The Option of "Free-Range Mormonism" rather than Brethrenism

 In this blog series of links below I am going to present the option of basically not "throwing out the baby with the bathwater." In other words, once somebody from the LDS/Restoration tradition chooses not to "sustain the LDS Brethren" or be blindly obedient to the will of the LDS Brethren with a parent-to-child dynamic and codependent mentality (what I call Brethrenism); yet also do not want to go down the road of "Anti-Mormonism" and abandon their Mormon Heritage, a third optional is what call Free Range Mormonism which is basically a Nondenominational way to be Mormon: this is done by distinguishing between the original philosophy of Mormonism which is distinctly different from today's post-1900 development of Brethrenism. 

Uncorrelated Free Range Mormonism is different from Brethrenism in that it is in a bullet point nutshell: 

1. More like a Farm-like "Ecclesia" than a caged Zoo 
2. Is focused more on a respect for LDS Scripture as poetic art as a transformative Ethos. 
3. Decisions are based more on the dictates of one's own conscience. 
4. Respects the Law of Common Consent.
5. Voluntary rather than mandatory tithing.
6. Garments as optional.
7. The Word of Wisdom as practiced as it was originally intended as not by commandment nor constraint.
8.  A focus on the original philosophy of Mormonism through primarily the Smith-Pratt Lens and/or the perspectives of those like at the links below:

•  uncorrelatedmormonism.com

• youtube.com/@uncorrelatedmormonism

• Simply Scriptures (online Restoration Scriptures without the gloss of Brethrenism)

• puremormonism.blogspot.com

• indiemormon.com

Note that another option to the person who rejects Brethrenism but doesn't want to be a Free Range Mormon is that one can choose to be part of a non-Brighamite  Restoration Branch/Church as there are many sects and denominations. 

Defining Brethrenism:

Since a picture is worthless 1000 words, here is an image summarizing what I call Brethrenite Mormonism: 

(Source)

Note that in the image above the Doctrine of Christ is linked to obeying the Brethren ("repent and obey"), with repenting meaning: subjecting oneself to "worthiness" interviews where a Brethrenite approved male Priest (a Bishop and/or Stake President acting as judge and jury over you) behind closed doors determines your worthiness/purity or unworthiness/impurity; as you are labeled as such (essentially pure or stained in their eyes); and if labeled "unworthy," one is subjected to whatever humiliating and punitive ecclesiastical punishments the priesthood holder decides to impose upon you based on his subjective assessment and personality type. Brethrenism is thus linked to Perfectionism and Purity Culture. This is known in Brethrenism as the Covenant Path.

The Brethrenite emphasis on ordinances includes exclusive Temple rites, with the Brethren claiming to be the only ones with the authority to control and change the rituals. They also control what is and what is not scripture without regard to the original doctrine of Common Consent. The Brethren also demand large amounts of money (tithing) from members as mandatory before they are allowed to enter and receive the elite ritual ordinances required to allegedly entered the highest degrees of heaven.

Thus the Brethrenite model of obey us entails receiving their allegedly necessary ritual ordinances in order to be able to enter through the "pearly gates" (with angels standing guard), before experiencing God the Father. As they claim to have the sole authority to administer (through whom they designate to perform) these necessary rituals to get into the highest degree of Heaven. This Covenant Path is just one version of Mormonism. 

Another version is the more simplistic Doctrine of Christ in the Book of Mormon as explained by Jacob IsBell in his YouTube video The Doctrine of Christ versus The Covenant Path. Note that I don't agree with every historical or theological position of Jacob IsBell but on this particular subject I agree with him. 

For more details on the concept of the simple Doctrine of Christ and how it relates to Free-Range Mormonism, see my two blog series below:

• Theosis: The Doctrine of Grace & Deification in The Restoration 

•  "Worthy Already" by Grace: The True Meaning of Sin & Repentance

The following links below take you to my blog posts explaining further the Free-Range Mormon option:

• Start here: Big Tent Mormonism: Beyond "Mormon Demoninationalism" &  Toward "Unified Mormonism"

• The Metaphor of Farmhands vs. Zookeepers: The Farm-like "Ecclesia" versus Zoo-like Brethrenism as a Metaphor for Two Kinds of Mormon Leaders and Ways to be Mormon 

• Being an Independent Mormon (i.e. Non-Denominational Free-range Mormon)

• 3 Bullets Point Summary On Scripture-focused Independent Mormonism that Is At Odds with Brethrenism

• The True Law of Common Consent by Patrick (link to the site Uncorrelated Mormonism)

•  Mormon Scripture through the Smith-Pratt Lens

• Is Revelation obtained Only through Brighamite (LDS) Church Presidents? Or is Revelation a Gift of the Spirit available to All Mormons?

• Comparing Jesus' Words in Mathew 15 & 23 in The Remedy to Brethrenism

• Mathew 23: Those Who Sit in Moses' Seat in The Joseph Smith Translation (JST)

• The Smith–Rigdon Movement: The freed spirit of expression among the various Book of Mormon "sects and movements"

• The Same Pattern of an Inevitable Tension between Philosophical Mystics & Controlling Dogmatists, Repeats Itself in both the Bible and in Mormonism

• Jesus and the Samaritans & The Restoration Branches

• The Early Church & "Tithing"

• The Restored Ecclesia & Organic Church

• Pure Mormonism blog-site posts on Brethrenism

• The Modern Nauvoo Mormon

•  The Case for "Scripture Focused Mormons" & What that Means?

• "Scripture Focused Mormon" Resources: Recommended Brighamite and Non-Brighamite Scriptures, Websites and other Restorationist Books, etc.

•  How the "Standard Works" (Mormon Canon) itself Teaches The Authority of Scripture over Fallible Leaders

•  Scripture as the Mode of Becoming "Vitally Alive" through the God-Breathed "Implanted Word" (Logos) to Salvation (Deliverance) and Empowerment (Exaltation)

•  Should Prophets Be Ordained through a Succession of Offices held in Seniority?

• Come in at the Gate of only Joseph Smith's Revelations (D&C 43: 2-7)

•  The Restored Ecclesia & The Utah-based Church as a Corporation and Social Club

•  The Authority of LDS Scripture (Standard Works) versus the Tradition of the Elders?

•   "Saving Knowledge" & Educative Ordinances As the Core of The Smith-Pratt Paradigm

• The "Divine" as the Good Operating Dimension (G.O.D.) that Produces The Garden of the Good (Ecclesia)

•  This is the Gospel!

•  The "Church" as the Zion-minded True Vine: A Loving People United as One in Genuine Friendships