By Helen Radkey
Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ, or simply Jesus, is the central figure of Christianity. The life and sermons of Jesus form the basis of the Christian faith. Jesus Christ is recognized by believing Christians as God incarnate, the Son of God who was raised from the deadthe Redeemer of mankindthe most important figure in history.
According to Mormon doctrine, Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. However, it seems that even the perceived Savior of the world is not exempt from LDS temple rituals. Proxy rites for Jesus Christ were performed in the Salt Lake (LDS) Temple in Utah, in April 2010. The Salt Lake Temple, located on Temple Square in the heart of Mormon-dominated Salt Lake City, was dedicated on April 6, 1893three years before Utah became a state in 1896and is one of the oldest of the 132 currently operating temples that are owned and maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS.)
New FamilySearch is the online genealogy database of the LDS Church that contains updated details of LDS temple ordinances that have been done for dead people. There are multiple listings for Jesus Christ in New FamilySearchunder different versions of his identitywhich have been submitted by individual Mormons. It is not known how many times Jesus has been subjected to LDS rites because all New FamilySearch records for himincluding combined recordsshow LDS ordinance details as Not Available.
On May 27, 2010, there were two similar records for Jesus in New FamilySearch which had been submitted by the same person. One listing was titled Jesus Christian, and showed Jesus Christian was born before 1500 Bethlehem, Israel, and died before 1550 Jerusalem, Israel. LDS ordinances were tagged as Not available on this record. The other entry was for Jesus Cristian, who was born before 1502 Bethlehem, Israel, and died before 1539 Jerusalem, Israel. The entry for Jesus Cristian gave a description of LDS ordinances, along with the name of a spouseMaria Magdelena.
Jesus Cristian was baptized and confirmed a member of the LDS Church by proxy on April 8, 2010 in the Salt Lake City Utah Temple. Jesus Cristian was also subjected to initiatory temple ordinances on April 8, 2010; an endowment ceremony on April 9, 2010; and a marriage sealing to spouse Maria Magdelena on April 9, 2010all rites occurred in the Salt Lake City Utah Temple.
It appears the submissions for Jesus Christian, and Jesus Cristian were attempts to manipulate the identity of Jesus Christ through the LDS temple system. The misspelled Cristian, instead of Christian, could have been a typo, or a deliberate error. It may have been intentionally entered as Cristian to get around a computer program that automatically blocks submissions that contain the names Jesus Christ. That would explain why the entry for Jesus Christian shows LDS ordinances as Not available.
While both New FamilySearch records in question lack complete birth and death data, and give imprecise before years of these eventsthe first name Jesus combined with the surnames Christian and Cristian (both spins on the name of Christ) are signs that Jesus Christian and Jesus Cristian are pseudonyms for Jesus Christ.
Other indicators on the New FamilySearch records that point to Jesus Christ are the birth place, Bethlehem, and the death location, Jerusalem. (Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and died outside the walls of old Jerusalem.) Another clue to the identity of Jesus Cristian is the name of his spouseMaria Magdelena, a misspelled variant of Mary Magdalene. Maria Magdelena is not listed on the Jesus Christian record.
Because Jesus Christian and Jesus Cristian have similar names and identical birth and death locationsBethlehem and Jerusalem, they are probably the same person. Their birth and death years are similar, but not the same. The estimated dates listed for these events look like they have been fabricated. According to their New FamilySearch records, Jesus Christian and Jesus Cristian were born and died in the 16th century. Jesus Christian lived roughly 50 years, while Jesus Cristian died in his thirties.
On May 27, 2010, Maria Magdelena was listed in New FamilySearch with her birth date as 1504 Israel, and death date as before 1540 Israel. Both years are likely inventions. Along with spouse Jesus Cristian, Maria Magdelena was baptized and confirmed a member of the LDS Church by proxy on April 8, 2010 in the Salt Lake City Utah Temple. She was subjected to initiatory temple ordinances on April 8, 2010; an endowment ceremony on April 9, 2010; and the marriage sealing to Jesus Cristian on April 9, 2010all rites were done in the Salt Lake City Utah Temple.
Mary Magdalene is described in the New Testament as a faithful follower of Jesus. Because the concept of marriage is strongly emphasized in LDS teachings, the notion that a spousal relationship existed between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is common among Mormonsalthough that belief is not formal LDS doctrine. There is no reliable historical evidence to indicate that Jesus was marriedto Mary Magdalene, or anyone else.
LDS Church officials have publicly stated that the New FamilySearch program is a technological deterrent to improper submissions. Yetunder their very noseson Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Jesus Christunder a false nametwo millennia after his birth, was offered Mormon salvation and an erroneous eternal marriage sealing.
Sometime late in the day on May 27, 2010, the individual entries for Jesus Cristian and Maria Magdelena were scrubbed from New FamilySearchconcealing the evidence that LDS rites had recently been performed for these two names in the Salt Lake Temple. The sudden disappearance of these records is a strong indication that Jesus Cristian and Maria Magdelena represent Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.
Copyright 2010, Helen Radkey
People are idiots.
I second philomytha’s thought.
But the doctrinal implications are interesting. Apparently an “already god” (unlike the rest of us mortals) also needs a new name and the secret handshakes to get into the Celestial Kingdom. That’s a pretty exclusive club if even the favored, crucified god/son can’t just walk into Elohim’s house. Maybe there’s a lot of intergalactic theft near Kolob. Or maybe just a lot of top floor (a.k.a. highest degree) party crashers.
This is a stretch at best to throw rocks at someone else for their beliefs. Members know full well that Jesus does not need any of the temple ordinances. It is our belief that he fulfilled all rightousness while on earth. Any Mormon who has access to their own membership information is able to set up an account to the data base that submits names, from their home computers, for their own lineage to have temple ordinances done for them. So, is it possible for a disenfranchised or inactive Mormon to sit at home and submit false names and the like to potentially embarass the church. You bet!!! The church does its’ best to deter this behavior but no system is absolute. So, what happens if some work is done for a non-existant person? The short answer is nothing. It was just a waste of time. However, we believe that we are blessed in our efforts eventhough they may not be perfect. We trust in God, who knows all, to make things right in the end. For now, we just try to do our best.
Daniel — actually, I was going to say that: it’s possible that it was done by someone who wanted to embarrass the church.
But then the question is this: for some of these more “out there” celebrities, how do they get all the way through the ordinances without someone (either the temple worker or temple patron) saying something?
Mormons don’t realize how offensive that is to non-Mormons. I’m technically Mormon and I’m horrified.
So what, Jesus has been hanging outside the pearly gates because he didn’t know the secret handshakes? Seriously? They seriously think it’s necessarily to do temple work for GOD?
Of course, once you believe in temple work, all logic pretty much goes out the window.
It doesn’t seem a logical stretch once the full complexity of Mormon Christology is taken into consideration.
The Book of Mormon justifies Jesus’ baptism by claiming he submitted himself to the ordinance out of respect for the absolute obligatory necessity of the ritual. He “fulfil[ed] all righteousness” by “be[ing] obedient unto him in keeping his commandments”!
In Mormon theology, Exaltation cannot be attained but through templary rituals. Jesus, albeit perfect and godly, necessitated to submit himself to one salvific ordinance, even if out of a sense of propriety (or coherence, or fairness). Hence, it is not a big leap to conclude he must have needed to undergo all other mandatory practices.
Naturally, as Andrea has pointed out (#5), there are deeper and more complex inconsistencies with Mormon soteriology, especially as pertaining its temple cult, but that’s an other question entirely!
All in all, I would have to say these people have BALLS to perform an ordinance they believe will save (exalt) the Savior of Humankind!
(Incidentally, it is entirely ludicrous to presume someone would do this to “embarrass” the Church. You don’t think a temple worker is going to pause at the name “JESUS CHRISTIAN” born in BETHLEHEM, deceased in JERUSALEM at age 30, while sealing him to “MARIA MAGDALENA”???)
This is funny. In my opinion, both hypotheses are plausible. It might have been a Mormon literalist as much as a saboteur.
Good to meet you, Marcello. If I were a temple worker, I might let it slip past just because I would be dumbstruck. Remember, the next name is already standing in line. So there is some pressure not to rock the boat.
Besides, Mormonism relies on the suspension of skepticism (Moroni 10). So it’s little wonder that quality control is ineffective.
Marcello — It’s true that it makes sense according to Mormon theology. Especially considering how they emphasize the baptism of Jesus. Why wouldn’t they expect him to have other ordinances as well? The one question is why they’d think the ordinances hadn’t been already performed, if they’re necessary.
Hellmut — I’ve been wondering how this could happen as well. But whether it’s someone who’s serious or whether it’s someone trying to embarrass the church, it seems like the temple workers would have to have been in on it!
Otherwise, it’s possible that some kids did it on their parents’ computer as a lark, and the temple workers and patrons were just sleepwalking through the ordinances!
I don’t consider myself Mormon anymore. I can’t see any devout Mormon believing that a proxy baptism would be necessary for Jesus. That makes zero theological sense from a Mormon worldview.
Chanson – temple workers routinely sleepwalk through. If the dates were 1500 years off, I can totally see this slipping by, names and places notwithstanding. I think it was a prank.
Dan — That’s a pretty reasonable explanation.
I am appalled that this “church” would baptize Yeshu’a and then marry Him to Mary Magdalene in order for them to become “Mormons”. How dare they do that to my Lord. Yeshu’a has opened my eyes to truth and seeing this “Christian denomination” drag His name through the mud sickens me. As a gay Jewish-Christian of multiple nationalities, I say that this “church should stop doing what they’re doing and tell the truth about their religion. I don’t think that Yeshu’a is happy being baptized by proxy or even married into this cult of a “church” because He never once had a wife in a physical sence. When He spoke of His wife, Yeshu’a was referring to His Church. This “church needs to stop baptizing deceased people (including Jesus, deceased Holocaust victims and my own Jewish brethren) and return the baptised deceased people that this “church” has baptised back to their original faiths. I think that they need to also stop trying to proselytize people to their “faith”.
I meant to put an end quotation mark on church”
The MORG are just too much. This is as smug, arrogant, and brain-dead as you can get. How much they must think of themselves and their crazy teachings. I guess I would laugh out loud and blow it off if I could believe it.
LDS.ORG:
“Regardless of the place or time period, temples are the most sacred place on earth-a place where earth and heaven meet and where we feel close to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.”
” Temples are literally houses of the Lord.”
Back in Exodus days, when the sons of Levi offered up the wrong incense, they were summarily incinerated.
Moses says he spoke face to face with God at the Tent of Meeting, antecedent of the Temple.
If either blasphemy or sabotage were taking place in a temple, wouldn’t the Holy Spirit know? Every temple should be on the same wave-length, a kind of “Spirit Net,” right?
Is this the equivalent of a Prophet not knowing that Mark Hofmann’s manuscripts were fakes? Where is the Spirit and power of discernment by which a Prophet knows all truth? What’s going on, here? As some have noted above, this is pretty serious stuff.
current pope made a statement recently about similaryties with muslim church .IF ONE PERCEIVES GOD AS ONE THEREFORE ALL RELIGIONS SHOULD BE UNITED REGARDLESS .MESSAGE ABOUT BROTHERLY LOVE SHOULD PREVAIL >IT DOES NOT REALY MATTER WHETHER JESUS WAS mARRIED OR NOT THE TEACHINGS ORIGINAL ARE ABOUT PEACE AND LOVE .so are other teachings too.
HOWEVER CHRISTIANS THEMSELF CLAIM FORCE SAYI NG THAT ONLY THRUE JESUS they can be SAVED .THERE ARE OTHER TEACHINGS THAT JESUS CRUCIFICTION SAVED ALL HUMAN KIND REGARDLESS OF THE STAMP BY HOLLY MAN .MESSAGE IS VERY CLEAR HIS TEACHING WERE WELL AHEAD OF HIS TIMES AND OUR TIMES .PROGRESSIVE THINKING AND TEACHING WAS NOT RECEIVED WELL BY SOME .THIS IDEA ABOUT MAary Magdalene is more sexist view to the contrary jesus put women in greatIIMPORTANCE.
REGARDLESS OF STIPULATIONS .THE OVERALL MESSAGE SHOULD BE HEARD .ABOUT PEACE ,RESTRICTIONS ,LOVE ,AND CUSTOMS TO HARM EACH OTHER .ACORDING TO JEWISH CUSTOM MAN SHOULD LOOK FOR A WIFE WHEN HE IS 32 ALSO ONLY VERY IMMEDIATE FAMILY CAN HANDLE MANS BODY.MARY ,MARY MAGDALENE SAW JESUS AFTER DEATH ALSO TOOK PART IN BURIAL RITUALS SO THERE WAS A VERY STRONG CONNECTION THERE .CELIBACY APARENTLY HELPS PRIESTS TO CONCENTRATE ON SERVING THE CHURCH .AND PEOPLE .FAMILY MAN ARE DISTRACTED BY MARRIAGE .EVEN IF JESUS WAS GAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT .SO EVEN IF HE WAS HE FREED A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS ALSO .CELIBACY IS NOT ONLY IN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH .OTHER RELIGIONS ADVOCATE THIS AS WELL .NURTURING OF SPIRYTUALITY IS PRIME OBJECTIVE