayer and meditation, will find peace, happiness, and access to the Author of all truth and knowledge.
I began this book with trepidation; concerned that Denver had gone too far in his willingness to "steady the ark of God." This book claims to be a possible alternative historical narrative based in discrepancies in dates and a lack of historical comments that support the current narrative. Although well written and interesting as a thought experiment, many readers would find that the work lacks a balance in positive comments that support the current historical narrative presented by the church.
Denver's main assumption is that the "fullness of the priesthood" may not have been transferred to Brigham Young due to the Nauvoo Temple not being completed, prior to the death of Joseph Smith. As stated in revelation, this act, caused the church to not only be under condemnation, but be rejected as a whole. This would have caused the sealing powers to be lost from this dispensation until some latter time.
In his book, "The Second Comforter," Denver claims to have had a personal experience with the Christ. Of which, it would be impossible for the reader to know for sure. But in this book, Denver claims that although the priesthood has continued, the sealing power has been lost to mankind. This leaves an inconsistency in these two separate writings. The Doctrine in Covenants, section 84, states that the opportunity to enter the Lord's rest is directly connected to the priesthood and the effective use of these correct ordinances, as a foundation point.
As stated in Doctrine Covenants 84: 19-22
"And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live."
Many eternal practices and truths must have been restored due to the Prophet Joseph Smith ushering in the dispensation of the fullness of times. This does not indicate that the saints or the world are prepared to follow those teachings. In preparation of this, the Savior taught his followers that nothing other then faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost would be taught to this generation, openly. An astute observer would have to agree that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has done an outstanding job in facilitating the teaching of these basic truths and their attending ordinances, of which the world is in desperate need of at this time. It is not a lack of knowledge or truth that has caused so many to fall away, but the lack of virtue. This is why Joseph Smith also taught when a man leaves the fold and fights against the Brethren you can be assured that is an adulteress man. This is why Peter also taught in connection with Calling and Election that a man should seek faith, THEN VIRTUE, and then knowledge.
For those that seek greater light and knowledge, and in conclusion of my review, there are some amazing truths and insights in this book that someone who is firm in their faith will find interesting. But I would like to suggest another book that you might find more interesting and helpful in your pursuit of knowledge.
The Book of Mormon is a gift from God given to the world in these last days, which is capable of bringing one to Christ in every real sense. It will quietly lead you to seek the peace of repentance, the covenant of baptism, and the bestowal of the gift of the Holy Gift by one having authority. This is the greatest gift given to the world in connection with the atonement of Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Ghost, you may know the truth of all things, including mysteries beyond your imagination. The Book of Mormon is the greatest book written on the earth, at this time, and contains more truth and knowledge then the combined volumes of all the books contained on this web site as a whole. An avid reader of the Book of Mormon, combined with prayer and meditation, will find peace, happiness, and access to the Author of all truth and knowledge.
Currently reading
October 14, 2011a heck of a ride!!!!!!!!!!! Denver does it again.
July 13, 2013
While in a sacred place a month ago a friend asked what I thought about “Passing the Heavenly Gift.” I confess that I had not heard of the book or the author, Denver Snuffer. I assume he asked my opinion because he knows that I have reviewed similar books on my blog that focus on controversial issues facing the LDS Church. Denver’s books are not advertised. People learn about them only by word of mouth or through online reviews on sites like mine.
I purchased the book and posted on Facebook that I had done so. Several of my blogging buddies noted it and expressed interest in what I thought. A few days later after my first quick read-through, I wrote “I speed read the first half. Finding no major faults, I devoured the second half (pages 240 to 499) in about four hours. I haven’t stayed up until 2:30 in the morning to read a book in years.” There is something dramatically different about this book.
Don’t leave the church
I also reported that “My focus in reading was to find anything smacking of disloyalty to the brethren or encouraging the members to leave. He came close on the first point but completely negated my concern on the second.” Before I write anything else I want to focus on that second point. I am convinced that Denver Snuffer has his reader’s best interest at heart. I cannot say that about the authors of any other recent book of LDS History I have read. Denver wants us to stay in the Church.
However, Denver Snuffer has caused me to do something no other recent writer of Mormon history has been able to do. He has produced in me a desire to read his book again and again. I want to study it, to research it, to look up many of the quotes, to read what others have said about those quotes. In other words, I am taking seriously Denver’s claims which, although not all unique to his book, are argued more precisely and effectively than any other author I have encountered.
Receive the Second Comforter
I have just completed the second reading of the book and am starting on the third, this time with pen and highlighter in hand. I have read his first book, “The Second Comforter” twice and have purchased each of the intervening six books. I have invested hours reading Denver’s blog from start to finish and have contemplated each of the points he has made there over the years. Other than the scriptures, I have never invested this much time in trying to understand an author’s message.
Everything I have learned about Denver has caused me to contemplate his message more and more. He has asked that we not focus on him, his life or his background. He has asked that we pay attention more to the process he is trying to get us to pass through – a process that if we follow through to completion will have us receive The Second Comforter for ourselves. I like that. I want that. I endorse that. How can you fault a man for wanting to help you come unto Christ? I don’t.
Details lacking in faith-promoting history
In the meantime, you are going to have to pass through some very difficult realizations that, depending on the strength of your relationship with the things of the spirit, may leave you gasping and reaching for help and understanding. If you are not already familiar with things our detractors have written about us you will have a challenging time reading this book. It will make you angry. It will cause you to think of Mr. Snuffer as an apostate and wonder why he hasn’t been excommunicated.
This book is not for everybody. If you are a casual member of the church you will not be interested. If you are not familiar with some of the controversies about our history being discussed on the Internet today, you will be a little shocked at what you read. You may not understand why some of the issues are problems at all if all you have ever learned about our history is what you were taught in Sunday school, Primary, Seminary or even Institute. This is an alternative view of our history.
Sealing power has been lost
I wish I was at the point where I could say that I can vouch for Denver’s accuracy or that I agree with his interpretations. I am not there yet. I suspect it will take me years to arrive at that level. In the meantime, if you have already read Denver’s works, I want to hear from you. I am especially interested in discussion about the two most controversial arguments in his book – the idea that the sealing power is not on the earth at this time and Denver’s interpretation of the fullness of the priesthood.
Denver has posted on his blog that “I have never said the church does not have the sealing power.” This obviously is in direct conflict with the thesis of this essay and my (and my wife’s) interpretation of the first chapter of his book, especially this line: “The church and its ordinations and ordinances does not confer power.” (p 36) He’s right. He did not say the church does not have the sealing power. Carol and I did not clearly understand the message of his first chapter.
I kept looking for Denver to address the implications of the position he is advocating in regards to the work we are doing in the temples. I confess I have so far been disappointed by the lack of a sympathetic discussion of what this means to the thousands, if not millions of members who have spent so much of their time and energy over the years in researching and performing proxy ordinances in the temples for their ancestors. I am one of those individuals and want to know his response.
The work in the temples
In other words, if the sealing power is not on the earth then what hope do my wife and I have that we will be united in the eternities? If the sealing power is not on the earth, then what in the world have I and my mother and sisters been doing for these past forty years in digging and corresponding and compiling the thousands and thousands of family names ensuring that their work was done in the temples? I see this as the single most important issue to be answered.
Because I am so intrigued by what I have learned so far, I am going to give Denver the benefit of the doubt that he has already answered this question satisfactorily and I have simply not yet found it. I am not like some of my online friends who have become disaffected and left the church then complain about how much they resented the loss of their tithing money or that they felt duped when they learned they had been teaching a “sanitized” version of our history.
Section 110 misinterpreted
This idea of the sealing power is central to my feelings about the church and core to the reason why I have spent so many thousands of hours in the temple over the past thirty-five years. No, I don’t feel that my time was wasted if what Denver claims about section 110 is true. Of all the things that could strike at the heart and soul of Mormonism this is it. If you want to hurt a whole lot of good people, tell them that the the work they have been doing in the temples is not valid.
There is one question I would like to ask Denver, but I won’t because I don’t know him and he has made it clear that he gets far too many requests to answer directly. Because I felt strongly about sharing what I was learning from Denver’s books, I asked Carol to read the fist chapter of “Passing the Heavenly Gift” to me as we drove to Southern Utah for a family vacation this weekend. We had one of the most deep and enjoyable gospel discussions we have ever had over the course of several hours.
Exaltation is a family affair
Carol came away from the reading with the distinct impression that Denver was saying that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is today no different than any other good Christian church. She read that Brigham Young was only elected to be the President of the Church and that there was no ordination that passed the keys of the kingdom to him or to any of the rest of the twelve. She related her feelings while as a missionary she was taught by her mission president that Joseph ordained and passed the keys of the kingdom on to the twelve before they left on their missions.
Denver, what would you say to my wife, who related while she stood at the Far West temple site with dozens of other missionaries how she felt the spirit bear witness to her soul that Joseph successfully passed the keys of the kingdom on to the apostles before he sent them away on their missions and went on to Carthage jail to seal his testimony with his blood? Would you say that Joseph wasn’t referring to the council of the twelve, but to the council of fifty?
An incomplete ordination
What Denver is writing about is serious business. He is apparently all about getting people to question what they have been taught and what they believe about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He says he wants to bring us to Christ but in the process he wants us to rethink what we have been taught and what we believe about the power of priesthood and how it is manifested in our lives. He says the temple will point us to Christ yet says the sealing power is not there.
Am I the first to see the implications of what he is teaching? I don’t think so. Tell me I’m wrong or that I’ve missed the point completely. Tell me that all the thousands of temple workers, so many of them my good friends, are not wasting their time laboring in temples that have been rejected. Tell me that the blessings I have given to my wife and so many others over the years are efficacious even though I have not had my ordination completed by having the Lord lay his hands upon my head.
Receiving the Heavenly Gift
I am not a lawyer, so I can never argue as well as Denver has done. I am a simple member of the church, happy in my faith and grateful to have lived my life in the orthodox manner as taught by my leaders. I have served a mission, been married in the temple, served in bishoprics and high councils for the past twenty-five years and generally loved my time associating with saints of the Lord, who Denver is now calling a fallen and proud people, members of an apostate gentile church.
What do you think? Has Denver taught the truth in his book, “Passing the Heavenly Gift” or is he an apostate like some have declared him to be? Is it worth my time to read the rest of his books? Is there a whole lot more that I don’t see yet that will prove Denver to be right? Perhaps I need to re-read his first book again and put the process to the test as he is asking us to do. Is Denver teaching that we need to do in our homes what we are taught in the temple to converse with the Lord through the veil?
I would love to read your opinions.
Source: http://latterdaycommentary.com/2012/0...
I purchased the book and posted on Facebook that I had done so. Several of my blogging buddies noted it and expressed interest in what I thought. A few days later after my first quick read-through, I wrote “I speed read the first half. Finding no major faults, I devoured the second half (pages 240 to 499) in about four hours. I haven’t stayed up until 2:30 in the morning to read a book in years.” There is something dramatically different about this book.
Don’t leave the church
I also reported that “My focus in reading was to find anything smacking of disloyalty to the brethren or encouraging the members to leave. He came close on the first point but completely negated my concern on the second.” Before I write anything else I want to focus on that second point. I am convinced that Denver Snuffer has his reader’s best interest at heart. I cannot say that about the authors of any other recent book of LDS History I have read. Denver wants us to stay in the Church.
However, Denver Snuffer has caused me to do something no other recent writer of Mormon history has been able to do. He has produced in me a desire to read his book again and again. I want to study it, to research it, to look up many of the quotes, to read what others have said about those quotes. In other words, I am taking seriously Denver’s claims which, although not all unique to his book, are argued more precisely and effectively than any other author I have encountered.
Receive the Second Comforter
I have just completed the second reading of the book and am starting on the third, this time with pen and highlighter in hand. I have read his first book, “The Second Comforter” twice and have purchased each of the intervening six books. I have invested hours reading Denver’s blog from start to finish and have contemplated each of the points he has made there over the years. Other than the scriptures, I have never invested this much time in trying to understand an author’s message.
Everything I have learned about Denver has caused me to contemplate his message more and more. He has asked that we not focus on him, his life or his background. He has asked that we pay attention more to the process he is trying to get us to pass through – a process that if we follow through to completion will have us receive The Second Comforter for ourselves. I like that. I want that. I endorse that. How can you fault a man for wanting to help you come unto Christ? I don’t.
Details lacking in faith-promoting history
In the meantime, you are going to have to pass through some very difficult realizations that, depending on the strength of your relationship with the things of the spirit, may leave you gasping and reaching for help and understanding. If you are not already familiar with things our detractors have written about us you will have a challenging time reading this book. It will make you angry. It will cause you to think of Mr. Snuffer as an apostate and wonder why he hasn’t been excommunicated.
This book is not for everybody. If you are a casual member of the church you will not be interested. If you are not familiar with some of the controversies about our history being discussed on the Internet today, you will be a little shocked at what you read. You may not understand why some of the issues are problems at all if all you have ever learned about our history is what you were taught in Sunday school, Primary, Seminary or even Institute. This is an alternative view of our history.
Sealing power has been lost
I wish I was at the point where I could say that I can vouch for Denver’s accuracy or that I agree with his interpretations. I am not there yet. I suspect it will take me years to arrive at that level. In the meantime, if you have already read Denver’s works, I want to hear from you. I am especially interested in discussion about the two most controversial arguments in his book – the idea that the sealing power is not on the earth at this time and Denver’s interpretation of the fullness of the priesthood.
Denver has posted on his blog that “I have never said the church does not have the sealing power.” This obviously is in direct conflict with the thesis of this essay and my (and my wife’s) interpretation of the first chapter of his book, especially this line: “The church and its ordinations and ordinances does not confer power.” (p 36) He’s right. He did not say the church does not have the sealing power. Carol and I did not clearly understand the message of his first chapter.
I kept looking for Denver to address the implications of the position he is advocating in regards to the work we are doing in the temples. I confess I have so far been disappointed by the lack of a sympathetic discussion of what this means to the thousands, if not millions of members who have spent so much of their time and energy over the years in researching and performing proxy ordinances in the temples for their ancestors. I am one of those individuals and want to know his response.
The work in the temples
In other words, if the sealing power is not on the earth then what hope do my wife and I have that we will be united in the eternities? If the sealing power is not on the earth, then what in the world have I and my mother and sisters been doing for these past forty years in digging and corresponding and compiling the thousands and thousands of family names ensuring that their work was done in the temples? I see this as the single most important issue to be answered.
Because I am so intrigued by what I have learned so far, I am going to give Denver the benefit of the doubt that he has already answered this question satisfactorily and I have simply not yet found it. I am not like some of my online friends who have become disaffected and left the church then complain about how much they resented the loss of their tithing money or that they felt duped when they learned they had been teaching a “sanitized” version of our history.
Section 110 misinterpreted
This idea of the sealing power is central to my feelings about the church and core to the reason why I have spent so many thousands of hours in the temple over the past thirty-five years. No, I don’t feel that my time was wasted if what Denver claims about section 110 is true. Of all the things that could strike at the heart and soul of Mormonism this is it. If you want to hurt a whole lot of good people, tell them that the the work they have been doing in the temples is not valid.
There is one question I would like to ask Denver, but I won’t because I don’t know him and he has made it clear that he gets far too many requests to answer directly. Because I felt strongly about sharing what I was learning from Denver’s books, I asked Carol to read the fist chapter of “Passing the Heavenly Gift” to me as we drove to Southern Utah for a family vacation this weekend. We had one of the most deep and enjoyable gospel discussions we have ever had over the course of several hours.
Exaltation is a family affair
Carol came away from the reading with the distinct impression that Denver was saying that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is today no different than any other good Christian church. She read that Brigham Young was only elected to be the President of the Church and that there was no ordination that passed the keys of the kingdom to him or to any of the rest of the twelve. She related her feelings while as a missionary she was taught by her mission president that Joseph ordained and passed the keys of the kingdom on to the twelve before they left on their missions.
Denver, what would you say to my wife, who related while she stood at the Far West temple site with dozens of other missionaries how she felt the spirit bear witness to her soul that Joseph successfully passed the keys of the kingdom on to the apostles before he sent them away on their missions and went on to Carthage jail to seal his testimony with his blood? Would you say that Joseph wasn’t referring to the council of the twelve, but to the council of fifty?
An incomplete ordination
What Denver is writing about is serious business. He is apparently all about getting people to question what they have been taught and what they believe about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He says he wants to bring us to Christ but in the process he wants us to rethink what we have been taught and what we believe about the power of priesthood and how it is manifested in our lives. He says the temple will point us to Christ yet says the sealing power is not there.
Am I the first to see the implications of what he is teaching? I don’t think so. Tell me I’m wrong or that I’ve missed the point completely. Tell me that all the thousands of temple workers, so many of them my good friends, are not wasting their time laboring in temples that have been rejected. Tell me that the blessings I have given to my wife and so many others over the years are efficacious even though I have not had my ordination completed by having the Lord lay his hands upon my head.
Receiving the Heavenly Gift
I am not a lawyer, so I can never argue as well as Denver has done. I am a simple member of the church, happy in my faith and grateful to have lived my life in the orthodox manner as taught by my leaders. I have served a mission, been married in the temple, served in bishoprics and high councils for the past twenty-five years and generally loved my time associating with saints of the Lord, who Denver is now calling a fallen and proud people, members of an apostate gentile church.
What do you think? Has Denver taught the truth in his book, “Passing the Heavenly Gift” or is he an apostate like some have declared him to be? Is it worth my time to read the rest of his books? Is there a whole lot more that I don’t see yet that will prove Denver to be right? Perhaps I need to re-read his first book again and put the process to the test as he is asking us to do. Is Denver teaching that we need to do in our homes what we are taught in the temple to converse with the Lord through the veil?
I would love to read your opinions.
Source: http://latterdaycommentary.com/2012/0...
December 8, 2013
Reading this book with an open mind and loving heart is highly likely to leave the reader raw and exposed, and begging for greater light, knowledge, and understanding. This is as it should be.
January 7, 2014
Make it through all the way to end and it's a rewarding read.
First off, if this book "ruins your testimony," then you really haven't studied your religion's history very well and this was not the book to start with.
So I heard of this book through the Bloggernacle and I heard the whole story about it, so being a bit of a rebel, I decided that I had to read it. When I started it, I felt like this:
About halfway through, I was like:
And at the end of the book, I was like:
and
Though it's incredibly long, Denver Snuffer's "Passing the Heavenly Gift" is a richly rewarding read. Above all the controversy, the criticism and potential faith-crisis that comes with it, one essential gospel principle does come through -- it's about individual salvation. Snuffer makes it clear that you can't rely on an earthly institution full of human flaws and failures to guarantee your eternal glory. The Church provides the ordinances and the guidelines, but they do not provide that sure calling and election from God himself. That is up to you. It is up to you to seek and ask God and have a face-to-face relationship with him just as Joseph and other prophets have. It encompasses the essential Gospel principles -- enduring to the end, knowing God the Father and becoming like Him. It's everything Mormonism is about, making it one of the most uplifting religious reads I've ever come across.
Oh . . .
He was excommunicated for the book.
Well here's why: Snuffer certainly doesn't hold back on his criticism of the modern-day church. In many respects, I agree with him. I too feel like the church has become too corporatized, too obsessed with public relations, making money and accruing more members, and not enough on charity, doctrinal revelation and correcting mistakes of the past.
Snuffer is one of those Mormons who believes that the Church should go back to the core of what Joseph Smith established. He laments over how much it has changed since then. While I agree that we should consider returning to our roots, it's just not possible for the Church to ever be the same as it was back then. It's a worldwide church in many countries with millions of members. It's not possible for it to remain the same over all those years. I agree that if Joseph Smith were to return to earth today, he would not even recognize it as the same church, but that was inevitable.
Another criticism (and the major one that his entire book hinges on) is the idea that the Church is under condemnation for not completing the Nauvoo temple as commanded by the Lord. The Saints were commanded to finish it in order to receive the fulness of the Gospel and that no other place could be used. But the Saints didn't finish it in time and Joseph instead restored the rest of the ordinances in the Red Brick Store. Snuffer says that the traditional narrative says that this was commanded by the Lord, but he argues that we didn't ever end up receiving the complete fulness the Lord would have restored if the temple had been completed. He goes on to say that this is also the reason why the Saints suffered so much coming to the Salt Lake Valley and why the temple was eventually burnt to the ground. They were being punished for failing to live the Lord's commandments.
I don't have any idea one way or another about the Red Brick Store situation, but I don't necessarily believe that the Lord was punishing the Saints afterwards. I don't believe that all trials are God punishing you for doing something wrong. Likewise, just because you are flourishing doesn't mean God is pleased with you either. If that holds true, then since we are flourishing now, then we are back in God's good graces and Snuffer argues that that's not true. He says we are still a condemned Church. Correlation doesn't mean causation.
The other criticism that I didn't agree with was when he focused on how most Church leadership is made up of men who are extremely wealthy, privileged and educated in business, medicine or law. He points out that these are men who don't really know the gospel, such as Reed Smoot, called as an apostle in 1895, who said he knew very little of the religion, or Heber J. Grant who confessed that he knew little of the Lord's dealings with mankind. Snuffer says that leaders are chosen to fulfill the Church's corporate needs. They all have family ties to the church and almost all are related to each other by blood or marriage.
I do agree that I'd like to see more diversity in the Quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency. I'd love to see more theologists up on the stand (if only just to have more doctrine and scripture revealed to us like in Joseph's day) But when the Church is in charge of such important and costly affairs, and if those affairs fail, who will the general membership blame? The First Presidency and the Quorum of the 12. We need men in those leadership positions who know what they're doing in those areas too.
I think Snuffer has some good ideas in the book -- and the overall message is one of hope. He tells readers to stay in the church, that to leave could be a costly mistake. He understands the failings of the institution and that we've certainly made mistakes in the past, are making mistakes and will continue to make them. Our faith and our salvation is reliant on only us, and that's the most important thing. He says that God has a plan with us, He is still working through us, despite all our flaws.
Great book, it actually strengthened my testimony
First off, if this book "ruins your testimony," then you really haven't studied your religion's history very well and this was not the book to start with.
So I heard of this book through the Bloggernacle and I heard the whole story about it, so being a bit of a rebel, I decided that I had to read it. When I started it, I felt like this:
About halfway through, I was like:
And at the end of the book, I was like:
and
Though it's incredibly long, Denver Snuffer's "Passing the Heavenly Gift" is a richly rewarding read. Above all the controversy, the criticism and potential faith-crisis that comes with it, one essential gospel principle does come through -- it's about individual salvation. Snuffer makes it clear that you can't rely on an earthly institution full of human flaws and failures to guarantee your eternal glory. The Church provides the ordinances and the guidelines, but they do not provide that sure calling and election from God himself. That is up to you. It is up to you to seek and ask God and have a face-to-face relationship with him just as Joseph and other prophets have. It encompasses the essential Gospel principles -- enduring to the end, knowing God the Father and becoming like Him. It's everything Mormonism is about, making it one of the most uplifting religious reads I've ever come across.
Oh . . .
He was excommunicated for the book.
Well here's why: Snuffer certainly doesn't hold back on his criticism of the modern-day church. In many respects, I agree with him. I too feel like the church has become too corporatized, too obsessed with public relations, making money and accruing more members, and not enough on charity, doctrinal revelation and correcting mistakes of the past.
Snuffer is one of those Mormons who believes that the Church should go back to the core of what Joseph Smith established. He laments over how much it has changed since then. While I agree that we should consider returning to our roots, it's just not possible for the Church to ever be the same as it was back then. It's a worldwide church in many countries with millions of members. It's not possible for it to remain the same over all those years. I agree that if Joseph Smith were to return to earth today, he would not even recognize it as the same church, but that was inevitable.
Another criticism (and the major one that his entire book hinges on) is the idea that the Church is under condemnation for not completing the Nauvoo temple as commanded by the Lord. The Saints were commanded to finish it in order to receive the fulness of the Gospel and that no other place could be used. But the Saints didn't finish it in time and Joseph instead restored the rest of the ordinances in the Red Brick Store. Snuffer says that the traditional narrative says that this was commanded by the Lord, but he argues that we didn't ever end up receiving the complete fulness the Lord would have restored if the temple had been completed. He goes on to say that this is also the reason why the Saints suffered so much coming to the Salt Lake Valley and why the temple was eventually burnt to the ground. They were being punished for failing to live the Lord's commandments.
I don't have any idea one way or another about the Red Brick Store situation, but I don't necessarily believe that the Lord was punishing the Saints afterwards. I don't believe that all trials are God punishing you for doing something wrong. Likewise, just because you are flourishing doesn't mean God is pleased with you either. If that holds true, then since we are flourishing now, then we are back in God's good graces and Snuffer argues that that's not true. He says we are still a condemned Church. Correlation doesn't mean causation.
The other criticism that I didn't agree with was when he focused on how most Church leadership is made up of men who are extremely wealthy, privileged and educated in business, medicine or law. He points out that these are men who don't really know the gospel, such as Reed Smoot, called as an apostle in 1895, who said he knew very little of the religion, or Heber J. Grant who confessed that he knew little of the Lord's dealings with mankind. Snuffer says that leaders are chosen to fulfill the Church's corporate needs. They all have family ties to the church and almost all are related to each other by blood or marriage.
I do agree that I'd like to see more diversity in the Quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency. I'd love to see more theologists up on the stand (if only just to have more doctrine and scripture revealed to us like in Joseph's day) But when the Church is in charge of such important and costly affairs, and if those affairs fail, who will the general membership blame? The First Presidency and the Quorum of the 12. We need men in those leadership positions who know what they're doing in those areas too.
I think Snuffer has some good ideas in the book -- and the overall message is one of hope. He tells readers to stay in the church, that to leave could be a costly mistake. He understands the failings of the institution and that we've certainly made mistakes in the past, are making mistakes and will continue to make them. Our faith and our salvation is reliant on only us, and that's the most important thing. He says that God has a plan with us, He is still working through us, despite all our flaws.
Great book, it actually strengthened my testimony
October 14, 2013
Denver Snuffer Jr's "Passing the Heavenly Gift" was a pleasure to read. Full disclosure, I am a former Mormon. I do not believe in the truthfulness of the Mormon Church (nor the Book of Mormon/Bible/Joseph Smith). I read this book with that background. I did, however, attempt my very best to suspend my disbelief while reading this book. Looking at the facts while suspending my belief was an exercise that initially helped me leave the church in the first place. I felt it only fair to do the same while reading this book.
So, on to the meat of it. Mr. Snuffer illustrates, quite well, how the modern day Mormon church has changed drastically since the church Joseph Smith started. He is able to use, effectively, quotes, journal entries, observations, and testimonies of people to easily piece together the narrative of the evolution of the church.
His major argument, which seem legitimate, is that the fullness of the gospel was not restored because the Saints never finished the Nauvoo temple before it could be revealed. As a result the fullness of the priesthood was not restored, and personal visitations by Christ/angels were not granted to the membership. The destruction of the Nauvoo temple, and expulsion of the Saints from Nauvoo were foretold as a sign that the complete restoration was not complete.
However, the traditional narrative tells a different story. The author purports that this is due to the fact that the modern Mormon church is run by proud descendants of Nauvoo. He points out that no single church president has been without Nauvoo ancestors. As we have seen in other instances, history is written by the victors. It only makes sense that the traditional narrative been favorable of the Nauvoo Saints who left for the west.
Mr. Snuffer was able to show that history has been interpreted backwards. The chariot before the horse. The descendants of Nauvoo believed in the successful restoration of the gospel, so they interpreted events likewise. The author shows when you suspend a preconceived conclusion, the facts tell a different story.
This is the key to the author's argument, and it is done very well. This book completely turned everything I knew about Mormon history on it's head over and over again. It was a great ride.
I can say, however, that the author is guilty of the same flaw he accuses the modern church of being guilty of. Mr. Snuffer approaches church history with a "testimony" of a few things: that the Book of Mormon is factual scripture, that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet, and that the author himself has had at least one personal visitation by Jesus Christ.
With those tainted views, his own interpretations of events are shown to support his preconceived conclusions. If one steps one step further back (as I did) and is able to view the Book of Mormon and it's numerous problems, one is able to concluded (fairly easily) that the Book of Mormon is not a historical text, but rather the creation of man. As a result it is easy to see that Joseph Smith did not talk with God, even if he believed he did. Because of this, everything in this book pertaining to scripture/prophecy/etc. is rather moot. It is just chariot-before-the-horse interpretation of events long gone.
If you already believe the Book of Mormon to be true, this is a great book for you to read. If you have no background in Mormonism and/or don't believe in the divinity of the BOM, then this book may frustrate you at times.
After writing this book the author was excommunicated for his views. At one point the author mentions that if the church leadership ever uses their power to persecute the saints (using unrighteous dominion, coercion) then what remains of their priesthood would be removed. Since Mr. Snuffer's excommunication involved the leadership of the church itself (general authorities and at least one apostle) I wonder if he sincerely believes what he wrote about the consequences of his excommunication on the church leadership. Is their priesthood null and void because they used unrighteous dominion to cover their sins and persecute the saints?
The book had so much going for it, until the last two chapters. It felt as though the author began to reverse course and placate the church. Had he stayed the course, without trying to find a way for the Latter-day church to somehow be involved in God's plan and worthy of membership, the book would have been so much better. I'm sure the author originally feared ecclesiastical repercussions for such a statement, which seemed to have happened anyway.
I've never read anything like this before, and I loved it. Had I simply been questioning my faith while reading this, it is very possible it would have cemented me in the church.
I commend the author for his well-researched and well-documented book. I will highly recommend it to anyone interested.
So, on to the meat of it. Mr. Snuffer illustrates, quite well, how the modern day Mormon church has changed drastically since the church Joseph Smith started. He is able to use, effectively, quotes, journal entries, observations, and testimonies of people to easily piece together the narrative of the evolution of the church.
His major argument, which seem legitimate, is that the fullness of the gospel was not restored because the Saints never finished the Nauvoo temple before it could be revealed. As a result the fullness of the priesthood was not restored, and personal visitations by Christ/angels were not granted to the membership. The destruction of the Nauvoo temple, and expulsion of the Saints from Nauvoo were foretold as a sign that the complete restoration was not complete.
However, the traditional narrative tells a different story. The author purports that this is due to the fact that the modern Mormon church is run by proud descendants of Nauvoo. He points out that no single church president has been without Nauvoo ancestors. As we have seen in other instances, history is written by the victors. It only makes sense that the traditional narrative been favorable of the Nauvoo Saints who left for the west.
Mr. Snuffer was able to show that history has been interpreted backwards. The chariot before the horse. The descendants of Nauvoo believed in the successful restoration of the gospel, so they interpreted events likewise. The author shows when you suspend a preconceived conclusion, the facts tell a different story.
This is the key to the author's argument, and it is done very well. This book completely turned everything I knew about Mormon history on it's head over and over again. It was a great ride.
I can say, however, that the author is guilty of the same flaw he accuses the modern church of being guilty of. Mr. Snuffer approaches church history with a "testimony" of a few things: that the Book of Mormon is factual scripture, that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet, and that the author himself has had at least one personal visitation by Jesus Christ.
With those tainted views, his own interpretations of events are shown to support his preconceived conclusions. If one steps one step further back (as I did) and is able to view the Book of Mormon and it's numerous problems, one is able to concluded (fairly easily) that the Book of Mormon is not a historical text, but rather the creation of man. As a result it is easy to see that Joseph Smith did not talk with God, even if he believed he did. Because of this, everything in this book pertaining to scripture/prophecy/etc. is rather moot. It is just chariot-before-the-horse interpretation of events long gone.
If you already believe the Book of Mormon to be true, this is a great book for you to read. If you have no background in Mormonism and/or don't believe in the divinity of the BOM, then this book may frustrate you at times.
After writing this book the author was excommunicated for his views. At one point the author mentions that if the church leadership ever uses their power to persecute the saints (using unrighteous dominion, coercion) then what remains of their priesthood would be removed. Since Mr. Snuffer's excommunication involved the leadership of the church itself (general authorities and at least one apostle) I wonder if he sincerely believes what he wrote about the consequences of his excommunication on the church leadership. Is their priesthood null and void because they used unrighteous dominion to cover their sins and persecute the saints?
The book had so much going for it, until the last two chapters. It felt as though the author began to reverse course and placate the church. Had he stayed the course, without trying to find a way for the Latter-day church to somehow be involved in God's plan and worthy of membership, the book would have been so much better. I'm sure the author originally feared ecclesiastical repercussions for such a statement, which seemed to have happened anyway.
I've never read anything like this before, and I loved it. Had I simply been questioning my faith while reading this, it is very possible it would have cemented me in the church.
I commend the author for his well-researched and well-documented book. I will highly recommend it to anyone interested.
December 2, 2013
This was an interesting read. Mr. Snuffer puts forward a very different view of the Latter-day Saint church. He is calling for a return to what he deems as the core teachings that were originally part of the Church, but have been diluted or removed over time. He provides a good argument for many of his views with scriptural backing, however I did not find them as compelling as many of the others who have read his works. See other reviews. While I am quite skeptical of many of his thoughts I did gain quite a few insights from this book.
As an example of a concept I liked he talks of the utility of ordinances and how the point is not found in the ordinance itself, but in what it teaches us.
"The ceremonies and ordinances of the church all point to Him. They are not the end of the search but instead teach you how to conduct the search. If all you receive are ordinances, you have nothing of real value. They are dead without a living, personal connection with God. God alone can and will save you."
This is a breath of fresh air in a church that sometimes has a feel of being a big checklist (get baptized, read scriptures, go to the temple, do your home teaching... = salvation).
On the skeptical side of my feelings of Passing the Heavenly Gift I thought Snuffer would often posit a teaching or thought and then do a good amount of proof texting to back it up and explain how the church currently is failing to perpetuate the teaching. While I respect him for speaking his thoughts, which appear sincere, in most cases I thought the teaching was not as clear or well-defined as he declares it was.
It is all perspective. One may look at the history of the church and see one beautiful, inspirational event after another all guided by God's hand, another, such as Snuffer, sees event after event removing us from the church that God through Joseph Smith intended us to have. I personally am somewhere in the middle.
As an example of a concept I liked he talks of the utility of ordinances and how the point is not found in the ordinance itself, but in what it teaches us.
"The ceremonies and ordinances of the church all point to Him. They are not the end of the search but instead teach you how to conduct the search. If all you receive are ordinances, you have nothing of real value. They are dead without a living, personal connection with God. God alone can and will save you."
This is a breath of fresh air in a church that sometimes has a feel of being a big checklist (get baptized, read scriptures, go to the temple, do your home teaching... = salvation).
On the skeptical side of my feelings of Passing the Heavenly Gift I thought Snuffer would often posit a teaching or thought and then do a good amount of proof texting to back it up and explain how the church currently is failing to perpetuate the teaching. While I respect him for speaking his thoughts, which appear sincere, in most cases I thought the teaching was not as clear or well-defined as he declares it was.
It is all perspective. One may look at the history of the church and see one beautiful, inspirational event after another all guided by God's hand, another, such as Snuffer, sees event after event removing us from the church that God through Joseph Smith intended us to have. I personally am somewhere in the middle.
November 8, 2013
Out of the box LDS history. Very good.
September 6, 2016
Heavy hearted and hopeful all at the same time. Would love to discuss with friends.
June 9, 2020
Don't stop reading it. Finish to the last chapters and it all makes sense.
June 17, 2012
I almost finished this book, quitting on page 462 out of 499 pages. I should have finished it, but I just lost interest.
His preface begins with, "History is comprised of pretty rough stuff. The neat contours we tell one other after the events are not actual history, but myth attempting to explain what happened in hindsight. The more important the historical topic, the greater the tendency to replace the rough, contradictory, failings of the past with an overall message of triumph or redemption." Well, no one, after reading Passing the Heavenly Gift, will likely accuse Snuffer of following this tendency. Rather the opposite. Denver Snuffer dwells almost exclusively on the negative in his discussion of LDS history. I will not attempt to give illustrations of this as picking a particular item from the book can easily, and correctly, be considered removing that item from the context of the book. Snuffer rightly insists that one must read the book itself in order to form a conclusion. So if you wish to judge my conclusion, the only reasonable thing to do is read it yourself.
I have found over 71 years of existence that one's opinions are informed in great part by what is dwelt upon. There are certainly plenty of things in LDS history that are "rough stuff," but there are also plenty of things that are inspiring and redemptive. I like what Terryl Givens said toward the end of a talk he presented at Brigham Young University. Speaking of the early followers of Joseph Smith, he said, "There were reasons to doubt and there were reasons to believe. They chose to believe."
His preface begins with, "History is comprised of pretty rough stuff. The neat contours we tell one other after the events are not actual history, but myth attempting to explain what happened in hindsight. The more important the historical topic, the greater the tendency to replace the rough, contradictory, failings of the past with an overall message of triumph or redemption." Well, no one, after reading Passing the Heavenly Gift, will likely accuse Snuffer of following this tendency. Rather the opposite. Denver Snuffer dwells almost exclusively on the negative in his discussion of LDS history. I will not attempt to give illustrations of this as picking a particular item from the book can easily, and correctly, be considered removing that item from the context of the book. Snuffer rightly insists that one must read the book itself in order to form a conclusion. So if you wish to judge my conclusion, the only reasonable thing to do is read it yourself.
I have found over 71 years of existence that one's opinions are informed in great part by what is dwelt upon. There are certainly plenty of things in LDS history that are "rough stuff," but there are also plenty of things that are inspiring and redemptive. I like what Terryl Givens said toward the end of a talk he presented at Brigham Young University. Speaking of the early followers of Joseph Smith, he said, "There were reasons to doubt and there were reasons to believe. They chose to believe."
March 4, 2012
I wasn't sure how to rate this book. At times I liked it a lot, and at other times it really challenged my thinking. I couldn't put it on the shelf for long when the urge was to leave it and walk away. This is the most revealing of Snuffer's books that I have read, and I am not sure how I feel about it yet. In the beginning he says something like, "if you this bothers you, put it down and walk away.... but if you choose to read it, you must read it to the end." I took him for his word and I am grateful to have finished this very, very long book. It is not for a Latter Day Saint that is faint of heart. It has a lot of negative church history, but it seems to me that it contains a different view than what is traditional, that is scriptural-based as well as anchored in many of the teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith that are not as well known in our day. It holds possible answers to questions that I have been asking for years pertaining to "Second Anointing" - a topic that most people do not discuss or understand, but that I have always had a deep interest in. As I closed the book I had the overwhelming feeling that I have a lot of work to do, but I also feel very hopeful and I feel as though my understanding of my church and it's history and of Christ's gospel has increased.
September 18, 2013
A couple of my children consistently went to Bro. Snuffer's study group for years and introduced me to his books 7 years ago. I tried to read 2 of them but hated them and stopped. Then they recently told me about this one that was "really interesting" but it is a difficult read because it contains little-known negative history about the Church with the caveat "if you start reading it you better not stop--finish it and it will all make sense." I read it quickly because a. the negative history felt like dark heaviness on me and I had to work my way past it, and b. Bro. Snuffer made me think deeply about how I am living my faith and I liked that. I would have liked him to have included positive Church history, but that wasn't the purpose of his book. I believe he contradicted himself at times and I think he took some of his quotes out of context. But his purpose is to encourage people to come unto Christ: a very worthy goal. But no book takes the place of the Book of Mormon to reach this goal! *Read at your own risk.*
August 25, 2016
I appreciate new angles and interpretations, but I was pretty underwhelmed by his arguments and their supporting evidence. He has a very contrived and narrow interpretation that he seems to try and convey as "the only true and living" view of the church's history. It doesn't help that he, in other places, claims to have seen Christ and received revelations about the Church falling into apostasy. Not to mention his completely ridiculous (historically impossible) opinion regarding Joseph's polygamy. There certainly have been devolutions of doctrines, but which could be blamed more on the members than leaders. My margins are marked up with all the issues I have, but I still was somewhat entertained reading a new viewpoint and trying to understand the Snufferite view.
July 20, 2016
I'm not sure I agree with everything written here . . . but it certainly made me think. Not only that, I learned something (actually, a lot of things), and that hasn't happened at church since I was in Primary, personal desire and longing for learning notwithstanding. I can't speak for everyone but this was just what I've needed for longer than I've even known I needed it.
January 8, 2014
Not sure why all the hubbub.
June 15, 2016
I think it's not a book that many practicing Mormons would feel particularly comfortable reading, but I found it to be very interesting.
May 13, 2014
Very interesting and eye opening account.
May 3, 2017
I first stumbled upon Snuffer's "The Second Comforter" on a bookshelf at a friend's house. After flipping through the first few pages, I became utterly engaged. I bought my own copy and read the whole thing. I loved how Snuffer engaged with the scriptures, and how he found so much in them. The gospel was one to Snuffer-- Old Testament, New, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. But the farther I got into his book series, he kept bringing up hypocrites and Pharisees, and through implication, Church leaders. It was uncomfortable, because I had never had any quarrel with local Church leaders, or general authorities. I eventually Googled Denver Snuffer, and found out that he had been excommunicated upon publishing this book, "Passing the Heavenly Gift," for suggesting that the Church had fallen into some sort of apostasy. This disappointed and surprised me, as I had found such inspiration from Snuffer. I felt that the majority of what I had read were true principles and were in harmony with gospel teachings. Had Snuffer somehow lost his way? When I found his website and read some of his current writings, I was also surprised that he now sounded bitter and openly condemned Church leaders. Rather than continuing on and reading PtHG, I chose to leave it be, because I didn't know how it would affect my faith. I had already dealt with close friends leaving the Church, and I didn't want to deal with more.
But recently I have felt in a strong place. I feel confident in my faith. It is an integral part of my life, not just in the Church sense, but in my personal life and patterns of belief. I hadn't thought much of Snuffer for some time, but when I heard in a blog post that he had started to baptize people, my curiosity was piqued. Apparently he also had taken upon himself the task of translating the gospel of John. Was I watching a splinter group forming?
Which seemed ironic, considering some that Snuffer condemned such actions in his own book:
"I never expect to abandon my membership in or activity with the church. There should be no reason to restore again, “reorganize,” or redo the organization of Christ’s church. It is here, and it continues to have a Divinely appointed destiny. "
"Every saint is commanded to teach the doctrine of the kingdom to one another, but that does not give anyone the right to establish a splinter group, lead others away, or gratify their ambition to lead by claiming they have the right to preside. We should remain a united body of believers, even if our beliefs differ among ourselves about some issues. "
Regardless, Snuffer's book is fascinating. I have read the filtered version of Church history ("Our History", for instance), and I have recently began to read books published by Church historians with more of the story filled in ("David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism" and "Joseph Smith's Seer Stones.") Those were hard, but honest, and it was good to get closer to the whole truth of the Restoration. I think these things should be encouraged and embraced, and don't find them faith-harming, but faith-strengthening. Snuffer's book is unique, in that it accepts all of the Church's truth claims, lays out much of history not claimed in official Church literature, and comes to an alternate conclusion.
Snuffer breaks Church history into four phases: (1) Joseph's outward and expanding phase where new doctrines were being received and built upon, (2) Young's polygamist theocracy in the West that tried to preserve everything within the first phase, (3) Post-Manifesto Mormonism that condemned the polygamy of the first two phases, and (4) post-Correlation Mormonism that accepted corporate management techniques to institutionalize change. He claims that the "Heavenly Gift", the fulness of the priesthood, was not passed on from Joseph Smith to the Twelve as the Church asserts, and that we are currently living in a state similar to the Israelites after Moses was taken. We have the lesser priesthood and the outward ordinances, but are without the higher priesthood. In order to have the fulness of the priesthood, one must have a personal audience with Christ.
That is the book in a nutshell. Much of the information wasn't new, but the narrative was. Snuffer is pretty bold. And I think many of his ideas have legitimacy, and require personal and even institutional repentance. And while I feel bad that he was excommunicated, I can see why he did. If you were to follow Snuffer's book, I can imagine almost a cliqueishness entering the Church, those who claimed to be more spiritual or who had an audience with Christ. I am glad that Snuffer suggests the possibility, but by setting it as an expectation for Church leaders and condemning them if they aren't, he's pretty much opening space for rebellion.
I am going to keep the principles I learned from Snuffer in mind, and hopefully be a little better for it. I'm glad that Snuffer did what he did and I wish him the best. He casts himself as a prophet in the Isaiah or Jeremiah fashion, and perhaps we do as an institution need a call to repentance from outside the system.
But recently I have felt in a strong place. I feel confident in my faith. It is an integral part of my life, not just in the Church sense, but in my personal life and patterns of belief. I hadn't thought much of Snuffer for some time, but when I heard in a blog post that he had started to baptize people, my curiosity was piqued. Apparently he also had taken upon himself the task of translating the gospel of John. Was I watching a splinter group forming?
Which seemed ironic, considering some that Snuffer condemned such actions in his own book:
"I never expect to abandon my membership in or activity with the church. There should be no reason to restore again, “reorganize,” or redo the organization of Christ’s church. It is here, and it continues to have a Divinely appointed destiny. "
"Every saint is commanded to teach the doctrine of the kingdom to one another, but that does not give anyone the right to establish a splinter group, lead others away, or gratify their ambition to lead by claiming they have the right to preside. We should remain a united body of believers, even if our beliefs differ among ourselves about some issues. "
Regardless, Snuffer's book is fascinating. I have read the filtered version of Church history ("Our History", for instance), and I have recently began to read books published by Church historians with more of the story filled in ("David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism" and "Joseph Smith's Seer Stones.") Those were hard, but honest, and it was good to get closer to the whole truth of the Restoration. I think these things should be encouraged and embraced, and don't find them faith-harming, but faith-strengthening. Snuffer's book is unique, in that it accepts all of the Church's truth claims, lays out much of history not claimed in official Church literature, and comes to an alternate conclusion.
Snuffer breaks Church history into four phases: (1) Joseph's outward and expanding phase where new doctrines were being received and built upon, (2) Young's polygamist theocracy in the West that tried to preserve everything within the first phase, (3) Post-Manifesto Mormonism that condemned the polygamy of the first two phases, and (4) post-Correlation Mormonism that accepted corporate management techniques to institutionalize change. He claims that the "Heavenly Gift", the fulness of the priesthood, was not passed on from Joseph Smith to the Twelve as the Church asserts, and that we are currently living in a state similar to the Israelites after Moses was taken. We have the lesser priesthood and the outward ordinances, but are without the higher priesthood. In order to have the fulness of the priesthood, one must have a personal audience with Christ.
That is the book in a nutshell. Much of the information wasn't new, but the narrative was. Snuffer is pretty bold. And I think many of his ideas have legitimacy, and require personal and even institutional repentance. And while I feel bad that he was excommunicated, I can see why he did. If you were to follow Snuffer's book, I can imagine almost a cliqueishness entering the Church, those who claimed to be more spiritual or who had an audience with Christ. I am glad that Snuffer suggests the possibility, but by setting it as an expectation for Church leaders and condemning them if they aren't, he's pretty much opening space for rebellion.
I am going to keep the principles I learned from Snuffer in mind, and hopefully be a little better for it. I'm glad that Snuffer did what he did and I wish him the best. He casts himself as a prophet in the Isaiah or Jeremiah fashion, and perhaps we do as an institution need a call to repentance from outside the system.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews