The birth of a new fundamentalist splinter group breaking from
the Apostolic United Brethren or Allred fundamentalist group is complete less than two years after the controversial deathbed appointments by LaMoine Jenson of Lynn Thompson and Harry Bonnell. Although there have been small “Separatist”
meetings quietly taking place for months among some of the men in Pinesdale, this past week, March 13, 2016 was the
first official sacrament meeting held by the Separatists with approximately
50-70 people in attendance. In all likely hood, those
numbers will increase in the coming months as the new group
begins to organize and develop infrastructure.
When the fractures first emerged a year and a
half ago there were a lot of angry vocal people in Pinesdale who individually and collectively attempted to stick
their figurative finger in the AUB dike to stop the tide of inevitability. However as Isaac Newton observed in his scientific law
of motion… once something is set in
motion it will remain in motion unless acted upon by something of equal or greater
force. The dissenters in Pinesdale simply could not
mount enough force to stop the momentum behind the AUB’s thirst for power, scandal, and
cover up. Because of that, this split was
inevitable and eventually had to happen.
Abraham Lincoln once famously stated that, “sometimes history gets
itself into a log jam and it takes a war to break it up.” The AUB had worked itself into a log jam over
the past 40 years because of bad decisions, self-destructive financial practices,
lack of accountability to its followers, and the millstone of sexual
molestation. Although this particular
fundamentalist religious “war” for the heart and soul of the Allred group looks like it came on
frighteningly fast in the past year and half, the truth is, the track had been laid down years ago.
Even though the birth of the new group is complete, unfortunately,
there are still years of muddy waters to navigate coming up for the people
of the AUB and the “NPG” or New Pinesdale Group. Religious splits are never clean and
inevitably leave a destructive wake of bitterness, broken families, and torn communities behind them...this time will be no
different. The Loyalists of the AUB and
the Separatists of the New Pinesdale Group will be faced with the trials of
trying to share public space in Pinesdale and the niceties will only be able to last so
long. The AUB will eventually have to
put its foot down or risk relinquishing the school, church buildings, and community assets to the Pinesdale Group. The symbolic fist fights that lay ahead will not only be fought over carving out doctrinal
differences and priesthood authority but will also certainly be waged over even more controversial issues such as tithing funds,
building usage, the private school, and property rights. Sadly, both sides will eventually wish for the relatively peaceful days when they were simply splitting over doctrine.
22 comments:
Where is the LDS Church in this scenario? If you ask me it crashed and burned on the "follow the living prophet" post many years ago (causing the rise of the fundamentalist movement) and it loves pointing fingers at what a mess the fundamentalist are, not realizing that it's also severely wounded. Maybe you should consider putting your own neck on the line and use your efforts to promote positive change in your church? The fact of the matter is, you're all in the same boat. I'm sure you'd just love it if all the fundamentalist crashed and burned and came home to the "true church" but the fact of the matter is the LDS Church is also in the game of button, button, whose got the ......keys.
It would be interesting to see if this (npg) will actually do what has been done in the Book of Mormon from time to time, a little thing called repent! I wonder if Joe has ever read the book? I like the anonymous commenter above wonder if joe can see that the lds church is falling apart for the same reasons that aub has (corruption, priestcrafts and unrighteous dominion). Joe if you look at what has been going on in the church you will find that Aub and it's mess is like a pimple on a elaphants butt. It maybe hard for you to find the courage to sincerely look but if you do you might find yourself in a similar situation as those you have labeled (npg). These people from what I can see are committed to Jesus Christ despite the mess they clearly see. Will you find the path if and when you open your eyes? It's scary to think about right? WHOOSH! Thank God for (follow the living prophet) for the church can never be led astray! Only you don't believe that do you! Christ is the way. Read 2 Nephi 31, tell me who today teaches the doctrine of Christ.
And as with EVERY other apostate group with no true priesthood, the NPG will eventually wither and die as it leads itself further from truth.
The only question is will it take 60 years like the FLDS or as quick as most sagebrush prophets.
Why should Joe compare the group to the Church? We are not the CHURCH! Joe knows it and for once I actually agree with him on this one even though he probably would't like why. His cartoon is a perfect depiction of what happened to the church in 1890 and again in 1978. The church lost the priesthood keys long ago and we have had to pick up their pieces. True enough, his little cartoon will also be what happens to this new "NPG" because they are walking away from the only true and clean priesthood line on the earth that isn the head of the priesthood and the council. Good luck with that. It's not too late to right your ship and come back to the fold but time is running short before it will be too late
Clean? How is it you come to that conclusion? How do you define clean? Is it opposite day in your world?
If you want a clean line, try Centennial Park.
Centennial Park? Fruits of a poisonous vine.
The ONLY priesthood authority for all ordinances resides in the AUB council (the Church maintains some).
All other groups have no authority to perform any ordinance.
Where does authority come from? I agree that the church has lost authority, so here's a question- why don't they know that they lost authority? If the aub lost authority how would they know? You sound just like the elders of the church I listened to lastnight. (PRESIDENT MONSON HOLDS ALL KEYS OF PRIESTHOOD NOBODY ELSE) I think you and them are both wrong. I read recently the following - catholics tout the pope is infoulable, but they don't really believe it, LDS touted their 15 are foulable but they don't believe it. Aub members tout that Lynn and the council are foul able but god would kill them before they led the people astray. All flesh is corrupt. Trust not in the arm of flesh. Atleast catholics are honest with themselves as far as that goes.
Well if nobody holds the keys the earth will be destroyed at the second coming.
The keys are restored to the earth never to be lost again.
Somebody holds them.
The Melchizedek Priesthood cannot function correctly for long without revelation at the head. Joseph Smith taught this many times. One example is when he said: "Where there is a prophet, a priest or a righteous man unto whom God gives His Oracles, there is the Kingdom of God; and where the Oracles of God are not, there the Kingdom of God is not." --22 January 1843 It does not matter what Priesthood authority and keys a person or group claim, AND MAY HAVE, if they do have the Oracles of God among them, their claims cannot be trusted. Don't run around looking for who has the keys, search for who has the oracles of God. There are many today claiming the gift that Joseph had. They cannot all be correct. But the reason there are so many could easily be because the adversary counterfeits the true gift. The many counterfeits is an evidence that the true gift is on the earth. Here is a copy of the oracles that were received by the Prophets Brigham, John, Wilford and Lorenzo. Are these true oracles of God? http://2bc.info/pdf/4books.pdf
erichard,
Ok, you have my attention. How can you judge an Oracle to be true or not if the individual who receives the Oracle is not willing to write it down? One of the Oracles which I believe to be true says that when one of the Apostles (Holding The Keys In Common) receives the Word Of The Lord (each can do it) and it is WRITTEN down and then unitedly agreed upon to present to the people through the
Spokesman, then it becomes the Word of the Lord. Is this not a check and balance? Is it good enough for one to say, hey I got this revelation...? In all seriousness what would you ever need a Council Of Fifty For? Shouldn't just one Super Power be plenty?
I sure like Backcountry Pilot because you can pm someone and you can only change your user name once in your life. It's difficult to communicate with an anonymous person, kind of like talking to a bro that won't show if you get my drift. Just as well be talking to the voices in my head...
Richard
How come the bible never mentions 'the keys'?
How come the bible never mentions 'the keys'?
There is no new Pinesdale group being established. There has been a fight since the beginning of time of evil versus good that many people are engaged in. The new and everlasting covenant and the authority and power of the Priesthood has been restored never to be taken again from the Earth. This is the promise of the Eternal Father among other promises that he made to the Book of Mormon prophets and to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is the Father's position to comply with that which he has promised which he surely will do and is doing. He is the one who has stated that this is one eternal round. It is incumbent upon each individual to maintain their worthiness and to stand up for what is right. If someone who holds the priesthood does not honor it, that is their issue. The rolling stone will begin to fill the earth!
We may not know completely what His plan is, but we can see the witnesses that he gives to us individually and collectively.
In the meantime, if we can help open the window of light that the Gospel gives us to one or two individuals at a time, we will find the way to begin to bind Satan and prepare for the millennial reign. We will continue to do this while still believing in the One Mighty and Strong spoken of in the scriptures.
erichard,
Guessing you are Richard Holmes--Robert Crossfield?
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Hey Buo -
How can you say "There is no new Pinesdale group being established."
What part of "in Pinesdale, this past week, March 13, 2016 was the first official sacrament meeting held by the Separatists with approximately 50-70 people in attendance" says there is no new group?
The first time ordinances are performed without approval of the presiding authorities a new group is formed. The first time a marriage, endowment, or other temple ordinance is performed without approval of the one in whom those keys reside, a new group is formed. One separated from the chain of authority back to Christ.
Keep it sweet.
Hey anonymous responding to buo,
You're right that the statement you quoted does point to a new group. However, the writer of this blog is the one who made that statement and he's wrong. The people who are actually meeting together to partake of the sacrament are not saying they are a new group and really they are the only ones who can accurately say what they're doing and what their intentions are.
You say "the first time ordinances are performed without approval of the presiding authority, a new group is formed." Are you saying you've never had the sacrament on your own or with another family in your home, on a trip or otherwise? If you have received the Priesthood and the calling or duty to do the sacrament, there's your permission. You don't need expressed approval each time you want to perform that ordinance. That would be like being hired as a teacher at a school and then thinking you need to ask the principal for permission to give a spelling test or hand out a math paper. I don't know of anyone performing temple ordinances at this time other than your "presiding authorities."
Dear Andynonymous replying to buo,
Think of the people that wish to meet together simply as people desiring to belong to the Church of the Firstborn. This is not a new church. It has been around since the beginning of time. This will help you love them even more and might give you the desire to be one with them.
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