credmond@watmath.UUCP (Chris Redmond) (12/01/86)
I am neither a Mormon nor an expert on the doctrines and practices of the Latter-Day Saints. On the other hand, my first girl friend (when I was 14) was a Mormon, so I must know something about the subject, right? :-) (I do recall some awkward moments: she couldn't drink coffee, hot chocolate or Coke. At that age liquor wasn't an issue!) Okay, seriously. First of all, I would like to distinguish between the theological beliefs of the LDS church, about which I have nothing to say, and the historical narrative of the Book of Mormon, about which I'd like to make a point. Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon appears to consist largely of tribal, royal and military history, all set in what is now known as Central and South America and some parts of the North American plains. The heart of this long story is a description of how Jesus, apparently immediately after his crucifixion at Jerusalem, appeared to the people of this western land, preaching a message of God's love and redemption. His statements and sermons, as quoted in the Book of Mormon (whose English text was set down in the early 19th century by a man whose style was heavily influenced by the King James Bible) are, for long passages, just about indistinguishable from similar material in the first three Gospels. I am not affirming the truth of this story, let alone expressing an opinion about the inferences which the LDS church has drawn from it, when I say that it would not damage my Christian faith in any way if I were to learn that Jesus -- or some other divine messenger, for that matter -- had come to the Americas in ancient times, or to any other sentient people on this or another planet. It could be objected that Jesus is "uniquely" God's word made flesh, but I think that means unique for us, unique for those whose other traditions are from Asia through Europe (which means most of the civilized world). I have not the slightest difficulty with the idea that God can do things I didn't know about! The story of the coming of Jesus to the Americas, along with a great deal of other narrative -- including Jesus' life in Palestine -- is told in an impressive pageant which is produced by the LDS church for a week or so each summer (late July) at the Hill Cumorah historic site near Palmyra, New York, which is the place where Joseph Smith said he had found the gold tablets on which God had caused the Book of Mormon to be inscribed. The hill now belongs to the LDS church, and becomes the stage for a production involving recorded and live music, voices, lights, actors, magnificent sets and props, the whole Cecil B. DeMille business. All are welcome (bring a blanket -- the outdoor benches are hard), admission is free, and parking is supervised by earnest young men with flashlights and reflective vests. The pageant is well worth seeing, but exceedingly long; I had the pleasure of seeing it in 1985, and when exhaustion and travel arrangements forced me to leave at about 10:30, it didn't seem anywhere close to finished. (The show starts at dusk.) There were friendly people handing out buttons and asking whether visitors were "members of the church", but no pressure. -- Chris