I am a little behind the times, but I hope to catch up on the conversation. Back in December I was asking people in Idaho Falls if they thought Jesus was married, but Mark Butler did not not tell me about this controversial book rocking the foundations of artistic, literary circles.
Last week, I came across Swanson’s book, Dynasty of the Holy Grail (2006) for the very first time. It was the next day that I noticed Anneke’s article on the blog, A Motley Vision.
So tonight I googled Swanson’s book. The news has talked about it. And lo and behold, it has been discussed elsewhere on bloggernacle. Where have I been? Snoozing? (Sigh)
Swanson boldly declares a lot of things about the LDS faith. I could just write this all off, but it doesn’t appear to me that Swanson is some intermountain hillbilly ignoramus on LDS fundamentals of the faith. He has helped me immensely in entering the world of traditional orthodox Mormonism. The man is sincerely and courageously sharing his heart.
But in so doing, Swanson is defending “orthodox Mormon doctrine” that is completely contrary to historic evangelical doctrine. If Swanson is accurate, there is no heart comparison to the two faiths on what really, really, really matters (which I will later tackle).
I have three pages of quotes that stuck out to me from Swanson’s book. Of course, three pages is not very much considering the size of this man’s $40 hardback work, occupying most of his life researching.
I will be back to share more. But let me just close with a question. The author declares at the beginning,
Everybody who has lived upon this earth had a life as a spirit before being born as a mortal being (4).
Do you think this is the heavenly teaching Jesus had in mind in John 3:12?
Jesus in Idaho Falls 
Todd, to see some other perspectives on Jesus being married and Mormon Doctrine, see this post (especially comment #25).
J., thanks for some perspective. Do the current General Authorities think that Jesus was married? (Swanson gives his own reasons for why some LDS just don’t like to publicize their personal belief before the media.) Or is it that some leadership would simply say they don’t know?
I am living in a contemporary cultural bubble in I.F. where many believe “yes”. And I doubt that many of them are reading O. Hyde sermons. They seem to be drawing strong application from scriptural passages, like Vern does with John 3:12.
This leaves me scratching my head.
Correction: like Vern does with a passage like John 20.
In John 3, Vern is connecting our pre-existence.