This book is a study of the six temples which the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints constructed in the nineteenth century. Though sharing the characteristics of various revival styles, the buildings demonstrate a progressive modification of these styles so as to express the functions of the temples and to reflect the theology and politics of the Mormons. The four temples in Utah, designed by the church president Brigham Young and his builder-architects, symbolize the merging of spiritual and temporal concerns and, the author believes, were meant to play an instrumental role in the transformation of America into a millennial kingdom of God and a second Garden of Eden. Thus, the temples are studied within the specific context of Mormonism and the broader spectrum of American cultural history as well. The account begins in Ohio, where the believers in Joseph Smith's restored gospel erected a temple resembling the New England meetinghouse in form and use. It follows the Mormons to Nauvoo, Illinois, where the second temple was built in the 1840s. The author demonstrates how the developing theology and the introduction of secret rituals began to change the meaning and the architectural form of the temple, as the style and architectural symbols were incorporated on the exterior of the temple. From Illinois the Mormons moved to Utah, where four temples were built. The most important, at Salt Lake City, is discussed in detail. The author evaluates the contributions of Brigham Young to its design, illustrates and discusses the drawings of the architect, and offers an interpretation of the symbolism of the building. She also discusses the attempt of the Mormons to establish an independent "Kingdom of God" in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ, and relates the Salt Lake City temple and the other Utah buildings to this effort. Her conclusion is that the Salt Lake City temple was to have a civic as well as religious function as the governmental center of the Kingdom of God. The other three Utah temples were intended to extend the authority of the Mormon government throughout Utah.

The Mormon temple endowment is sacred to faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its members are forbidden by church leaders to reveal them or to discuss them, even within the sacred precincts of the temples themselves. Over the decades, this silence has resulted in misunderstandings regarding the ceremony, which is often now regarded as a reward for righteousness or as an elite status conferred on the church's most loyal members. This book reclaims the Mormon temple endowment as a Messianic sacrament. Its author is Paul Toscano, one of the September Six who were excommunicated from the LDS Church in 1993 for his criticism of church leaders for their subordination of Jesus Christ, their misunderstanding of the restored gospel, and their intolerant authoritarianism. In Part I: The Gods of the Temple, Toscano interprets the endowment as the final expression of Joseph Smith's innovative godhead teachings. In Part II: The Mysteries of Godliness, he provides a detailed analysis of the symbols of the ceremony. In Part III: The Holy Order of God, he lays out a blue print for LDS Church organization and administration consonant with the temple's revelation and conferral of Messianic priesthood on both men and women. This work s not an expose, but a plea for a new direction-a temple-centered Messianic Mormonism for the Third Millennium."

To a Mormon, happiness may be Family Home Evening, and families may be forever, but becoming an actual god is the ultimate goal of every member of the church. Mormons believe the reason for coming to earth from the planet near the great star Kolob is to gain bodies for our spirit beings and to be tested. To become gods, they need to be Mormons, to go through the temple to learn the signs and tokens for entry to the celestial glory and to be obedient unto death to the holy prophet. Everything else is tied to, and wraps around, this one goal. Today, Mormon Mitt Romney is a major candidate for the White House, A man who would be god. An entire chapter is devoted to the Mormon Plan for America and the rise of Mitt Romney. It is a warning and a must read for every Christian.

Includes abstracts of testimonies of witnesses, excerpts from published materials, opinions and decisions of the court.

Romancing Death sheds the light of God on the popularity of vampirism in today’s pop culture. This fascinating exposé of the dark realities behind romanticizing the occult in our current culture reveals the naked truth about how the church has not addressed the needs of people young and old who fill the holes in their souls and spirits with evil rather than good. Weaving his personal history—including involvement in Wicca, Freemasonry, and vampirism—the author lays out the literary and cultural history of vampirism and closely analyzes the romanticized presentation of the occult in the Twilight saga. Romancing Death is a clarion call for the Church to take responsibility to be true salt and light in the world.