Inquisitions in the post schism Russian Orthodox Church and before Siberian Exploration

Execution of Heretics and Inquisitions in the Russian Church 

I was told by an Orthodox priest that St Thomas Aquinas is in Hell for advocating for the government capital punishment for heresy. This will be part of a broader topic addressing Orthodox criticism against Catholic, addressing claims that the Orthodox church didn't execute heretics, didn't have inquisitions, did not have crusades. See my former article on Emperor Justinian's code on treatment of heretics. I am also preparing another article on St Joseph Volotsky and his advocacy for life imprisonment and execution for heresy.

First. an account of a monk being punished for by Metropolitian Archbishop of Kievan Rus for heresy by imprisonment who eventually repents. Rather than exile or execution, this somewhat moderate step was taken.

6512 (1004). Война печенегов. Андриан еретик. Затмение солнца и луны. Печенеги, придя, снова Белгород обступили. И послал Владимир Александра Поповича да Яна Усмовича с войском. Печенеги же, услышав о том, оставив осаду, ушли в степи. В том же году митрополит Леонтий посадил в темницу чернеца Андриана Скопца. Ибо тот весьма изучен был писания, многие книги читал и впал в ересь, укоряя церковь и все уставы, епископов и пресвитеров, иконы и посты; но через малое время исправился, пришел в покаяние и познание истины и пребывал в великом благоговении, что многим кротости и смирению его дивиться.--История Российская. Части 2:7, Василий Татищев

 6512 (1004). Pecheneg War. Andrian the Heretic. Eclipse of Sun and Moon. The Pechenegs came and once again besieged Belgorod. And Vladimir sent Alexander Popovich and Yan Usmovich with an army. The Pechenegs, hearing of this, abandoned the siege and fled to the steppes. In the same year, Metropolitan Leonty imprisoned the monk Andrian the Eunuch (skopetsa). For he was deeply learned in scriptures, had read many books, and fell into heresy, reproaching the church and all its statutes, bishops and priests, icons and fasts; but after a short time, he reformed, came to repentance and recognition of the truth, and dwelt in great piety, so that many marveled at his meekness and humility. In that same summer, there was a sign in the sun and moon.--Vasily Tatishchev’s History of Russia (Istoriya Rossiyskaya): Volume 2:7  (AI translation)

Second, a man named Dmitro (Dmitryi?) was called a great heretic, but the Prince sent him into exile, another source I found claims he was sent to the dungeon, but I cannot confirm that. The source Tatishchev used for this seems to be lost, some doubt this story complete because of that, suggesting its conflated with the 15th century controversies.

6631 (1123)...

 Дмитро еретик. Синилец гр. В том же году восстал еретик тяжкий на церковь святую, именуемый Дмитро, опровергая уставы церковные. Но князь великий повелел его митрополиту испытать и обличить. Митрополит же, взяв его, послал в заточение во град Синелец (374).--История Российская. Части 2:7, Василий Татищев

Dmitro the Heretic. City of Sinilets.  In that same year, a grievous heretic rose against the holy church, named Dmitro, rejecting church statutes. But the grand prince ordered the metropolitan to examine and convict him. The metropolitan, taking him, sent him into exile to the city of Sinilets.--Vasily Tatishchev’s History of Russia (Istoriya Rossiyskaya): Volume 2:13  (AI translation)

The following is largely considered to be ahistorical and a forgery created by Orthodox polemicists against Old Believers as part of a debate from the early 18th Century where Peter the Great wanted to end the Raskol. The account I came across in a Seventh Day Adventist article (generally do not trust anything they have to say) which quotes an Atheist, Communist historian from shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution. The account reads:

В 1123 г. по приговору Киевского церковного собора заточили в тюрьму, как «злого ере- тика», какого-то Дмитрия. В 1157 г. тот же цер- ковный собор осудил другого еретика, Мартина.

Учение Мартина, направленное против господствующей церкви, привлекло на его сторону, как рассказывает об этом летопись, много простого народа и вызвало широкое обществен- ное движение против православной церкви. По приговору собора Мартин был сожжён. 

Не только русские князья признавали за церковными иерархами право уничтожать про- тивников «злою казнью». Это же право призна- валось и монгольскими завоевателями. Так, по ярлыку хана Менгу Темира митро- политу Кириллу было предоставлено право на- казывать смертью за хулу на православную цер- ковь и за нарушение церковных привилегий. --Православная инквизиция в России, Ефим Грекулов

In 1123, by the verdict of the Kyiv church council, a certain Dmitry was imprisoned as a “wicked heretic.” In 1157, the same church council condemned another heretic, Martin.

Martin’s teaching, directed against the dominant church, attracted many common people to his side, as the chronicle recounts, and sparked a broad public movement against the Orthodox Church. By the council’s verdict, Martin was burned. 

Not only did Russian princes recognize the right of church hierarchs to destroy opponents with “cruel execution.” This right was also acknowledged by the Mongol conquerors.
Thus, by the decree of Khan Mengu-Temir, Metropolitan Kirill was granted the right to punish with death those who blasphemed against the Orthodox Church and violated church privileges.--Orthodox Inquisition in Russia by Yefim Grekulov (AI translation)

Grekulov did not invent this story, but he should have known it was fake history!  The story is believed to originate in the Old Believer controversy in the early 18th century where Peter the Great ordered Orthodox scholars to try to convert Old Believers to mainline Orthodoxy. The forgery likely was someone in the camp of Pitirim (archimandrite and founder of the Assumption Monastery on Kerzh and Belbash). Strange how a story Orthodox polemicists would be used later to demonize the Russian Church!

Another controversy without explanation to punishment, merely he was "cursed" or anathematized the synod:

6821 (1313). 

В тот же год явился в Новгороде еретик Вавила, протопоп новгородский, к нему же пристали многие от причта церковного и мирян, и епископ тверской Андрей помогал им, говоря: «Вот как рай на земли погиб»; и святой ангельский монашеский чин ругали безбожные и учением бесовским именовали. И многие, от иноков выйдя, женились. Преосвященный же митрополит Петр созвал на Переславль собор великий, были тут все епископы, игумены, попы, дьяконы и чернецы, и от патриарха Афанасия клир ученый. И многие прения были, и едва преосвященный Петр, митрополит киевский и всея Руси, от божественного Писания и помощию и заступлением князя Иоанна Даниловича преодолел и проклял того еретика; а сам пошел по градам, поучая право верить, и укротил молву, а смущение диаволово прогнал.----История Российская. Части 2:46, Василий Татищев

6821 (1313).

In that same year, a heretic named Vavila appeared in Novgorod, a protopope of Novgorod, to whom many from the church clergy and laypeople adhered, and Bishop Andrew of Tver supported them, saying: “Thus paradise on earth has perished”; and they reviled the holy angelic monastic order, godlessly calling it a teaching of demons. And many, leaving the monks, married. But the Most Holy Metropolitan Peter convened a great council in Pereslavl, attended by all bishops, abbots, priests, deacons, and monks, and learned clergy from Patriarch Athanasius. There were many disputes, and only with difficulty did the Most Holy Peter, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus’, through divine Scripture and with the help and support of Prince John Danilovich, overcome and curse that heretic. He then went through the cities, teaching to believe rightly, and quelled the rumor, driving out the devil’s confusion.--(AI translation)

Now an account in Novgorod around 1375 where heretics were drowned. Little is said about the event and the role of the Novgorod church in the matter.

The account written in older Russian font:

ПСРЛ, том XI. Издание 1-е. Летописный сборник, именуемый Патриаршею или Никоновскою летописью. СПб., 1897. 262 с., разд. паг. (VII c, 254 c.).

Polnoe sobranie rus letopisey 4, page 72

Тогда стригольников побиша, дьякона Микиту, дьякона Карпу, третее человека его, и свергоша их с мосту  Источник

Тогда стригольников побиша, дьякона Микиту, дьякона Карпу, третее человека его, и свергоша их с мосту

Источник: https://statehistory.ru/books/15/Olga-Kuzmina_Respublika-Svyatoy-Sofii/6

Побиша стриголников еретиков диакона Микиту и Карпа простца, и третьего человека с ними, свергоша их с мосту, развратников святыя веры

They killed the Strigolnik heretics, Deacon Nikita and Karp, a simple man, and a third person with them, casting them from the bridge, these corrupters of the holy faith--Polnoe sobranie rus letopisey 4 (Sofia Chronicle)

The same account rewritten for modern Russian:

6883 (1375)....

....В тот же год новгородцы ввергли в воду, в Волхов, стригольников еретиков, говоря: «Писано есть в Евангелие, если кто соблазнит одного из малых сих, тому лучше было бы, если бы повесили ему мельничный жернов на шею и потопили его во глубине морской».--История Российская. Части 2:54, Василий Татищев

That same year, the Novgorodians cast the Strigolnik heretics into the water, into the Volkhov, saying: ‘It is written in the Gospel, if anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.’"--Russian History 2:54 by Vasiliy Tatischev (AI translation) 

 The last account occurred before any Latin influence and translations on treatise on handling heretics. However, the next account there is evidence it was the Russian Church using Spanish writings on their inquisition against crypto-Jews.

Catholic heresy, Isidore tries to convince Russia to accept the Council of Florence to reunite with the Papacy, he is sent off to confinement in an Orthodox monastery presumably for the rest of his life for refuse to renounce the "Latin heresy":

(1441) 6949 

Исидор осужден. Тогда все епископы русские, которые были тогда в Москве и, слышав, прежде молчали, как спящие и не ведающие писания, ни силы, и ныне возбудились, и все с ними князи, и бояре, и множество людей вспомянули и уразумели законы прежние от апостолов и святых соборов, на которых стоит церковь греческая, начали говорить от святого писания и звать Исидора еретиком. И тогда князь великий Василий Васильевич возрадовался о согласии епископов своих, и князей, и бояр, и всех православных христиан, и повелел ему пребывать в монастыре, до тех пор пока не изыщет о нем по священным правилам святых апостолов и святых семи соборов святых отцев, чтобы так истинным судом правды пред архиепископами и епископами, пред всем священным собором обличить ересь его, что да усрамится и отложит латинские соединения и согласия ересные, и повинуется, и покается, и милость получит. Исидор же, злой ереси латинской насытившись, никак же не восхотел отлучиться от латинского согласия и соединения, нисколько повиноваться не восхотел и не послушал великого князя и всего священного собора. И приставил к нему князь великий приставов своих, и повелел его стеречь, да отлучится от латинского соединения и согласия, и обратится, и покается, и милость получит; так жил в монастыре у Чуда за стражей.-- История Российская. Части 2-4:56

Isidore Condemned. Then all the Russian bishops who were in Moscow at that time, who had previously remained silent as if asleep and unaware of scripture or its power, now awoke. Together with them, the princes, boyars, and a multitude of people recalled and understood the ancient laws from the apostles and holy councils upon which the Greek Church stands. They began to speak from holy scripture and call Isidore a heretic. And then Grand Prince Vasily Vasilyevich rejoiced at the agreement of his bishops, princes, boyars, and all Orthodox Christians, and ordered him to remain in a monastery until he could be judged according to the sacred canons of the holy apostles and the seven holy councils of the holy fathers, so that by a true judgment of justice before the archbishops, bishops, and the entire holy council, his heresy might be exposed. This was so that he might be ashamed, renounce the Latin unions and heretical agreements, submit, repent, and receive mercy. But Isidore, steeped in the wicked Latin heresy, refused entirely to abandon the Latin agreement and union, showed no willingness to submit, and did not heed the grand prince or the entire holy council. The grand prince appointed guards to watch him and ordered them to keep him under surveillance, so that he might renounce the Latin union and agreement, turn back, repent, and receive mercy. Thus, he lived in the Chudov Monastery under guard.--Russian History 2-4:56 (AI translation)

In 1490/1491, there are two separate versions for this apparently, one Moscow based (Nikon Chronicle) and the other Novgorad based (Novgorod Chronicle), one account might suggest the Archbishop rejected the synod's decision to spare from executing the heretics, and forced them to wear flaming helmets which may or may not have killed them.

 Then we see:

 Here is another record of the council, a 1491 redaction recording the heretics denying the Eucharist is Christ, denying Christ as being consubstantial to the Father, deny icons, Judazing, reject the traditional weekly fast days, the punishment is exile:

В лъто 6999 повелъниемъ благовърнаго и христолюбиваго великаго князя Ивана Васильевичя всея Руси сшедшимся в православныи град Москву боголюбивым архиепископом и епископом, благовърныи же и христо- любивыи князь великыи Иванъ Васильевичь възвъщаа2 имъ о избрании митрополичи, 3 и архиепископъ Тихон Ростовскыи и Нифонтъ Суздальскыи, Семионъ Рязанскыи, Васианъ Тверскыи, Прохор Сарьскыи, Филофеи Пермъскыи. А новгородцкыи архиепископъ Генадеи присла свою грамоту къ братии своеи архиепископу4 и епископомъ, глаголя: «Благословенъ богъ, его же въсхощет, // и пречистаа мати божиа и великые чюдотворци, тако же и государь нашъ князь великыи Иван Васильевич всея Руси и вы, братиа моя православные архиепископы и епископы и весь священныи събор рускиа митрополиа, тои всъмъ нам будеть отецъ и учитель, и аз с вами, всему5 православному христианству пастырь и учитель, и аз с вами, съ6 своею братию съ архиепископом и епископы, о том великомъ божественом дъле въ единои волъ и хотънии». И по благодати божии и по избранию Святого Духа, и изволениемъ благовърнаго и христолюбиваго великаго князя Ивана Васильевича всея Руси и всъхъ православных епископъ, и всего освящен- наго събора Руские митрополиа избраша архимандрита симоновского Зо- симу, яко достоина суща управляти богомъ порученное ему стадо. И възве- денъ же на двор митрополич месяца септября 19 день, а поставленъ митрополит всея Руси того месяца 26 в неделю. Того же месяца 28 прииде к великому князю посол из Чагадаи Урусь богатырь от Усеин салтана о любви и о дружбъ. Тое же осени октября 167 по повелънию благочестиваго и христолюбиваго, истиннаго православию поборника, великаго князя Ивана Васильевича государя всея Руси самодръжца съборовали господинъ пресвященныи митрополитъ Зосима всея Руси и съ всъми архиепископы и епископы, и с ыгумены, и с старцы духовными, и с протопо//пы, и с свя- щенници, и з диаконы, и съ всъм священным събором Рускиа митрополиа на развратников въры христианьстъи, на Захариа черньца и на его това- рыщев, на новгородцкого протопопа Гаврила и на Дениса попа архаггель- скаго, и на Максима попа иваньского, на Василия попа покровского 1–и на Макара диакона нико[ль]ского, –1 и на Гридю диака борисоглъбьского, на Васюка зятя Денисьева, на Самуху диака никольского и на их единомы- слениковъ, хотящих развратити честную и непорочную въру православ- ную, еже въ Христа бога нашего, в Троици славимаго, и погубити Христово стадо православное христианство, но не възмогоша, сами сътрошася, и вся мудрость их поглощена бысть. Глаголющимъ же имъ про господа нашего Исуса Христа сына божиа: «Како может богъ на землю снити и от девы родитися, яко человекъ, но ин есть тако, яко пророкъ бъ и подобен Моисъю, и не равен богу и Отцу». И не въроваху же, еже от пречистыа девы бого- родица рожеству еа, ни въскресению его, ни на иконах написанному образу по человечеству господа нашего Исуса Христа сына божиа не поклоняхуся, ни пречистыа образу, ни святым его угодником, но хуляще и ругающеся, глаголаху: «То суть дъла рукъ человеческых, уста имуть и не глаголють», и прочее, и подобни им да будут творящеи я, и вси надъющеся на ня. Тако же и божественую службу свершающе, ядше и пивше, и тъло Христово ни въ что же вмъняюще, яко простъ хлъбъ, и кровь Христову, яко просто вино. И иные // ереси многы творяще противно правилом святых апостолъ и святых отецъ, но болшее ветхаго закона держахуся: по июдеискы Пасху праздноваху, в среду и в пяток мясо и млеко ядяху. И иные дъла не- подобныя еретииская творяху, их же не мощно и писанию предати. И мно- гых простыхъ людеи прельстиша своими скверными ересми, и на соборъ перед великым князем и перед митрополитом, и пред архиепископомъ, и пред епископы, и пред всъмъ священнымъ събором тъх своих ересеи, скверных дълъ, запръшася и быша яко въ изступлении ума. 

Благовърныи же и христолюбивыи истинныи православию поборникъ, яко же вторыи царь Костянтин, князь великыи Иванъ Васильевич государь всея Руси самодръжец съ отцемъ своим святъишимъ митрополитомъ Зосимою и съ архиепископы, и епископы, и съ всъмъ священным събором Рускиа митрополиа, обыскавъ их скверные ереси и по архиепископлевым Генадиевым подлинникомъ, и по московскимъ свидътельством, тъхъ еретиков, Захарию черньца и сь его предреченными товарыщи и единомысленикы их по правилом святых апостолъ и святыхъ отецъ от святыа съборныа церквъ отлучиша, из сану извергоша и проклятию предаша, и в заточение ихъ послаша, а чистую и непорочную православную въру христианскую яснъ утвердиша и прославиша святую Троицу, въ едином божествъ нераз- дълну и несъзданну въ трех // съставех: Отца славяще, Сына въспъвающе и Духу Святому покланяющеся, Троицъ въ единици, единицы въ Троицы, сердцемъ и усты исповъдающе в въкы. Аминь.--СОКРАЩЕННЫЙ СВОД--РЕДАКЦИИ 1491 . (ГИМ, СИН. 963". "Abbreviated Compilation" of the 1491 Redaction (State Historical Museum, Synodal Manuscript 963)

"In the year 6999, by the command of the pious and Christ-loving Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich of all Russia, the God-loving archbishops and bishops gathered in the orthodox city of Moscow. The pious and Christ-loving Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich announced to them the selection of a metropolitan. And [present were] Archbishop Tikhon of Rostov, Nifont of Suzdal, Simeon of Ryazan, Vassian of Tver, Prokhor of Sarai, and Philotheus of Perm. But the Novgorod Archbishop Gennady sent his letter to his brethren, the archbishops and bishops, saying: 'Blessed be God, whom He wills, // and the most pure Mother of God and the great miracle-workers, as well as our sovereign Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich of all Russia and you, my orthodox brethren, archbishops and bishops, and the entire sacred council of the Russian metropolitanate—he will be a father and teacher to us all; and I, with you, a shepherd and teacher to all orthodox Christianity; and I, with you, together with my brethren the archbishops and bishops, in this great divine matter, are of one will and desire.' And by the grace of God, by the election of the Holy Spirit, and by the choice of the pious and Christ-loving Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich of all Russia, and all the orthodox bishops, and the entire consecrated council of the Russian metropolitanate, they chose the Simonov Archimandrite Zosima as worthy to govern the flock entrusted to him by God. And he was elevated to the metropolitan court on the 19th day of September, and installed as Metropolitan of all Russia on the 26th of that month, a Sunday. On the 28th of that same month, an envoy from Chagatai, Urus Bogatyr, came to the Grand Prince from Sultan Usein concerning love and friendship. That same autumn, on October 17, by the command of the pious and Christ-loving true champion of Orthodoxy, Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich, sovereign and autocrat of all Russia, a council was held with the lord Most Holy Metropolitan Zosima of all Russia, together with all the archbishops and bishops, and with abbots, spiritual elders, protopopes, priests, deacons, and the entire sacred council of the Russian metropolitanate, against the perverters of the Christian faith: Zechariah the monk and his companions, the Novgorod protopope Gabriel, Denis the priest of the Archangel [Cathedral], Maxim the priest of Ivanovo, Vasily the priest of Pokrovskoe, Makar the deacon of St. Nicholas, Gridya the clerk of Borisoglebsk, Vasyuk the son-in-law of Denis, Samukha the clerk of St. Nicholas, and their like-minded followers, who sought to pervert the honorable and unblemished orthodox faith in Christ our God, glorified in the Trinity, and to destroy Christ’s flock of orthodox Christianity. But they could not prevail; they shattered themselves, and all their wisdom was swallowed up. They spoke of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, saying: 'How can God descend to earth and be born of a virgin as a man? Rather, He was another, like a prophet, similar to Moses, and not equal to God and the Father.' And they did not believe in His birth from the most pure Virgin Mother of God, nor in His resurrection, nor did they venerate the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, painted on icons according to His humanity, nor the most pure [Virgin’s] image, nor His holy saints, but blaspheming and mocking, they said: 'These are the works of human hands; they have mouths but do not speak,' and so forth, and let those who do likewise and all who trust in them be like them. Likewise, while performing the divine service, eating and drinking, they regarded the Body of Christ as nothing, as mere bread, and the Blood of Christ as mere wine. And they committed many other heresies contrary to the rules of the holy apostles and holy fathers, but most of all they adhered to the old law: they celebrated Passover in the Jewish manner, ate meat and dairy on Wednesdays and Fridays. And they performed other unseemly heretical deeds, which cannot even be committed to writing. And they seduced many simple people with their vile heresies, and at the council before the Grand Prince, the metropolitan, the archbishops, the bishops, and the entire sacred council, they denied those heresies and vile deeds, and were as if out of their minds."

"The pious and Christ-loving true champion of Orthodoxy, like a second Tsar Constantine, Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich, sovereign and autocrat of all Russia, together with his father, the most holy Metropolitan Zosima, and with the archbishops, bishops, and the entire sacred council of the Russian metropolitanate, having investigated their vile heresies according to the authentic documents of Archbishop Gennady and the testimonies of Moscow witnesses, excommunicated those heretics—Zechariah the monk, along with his aforementioned companions and like-minded followers—from the holy conciliar church according to the rules of the holy apostles and holy fathers, stripped them of their rank, condemned them to a curse, and sent them into exile; and they clearly affirmed and glorified the pure and unblemished Orthodox Christian faith, and praised the Holy Trinity, indivisible and uncreated in one divinity, in three [persons], proclaiming: glorifying the Father, extolling the Son, and bowing to the Holy Spirit, the Trinity in unity, the unity in the Trinity, confessing with heart and lips forever. Amen."--Translation of "Abbreviated Compilation" of the 1491 Redaction (State Historical Museum, Synodal Manuscript 963)

The following represents the "Nikon Chronicles" version of the event with birchbark helmets being lit on the heads of heretics by the Archbishop:

6999 (1491)....Той же осенью октября в 17 день повелением великого князя Иоанна Васильевича всея Руси был собор в Москве на богохульников, лжеучителей и ругателей святых икон и всем таинствам церковным противников, которых прислал из Великого Новгорода архиепископ Геннадий к митрополиту Геронтию, уличенных в богоотступничестве и лжеучительстве жидовского закона, извещая, что они ругали святые иконы и все святые тайны церковные. А ранее писал он, Геннадий, к великому князю, что в Новгороде великая крамола. И князь великий их, крамольников, велел вывести по иным городам, как прежде сказано, а сих еретиков привезли, когда умер уже Геронтий митрополит. Сия ересь началась, когда был в Новгороде князь Михаил Олелкович киевский. Тогда пришел с ним жидовин, именем Схарина, тот проклятый имел язык свой, словно уд, весьма сладкоречивый, и слова его все Библиею были преисполнены, образ жития его являлся целомудренным и кротким, но внутри полон смрада и нечистоты. Тот злоковарный многих тогда в Новгороде слабых смутил и жидовствовать прельстил. И хотя тот враг в Новгороде с иными казнен был от великого князя Иоанна Васильевича всея Руси, но еще не угас огонь тот ядовитый, ибо не все те богоотступники во время гнева погибли; и останки те начали множиться, поскольку вселился во многих сатана, и начали святое Евангелие отвергать, в басню его вменять. И сим не только мирских и неучей, но многих и от священства превратили, дошло даже то зло до Москвы, что слышав симоновский архимандрит Зосим от служащего дьякона прельстился, и внял безумию сему, и начал тайно жидовствовать. После Геронтия же митрополита сообщник его дьяк Истома сольстил великого князя сего Зосима возвести на митрополию русскую; и через малое время возведен был за неведение проклятого в нем богоотступства. И князь великий особенно поторопился из-за собора на привезенных тех богоотступников, думая, что без митрополита собору быть не пристойно, и вскоре повелел собору быть. На нем же архиепископ ростовский Тихон, епископ суздальский Нифонт, рязанский Симеон, тверской Вассиан, сарайский Прохор, пермский Филофей, сергиевский игумен Афанасий и прочие архимандриты, игумены, протопопы, дьяконы и чернецы, председательствовал же князь великий Иоанн Иоаннович. И было на соборе тому рассмотрение и многие расспросы, но Зосим никак не проявился, ибо скрылся волк лицемерством своим в одежду овчую; и когда все решили, что все сожечь по достоинству будет, когда же дошла очередь сказать до Зосимы митрополита, тот сказал: «По достоинству будет меня проклятию предать и сослать в Новгород на покаяние под стражу, так как мы от Бога не поставлены на смерть осуждать, но грешных обращать к покаянию». Были же те богоотступники осуждены проклятию: Захар чернец, Гаврила протопоп, Денис поп, Максим поп, Василий поп, Макар поп, Гридя дьяк, Васюк, зять Денисов, Самоха дьяк и некоторое количество от простых; и послали их в Новгород под стражею. Владыка же Геннадий, слышав то, ужаснулся и хотя не знал Зосимы богоотступника, но сказал: «Некто был на том соборе согласник сему злу». И послав, повелел их далеко за градом остановить, и поделал им шлемы берестяные, а платье их посмолил, и посажав на клячи бездельные лицом к хвосту, велел же им с обоих сторон мешки великие наложить и на мешках написал так: «Вот воин сатаны». И провезли их чрез град, а за градом повелел шлемы зажечь на них; и так все те хульники христианские изгибли. Но еще зол сосуд и головня содомская остался тот Зосим в Москве на митрополии, который потом за такое басурманство и богоотступление, как прах, исчез, и память его погибла с шумом. Архиеп. Тихон ростовский. Еп. Авраамий коломенский. Той же зимой декабря в 18 день в четверг произведен Ростову на архиепископство Тихон....--История Российская. Татищев Василий Никитич

"6999 (1491). ....That same autumn, on October 17, by order of Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia, a council was held in Moscow against blasphemers, false teachers, and mockers of holy icons and all church sacraments—opponents whom Archbishop Gennady had sent from Great Novgorod to Metropolitan Geronty, having been convicted of apostasy and false teachings of the Jewish law. Gennady reported that they mocked holy icons and all church mysteries. Earlier, Gennady had written to the Grand Prince about a great sedition in Novgorod. The Grand Prince ordered those seditionists to be dispersed to other cities, as previously mentioned, and these heretics were brought after Metropolitan Geronty’s death. This heresy began when Prince Mikhail Olelkovich of Kyiv was in Novgorod. At that time, a Jew named Skharina arrived with him—a cursed man with a tongue like a serpent, exceedingly eloquent, his words steeped in Scripture, his manner of life appearing chaste and meek, though inwardly full of stench and impurity. That treacherous one swayed many weak souls in Novgorod and enticed them to Judaize. Although that enemy was executed in Novgorod along with others by order of Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich of All Russia, the poisonous fire did not fully die out, for not all those apostates perished during the time of wrath; their remnants began to multiply, as Satan had taken root in many. They started rejecting the Holy Gospel, deeming it a fable. This not only corrupted laypeople and the unlearned but also turned many from the priesthood, and the evil even reached Moscow. Hearing of this, Simonov Archimandrite Zosima was swayed by a serving deacon, succumbed to this madness, and began secretly Judaizing. After Metropolitan Geronty’s death, his accomplice, the clerk Istoma, persuaded the Grand Prince to elevate this Zosima to the Russian metropolitanate; shortly thereafter, he was installed, his cursed apostasy unknown. The Grand Prince hastened this especially because of the council against those brought apostates, believing it improper for a council to convene without a metropolitan, and soon ordered the council to take place. At it were Archbishop Tikhon of Rostov, Bishop Nifont of Suzdal, Simeon of Ryazan, Vassian of Tver, Prokhor of Sarai, Philotheus of Perm, Sergius Abbot Athanasius, and other archimandrites, abbots, protopopes, deacons, and monks, presided over by Grand Prince Ivan Ivanovich. There was much examination and interrogation at the council, but Zosima did not reveal himself, for the wolf hid his hypocrisy in sheep’s clothing. When all agreed that burning them would be just, it came to Metropolitan Zosima’s turn to speak, and he said: 'It would be fitting to subject me to a curse and send me to Novgorod for repentance under guard, for we are not appointed by God to condemn to death but to turn sinners to repentance.' Those apostates were condemned to a curse: Zechariah the monk, Gabriel the protopope, Denis the priest, Maxim the priest, Vasily the priest, Makar the priest, Gridya the clerk, Vasyuk (Denis’s son-in-law), Samokha the clerk, and some common folk; they were sent to Novgorod under guard. Hearing this, Archbishop Gennady was horrified and, though unaware of Zosima’s apostasy, said: 'Someone at that council was complicit in this evil.' He ordered them stopped far outside the city, made them birchbark helmets, smeared their clothes with pitch, seated them backward on worthless nags with large sacks on both sides inscribed: 'This is Satan’s warrior.' They were paraded through the city, and beyond it, their helmets were set ablaze on them; thus, those Christian blasphemers perished. Yet that vessel of evil and Sodomite ember, Zosima, remained in Moscow on the metropolitan throne, later vanishing like dust for such Muslim-like apostasy, his memory perishing with infamy. Archbishop Tikhon of Rostov. Bishop Avraamy of Kolomna. That same winter, on December 18, a Thursday, Tikhon was appointed Archbishop of Rostov....--AI translation of Russian History in All Its Fullness by Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev

The following is an excerpt from the Nikon Chronicles recounting the execution of heretics approved of by a 1504 Moscow Synod:

Here is a snippet taken from the old Russian text taken from the Russian Chronicles:

Nikon Chronicle (Letopisets Nikonovskii) Volume 12 in the Polnoe Sobranie Russkikh Letopisey (PSRL) or Том XII. Летописный сборник, именуемый Патриаршею или Никоновскою летописью

Here is a digitized modernized version of the text taken from Russia statehistory.ru by

Vasily Tatishchev’s History of Russia (Istoriya Rossiyskaya)

7013 (1505).... 

О казни еретиков. Той же зимой князь великий Иоанн Васильевич и сын его князь великий Василий Иоаннович всея Руси с Симоном, митрополитом всея Руси, и с епископами, и со всем собором выискали еретиков и повелели лихих смертною казнью казнить. И пожгли их в клетке: дьяка Волка Курицына, да Митю Коноплева, да Ивашку Максимова, декабря 24; а Некрасу Рукавову повелели язык урезать и в Новгороде Великом сожгли его. И той же зимой архимандрита Кассиана юрьевского сожгли, и его брата, и иных многих еретиков сожгли, а иных в заточение сослали, а иных по монастырям. --Vasily Tatishchev’s History of Russia (Istoriya Rossiyskaya) https://statehistory.ru/books/Vasiliy-Tatishchev_Istoriya-Rossiyskaya--CHasti-2-4/62

On the execution of heretics. That same winter, Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich and his son, Grand Prince Vasily Ivanovich of All Russia, together with Simon, Metropolitan of All Russia, and the bishops, and the entire council, investigated the heretics and ordered the wicked ones to be executed with death. And they burned them in a cage: the clerk Volk Kuritsyn, Mitya Konoplev, and Ivashka Maximov, on December 24; and Nekras Rukavov was ordered to have his tongue cut out and was burned in Great Novgorod. And that same winter, Archimandrite Kassian of Yuryev was burned, along with his brother and many other heretics, while some were sent into exile, and others were dispatched to monasteries.--Vasily Tatishchev’s History of Russia (Istoriya Rossiyskaya). Volume XII, year 

7013  (AI translation)

To be continued. 

Mormonism: Joseph Smith's King Follet Sermon

Mormonism: Joseph Smith's King Follet Sermon

Two years before the Mormon "prophet" and founder--Joseph Smith died, he gave one of his most infamous and controversial sermons where he asserted God used to be a human and is not eternal, and that Genesis 1 teaches there are multiple Gods. Smith's sermon will be in black and my words in blue.

God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His power, was to make himself visible—I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with Him, as one man talks and communes with another.

Smith here shows that Mormons have a radically different idea of God than Christians, or even other Monotheistic faiths. Mormonism does not believe God is immutable, but rather had to BECOME God.  Going even further, he insists God still looks like a man, but chooses not to show it to us! He bases this on Adam being made in the "image and likeness of God." Like much of Mormon doctrine it seems to have an origin in Jewish mysticism, neo-Platonism, and old fashioned paganism, in this case the rabbinical writing Genesis Rabbah 8:10 does has a section where a rabbi insists Adam looked exactly like God.  However, the issue is we know what "image of God" means in the ancient world, as many Jewish commentaries like Etz Hayim mention, in the ancient Middle East kings were often called the "image of a god," so the Bible here is telling us all human beings are made in the image of God, and this is repeated in the Noachide laws of Genesis  9:6.  So rather that one person being the image of God, all men are, thus democraticizing it, and showing all humans were made to rule the earth and endowed with free will and intellect by God.  Joseph Smith, however, ignoring traditional understanding, or being ignorant of the expression interprets it literally. Furthermore, if God was a man, why doesn't Joseph Smith tell us where God when He was a man came from? Who created him?   

In order to understand the subject of the dead, for consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how He came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see.

He seems to be only concern with how a man became god and unconcerned with the much bigger question of where he came from.  Furthermore, Smith's statement about God not being God "from eternity" seems to contradict his own holy book: 

For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.--Moroni 7:22

Perhaps Smith has his own ideas of what "everlasting" and "eternal" mean also?

These ideas are incomprehensible to some, but they are simple. It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; and I will show it from the Bible.

This analogy seems to imply Jesus was not God before hand since he went through the same process as the Father. We know this is not the case because John 1:1 said the "word WAS God" in regards to "the beginning."

Eternal Life to Know God and Jesus Christ

I wish I was in a suitable place to tell it, and that I had the trump of an archangel, so that I could tell the story in such a manner that persecution would cease forever. What did Jesus say? (Mark it, Elder Rigdon!) The scriptures inform us that Jesus said, as the Father hath power in himself, even so hath the Son power—to do what? Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious—in a manner to lay down his body and take it up again. Jesus, what are you going to do? To lay down my life as my Father did, and take it up again. Do you believe it? If you do not believe it you do not believe the Bible. The scriptures say it, and I defy all the learning and wisdom and all the combined powers of earth and hell together to refute it.

Here we see the "prophet" cannot get the verse right, Mormons say Smith is paraphrasing John 5:26 which reads:

"For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;--John 5:26

 The verse is nothing to do with the Father and Son having died once and needing to resurrect, otherwise someone would have have to have given the Father power to die and resurrect likewise!  Ofcourse, Smith does not want to provide or refer to this person.  Furthermore, Smith completely misunderstands the verse--its talking about the Father posessing life--that is "salvation" and giving the ability to save to the Son, and its not talking about themselves, the whole context of John 5:26 is the Son judgement and giving life to people, whether spiritual or physical, though spiritual life (salvation) is the one emphasized the most as in

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.--John 5:24

 those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.--John 5:29

Furthermore, we have a similar verse to John 5:26 only a few verses before, but about judgement--which Jesus contrasts with life

The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,--John 5:22

The Father gave the Son JUDGEMENT and LIFE, refering to the ability to damn and save people, just as verse John 5:29 that I posted above shows!

 Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. And I want you to know that God, in the last days, while certain individuals are proclaiming His name, is not trifling with you or me.

Great advertising technique, tell your members they too can become Gods!  This is incredibly different from the historical Christian doctrine of Theosis, which is about becoming by grace what God is by nature, not about achieving some Divine powers and being transformed into a member of a pantheon! Interestingly, he says there are already gods

The Righteous to Dwell in Everlasting Burnings

These are the first principles of consolation. How consoling to the mourners when they are called to part with a husband, wife, father, mother, child, or dear relative, to know that, although the earthly tabernacle is laid down and dissolved, they shall rise again to dwell in everlasting burnings in immortal glory, not to sorrow, suffer, or die any more, but they shall be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

If we were to read this section by itself as it it were written by an ordinary, it does not sounds strange, pagan, or crazy, but nothing Joseph Smith his idea of "heirs" is very different.

What is it? To inherit the same power, the same glory and the same exaltation, until you arrive at the station of a god, and ascend the throne of eternal power, the same as those who have gone before. What did Jesus do? Why, I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence.

This is just a power trip, power is a common theme in new age religions like Wicca too and is part of its appeal to the weak.  Also, notice how Smith seems to invent a quote that vague resembles a real saying of Jesus, partly by combining sayings of Jesus and smashing quotes together--just as he did several times through out the book of Mormon (especially about baptism read 3 Nephi 11):

glory that I had with you before the world existed.--John 17:5

the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.--John 5:19

Mormons like John 5:19 especially, because they argue that Jesus can only ressurect because he was the Father ressurect himself once, however Jesus is talking again about life and judgement, about how the Father is at work, so the Son is likewise as in the verse prior

Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”-John 5:17

My Father worked out His kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to My Father, so that He may obtain kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt Him in glory. He will then take a higher exaltation, and I will take His place, and thereby become exalted myself. So that Jesus treads in the tracks of His Father, and inherits what God did before; and God is thus glorified and exalted in the salvation and exaltation of all His children. It is plain beyond disputation, and you thus learn some of the first principles of the gospel, about which so much hath been said.

"Fear and trembling" is a phrase found about 4 times in the New Testament and is only used about humans, not God, likewise the Book of Mormon uses it obviously in Mormon 9:27 taking from Philippians 2:12 about "working out your salvation with fear and trembling." Who does God have to fear and trembling over? is it himself? The implication is that there is someone he reports to, but of course Smith does not want to talk about that here either!  In this section Smith is still making God the Father and Jesus out to be self seeking for self exaltation and to glorify themselves and ascend up some ladder of godhood--much different than the Jesus of John 17:5 where Jesus asks to be RESTORED to His previous glory, rather than being GIVEN NEW GLORY:

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was--John 17:5

Furthermore, a Jesus wanting to exalt himself gives us a Jesus radically diffferent that the Biblical one that came in form of a servant as Phillippians 2:7 and was exalted by God the Father because of it, especially since the Mormon Jesus gets to take his father's place! This is an extremely selfish, motivated Jesus--he gets a huge personal payout by helping man kind, he gets to take his father's job!

When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave. I suppose I am not allowed to go into an investigation of anything that is not contained in the Bible. If I do, I think there are so many over-wise men here that they would cry “treason” and put me to death. So I will go to the old Bible and turn commentator today.

Joseph Smith is presenting his religion as a sort of 12 step program where a persons goal is to achieve greater and greater degrees of godhood by working their way up, perhaps even getting to take Jesus' spot?

I shall comment on the very first Hebrew word in the Bible; I will make a comment on the very first sentence of the history of creation in the Bible—Berosheit. I want to analyze the word. Baith—in, by, through, and everything else. Rosh—the head, Sheit—grammatical termination. When the inspired man wrote it, he did not put the baith there. An old Jew without any authority added the word; he thought it too bad to begin to talk about the head!

There is no evidence whatsoever for this assertion that the "baith" or rather "beth" or "beit"--the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet was added to Genesis 1:1, in fact a Mormon apologist from FAIR on this point desperately tried to prove so with the following statement:

The idea that the Hebrew letter b (b) was a later addition was attested by some medieval Jewish commentators. Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (born 1189), in his commentary on this verse, wrote, “Our scholars said that the bet in [bereshit] is superfluous.” Translator Michael Linetsky notes, “Apparently he refers to Rabbi Saadiah Gaon, followed by Ibn Janah (see Riqmah, p. 86, n. 3) and probably Ibn Balcam (commentary to Hos. 1:1), who rendered our verse as: The beginning of what (or the first thing) God created was the sky and the earth as though the bet had been discarded.”--FAIRMormon on the King Follet Discourse

However, here is what Ibn Ezra REALLY said:

Our sages have said that the [letter] bet was added, like the bet in barishonah (“in the beginning”) Bereshit 13:4, for you find “at the beginning (rishonah) they travelled” Bamidbar 2:9. But were that the meaning, the bet would have been vocalized with a kamatz gadol. And there are those who say that [the word] bereshit always [appears in] attached [form], where the meaning is “at the beginning of the evening, or the night, or the darkness”. But behold, they forgot “he saw a beginning reishit for himself” Devarim 33:21. And there are those who say that the bet is a subject without meaning. Their reason is that it is unthinkable that there is no beginning to the heavens and the earth. Therefore, it said “bereshit. But according to my opinion, it is indeed an attached form, like “At the beginning (bereshit) of the rule of Yehoyakim”. Now don’t wonder how can it be attached to a past tense verb [instead of a noun], for behold, thus: “At the beginning (techilat) spoke Hashem with Hoshea, and Hashem said to Hoshea” Hoshea 1:2, “The city (kiryat) where David camped” Yeshayahu 29:1. The meaning [of this usage] will be explained for you in the second verse.--Ibn Ezra Commentary on Genesis 1:1

The word נוסף is translated as "superfluous" in the work cited by the Mormon apologist, while the work is translated above as "added", which is truer to its real meaning! Translating it as "superfluous" makes no sense because Ibn Ezra is giving reasons why its used. Ibn Ezra is not saying someone added the Beit there--he is saying why the author of Genesis himself added beit to reshit. No matter how its spun, nothing supports Joseph Smith's claim of addition by an "old Jew." 

It read first, “The head one of the Gods brought forth the Gods.” That is the true meaning of the words. Baurau signifies to bring forth. If you do not believe it, you do not believe the learned man of God. Learned men can teach you no more than what I have told you. Thus the head God brought forth the Gods in the grand council.

There is so much wrong with this claim. First of all, his rendering requires the reader to assume reshit is refering to the "head of the gods" where "gods" is absence in the Hebrew for "head of the gods." Furthermore, Genesis 1:1 continues on to say "the heavens and the earth"--Smith's claim only makes sense if you ignore the words immediately after. He would have to read "“The head one of the Gods brought forth the Gods. The heaven and the earth." This would not make sense in Hebrew since there is a word that cannot be translated into English 'et' in Genesis 1:1 that tells us "heaven and earth" are the direct objects of the sentence, so they cannot be made part of another sentence! The Hebrew reads:

אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ--et hashshamayim v'et ha'aretz

Furthermore, Bara or as Smith seems to say it "baurau" NEVER in the Bible means "bring forth"--there are other words that can mean "bring forth." In fact, the Mormon translation of the bible available on the LDS site has "bring forth" several times in Genesis 1 (v 11,12,20, 21, 24; 3:16 etc) and the rest of Genesis and it is NEVER a translation of "bara."

I will transpose and simplify it in the English language. Oh, ye lawyers, ye doctors, and ye priests, who have persecuted me, I want to let you know that the Holy Ghost knows something as well as you do. The head God called together the Gods and sat in grand council to bring forth the world. The grand councilors sat at the head in yonder heavens and contemplated the creation of the worlds which were created at the time. When I say doctors and lawyers, I mean the doctors and lawyers of the scriptures. I have done so hitherto without explanation, to let the lawyers flutter and everybody laugh at them. Some learned doctors might take a notion to say the scriptures say thus and so; and we must believe the scriptures; they are not to be altered. But I am going to show you an error in them.

The scriptuers come no where near Smith's wild claims, he insists on believing the Scripture--I agree and the Scriptures show he is wrong, furthermore, he argues they cannot be altered--however, he accuses without merit Genesis 1:1 being altered by "an old Jew," which suggests Smith himself is altering Scripture.

I have an old edition of the New Testament in the Latin, Hebrew, German and Greek languages. I have been reading the German, and find it to be the most [nearly] correct translation, and to correspond nearest to the revelations which God has given to me for the last fourteen years. It tells about Jacobus, the son of Zebedee. It means Jacob. In the English New Testament it is translated James. Now, if Jacob had the keys, you might talk about James through all eternity and never get the keys. In the 21st [verse] of the fourth chapter of Matthew, my old German edition gives the word Jacob instead of James.The doctors (I mean doctors of law, not physic) say, “If you preach anything not according to the Bible, we will cry treason.” How can we escape the damnation of hell, except God be with us and reveal to us? Men bind us with chains. The Latin says Jacobus, which means Jacob; the Hebrew says Jacob, the Greek says Jacob and the German says Jacob, here we have the testimony of four against one. I thank God that I have got this old book; but I thank him more for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I have got the oldest book in the world; but I have got the oldest book in my heart, even the gift of the Holy Ghost. I have all the four Testaments. Come here, ye learned men, and read, if you can. I should not have introduced this testimony, were it not to back up the word rosh—the head, the Father of the Gods. I should not have brought it up, only to show that I am right.

This is a trivial point that people that read the Bible in other languages see--sometimes different names are used, does it prove anything really no, just that in English we've associated the New Testament people named Jacob (Yaakov) as being "James." It's silly that a person that is a great prophet should make a big deal about this. I seriously doubt Smith could really read German, Latin or Hebrew--the prophet just could see words. If he knew Hebrew--it was the very little he learned from a Hebrew professor the church paid to give lessons--who was not even Mormon.

A Council of the Gods

In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted [prepared] a plan to create the world and people it. When we begin to learn this way, we begin to learn the only true God, and what kind of a being we have got to worship. Having a knowledge of God, we begin to know how to approach Him, and how to ask so as to receive an answer.

When we understand the character of God, and know how to come to Him, he begins to unfold the heavens to us, and to tell us all about it. When we are ready to come to him, he is ready to come to us.

Now, I ask all who hear me, why the learned men who are preaching salvation, say that God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing? The reason is, that they are unlearned in the things of God, and have not the gift of the Holy Ghost; they account it blasphemy in any one to contradict their idea. If you tell them that God made the world out of something, they will call you a fool. But I am learned, and know more than all the world put together. The Holy Ghost does, anyhow, and he is within me, and comprehends more than all the world; and I will associate myself with him.

This is neo-Platonism, a Greek Philosophy that some Jews accepted that teaches that the universe is made from eternal, uncreated elements. He humbly says he "knows more than all the world put together!" Yet, he makes very simply mistakes!

Meaning of the Word Create

You ask the learned doctors why they say the world was made out of nothing, and they will answer, “Doesn’t the Bible say he created the world?” And they infer, from the word create, that it must have been made out of nothing. Now, the word create came from the word baurau, which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos—chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells all the glory. Element had an existence from the time He had. The pure principles of element are principles which can never be destroyed; they may be organized and re-organized, but not destroyed. They had no beginning and can have no end.

This contradicts what he said previously about the word "bara" or as he says "baurau" where he said it means "bring forth," yet now he says it means "to organize." Here Smith plainly shows his pagan thinking, in addition to teaching many gods, he is teaching the universe preexisted God himself, which is exactly what the pagan Greeks believed in their mythology until being enlightened by the Gospel of Christ!