Did the Watchtower Borrow From the Mormons?

[Stan Covell]

Did the Watchtower borrow from the Mormons?
WATCHTOWER TEACHING

Dead leader still active
“…though Pastor Russell has passed beyond the veil, he is still managing every feature of the Harvest work.”
-Studies in the Scripture, Vol. 7, p.144

Earlier Mormon Teaching

Dead leader still active
“Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the vail in the great work of the last days.”
-B. Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p. 289

Watchtower Teaching

God’s throne at star Alcyone
“Alcyone, the central one of the renowned Pleiadic stars…from which the Almighty governs his universe.”
-Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 3, p.327
“…the group Pleiades. And the reasonable suggestion has been made that that center may be the heaven of heavens, the highest heaven, the throne of God.”
-The Watchtower, May 15, 1895, p. 1814
(Society’s reprints)

Mormon Teaching

God’s throne at star Kolob
“And I saw the stars… that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God…the name of the great one is Kolob…Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets….”
-Abraham 3:2, 3, Pearl of Great Price (1842)

Watchtower Teaching

Men will become Gods
“Now we appear like men, and all die naturally like men, but in the resurrection we will rise in our true character as Gods.”
-The Watch Tower, December, 1881, page 301

Mormon Teaching

Men will become Gods
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man…and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves…the same as all gods have done before you…until you attain to the resurrection”
-Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 305-306

Watchtower Teaching

Pyramid prophecies
“THE TESTIMONY OF GOD’S STONE WITNESS AND PROPHET, THE GREAT PYAMID IN EGYPT…Call to mind that the full end of Gentile power in the world and the time of trouble which brings its overthrow, will be in the end of A.D. 1914…If the inches of the floor-lines of these passages represent a year, each…
-Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. III, 1891 (1903 edition), pages 313 (title), 362-363

Mormon Teaching

Pyramid prophecies
“…a new witness that the Lord seems to have brought to light, by the opening of the Great Pyramid of Egypt… There seems to be a prophetic spirit running through the construction of all that cast superstructure, pointing forward to the very end…Allowing one year to a cubit inch… the generation that will close up the times of the Gentiles.”
-Orson Pratt, Fiftieth Annual Conference Report of the Mormon Church, 1880, pages 86-87

WATCHTOWER TEACHING

God’s channel
“Unless we are in touch with this channel of communication that God is using, we will not progress along the road to life, no matter how much Bible reading we do.”
-The Watchtower, December 1, 1981, pg.27

Earlier Mormon teaching

God’s channel
“Do we realize that this is the channel through which the mind and will of God our Father is made known to us?…and it is among the privileges of every man and every woman to approach the Lord through this channel and learn his mind and will concerning them.”
-Journal of Discourses, Vol. 18, 1875, p.98

Watchtower Teaching

Generation prophecies
“Most important, this magazine build confidence in the Creator’s promise of a peaceful and secure new world before the generation that saw the events of 1914 passes away.”


Earlier Mormon teaching

Generation prophecies
“We believe in these promises as much as we believe in any promise ever uttered by the mouth of Jehovah. The Latter-day Saints just as much expect to receive a fulfillment of that promise during the generation that was in existence in 1832 as they expect that the sun will rise and set to-morrow. Why? Because God cannot lie.”
-Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, May 5, 1870, p. 362

Taken from David Reeds 1991 Spring edition of Comments from the Friends

[warnick]

I don't know if the JW's "borrwed" from the LDS or not.
But I do know from having been born and raised LDS and from having made study of the JW's for three years, that both groups serve the same master.

And it is not God who is their master.

You might be onto something as far as the borrowing goes, I had never made notice of the possible connection before.

[AVmetro]

Great information, Stan! Welcome to TWeb :thumb:

-AV

[AugustineH354]

Hi Stan,

You posted the following “research” by David Reed:

>>Did the Watchtower borrow from the Mormons?
WATCHTOWER TEACHING

Dead leader still active
“…though Pastor Russell has passed beyond the veil, he is still managing every feature of the Harvest work.”
-Studies in the Scripture, Vol. 7, p.144

Earlier Mormon Teaching

Dead leader still active
“Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the vail in the great work of the last days.”
-B. Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p. 289>>

Me: The author of vol. 7 (probably Rutherford), did not get his ideas on this from Brigham Young; right or wrong, he derived the teaching from the Book of Revelation. Jesus taught that resurrected believers become “like angels, and are sons of God” (Luke 20:34-36); he also taught that these resurrected one would be given “authority over the nations, and rule them with a rod of iron”, and would sit with Christ on His throne (see Rev. 2:26, 27; 3:21). Working on these concepts, the author of vol. 7 equates the resurrected Russell with the angel mentioned in Rev. 8:3. I see no Mormon concepts here.

>>Watchtower Teaching

God’s throne at star Alcyone
“Alcyone, the central one of the renowned Pleiadic stars…from which the Almighty governs his universe.”
-Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 3, p.327
“…the group Pleiades. And the reasonable suggestion has been made that that center may be the heaven of heavens, the highest heaven, the throne of God.”
-The Watchtower, May 15, 1895, p. 1814
(Society’s reprints)

Mormon Teaching

God’s throne at star Kolob
“And I saw the stars… that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God…the name of the great one is Kolob…Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets….”
-Abraham 3:2, 3, Pearl of Great Price (1842)>>

Me: Actually the quote from vol.3 is not even Russell’s words, but rather, those of the ordained Lutheran minister Jospeh Seiss. Russell was quoting from Seiss’s book, The Great Pyramid. No connection to Mormonism at all.

>>Watchtower Teaching

Men will become Gods
“Now we appear like men, and all die naturally like men, but in the resurrection we will rise in our true character as Gods.”
-The Watch Tower, December, 1881, page 301

Mormon Teaching

Men will become Gods
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man…and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves…the same as all gods have done before you…until you attain to the resurrection”
-Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 6, pp. 305-306>>

Me: Russell’s teaching that believers would become “Gods” (i.e. Sons of God), is clearly based on his exegesis from the scriptures, not from Joseph Smith. The Watchtower article “Ye Are Gods” quotes the following scriptures to support the theme: Ps. 82:6; 1 Peter 1:4 (“partakers of the divine nature”); 1 John 3:2; and John 10:35. If angels and Israelite judges can be called “gods”, why not those who become “partakers of the divine nature”? Once again, I see no connection to Joseph Smith.

>>Watchtower Teaching

Pyramid prophecies
“THE TESTIMONY OF GOD’S STONE WITNESS AND PROPHET, THE GREAT PYAMID IN EGYPT…Call to mind that the full end of Gentile power in the world and the time of trouble which brings its overthrow, will be in the end of A.D. 1914…If the inches of the floor-lines of these passages represent a year, each…
-Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. III, 1891 (1903 edition), pages 313 (title), 362-363

Mormon Teaching

Pyramid prophecies
“…a new witness that the Lord seems to have brought to light, by the opening of the Great Pyramid of Egypt… There seems to be a prophetic spirit running through the construction of all that cast superstructure, pointing forward to the very end…Allowing one year to a cubit inch… the generation that will close up the times of the Gentiles.”
-Orson Pratt, Fiftieth Annual Conference Report of the Mormon Church, 1880, pages 86-87>>

Me: I do not know were Pratt derived his teachings on the Great Pyramid, but I do know were Russell got his, for he tells you exactly where in vol. 3 of Studies in the Scriptures, pages 319-328; namely John Taylor’s (not the Mormon John Taylor!) book The Great Pyramid – Why Was It Built and Who Built It? (1859); Joseph Seiss’s The Great Pyramid – A Miracle in Stone (1877); and Piazzi Smyth’s Our Inheritance in the Great Pyramid (1880). All three men were Protestant Christians, and both Taylor and Smyth were also astronomers.

In ending, there is no tangible evidence that Russell’s ideas were somehow linked to Jospeh Smith and Mormonism. One must keep in mind that Russell did not believe in “new revelation” a basic tenant of Mormonism; further he believed that there was only One God (God in the absolute sense, the first cause/creator of all things, including Jesus Christ), and this One God is Jehovah, who is God the Father. (Mormons believe that Jesus is “the Jehovah of the Old Testament”.)

Grace and peace,

Aug

[Origen]

In ending, there is no tangible evidence that Russell’s ideas were somehow linked to Jospeh Smith and Mormonism. One must keep in mind that Russell did not believe in “new revelation” a basic tenant of Mormonism; further he believed that there was only One God (God in the absolute sense, the first cause/creator of all things, including Jesus Christ), and this One God is Jehovah, who is God the Father. (Mormons believe that Jesus is “the Jehovah of the Old Testament”.)

Grace and peace,

Aug

I'd have to agree with you there - in addition to the doctrines being pretty different, the dates are similar, but the parts of the country are not. It seems unlikely Smith and Russell would have had any way to mix.

The Watchtower did believe in "new light," though. However, the tenant (stated in an old Watchtower that is floating somewhere in my study) states that new light cannot replace old light, only add to it. This is pretty inconsistent with the WTBS today. The fact is that they have claimed some pretty audacious stuff and then blamed it on receiving "new light" - disregarding some pretty huge contradictions (not to mention the host of prophecies). More on this to come from me.

And btw, Aug, there are several trends in cults - especially the Godhead doctrines and grace. I think this is because there are only so many heresies...they're all just being rehashed: Arianism, Pelagianism (go Augustine go!), etc.

Mormons cause me to scratch my head, though, because the Book of Mormon seems pretty inconsistent with their current doctrine. Of course, I'm no expert on Mormonism, and that's why it has it's own forum! :smile:

Also, Aug, I love your sig. Confessions is a fantastic work.

- Origen

[Xmansmommy]

Interesting comparisions. Thank you Stan. :thumb:

[barryrob]

Interesting comparisions. Thank you Stan. :thumb:I see a lot of comments among your selves, but have you ever asked a Jehovah's Christian Witness the queation?

BarryRob