Fringe Doctrine

Over the last several months as I have been interviewed by ecclesiastical leaders and administrative staff at Brigham Young University Idaho, where I work, I have often heard the phrase fringe doctrine used. I became curious to see if there were times in history when doctrines were taught which apparently seemed controversial, but were nevertheless true. I was happy to find without much effort that such has often been the case.

Those periods when fringe doctrine seemed to enter public discourse occurred between transitions when one law became fulfilled, and another law became operative. Those various stages of law can be thought of as the same as the word dispensation. It may also be appropriate to use the word church for those distinct but still connected stages of God’s Kingdom.

The first dispensation belonged to Adam, who walked and talked with God, and who was given the gospel by divine messengers. If Adam’s time period were considered a kingdom of God, then it stands to reason that Adam was therefore a King. Noah led the next dispensation, which was followed by the dispensation of Moses. While the scriptures do not refer to these men as kings, that title is inherent given the nature of governance in both spiritual and temporal matters. Having said that, it is always implied that the one true king is God the Father, or His son Jesus Christ, who Isaiah referred to as the King of Kings (Isaiah 9:6). In one sense, that means Christ is the king over all other kings.

While it isn’t explicitly mentioned as a fringe doctrine between Noah’s church and Moses’ church, things like exercising discipline as an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth, may have been fringe doctrines to Noah, but were yet part of the new Law given to Moses.

The more obvious fringe doctrines transpired between the dispensation of Moses, and when Christ began his ministry. The LDS chapter heading for the book of Matthew chapter 5 explicitly states that the Sermon on the Mount transcends many parts of the Law of Moses. The Savior often told his followers that he didn’t come to destroy the Law, but came to fulfill it, and in so doing, raise the doctrinal bar and taught fringe doctrines that would become The New Testament.

Ultimately, those fringe doctrines led to his own persecution, and that of his followers; it led to their excommunications, and executions in some cases. In the Savior’s case, the doctrine that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb who would atone for sin, as well as his divine sonship are obvious examples where his persecutors were simply not ready for higher laws and fringe doctrines. He brought them all the same, and the Kingdom expanded.Those fringe ideas to Judaism, became fundamental basics of Christianity as it later came to be known.

And so, Christianity grew for nearly two millennia, until the Lord saw fit to enlarge his kingdom once again. Joseph Smith is the prophet of that dispensation. As with the previous dispensation, he brought forth scripture containing and substantiating the fringe doctrines of the new Kingdom.

Those doctrines include the higher but not complete law of marriage referred to as polygamy. He taught vicarious ordinances could be performed on behalf of our deceased ancestors; and was evidence himself that God does in fact call and ordain prophets in the latter-days, and that revelation does in fact take place between heaven and earth. His teachings drew the same persecution as in previous dispensations, which led he and many other faithful saints to become martyrs for the Kingdom.

At the time of this writing, we are only a few months away from the 200th anniversary of Joseph’s first divine encounter and the organization of this current Kingdom of God on the earth. One of the principles Joseph taught was that God would yet reveal many great and important truths pertaining to the Kingdom of God (article 9). Modern day prophet Russell M. Nelson reaffirms that belief stating that we’ve only seen the beginning of the restoration and, “there is much more to come” (church newsroom).

As the Second Coming of our Savior approaches, we still find ourselves in a Telestial world, living Telestial laws unfit to welcome an exalted King to rule for a thousand years during the Millennium. Activity rates in churches, and even just the plain overall level of unification are evidence that we are not one in heart, mind, and body as is also required of Terrestrial cities like Enoch, and Melchizedek.

The scriptures are full of doctrines and principles that are seldom if ever taught from pulpits of the church, which are key to ushering in the next dispensation. One basic doctrinal experience many members of the church have, but may not have any idea what it’s purpose is, is the ordinance of Initiatory. A question many might ask is to what they are being initiated into? There are also a number of doctrines that have not been taught but will become basic doctrines of the next Kingdom run by the Davidic Servants and which will be called The Church of the Firstborn. Only in understanding this next dispensation and kingdom of God, can current members truly understand what their initiatory ordinance is initiating them into.

That great period of ascension referred to by prophets of old in preparation of His return has commenced. Members of the current kingdom stand at the brink of shifting laws much like the Christians just before the restoration of the gospel in latter-days. Or, we are much like the Jews who were not ready for the higher laws of Christianity, though as was the case then, their will be a much prophesied of remnant who survive upcoming calamities and make the transition.

My plea is that all in the current Kingdom referred to as Jews, Christians, and Latter-day Saints, and even as many as possible from other faiths or no faith at all will make this transition.

The following graphic and YouTube presentation serve as visual illustrations of the doctrines taught in this blog post. Please feel free to print, share, and discuss as you are prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Download High Resolution Graphic Below:

Watch interactive explanation below: