A Review on Amazon.com

Reviewer:

Grey Matter (Kolob) -

The Incomparable Jesus

In his second book, Grant Palmer sets another example to the Mormon "prophets, seers and revelators".

Palmer suggests that the whole focus of the Mormon gospel should be on Jesus. For example, at a Mormon church, instead of a brief few weeks of looking at the New Testament's four Gospels, which takes place once every four years, Palmer suggests that the Relief Society, Priesthood, Sunday School, and Sacrament services should be focused on the Saviour.

Now that may seem like a very simple innocent thing to suggest, and surely there can be no conflict with this, from anyone at any level within the Mormon faith, can there? After all, most faithful Mormons believe that the Mormon church is the Church of Jesus Christ. However, if the devoted Mormon actually considers all of the facts at his disposal, he or she may feel some pain and, if honest with him or herself, will reluctantly acknowledge that the Mormon church is not at all focused on Jesus. Other churches may be completely focused on the Saviour and are well ahead in terms of devotion to their Redeemer, but not the Mormon Church. The facts suggest a higher devotion to Joseph Smith and the Gospel of Joseph Smith.

Take, for example, the December 2005 Ensign. This pitiful edition may as well have printed the words "Merry Smithmas" on the cover page. There was hardly a trace of Jesus - you'd almost need a forensic scientist to find one. The Cover page showed a picture of Joseph Smith, and it seemed that you had to read article after article, before you find a mention of anything on Jesus. And then, five articles into the magazine, which all Mormons are expected to read, you come across an article that at least refers to the season of good will and joy. Unfortunately the article is titled, "When Christmas Hurts", and it talks about "Christmas can also evoke profound feelings of loss". Good grief. Even in this Christmas-related article, Joseph Smith gets more mention that Jesus. In fact, I can't recall if Jesus gets any mention at all. So much for the Christmas edition of the Ensign. If you were looking for Christ, you won't find him there, in any meaningful measure. And this kind of reflects on the Mormon faith as a whole. As a third/fourth generation Mormon, this caused me despair.

With Palmer's first book, "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins", there was discomfort at the highest levels in the church. The truth can be painful sometimes. Galileo discovered this, at the cost of his life. During the Galileo trail, his prosecutors refused to handle his telescope, they refused to observe the moons of Venus. It wasn't about truth. It was all about orthodoxy. After publishing his book, Palmer found himself in a similar Galileo-like trial, called a "court of love". None of the prosecutors had actually read his book. All were ignorant of the truths it contained. Palmer was dis-fellowshipped, and was cut off from full communion with the "Latter-day Saints"

Then Palmer did something nobody expected. He offered a small book titled "The Incomparable Jesus" as a follow up. This book is perhaps the most remarkable of any of the books in my library. The book is solely on the Saviour. The focus is on nothing but Jesus.

This time, the Mormon leaders are probably beside themselves, trying to figure out how to respond to Grant's book. Because having set an example in terms of Honesty, Palmer now sets an example in terms of focus.

Unlike ancient prophets, the fifteen "special witnesses of Christ", aka the fifteen "prophets, seers and revelators", who lead the Mormon church never actually give any detail of any witness they may possess. Grant Palmer, on the other hand, is not afraid to speak about his.

Thank heaven for Grant Palmer.

Note: The writer of this review recently cancelled his membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a direct result of his interest in church history. Curiosity, along with a willingness to explore with an open mind the actual history of the Mormon church led him to the exit.

Book Description
Grant Palmer closed his thirty-four-year career teaching for the LDS Church Educational System with the final thirteen years as a chaplain and the LDS Institute director at the Salt Lake County Jail. Distilled from his personal and teaching experiences, this tender testament to the incomparable Jesus describes a Savior who walked the halls with him, succoring those in need.

In this slim volume, Palmer sensitively shares his understanding of what it means to know Jesus by doing his works. He lists the qualities of divine character attested to by the Apostles Peter and Paul, and also those that Jesus revealed about himself in his masterful Sermon on the Mount, particularly in the beatitudes.

With reverence Palmer shares personal spiritual experiences that were life-changing assurances of Jesus's love for him--a love poured out unstintingly in equally life-changing blessings on prisoners whose crimes have not stopped short of sexual abuse and murder. Reading this book offers deeper understanding of the Savior's mercy, a stronger sense of his love, and a deeper commitment to follow him.


My Thoughts Are:

If the Mormons had spent any amount of quality time on the life and teachings of Jesus, and had made that a focus of their religion instead of Joseph Smith and all the "prophets", I would probably had a better chance of remaining "Christian" after I resigned. But, having no foundation for my belief in Jesus, I went searching for the truth on my own, and I discovered Gnosticism, and Mary Magdalene, and Holy Grail theories, and many more unheard of doctrines that the early Christians taught, even before Jesus. Since then, I have come to believe that the miraculous life of Jesus was nothing more than a warmed over version many other similar religious figure heads:

Does any of this sound familiar?

Buddha's virgin mother, Maya, was impregnated by the "Holy Spirit," while a "heavenly messenger" informed her that she would bear "a son of the highest kings."


Buddha was said to have had five favorite disciples who left their former teacher to follow him, just as was Jesus, whose initial five disciples left John the Baptist to follow him.


Buddha is further portrayed as having 12 disciples, the same as Jesus.


Buddha is also depicted as speaking with "two buddhas who had preceded him," a motif reminiscent of Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah.


While Buddha fasts and prays in solitude in the desert, he is tempted by the Prince of Darkness, Mara, whose overtures of wealth and glory the sage resists.


Like Jesus, Buddha is portrayed as walking on water, while one of Buddha's disciples also is able to walk on water at his instruction.


Like Jesus, Buddha exhorts his disciples to "hide their good deeds, and confess their sins before the world." Furthermore, Buddha is portrayed as administering baptism for the remission of "sin."


Buddha's teachings embraced the brotherhood of men, the giving of charity to all, including adversaries, and "pity or love for one's neighbor."


Buddha was called "the Lion of the Tribe of Sakya, the King of Righteousness, the Great Physician, the God among Gods, the Only Begotten, the Word, the All-wise, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Intercessor, the Prince of Peace, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World, the Anointed, the Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour of the World, the Way of Life and Immortality."


I, for one, would be very interested in reading Grant Palmer's book about Jesus. I am a seeker of knowledge and the archetype of a benevolent, sincere Jesus would be much preferred over the nearly absent and invisible one I was presented with for over 20 years as a Mormon.