George C. Scott explains Calvinism, belief in the Dutch reformation: T-U-L-I-P. (total depravity; unconditional election; limited atonement; irresistible grace; preservation of the saints).
Scott explains Calvinism in much the same way General Buck Turgidson explained the imminent outbreak of nuclear war in Doctor Strangelove. Calvinism has a lot in common with mormonism, including a limited atonement. In the clip, after rattling of the five basic tenets of Calvinism, the conclusion is for predestination and predetermined outcomes. This was amplified in Smith's biblical fan fiction in the Book of Abraham:
[Abraham 3] ^22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; ^23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
Predestination is embraced in Calvinism because an all knowing god would know the future. He knows the outcome of every throw of the dice. He knows whose names will be on the scrolls allowed to pass the pearly gates into heaven before people are even born. Mormonism is similar, but with exceptions given to the founder to allow him to name exceptions for people who will get in because of their association with him. It's very much like the "legacy provision" given to brothers in a college fraternity.
Another difference is that in mormonism works are emphasized much more. Mormonism is a new Abrahamic religion, with exaltation to godhood being a new concept, and the Christian atonement relegated to overcoming Adam's original sin that literally happened in a garden less than 10,000 years ago. If people are not among the elect, then they're responsible for their own sins. That means beatings and torment in an afterlife that might be called "hell" in any other religion.
Perseverance is also a mainstay in LDS church lessons. The faithful must endure to the end and never fall from grace. In Calvinism, unconditional election comes to the rescue. In mormonism, those who receive their election sure are also granted admission despite any faults they might retain. Of course, mormons might say that they've achieved perfection and have jettisoned all ungodliness. I hold out hope that at least one of the fifteen men that lead mormonism has a vestige of a conscience and may want to come clean, especially about their claim of being a special witness for Christ. Implying they've met Christ in person, when they're merely living on hyperbolic claims and legalistic definitions of their title. "We are ordained as such, as special witnesses, as seers and revelators." is a mere shadow of Smith's claims regarding input from the deity. Despite the scarecrow receiving a degree at the end of the Wizard of Oz, degrees are not what make people smart. Likewise, titles do not confer automatic authority. In total, mormonism comes down to "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."
Posted May 5, 2017, 3:00 PM UTC · edited