understanding where Mormons
fall is in some ways a controversy. It has
been shown that , "Mormon eschatology consistently
exhibits its closer
conceptual correspondance with pre-millennialism."(Underwood,1993) That
is they believe
in
apocalyptic end of time. Mormons are Christian, so therefore
they have the
Bible as one of their main texts. They believe strongly in the Old
Testement as well
as the book of Revelation, which truly falls along the lines of
pre-millennialism.
Regardless of the previous facts, some argue that Mormons have qualities of post-millennialism. Post-millennialists are supposed to be optimistic about human possiblities, which is contrary to pre-millennialism. "They become actively involved in missionary work and social reform, convinced that Christ could work only through them or other natural disasters to establish a millennium."(Underwood,1993) One strong belief has to do with the creation and worshipping in temples. The Mormons feel that they must live as those in the Old Testement did, and they have created temples for worship. It is to these temples that the Second Coming will occur. "When commentators on Mormonism noticed the Saint’s kingdom-building rhetoric, they felt compelled to label it post-millennial."(Underwood,1993) For this aspect seems to fall along the lines of progressivism.
But Mormons and scholars well
educated in the Mormon cause
all agree that the religious group is in
fact Pre-millenialist. “Mormons
did not expect to change the world,
only to warn it. The Saints have always
believed that they were called to
bring to pass the gathering of the elect,
not connected to the rest of
humankind.”(Underwood,1993) The Mormons will tell the non believers that
the
end will come and only believers will be saved, but they are not
looking for humankind to progress into a more harmonious people. “The point
is that even though
the Saints urged human efforts to build the kingdom,
or were
mission-minded, or occasionalyy waned in their enthusiasm for the
immenence of "paradisiacal glory", these attitudes do not warrant changing
the classification of Mormons as pre-millennialists."(Alexander,1986)
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