Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men: Tradition in Modern Mormonism

The mortal Christ transcended the law of Moses, keeping the letter of the law while teaching the sanctifying effect of the spirit of the law. The latter blessing was impossible to achieve in the framework of the Pharisees, who had smothered the pure law of Moses in the outwardly focused traditions of men, which either distracted from or completely contradicted the law of Moses, blinding generations to the true meaning of the gospel and, consequently, from achieving a fullness of its fruits. Joseph Smith taught that to become a joint heir of the heirship of the Son, one must put away all his false traditions.'' (TPJS, p 321.) Modern Mormonism represents the result of over 150 years of traditions developed since the dispensation of the gospel of Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith. This book provides a concise study of the most predominant of these traditions, the commandments they distract from, and the scriptures they contradict. The purpose of this book is to bring men "to the knowledge of the truth, and to know of the wicked and abominable traditions of their fathers" so that they "are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the holy prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them." (Helaman 15:7.)