Did the Watchtower borrow from the Mormons?

by Scorpion 1 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Scorpion
    Scorpion

    Did the Watchtower borrow from the Mormons?

    WATCHTOWER TEACHING

    Dead leader still active though Pastor Russell has passed beyond the veil, he is still managing every
    feature of the Harvest work.
    -Studies in the Scripture, Vol. 7, p.144

    Earlier Mormon Teaching

    Dead leader still active Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind
    the vail
    in the great work of the last days.
    -B. Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p. 289

    Watchtower Teaching

    Gods throne at star Alcyone Alcyone, the central one of the renowned Pleiadic starsfrom which the
    Almighty governs his universe.
    -Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 3, p.327
    the group Pleiades. And the reasonable suggestion has been made that that
    center may be the heaven of heavens, the highest heaven, the throne of God.
    -The Watchtower, May 15, 1895, p. 1814
    (Societys reprints)

    Mormon Teaching

    Gods throne at star Kolob
    And I saw the stars that one of them was nearest unto the throne of Godthe
    name of the great one is KolobKolob is set nigh unto the throne of God, to
    govern all those planets.
    -Abraham 3:2, 3, Pearl of Great Price (1842)

    Watchtower Teaching

    Men will become Gods Now we appear like men, and all die naturally like men, but in the resurrection
    we will rise in our true character as Gods
    .
    -The Watch Tower, December, 1881, page 301

    Mormon Teaching

    Men will become Gods God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted manand you have got
    to learn how to be gods yourselvesthe same as all gods have done before
    youuntil you attain to the resurrection
    -Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 305-306

    Watchtower Teaching

    Pyramid prophecies THE TESTIMONY OF GODS STONE WITNESS AND PROPHET, THE
    GREAT PYAMID IN EGYPT
    Call to mind that the full end of Gentile power in
    the world and the time of trouble which brings its overthrow, will be in the end of
    A.D. 1914If the inches of the floor-lines of these passages represent a year,
    each
    -Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. III, 1891 (1903 edition), pages 313 (title),
    362-363

    Mormon Teaching

    Pyramid prophecies a new witness that the Lord seems to have brought to light, by the opening of
    the Great Pyramid of Egypt There seems to be a prophetic spirit running
    through the construction of all that cast superstructure, pointing forward to the
    very endAllowing one year to a cubit inch the generation that will close up
    the times of the Gentiles.
    -Orson Pratt, Fiftieth Annual Conference Report of the Mormon Church, 1880,
    pages 86-87

    WATCHTOWER TEACHING

    Gods channel Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we
    will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do.

    -The Watchtower, December 1, 1981, pg.27

    Earlier Mormon teaching

    Gods channel Do we realize that this is the channel through which the mind and will of God our
    Father is made known to us?and it is among the privileges of every man and
    every woman to approach the Lord through this channel and learn his mind and
    will concerning them.
    -Journal of Discourses, Vol. 18, 1875, p.98

    Watchtower Teaching

    Generation prophecies Most important, this magazine build confidence in the Creators promise of a
    peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914
    passes away.

    Earlier Mormon teaching

    Generation prophecies We believe in these promises as much as we believe in any promise ever uttered
    by the mouth of Jehovah. The Latter-day Saints just as much expect to receive a
    fulfillment of that promise during the generation that was in existence in 1832 as
    they expect that the sun will rise and set to-morrow. Why? Because God cannot
    lie.
    -Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, May 5, 1870, p. 362

    Taken from David Reeds 1991 Spring edition of Comments from the Friends

    Edited by - Scorpion on 24 November 2002 1:10:53

  • Kingpawn
    Kingpawn

    "Borrowed?" More like "stole!"

    If this is just a coincidence, the odds in favor of the similarity in wording on so many topics (and the topics themselves) are so small that it's hard not to put faith (no pun intended) in other explanations.

    After all, they (like the LDS) believe the Bible alone isn't enough to know God, they've missed prophecies, keep their past hidden from the "elect," and so on.

    That very first quote about Russell:

    Dead leader still active though Pastor Russell has passed beyond the veil, he is still managing every
    feature of the Harvest work.
    -Studies in the Scripture, Vol. 7, p.144

    If, as they say, there's no survival of the soul after death (Eccl. 9:5), who's running the show from beyond? The same spirit Saul consulted via the Witch at En-dor (1 Sam. 28:7-19)?

    Maybe I'm just a stubborn apostate rejecting "new light." <sighes>

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