I was interested to learn that Mohamed never taught that women should wear burkas (the veil covering their face). Moses never taught that we should limit how far we walk on the Sabbath or several of the other traditions with which Christ had to contend. I wonder if Buddha meant his followers to meditate and worship the way they do now. Would Jesus be pleased with the Catholic church the way it has developed since He gave it into Peter and the Apostle’s hands? Would He like their worship of Mary, the celibacy of priests, the Sunday mass, the different orders, and the way they proselytized their faith: piggybacking on the Spanish violent invasions when they came to the new world? I doubt He was pleased with the inquisition.
Man always seems to take the pure teachings handed to them by God’s inspired and then add their own embellishments. We tend to pick and choose from the scriptures (old scribes took it a lot further: actually deleting and changing the text of the scriptures.) Leaders take verses they like and teach them to congregations elaborating and adding their own interpretations. As time goes by some teachings take on a life of their own and become doctrine and institutionalized. Other are ignored and quietly set aside. Here I fantasize that the founders come back to earth from heaven to check on how things are going.
Mohamed, “What the @$%# is all this control and oppression of women? Didn’t I teach that they had the right to property and deserve all the same respect as men? The violence and terrorism! Whenever did I teach that!!”
Buddha, “I never built statues, I never wanted them built! Get the gold off them and use it to feed the poor. What is all this passivity and meditation? Meditation without social participation has no teeth! Get out there and get some good done!”
Jesus, “You worship my Mom?! Whose idea was that! And You: the USA; you destroy two countries for two towers? That’s forgiveness?! I taught a higher peace than that!”
I don’t really think they would talk that way, but they might have questions along those lines. Many LDS members don’t just accept the church as it is now, but believe it is as God would have it. Perhaps they are right. But knowing how all other inspired religions have corrupted over time, would it hurt to check for signs of the same? One scripture elevated and institutionalized (and I am quite in agreement) are the few verses D&C 89:4-9 which suggest we refrain from smoking and drinking. But the verses which follow D&C 89: 12-15 are generally ignored. These verses instruct us not to consume the flesh of animal except when grains, vegetables, and fruits are not available. (Flesh only in times of famine, winter, cold, and excess hunger) If these verses were given the same emphasis as the earlier verses, Mormons would all be strict vegetarians as they are strict nonsmokers and nondrinkers.
The LDS have three sets of scriptures which talk about the Gifts of the Spirit: I Corinthians 12:4-11, Moroni 10:8-19, and D&C 46:10-29. Clearly these gifts are important to develop. Yet there is no emphasis to build up the practice of the Gifts of the Spirit. Temple and Church meeting attendance are treated as indications of worthiness and righteousness. Yet there are no scriptures that say it.
Years ago there was a strong emphasis on getting the Spirit. The last words we have from Joseph Smith are from a dream/vision Brigham had. Joseph told him, “Tell the saints to get the Spirit. They can know the Holy Spirit above all others because it will teach them the peaceable things of the Kingdom.” The need of the Holy Spirit is found in countless scriptural accounts. One of the best is where Jesus told His disciples to wait for the coming of the Comforter. When He came upon them, they clearly saw how real and important it was. But now Mormons emphasize “Follow the Brethren”. This will certainly build up and strengthen the power of the leaders of the church over the members. But it is not scripture and I am not so sure it will bring them closer to God. Both Joseph Smith and Wilford Woodruff warned early members that their leaders were fallible. They must obtain and depend on the Holy Spirit first and then follow their leaders.
Sadly I expect there has been and will always be some picking and choosing of scriptures and teachings to develop traditions which then are used to define ‘righteousness.’ The only escape is to get the Spirit for oneself and return to the simplicity of the original messages of the inspired teachers of the past.