Universalism And The Latter Day Saint Movement

Christian universalism was a theology prevalent in the early United States coinciding with the founding of the Latter Day Saint movement (also known as Mormonism) in 1830. Universalists believed that God would save all of humanity. Universalism peaked in popularity during the 1820s and 1830s, and the idea of universal salvation for all humanity was hotly debated. Several revelations of the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, Joseph Smith, dealt with issues regarding Universalism, and it was a prominent heresy in the Book of Mormon. Smith's father was a Universalist, while his mother was a traditional Calvinism, Calvinist, creating strain in the Smith family home.

The Book of Mormon is generally seen as containing anti-Universalist rhetoric of the 1820s, supporting the idea that Hell is real and a place where the wicked will suffer for eternity. The extent that the debates over Universalism from the 1820s influenced the Book of Mormon is controversial for Latter Day Saints, as many believe the book to be of ancient origin. Later revelations were seen by early members and outsiders as supporting a more universalist approach, where the wicked are still redeemed in heaven. This view on salvation led many to leave the early church.

Background

Universalism in the Early United States

The distinguishing doctrine of Universalism was that God would save all of humanity regardless of their righteousness or wickedness. To a Universalist, eternal damnation was an excessive and unjust punishment that far outweighed any sin a person could commit, and antithetical to a merciful God.Vincent, Ken R. (January/February 2006)
"Where Have All the Universalists Gone?"
''The Universalist Herald''. Prominent Universalist advocate Hosea Ballou summarized the motivation for the doctrine with the rhetorical question:

Your child has fallen into the mire, and its body and its garments are defiled. You cleanse it, and array it in clean robes. The query is, Do you love your child because you have washed it? Or, Did you wash it because you loved it?

Universalists were divided on the extent of the punishment of the sinner:

Restorationists
:: Believed sinners would be temporarily punished after death before eventually being saved.
Ultra-Universalists or Modern Universalists
:: Believed that all would be saved with no punishment, did not believe in divinity of Jesus or the need for an atonement.

Universalism was brought to the North American colonies in the early 18th century by the English-born physician George de Benneville and made popular by John Murray, Elhanan Winchester, and Hosea Ballou. It reached its apex of popularity in 1833, becoming one of the fourth or fifth largest denominations in the United States. Debates over Universalism were ubiquitous in the American theological landscape. It was seen as a threat by the orthodox, Calvinist Congregationalists of New England such as Jonathan Edwards, who wrote prolifically against universalist teachings and preachers. While the mainline Protestant denominations (e.g. Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Methodists, Baptists, and Episcopalians) frequently disagreed among themselves, they were united in their belief that Universalism was a heresy, and are generally referred to today as the orthodox viewpoint, or anti-Universalists.

Universalism and early Latter Day Saints

In 1823 there were around 90 Universalist congregations in the greater Finger Lakes area where Mormonism was founded. In 1818, speaking of a town 15 miles south of the Joseph Smith family home, minister David Millard said, "Universalism was a predominant opinion in the place." Universalism was also a prominent theology in the Joseph Smith's home growing up. His father, Joseph Smith Sr., along with his Uncle Jesse and Grandfather Aesel founded a Universalist Society in Topsfield, Massachusetts, in 1797. Topsfield was just 15 miles north of the residence of influential Universalist John Murray.

Joseph Smith Sr. continued his belief in Universalism into adulthood, for which he was criticized by some of his neighbors. Joseph Smith Sr.'s belief in Universalism contributed to his and some of his children's disdain for revival churches in the 1820s.Brooke, J. L. (1996). The refiner's fire: The making of Mormon cosmology, 1644-1844. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. e-book location 1149, 1320, 2858 of 6221 In 1823, when Smith's older brother Alvin died, the reverend who preached at the funeral implied that Alvin had gone to Hell since he had never been baptized, which angered Smith's father. Joseph Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, was an orthodox Presbyterian, and this differing belief system created tension in the Smith family home. Some of their children followed after their Mother and were baptized into Presbyterianism, while others followed their Father and did not become baptized, including Joseph Smith Jr. Joseph Smith's grandfather Asael Smith remained unmoved in his Universalist convictions upon hearing of Mormonism, but according to family tradition he did eventually renounce Universalism on his deathbed in November 1830. Joseph Smith Sr. also changed his mind about the necessity of baptism, and was baptized on April 6, 1830, upon which Joseph Smith Jr. became overwhelmed, declaring, "Oh! My God I have lived to see my own father baptized into the true church of Jesus Christ!"

Lucy's father Solomon Mack converted from Universalism to orthodox Christianity in the early 1800s and back to Universalism in 1818. One of the scribes of the Book of Mormon, Martin Harris, was also a Universalist at one point before joining the Latter Day Saint movement. Joseph Knight Sr. and members of his family had also been Universalist.

Universalism and the Book of Mormon

A central theme of the Book of Mormon is the salvation of humanity. The Book of Mormon rejects the doctrine of universal salvation as heretical. The discussions surrounding Universalism in the Book of Mormon are similar to those in early nineteenth century United States. Early converts may have felt their anti-Universalist views confirmed by the Book of Mormon.

The anti-Universalism of the Book of Mormon was recognized by its early readers, both adherents and critics. Prominent opponent Alexander Campbell wrote, "This prophet Smith ... wrote ... in his book of Mormon, every error and almost every truth discussed in N. York for the last ten years. He decides all the great controversies" and included "eternal punishment" as one of those controversies. Early Latter Day Saint Sylvester Smith wrote in 1833 that "the Universalist says it he Book of Mormonreproaches his creed." Another early convert, Eli Gilbert, of Connecticut said that the Book of Mormon shortly after publication, that it "bore hard upon my favorite notions of universal salvation"

Amongst anti-Universalists there was general agreement that there was a two-outcome doctrine of heaven and hell, but differing opinions on who would ultimately be saved. Calvinism for example believed that an omniscient God already had decided who would be saved, and human actions on earth would do little to change things. The Book of Mormon generally aligned with Methodists of the time, who divided humankind into five groups of people:

Notably, the Book of Mormon sided with Universalists with regard to the salvation of those who never had a chance to hear of Jesus.

Nephi

Restorationists vs. Ultra-Universalists

Universalists disagreed on whether there would be torment after death before ultimate salvation. ''Restorationists'' believed there would be a time of suffering after death while ''Ultra-Universalists'' believed there was no suffering after death.

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi's older brothers also wonder if punishment will happen in this life, and ask him if hell is "the torment of the body in the days of probation, or doth it mean the final state of the soul after the death of the temporal body?" Nephi's answer sides thoroughly with the anti-Universalists, "There is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken."

Eat, drink, and be merry

Because Universalists believed that all would be saved regardless of righteousness, they were often painted by anti-Universalists as leading to Epicureanism, reasoning that if a person believed God would forgive any sin, then any sin would be allowed. For example, minister John Devotion wrote in 1801,

''If there is no future judgment, they are certainly excusable who say, 'Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die'. To suppose the future judgment is not a final and unalterable determination of our future state, opens the door to all manner of licentiousness in this life. That the punishment of the wicked will not be eternal, is ... believed by some at this day, to the destruction of vital piety and the morals of them who receive it.''

The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi similarly wrote that when the Book of Mormon would be revealed to the world at a time when a heresy existed that God would justify sin and still save his people. Nephi condemned both the ''ultra-universalist'' and ''restorationist'' doctrine, writing:

The Book of Mormon scripture uses the lexicon and imagery of the New Testament Parable of the Faithful Servant. In the parable, a wicked servant begins to "eat, drink and be drunken" after his master's coming is delayed. When the master comes, the wicked servants are "beaten with many stripes", while those who ignorantly sinned are "beaten with few stripes". The parable was used as a proof text for ''restorationist'' Universalists, arguing that God beating with many and few stripes implied an eventual end to punishment. For example, Universalist Elhanan Winchester wrote, "The very idea of many and few stripes, supposes limited punishments: for how can those stripes be said to be few, which shall continue ternallywhile God exists?"

Nehor and Amlici

A common argument against Universalism was that it led to spiritual decay, greed, subversion and debauchery. The story of Nehor supported this idea.

In the Book of Mormon, a man named Nehor

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases