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Passing the Heavenly Gift

Denver Carlos Snuffer Jr.

3.91 · Rating details · 86 ratings · 19 reviews

Mormonism has undergone four distinct phases. The first began in 1820 and ended with Joseph Smith’s death in 1844. The second began upon Joseph Smith’s death and ended with abandonment of plural marriage, publicly in 1890 and privately in 1904. In the third phase Mormonism denounced as apostasy its practice of plural wives, marking the first time an orthodox practice becam ...more

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Paperback, 528 pages

Published August 30th 2011 by Denver C. Snuffer Jr.

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Nov 13, 2011 Samantha rated it liked it

Shelves: religious

My hubby read this book and this is what he had to say.
I began this book with trepidation; concerned that Denver had gone too far in his willingness to "steady the ark of God." This book claims to be a possible alternative historical narrative based in discrepancies in dates and a lack of historical comments that support the current narrative. Although well written and interesting as a thought experiment, many readers would find that the work lacks a balance in positive comments that support the My hubby read this book and this is what he had to say.
I began this book with trepidation; concerned that Denver had gone too far in his willingness to "steady the ark of God." This book claims to be a possible alternative historical narrative based in discrepancies in dates and a lack of historical comments that support the current narrative. Although well written and interesting as a thought experiment, many readers would find that the work lacks a balance in positive comments that support the current historical narrative presented by the church.

Denver's main assumption is that the "fullness of the priesthood" may not have been transferred to Brigham Young due to the Nauvoo Temple not being completed, prior to the death of Joseph Smith. As stated in revelation, this act, caused the church to not only be under condemnation, but be rejected as a whole. This would have caused the sealing powers to be lost from this dispensation until some latter time.

In his book, "The Second Comforter," Denver claims to have had a personal experience with the Christ. Of which, it would be impossible for the reader to know for sure. But in this book, Denver claims that although the priesthood has continued, the sealing power has been lost to mankind. This leaves an inconsistency in these two separate writings. The Doctrine in Covenants, section 84, states that the opportunity to enter the Lord's rest is directly connected to the priesthood and the effective use of these correct ordinances, as a foundation point.

As stated in Doctrine Covenants 84: 19-22
"And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live."

Many eternal practices and truths must have been restored due to the Prophet Joseph Smith ushering in the dispensation of the fullness of times. This does not indicate that the saints or the world are prepared to follow those teachings. In preparation of this, the Savior taught his followers that nothing other then faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost would be taught to this generation, openly. An astute observer would have to agree that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has done an outstanding job in facilitating the teaching of these basic truths and their attending ordinances, of which the world is in desperate need of at this time. It is not a lack of knowledge or truth that has caused so many to fall away, but the lack of virtue. This is why Joseph Smith also taught when a man leaves the fold and fights against the Brethren you can be assured that is an adulteress man. This is why Peter also taught in connection with Calling and Election that a man should seek faith, THEN VIRTUE, and then knowledge.

For those that seek greater light and knowledge, and in conclusion of my review, there are some amazing truths and insights in this book that someone who is firm in their faith will find interesting. But I would like to suggest another book that you might find more interesting and helpful in your pursuit of knowledge.

The Book of Mormon is a gift from God given to the world in these last days, which is capable of bringing one to Christ in every real sense. It will quietly lead you to seek the peace of repentance, the covenant of baptism, and the bestowal of the gift of the Holy Gift by one having authority. This is the greatest gift given to the world in connection with the atonement of Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Ghost, you may know the truth of all things, including mysteries beyond your imagination. The Book of Mormon is the greatest book written on the earth, at this time, and contains more truth and knowledge then the combined volumes of all the books contained on this web site as a whole. An avid reader of the Book of Mormon, combined with prayer and meditation, will find peace, happiness, and access to the Author of all truth and knowledge. ...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Melonie is currently reading it

a heck of a ride!!!!!!!!!!! Denver does it again.

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Jul 13, 2013 Tim Malone rated it really liked it

While in a sacred place a month ago a friend asked what I thought about “Passing the Heavenly Gift.” I confess that I had not heard of the book or the author, Denver Snuffer. I assume he asked my opinion because he knows that I have reviewed similar books on my blog that focus on controversial issues facing the LDS Church. Denver’s books are not advertised. People learn about them only by word of mouth or through online reviews on sites like mine.

I purchased the book and posted on Facebook that ...more

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Sep 27, 2013 Caitlin Whetten rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Liberal Mormons

Shelves: nonfiction, mormonism

Make it through all the way to end and it's a rewarding read.

First off, if this book "ruins your testimony," then you really haven't studied your religion's history very well and this was not the book to start with.

So I heard of this book through the Bloggernacle and I heard the whole story about it, so being a bit of a rebel, I decided that I had to read it. When I started it, I felt like this:

About halfway through, I was like:

And at the end of the book, I was like:

and

Though it's incredibly ...more

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Sep 29, 2013 Matthew Timion rated it really liked it

Shelves: mormonism

Denver Snuffer Jr's "Passing the Heavenly Gift" was a pleasure to read. Full disclosure, I am a former Mormon. I do not believe in the truthfulness of the Mormon Church (nor the Book of Mormon/Bible/Joseph Smith). I read this book with that background. I did, however, attempt my very best to suspend my disbelief while reading this book. Looking at the facts while suspending my belief was an exercise that initially helped me leave the church in the first place. I felt it only fair to do the same Denver Snuffer Jr's "Passing the Heavenly Gift" was a pleasure to read. Full disclosure, I am a former Mormon. I do not believe in the truthfulness of the Mormon Church (nor the Book of Mormon/Bible/Joseph Smith). I read this book with that background. I did, however, attempt my very best to suspend my disbelief while reading this book. Looking at the facts while suspending my belief was an exercise that initially helped me leave the church in the first place. I felt it only fair to do the same while reading this book.

So, on to the meat of it. Mr. Snuffer illustrates, quite well, how the modern day Mormon church has changed drastically since the church Joseph Smith started. He is able to use, effectively, quotes, journal entries, observations, and testimonies of people to easily piece together the narrative of the evolution of the church.

His major argument, which seem legitimate, is that the fullness of the gospel was not restored because the Saints never finished the Nauvoo temple before it could be revealed. As a result the fullness of the priesthood was not restored, and personal visitations by Christ/angels were not granted to the membership. The destruction of the Nauvoo temple, and expulsion of the Saints from Nauvoo were foretold as a sign that the complete restoration was not complete.

However, the traditional narrative tells a different story. The author purports that this is due to the fact that the modern Mormon church is run by proud descendants of Nauvoo. He points out that no single church president has been without Nauvoo ancestors. As we have seen in other instances, history is written by the victors. It only makes sense that the traditional narrative been favorable of the Nauvoo Saints who left for the west.

Mr. Snuffer was able to show that history has been interpreted backwards. The chariot before the horse. The descendants of Nauvoo believed in the successful restoration of the gospel, so they interpreted events likewise. The author shows when you suspend a preconceived conclusion, the facts tell a different story.

This is the key to the author's argument, and it is done very well. This book completely turned everything I knew about Mormon history on it's head over and over again. It was a great ride.

I can say, however, that the author is guilty of the same flaw he accuses the modern church of being guilty of. Mr. Snuffer approaches church history with a "testimony" of a few things: that the Book of Mormon is factual scripture, that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet, and that the author himself has had at least one personal visitation by Jesus Christ.

With those tainted views, his own interpretations of events are shown to support his preconceived conclusions. If one steps one step further back (as I did) and is able to view the Book of Mormon and it's numerous problems, one is able to concluded (fairly easily) that the Book of Mormon is not a historical text, but rather the creation of man. As a result it is easy to see that Joseph Smith did not talk with God, even if he believed he did. Because of this, everything in this book pertaining to scripture/prophecy/etc. is rather moot. It is just chariot-before-the-horse interpretation of events long gone.

If you already believe the Book of Mormon to be true, this is a great book for you to read. If you have no background in Mormonism and/or don't believe in the divinity of the BOM, then this book may frustrate you at times.

After writing this book the author was excommunicated for his views. At one point the author mentions that if the church leadership ever uses their power to persecute the saints (using unrighteous dominion, coercion) then what remains of their priesthood would be removed. Since Mr. Snuffer's excommunication involved the leadership of the church itself (general authorities and at least one apostle) I wonder if he sincerely believes what he wrote about the consequences of his excommunication on the church leadership. Is their priesthood null and void because they used unrighteous dominion to cover their sins and persecute the saints?

The book had so much going for it, until the last two chapters. It felt as though the author began to reverse course and placate the church. Had he stayed the course, without trying to find a way for the Latter-day church to somehow be involved in God's plan and worthy of membership, the book would have been so much better. I'm sure the author originally feared ecclesiastical repercussions for such a statement, which seemed to have happened anyway.

I've never read anything like this before, and I loved it. Had I simply been questioning my faith while reading this, it is very possible it would have cemented me in the church.

I commend the author for his well-researched and well-documented book. I will highly recommend it to anyone interested. ...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Matthew Kern rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, theology

This was an interesting read. Mr. Snuffer puts forward a very different view of the Latter-day Saint church. He is calling for a return to what he deems as the core teachings that were originally part of the Church, but have been diluted or removed over time. He provides a good argument for many of his views with scriptural backing, however I did not find them as compelling as many of the others who have read his works. See other reviews. While I am quite skeptical of many of his thoughts I did ...more

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Nov 26, 2012 T M rated it really liked it

Out of the box LDS history. Very good.

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Dec 08, 2013 Jen rated it it was amazing

Reading this book with an open mind and loving heart is highly likely to leave the reader raw and exposed, and begging for greater light, knowledge, and understanding. This is as it should be.

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Nov 26, 2012 Phil rated it really liked it

Heavy hearted and hopeful all at the same time. Would love to discuss with friends.

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Feb 20, 2013 Jaxon Peterson rated it really liked it

Don't stop reading it. Finish to the last chapters and it all makes sense. ...more

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Jun 17, 2012 John rated it liked it

I almost finished this book, quitting on page 462 out of 499 pages. I should have finished it, but I just lost interest.

His preface begins with, "History is comprised of pretty rough stuff. The neat contours we tell one other after the events are not actual history, but myth attempting to explain what happened in hindsight. The more important the historical topic, the greater the tendency to replace the rough, contradictory, failings of the past with an overall message of triumph or redemption." ...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Elaine Curry rated it really liked it

I wasn't sure how to rate this book. At times I liked it a lot, and at other times it really challenged my thinking. I couldn't put it on the shelf for long when the urge was to leave it and walk away. This is the most revealing of Snuffer's books that I have read, and I am not sure how I feel about it yet. In the beginning he says something like, "if you this bothers you, put it down and walk away.... but if you choose to read it, you must read it to the end." I took him for his word and I am g ...more

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Sep 02, 2013 Jenalyn rated it did not like it

A couple of my children consistently went to Bro. Snuffer's study group for years and introduced me to his books 7 years ago. I tried to read 2 of them but hated them and stopped. Then they recently told me about this one that was "really interesting" but it is a difficult read because it contains little-known negative history about the Church with the caveat "if you start reading it you better not stop--finish it and it will all make sense." I read it quickly because a. the negative history fel ...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Austin Archibald rated it it was ok

Shelves: mormonism

I appreciate new angles and interpretations, but I was pretty underwhelmed by his arguments and their supporting evidence. He has a very contrived and narrow interpretation that he seems to try and convey as "the only true and living" view of the church's history. It doesn't help that he, in other places, claims to have seen Christ and received revelations about the Church falling into apostasy. Not to mention his completely ridiculous (historically impossible) opinion regarding Joseph's polygam ...more

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Sep 15, 2013 Lacey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-buy

I'm not sure I agree with everything written here . . . but it certainly made me think. Not only that, I learned something (actually, a lot of things), and that hasn't happened at church since I was in Primary, personal desire and longing for learning notwithstanding. I can't speak for everyone but this was just what I've needed for longer than I've even known I needed it. ...more

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