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	Restoring the Ancient Church
	Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity by Barry Robert Bickmore Preface 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 Appendix: Descriptions of Ancient Documents and Writers Key to Abbreviations Selected Bibliography

Restoring the Ancient Church

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

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